The Journal of bone and joint surgery. American volume
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J Bone Joint Surg Am · May 2005
Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study Clinical TrialDevice for zone-II flexor tendon repair. A multicenter, randomized, blinded, clinical trial.
The stainless-steel Teno Fix tendon-repair device has improved biomechanical characteristics compared with those of suture repair, and it was well tolerated in a canine model. The purpose of this study was to compare the Teno Fix with suture repair in a clinical setting. ⋯ The Teno Fix is safe and effective for flexor tendon repair if the tendon size and exposure are sufficient. Tendon repairs with the Teno Fix have lower rupture rates and similar functional outcomes when compared with conventional repair, particularly in patients who are noncompliant with the rehabilitation protocol.
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Despite a trend toward the use of regional anesthesia for orthopaedic procedures, there has been resistance to the use of interscalene regional block for shoulder surgery because of concerns about failed blocks and potential complications. ⋯ Interscalene regional block provides effective anesthesia for most types of shoulder surgery, including arthroplasty and fracture fixation. When administered by an anesthesiologist committed to and skilled in the technique, the block has an excellent rate of success and is associated with a relatively low complication rate.
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J Bone Joint Surg Am · May 2005
Complications of fluoroscopically guided extraforaminal cervical nerve blocks. An analysis of 1036 injections.
A number of serious complications associated with fluoroscopically guided extraforaminal cervical nerve blocks have been reported in the literature. The purpose of the present study was to determine the rate of complications associated with these blocks and to determine whether needle positioning during the procedure affected the prevalence of complications at one institution. ⋯ No catastrophic complications occurred in this series of 1036 nerve blocks. We found that the medial-lateral needle depth as seen on frontal-view radiographs was not associated with complications, although the anterior positioning of the needle as seen on lateral-view radiographs was associated with minor complications. Our results suggest that, with our technique, cervical nerve blocks are relatively safe procedures.
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J Bone Joint Surg Am · May 2005
Intermediate to long-term results of a treatment protocol for calcaneal fracture malunions.
Nonoperative management of displaced intra-articular calcaneal fractures may result in malunion affecting the function of both the ankle and the subtalar joint. The purpose of this study was to report the intermediate to long-term results of a treatment protocol for calcaneal fracture malunions. ⋯ This treatment protocol proved to be effective in relieving pain, reestablishing a plantigrade foot, and improving patient function. Because of the difficulty we encountered in restoring the calcaneal height and the talocalcaneal relationship in this group of patients with a symptomatic calcaneal fracture malunion, we believe that patients with a displaced intra-articular calcaneal fracture may benefit from acute operative treatment.
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J Bone Joint Surg Am · May 2005
ReviewEvidence-based review of the role of aprotinin in blood conservation during orthopaedic surgery.
Aprotinin is a serine protease inhibitor with antifibrinolytic properties that has been approved as a blood-conserving drug in cardiac surgery by the United States Food and Drug Administration. On the basis of the current evidence from Level-I trials, we make a grade-A recommendation for use of the high-dose aprotinin regimen in hip and spine surgery. Because of conflicting data, the low-dose aprotinin therapy as well as the use of aprotinin in patients with cancer cannot be recommended (grade-I recommendation). High-quality randomized trials are necessary to determine the optimal (and minimal) therapeutic dose of aprotinin and the optimal time of aprotinin administration during surgery.