The Journal of hand surgery
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As the number of survivors of motor vehicle accidents and extreme sporting accidents increases, the number of people having to live with brachial plexus injuries increases. Although the injured limb will never return to normal, an improved understanding of the pathophysiology of nerve injury and repair, as well as advances in microsurgical techniques, have enabled the upper extremity reconstructive surgeon an opportunity to improve function in these life-altering injuries. The purpose of this review is to detail some of the current concepts of the treatment of adult brachial plexus injuries and give the reader an understanding of the nuances of the timing, available treatment options, and outcomes of treatment.
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Intra-articular screw penetration is one complication of volar plate fixation of distal radius fractures. This study was designed to determine the most commonly used imaging techniques and views during volar plating of distal radius fractures and to evaluate surgeons' ability to detect intra-articular screw placement on static fluoroscopic images and rotational fluoroscopy. ⋯ Rotational fluoroscopy improves the surgeon's ability to detect intra-articular screw penetration during volar plating of the distal radius. No combination of imaging allowed detection of all intra-articular screws. A high level of suspicion for intra-articular screw penetration should be maintained during volar plating of distal radial fractures.
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The side-to-side (SS) tendon suture technique was designed to function as a repair that permits immediate postoperative activation and mobilization of a transferred muscle. This study was designed to test the strength and stiffness of the SS technique against a variation of the Pulvertaft (PT) repair technique. ⋯ The SS repair using a cross-stitch suture technique was significantly stronger and stiffer than the PT repair using a mattress suture technique. This suggests that using SS repairs could enable patients to load the repair soon after surgery. Ultimately, this should reduce the risk of developing adhesions and result in improved functional outcome and fewer complications in the acute postoperative period. Future work will address the specific mechanisms (eg, suture-throw technique and tendon-weave technique) that underlie the improved strength and stiffness of the SS repair.
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Comparative Study
Biomechanical comparison of contemporary clavicle fixation devices.
Because recent studies have shown that malunited or nonunited clavicle fractures treated nonsurgically have poor outcomes, early fixation of certain clavicle shaft fractures using contemporary implants has become more common. Little is known about the physiologic loading of these implants. This study was designed to observe the biomechanical behavior and strength of implants used for fixation of the clavicle shaft. ⋯ Both locking and nonlocking constructs appear to provide similar rigid fixation under the tested mechanical conditions. The intramedullary pin can provide high resistance to failure loads in situations when rigidity and rotational stiffness are not required. Intramedullary pin fixation appears to be inadequate where rotational stiffness is required.