Archives of orthopaedic and trauma surgery
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Arch Orthop Trauma Surg · Mar 2002
Review Case ReportsSpontaneous haematoma of the iliac psoas muscle: a case report and review of the literature.
Spontaneous haematomas of the iliac psoas muscle are rare lesions seen in patients receiving anticoagulant agents or suffering from clotting disorders. We report the rare case of a spontaneous iliac psoas haematoma causing femoral neuropathy in a patient not undergoing anticoagulant treatment or suffering from a coagulopathy. After conservative treatment the patient was entirely asymptomatic, and magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated complete dissolution of the haematoma. Spontaneous iliac psoas haematomas should be considered in the differential diagnosis of leg pain in otherwise healthy patients.
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Arch Orthop Trauma Surg · Mar 2002
Comparative StudyFunctional treatment after surgical repair of acute Achilles tendon rupture: wrap vs walking cast.
The aim of this study was to compare the clinical outcome for patients treated with walking cast immobilization and wrap early mobilization after surgical repair of acute Achilles tendon ruptures. A total of 39 consecutive patients with complete ruptures of the Achilles tendon were identified, treated, and functionally rehabilitated with either a walking cast or a wrap. Because the randomization was quasi-random, chi-square and t-tests were performed to compare the baseline characteristics. ⋯ One re-rupture was reported in the walking cast group (4.3%). Functional treatment after surgical Achilles tendon repair is safe, and there is no increased risk of re-rupture or wound healing problems. Functional treatment with a wrap is preferable to treatment with a walking cast with respect to hospitalization time and return to sports.
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Arch Orthop Trauma Surg · Mar 2002
Comparative StudyEffect of continuous versus dichotomous outcome variables on study power when sample sizes of orthopaedic randomized trials are small.
It is often not feasible to conduct large trials in orthopaedic surgery. Therefore, surgeons must identify strategies to optimize the statistical power of their smaller studies. The aim of this study was to compare study power in randomized trials with continuous versus dichotomous outcome variables. ⋯ Studies that reported continuous outcomes had a significantly higher mean power than those that reported dichotomous variables (power 49% vs 38%, p=0.042). Twice as many trials with continuous outcome variables reached acceptable levels of study power (i.e. >80% power) when compared with trials with dichotomous variables (37% vs 18.6%, p=0.04). When orthopaedic surgeons anticipate small sample sizes for their study, they can optimize their study's statistical power by choosing a continuous outcome variable.
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Arch Orthop Trauma Surg · Mar 2002
Comparative StudyThree-dimensional virtual computed tomography imaging for injured anterior cruciate ligament.
Three-dimensional virtual imaging using reconstructed volume data from helical computed tomography was applied to examine injured anterior cruciate ligaments (ACL) as a noninvasive diagnostic aid. Its diagnostic value for ACL injury was evaluated in 21 patients. These results were compared with those of arthroscopic findings. This new technique allowed visualization of the ACL in a three-dimensional form, similar to an arthroscopic image, and was 100% accurate in detecting ACL injuries in the present samples.