The American journal of orthopedics
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Biography Historical Article
Hyphenated history: Knight-Taylor spinal orthosis.
This paper offers some interesting biographic information on the two men from whom the Knight-Taylor spinal orthosis takes its name. James Knight and Charles Taylor were two orthopedists from New York City who were interested in spinal care. They prescribed and fashioned their distinctive braces, aspects of which were combined by others, thus linking these two men in orthopedic hyphenated history.
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We present a case report of fat embolism syndrome (FES) that resulted in prolonged coma after cemented hemiarthroplasty in a patient with metastatic breast cancer. After the cemented hip prosthesis was placed, the patient developed decreased sensorium that progressed to coma in association with hypoxemia and tachypnea. Pulmonary compromise was mild, and the patient required only supplemental oxygen for support. ⋯ Magnetic imaging results were consistent with FES. While the pulmonary symptoms resolved quickly, the patient remained unresponsive for 11 days without purposeful motor function. After waking she recovered rapidly, and at her 2-month follow-up appointment, demonstrated no adverse orthopedic, pulmonary, or neurologic sequelae.
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Case Reports
Extraction of a supracondylar nail through the proximal femur during total hip arthroplasty.
With the increasing popularity of supracondylar femoral intramedullary nails, removal of these devices may become necessary during total hip arthroplasty. The present article describes a technique for extracting these nails in a retrograde fashion through the proximal femur, thus sparing the patient a knee arthrotomy.
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Nutritional rickets, the classic form of vitamin D-deficiency rickets, is rarely seen in the setting of modern medicine. We report four cases of nutritional rickets diagnosed at the time of orthopedic evaluation at our institutions during a 3-year period. All patients were referred by their pediatricians for evaluation of bowlegs. ⋯ Genu varum, seen in the setting of relative short stature and low weight, with a consistent social history, should raise the suspicion for nutritional rickets. The continued prevalence of this disease entity must be recognized in both the primary care and the orthopedic surgery setting. Vitamin D supplementation and enhanced sunlight exposure serve as effective prophylaxis and treatment of this disease.
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Vertebral venous bleeding is frequently encountered during anterolateral cervical decompression. The present study was undertaken to identify the pattern and location of the vertebral vein in relationship to the vertebral artery in the inter-transverse and intra-transverse foraminal regions. Twenty-one cadavers were dissected to determine the anatomic features of the vertebral vein in the inter-transverse and intra-transverse foramina. ⋯ In six specimens (29%), there were no obvious venous structures related to the vertebral artery in its intra-transverse and inter-transverse foraminal course. The veins are contained in a fibrous and osseous tunnel as they descend through the transverse foramina. Subperiosteal dissection of fibrous tissue from the lateral aspect of the uncinate process after removal of the anterior wall of the transverse foramen may minimize hemorrhages from the vertebral vein in the inter-transverse and intra-transverse foraminal region during resection of the uncovertebraljoint or neural foraminotomy with retraction of the vertebral artery laterally.