Clinical orthopaedics and related research
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Clin. Orthop. Relat. Res. · Apr 1999
Phantom limb, residual limb, and back pain after lower extremity amputations.
This study describes the sensations and pain reported by persons with unilateral lower extremity amputations. Participants (n = 92) were recruited from two hospitals to complete the Prosthesis Evaluation Questionnaire which included questions about amputation related sensations and pain. Using a visual analog scale, participants reported the frequency, intensity, and bothersomeness of phantom limb, residual limb, and back pain and nonpainful phantom limb sensations. ⋯ Back pain was significantly more common in persons with above knee amputations. These results support the importance of looking at pain as a multidimensional rather than a unidimensional construct. They also suggest that back pain after lower extremity amputation may be an overlooked but very important pain problem warranting additional clinical attention and study.
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Clin. Orthop. Relat. Res. · Apr 1999
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical TrialEffect of pin location on stability of pelvic external fixation.
Pelvic external fixators allow two locations of pin purchase: anterosuperior (into the iliac crest) and anteroinferior (into the supraacetabular dense bone, between the anterior superior and anterior inferior iliac spine). The purpose of this study was to compare the stability of these two methods of fixation on Tile Type B1 (open book) and C (unstable) pelvic injuries. Five unembalmed cadaveric pelves (mean age, 68 years; four males and one female) were loaded vertically in a servohydraulic testing machine in a standing posture. ⋯ There were no significant differences between the frame types. Dissection of the preinserted anatomic specimen revealed no evidence of injury to the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve after blunt dissection and drilling with protective drill sleeves. It is concluded that the anteroinferior location of external fixation pins is a safe technique with the potential for increased stability of fixation.