PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

C R Ashworth

Publications and source records attributed to C R Ashworth.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Anatomic variations and carpal tunnel syndrome: 10-year clinical experience.

The surgical findings in 147 consecutive hands that underwent primary carpal tunnel release between 1983 and 1993 were reviewed for anatomic variation. A classification is introduced for the two major types of variations found. The variations found within the carpal tunnel, termed intrinsic or Type I, were space-occupying lesions of muscular, bony, or varied soft tissue origin. The variations overlying the transverse carpal ligament, termed extrinsic or Type II, were nearly all muscular in origin. Seventy-four variations were found in 60 hands. Overall, an underlying variation was found in 41% of the hands. After applying a logistic model, it was found that patient age and hand dominance were important factors in predicting the presence of an anatomic variation. For patients 40 years of age or younger, the odds of observing an anatomic variation were 3.2 times higher than the odds of observing a variation in patients older than 40 years. The odds of observing an anatomic variation in the dominant hand were 2.3 times higher when compared with the odds of observing a variation in the nondominant hand. In patients 40 years of age or younger, with dominant side involvement, an anatomic variation was found in 71% of hands. In patients older than 40 years with nondominant side involvement, an anatomic variation was found in 24% of hands. Taking into account not only anatomic variations but also underlying medical disease and local injury, at least one was identified in 86% of hands.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome↗

Swanson metacarpophalangeal joint arthroplasty in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Between 1981 and 1991, 348 Swanson metacarpophalangeal replacements were implanted in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. There were 64 female and seven male patients. Both hands were reconstructed in 18 patients. Clinically, 170 implants were available for an average of 5.2 years (range, 2-10 years) followup. Severe synovitis was seen in 7% of metacarpophalangeal joints, moderate synovitis in 25%, slight synovitis in 17%, and synovitis was not present in 51%. Pain was found to be severe in 4% of the joints, moderate in 3%, slight in 39%, and not present in 54% of the joints. The average preoperative active arc of motion was 38 degrees, and the average postoperative arc of motion was 27 degrees. Eleven of 12 fractures found were revised. There were no infections. Functionally, of 58 patients assessed, 58 (100%) reported the ability to feed themselves, 55 (94%) to button clothes, and 54 (93%) to write. Quality radiographs were available in 144 joints. Eighty-four percent of implants showed sclerosis of bone and 8% showed resorption adjacent to the implant. Survivorship analysis revealed a 94% success rate at 5 years, 93% at 7 years, and 90% at 10 years using the end point of revision surgery.

Arthritis, Rheumatoid↗

Swanson proximal interphalangeal joint arthroplasty in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

One hundred thirty-eight Swanson proximal interphalangeal replacements were implanted in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, of which 99 implants were available for average 5.8 years followup. Pain was severe in 1%, moderate in 4%, slight in 28%, and not present in 67%. The average preoperative active arc of motion was 38 degrees, and postoperative 29 degrees. Ten fractures were found, and were revised. Of 45 patients assessed, 45 (100%) reported the ability to feed themselves, 43 (96%) to button their clothes, and 42 (93%) to write. There was sclerosis of bone around 78% of the implants and resorption adjacent to 12% of the implants. Survivorship analysis showed that 81% of implants were not revised at 9 years.

Activities of Daily Living↗

Unilateral axillary adenopathy secondary to a silicone wrist implant: report of a case detected at screening mammography.

At routine screening mammography, asymmetrically enlarged left axillary lymph nodes were seen in a healthy 70-year-old woman. Ultrasound (US)-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy of the largest node revealed a foreign body reaction. The patient recalled a previous silicone implantation in her wrist. On the basis of cytologic study, normal findings of physical examination, and clinical history, a benign foreign body reaction to silicone implant material was diagnosed. Consideration of regional silicone lymphadenopathy is recommended in the differential diagnosis of unilateral enlarged lymph nodes noted on mammograms. US-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy is a simple, rapid, inexpensive, and relatively nontraumatic means of ruling out malignancy.

Aged↗

Restoration of venous outflow by simultaneous creation of an arteriovenous shunt and pedicle flap using a rat model of foot replantation.

Replantation of amputated rat feet utilizing an efferent arteriovenous shunt constructed between the distal posterior tibial artery and the proximal posterior tibial vein, in the absence of all other venous drainage, provides an alternative pathway to the normal venous drainage in a replanted rat foot. However, this substitute venous drainage was insufficient to prevent progressive ischemia and necrosis of some or all of a replanted rat foot. When a cutaneous pedicle flap supplemented the arteriovenous shunt, venous drainage was much improved, tissue hypoxia and edema began to subside on the third day, severe tissue necrosis was prevented, and seven of eight feet replanted by this technique survived. These observations may be useful in replantation in humans when veins in the amputated part are too small to be used or so damaged that they cannot be repaired or reconstructed by a vein graft, but arteries can still provide a means of returning blood from the amputated part. Constructing an alternative pathway to the normal venous drainage pattern may allow severely damaged parts to survive after replantation.

Anastomosis, Surgical↗

Tendon arthroplasty of the fifth carpometacarpal joint for treatment of posttraumatic arthritis.

Resectional arthroplasty with interposition of a rolled tendon spacer was used to treat posttraumatic arthritis of the fifth metacarpal-hamate joint in eight patients. The average follow-up was 5 years. All of the patients subjectively rated the functional capability and the cosmetic appearance of their hands as good or excellent. After operation, there was a net increase of 30% in the average grip strength of the study group. The motion preserved at the small finger carpometacarpal joint facilitated power function of the hand.

Adult↗

Bridge flexor tendon grafts.

In adults, when flexor tendons cannot be repaired until weeks or months after injury or when tendons have ruptured and part of the tendon is nonviable, it is often inadvisable to suture the tendon ends together. When a primary repair has failed, when there has been a delay in tendon reconstruction to allow skin coverage or joint mobilization, or when repair has been delayed because of infection, continuity of a profundus tendon or flexor pollicis longus tendon can often be restored by using a free graft to bridge the defect. Many patients treated by this procedure will have a satisfactory result providing that the flexor tendon is undamaged within its digital sheath and the muscle is intact and has adequate amplitude. In the study reported here, satisfactory function was restored to 28 of 37 fingers and to eight of ten thumbs treated by this method.

Adult↗

Fracture of the hook of the hamate.

We removed the fracture fragment from fifty-nine patients who had an isolated fracture of the hook of the hamate. Preoperatively, all had complained of pain and tenderness on the ulnar side of the palm or on the dorsal ulnar aspect of the wrist. Most fractures were thought to have occurred while the patient was swinging a racquet, golf club, or baseball bat. Some fractures were caused by striking the palm on a solid object, by falling on the palm, or by a crush injury to the hand. Most of the fractures were diagnosed conclusively on a carpal tunnel roentgenogram or on a special oblique roentgenogram of the wrist supinated. We now believe that computed axial tomography is the best imaging technique for demonstrating this fracture. Except for two patients who had a crush injury, all of the patients returned to their regular occupational and athletic pursuits. There were no surgical complications.

Adult↗

Treatment of ununited fractures of the scaphoid by iliac bone grafts and Kirschner-wire fixation.

Of 151 ununited fractures of the scaphoid that were treated with iliac bone grafts and Kirschner-wire fixation through a volar approach, all but four (97 per cent) healed in an average of seventeen weeks, Three of the four failures resulted from obvious technical errors. Neither the preoperative existence of necrosis of the proximal fragment nor the location of the fracture affected the results. When there was mild radiocarpal arthritis preoperatively, it did not progress postoperatively; if there was moderate radiocarpal arthritis preoperatively, progression seldom was seen if a radial styloidectomy was done. Displaced and unstable ununited fractures healed even if the deformity was not corrected completely. The principal benefit of the procedure was relief of pain rather than an increase either in motion of the wrist or in strength of grip.

Adolescent↗

Dupuytren's disease in women: evaluation of long-term results after operation.

A study of the long-term results after operation on 66 women (83 hands) with Dupuytren's disease showed that women are twice as likely as men to have a postoperative flare reaction. Why a flare reaction develops is uncertain. In this study, patients who had a carpal tunnel release at the time of operation for treatment of Dupuytren's disease or those who had an extensive fasciectomy, as opposed to removal of only the contracted tissue, were more apt to have a flare reaction. In addition, after operation, moderate or severe loss of finger flexion occurred in 35% of hands without a flare reaction and in 76% of those who had a flare reaction. This suggests that women having an operation for treatment of Dupuytren's disease are apt to have a worse result than men.

Aged↗

Operative treatment of intra-articular fractures of the dorsal aspect of the distal phalanx of digits.

Thirty-six digits with an intra-articular fracture of the dorsal aspect of the distal phalanx that involved one-third or more of the articular surface were treated by open reduction and internal fixation with Kirschner wires. After an average length of follow-up of forty-six months, roentgenograms of the distal joint in twenty-six digits appeared essentially normal. Ten digits had minor roentgenographic changes but, with the exception of one digit, the joint space was congruous and free of significant abnormalities. The average loss of extension of the distal joint was 2 degrees, and the average arc of flexion of the distal joint was 69 degrees. The average strength of pinch in all digits that were operated on was essentially equal to the strength of pinch in the contralateral digit. Exact reduction and internal fixation using the technique described resulted in excellent motion and function.

Adolescent↗

Treatment of selected patients with an ununited fracture of the proximal part of the scaphoid by excision of the fragment and insertion of a carved silicone-rubber spacer.

An ununited scaphoid fracture whose proximal fragment is small, sclerotic, fragmented, or badly deformed is usually not suitable for bone-grafting. We treated twenty-one such patients by excision of the small proximal fragment through a volar incision and the insertion of a hand-carved silicone-rubber spacer. After surgery, twenty patients (95 per cent) were able to return to work and engage in strenuous activities, including sports. Pain was significantly relieved, although wrist motions and grip were only minimally improved. Preoperative and postoperative comparative measurements of carpal collapse and translation showed only insignificant changes after this procedure.

Adult↗

Use of a hand-carved silicone-rubber spacer for advanced Kienböck's disease.

We found that the use of a hand-carved silicone-rubber (Silastic) spacer was reasonably effective in relieving symptoms in thirty-six patients with advanced Kienböck's disease, even though there was still some residual postoperative loss of wrist motion and grip strength. Preoperatively all patients had pain and limited motion of the wrist as well as weakness of grip. Roentgenographically all had fragmentation and collapse of the lunate, and 92 per cent had measurable carpal collapse. Most had had symptoms for longer than one year. After removal of the deformed lunate through a dorsal incision, a silicone-rubber spacer was shaped to fit the defect. Patients were followed for an average of fifty-four months. Thirty-two patients were followed for at least two years; all but three were improved. This procedure is not recommended when the shape of the lunate is normal or not significantly altered, or when the lunate has not collapsed as measured by precise determinants.

Adolescent↗

Tendon transfers for radial nerve palsy: use of superficialis tendons for digital extension.

Since 1959, 22 patients have had wrist extension restored by transfer of the pronator teres to the extensor carpi radialis longus and brevis, common finger extension by transfer of the superficialis of the long finger, independent thumb and index finger extension by transfer of the superficialis of the ring finger, and abduction of the thumb by transfer of the flexor carpi radialis at the wrist joint level. Twenty-one of 22 patients have been evaluated from 8 months to 15 years after operation, with an average follow-up of 4.5 years. By our new system of evaluation, there were 10 excellent results, six good results, five fair results, and all patients improved. Sixteen patients obtained full, independent thumb-index finger extension, three had fair function, and two obtained thumb-index extension by tenodesis of the transfer. This procedure allows full metacarpophalangeal extension independent of wrist position, provides thumb-index finger extension independent of the ulnar three digits, and maintains the dorsal-radial-to-volar-ulnar plane of functional motion of the wrist by retaining the flexor carpi ulnaris.

Adolescent↗

Flexor tendon graft through intact superficialis tendon.

During a 14-year period, the flexor profundus mechanism was reconstructed with a free tendon graft in 25 fingers. The graft was passed either through or alongside the intact superficialis tendon. Five of the profundus tendons had ruptured, and 21 had been severed. One patient was under 10 years of age and only three were over 21 years of age. The result was considered to be satisfactory if the finger flexed to 3.2 cm or less of the mid-palm, had at lease 20 degrees of voluntary flexion of the distal joint, and lacked no more than 30 degrees of extension of the proximal interphalangeal joint. Additionally, to be satisfactory, the combined loss of extension of the proximal interphalangeal and distal interphalangeal joints ahd to be 40 degrees or less for an index or middle finger, and 60 degrees or less for a ring or little finger. Using these criteria, 20 patients were satisfactory, four were unsatisfactory, and one was unchanged. Selected patients who are between the ages of 10 and 21 years will benefit from this operation, providing that the finger had limber joints and minimal scar, and the superficialis tendon flexes the proximal interphalangeal joint at least 80 degrees.

Adolescent↗

Silicone-rubber interposition arthroplasty of the carpometacarpal joint of the thumb.

Since 1969, a slightly modified silicone-rubber neurosurgical burr-hole cover has been used for a type of interposition arthroplasty of the carpometacarpal joint of the thumb. The short stem of the device fits into a hole burred into the distal surface of the trapezium. The flat surface of the device covers the distal surface of the trapezium. Forty-nine operations were done on 42 patients, 35 women and seven men. The age range of the patients was 34 years to 72 years, with an average of 55 years. The average follow-up time was 31 months. Forty results were rated as excellent. There were two failures due to breakage of the device, and in both cases the breakage was due to a technical error.

Adult↗

Fusion of the first metacarpotrapezial joint for degenerative arthritis.

During a twelve-year period, twenty-eight patients (thirty thumbs) were treated for painful idiopathic arthritis of the metacarpotrapezial joint of the thumb by fusion. Failure of fusion occurred in two thumbs, and in both instances a solid fusion followed a second procedure. Fusion of the metacarpotrapezial joint did not predispose to painful arthritis of the trapezioscaphoid joint, even in patients with pre-existing roentgenographic evidence of minor degenerative changes in this joint. The results after long-term follow-up were gratifying, the patients having painless and stable thumbs with excellent strength. Although patients noted a minor loss of thumb motion, they did not consider this a problem. Fusion is a satisfactory procedure for patients who need or desire a strong, painless thumb, and seems especially worth while in the dominant thumb when both thumbs require surgical treatment.

Adult↗