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Biomedical subjects

Daniel P Mass

Publications and source records attributed to Daniel P Mass.

10 recordsLinked to original sources

Anatomy of the coronoid process.

PURPOSE: Coronoid injuries are classified according to the size of the coronoid fracture. The purpose of this study was to provide a detailed anatomic description of the coronoid process, with specific focus on the coronoid height, the coronoid width, and the olecranon-coronoid angle. METHODS: Thirty-five cadaveric arms were dissected. All soft tissue was removed and the ulna was disarticulated from the humerus, radius, and the carpal bones. A 3-dimensional digitizing system was used to locate 19 anatomic landmarks on each specimen. By using the 3-dimensional coordinates of the landmarks, the coronoid heights, proximal ulnar widths, and olecranon-coronoid angles were determined. RESULTS: The coronoid height, with its base defined by the trough of the trochlear notch and the slope change of the distal coronoid process, measured 15 mm and was 42% of the ulnar height. The coronoid height, with its base defined by the transverse groove of the sigmoid notch at the guiding ridge and the distal insertion of the brachialis muscle, measured 15 mm and was 43% of the ulnar height. The olecranon-coronoid angle ranged between 33 degrees and 38 degrees . CONCLUSIONS: For lateral radiographic classification of coronoid fractures, coronoid height is best defined by the trough of the trochlear notch and the slope change of the distal coronoid process. For anatomic studies, coronoid height is best defined by the transverse groove of the sigmoid notch at the guiding ridge and the distal insertion of the brachialis muscle. The olecranon-coronoid angle is best defined by the angle formed by the lines from the olecranon tip through the coronoid tip and through the slope change of the distal coronoid process. The coronoid anatomy measurements reported in this study may help to improve coronoid fracture classification.

Aged↗

Acute flexor tendon repairs in zone II.

Flexor tendon repair in zone II is still a technically demanding procedure, but the outcomes have become more predictable and satisfying. Of keystone importance for obtaining the goals of normal strength and gliding of repaired flexor tendons are an atraumatic surgical technique, an appropriate suture material, a competent pulley system, and the use of early motion rehabilitation protocols. The overall goal of hand and finger function also implies timely addressing of neurovascular injuries. New devices such as the TenoFix (Ortheon Medical; Winter Park, Florida) have shown adequate strength in the laboratory but are bulky and untested for work of flexion. Insufficient clinical data and high cost may prevent widespread use.

Casts, Surgical↗

Zone I flexor tendon injuries.

Zone I flexor tendon injuries entail injuries to the flexor digitorum profundus (FDP) tendon. These injuries occur distal to the superficialis insertion over the middle phalanx or proximal distal phalanx, and as such are isolated injuries to the FDP. The mechanism most commonly is closed avulsion from the distal phalanx or a laceration, but other mechanisms such as open avulsion or crush injury can occur. On physical examination, the cascade of the fingers will be disrupted, and distal interphalangeal (DIP) joint flexion must be isolated to determine if the FDP tendon is continuous, as other mechanisms are present to enable finger flexion at the other joints.

Finger Injuries↗

The future of flexor tendon surgery.

Clinical outcomes following flexor tendon repair have made significant improvements in the last 50 years. In that time standard treatment has evolved from secondary grafting to primary repair with postoperative rehabilitation protocols. Unfortunately, excellent results are not yet attained universally following treatment. Improving understanding of tendon healing at the cellular, molecular, and genetic levels will likely enable surgeons to modulate the normal repair process. We now look toward biologic augmentation of flexor tendon repairs to address the problems of increasing tensile strength while reducing adhesion formation following injury and operative repair.

Genetic Therapy↗

Characterization of adenovirus-mediated gene transfer in rabbit flexor tendons.

PURPOSE: Adenoviral vector-based gene therapy is a promising technique for the delivery of growth factors to tendons. The objective of this study was to determine whether rabbit flexor tendons could be transduced effectively by adenoviral vectors and whether the introduction of adenoviral vectors would cause a notable local inflammatory response. METHODS: Recombinant adenoviruses expressing green fluorescent protein (AdGFP) or BMP-13 (AdBMP-13) were constructed and 3 different viral titers (1 x 10(7), 1 x 10(8), and 1 x 10(9)) were tested in this study. The second through fifth tendons of the forepaws and hindpaws of a New Zealand white rabbit were identified surgically and injected with different viral titers of adenoviruses. The fifth tendon was used as a control. The tendons were harvested 12 days after surgery. The retrieved tendons were sectioned to measure transgene expression, as well as for histologic evaluation. RESULTS: At all tested viral titers an efficient dose-dependent transgene expression was detected in all samples at 12 days after injection. At the highest dose the injection sites were notable for lymphocytic infiltration, suggesting that injected adenoviral vectors can illicit some local inflammatory response. Lymphocytic infiltration was much less apparent, however, in the tendons injected with lower titers of adenoviral vectors. There was no evidence of a massive inflammatory response and/or cell death. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings show that adenovirus-based gene therapy is an efficient means of gene delivery to rabbit flexor tendons. Transduction efficiency of transgenes was dose dependent across the tested titers, although adenovirus-induced inflammation was notable only at the highest titer. This indicates that efficient gene transfer without notable local inflammatory response may be achieved by using the lower titers. Although adenovirus-induced inflammation can be minimized by using lower viral titers, its impact on adhesion formation in the long term remains unknown.

Adenoviridae↗

Repair of zone II flexor digitorum profundus lacerations using varying suture sizes: a comparative biomechanical study.

PURPOSE: To compare the maximum tensile load, change in work of flexion, and gapping at the repair site after zone II flexor digitorum profundus tendon repairs using 2-0, 3-0, and 4-0 braided polyester 4-strand locked cruciate repair technique in fresh-frozen cadaveric hands with standard 6-0 suture epitenon repairs, to determine which suture size is the best for a core repair. METHODS: A randomized study was designed using 41 tendons from 15 fresh-frozen cadaveric hands. We included only the flexor digitorum profundus tendons from the index, middle, and ring fingers to minimize variation between digits. Core suture size was randomized for each finger. A sharp laceration through the flexor digitorum profundus in zone II was made and a 4-strand locked cruciate braided polyester core stitch was performed along with a locked epitenon stitch. Cyclic loading was performed for 1,000 cycles. For each tendon the mean work of flexion (before/after zone II repair) and maximum tensile load were measured using a custom-designed tensiometer, as was gapping before maximum tensile loading. RESULTS: Mean gaps after 1,000 load-unload cycles to 3.9 N of pulp pinch did not approach the clinically significant limit of 3 mm in each group. By using a regression model, we found that the prerepair and postrepair comparisons for mean work of flexion to a 3.9-N pulp pinch showed the greatest change in work of flexion for 2-0 braided polyester. Statistical significance was found between 2-0 braided polyester and 3-0 or 4-0 braided polyester; however, the work of flexion between the 3-0 and 4-0 polyester was not clinically significant. The highest maximum tensile load was obtained with suture size 2-0 braided polyester. The maximal tensile load statistically showed 2-0 braided polyester to be stronger than 4-0 braided polyester but we found no statistically significant difference between 3-0 and 2-0 braided polyester or between 3-0 and 4-0 braided polyester. CONCLUSIONS: In this cadaveric study we found that increasing locking cruciate suture caliber from 4-0 to 2-0 increased maximum tensile strength but also caused increased work of flexion. Gapping was not affected by suture caliber. There was no significant difference in strength or mean change in work of flexion between 3-0 or 4-0 braided polyester sutures.

Biomechanical Phenomena↗

Effects of the adductor pollicis and abductor pollicis brevis on thumb metacarpophalangeal joint laxity before and after ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction.

PURPOSE: The intrinsic muscles and ulnar capsuloligamentous structures (UCLS), which consist of the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL), accessory UCL, dorsal capsule, and volar plate of the thumb metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joint are important for controlling the motion and stability of the MCP joint during pinch. The purpose of this cadaveric study was to determine the effects of the adductor pollicis (AdP) and abductor pollicis brevis (APB) on the 3-dimensional MCP joint laxity before transection of the UCLS and after reconstruction of the UCL and repair of the dorsal capsule. METHODS: Loads were applied to the flexor pollicis longus (FPL) alone, to the AdP and FPL in combination, and to the APB and FPL in combination in 11 cadavers. This was done in the intact joint after the UCLS were transected and after the UCL was reconstructed for flexion angles of 0 degrees, 15 degrees, 30 degrees, and 45 degrees. The spatial positions of the proximal phalanx and the metacarpal of the MCP joint were measured with a 6-degrees-of-freedom digitizing system. RESULTS: In the intact joint combined loading of the AdP and FPL did not affect the position of the proximal phalanx. Combined loading of the APB and FPL changed the position of the phalanx from an ulnar to a radial shift and from an ulnar to a radial deviation and it increased pronation. After transection of the UCLS combined loading of the FPL and AdP increased supination of the MCP joint and combined loading of the FPL and APB increased radial shift, radial deviation, and pronation of the joint. Reconstruction of the UCL restored normal laxity to the MCP joint. CONCLUSIONS: The AdP failed to affect MCP joint motion. The ABP produced a radial shift and radial deviation of the MCP joint and increased pronation of the thumb. Transection of the UCLS increased joint laxity for each of the combined loadings and reconstruction of the UCL restored normal laxity to the MCP joint.

Aged↗

Comparative biomechanical performances of 4-strand core suture repairs for zone II flexor tendon lacerations.

To compare the biomechanical performances of six 4-strand flexor tendon repairs at zone II, we used an in situ testing model in 54 cadaver profundus tendons. The techniques studied were the modified Becker, modified double Tsuge, Lee, locked cruciate, Robertson, and Strickland. Prerepair and postrepair comparisons for work of flexion to a 3.9-N pulp pinch (equal to 12.6 N tendon force) showed the greatest interference to gliding in the modified Becker repair and the least in the modified double Tsuge repair. Mean gaps after 1,000 load-unload cycles to a 3.9-N pulp pinch did not approach the clinically important limit of 3 mm in all groups. Ultimate tensile strength was highest in the modified Becker (69.4 +/- 8.2 N) but not significantly higher than the modified double Tsuge (60.3 +/-15.3 N) and locked cruciate (64.1 +/- 16.2 N). In all repair groups the mean pulp pinch forces upon failure were well above values recommended for active mobilization protocols that use external load guides. The locked cruciate, modified double Tsuge, and modified Becker repairs were strong enough for an early active motion protocol after surgery. Locked cruciate and modified double Tsuge were easier to perform and provided less interference to tendon gliding than the modified Becker repair.

Biomechanical Phenomena↗

The strength of distal fixation of flexor digitorum profundus tendon grafts in human cadavers.

Early active motion limits adhesion formation and thus improves functional performance after tendon grafting. The early strength of distal fixation is critical to successful tendon grafting. We describe a new Y-tunnel technique of distal fixation and compare it with 2 established methods, the Pulvertaft transverse tunnel and the Bunnell button over the fingernail techniques, in a human cadaver model to determine which is the strongest method. Hands with a grafted tendon were rigidly mounted on an anatomic tensiometer testing apparatus and loaded to failure. Mean load to failure (newtons +/- 95% confidence intervals) of the Y-tunnel technique (155.2 +/- 29.4) was greater than those for the Pulvertaft (100.2 +/- 13.2) and Bunnell (57.1 +/- 4.7) techniques. Two-way analysis of variance showed significant differences, and the Bonferroni multiple pairwise comparison test showed that all 3 intergroup comparisons were statistically significant. These results indicate marked improvement in immediate strength with the Y-tunnel technique and lay the groundwork for further studies using a healing tendon model.

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