Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to E E Berg.
Three cases of posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) laxity without posterolateral rotatory instability had magnetic resonance imaging scans that documented the structural continuity of the PCL. Tibial PCL recession was effective in eliminating symptomatic laxity in 1 case and lacked efficacy in the other 2 cases.
Ten morbidly obese individuals were retrospectively reviewed to determine the technical problems and incidence of surgical complications associated with knee joint arthroscopy in this subpopulation of patients. In comparison to a cohort of patients of normal weight that were matched for age, sex, and surgical procedure, the morbidly obese patients had longer operative times (P < .02) and time to work resumption despite having less physically demanding jobs. Those with morbid obesity required a greater number of arthroscopy portals to effect a thorough arthroscopic examination (P < .02). Many technical problems involved the fact that these patients' size could not be accommodated by standard equipment. There were no wound or neurovascular complications and one presumed thromboembolic event.
OBJECTIVE: To describe a clinical test associated with unstable lesions of the superior glenoid labrum-long head biceps tendon origin, or SLAP (superior labrum anterior to posterior). DESIGN: Description of a newly discovered clinical sign that correlated with SLAP pathology. Retrospective review of 66 consecutive arthroscopically confirmed SLAP lesions to determine the sensitivity of the SLAPprehension test. SETTING: Orthopedic sports medicine clinics with an emphasis on shoulder problems. PATIENTS: Patients with shoulder pain and arthroscopically verified lesions of the superior glenoid labrum and conjoined long head biceps tendon. INTERVENTION: Shoulder arthroscopy and in some cases arthroscopic SLAP lesion repair. OUTCOME MEASURES: Nonapplicable. RESULTS: The SLAPprehension test involves cross chest adduction (horizontal flexion) of the affected shoulder with the elbow extended and forearm pronated. A positive maneuver produces either apprehension, pain referable to the bicipital groove, and an audible or palpable click. The test is repeated with the forearm supinated, which must cause diminution of the pain. Mechanically, elbow extension and forearm pronation places traction on the long head biceps tendon. When anterior scapular protraction is limited by the clavicle, further adduction entraps the unstable biceps tendon and superior glenoid labrum between the glenoid fossa and humeral head. Forearm supination decreases traction on the long head biceps tendon and allows for reduction of the unstable labrum complex with lessening of the pain. A retrospective chart review of 66 consecutive arthroscopically verified shoulders with SLAP lesions revealed the SLAPprehension test to be 87.5% sensitive for unstable SLAP lesions. CONCLUSIONS: The SLAPprehension test is helpful in the clinical evaluation of patients with unstable superior glenoid labrum lesions whose symptoms are often confused and overlap with those of shoulder impingement or acromioclavicular arthrosis.
I describe a case of adolescent tibia vara, a contralateral nonossifying fibroma of the tibia, and bipartite patella, which occurred in an adolescent karate competitor of normal stature. The association of this unusual triad supports the hypothesis that each process has a shared traumatic etiology.
Rapid restoration of maximal extremity function has stimulated the aggressive treatment of tibia fractures with intramedullary nails. Rod migration is a well-described complication of flexible or unlocked intramedullary rods. Interarticular extrusion of an unlocked tibial rod occurred in a patient after a second accident. Arthroscopy was used to evaluate the chondral injury, as well as to advance the rod.
Persistent pain after distal claviculectomy (the Mumford procedure) has been attributed to both inadequate and excessive clavicle resection or incomplete supraspinatus outlet decompression with continued impingement. A retrospective review of twenty glenohumeral arthroscopies done in shoulders with a previous Mumford procedure disclosed 15 cases, (75%) of superior glenoid labrum, long head biceps tendon (SLAP) lesions. Most of the distal calvicle resections 13 out of 15 (86%) had been done for "acromioclavicular arthritis." These patients were young, with an average age of 37 years (range 20 to 50) and most, 14 out of 15, had pain attributable to a specific traumatic event. Most had deep pain referable to the bicipital groove with cross chest adduction of the shoulder with the elbow extended and forearm pronated (thumb down). The discomfort improved with the forearm supinated (thumb up). It is concluded the SLAP lesion to be part of the differential diagnosis of acromioclavicular joint disease. In younger patients with a traumatic history, glenohumeral arthroscopy should be used to rule out SLAP pathology and possibly prevent an unnecessary distal clavicle resection.
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical results of transverse patella fracture fixation with a tensioned anterior figure-eight wire placed through parallel cannulated screws. DESIGN: Prospective, clinical. PATIENTS: Ten patients with displaced transverse patella fractures were managed with a standardized rehabilitation protocol that employed early continuous passive knee motion. OUTCOME MEASURES: Time to clinical and radiographic union, Hospital for Special Surgery Knee Scores, and comparisons with literature cohort studies. RESULTS: Clinical union occurred at an of average eight weeks and radiographic union at a mean of thirteen weeks postoperatively. Early continuous passive motion over a restricted are did not compromise the quality of fracture reduction, even though the majority of patients were elderly and had osteopenic bone. Subjective and functional results using Hospital for Special Surgery Knee Scores were comparable to previously published reports, with 70 percent achieving an excellent or good outcome. CONCLUSIONS: The described fixation technique for transverse patella fractures had clinical results equivalent to reports of patella fractures fixed with modified tension band wiring. Advantages included a low-profile construct that caused lesser degrees of implant irritation to local soft tissue structures, was compatible with the use of early restricted motion, and afforded a method to salvage three cases in which traditional tension band wiring failed to maintain an anatomic reduction in oteoporotic bone.
Three middle-aged patients with diabetes sustained fractures of the acetabulum which were treated by open reduction and internal fixation. In each, rapid dissolution of the femoral head occurred with minimal discomfort, typical of a Charcot arthropathy. The patients had no other evidence of neuropathic arthropathy. Charcot changes may occur after high-energy trauma in patients with diabetes.
A unilateral facet dislocation is an injury classically localized to the cervical spine. A series of 3 unilateral thoracic facet dislocations are reported in 2 adults and 1 child. Each had severe concomitant injuries to the thorax, which caused respiratory compromise. On lateral radiographs, all had anterior vertebral body translation of less than 20% of the vertebral body width with minor degrees of kyphosis. Axial computed tomographic images showed a unilateral empty facet sign. All patients were neurologically intact and none had any mechanical pain at last followup. The mechanism of injury is flexion distraction with rotational force that disrupts the rib cage.
A hybrid acromioclavicular joint fracture-dislocation in which an intra-articular fracture of the distal clavicle coexisted with a coracoclavicular ligament injury is described. The proposed mechanism of injury is a fall on the point of the shoulder that simultaneously drives the scapula both anteriorly and inferiorly. Forced anterior scapular protraction caused a displaced horizontal plane fracture of the inferior half of the distal clavicle, which was separated from the remainder of the clavicle. The inferiorly acromioclavicular ligament was still attached to this distal clavicle fragment. The inferiorly directed force ruptured the coracoclavicular and superior acromioclavicular ligaments.
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Two cases are described in which bone plug comminution caused a loss of femoral fixation after endoscopic bone-patellar tendon-bone, anterior cruciate ligament autograft reconstruction. Clinically there was loss of knee joint stability, and radiographically the bone graft had dislodged. One case was salvaged by graft inversion, with femoral interference screw and tibial traction suture fixation. The second case required graft replacement with a patella bone-quadriceps tendon autograft.
Patella fractures are an acknowledged complication of cruciate ligament reconstructions that use bone-tendon-bone autografts. Two fracture patterns are seen: a nondisplaced longitudinal patellar fissure fracture recognized interoperatively and the classic displaced transverse fracture that disrupts the extensor mechanism. Rigid fixation techniques are described for each fracture type that minimally affect rehabilitative efforts.
To determine the sensitivity for detecting pelvic pathology and instability, roentgenograms and computed tomographic (CT) scans from 59 patients with pelvic injuries that had been admitted to a Level I trauma center were randomly reviewed by a orthopedic surgeon blinded to the study. Normal control roentgenograms and CT scans were included to decrease observer bias. The anteroposterior (AP) roentgenogram detected 66% of all pelvic injuries, 78% of those involving the anterior ring, and 53% of those involving the posterior pelvic ring. The trauma CT scan, 10-mm axial images of the abdomen and pelvis, detected 86% of all pelvic injuries, and 78% of anterior ring and 93% of posterior ring injuries. The sensitivity for detecting pelvic instability from one plain film AP pelvis roentgenogram taken in a trauma room setting was 74%. Inlet and outlet views were 75% sensitive. Trauma CT scans were 93% sensitive and high-definition pelvic CT scans (5-mm pelvic cuts) yielded 100% sensitivity. The mechanism of injury could be ascertained with 73% sensitivity by plain films and with 79% sensitivity by inlet and outlet views; trauma CT scans were 96% and high-definition pelvic CT scans were 100% sensitive. When combined, the AP pelvis roentgenograms and trauma CT scans identified 96% of the injured structures and were 100% sensitive in determining injury force patterns and instability. The data suggested that a good quality AP pelvis roentgenogram in conjunction with a complete trauma CT scan of the abdomen/pelvis should identify both the injury mechanism and pelvic instability with a high degree of sensitivity.
The peroneus brevis tendon is frequently used in lateral ankle ligament reconstruction for chronic instability. Intraoperative tendon rupture at the exit of the interosseous transfibular tunnel occurred in two cases. A technique is described to salvage this situation. At 2-year follow-up, both cases had successful restoration of ankle joint stability.
Two pediatric tibial eminence fractures were arthroscopically reduced and fixed with cannulated screws. At 2-year follow-up, anterior tibial translatory laxity was normal and the pivot shift test was negative. In one case, the screw transgressed the proximal tibial physis; however, neither case showed evidence of proximal tibial growth arrest.
A patellar bone-tendon-bone tibial inlay reconstruction of the posterior cruciate ligament using a popliteal arthrotomy was designed to minimize graft-tunnel wall abrasion. Arthroscopic techniques are used for femoral graft fixation. In a small series, the procedure decreased the quadriceps active drawer in 70 degrees of flexion by an average of 4 mm and improved patellofemoral symptoms.
Allograft or synthetic meniscal replacement has the potential to delay the arthritic sequelae of the meniscectomized knee. Meniscal implants must, however, be side and size specific. A cadaveric study was performed in which medial and lateral menisci were painted with a radiopaque tantalum powder-cyanoacrylic mixture. Radiographs of this preparation demonstrated reproducible relationships between each meniscus and established bony landmarks. When corrected for magnification, meniscal size could be derived from plain films. Meniscal width equaled the distance (coronal) from the peak of the tibial eminence to the periphery of the tibial metaphysis on anteroposterior films. Meniscal length was measured from lateral radiographs. Medial meniscal length was 80%, and lateral meniscal length was 70% of the measured sagittal length of the tibial plateau. Measurement error averaged 7.8% by these parameters.