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Biomedical subjects

H Ferguson

Publications and source records attributed to H Ferguson.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1994

Posterior tibial tendinitis. A literature review with case reports.

Overuse posterior tibial tendinitis is caused by the increased stress placed on the tendon as it tries to compensate for the increased subtalar joint pronatory movement and velocity during physical activity. The stress can cause microtrauma and rupture of some of the fibers of the tendon. This leads to an inflammatory process and the classical clinical signs and symptoms. Therapy is directed at reducing the inflammation, minimizing the fibrosis buildup, re-strengthening the weakened tissue, and controlling the pronatory force. The two case reports illustrate typical clinical signs, symptoms, and treatment for this injury.

Ankle Injuries↗
PubMed1994

Update and rationale for the inverted functional foot orthosis.

The inverted orthotic technique, also known as the Blake functional foot orthosis, is a prescription variable that allows for greater control of abnormal foot function. This article describes the indications for this prescription and the specific stability changes this technique produces. The authors conclude that it is crucial for laboratories to be brought into the process of orthosis development so that new techniques can be incorporated easily into therapy.

Equipment Design↗
PubMed1993

The effect of salbutamol controlled release on airways responsiveness to inhaled methacholine in mild asthmatic subjects.

Single doses of inhaled bronchodilating agents have been shown to reduce airways responsiveness (AR) in both normal and asthmatic individuals. The longer term effects of these treatments on airways responsiveness are less clear. We have studied the effects of 4 weeks of treatment with oral salbutamol controlled release (SCR) (8 mg b.d.) on airways responsiveness in mild asthmatics in a double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Airways responsiveness to inhaled methacholine, baseline FEV1 and plasma salbutamol levels was assessed 6 h, 48 h and 4 weeks after commencing treatment and again 24 h and 72 h after cessation of medication. When compared to placebo, SCR significantly attenuated AR at the 48-h time point only. There were no increases in AR recorded at any of the post-treatment time points. In addition, there were no significant differences in baseline FEV1 at any of the time-points studied, when compared to placebo. The change in AR at 48 h after starting treatment was probably due to functional antagonism of smooth muscle contraction. Importantly, there were no increases in AR recorded at either of the post-treatment time points.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

The effect of intranasal azelastine, Rhinolast, on nasal airways obstruction and sneezing following provocation testing with histamine and allergen.

The effect of single dose topical nasal therapy with azelastine hydrochloride (azelastine) on the response of nasal airways resistance (NAR) to provocation testing was studied in 36 patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis. Nasal provocation testing (NPT) with histamine or grass pollen was performed after a single dose of azelastine, 0.28 mg to each nostril, or placebo. NAR was assessed by rhinomanometry for 10 hr following NPT. Compared to placebo the NAR response to histamine was inhibited at both 1 and 2 hr following azelastine administration, significant at 1 hr (P less than 0.02) and 2 hr (P less than 0.0001). No such effect was observed in relation to allergen-induced changes in NAR. Azelastine also inhibited numbers of sneezes for up to 10 hr following both histamine NPT (P less than 0.02) and allergen NPT (P less than 0.05), when compared to placebo. Forty-seven per cent of participants experienced bitter or unpleasant taste sensations after azelastine administration but no other unwanted effects were clearly related to azelastine therapy.

Administration, Intranasal↗
PubMed1992

Limb length discrepancies.

Examining for a possible limb length discrepancy is an important part of the podiatric biomechanical examination. The authors present a review of the literature pertaining to the definition of and examination for a limb length discrepancy. They present a typical rationale for lift therapy in the treatment of this pathology.

Anthropometry↗
PubMed1992

The os trigonum syndrome. A literature review.

The os trigonum syndrome, a musculoskeletal ankle disorder causing posterior ankle pain, is an entity that may present as numerous disorders. To accurately diagnose and treat the syndrome, its anatomy, origin, nomenclature, and biomechanics must be thoroughly understood. For this purpose, a review of recent literature is presented.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Extrinsic rearfoot posts.

The addition of an extrinsic rearfoot post to an orthotic device allows the podiatric practitioner to modify the function of the device. Specifically, rearfoot posts are used to allow for a more inverted heel position at contact, to provide greater resistance to abnormal frontal plane motion of the calcaneus and to provide for motion for shock absorption. The authors present nine prescription variables that each provide for a specific functional change to be incorporated into the orthotic device.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Synovial osteochondromatosis. A brief review.

An unusual clinical finding is presented with a brief review of the literature. Synovial osteochondromatosis is typically a benign process involving metaplasia of the synovial intima and the formation of cartilaginous nodules that may eventually become ossified. Synovial osteochondromatosis should always be considered as a differential diagnosis whenever a patient presents with pain, swelling, and loss of function at or around a joint. Chondrosarcoma has been misdiagnosed, leading to radical and unnecessary amputation, because synovial osteochondromatosis has not been considered. Alternatively, synovial osteochondromatosis may degenerate to or be associated with a malignant process. When radiographs or more sophisticated investigative procedures, such as magnetic resonance imaging, fail to provide a conclusive answer, histologic findings provide the definitive diagnosis.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Foot orthosis for the severe flatfoot in sports.

The control of excessively pronating feet in athletes can be a prolonged and frustrating experience for both the doctor and the patient. The inverted orthotic technique has previously been described for making a device that has two basic applications: to control excessive subtalar joint pronation, especially where a Root or modified Root device cannot, and to invert the entire lower limb for such problems as medial knee pain. The authors present two case histories that highlight the indications of this orthotic device for the athletic population.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

TL-61 versus Rohadur orthoses in heel spur syndrome.

The authors present the subjective responses of 40 patients with heel spur syndrome or plantar fascitis to orthotic treatment. Twenty patients had Rohadur orthoses and 20 patients had TL-61 orthoses. These data show no difference in the response to or problems created by either TL-61 or Rohadur orthoses. The authors recommend TL-61 as one alternative to Rohadur, now that that latter is unavailable.

Fasciitis↗
PubMed1990

Expression of immunoreactive glutathione S-transferases in hepatic neoplasms induced by aflatoxin B1 or 1,2-dimethylbenzanthracene in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss).

The expression of immunoreactive glutathione S-transferase (GST) was examined in hepatic neoplasms induced in rainbow trout by aflatoxin B1 (AFB) or 1,2-dimethylbenzanthracene (DMBA). Tumors were induced in adult trout by continuous dietary exposure to 8 p.p.b. AFB1 for 12 months or embryo bath exposure to DMBA (5 p.p.m. for 24 h, 3 times with 12 h intervals between exposures). Polyclonal antiserum specific for the two major trout hepatic GST subunits in trout liver was produced by immunizing rabbits with affinity-purified trout GST. Hepatocellular, cholangiolar and mixed neoplasms as well as foci of hepatocellular alteration were examined for GST immunoreactivity by the PAP technique. The majority of lesions were GST-deficient (AFB treated, 67%; DMBA treated, 54%), whereas GST expression was induced in 21% (AFB treated) and 31% (DMBA treated) of altered hepatic foci. The GST-induced foci were consistently small (AFB treated, 0.07 +/- 0.05 mm2; DMBA treated, 0.02 +/- 0.01 mm2) and none had progressed beyond the altered focus stage. The majority of larger advanced lesions (adenomas and carcinomas) were GST deficient (AFB treated, 2.33 +/- 0.35 mm2; DMBA treated, 2.95 +/- 0.59 mm2). These studies demonstrate that induced GST expression occurs in some small populations of hepatocytes, but not in larger advanced stages of malignant progression of aflatoxin- or PAH-induced hepatic neoplasms in rainbow trout.

9,10-Dimethyl-1,2-benzanthracene↗
PubMed1990

Morphological integrity of the bronchial epithelium in mild asthma.

In severe asthma bronchial epithelial cells are damaged and detached, and it has been proposed that such damage might lead to the bronchial hyperresponsiveness that characterises asthma. To investigate the relation between airway hyperresponsiveness and epithelial damage, biopsy specimens of the bronchial mucus membrane were obtained at fibreoptic bronchoscopy from 11 patients with mild atopic asthma and airway hyperresponsiveness (provocative concentration of methacholine causing a 20% fall in FEV1 (PC20) less than 1.0 mg/ml), and from 17 healthy non-atopic subjects who did not have airway hyperresponsiveness (PC20 methacholine greater than 8.0 mg/ml). Observers who were blind to the presence or absence of asthma examined the biopsy specimens by light and electron microscopy. Epithelial cells, intercellular spaces, and goblet cells were counted. Intercellular junctional complexes were examined, and a semiquantitative assessment was made of ciliary loss, non-parallel central ciliary filaments, and vacuoles in ciliated cells. There were no differences between the asthmatic and healthy groups in any of these measurements. These findings indicate that airway hyperresponsiveness may be present when there is no apparent change in the structure of the bronchial epithelium.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Bronchial provocation testing of sodium iso-nonanoyl oxybenzene sulphonate.

1. Asthmatic symptoms have been reported in workers following occupational exposure to certain low molecular ratio chemicals. 2. A small number of workers involved in the initial manufacture of a new low temperature bleach activating chemical, sodium iso-nonanoyl oxybenzene sulphonate (SINOS) developed rashes, rhinitis and conjunctivitis following exposure to the compound. One worker also developed asthma. An investigative study was undertaken to examine the possible asthmatic effects of inhaling SINOS in naive non-asthmatic and asthmatic subjects handling the material in the laboratory setting. 3. Since SINOS has a similar chemical structure to aspirin, it was hypothesized that SINOS-associated asthma might be elicited by a mechanism similar to the mechanism associated with aspirin asthma. Therefore aspirin-sensitive asthmatics were also included in the study. 4. No adverse respiratory reactions were observed in the non-asthmatic subjects or in the aspirin and non-aspirin-sensitive patient volunteers following exposure to SINOS dust at atmospheric concentrations of up to 36.3 micrograms m-3. 5. Skin prick tests to increasing concentrations of SINOS were carried out in all subjects. No positive reactions were observed on any occasion. 6. This study indicates that SINOS does not elicit asthma via a mechanism similar to aspirin. Additionally, the study suggests that the addition of SINOS to washing powder will not cause significant respiratory reactions in consumers even if they are asthmatic or intolerant to aspirin.

Administration, Inhalation↗