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I Parkin

Publications and source records attributed to I Parkin.

10 recordsLinked to original sources

Patterns of the circumflex femoral arteries revisited.

Knowledge of variations of the circumflex femoral arteries is important when undertaking clinical procedures within the femoral region and in hip joint replacement. Since the 19th century, many different patterns have been proposed to classify their origins. This work studied a statistically reliable sample, the lower limbs of 221 embalmed human cadavers (equal right-left and approximately equal sex distributions), and reviewed the previous literature to propose a unified and simple classification that will be useful to clinicians. Statistical comparisons were made using the chi(2) test. The medial and lateral circumflex femoral arteries have been classified into three different patterns based on the levels of their origin. Distribution related to sex and side was also studied. Pattern I: Both arteries arose from the deep femoral artery (346 cases, 78.8%). This pattern was more frequent in females, P = 0.01. There was no significant difference between sides. Type Ia, medial circumflex femoral artery origin was proximal to the lateral circumflex femoral artery origin (53.2%); Type Ib, lateral circumflex femoral artery origin was proximal to medial circumflex femoral artery origin (23.4%); Type Ic, both arteries arose from a common trunk (23.4%). Pattern II: One of the arteries arose from the femoral artery and the other from the deep femoral artery (90 cases, 20.5%). Type IIa, the medial circumflex femoral artery arose from the femoral artery (77.8%) and Type IIb, the lateral circumflex femoral artery arose from the femoral artery (22.2%). There were no significant differences between sexes or sides. Pattern III: Both arteries arose from the femoral artery (2 cases, 0.5%). In every disposition there was a significantly higher prevalence of unilateral rather than bilateral occurrence. In one dissection the medial circumflex femoral artery was absent. Awareness of these variations could avoid unexpected injuries.

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Transverse humeral ligament: does it exist?

The insertion of the tendon of subscapularis is accepted as being on the lesser tubercle of the humerus. The transverse humeral ligament (THL) is described as a distinct entity in most textbooks, overlying the long tendon of biceps as it emerges from the capsule of the shoulder joint. In this study, we dissected 85 embalmed shoulders to clarify the anatomy of the THL and variation in the insertion of the tendon of subscapularis. In all specimens no distinct THL could be identified, but in every shoulder a fibrous expansion arose from the posterior lamina of the tendon of pectoralis major overlying the long tendon of biceps. In 86% of shoulders, fibres from the tendon of subscapularis passed over the long tendon of biceps within this fibrous expansion and inserted on to the greater tubercle of the humerus where one would expect to find the THL. In 33% of dissections, fibres from the tendon of subscapularis lay deep to the long tendon of biceps, inserting either into the bicipital groove or on to the greater tubercle. In only 8% of cases did the tendon of subscapularis insert exclusively on to the lesser tubercle. We conclude that the THL does not exist as a separate entity. We suggest that in the majority of cases, the structure overlying the long tendon of biceps as it emerges from the capsule of the shoulder joint consists of tendinous fibres from subscapularis, contained within a fibrous expansion derived from the posterior lamina of the tendon of pectoralis major. In the minority of shoulders, where the tendon of subscapularis inserts exclusively on to the lesser tubercle, we hypothesise that this fibrous expansion acts as a retinaculum preventing the long tendon of biceps from "bowstringing."

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The anatomy of the dorsal cutaneous branch of the ulnar nerve - a safe zone for positioning of the 6R portal in wrist arthroscopy.

The dorsal branch of the ulnar nerve passes close to the 6 Radial portal used in wrist arthroscopy. We examined 20 cadaveric limbs to establish the course of this nerve. We found it consistently crossed a line between the ulnar styloid and the fourth web space at an average of 2.4 cm from the ulnar styloid (range 1.8-2.8 cm). This represented 23% (+/- 2.5 STD range 19-27%) of the distance from the styloid process to the fourth web space. Recommendations are made to help avoid iatrogenic injury to the nerve during arthroscopy. The literature on the anatomy of this nerve and its variations and the clinical relevance of this knowledge are discussed.

Arm↗

A rare case of a four-headed biceps brachii muscle with a double piercing by the musculocutaneous nerve.

A rare case of a four-headed biceps brachii muscle associated with a double piercing of one of the supernumerary heads by the musculocutaneous nerve was observed in the right arm of an 87-year-old female cadaver. One of the supernumerary heads of the biceps brachii originated from the humerus, in the area between the lesser tubercle and the coracobrachialis and brachialis muscles and joined the long head at the level where the latter joined the short head. The second supernumerary head originated from the humerus at the point where the coracobrachialis muscle inserted and joined the biceps brachii tendon and its bicipital aponeurosis at the inferior third of the arm. The musculocutaneous nerve originated from the lateral cord of the brachial plexus and, after piercing the coracobrachialis muscle, coursed along one of the supernumerary heads of the biceps brachii muscle before piercing it from deep to superficial and then again from superficial to deep. It then adopted its normal position between the biceps brachii and brachialis muscles before exiting in the lateral aspect of the arm and continuing as the lateral cutaneous nerve of the forearm.

Aged↗

Patients' case-notes: look but don't touch.

The purpose of this study was to ascertain whether viable bacteria could be cultured from patients' case-notes. Two hundred and twenty-eight current inpatients' notes were randomly sampled using contact plates to determine total viable counts, Gram-positive organisms, Gram-negative organisms and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Bacteria were grown from 227. Most were 'environmental', however, nine notes grew S. aureus. No Gram-negative bacteria or MRSA were isolated. These results show that potentially pathogenic bacteria can be found on case notes and could act as a source of transmission or cross-infection to patients. We recommend that handwashing should occur after handling case notes before patient contact.

Bacteria↗

Variations of the arterial pattern in the upper limb revisited: a morphological and statistical study, with a review of the literature.

A total of 192 embalmed cadavers were examined in order to present a detailed study of arterial variations in the upper limb and a meta-analysis of them. The variable terminology previously used was unified into a homogenous and complete classification, with 12 categories covering all the previously reported variant patterns of the arm and forearm.

Aged↗

Median artery revisited.

This study confirms that the median artery may persist in adult life in 2 different patterns, palmar and antebrachial, based on their vascular territory. The palmar type, which represents the embryonic pattern, is large, long and reaches the palm. The antebrachial type,which represents a partial regression of the embryonic artery is slender, short, and terminates before reaching the wrist. These 2 arterial patterns appear with a different incidence. The palmar pattern was studied in the whole sample (120 cadavers) and had an incidence of 20%, being more frequent in females than in males (1.3:1), occurring unilaterally more often than bilaterally (4:1) and slightly more frequently on the right than on the left (1.1:1). The antebrachial pattern was studied in only 79 cadavers and had an incidence of 76%, being more frequent in females than in males (1.6:1); it was commoner unilaterally than bilaterally (1.5:1) and was again slightly more prevalent on the right than on the left (1.2:1). The origin of the median artery was variable in both patterns. The palmar type most frequently arose from the caudal angle between the ulnar artery and its common interosseous trunk (59%). The antebrachial pattern most frequently originated from the anterior interosseous artery (55%). Other origins, for both patterns, were from the ulnar artery or from the common interosseous trunk. The median artery in the antebrachial pattern terminated in the upper third (74%) or in the distal third of the forearm (26%). However, the palmar pattern ended as the 1st, 2nd or 1st and 2nd common digital arteries (65%) or joined the superficial palmar arch (35%). The median artery passed either anterior (67%) or posterior (25%) to the anterior interosseous nerve. It pierced the median nerve in the upper third of the forearm in 41% of cases with the palmar pattern and in none of the antebrachial cases. In 1 case the artery pierced both the anterior interosseous and median nerves.

Adult↗