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Biomedical subjects

J C Merrell

Publications and source records attributed to J C Merrell.

9 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1995

Perceived dangerousness of recreational drugs.

In Study One, a sample of 230 college students were asked to estimate the abuse potential and lethality of commonly used recreational drugs, both licit and illicit. In Study Two, a sample of 103 degreed nurses were asked to estimate the lethality of the same recreational drugs. The findings indicate that the illicit drugs under consideration are perceived as presenting the greatest danger to the user and that dangers attributed to the use of licit recreational drugs are generally minimized. Perception of danger was found to be unaffected by exposure to reported drug education programs. Results are discussed in terms of public health implications.

Attitude to Health↗
PubMed1987

The split rectus abdominis free muscle transfer.

The patient described in this article presented with chronic open infected medial and lateral malleolar wounds resulting from a compound tripod fracture of the right tibia and fibula. Primary wound coverage was achieved through the application of a split free rectus abdominis muscle transfer. This represents an exciting new application of an already versatile and popular free muscle transfer.

Abdominal Muscles↗
PubMed1986

Polyglycolic acid tubing as a conduit for nerve regeneration.

Rabbit common peroneal nerves will regenerate across a 1-cm gap inside polyglycolic acid tubing. Regenerated nerves are separated histologically into "minifascicles," which persist in distal segments. The conduction velocities and evoked action potential amplitudes following this type of regeneration are inferior to those seen in nerves repaired directly or by interpositional grafting. The strength of reinnervated muscles is equal following direct nerve suture, interpositional grafting, or polyglycolic acid conduit repairs.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Free microneurovascular gracilis muscle transfer in the dog for enterostomal sphincter construction and control: an experimental study.

Hundreds of thousands of individuals struggle today with the morbidity of an abdominal wall enterostoma. This study explored two ways of constructing abdominal wall sphincter mechanisms in dogs using gracilis muscles transferred by free microneurovascular technique. Transferred muscles successfully generated pressures greater than the normal external anal sphincter but could not maintain this level of contraction for tonic sphincter closure. Other transferred muscles were designed to straighten the course of stomas continent at rest. They provided strong linear pull uncoiling the stomas but simultaneously pinched off the orifices during contraction. This opening model shows promise if the muscle attachments around the stoma orifices could be made less constricting.

Abdominal Muscles↗
PubMed1985

Extremity reconstruction using the free deltoid flap.

The deltoid fasciocutaneous flap is a thin, reliable flap that is easily dissected from the posterolateral arm. It has large-caliber vessels and is capable of sensory reinnervation to portions of the flap above the deltoid/triceps groove through the lateral brachial cutaneous nerve. There is little sensory return to the large vascular territory, which can be extended inferiorly below the deltoid triceps groove. The donor site can be closed primarily or skin grafted and when large may be objectionable to some patients. The flap is an excellent choice for extremity soft-tissue reconstruction on the plantar or palmar surfaces. Protective sensibility has returned to all reinnervated flaps. We present our experience in 10 patients with extremity problems.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Cuffing techniques in microarterial surgery.

Four-stitch microarterial anastomoses reinforced with cuffs of artery, vein, or polyglycolic acid tubing were compared to standard eight-stitch repairs in the femoral arteries of 40 immature rats. The cuffing technique reduced the average repair time by 50% without compromising short- or long-term patency. Restricted vessel growth or anastomotic stenosis did not result from the presence of any of the cuffing materials. Polyglycolic acid tubing performed as well as autogenous cuffs. The cuffing technique helps minimize trauma to the vessel wall by reducing the number of sutures, and its application could significantly decrease the duration of ischemia in multiple digit replantations.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

A scanning electron microscopy evaluation of peripheral nerve regeneration.

Regeneration of a transected peripheral nerve following repair is often impeded by scar formation and misdirection of axon sprouts. This paper describes the use of the scanning electron microscope (SEM) in conjunction with other physiologic tests to evaluate nerve regeneration. A central one centimeter segment was removed from the peroneal branch of both sciatic nerves in 37 white New Zealand rabbits. Sectioned nerves were divided into four experimental groups according to type of repair performed: (A) no repair; (B) mobilization and direct epineural repair; (C) interpositional nerve graft repair; (D) polyglycolic acid (PGA) conduit repair. Each animal was reexplored eight months later and nerves examined by electrophysiologic testing and scanning electron microscopy. Unrepaired nerves viewed by SEM showed impaired axonal regeneration and loss of fascicular morphology with increased scar tissue. Nerve sections of direct epineural and interpositional graft repairs showed the best return of axonal morphology. Nerves regenerated across a one centimeter gap through a PGA conduit demonstrated regrowth of small and large myelinated axons grouped into "mini-fascicles" with increased connective tissue. PGA conduit repairs were electrically inferior to graft and direct repairs as measured by conduction velocity and the amplitude of evoked response. These findings correlated well with anatomy seen on scanning electron micrographs. The scanning electron microscope proved an excellent adjunctive tool for the study of peripheral nerve regeneration.

Animals↗
PubMed1980

Osseous foreign body reaction in the hand.

We report a patient who sustained a puncture wound of the palm and developed an osteolytic metacarpal lesion probably due to an organic foreign body reaction caused by grass and wood.

Bone Diseases↗