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Biomedical subjects

J David Pitcher

Publications and source records attributed to J David Pitcher.

12 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Salvage of failed massive allograft reconstruction with endoprosthesis.

UNLABELLED: A subset of osteoarticular allograft reconstructions after tumor resection ultimately will fail in patients achieving long-term survival. There are several alternative surgical approaches to revising these reconstructions. We retrospectively evaluated the outcome of 20 patients who had allograft reconstruction with a modular endoprosthesis. All patients had a failed massive allograft (average length, 15.7 cm) after tumor resection about the shoulder and knee. The reasons for original allograft failure were fracture (14 patients), infection (five patients), and both (one patient). Followup of the patients averaged 159.7 months (range, 63-293 months) after allograft reconstruction and 77 months (range, 24-234 months) after endoprosthetic revision. The average number of operative procedures each patient had was 4.1 (range, 2-15 procedures). Two patients had amputations for resistant periprosthetic infections. A successful revision procedure was accomplished in 80% of the patients, and 90% of the patients retained functional limbs at recent followup. The predicted 5-, 10-, and 15-year survivals were 92%, 55% and 28% respectively. Musculoskeletal Tumor Society scores averaged 76% (range, 60-93.3%). When used to salvage massive allograft failure from infection and fractures, endoprosthetic revision preserves limb function with minimal complications. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic study, Level IV (case series). See the Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Distal femur replacement is useful in complex total knee arthroplasty revisions.

UNLABELLED: Revision total knee arthroplasty can be considerably more difficult in cases involving severe bone loss, complete absence of collateral ligaments, and persistent periprosthetic supracondylar femoral fractures. Modular segmental endoprosthetic distal femur replacement is a limb salvage option when other surgical options are unfeasible. The clinical performance of rotating hinge knee prostheses has greatly improved with the evolution of second and third generation designs. The increased freedom of rotation decreases the prosthetic bone stresses and the longevity. While designs have improved, the prostheses still do not match the function and longevity of condylar components with approximately a 90% survivorship at 20 years. The modular endoprosthesis rotating hinge knee prosthesis is useful for total knee arthroplasty revision in patients with inadequate bone stock, ligamentous instability, or difficult supracondylar femur fractures, especially in low demand elderly patients. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic study, level V (expert opinion). See Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Aged↗
PubMed2005

Ganglioneuromas of the sacrum-a report of two cases with radiologic-pathologic correlation.

Ganglioneuromas are rare, benign, well-differentiated, slow-growing tumors, composed of ganglion cells and Schwann cells. Ganglioneuromas are derived from the neural crest cells and can arise anywhere from the base of the skull to the pelvis. We present and discuss the clinicopathologic and radiographic features of two patients with ganglioneuroma arising from the sacrum, a rare anatomic location.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Dysplasia epiphysealis hemimelica of the tibial tubercle.

Dysplasia epiphysealis hemimelica (DEH) is a rare skeletal dysplasia with epiphyseal involvement first described by Mouchet and Belot in 1926. Lower extremity involvement is common and might involve a single or multiple epiphyses in the affected extremity. We report an unusual case of involvement of the tibial tubercle in a girl aged 4 years 8 months, and we present the clinical, radiographic and pathologic findings. We discuss the role of MRI in the diagnosis and treatment plan.

Child, Preschool↗
PubMed2005

The radiographic morphology of foot deformities in patients with fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva.

BACKGROUND: The most consistent deformities that allow early diagnosis of fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva are the presence of bilateral short first rays and hallux valgus. The purpose of this study was to describe the radiographic features observed in the feet of patients with fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva. METHODS: The radiographs of 26 feet (15 patients with fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva) were reviewed to evaluate the radiographic changes that occur in the first ray. Variables analyzed were the hallux valgus (HV) angle, the distal metatarsal articular (DMA) angle, the proximal phalangeal articular (PPA) angle, the intermetatarsal (IM) angle, ratio of the lengths of the first and second metatarsal lengths (MT1:MT2), and the first and second ray length ratio. The length ratios were then subtracted from similar ratios in radiographs of age- and gender-matched normal patients previously reported. RESULTS: The proximal phalanx was consistently shortened but morphologically dissimilar from subject to subject. Asymmetry was noted in some patients with bilateral radiographs. The mean HV angle was 28 degrees, and the mean IM angle was 10 degrees. The mean DMA angle was 33 degrees, and the mean PPA angle was 14 degrees. The MT1:MT2 ratio was 0.89, and the mean first ray to second ray length ratio was 0.87. The mean of the differences in the MT1:MT2 and first and second ray length ratios in patients with fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva compared to the normal controls were 0.05 and 0.01, respectively. Fusion occurred between the abnormal tibial epiphysis of the proximal phalanx and metatarsal head with advancing age, and 68% of the metatarsal heads were fused with the abnormal proximal phalangeal epiphysis. CONCLUSIONS: Foot pathology in patients with fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva is variable but consistently involves an abnormality of the tibial aspect of the proximal phalangeal epiphysis of the hallux. This results in the clinical observation of hallux valgus in these patients. The first metatarsal is consistently shortened, and fusion between the epiphysis of the abnormal proximal phalanx and the shortened first metatarsal head occurs with advancing age.

Child↗
PubMed2004

Clonal chromosome abnormalities in a plexiform cellular schwannoma.

Cellular schwannomas are uncommon tumors of Schwann cells that can rarely have a plexiform architecture. Cellular schwannomas can be confused with low-grade malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumors (MPNST) but have been noted to have a benign clinical course. There are few published cytogenetic analyses of cellular schwannomas and, to our knowledge, there are no reports of the plexiform variant of cellular schwannoma to date. Cellular schwannomas are reported to have cytogenetic changes similar to those seen in benign schwannomas with near-diploid karyotypes having simple numerical changes often involving chromosomes 22, 7, and the sex chromosomes. MPNST are markedly different, with extensive genetic heterogeneity and complex karyotypes. We report clonal numerical changes in a cellular schwannoma with plexiform architecture: 47,XY,+17 and 48,XY,+17,+18. These findings add to the karyotypic spectrum of peripheral nerve sheath tumors.

Chromosome Aberrations↗
PubMed2002

Evaluation of fiberglass versus plaster of Paris for immobilization of fractures of the arm and leg.

We conducted a prospective randomized study comparing the costs, comfort, and effects on activities of daily living of fractures managed in plaster of Paris (POP) vs. fiberglass (FG) for at least 4 weeks. A total of 183 patients with short arm and short leg casts were evaluated. Twenty-seven patients were excluded, leaving 156 patients in the study. The average cost per fracture immobilized in a short arm cast was $12.90 for POP and $15.45 for FG. For short leg casts, the average cost of immobilization was $49.06 for POP and $47.85 for FG. FG had a significantly lower breakdown rate in short leg casts (17% vs. 66%) but not in short arm casts. In 21 measures of activities of daily living and comfort, FG short arm casts were significantly better than POP in only the weight of the cast (p = 0.01). FG short leg casts were superior to POP in getting dressed, odor, sweating under the cast, work/school accomplishments, and overall fewer restrictions and comfort.

Arm Injuries↗