Biomedical subjects

James P Stannard

Publications and source records attributed to James P Stannard.

14 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Negative pressure wound therapy to treat hematomas and surgical incisions following high-energy trauma.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the use of negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) to augment healing of surgical incisions and hematomas after high-energy trauma. MATERIALS: This study is a prospective randomized evaluation of NPWT in trauma patients, randomizing patients with draining hematomas to either a pressure dressing (group A) or a VAC (group B). Additionally, patients with calcaneus, pilon, and high-energy tibial plateau fractures were randomized to either a standard postoperative dressing or a VAC over the sutures. RESULTS: There were 44 patients randomized into the hematoma study. Group A drained a mean of 3.1 days, compared with only 1.6 days for group B. This difference was significant (p=0.03). The infection rate for group A was 16%, compared with 8% in group B. An additional 44 patients have been randomized into the fracture study. Again, a significant difference (p=0.02) was present when comparing drainage in group A (4.8 days) and group B (1.8 days). No significant difference was present at current enrollment for infection or wound breakdown. DISCUSSION: NPWT has been used on many complex traumatic wounds. Potential mechanisms of action include angiogenesis, increased blood flow, and decreased interstitial fluid. This ongoing randomized study has demonstrated decreased drainage and improved wound healing following both hematomas and severe fractures.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

Prophylaxis against deep-vein thrombosis following trauma: a prospective, randomized comparison of mechanical and pharmacologic prophylaxis.

BACKGROUND: Deep-vein thrombosis following skeletal trauma is an important yet poorly studied issue. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of two different strategies for prophylaxis against deep-vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolus following blunt skeletal trauma. METHODS: Two hundred and twenty-four inpatients were enrolled in a prospective, randomized study investigating venous thromboembolic disease following trauma. Two hundred patients completed the study, which compared two different regimens of prophylaxis. The patients in Group A received enoxaparin (30 mg, administered subcutaneously twice a day) starting twenty-four to forty-eight hours after blunt trauma. The patients in Group B were managed with pulsatile foot pumps at the time of admission combined with enoxaparin on a delayed basis. All patients were screened with magnetic resonance venography and ultrasonography before discharge. RESULTS: There were ninety-seven patients in Group A and 103 patients in Group B. Twenty-two patients (including thirteen in Group A and nine in Group B) had development of deep-vein thrombosis, with two (both in Group A) also having development of pulmonary embolism. The prevalence of deep-vein thrombosis was 11% for the whole series, 13.4% for Group A, and 8.7% for Group B; the difference between Groups A and B was not significant. There were eleven large or occlusive clots (prevalence, 11.3%) in Group A, compared with only three (prevalence, 2.9%) in Group B (p = 0.025). The prevalence of pulmonary embolism was 2.1% in Group A and 0% in Group B. Wound complications occurred in twenty-one patients in Group A, compared with twenty patients in Group B. Patients who had development of deep-vein thrombosis during the inpatient portion of the study required a mean of 7.4 units of blood during hospitalization, compared with 3.9 units of blood for those who did not (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that early mechanical prophylaxis with foot pumps and the addition of enoxaparin on a delayed basis is a very successful strategy for prophylaxis against venous thromboembolic disease following serious musculoskeletal injury. The prevalence of large or occlusive deep-vein thromboses among patients who had been managed with this protocol was significantly less than that among patients who had been managed with enoxaparin alone.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

The posterolateral corner of the knee: repair versus reconstruction.

BACKGROUND: Injuries to the posterolateral corner of the knee are disabling. Despite improved understanding of this group of tendons and ligaments, the best surgical treatment of an unstable corner is not clear. HYPOTHESIS: Surgical repair of acute tears of the posterolateral corner has outcomes that are as good as those from reconstruction combined with an early motion rehabilitation protocol. STUDY DESIGN: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 2. METHODS: Sixty-three patients with 64 posterolateral corner tears were included in this study, with 39 posterolateral corner repairs and 25 reconstructions using the modified 2-tailed technique. Patients were evaluated with clinical and KT-2000 arthrometer examinations, as well as with Lysholm, International Knee Documentation Committee, and Short Form-36 scores. RESULTS: Fifty-six patients with 57 corner tears had minimum clinical follow-up of 24 months (range, 24-59 months). Acute primary repairs were performed on 35 patients, with 22 successful outcomes and 13 (37%) failures. Primary reconstructions were performed on 22 patients, with 20 successful outcomes and 2 (9%) failures. The difference in stability on clinical examination between repairs and reconstructions was significant (P < .05). Fourteen of 15 patients with failures of the primary posterolateral corner repair or reconstruction underwent successful revision reconstruction. The final patient with failure of the primary repair elected not to have a revision reconstruction. The final mean Lysholm knee score for both repair and reconstruction patients was 88.7 (range, 53-100). Final International Knee Documentation Committee objective scores yielded 14 (26%) normal, 28 (52%) near-normal, 9 (17%) abnormal, and 3 (6%) severely abnormal knees; the mean score was 60 at the most recent clinical evaluation. CONCLUSION: Results with repair followed by early motion rehabilitation have been significantly inferior when compared with results from reconstruction using the modified 2-tailed technique. The authors now use reconstruction rather than repair in the majority of patients who sustain posterolateral corner tears after high-energy injuries.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

Reconstruction of the posterolateral corner of the knee.

PURPOSE: To describe a technique for reconstruction of the posterolateral corner (PLC) of the knee and report the results of a prospective series of patients. TYPE OF STUDY: Case series. METHODS: Twenty-two patients with PLC injuries underwent reconstruction; 15 patients had multiligamentous knee injuries and 7 had isolated PLC injuries. We used the modified 2-tailed technique that reconstructs the popliteofibular ligament and fibulocollateral ligament. The technique includes use of an allograft tendon placed through transtibial and transfibular bone tunnels and around a screw on the lateral femoral condyle. All patients have been followed-up prospectively with clinical examinations, Lysholm knee scores, KT-2000 ligament arthrometer examinations, and evaluation of work and recreational functional status. RESULTS: There were 15 male and 7 female patients (mean age, 32 years; range, 17 to 55 years). Follow-up was a minimum of 24 months (mean, 29.5 months; range, 24 to 38 months). Mean range of motion is extension of 0.2 degrees (range, 0 degrees to 5 degrees) and flexion of 133.4 degrees (80 degrees to 144 degrees). The range of motion for the multiligamentous knees was 0.3 degrees to 129 degrees compared with 0 degrees to 143 degrees for knees with isolated corner injuries. Mean Lysholm knee scores were 90 for the entire group with a score of 92 for the multiligamentous knees and 88 for the isolated corners. Stability was clinically graded on a scale of 0 to 3 for both varus stress and external rotation, with a score of 2 or 3 indicating a failed PLC reconstruction. The mean score for varus stress was 0.2 for the whole group, with 0.3 in the multiligamentous knee and 0.1 for the isolated injuries. Similarly, the mean score for external rotation was 0.4, with a 0.5 for multiligamentous knee and 0.3 for isolated PLC injuries. There were 2 failures in the multiligamentous knee injury group (13%), compared with no failures in the isolated PLC group. The failure rate for the whole study was 9%. CONCLUSIONS: Reconstruction of the PLC using an allograft reconstruction of the popliteus, popliteofibular, and fibulocollateral ligaments yielded a stable reconstruction with excellent functional results. Predictably, range of motion and incidence of failure were both better for patients with isolated PLC injuries than for those with multiligamentous knees. Both groups, however, showed excellent overall functional results. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV, case series.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

Ballistics: a primer for the surgeon.

The purpose of this paper is to review the literature on ballistics and to sort through the plethora of myth and popular opinion. The trauma surgeon is increasingly faced with gunshot wounds. Knowledge of ballistics is important to help in assessing the patterns of wounds that are seen. There are many factors that affect the flight of a bullet to its target. Many of these factors also affect the behaviour of the bullet after it strikes the target. It is primarily these factors that interest the surgeon.

Firearms↗

PubMed2005

Current orthopaedic treatment of ballistic injuries.

The purpose of this review is to examine current orthopaedic treatment of gunshot wounds. Surgeons are increasingly confronted by gunshot wounds that occur in both military and civilian settings. Much of the published work has been from military settings. In the United States, low-energy gunshot wounds are very common, and their incidence is increasing elsewhere in the world. Current treatment and its rationale is reviewed and a systematic approach to the assessment and treatment of these injuries is offered, taking into account the entirety of the injury, rather than simply the velocity of the missile.

Blood Vessels↗

PubMed2004

Nonunions of the humerus.

Humerus fractures comprise 5% to 8% of all fractures. Nonunions are uncommon, but when they occur, they present a challenge to the orthopaedic surgeon and often are debilitating to patients. There are risk factors that may predispose patients to nonunion. Many methods of treating these nonunions have been described with varying degrees of success. We review the literature concerning the treatment of proximal, midshaft, and distal humeral nonunions and describe our treatment protocol based on the literature.

Bone Transplantation↗

PubMed2004

The less invasive stabilization system in the treatment of complex fractures of the tibial plateau: short-term results.

OBJECTIVES: To report on the use of a new plating system in the treatment of high-energy tibial plateau fractures using minimally invasive stabilization techniques. DESIGN: Prospective, consecutive patient series. SETTING: University Level I trauma center. PATIENTS: Thirty-seven patients with 39 fractures of the tibial plateau were treated using specialty plates. All fractures were OTA class 41C. Ten of the fractures were open, including eight Gustilo and Anderson Type IIIA and two Type IIIB. Thirty-three patients with 34 fractures had follow-up of at least 12 months. INTERVENTION: Internal fixation with the Less Invasive Stabilization System (LISS, Synthes USA, Paoli, PA) using minimally invasive techniques. MAIN OUTCOME MANAGEMENT: To determine clinical outcome, time to union, fracture alignment, articular step-off, incidence of complications, Short Form-36 outcome scores, and Lysholm knee scores in patients with associated ligament injuries. RESULTS: All 34 of the fractures healed without additional surgical intervention or bone grafting. The mean follow-up in our series was 21 months, with a range of 12 to 38 months. Twenty-nine patients with 30 fractures had follow-up of greater than 1 year. The average time to radiographic callus was 6.1 weeks, and the average time to complete union was 15.6 weeks. The articular step-off average was 0.8 mm, with a range of 0 to 5 mm. The postoperative alignment demonstrated 1 patient with a malalignment of 5 degrees procurvatum and 1 patient with 4 degrees of valgus. There were two superficial wound infections and no cases of deep infection or osteomyelitis. CONCLUSIONS: The use of LISS plates appears to stabilize complex fractures of the tibial plateau with a low incidence of complications. The LISS system functioned well in maintaining alignment and obtaining union in these high-energy fractures.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

Vascular injuries in knee dislocations: the role of physical examination in determining the need for arteriography.

BACKGROUND: Popliteal artery injury is frequently associated with knee dislocation following blunt trauma, an injury that is being seen with increasing frequency. The primary purpose of the present study was to evaluate the use of physical examination to determine the need for arteriography in a large series of patients with knee dislocation. The secondary purpose was to evaluate the correlation between physical examination findings and clinically important vascular injury in the subgroup of patients who underwent arteriography. METHODS: One hundred and thirty consecutive patients (138 knees) who had sustained an acute multiligamentous knee injury were evaluated at our level-1 trauma center between August 1996 and May 2002 and were included in a prospective outcome study. Four patients (four knees) were lost to follow-up, leaving 126 patients (134 knees) available for inclusion in the study. The results of the physical examination of the vascular status of the extremities were used to determine the need for arteriography. The mean duration of follow-up was nineteen months (range, eight to forty-eight months). Physical examination findings, magnetic resonance imaging findings, and surgical findings were combined to determine the extent of ligamentous damage. RESULTS: Nine patients had flow-limiting popliteal artery damage, for an overall prevalence of 7%. Ten patients had abnormal findings on physical examination, with one patient having a false-positive result and nine having a true-positive result. The knee dislocations in the nine patients with popliteal artery damage were classified, according to the Wascher modification of the Schenck system, as KD-III (one knee), KD-IV (seven knees), and KD-V (one knee). CONCLUSIONS: Selective arteriography based on serial physical examinations is a safe and prudent policy following knee dislocation. There is a strong correlation between the results of physical examination and the need for arteriography. Increased vigilance may be justified in the case of a patient with a KD-IV dislocation, for whom serial examinations should continue for at least forty-eight hours.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2003

Intramedullary nailing of humeral shaft fractures with a locking flexible nail.

BACKGROUND: Studies on intramedullary nailing of humeral shaft fractures in the orthopaedic literature have shown mixed results. The purpose of this investigation was to document the clinical outcome and complications associated with the use of a new flexible, locking intramedullary nail that can be implanted in the humerus in either a retrograde or an antegrade manner without violating the rotator cuff mechanism or damaging the articular surface of the humeral head. METHODS: Fifty consecutive patients with fifty-one humeral shaft fractures were entered into our prospective clinical outcome study. The fracture was classified on the basis of the anatomic location and pattern. Implant positioning and fracture alignment were assessed postoperatively. Complications were recorded, and the time to union was measured. Shoulder function was evaluated with use of a combination of the Constant shoulder score, Short Form-36 (SF-36) clinical outcome data, range-of-motion measurements, and a subjective pain-rating scale. RESULTS: Forty-one patients with forty-two fractures had an adequate duration of clinical follow-up (a mean of twenty-two months) for analysis. Thirty-nine fractures healed, with a mean time to clinical union of twelve weeks (range, four to fifty weeks). Thirty-eight of the forty-two shoulders had minimal or no pain. Thirty-six shoulders had a full range of motion. The mean Constant shoulder score was 90 points. Four patients had five complications, which included two nonunions, two hardware failures, and one wound infection. All four patients had been managed with a 7.5-mm nail. A multivariate analysis demonstrated that an age of more than fifty years was associated with a lower Constant score and that the occurrence of a complication was associated with a lower physical component score on the SF-36. CONCLUSIONS: The flexible humeral nail allows both retrograde and antegrade implantation and static locking. Nail insertion can be accomplished without violating the rotator cuff or damaging the articular surface of the humeral head. Although the nail functioned well in most of our patients, the use of a small-diameter (7.5-mm) nail was associated with a higher complication rate. This implant should be used with caution in any patient with a medullary canal diameter of <or=8 mm.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

Heterotopic ossification associated with knee dislocation.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of heterotopic ossification following knee dislocation. TYPE OF STUDY: Prospective clinical evaluation and a retrospective chart review. METHODS: This study evaluated 57 knees in 55 patients who sustained high-energy blunt trauma with resultant knee dislocations. Radiographs were reviewed by 2 of the authors (J.P.S., T.C.W.), and the incidence of heterotopic ossification (HO) was documented. Additionally, patients were classified regarding the degree of HO on a scale from 0 to 4. One is punctate calcification, 2 is HO involving less than 50% of the joint space; 3 is HO involving more than 50%; and 4 is ankylosis of the joint. RESULTS: Thirteen patients with 15 knee dislocations developed HO. The incidence of HO was 26%. Seven knees demonstrated severe HO (grade 3 or 4) which represented an incidence of 12% of all knee dislocations. Injury severity score for both groups was 18, documenting that the patients in this study represent multiple trauma patients. There was no significant difference in the incidence of HO based on mechanism of injury with the current number enrolled in the study. However, 60% (3 of 5) of patients involved in a motor vehicle versus pedestrian accident developed HO. There was a significant increase in the incidence of arthrofibrosis in patients with severe HO (P <.05). Patients with significant HO had a mean flexion of 97 degrees, compared with flexion of 117 degrees in patients with no or mild HO. This difference was borderline significant (P =.058). There was no difference between the groups in mean extension. There was a significant increase in knee HO in patients with HO at another anatomic site (P =.01). CONCLUSIONS: HO is a common problem following knee dislocation. Of the 7 knees with severe HO, 5 developed HO medially, 4 developed HO posteriorly, 3 developed HO laterally, and only 1 had involvement anteriorly. A similar distribution was present in the patients with mild HO, with posterior and medial ossification being the most common. Five of the 7 severe HO cases involved at least 3 of the 4 sides (anterior, posterior, medial, or lateral) of the knee. Patients were evaluated for the presence of head injury and any relationship to the development of HO around the knee. There was no increased incidence of HO around the knee in our 10 patients with severe head injuries when compared with those with no head injury. There was also no increased incidence of HO in knee dislocations associated with periarticular fractures.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2002

Fixation failure in femoral neck fractures.

Fixation of femoral neck fractures is associated with a higher incidence of complications than any other fracture. The rates of nonunion and avascular necrosis with open reduction and internal fixation continue to be unacceptably high. These complications are the main reason for resorting to primary endoprosthetic replacement of the femoral head in the presence of displaced fractures in elderly patients. However, with the increasing life span of the patients with these prostheses, late complications of endoprosthetic replacement of the femoral head are becoming significant. With these complications, it may be argued that the most cost-effective solution to the femoral neck fracture in the majority of patients is open reduction and internal fixation, with elective conversion, when necessary, to total hip arthroplasty in patients who have a complication. Because the literature does not contain a systematic review of reasons for failure of internal fixation, the authors will attempt to review the common means of failure of internal fixation in young and older patients in an attempt to better understand and prevent these complications.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Use of a hinged external knee fixator after surgery for knee dislocation.

PURPOSE: This study documents short-term clinical outcomes in patients with knee dislocations after blunt trauma and evaluates the compass knee hinge (CKH) external fixator for their treatment. TYPE OF STUDY: Nonrandomized prospective functional outcome study. METHODS: Forty patients with 43 knee dislocations were evaluated. Twelve knees underwent ligament reconstruction followed by placement of a CKH; this was group A. Group B included 27 knees that underwent the same treatment and rehabilitation protocol except that an external brace was used rather than a CKH. RESULTS: Thirty-six patients with 39 knee dislocations underwent follow-up ranging from 14 to 41 months (mean, 24). Four patients with 4 knee dislocations were lost to follow-up (1 group A, 3 group B). Group A underwent 27 knee ligament procedures with 2 (7%) failures based on clinical examination. Group B underwent 102 ligament procedures with 30 (29%) failures (P <.05). Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction revealed that 7 group A patients experienced 1 (14%) failure and 25 Group B patients experienced 7 (28%) failures. Posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) reconstruction in 7 group A patients included no failures, and 20 PCL reconstructions in group B included 1 failure. Reconstruction of the posterolateral corner (PLC) yielded no failures in 2 group A patients and 5 (25%) of 20 in group B. Repair of 8 PLCs in group A yielded 1 (12.5%) failure and 26 PLC repairs in group B had 14 (54%; P =.05). SF-36 data revealed low mean values with no significant differences between groups with current enrollment. CONCLUSIONS: Knee dislocation after blunt trauma requires aggressive surgical treatment and physical therapy. In the short-term evaluation, the CKH allows aggressive physical therapy without placing repaired or reconstructed ligaments under high stresses that can result in failure.

Accidents, Traffic↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Anatomic reconstruction of the posterior cruciate ligament after multiligament knee injuries. A combination of the tibial-inlay and two-femoral-tunnel techniques.

BACKGROUND: Neither operative nor nonoperative treatment of posterior cruciate ligament rupture after multiligament knee injuries have shown very favorable outcomes. HYPOTHESIS: Reconstruction of the posterior cruciate ligament by combining the tibial-inlay and two-femoral-tunnel techniques will result in improved stability and functional outcomes. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective cohort study. METHODS: Twenty-nine patients with 30 posterior cruciate ligament ruptures and multiligament knee injuries treated with the combined technique were evaluated with clinical, radiographic, and functional outcome measures. RESULTS: All patients had a clinical examination result indicating joint stability (0 or 1+) at an average follow-up of 25 months (range, 15 to 39). Twenty-three knees had no laxity, and seven had 1+ laxity. The KT-2000 arthrometer data documented less than 0.5 mm of side-to-side mean difference for both posterior displacement and total anterior-posterior displacement at both 30 degrees and 70 degrees of knee flexion. Knee range of motion was a mean extension of 1 degrees (range, 0 degrees to 10 degrees ) and a mean flexion of 124 degrees (range, 75 degrees to 145 degrees ). Mean Lysholm knee score was 89.4. CONCLUSIONS: Reconstruction with a combination tibial-inlay and two-femoral-tunnel technique provides good results after multiligament knee injuries. All patients had a stable posterior cruciate ligament at most recent clinical follow-up, and 77% had no laxity at all.

Adolescent↗