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Biomedical subjects

Jeffrey S Shilt

Publications and source records attributed to Jeffrey S Shilt.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

Cerebral palsy.

Cerebral palsy, a range of non-progressive syndromes of posture and motor impairment, is a common cause of disability in childhood. The disorder results from various insults to different areas within the developing nervous system, which partly explains the variability of clinical findings. Management options include physiotherapy, occupational and speech therapy, orthotics, device-assisted modalities, pharmacological intervention, and orthopaedic and neurosurgical procedures. Since 1980, modification of spasticity by means of orally administered drugs, intramuscular chemodenervation agents (alcohol, phenol, botulinum toxin A), intrathecally administered drugs (baclofen), and surgery (neurectomy, rhizotomy) has become more frequent. Family-directed use of holistic approaches for their children with cerebral palsy includes the widespread adoption of complementary and alternative therapies; however, the prevalence of their use and the cost of these options are unknown. Traditional medical techniques (physiotherapy, bracing, and orthopaedic musculoskeletal surgery) remain the mainstay of treatment strategies at this time. This seminar addresses only the musculoskeletal issues associated with cerebral palsy and only indirectly discusses the cognitive, medical, and social issues associated with this diagnosis.

Cerebral Palsy↗

Allograft maturation in anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.

This case report describes the histologic incorporation of a freeze-dried Achilles tendon allograft used for arthroscopic anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. The patient had regained stability from the procedure but had worsening pain over the medial compartment. The patient underwent total knee arthroplasty 2.5 years after ACL reconstruction. The surgeon was able to observe the graft in situ and examine the histology of the graft tunnel interface. This interface demonstrated Sharpey's fibers.

Achilles Tendon↗

Coping with sports injuries: an examination of the adolescent athlete.

Forty-eight injured adolescent athletes completed questionnaires over 3 months after injury to assess psychosocial outcomes. Depressive symptoms decreased over time, and the lack of positive stress and high athletic identity were associated with early depressive symptoms after accounting for injury severity. Increased social support was associated with lower initial depressive symptoms.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

Cost impact of botulinum toxin use in Medicaid-enrolled children with cerebral palsy.

The use of botulinum toxin type A (BTX) in the management of spasticity in childhood cerebral palsy (CP) is increasing. This study examined annual health care service utilization and costs associated with BTX therapy for spastic CP in Medicaid-enrolled children receiving complete health care coverage (1997 to 1999). We used pair matching as well as recent statistical technique improvements (bootstrap method) to work with limited samples. The introduction of BTX was associated with an increase of approximately $62 per month in prescription costs for the patient. However, these costs were made up by reductions in hospitalization. When each year was examined individually, reimbursements for BTX users were not different from those for pair-matched non-BTX users. These data suggest that BTX therapy does not significantly add to the costs of treating Medicaid-enrolled children with CP.

Adolescent↗

Role of vacuum-assisted closure in the treatment of pediatric lawnmower injuries.

Lawnmower injuries in children often present treatment challenges due to complex soft tissue damage. Vacuum-assisted closure (VAC), the application of controlled subatmospheric pressure to a wound surface, has been used to treat complex lacerations in many patients and has been shown to be safe and effective in children. However, VAC treatment of lawnmower injuries in children has not been reported. This study analyzes the outcomes of treatment following the use of VAC in children with lawnmower injuries and compares the results of VAC treatment to historical controls who were treated before VAC was available for wound treatment. The use of VAC demonstrated a trend toward a decrease in revision amputations and an improvement in function after treatment. There were no complications or adverse reactions related to VAC treatment. The VAC system is a safe and effective method of treating soft tissue injuries resulting from lawnmower accidents in children.

Adolescent↗

The definition and treatment of pediatric subtrochanteric femur fractures with titanium elastic nails.

PURPOSE: Titanium elastic nailing (TEN) has become more common in the treatment of pediatric femur fractures in many European centers and in North America over the past several years. Prior studies have shown that the use of TEN for midshaft femur fractures results in excellent outcomes with an earlier return to activity, earlier mobilization, and a shortened hospital stay. However, subtrochanteric femur fractures continue to remain a difficult subset of fractures to care for, with loss of reduction and nonunion being significant complications. Studies have differed regarding the definition of pediatric subtrochanteric femur fractures. The purpose of this study is to establish a reproducible method of defining pediatric subtrochanteric fractures and then apply that definition in a retrospective review of 13 patients who sustained subtrochanteric femur fractures treated with TEN at North Carolina Baptist Hospital using a modified technique that allows for improved fracture stability. METHODS: Charts and radiographs were retrospectively reviewed for all pediatric patients sustaining subtrochanteric femur fractures treated with TEN from the period of 2000 to 2004 at Wake Forest University. The TEN outcome measures scale was applied to determine their results. RESULTS: TEN allowed rapid mobilization with excellent or satisfactory clinical and radiographic results in all patients. CONCLUSIONS: Results suggest that the use of TEN for subtrochanteric femur fractures is a safe and effective method of fixation that benefits patients through early mobilization, shorter hospital stays, and fewer complications. SIGNIFICANCE: By applying the definition of subtrochanteric femur fractures described by the authors, results of future studies can be objectively compared and classified. TEN is a safe and effective alternative for treating most pediatric subtrochanteric fractures by decreasing the morbidity that occurs with other treatment modalities.

Adolescent↗

Neuromuscular recovery after distraction osteogenesis at different frequencies in a rabbit model.

The muscle and nerve responses to stresses applied during distraction osteogenesis have not been clearly defined. This study hypothesized that distraction resulting in 30% lengthening decreases muscle force generation of the lengthened muscle and increasing the frequency of distraction attenuates the decrease of force generation accompanying lengthening. This study investigated the effects of different distraction frequencies on neuromuscular recovery in a rabbit model. Animals were assigned into group 1 (low-frequency distraction) and group 2 (high-frequency distraction). Distraction was continued until a 30% increase in the original tibial length was achieved. After consolidation of the osteotomy, knee and ankle range of motion, muscle force generation, and neuromuscular junction parameters were evaluated. Lengthening of 30% resulted in significantly decreased range of motion compared with the control leg (P < 0.05). Lengthening of 30% also substantially decreased force generation of the peroneus longus muscle. However, force generation of the peroneus longus muscle in the high-frequency group was 70.5% +/- 6.5% of the control side, significantly higher than that in the low-frequency distraction group (49.7% +/- 4.8% of the control side, P < 0.05). There was no statistical difference between the 2 groups in neuromuscular junction morphology, although an abnormal shape of the postsynaptic neuromuscular junction was observed after distraction. The use of a high-frequency distraction technique during limb lengthening may result in a reduction in impairment of knee and ankle range of motion and improved muscle function compared with that observed with the use of low-frequency distraction. Repeated microtrauma to the soft tissues associated with high-frequency distraction may facilitate the regenerative capacity of the soft tissues and result in an improved outcome of muscle and nerve function.

Animals↗

Technique for iliopsoas ultrasound-guided active electromyography-directed botulinum a toxin injection in cerebral palsy.

Symptomatic hip flexion deformity secondary to iliopsoas spasticity may interfere with gait, impair sitting balance, or contribute to hip subluxation or dislocation. A nonsurgical, minimally invasive technique to ameliorate iliopsoas spasticity is presented. The technique uses intramuscular injections of botulinum A toxin to provide selective neuromuscular blockade of the iliacus or psoas muscles or both. Because of the anatomic location of the target muscles, this technique uses ultrasound guidance for needle placement. Active electromyographic stimulation is used to verify the needle position adjacent to active myoneural interfaces. The authors' experience to date includes the treatment of 28 patients (53 hips). Use of this technique has resulted in improved hip range of motion. No intraoperative or postoperative adverse events or complications have been observed.

Botulinum Toxins, Type A↗