Biomedical subjects

Jennifer Moriatis Wolf

Publications and source records attributed to Jennifer Moriatis Wolf.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Trigger digits: principles, management, and complications.

Stenosing tenosynovitis, or trigger finger, is an entity seen commonly by hand surgeons. This problem generally is caused by a size mismatch between the flexor tendon and the first annular (A-1) pulley. Conservative management includes splinting, corticosteroid injection, and other adjuvant modalities. Surgical treatment consists of release of the A-1 pulley by open or percutaneous techniques. Complications are rare but include bowstringing, digital nerve injury, and continued triggering. Some patients require more extensive procedures to reduce the size of the flexor tendon. Comorbid conditions affect how trigger finger is treated. Patients with rheumatoid arthritis require tenosynovectomy instead of A-1 pulley release. In children trigger thumb resolves reliably with A-1 pulley release but other digits may require more extensive surgery. In diabetic patients trigger finger often is less responsive to conservative measures. An understanding of the pathomechanics, risk factors, and varied treatments for trigger finger is essential for appropriate care.

Adrenal Cortex Hormones↗

PubMed2004

Access and use of the internet in a hand surgery population.

Internet use is increasing and its applications to medicine and patient information are widening daily. Previous studies have focused on the quality and quantity of medical information on the Internet. The current study focuses on a population of 120 new patients presenting to a hand surgery practice. A questionnaire was used to analyse patterns of Internet access, use of the Internet to look up personal symptoms, and patients' opinions on the use of electronic mail by office staff. Results showed that approximately 90% of the group had some form of Internet access, with a significant age-related decrease in Internet access. Only 17% used the Internet to look up their symptoms, but this group was more likely to correctly match their self-diagnosis to the surgeon's diagnosis. On average, 65% of the study group favoured the use of electronic mail for office staff's communications with patients.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2004

A survey of orthopedic surgeons regarding DVT prophylaxis in foot and ankle trauma surgery.

This study hypothesized that thromboembolism in patients with foot and ankle trauma is higher than currently recognized, and that prophylaxis varies among surgeons. A questionnaire sent to members of two orthopedic specialty societies surveyed the use of thromboembolic prophylaxis over 1 year. Most did not use preoperative prophylaxis. Postoperatively, 44% of surgeons used prophylaxis, most commonly sequential compression devices and low molecular weight heparin. This survey suggests that thromboembolic prophylaxis is used by < 50% of surgeons treating foot and ankle trauma. The reported cases of thromboembolism in this study underline the need for a prospective investigation.

Ankle Injuries↗

PubMed2002

Influence of comorbidity on self-assessment instrument scores of patients with idiopathic adhesive capsulitis.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to determine whether comorbid factors influence the results of self-assessment instruments completed by patients with idiopathic adhesive capsulitis of the shoulder. We hypothesized that an increased number of comorbidities would be correlated with greater pain and worse function as measured by general and shoulder-specific outcome tools. METHODS: One hundred consecutive patients with phase-II adhesive capsulitis were prospectively evaluated with use of a general health questionnaire, a visual analog pain scale, the Simple Shoulder Test, the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand questionnaire, and the Short Form-36. There were seventy-one women and twenty-nine men, with a mean age of fifty-two years (range, thirty-six to eighty-two years). Comorbidities included medical factors (e.g., diabetes and heart disease) and social factors (e.g., tobacco use and pending litigation). Linear regression analysis was performed to determine correlations between the number of comorbidities and the results of the questionnaires. RESULTS: Patients with more comorbidities had significantly lower scores on the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand Questionnaire (p = 0.0005) and the Short Form-36 subscale of physical function (p = 0.0009) as well as poorer scores on the Simple Shoulder Test and the Short Form-36 subscales of physical role, social function, emotional role, and mental health. Although there was no correlation between increased comorbidity and pain as measured on the visual analog scale, the comfort/pain subscale of the Short Form-36 showed a significant correlation with increased comorbidity (p = 0.004). CONCLUSIONS: Idiopathic adhesive capsulitis is a debilitating condition. Comorbid factors have a significant effect on the pain and dysfunction (as measured on shoulder-specific and general health instruments) experienced by patients with this disorder. These findings can be applied to the evaluation of these patients and may help to identify patients who potentially require a longer treatment course or those whose outcome will be less satisfactory.

Adult↗