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Biomedical subjects

M Bhandari

Publications and source records attributed to M Bhandari.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2001

A minimally invasive percutaneous technique of intramedullary nail insertion in an animal model of fracture healing.

Previous animal models of fracture repair have been shown to be reproducible but are often time-inefficient. We present a minimally invasive percutaneous technique for retrograde insertion of intramedullary pins in a model of rat femoral fracture healing. Forty Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 3 groups: no fracture (n = 6), no fracture but pinned (n = 6), and fractured and pinned (n = 24). The pins were inserted in a percutaneous manner under fluoroscopic control. No incisions were made. All animals tolerated the procedure well and were using the operated leg within hours after the surgery. The mean time for the pinning procedure was 2.3 min (standard deviation 1.1 min). The mean fluoroscopic time for the first 15 procedures was 10 s (standard deviation 4.5 s). The mean fluoroscopic time for the last 15 procedures was 4.2 s (standard deviation 1.2 s). No patellar tendon ruptures or bleeding complications were seen in the postoperative period. The course of fracture healing was not altered by this new percutaneous technique of pin insertion.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Clinical and radiographic evaluation of bone tumors.

Timely diagnosis of osseous tumors is essential in providing proper management. Appropriate imaging studies are essential to this process, however, if inconclusive, they can be superceded by information obtained through the patient history and physical examination.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Effect of lovastatin, an HMG CoA reductase inhibitor, on acute renal allograft rejection.

3-Hydroxy-3-methyl glutaryl coenzyme A (HMG CoA) reductase inhibitors are established anti-lipidemic agents. They also exert immunomodulatory effects. Two recent reports suggest that pravastatin may be useful in decreasing the incidence and severity of acute rejections (ARs) in heart and kidney transplant recipients. We undertook this prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled, double blind trial to investigate the effect of lovastatin on acute renal allograft rejection. Sixty-five consecutive, one-haplotype-matched, living related first renal transplant recipients were randomized to receive either lovastatin 20 mg/d or placebo for 3 months, in addition to cyclosporine, azathioprine, and steroids. Lipid levels, AR episodes, and liver and muscle enzymes were followed for 3 months post-transplant. At the end of the study period, lovastatin had successfully controlled lipid levels. However, there was no effect on AR episodes (15.15% in the treatment group vs. 18.75% in the placebo group).

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Barriers to breaking bad news among medical and surgical residents.

UNLABELLED: Communicating "bad news" to patients and their families can be difficult for physicians. OBJECTIVE: This qualitative study aimed to examine residents' perceptions of barriers to delivering bad news to patients and their family members. DESIGN: Two focus groups consisting of first- and second-year medical and surgical residents were conducted to explore residents' perceptions of the bad news delivery process. The grounded theory approach was used to identify common themes and concepts, which included: (1) guidelines to delivering bad news, (2) obstacles to delivering bad news and (3) residents' needs. SETTING: McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. SUBJECTS: First- and second-year residents. RESULTS: Residents were able to identify several guidelines important to communicating the bad news to patients and their family members. However, residents also discussed the barriers that prevented these guidelines from being implemented in day-to-day practice. Specifically, lack of emotional support from health professionals, available time as well as their own personal fears about the delivery process prevented them from being effective in their roles. Residents relayed the need for increased focus on communication skills and frequent feedback with specific emphasis on the delivery of bad news. The residents in our study also stressed the importance of processing their own feelings regarding the delivery process with staff. CONCLUSIONS: Although most residents realize important guidelines in the delivery of bad news, their own fears, a general lack of supervisory support and time constraints form barriers to their effective interaction with patients.

Communication Barriers↗
PubMed2001

Dorsal or ventral placement of the preputial/penile skin onlay flap for anterior urethral strictures:does it make a difference?

OBJECTIVE: To report our experience in managing complex anterior urethral strictures with a dorsally/dorsolaterally placed penile/preputial vascularized flap, and to discuss the advantages of this procedure over a traditional ventrally placed flap. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between 1995 and 1999, 40 patients (mean age 40.5 years) with recurrent strictures of the pendulous and/or bulbar urethra were treated with longitudinal penile/circumpenile flap substitution urethroplasty. Nineteen patients underwent dorsal placement of the flap as an onlay (DO), whereas 21 patients had a ventral onlay (VO). Five patients needed inferior pubectomy to facilitate high proximal placement of the flap. RESULTS: Both groups had statistically similar ages, number of previous interventions, stricture site, length and follow-up. After a median follow-up of 27.5 months, the stricture recurred in three (24%) of the VO and two (11%) of the DO groups (P > 0.05). One patient in the VO group required surgical closure of the urethral fistula. Flap pseudo-diverticulum and/or sacculation with postvoid dribble occurred in six patients in the VO and none in the DO group (P = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Dorsal placement of the pedicled flap is anatomically and functionally more appropriate than the traditional VO placement. DO preputial/penile flap urethroplasty is a versatile procedure and can be applied even for long anterior urethral strictures, including reconstruction of the meatus and high proximal bulbar strictures.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Sequential bilateral total knee arthroplasty under 1 anesthetic in patients > or = 75 years old: complications and functional outcomes.

The objectives of this study were to determine the perioperative surgical and medical risks associated with sequential bilateral total knee arthroplasty (TKA) in patients > or = 75 years old and to assess their functional status and overall level of satisfaction at follow-up. Study participants were 82 consecutive patients > or = 75 years old who underwent a sequential bilateral TKA and 82 matched patients who underwent a unilateral TKA. There were 46 postoperative complications in the bilateral TKA group compared with 27 in the unilateral TKA group (P = .003). Postoperative cardiovascular complications were significantly greater in the sequential bilateral TKA group and were associated significantly with preoperative cardiovascular comorbidity. The mean Modified Hospital for Special Surgery knee score was rated as good (mean, 63.5 out of 80), and 95% of patients rated their knees as excellent or good at follow-up. Sequential bilateral TKA in patients > or =75 years old results in high patient satisfaction and good functional status at follow-up; however, there is an increased risk of cardiovascular complications during the postoperative period in bilateral sequential TKA patients when compared with a matched cohort of unilateral TKA patients.

Age Factors↗
PubMed2001

Health-related quality of life after short segment instrumentation of lumbar burst fractures.

Management of lumbar burst fractures remains controversial. Surgical reduction/stabilization is becoming more popular; however, the functional impact of operative intervention is not clear. The purpose of this study was to assess health-related quality of life and functional outcome after posterior fixation of lumbar burst fractures with either posterolateral or intrabody bone grafting. Twenty-four subjects were included. Radiographs and computed tomography scans were evaluated for deformity (kyphosis, vertebral compression, lateral angulation, lateral body height, and canal compromise) postoperatively, at 1 year, and at final follow-up (mean 3.2 years). Patients completed the SF 36 Health Survey and the Oswestry Low Back Pain Disability Questionnaire at final follow-up. Significant improvement was noted in midsagittal diameter compromise, vertebral compression, and kyphosis. The difference observed between the respondents mean scores on the SF 36 was not significantly different from those presented as the U.S. national average (p = 0.053). Data from the Oswestry questionnaire indicated a similarly high level of function. Overall, we found posterior spinal instrumentation to correlate with positive functional outcome based on both general health (SF 36) and joint-specific outcome scales (Oswestry). Posterior instrumentation provides sound canal decompression, kyphotic reduction, and maintains vertebral height with minimal transgression and long-term sequelae. In cases of severe initial deformity and neurologic compromise, intrabody bone grafting is most certainly indicated; the additional support provided by a posterolateral graft may also prove beneficial as an adjunct.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Anterior intramuscular transposition with ulnar nerve decompression at the elbow.

The effectiveness of decompression and anterior intramuscular transposition of the ulnar nerve for treatment of severe cubital tunnel syndrome was evaluated. A consecutive series of 39 anterior intramuscular transpositions were reviewed. One surgeon performed the transpositions between 1993 and 1997 in 34 patients who presented with clinically severe cubital tunnel syndrome. Clinical outcome and satisfaction with surgery were assessed. The results showed early clinical improvement of 77% of patients (mean followup, 3.34 months). With repeated assessments later, the same group of patients had clinical improvement of 62% (mean followup, 30.9 months). Patients younger than 50 years, individuals who underwent external neurolysis, or patients who had a previously failed subcutaneous transposition had fewer satisfactory results.

Cubital Tunnel Syndrome↗
PubMed2001

Treatment of open fractures of the shaft of the tibia.

We have systematically reviewed the effect of alternative methods of stabilisation of open tibial fractures on the rates of reoperation, and the secondary outcomes of nonunion, deep and superficial infection, failure of the implant and malunion by the analysis of 799 citations on the subject, identified from computerised databases. Although 68 proved to be potentially eligible, only eight met all criteria for inclusion. Three investigators independently graded the quality of each study and extracted the relevant data. One study (n = 56 patients) suggested that the use of external fixators significantly decreased the requirement for reoperation when compared with fixation with plates. The use of unreamed nails, compared with external fixators (five studies, n = 396 patients), reduced the risk of reoperation, malunion and superficial infection. Comparison of reamed with unreamed nails showed a reduced risk of reoperation (two studies, n = 132) with the reamed technique. An indirect comparison between reamed nails and external fixators also showed a reduced risk of reoperation (two studies) when using nails. We have identified compelling evidence that unreamed nails reduced the incidence of reoperations, superficial infections and malunions, when compared with external fixators. The relative merits of reamed versus unreamed nails in the treatment of open tibial fractures remain uncertain.

External Fixators↗
PubMed2001

The efficacy of low-pressure lavage with different irrigating solutions to remove adherent bacteria from bone.

BACKGROUND: Recent studies have suggested that high-pressure irrigation may have adverse effects on bone. However, the use of low-pressure irrigation may not remove all adherent bacteria from bone. The type of irrigating solution may be an important factor in the removal of adherent bacteria with pulsatile lavage. In this study, we compared the effects of various irrigating solutions on the number and function of osteoblasts and osteoclasts and we examined the effectiveness of these solutions in removing adherent bacteria from bone. METHODS: To examine the effect of irrigating solutions on the number and activity of osteoblasts, we isolated calvarial cells from newborn C57BI/6 mice and exposed the cells to equivalent concentrations of ethanol, povidoneiodine, liquid soap, antimicrobial wash (50 U/L of bacitracin), or chlorhexidine gluconate, for two, ten, or twenty minutes. The cells were then cultured in the presence of bone-nodule-enhancing medium (beta-glycerophosphate and ascorbic acid) for twenty-one days. The medium was changed every three or four days. Mineralized nodules were stained with alizarin red S, and osteoblasts were stained with a histochemical stain for alkaline phosphatase. Osteoclasts were identified with tartrate-resistant acid-phosphatase staining. In a second experiment, canine cortical tibiae were contaminated with Staphylococcus aureus for six hours and subjected to different irrigating solutions with or without low-pressure lavage. Bacterial colony-forming units were quantitated under each set of conditions. RESULTS: Each solution resulted in a time-dependent decrease in the number of calvarial osteoblasts and osteoclasts compared with that in the controls. The 1% soap solution resulted in greater preservation of both alkaline-phosphatase activity and bone-nodule formation than did the other solutions. Moreover, the soap solution preserved the number of osteoclasts to the greatest extent. The povidone-iodine and chlorhexidine-gluconate solutions resulted in the largest decline in bone-nodule formation, alkaline-phosphatase activity, and number of osteoclasts. Low-pressure pulsatile lavage with the soap solution removed the most bacteria from the contaminated tibia when compared with either the soap solution alone or low-pressure irrigation with saline solution. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that certain solutions may be more effective in removing bacteria from bone than mechanical irrigation with saline solution alone. Among the various solutions examined, the soap solution preserved the number and activity of osteoblasts the most. Low-pressure lavage with the soap solution resulted in the greatest removal of adherent bacteria from bone.

Animals↗
PubMed2001

Type-II error rates (beta errors) of randomized trials in orthopaedic trauma.

BACKGROUND: Although an investigator may limit bias through randomization, concealment of patient allocation, and blinding, the results of randomized trials may be less convincing when the sample size is not sufficiently large to reveal a true difference between treatment groups. When the sample size is small, randomized trials are subject to beta errors (type-II errors)--that is, the probability of concluding that no difference between treatment groups exists when, in fact, there is a difference. The purpose of this study of randomized trials involving fracture care published between 1968 and 1999 was twofold: (1) to evaluate type-II error rates and study power (1 - beta) for the primary outcomes and (2) to identify whether investigators clearly identified the primary and secondary outcomes. METHODS: To be eligible, studies were required to (1) be published in English, (2) be described as a randomized trial, (3) involve the care of adult patients with fractures, treated either operatively or nonoperatively, and (4) contain sufficient outcome information to enable study power to be calculated. Computer database searches were performed independently by two investigators to identify all potentially relevant study titles. Additional strategies to identify articles included (1) hand searches of selected orthopaedic journals from 1989 to 1999, (2) searches of the bibliographies of potentially relevant articles, and (3) review by content experts to identify missing studies. For each study, a standard power calculation was performed on the primary and secondary outcomes. For those studies in which the primary outcome was not explicitly reported, the most clinically relevant measure was chosen by consensus. Acceptable study power was agreed a priori to be > or = 80% (type-I error of < or = 0.20). RESULTS: We identified 620 potentially relevant citations from MEDLINE, of which only 187 were potentially eligible. We identified nine more articles with other searches, and application of the eligibility criteria to the 196 articles eliminated seventy-nine. Thus, we analyzed 117 studies in which a total of 19,942 patients with orthopaedic trauma had been randomized. Sample sizes ranged from ten to 662 patients (mean and standard deviation, 95 79 patients). The majority (34%) of trials involved the treatment of hip fractures. The mean overall study power among the 117 trials was 24.65% (range, 2% to 99%). The type-II error rate for primary outcomes was 90.52%. CONCLUSIONS: Mean type-II error rates in the orthopaedic trauma trials that we analyzed exceeded accepted standards. Investigators can reduce type-II error rates by performing power and sample-size calculations prior to conducting a trial.

Fractures, Bone↗
PubMed2001

Meta-analyses in orthopaedic surgery. A systematic review of their methodologies.

BACKGROUND: The number and quality of well-designed scientific studies in the orthopaedic literature are limited. The purpose of this review was to determine the methodological qualities of published meta-analyses on orthopaedic-surgery-related topics. METHODS: A systematic review of meta-analyses was conducted. A search of the Medline database provided lists of meta-analyses in orthopaedics published from 1969 to 1999. Extensive manual searches of major orthopaedic journals, bibliographies of major orthopaedic texts, and personal files identified additional studies. Of 601 studies identified, forty met the criteria for eligibility. Two investigators each assessed the quality of the studies under blinded conditions, and they abstracted relevant data. RESULTS: More than 50% of the meta-analyses included in this review were published after 1994. We found that 88% had methodological flaws that could limit their validity. The main deficiency was a lack of information on the methods used to retrieve and assess the validity of the primary studies. Regression analysis revealed that meta-analyses authored in affiliation with an epidemiology department and those published in nonsurgical journals were associated with higher scores for quality. Meta-analyses with lower scores for quality tended to report positive findings. The meta-analyses that focused upon fracture treatment and degenerative disease (hip, knee, or spine) had significantly lower mean quality scores than did meta-analyses that examined thrombosis prevention and diagnostic tests (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The majority of meta-analyses on orthopaedic-surgery-related topics have methodological limitations. Limitation of bias and improvement in the validity of the meta-analyses can be achieved by adherence to strict scientific methodology. However, the ultimate quality of a meta-analysis depends on the quality of the primary studies on which it is based. A meta-analysis is most persuasive when data from high-quality randomized trials are pooled.

Humans↗