Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to M P Slovenkai.
Proper radiographic examination is crucial in diagnosing ankle disorders. This article examines standard imaging techniques and special projections of the ankle. Normal and abnormal bony relationships of the ankle are described in detail to allow clinicians ease of diagnostic accuracy.
Foot infection is the most common reason for hospital admission of patients with diabetes in the United States. Foot ulceration leads to deep infection, sepsis, and lower extremity amputation. Prophylactic foot care has been shown to decrease patient morbidity, decrease the utilization of expensive resources, and decrease the risk for amputation and premature death. The Diabetes Committee of the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society has developed guidelines for implementing this type of prophylactic foot care. The guidelines are arranged as follows: I. Screening for Patients Who Are at Risk for Developing Diabetic Foot Complications A. Risk Factors B. Components of Screening and Examination II. Patient Education III. Basic Treatment Guidelines A. Risk Categories B. Nail Care C. Ulcer Care IV. Referral Guidelines A. Vascular Surgery Consultation B. Orthopaedic Consultation C. Endocrinologist/Diabetologist Consultation D. Infectious Disease Consultation E. Radiologic Consultation F. Pedorthic Consultation V. Resources.
Prevention and care of diabetic foot complications continue to represent a major challenge to the treating clinician. Neuropathy, infection, deformity, and vascular insufficiency threaten the diabetic foot and the overall functional well being of the diabetic patient. Although foot problems in diabetes cannot be eradicated completely, the opportunity exists to diagnose and manage diabetic foot conditions effectively, to educate and motivate patients to care for their feet, to minimize complications, and to decrease health care costs.
Two methods of internal fixation of oblique lesser metatarsal osteotomies were compared biomechanically using fresh-frozen human cadaver bones. Osteotomies were made obliquely through the metatarsal shafts and fixed with either crossed Kirschner wires or a single AO screw using the lag technique. The specimens were then fixed at their proximal end and loaded to failure using an axial torsion material testing system (MTS, Minneapolis, MN). Load displacement curves were obtained and the stiffness of the constructs were determined. Single-screw fixation was found to be significantly stiffer than the crossed wire configuration (P < .01). Single-screw fixation resulted in a stiffness of 211.2 +/- 111.7 N/cm (mean +/- SD), while stiffness of the crossed wire configuration averaged 56.9 +/- 25.1 N/cm.