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Biomedical subjects

N Renner

Publications and source records attributed to N Renner.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

[Inferior epigastric artery. An atypical source of bleeding in pelvic fracture].

The most common mechanism of pelvic fractures after blunt trauma is lateral compression of the pelvis. Most of these fractures are of slight severity but it is possible, that a life-threatening hemorrhage can appear. The inferior epigastric artery is an atypical bleeding site but it has to be considered in the search of the origin of the hemorrhage. Diagnostic tools are ultrasound, computed tomography and angiography. After external fixation of the pelvis and persistent haemodynamic active bleeding is the percutaneous transcatheter embolization (PTE) in our opinion the treatment of choice. The introduced case is confirm with this statement.

Aged↗

[Intramedullary nailing of humeral shaft fractures--initial experiences with an unreamed humerus nail]].

Interlocking intramedullary nailing has become the preferred method of internal fixation for diaphyseal fractures of the lower extremity. In shaft fractures of the humerus however open reduction and internal fixation with plates and screws is still considered the gold standard for operative treatment. The unreamed humerus nail (UHN) is a new implant for interlocking intramedullary nailing, which allows for stable fixation of humerus shaft fractures and immediate functional after treatment. The UHN could thus become an equal alternative to plate osteosynthesis. From this point of view we analyzed retrospectively 19 shaft fractures of the humerus, which have been treated at our institution with an UHN. Infections and iatrogenic nerve lesions did not occur. One patient with a rotational malalignment of 45 degrees underwent a secondary procedure. In two out of ten fresh fractures the bone healing failed and resulted in a non-union. In all cases of pathological fractures a good palliation could be achieved. With exception of two patients the range of motion of the shoulder and elbow was symmetric. We conclude that the UHN is a real alternative to plate osteosynthesis. Compared with most series of plate osteosynthesis published in the literature the risk for iatrogenic lesions of the radial nerve appears to be lower. Even in this small series we found however a rather high rate of non-unions.

Adult↗

Early psychological reactions to life-threatening injuries.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence of posttraumatic stress symptoms and coping patterns in severely injured accident victims; to study correlations between injury severity and psychosocial variables and the presence of posttraumatic stress symptoms; and to analyze intensive care unit (ICU) personnel's global clinical appraisals in relation to patient characteristics. DESIGN: A study of critically ill accident victims assessed within one month of the trauma. SETTING: ICU of the traumatology department at the University Hospital, Zurich. PATIENTS: 121 consecutive patients with accidental injuries (mean Injury Severity Score, 21.8; mean Glasgow Coma Scale score, 14.4) admitted to the ICU between January 1996 and June 1997, aged 18-68 yrs. Patients with severe head injuries, attempted suicides, and victims of physical assault were excluded. MEASUREMENTS: Extensive clinical interview, Impact of Event Scale, Clinician-Administered Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Scale, social support, life events, biographical protective and risk factors, Sense of Coherence questionnaire, Freiburg Questionnaire of Coping with Illness. RESULTS: 13.7 (SD, 6.8) days after the accident, 5 patients (4.1 %) met all criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder with the exception of the time criterion. A further 24 patients (19.9%) had subsyndromal posttraumatic stress disorder. Posttraumatic psychiatric symptomatology did not correlate with objective injury criteria, but rather with pretrauma variables (female gender, biographical risk and protective factors, life events), the patients' subjective appraisal of the severity and threat of the accident, their general attitude toward life ("sense of coherence"), and their current coping strategies. Surgeons' and nurses' global clinical appraisals did not correlate with injury severity or with the patients' coping strategies. CONCLUSIONS: Trauma surgeons and ICU personnel should pay special attention to the strains and stressors their patients have been exposed to when recording case histories and to the level of their patients' psychosocial adaptation before the trauma.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

Clinical results using the trochanter stabilizing plate (TSP): the modular extension of the dynamic hip screw (DHS) for internal fixation of selected unstable intertrochanteric fractures.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether the implantation of the modular trochanter stabilizing plate (TSP) in addition to the dynamic hip screw (DHS) prevents excessive telescoping and limb shortening in four-part and selected three-part trochanteric fractures. DESIGN: Prospective clinical study. SETTING: The study was conducted at the trauma unit of the Surgical Department of the University of Basel, Switzerland. PATIENTS: Forty-six consecutive patients with unstable intertrochanteric fractures were treated with an additional TSP super-imposed on the regular DHS at our institution between July 1991 and July 1993. Five patients died before the first follow-up, one patient was lost to follow-up, and another patient refused follow-up. Thus, thirty-nine patients were followed for at least twelve months (mean 14 months, range 12 to 20 months). INTERVENTION: The fractures treated were classified according to the OTA classification, which is based on the AO classification. Seventeen were 31-A2.2, seven were 31-A2.3, and fourteen were 31-A3.3 fractures. RESULTS: Lateralization of the greater trochanter was successfully prevented in all fractures. Limited fracture impaction was found in 90 percent (n = 35) of the patients with telescoping of 9.5 millimeters (range 0 to 30 millimeters), resulting in mean limb shortening of 5.37 millimeters (range 0 to 14.9 millimeters). Four patients suffered limb shortening exceeding fifteen millimeters (range 15.6 to 21.3 millimeters). Functional results were excellent and good in 87 percent of patients and fair in 13 percent according to the Salvati-Wilson score. All fractures had healed six months after the operation. Three complications required a secondary procedure: one from not inserting a second screw parallel to the gliding hip screw to prevent rotation of the head-neck fragment ("antirotation screw"), one because of deep infection, and one because of a refracture after premature implant removal. CONCLUSION: In unstable pertrochanteric fractures with small or missing lateral cortical buttress, the addition of a TSP to the DHS effectively supports the unstable greater trochanter fragment and can prevent rotation of the head-neck fragment. Excessive fracture impaction and consecutive limb shortening was prevented by this additional implant in 90 percent of these patients.

Adult↗

The unstable shoulder girdle: early functional treatment utilizing open reduction and internal fixation.

The unstable shoulder girdle--a combination of a scapular neck fracture with a clavicular fracture, acromioclavicular dislocation, or sternoclavicular dislocation--represents a rare and often underestimated injury. Sufficient treatment to permit early function is necessary to avoid a frozen shoulder as well as to treat concomitant thoracic injuries. This is possible only by open reduction and internal fixation. In most cases this can be achieved by a sole osteosynthesis of the clavicular injury. We retrospectively analyzed 12 cases and classified the results according to the Constant Score. This analysis showed excellent functional results in nearly all cases.

Acromioclavicular Joint↗

[Intestinal drug transport: a surgical problem?].

The case of a 35-year-old man is reported, who presented himself in the emergency room with anxiety and hallucinations. He then passed a small oval pack consisting of a dark paste wrapped in cellophane with his stool. This led to the suspicion of a "body packer syndrome" with cocaine intoxication. The plain abdominal X-ray revealed multiple oval structure scattered over the entire gastrointestinal tract. Cocaine metabolites in the urine confirmed the diagnosis. During the following whole-bowel irrigation the patient had a grand mal seizure. In order to accelerate the retrieval of this threatening load, surgical evacuation was immediately executed. 78 packs containing 650 grams cocaine were removed through a gastrotomy and a coecotomy, respectively. Two of these packs were leaking. Following an uneventful postoperative course the patient was discharged from the hospital 11 days later. According to the literature the recommended treatment for cocaine body packers is whole bowel irrigation. Operative treatment is mandatory in cases of small bowel obstruction or drug intoxication due to leaking packs.

Adult↗

[Treatment of displaced and comminuted multifragment fractures of the head of the radius: is resection a therapeutic option?].

The treatment of displaced comminuted fractures of the radial head type III of the Mason classification is still controversial. The restoration of anatomy including additional lesions with a stable fixation is a prerequisite of early mobilisation. Removal of the radial head, in case of severe comminution, and complete separation of the fragments from the radial neck remain the exception. Insertion of a prosthesis as a spacer is only recommended if there is a remaining instability of the elbow after resection of the radial head. With this treatment modality we have 22/29 good to very good results evaluated by the Morrey score after a follow-up period of 8 years (4-11 years).

Adult↗

[Stable joint-bridging extension of malleolar dislocations and pilon fractures with the AO pinless external fixator].

The pinless external fixator, introduced into clinical practice for open tibial fractures, suggested itself for use as a traction substitute because of its pinless frame. The aim of this feasibility study was to replace the conventional calcaneal pin traction by a joint-bridging pinless fixator, inserted under local anesthesia. 10 patients with 6 malleolar dislocation fractures, 3 pilon tibial and 1 open distal tibial fracture were immobilised by a joint-bridging pinless fixator during 10.4 days (5-16 days) till swelling had subsided and definitive fracture treatment, consisting of plate fixation, took place. The implantation of the joint-bridging pinless fixator in local anaesthesia was well tolerated by all patients. This traction substitute offered good patient comfort and easy care. Although the provided stability was less than a conventional fixator, all patients were able to lift up their fractured extremity without pain.

Aged↗

[The DHS (dynamic hip screw) buttress plate in the management of unstable proximal femoral fractures].

The DHS-implant system is a technically simple and widely used operative treatment modality for pertrochanteric fractures of the femur. In unstable 4-part fractures rotation of the head and neck fragment around the lag screw and significant impaction might lead to lateralisation of the greater trochanter and therefore to marked shortening. To prevent these effects we treated 17 patients with 4-part fractures with a prototype of a modular trochanteric DHS buttress plate. With this additional implant lateralisation of the greater trochanter could be prevented in all cases. This also leads to a limitation of telescoping, with less shortening even with immediate full weight bearing.

Adult↗

[Quality control and cost-benefit analysis in surgical fracture treatment].

In recent years quality assurance is gaining increasing importance in all parts of medicine. In this article, different quality control measures in the field of operative fracture treatment are reviewed and illustrated. As in most other therapeutic specialties, the most commonly used measures are sporadic quality control studies. The Documentation Center of the association for the study of internal fixation [AO] offers in addition to all its contributing clinics an extraordinary measure for a continuous control of their treatment results. So far only a few instances of cost-benefit analysis have been published. Besides direct comparison of costs of different treatment options, improved quality of life may be calculated as well, using the method of Quality-Adjusted Life Years [QALY].

Cost-Benefit Analysis↗

[Quality of emergency admission (resuscitation, REA) and first aid in multiple trauma].

Undue delay between hospital admission and the beginning or urgent operative procedures is considered as a major mortality risk for polytraumatized patients in any trauma center. As part of a quality control study at our institution (Kantonsspital, University of Basel), the time spent for early resuscitation and diagnostic procedures was therefore prospectively recorded in 20 patients (mean age 38 years) with a mean ISS of 26.9 (range: 13 to 43). Time spent in the resuscitation room averaged 31.4 min (range: 10 to 50 min). Conventional radiographic diagnostic procedures took 34.7 more min (range: 20 to 60 min). An additional CT scan was performed in 15 patients requiring 19.5 min per region (head/thorax/abdomen/spine). Four patients underwent angiography necessitating 28 more min (mean). Time elapsed between admission and arrival of the patient in the OR or the ICU respectively accounted for an average of 89 min (range 22 to 200 min). For comparable injury severities this interval was shorter during the day than during the night (77 and 103 min respectively). Diagnoses established during this period were both accurate and comprehensive, as detectable from the low rate of missed diagnosis (three minor fractures). Although our results match favorably with figures reported in the literature we feel that further improvements could be achieved by performing the conventional radiographic procedures simultaneously with the early resuscitation in the resuscitation room. At present time, for reasons of X-ray protection, this is not possible in our institution.

Adolescent↗

[The AO universal femur intramedullary nail: problems and their amelioration. Retrospective quality control study of 57 femur shaft fractures].

Today intramedullary nailing is considered the treatment method of choice in fractures of the femoral diaphysis. In this retrospective quality control study 57 femoral fractures treated with the AO-Universal Femoral Nail have been reviewed. The average follow up time was 2.9 years. Intramedullary nailing was done as a primary procedure in 40 cases and in 17 cases as a secondary procedure following various initial operations. The results were evaluated according to the Stromsoe score. 27 of the 40 primary procedures went on to an uneventful healing and showed good to excellent final result. Technical errors (7), non-unions (4) and 1 deep infection required various secondary procedures. Thereafter the final number of good to excellent results amounted to 35 out of 40 patients. In the group with secondary i.m. nailing 9 out of 17 patients showed a good to excellent final result. 2 non unions persisted. In conclusion the AO-Universal Femoral Nail proved to be suited for the treatment of femoral shaft fractures for both primary and secondary procedures. In this series, however, technical imperfections led to a high rate of secondary procedures. Strict observation of the recommended operative technique is therefore mandatory.

Adolescent↗

[Proximal femoral fractures: trochanteric area (classification 31 A1-A3)].

The increasing incidence of trochanteric fractures renders their treatment a challenging task concerning both medical and increasingly socio-economical questions as well. The majority of these fractures occurs in elderly patients compromised by various preexisting medical problems. The primary goal of treatment therefore has to be early mobilisation to avoid secondary complications. This can only be achieved by operative treatment. Regarding the perioperative management an antibiotic as well as an antithrombotic prophylaxis is advisable. Recent data also suggest to add an enteral nutritional supplement during the postoperative period. The social reintegration depends however primarily upon the rapid restoration of the walking capacity. In this concern the Dynamic Hip Screw (DHS) is an optimal implant for ORIF, since it allows early full weight-bearing and shows a lower complication rate than static implants (e.g. the condylar blade plate).

Aged↗

[The dynamic hip screw support plate for management of unstable proximal femoral fractures].

The DHS-Implant system is a technically simple and widely used operative treatment modality for pertrochanteric fractures of the femur. In unstable 4 part-fractures rotation of the head and neck fragment around the lag screw and a significant impaction might lead to a lateralisation of the greater trochanter and therefore to an important shortening. To prevent these effects we treated 17 patients with 4 part-fractures with a prototype of a modular trochanteric DHS buttress plate. With this additional implant the lateralisation of the greater trochanter could be prevented in all cases. This also leads to a limitation of the telescoping, with less shortening even with immediate full weight bearing.

Adult↗

[Initial experiences with the unreamed tibial nail].

During a one-year period starting January 1991, 17 tibial shaft fractures have been treated with the new AO unreamed tibial nail in a prospective study. Fractures were classified according to the AO classification: 10 type A, 6 type B, one type C. 7 fractures were closed. Out of those 3 showed marked soft tissue contusions and 2 required a fasciotomy because of a concomitant compartment syndrome. The open fractures were classified according to the Gustilo classification: 3 grade I, 5 grade II, 1 grade III B and 1 grade III C injury. There were 5 polytraumatised patients (ISS 27-34). The nailing procedure was preformed on the day of admission in 11 cases and in a delayed fashion (2-14 days after the accident) in 6 cases. There were no specific technical problems encountered intraoperatively. The only perioperative complication consisted of 1 case of fat embolism syndrome. 1 fracture required secondary plate osteosynthesis because of a unacceptable valgus deformity 6 weeks postoperatively. There was 1 too long nail implanted at the initial surgery, which then had to be changed during the rehabilitation period because of pain in the region of the knee. In 3 cases the interlocking bolts broke and 3 other cases required secondary dynamisation. There was a complete follow-up in all cases of at least 6 months. There were no infections. All fractures are healed. Full weight bearing was allowed at a mean of 10 weeks for closed fractures and 14 weeks for open fractures, respectively. All but one fracture (valgus 8 degrees) healed in a correct axial alignment without shortening.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗

[Cocaine poisoning from transport of the drug in the gastrointestinal tract (the body-packer syndrome)].

Three days after arriving in Switzerland from Bolivia a 35-year-old man presented at a casualty department. He was anxious, agitated and hallucinating, and he expressed delusional ideas of being poisoned. As a general physical examination was without abnormal findings he was thought to suffer from a psychiatric disorder. It was only when he had evacuated in stool a long oval foreign body, packed in plastic sheeting and filled with a dark paste, that cocaine poisoning due to cocaine transport in the gastrointestinal tract (body packer syndrome) was suspected. Plain X-ray of the abdomen revealed numerous regular structures of poor X-ray contrast and the urine contained cocaine metabolites, confirming the tentative diagnosis. As the patient's state of consciousness deteriorated and he had a grand mal seizure, an emergency laparotomy was performed. 78 packages (two of them had opened) were removed by gastro- and caecotomy. Total cocaine weight was 650 g. He was discharged from hospital after 11 days, free of symptoms.

Adult↗

Stable temporary traction substitute with the Pinless external fixator.

The stable traction substitute with a JBPF seems a very promising indication for pinless clamps, offering good patient comfort and easy care. The implantation of a JBPF is possible under the same conditions as for conventional calcaneal traction. Although the stability provided is less than for conventional external fixators, it is sufficient for a temporary traction device. The JBPF does not affect secondary ORIF.

Adult↗