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Biomedical subjects

R K Beals

Publications and source records attributed to R K Beals.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Iliopsoas bursa imaging: efficacy in depicting abnormal iliopsoas tendon motion in patients with internal snapping hip syndrome.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy of both iliopsoas bursa imaging and therapeutic injections for determination of the cause of pain in patients with internal snapping hip syndrome. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twelve patients underwent iliopsoas bursa imaging. One patient underwent the procedure bilaterally and five underwent repeated studies for a total of 21 studies. Eight patients also received therapeutic injections after bursa imaging. RESULTS: Abnormal motion of the iliopsoas musculotendinous unit that occurred synchronously with the snap was revealed in 15 of the 21 studies. Four studies revealed additional information that contributed to symptoms. Eight patients received therapeutic injections with relief of symptoms that ranged from 2 weeks to 2 years. CONCLUSION: Iliopsoas bursa imaging is a simple, rapid, and reproducible method with which abnormal iliopsoas tendon motion can be documented in patients with internal snapping hip syndrome and is also useful for diagnosis of other causes of atypical hip pain. Therapeutic injection into the iliopsoas bursa may delay or obviate surgery.

Adolescent

Osteoarticular allograft reconstruction for recurrent post-traumatic dislocation of the hip.

A patient with post-traumatic mechanical instability associated with a significant posterior acetabular deficiency in the presence of an otherwise good articular surface was treated with an allograft reconstruction. The short-term result was good; at 10-month follow-up there was full range of motion with no clinical evidence of instability. This procedure may be indicated in rare instances of post-traumatic mechanical instability where insufficiency of the posterior acetabular wall is felt to be a significant factor.

Accidents, Traffic

Resonant frequency analysis of the tibia as a measure of fracture healing.

The Resonant Frequency (RF) of the tibia is proportional to its stiffness. As a fractured tibia heals, its RF should increase. The RF was serially determined in 74 fractured tibias (205 examinations). These were subdivided by fracture location and fixation. Fast Fourier transform software generates the RF from data obtained with an instrumented impactor and accelerometer. The RF was normalized by expressing it as a ratio of the intact tibia. This ratio is called the tibial stiffness index (TSI). A 20 point tibial fracture score (TFS) quantitated the clinical and radiographic signs of healing. For each group the paired TSI and TFS were compared by regression analysis. Except for those fractures limited to the proximal fourth of the tibia, the TSI was found to correlate significantly (p = 0.0001) with the TFS. Fractures without fixation and those with unlocked, unreamed tibial nails showed very significant correlation of TSI with TFS (p = 0.0001). RF analysis was not useful in fractures with locked or reamed tibial nails. Examination of tibia with external fixation showed significant correlation (p = 0.02) of the TSI with the TFS.

Biophysical Phenomena

Anomalies associated with vertebral malformations.

A review of 218 patients with congenital vertebral anomalies demonstrates that 61% of patients had associated abnormalities affecting seven systems. The type of vertebral anomaly did not predict the location or type of associated abnormality. The site of vertebral anomaly did correlate with the occurrence of some associated diagnoses. The most common abnormalities associated with vertebral malformation were cranial nerve palsy, radial hypoplasia, club feet, dislocated hip, Sprengel's deformity, imperforate anus, hemifacial microsomia, and renal and cardiac anomalies. Comprehensive evaluation of patients with vertebral anomalies will be enhanced by knowledge of the type and frequency of associated anomalies.

Abnormalities, Multiple

Painful snapping hip in young adults.

The Council on Scientific Affairs of the California Medical Association presents the following inventory of items of progress in orthopedics. Each item, in the judgment of a panel of knowledgeable physicians, has recently become reasonably firmly established, both as to scientific fact and important clinical significance. The items are presented in simple epitome, and an authoritative reference, both to the item itself and to the subject as a whole, is generally given for those who may be unfamiliar with a particular item. The purpose is to assist busy practitioners, students, researchers, and scholars to stay abreast of these items of progress in orthopedics that have recently achieved a substantial degree of authoritative acceptance, whether in their own field of special interest or another. The items of progress listed below were selected by the Advisory Panel to the Section on Orthopedics of the California Medical Association, and the summaries were prepared under its direction.

Acetabulum

The hip joint in Down's syndrome. A study of its structure and associated disease.

Clinical and roentgenographic examination of the hip was performed in 114 patients with Down's syndrome to study range of motion, roentgenographic anatomy, and incidence of hip pathology. The study found increased external rotation of the hip. Roentgenographic studies demonstrate that, in comparison with a normal acetabulum, the acetabulum of a patient with Down's syndrome is deep, more horizontally placed, and has increased anteversion. The proximal femur of a patient with Down's syndrome has a normal neck-shaft angle and a moderate increase in anteversion. Of the patients, 7.9% had some hip abnormality, including dysplasia, dislocation, avascular necrosis, or slipped capital femoral epiphysis.

Adolescent

Partial calcanectomy for the treatment of osteomyelitis of the calcaneus.

Seven patients underwent partial calcanectomy for chronic osteomyelitis. An average of 20 months followup demonstrated no recurrences, 80% excellent, and 20% good results. Gait assessment, range of motion, and manual motor testing demonstrated minimal functional deficits and full return to preoperative activities. Partial calcanectomy for chronic osteomyelitis of the calcaneus is a simple procedure with low morbidity, rapid convalescence, and good functional results. The high success rate and patient acceptance define it as a well tolerated alternative to more complex procedures.

Adolescent

Stress fractures of the anterior tibial diaphysis.

Stress fracture of the anterior tibial diaphysis is rare and occurs mostly in leaping athletes. Thirty-six of these fractures in 35 patients have been reported in the literature. These are combined with 15 similar fractures in our experience to provide combined data on 51 anterior tibial stress fractures. Comparison of the various treatments utilized disclosed that there is a high risk of complete fracture if affected patients are allowed full activity, and that treatment by rest alone allowed only 40% to return to full activity even after symptomatic improvement. The treatment recommended for these patients is excision of the fissure, transverse drilling at the fissure site, and cancellous bone grafting of the defect. In those patients who suffer a complete fracture, open reduction and internal fixation is superior to closed treatment.

Adolescent

The treatment of ankle valgus by surface epiphysiodesis.

Progressive ankle valgus in childhood requiring surgical correction is usually because of paralytic disease or conditions that produce a short distal fibula such as multiple exostoses or both. Surface epiphysiodesis of the distal medial tibial physis was used to correct valgus deformity in ten ankles in seven patients. This procedure has been found to be a simple and effective method of treatment. Measurement of the degree of valgus and calculation of the remaining growth of the distal tibial physis are recommended to determine whether this procedure will be effective. It is most often indicated in the presence of moderate valgus in children aged 11 to 14 years.

Adolescent

Role of revascularization to treat chronic nonhealing fractures in ischemic limbs.

The contribution of chronic limb ischemia to long-term nonunion of a lower extremity fracture was suggested in a single published case report from our group 13 years ago. We have since encountered three additional patients with nonunited lower extremity fractures occurring in limbs with arterial ischemia. In each of these four patients limb revascularization was undertaken in an effort to stimulate healing of the fracture. These patients had chronic (mean 6 months) nonunion of tibial (three) or femur (one) fractures associated with severe lower extremity ischemia (ankle/brachial index m = 0.33; range 0.24 to 0.5). All patients had histories of chronic lower extremity ischemia before the fracture (ischemic rest pain, 2; claudication, 2). All patients underwent angiography followed by lower extremity revascularization. Restoration of normal arterial supply to the fracture site was followed by healing of the fracture in all patients. To our knowledge, this represents the first reported series of patients undergoing elective limb revascularization to stimulate healing of the fracture. Widespread appreciation of this relationship by orthopedic surgeons may be of considerable clinical importance.

Aged

Diagnosing dislocation of the hip in infancy.

In evaluating the diagnosis of dislocation of the hip in childhood by orthopedists in Oregon in 1985, we identified 36 dislocations in 32 patients, an incidence of 0.9 per 1,000 live births. In 12 patients, 12 dislocations (33%) were diagnosed after the neonatal period, 5 of which were diagnosed at walking age. Of the 12 children with a late diagnosis, 10 had normal hips when examined in the neonatal period. Neonatal screening will not detect all cases of congenitally dislocated hip. If dislocation of the hip in childhood is to be diagnosed in a timely manner, it is essential that children's hips be examined at the time of routine well-baby evaluations until a normal gait has been established.

Female

Retinal dystrophy in Jeune's syndrome.

Jeune's syndrome is an autosomal-recessive condition characterized by multiple organ abnormalities, the most severe of which affect the skeleton, kidneys, and eyes. Severe respiratory insufficiency frequently results in death in infancy, but several patients have been reported to survive to adulthood. For this reason the prognosis for patients with ocular abnormalities is of interest in counseling families. We report a sibship of two patients who showed evidence for progression by visual field and electroretinogram testing when followed up over 3.7 years. Progressive electroretinographic abnormalities consisted of the following: progressive decrease in responses mediated by dark-adapted rods and both dark- and light-adapted cones in the first patient and progressive increase in b-wave implicit time elicited by 30-Hz flicker stimulation in the second patient.

Abnormalities, Multiple

Position dependence of pulmonary function in a patient with lordoscoliosis.

In this report we describe a young woman with idiopathic thoracic scoliosis associated with marked lordosis. Pulmonary function, tested in the upright standing position, showed a restrictive pattern of impairment. However, when the patient was tested in the forward-flexed position, pulmonary function was dramatically improved. Following surgical partial correction of the thoracic deformity, pulmonary function was largely within normal limits. Our report emphasizes the detrimental effects of thoracic lordosis on pulmonary function. In addition, our patient demonstrated marked position dependence of pulmonary function, a feature not previously described in patients with deformations of the thoracic spine.

Adult

Pathologic fracture of the humerus.

Review of patients with pathologic fracture of the humerus disclosed that closed treatment resulted in a high incidence of pain, disability, and failure to heal. The most common cause of pathologic fracture of the humerus is breast cancer. A review of records of 103 patients with persistent disease after initial treatment for breast cancer revealed that 19 had humeral metastases (18.5%); of those with humeral metastases, two patients (10%) had pathologic fractures. Prophylactic internal fixation of humeral metastases is not routinely recommended, but operative treatment for pathologic fracture of the humerus is generally superior to nonoperative methods of fracture management.

Aged

Fractures of the tibial plafond.

The cases of one hundred and forty-two patients with 145 fractures of the ankle joint that involved the tibial plafond were reviewed. The fractures were classified into five types according to the severity of the injury. The methods of treatment were divided into two groups: open reduction and rigid internal fixation by the AO technique, and other methods. The most important variables that affected the final clinical result were the type of fracture, the method of treatment, and the quality of the reduction (p less than or equal to 0.05). The best results were obtained by rigid open reduction and internal fixation, with which 65 per cent of the more severe type-III, IV, and V fractures obtained a good or excellent result.

Adolescent

Congenital contractural arachnodactyly. Report of four additional families and review of literature.

We report here four families with congenital contractural arachnodactyly (CCA) in which a wide range of phenotypic expression is observed. In one family with a large number of affected individuals the condition is mildly expressed. These individuals usually have crumpled ears, camptodactyly with ulnar deviation of the fingers, adducted thumbs, limited elbow and/or knee extension, and hypoplasia of the calf muscles. Arachnodactyly is not a constant feature. No spinal deformities are present and only the proband has clubfoot deformities. With time, affecteds have experienced spontaneous improvement of their contractures and their condition in adulthood has not interfered with a normal lifestyle. Within this family there is little phenotypic variation between affected individuals. Those affected within each of the other families have had varying degrees of severity of the condition. A review of 29 other kindreds described in the literature with congenital contractural arachnodactyly shows that in this condition the most common features are abnormally formed ears, camptodactyly, arachnodactyly, adducted thumbs, limited movement of the elbows and knees, and underdevelopment of the calf muscles. Spontaneous improvement of the contractures with age is reported in 94% of cases. Kyphosis, scoliosis or kyphoscoliosis occurred in 50% and these defects were present in those who where more severely affected with CCA. No ocular problems have been reported in this syndrome, but congenital heart defects have occurred in 14.7%. Marfan syndrome is the most important condition to differentiate from congenital contractural arachnodactyly since these two conditions are similar phenotypically. However, in the former there are frequently serious ocular and cardiovascular problems which lead to significant morbidity and/or early death.

Adolescent