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Biomedical subjects

S W Burke

Publications and source records attributed to S W Burke.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Surgical treatment of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: a comparative study of two segmental instrumentation systems.

This study compares two different surgical techniques and instrumentation types in the treatment of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. The charts and radiographs of 116 patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis treated by posterior spine fusion with Isola or Cotrel-Dubousset instrumentation were reviewed. Patients were separated into two equivalent groups matched for age, sex, curve type, and curve magnitude. All patients had a minimum of 2 years follow-up. The instrumentation in group 1 consisted of hooks, wires, and pedicle screws. That used in group 2 was limited to hooks and rods. The Mann-Whitney, Wilcoxin, and the paired Student t tests for matched pairs were used for statistical analysis. Patients in group 1 had increased curve correction (66% vs. 52%), apical vertebral translation (63% vs. 30%), and correction of the end vertebral tilt angle (11 degrees vs. 3 degrees) (p < 0.001). The percentage of coronal curve correction in curves larger than 65 degrees also was greater in group 1 (59% vs. 40%). Physiologic sagittal alignment was obtained in 80% of the patients in group 1 and 25% in group 2. No major complication or pseudoarthrosis occurred in either group. This study supports improved correction of curve magnitude, apical translation, and end vertebral tilt angle with the use of multiple anchor types compared with the correction achieved with standard hook-and-rod constructs.

Adolescent↗

Cardiac complications of end-stage renal disease.

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in patients receiving dialysis. This is attributed in part to the shared risk factors of cardiovascular disease and end-stage renal disease. The risk factors for coronary artery disease include the classic cardiac risk factors of diabetes mellitus, hypertension, dyslipidemia, and smoking. Also in this population, hyperparathyroidism, hypoalbuminemia, hyperhomocysteinemia, elevated levels of apolipoprotein (a), and the type of dialysis membrane may play a role. Management begins with risk factor modification and medical therapy including aspirin, beta blockers, angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, and lipid-lowering agents. Revascularization is often important, and coronary artery bypass grafting appears to be preferable to percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty. This is especially true for those with multivessel disease, impaired left ventricular function, severe symptoms, or ischemia. Congestive heart failure is another common problem in dialysis patients. The management includes correction of underlying abnormalities, optimal dialysis, and medical therapy. Data obtained from the general population indicate obvious benefits from ACE inhibitors and beta blockers, and these agents would be considered the therapies of choice. Erythropoetin is also an essential component of therapy, but the ideal hemoglobin concentration has yet to be determined. Peritoneal dialysis may be helpful in severe cases of heart failure. Pericarditis is seen in less than 10% of dialysis patients and is best diagnosed by clinical examination and echocardiography. Intensive dialysis is often the best initial therapy. Pericardiocentesis is reserved for the setting of pericardial tamponade, but a pericardial window is more definitive.

Heart Diseases↗

Spinal deformity in familial dysautonomia. Prevalence, and results of bracing.

BACKGROUND: Familial dysautonomia (Riley-Day syndrome) is an autosomal recessive disorder primarily affecting individuals of Ashkenazi Jewish extraction. It affects the autonomic, central, and peripheral nervous systems. Spinal deformity (mainly scoliosis) is the most common orthopaedic problem in patients with familial dysautonomia. The objectives of our study were to document the prevalence of spinal deformity in a referral center for familial dysautonomia and to determine the effectiveness of bracing. METHODS: We performed a retrospective radiographic and clinical study of 123 patients with familial dysautonomia who had survived to the age of twenty years or older. RESULTS: One hundred and two (83 percent) of the 123 patients had spinal deformity: sixty-nine (56 percent) had scoliosis only, thirty-one (25 percent) had scoliosis as well as kyphosis, and two (2 percent) had kyphosis only. Scoliosis was diagnosed by the age of ten years in sixty-four (52 percent) of the patients. Of the sixty-five patients who were treated with bracing, fifty-eight (89 percent) had progression and twenty-four (37 percent) underwent spinal arthrodesis. No risk factors for the presence or progression of the curves could be found. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of spinal deformity in patients with familial dysautonomia who had lived for at least twenty years was found to be 83 percent. By the age of ten years, 52 percent of the patients had scoliosis and 21 percent had kyphosis with or without scoliosis. Bracing was found to be of limited effectiveness as a definitive treatment for spinal deformity. The curve progressed despite bracing in fifty-eight (89 percent) of sixty-five patients.

Adolescent↗

Spinal deformity, pulmonary compromise, and quality of life in osteogenesis imperfecta.

STUDY DESIGN: A cross-sectional radiologic and clinical study of patients with osteogenesis imperfecta. OBJECTIVES: To determine whether pulmonary compromise is more closely correlated with scoliosis, kyphosis, or chest wall deformity in the population with osteogenesis imperfecta, and to assess the impact of spinal deformity, chest wall deformity, and pulmonary function on quality of life. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: The incidence of scoliosis in osteogenesis imperfecta is between 39% and 80%. Up to 60% of patients with osteogenesis imperfecta have significant chest wall deformities. Pulmonary compromise is the leading cause of death in adults with osteogenesis imperfecta. METHODS: Fifteen patients with osteogenesis imperfecta between the ages of 20 and 45 were evaluated with sitting or standing anteroposterior and lateral radiographs of the entire spine, pulmonary function testing, and a validated health self-assessment questionnaire (Short Form-36). Radiographs were evaluated for thoracic scoliosis, thoracic kyphosis, and chest wall deformity. Correlation analysis was performed. RESULTS: Thoracic scoliosis was strongly correlated with decreased predicted vital capacity (r = -0.76). Significant diminution in vital capacity below 50% occurred at a curve magnitude of 60 degrees. Kyphosis and chest wall deformity were not predictive of decreased pulmonary function. Physical health (PCS) was closely correlated with predicted vital capacity (r = 0.65; P < 0.01) and with scoliosis (r = -0.52; P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Thoracic scoliosis of more than 60 degrees has severe adverse effects on pulmonary function in those with osteogenesis imperfecta. This finding may partly explain the increased pulmonary morbidity noted in adult patients with osteogenesis imperfecta and scoliosis compared with that in the general population.

Adult↗

Jarcho-Levin syndrome: report on a long-term follow-up of an untreated patient.

Jarcho-Levin syndrome is a genetically transmitted rare entity characterized by multiple vertebral and rib anomalies. The multilevel skeletal involvement causes short stature, neck and thoracic cage deformities, and restrictive lung disease that is usually the cause of early death. The authors describe a 33-year follow-up of a patient with this syndrome who represents, to their best knowledge, the longest survival of a patient with this entity.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗

Scoliosis in familial dysautonomia. Operative treatment.

The results of operative treatment of scoliosis were reviewed for twenty-two patients (ten boys and twelve girls) who had familial dysautonomia, an autosomal recessive disorder affecting primarily Ashkenazi Jews. The indication for operative intervention was progressive kyphoscoliosis to 45 degrees or more in a skeletally immature patient for whom bracing had failed. The mean age at the time of the operation was fifteen years and five months (range, eight years and two months to nineteen years). Seventeen patients had a thoracic curve with a mean preoperative Cobb angle of 69 degrees (range, 47 to 112 degrees), and five patients had a double major curve with a mean preoperative Cobb angle of 71 degrees (range, 42 to 87 degrees) for the cephalad curves and 60 degrees (range, 45 to 72 degrees) for the caudad curves. Twenty patients had a rigid kyphosis; in fourteen, the apex was at the seventh thoracic vertebra or more cephalad. Two patients had a lordoscoliosis. The mean preoperative kyphosis was 64 degrees (range, 12 to 110 degrees) in the thirteen patients who had a thoracic curve and for whom information regarding kyphosis was available, and it was 70 degrees (range, 54 to 84 degrees) in the five patients who had a double major curve. Postoperior spinal arthrodesis and instrumentation was performed in all patients. Two patients had an anterior arthrodesis as well because of the severity and rigidity of the curve. Allograft bone was used in eighteen patients. Postoperatively, all patients were managed with a body cast or with a custom-molded thoracolumbar brace.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗

Unilateral blindness as a complication of patient positioning for spinal surgery. A case report.

Extreme care must be used in positioning patients for surgery in a prone position. A padded Mayfield headrest may not be appropriate for all patients undergoing spinal surgery, as exophthalmus or a flattened nasal bridge may allow transmission of pressure to the globe. Our current approach is to use supplementary foam rubber support, with repeated, meticulous attention to keeping the eyes free from all pressure. Finally, unexplained intraoperative occurrence of a bradyarrhythmia or conduction disturbance may signal increased intraorbital pressure during general anesthesia.

Adult↗

Salvage and reinfusion of postoperative sanguineous wound drainage. A preliminary report.

Thirty-five patients who were to have posterior spinal arthrodesis, total hip arthroplasty, or total knee arthroplasty were entered into one of two groups: Group A, to receive unwashed, filtered sanguineous drainage from the wound, or Group B, to receive washed, filtered drainage. The purpose of this prospective study was to evaluate the safety, efficacy, and difficulty of reinfusion of washed compared with unwashed drainage that had been salvaged from the wound after an orthopaedic operation. The sixteen patients in Group A received a mean of 475 milliliters of unwashed drainage for each total knee arthroplasty, 427 milliliters for each total hip arthroplasty, and ten milliliters for the one posterior spinal arthrodesis. The complications included immediate hypotension (two patients), hyperthermia (one patient), and hypotension five hours after reinfusion (one patient). The latter patient died, four days after the operation, of a massive myocardial infarction. The nineteen patients in Group B received a mean of 193 milliliters of washed, filtered drainage for each total knee arthroplasty, 203 milliliters for each total hip arthroplasty, and 179 milliliters for each posterior spinal arthrodesis. Salvage and reinfusion of washed drainage from the wound caused no problems in these patients.

Adolescent↗

Percutaneous computed-tomography-guided biopsy of the thoracic and lumbar spine.

Axial computed tomographic scans were used to guide percutaneous needle biopsies in 76 patients with thoracic and lumbar spinal lesions. Prebiopsy evaluation included spine radiographs, radionuclide bone scans, computed tomographic scans, magnetic resonance imaging scans in some cases, and coagulation studies. Forty-five patients were diagnosed as having metastatic lesions, 11 infection, and 12 primary bone tumors. Of all patients, 34 had lytic vertebral lesions with significant collapse and questionable spinal stability. Six of those had a concomitant paravertebral mass. A clinical and pathologic correlation was completed for each of the cases studied. Histologic diagnosis confirming the clinical suspicion was obtained on the first biopsy attempt in 65 (86%) of the 76 cases.

Biopsy, Needle↗

Osteoporosis in Scheuermann's disease.

A prospective study was undertaken to evaluate osteoporosis in Scheuermann's disease. Ten consecutive untreated patients with thoracic Scheuermann's were studied. The mean age was 16 years, 1 month, and the mean kyphosis was 64 degrees. Osteoporosis was quantitated by single and dual photon absorptiometry. Seven age-, sex-, height-, and weight-matched subjects were used as controls. The mean bone mineral density (BMD) of the lumbar spine was 0.975, compared with 1.130 for the control group, significant at P less than 0.025. For patients with a kyphosis greater than 45 degrees, the BMD was 0.913, significant at P less than 0.005. The mean BMD of the femoral neck was 1.00, compared with 1.22, significant at P less than 0.005. For patients with a kyphosis greater than 45 degrees, the femoral neck BMD is 0.983, significant at P less than 0.005. The BMD of the radius by single photon absorptiometry was 0.689, compared with 0.748 in the controls, which was not significant. In patients with a kyphosis greater than 45 degrees, the BMD was 0.655, which is significant at P less than 0.01. A highly significant association exists between osteoporosis and Scheuermann's disease. Further investigation is indicated to determine the role of medical management in the treatment of these patients.

Adolescent↗

Mechanical consequences of rod contouring and residual scoliosis in sublaminar segmental instrumentation.

The mechanical performance of contoured Luque rods in a neuromuscular model of spine deformity was examined to define an upper limit of deformity above which rod stresses would exceed the endurance limit for 316L stainless steel and therefore predict fatigue failure. Bovine constructs varying from 0-120 degrees scoliosis were loaded axially, with strain recordings obtained at the apex of the curve. Relatively low loads produced enough tensile stress to contemplate implant fatigue in all except the nondeformed (0 degrees) construct. Construct stiffness was found to decrease rapidly in spines with greater than 38 degrees deformity. In addition, data on patients who had suffered rod fracture from four different centers were found to compare favorably with experimental observations. We conclude that the vulnerability of Luque rod constructs to implant failure, from a mechanical standpoint, is greater than is generally assumed. Cross-linking of rods was found to increase stiffness. Methods to decrease tensile stresses in the implants and increase stiffness include external immobilization, larger diameter rods, and procedures to enhance correction.

Adolescent↗

Vibratory response in idiopathic scoliosis.

Recent clinical studies have suggested that a neurological lesion may be a cause of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis and animal experiments have implicated the posterior column pathway. We have tried to determine if differences in neurological response could be detected and measured clinically, and have compared the threshold of detection of vibratory sensation in 20 girls with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis with that in 20 clinically normal age-matched controls. A highly significant reduction of the threshold of detection of vibration was seen in the scoliotic group compared to the controls (p less than 0.001). Curve magnitude did not correlate with this threshold for either the upper (r = 0.172) or lower extremity (r = 0.126). Significant asymmetry between right- and left-sided thresholds to vibration was demonstrated in the scoliotic group. Our study supports the concept that an aberration in the function of the posterior column pathway of the cord may be of primary importance in the aetiology of idiopathic scoliosis. A clinically practical test to measure this function is presented.

Adolescent↗

Clinical basis for a mechanical etiology in adolescent Blount's disease.

The exact etiology and treatment of adolescent Blount's disease remains uncertain. In this study, the clinical and radiographic characteristics of eight consecutive patients (ten knees) with late onset tibia vara are reviewed to identify common features suggestive of aberrant mechanical forces causing their deformity. Consistent clinical features include progressive varus during the adolescent growth spurt and gross obesity. All patients were black, most were males with unilateral disease, and the only female patient had bilateral involvement. All were symptomatic cases, but in no case was trauma the cause of their disease. In addition, measurements of the physeal widths of the proximal tibia and distal femur on preoperative x-rays demonstrate consistent characteristics compatible with aberrant forces predicted by Heuter-Volkman and Delpech's laws. The clinical findings along with our surgical results confirm that these patients are best treated by corrective osteotomy to neutral mechanical axis and that over-correction is unwarranted.

Adolescent↗

CT scan helps delineate cervical osteoid osteoma and atypical nidus.

Computerized tomography proves to be particularly helpful in anatomically delineating an osteoid osteoma of the spine in an inaccessible area and in also identifying an atypical nidus. A case is presented of an 8-year-old boy with a one-year history of pain in the right shoulder and neck. Computerized tomography accurately delineated in anatomic detail the lesion along with an atypical nidus adjacent to the spinal canal, thus assuring total excision of both lesions. The patient regained normal neck and shoulder motion with no recurrence of pain.

Cervical Vertebrae↗

Upper extremity proprioception in idiopathic scoliosis.

Twenty-three patients with idiopathic scoliosis were tested for upper extremity proprioceptive function. All subjects had documented progression of deformity, with an average curvature of 34 degrees. The average ages for scoliotics and 18 control subjects were 16.1 and 20.8 years, respectively. Controls had no spinal deformity and underwent identical test procedures. The test results showed that scoliotic subjects had significant asymmetry between right and left limbs in their threshold for detection of joint motion (p less than or equal to 0.005) and in their ability to reproduce angles to which their elbow joint had been previously positioned (p less than or equal to 0.025). Slight asymmetry also was observed in the reproduction tests of the control group (p less than or equal to 0.013); however, there was no significant asymmetry seen in this group for the threshold test. Performance of bilateral limbs was designated good and bad for both groups; the limb that performed better in proprioceptive function was designated good limb. Analysis of data showed that the scoliotics' good and bad limbs performed inferiorly in both threshold and angle reproduction tests when compared with normal controls. The results of this study imply, but do not localize, a neurologic deficit in scoliotic patients.

Adolescent↗