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Biomedical subjects

T J Bray

Publications and source records attributed to T J Bray.

13 recordsLinked to original sources

Computed tomography-guided fixation of unstable posterior pelvic ring disruptions.

Open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF), the current treatment of choice of posterior pelvic ring disruptions with instability, has significant disadvantages. These include relatively "blind" placement of the fixation screws, infection, exsanguinating hemorrhage, and high wound complication rates. We feel fluoroscopy does not offer significant clarity in defining the posterior structure. Advantages of computed tomography (CT)-guided sacral fixation are direct visualization of the course of the screws and absence of significant wound complications. This technique provides superior visualization of the nerve roots and sacral canal compared to fluoroscopic methods. Thirteen patients (10 unilateral and 3 bilateral) with unstable but reducible sacral fractures or sacroiliac joint (SIJ) disruptions underwent CT-guided posterior pelvic ring fixation using a cannulated screw system. Skeletal traction was required intraoperatively in one case by a traction-counteraction pulley system in the CT scanner. All other reductions were performed by preoperative skeletal traction or manually by the surgeons after anesthesia in the scanner or after push-pull films demonstrated instability. The guide pin, using depth and angulation measurements derived from the scout CT scans, was positioned across the fracture or SIJ. Following CT confirmation of the position of the pin, the screw tract was drilled and the cannulated screw was placed into position. Radiographic and clinical follow-up observation (7-24 months) showed healing with no significant complications in all 13 patients. Computed tomography-guided sacral fixation is a safe alternative to ORIF in selected patients with reducible unstable pelvic fractures.

Adolescent

Fractures of the talar neck. A mechanical study of fixation.

Anatomical reduction and rigid internal fixation of fractures of the talar neck allow early mobilization of the ankle and subtalar joints. Forty fresh tali from cadavera were fractured across the talar neck and were internally fixed with one of four methods. The specimens were again loaded to failure, and mean yield loads, yield deformations, stiffness, and energy absorbed were compared. The two configurations of screws that were inserted posterior to anterior provided yield loads superior to those of screws inserted anterior to posterior. All combinations of screws were stronger than Kirschner wires. Comparisons of yield deformations, stiffness, and energy absorbed corroborated these results. The calculated theoretical maximum shear force across the talar neck during active motion was 1129 newtons. This exceeded the strength that was provided by Kirschner wires and anteriorly inserted screws but not that provided by screws that were placed posteriorly.

Adolescent

Biomechanical testing of new and old fixation devices for vertical shear fractures of the pelvis.

Malgaigne fractures of the pelvis have been treated with many different methods of fixation. We developed a plate for use on the anterior aspect of the sacroiliac (SI) joint using information obtained from cadaveric dissections and computed tomography (CT) scans of male (50) and female (50) pelvises. We tested each of six pelvises in the Instron, with five different fixation systems. Our results showed that the weakest system was the anterior quadrilateral frame plus two symphyseal plates. When comparing three posterior screws with the SI joint plate, the difference was not statistically significant. However, in both of these systems, a second symphyseal plate added to the overall stability.

Biomechanical Phenomena

Deep-vein thrombosis after fracture of the pelvis: assessment with serial duplex-ultrasound screening.

Sixty patients who had had a major fracture of the pelvis and were in stable condition on the orthopaedic ward three to five days after the injury were tested serially with duplex ultrasound, beginning approximately seven days after the injury, in order to determine the incidence of deep-vein thrombosis. Contrast venography was performed to confirm all positive non-invasive studies. Deep-vein thrombosis developed in eight patients (approximately 15 per cent). The thrombosis was in the popliteal or a more proximal vein in six of the eight patients, whereas in two it was distal to the popliteal vein. In four patients, evidence of thrombosis developed after one or more normal duplex-ultrasound studies. In one patient, symptoms that were suggestive of deep-vein thrombosis developed fifty-two days after the injury (four days after the fourth normal duplex-ultrasound examination), and ascending venography was entirely normal. Another patient had a pulmonary embolus fifteen days after the injury, and on the same day a duplex-ultrasound study was positive for thrombosis. During six weeks of follow-up after discharge from the hospital, symptoms of deep-vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolism did not develop in any patient in whom serial duplex-ultrasound studies had been negative.

Acetabulum

Treatment of open ankle fractures. Immediate internal fixation versus closed immobilization and delayed fixation.

Thirty-one open ankle fractures were treated over a period of 11 years and retrospectively reviewed with an average follow-up period of 61 months. Fifteen were managed by closed immobilization and delayed internal fixation. Sixteen were treated with immediate open reduction and internal fixation. One case in each group became infected. Functional scores at follow-up examination were the same for both groups. The fractures treated with immediate open reduction and internal fixation showed less impairment of range of motion but had a greater incidence of chronic ankle swelling. The hospitalization time was significantly shorter for the patients treated by open reduction and internal fixation. Immediate open reduction and internal fixation of open ankle fractures speed recovery with no greater incidence of infection than encountered with conservative treatment.

Adolescent

Complex acetabular fractures.

Displaced acetabular fractures belonging to the associated fracture group described by Judet and Letournel present a formidable diagnostic and therapeutic challenge. Of 116 acetabular fractures, 31 had associated fracture types with follow-up evaluation of one year or longer. The patients' mean age was 30.7 years, their mean injury severity score was 15, and the average follow-up period was 21 months. Four patients had failed previous acetabular surgery. Operating time averaged 4.5 hours. Mean blood loss was 1150 cc. Clinical results were satisfactory in 77% of cases, with 11 excellent, 13 good, four fair, and three poor results. Complex acetabular fractures can be reduced by a combined anterior and posterior approach designed by the authors. This approach offers significant advantages for visualization and stabilization of these fractures. The combined approach is recommended for the surgeon who has mastered the single-approach techniques for standard, simple fracture patterns.

Acetabulum

Intraoperative autologous transfusion in orthopaedic patients.

The cases of 175 consecutive patients who had intraoperative autologous transfusion during revision total hip arthroplasty, an elective operation on the spine, repair of trauma to the spine, or open reduction of a fracture of the acetabulum were reviewed to evaluate the applicability of this technique in orthopaedic operations. A separate group of forty-one consecutive patients who had open reduction of a fracture of the acetabulum or the spine before the introduction of the autotransfuser was reviewed and compared with the group that had autotransfusion. An autologous blood predeposit program was used for twenty-five of fifty-two patients who had a procedure on the hip and for fifty-one of fifty-five patients who had an elective procedure on the spine. The mean rate of red blood-cell salvage using the autotransfuser was 60 per cent over-all. The mean transfusion requirements were significantly less (p less than 0.001) in all groups of patients in whom the autotransfuser was used. Use of the autotransfuser reduced the mean requirement for banked blood in patients who had a fracture of the acetabulum from 3.8 to 2.3 units per patient, and significantly reduced the mean need for banked blood in individuals who had trauma to the spine from 2.7 to 1.8 units per patient (p less than 0.01). The use of prebanked autologous blood further reduced the mean requirement for homologous blood from 2.4 to 0.8 unit per patient in those who had revision total hip arthroplasty (p less than 0.005), and from 3.6 to 0.4 unit per patient in those who had an elective procedure on the spine (p less than 0.01).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Blood Transfusion

The displaced femoral neck fracture. Internal fixation versus bipolar endoprosthesis. Results of a prospective, randomized comparison.

The displaced femoral neck fracture poses difficult decision-making issues for the orthopedic surgeon. Young patients frequently require a rapid open reduction and rigid internal fixation in the face of multiple associated injuries. Elderly patients present the typical decision dilemma of internal fixation versus arthroplasty. Consecutive, randomized, prospective series of cases for evaluation of alternatives in the treatment of this difficult fracture are lacking. Between 1982 and 1984, 34 elderly patients with displaced femoral neck fractures were randomized to open reduction or hemiarthroplasty study groups. Although the surgical risks are relatively high, two-year observations showed better functional results in the cemented hemiarthroplasty group.

Aged

Osteotomy of the trochanter in open reduction and internal fixation of acetabular fractures.

Osteotomy of the trochanter can enhance lateral and posterior exposures of the acetabulum and the retro-acetabular space. Over a two-year period, an osteotomy of the trochanter was done in ten patients in connection with open reduction and internal fixation of a displaced acetabular fracture. The trochanter was reattached by two 6.5-millimeter cancellous screws. All of the osteotomies healed uneventfully, with no evidence of migration of the trochanter. Since these fractures tend to occur in younger patients who have healthy bone, non-union of the trochanter is unlikely to be a problem.

Acetabulum

Immediate external fixation of unstable pelvic fractures.

Immediate external fixation has been proposed as a means of stabilizing severe pelvic fractures to reduce the chance of organ failure and death. Sixty-six patients were admitted from January 1980 through December 1983 with double fractures of the pelvic ring that involved the posterior elements. Twenty-six patients (39 percent) underwent immediate external fixation for instability, and 40 patients (61 percent) with stable fractures were treated with bed rest. The two groups were similar in age, injury severity score, and degree of shock. The mortality rate of the two groups was the same (12 percent), as was the incidence of organ failure. The mean transfusion requirement in the unstable group was greater, but not significantly. Our results were better than those reported in recent studies in which immediate rigid fixation was not used. We conclude that the patient with multiple trauma without unstable pelvic fracture should undergo immediate external fixation to decrease morbidity and mortality rates and limit soft tissue damage.

Adult

Bilateral fracture of the hook of the hamate.

Bilateral hamate fractures in a physician sportsman were treated successfully by surgical excision of the fracture fragment. This case demonstrates the importance of carpal tunnel roentgenograms and of a high index of suspicion in making an accurate diagnosis in wrist injuries.

Athletic Injuries