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Quantification of motion characteristics and forces applied to tissues during suturing.

BACKGROUND: The quantification of movement processes describes how a movement is generated. These process measures have been shown to be effective sources of feedback to facilitate motor learning and can thus be applied to teach fundamental technical skills in surgery. The aim of this study was to determine, through detailed analyses, whether specific process measures of hand motions and forces imposed on tissues during suturing were sensitive to (1) practice and (2) levels of surgical expertise. METHODS: Six junior surgical residents (PGY-1) and 7 faculty surgeons were required to perform 20 simulated sutures on an artificial artery model, during which time the performers' hand movements were tracked by electromagnetic markers and the quantity of force they applied was measured by a force platform holding the arterial suturing models. The amount of wrist rotation and peak hand velocity produced during the suturing movement, peak and average forces applied to the tissue, the temporal difference between force and wrist rotation onsets, and the total suturing time were evaluated. RESULTS: Surgeons showed greater wrist rotation, higher average forces, shorter force-rotation initiation times, and shorter suturing times than did junior residents. Only the amount of wrist rotation and the time elapsed between force and wrist rotation onsets improved with practice for the junior group. CONCLUSIONS: Although all 4 variables measured can be used to distinguish between expert and novice performances, only the process measures (wrist rotation and force-rotation initiation time) changed as a result of practice for the junior residents. Thus, these measures can be used to facilitate skills learning by serving as a source of detailed structured feedback to trainees.

Clinical Competence↗

Bone realignment with use of temporary external fixation for distal femoral valgus and varus deformities.

BACKGROUND: Correction of a distal femoral deformity may prevent or delay the onset of osteoarthritis or mitigate its effects. Accurate correction of deformity without production of a secondary deformity depends on precise localization and quantification of the deformity. We report a technique to correct distal femoral deformities in the coronal plane. METHODS: Fourteen femora in thirteen skeletally mature patients with a distal femoral deformity underwent operative reconstruction. The preoperative deviation of the mechanical axis ranged from 90 mm laterally (genu valgus) to 120 mm medially (genu varus). The mechanical lateral distal femoral angle was abnormal in all fourteen knees. The technique consisted of application of an external fixator, performance of a percutaneous distal femoral dome osteotomy, correction of the deformity, and locking of the external fixator. A statically locked retrograde intramedullary nail was inserted following reaming, and the external fixator was removed. The mean duration of follow-up was thirty-three months (range, six to forty-seven months). RESULTS: The mean time until healing was thirteen weeks (range, six to thirty-nine weeks). Nine of the thirteen patients reported an improvement in walking, and none needed an assistive device. All nine patients with preoperative knee pain were free of tibiofemoral pain at the most recent follow-up evaluation. The mechanical lateral distal femoral angle was within the normal range in twelve of the fourteen knees. The mechanical axis was within the normal range in ten lower extremities. In three of the four remaining limbs, the residual abnormal deviation of the mechanical axis was due to a residual tibial deformity. CONCLUSIONS: Percutaneous dome osteotomy combined with temporary external fixation and insertion of an intramedullary nail can correct distal valgus and varus femoral deformities. We attributed the early mobilization of patients and the rapid bone-healing to the limited soft-tissue dissection, the low-energy corticotomy, and the use of intramedullary fixation in our surgical technique.

Activities of Daily Living↗

The scapulo-humeral rhythm: effects of 2-D roentgen projection.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to illustrate the low accuracy of two-dimensional (2-D) X-ray projection methods for the quantification of the three-dimensional (3-D) shoulder motions. BACKGROUND: The traditional method for the quantification of the gleno-humeral motion is by means of 2-D X-ray recording. The motion was characterized by the scapulo-humeral rhythm: the ratio of the nett humeral elevation over nett scapular rotation. The method was based on the quantification of the planar projection of the spatial positions of X-ray dense structures of the scapula. The deformations introduced by the central projection method, a feature of X-ray projection, cannot be compensated for by calibration: the position of the scapula with respect to the camera setting is unknown, and skeletal landmarks of the scapula cannot uniquely be identified. The transformation from 3-D orientations to 2-D angles will, therefore, be inaccurate. METHODS: A 2-D X-ray projection of the scapula during a typical arm abduction was simulated. The 3-D motion was obtained by means of palpation and subsequent digitization of skeletal landmarks of the scapula. The 3-D positions of the recorded landmarks were projected on a plane by a simulation based on the parameters of the X-ray equipment. The scapulo-humeral rhythm was calculated for the different scapular landmarks, and for the orientation of the subject with respect to the projection axis. The results were compared with previous published scapulo-humeral rhythms. RESULTS: The scapulo-humeral rhythm depends both on the choice of the skeletal landmarks, used to quantify the scapular rotations, and on the orientation of the subject in the X-ray setting. The full range of results obtained from earlier published experiments could be obtained from a simulation based on a single 3-D arm abduction. CONCLUSIONS: The 2-D scapulo-humeral rhythm, obtained from planar X-ray projection, is an inaccurate parameter to define the scapular motions. RELEVANCE: The 2-D scapulo-humeral rhythm is an insensitive parameter to identify clinical disorders in the gleno-humeral motions, 3-D motion recording should be applied. Only when stringent precautions are taken with respect to repeatability of positioning of the subjects, can the method be used to study intra-individual effects, e.g., the follow-up of patients during treatment.

Biomechanical Phenomena↗

Electrical manifestations of muscle fatigue during concentric and eccentric isokinetic knee flexion-extension movements.

The quantification of the progression of muscle fatigue during a sustained contraction is a valuable tool in several clinical applications, ranging from the evaluation of functional impairment to the development of specific rehabilitative and training protocols. In these fields, great importance is given to isokinetic contractions. The aim of this paper was twofold: first, to propose signal processing methods for assessing the spectral changes of the surface myoelectric signal due to fatigue during isokinetic concentric and eccentric knee flexion-extension movements at a given angular velocity (60 degrees/s); second, to analyze the electrical manifestations of muscle fatigue of four thigh muscles (vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, rectus femoris, and biceps femoris) in the two contraction modalities (i.e. concentric versus eccentric). We demonstrated that, when considering concentric contractions, localized muscle fatigue can be assessed by computing the mean frequency of the frequency marginal of the time-frequency distribution derived from the surface myoelectric signal collected during each contraction cycle. Stronger nonstationarities were observed in the surface myoelectric data recorded within each cyclical movement of the studied eccentric exercise. Thus we propose the computation of the instantaneous mean frequency of the signal based on an original cross-time-frequency algorithm, which proved more sensitive than the frequency marginal in tracking the spectral changes associated with localized muscle fatigue. We derived the average fatigue pattern of the investigated muscles from experimental data recorded from a sample population consisting of twenty healthy subjects and we statistically compared the two contraction modalities. Our results showed that the electrical manifestations of muscle fatigue during concentric contractions were higher than those found during eccentric contractions, although in the latter modality the torque exerted and the mechanical work produced by the subjects were larger than those recorded during the concentric exercise. The results presented in this paper have potential clinical application and they could play an important future role in investigations of muscle behavior during dynamic, highly fatiguing contractions.

Adult↗

Contributions of the individual ankle plantar flexors to support, forward progression and swing initiation during walking.

Walking is a motor task requiring coordination of many muscles. Previous biomechanical studies, based primarily on analyses of the net ankle moment during stance, have concluded different functional roles for the plantar flexors. We hypothesize that some of the disparities in interpretation arise because of the effects of the uniarticular and biarticular muscles that comprise the plantar flexor group have not been separated. Furthermore, we believe that an accurate determination of muscle function requires quantification of the contributions of individual plantar flexor muscles to the energetics of individual body segments. In this study, we examined the individual contributions of the ankle plantar flexors (gastrocnemius (GAS); soleus (SOL)) to the body segment energetics using a musculoskeletal model and optimization framework to generate a forward dynamics simulation of normal walking at 1.5 m/s. At any instant in the gait cycle, the contribution of a muscle to support and forward progression was defined by its contribution to trunk vertical and horizontal acceleration, respectively, and its contribution to swing initiation by the mechanical energy it delivers to the leg in pre-swing (i.e., double-leg stance prior to toe-off). GAS and SOL were both found to provide trunk support during single-leg stance and pre-swing. In early single-leg stance, undergoing eccentric and isometric activity, they accelerate the trunk vertically but decelerate forward trunk progression. In mid single-leg stance, while isometric, GAS delivers energy to the leg while SOL decelerates it, and SOL delivers energy to the trunk while GAS decelerates it. In late single-leg stance through pre-swing, though GAS and SOL both undergo concentric activity and accelerate the trunk forward while decelerating the downward motion of the trunk (i.e., providing forward progression and support), they execute different energetic functions. The energy produced from SOL accelerates the trunk forward, whereas GAS delivers almost all its energy to accelerate the leg to initiate swing. Although GAS and SOL maintain or accelerate forward motion in mid single-leg stance through pre-swing, other muscles acting at the beginning of stance contribute comparably to forward progression. In summary, throughout single-leg stance both SOL and GAS provide vertical support, in mid single-leg stance SOL and GAS have opposite energetic effects on the leg and trunk to ensure support and forward progression of both the leg and trunk, and in pre-swing only GAS contributes to swing initiation.

Adult↗

Volumetric cartilage measurements of porcine knee at 1.5-T and 3.0-T MR imaging: evaluation of precision and accuracy.

PURPOSE: To compare the precision and accuracy of 3.0-T and 1.5-T magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in the quantification of cartilage volume by using direct volumetric measurements as a reference standard. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The local animal experimentation committee did not require its approval for this study. Porcine knees were obtained from an abattoir. These specimens were used to optimize imaging parameters regarding effective signal-to-noise ratio (SNRE) and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNRE) for a fat-saturated spoiled gradient-recalled acquisition in the steady state (SPGR) sequence, a water excitation SPGR sequence, and a fast spin-echo sequence at 3.0 T and a fat-saturated SPGR sequence at 1.5 T. By using the optimized sequences, 18 specimens were imaged in less than 6 minutes per sequence. A fivefold repetition of measurements of four specimens was performed for precision analysis. Cartilage was segmented by using semiautomatic software to calculate the volume. After imaging, the cartilage was scraped off and the volume was measured directly by using a saline-displacement method to calculate accuracy. Precision and accuracy errors were calculated as the root-mean-squares of the single errors per specimen. RESULTS: SNRE and CNRE values, respectively, were highest for the water excitation sequence at 3.0 T (1.81 sec(-1/2) and 1.27 sec(-1/2)), followed by the fat-saturated SPGR sequence (1.52 sec(-1/2) and 1.07 sec(-1/2)). The fast spin-echo sequence and the fat-saturated SPGR sequence at 1.5 T had lower SNR(E) (1.27 sec(-1/2) and 0.59 sec(-1/2), respectively). Accuracy error for MR-based volume calculation at the femur was 5.0%, 3.0%, 21%, and 16% for the water excitation, fat-saturated SPGR, and fast spin-echo sequences at 3.0 T and the fat-saturated SPGR sequence at 1.5 T, respectively. CONCLUSION: MR imaging at 3.0 T was shown in our study to better quantify cartilage volume. SNRE and CNRE were substantially improved, resulting in significantly higher accuracy in determining cartilage volume.

Animals↗

Contrast-enhanced triggered harmonic sonography for assessment of periarticular hemodynamic changes in experimental arthritis.

BACKGROUND: Objective quantification is critical for assessment of functional sonography in inflammatory arthritis. To create a microbubble contrast-enhanced image of vessels that lie below the resolution of a standard US system, a technique is required that detects preferentially the contrast agent echo, rejecting that from background tissue: harmonic imaging. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the ability of contrast-enhanced triggered harmonic sonography (CETHS) to evaluate periarticular hemodynamic changes over the course of experimental arthritis and to discriminate presence and absence of arthritis based on measurement values obtained at specific time-points. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Arthritis was induced in rabbits knees by intra-articular injection of serum bovine albumin, which acted as an antigen. A total of 11 rabbits (8 with unilateral arthritis and 3 control animals) were imaged at 0, 1, 7, 14, 21 and 28 days of antigen-induced arthritis and euthanized at 28 days. A continuous infusion protocol was performed (triggering times 30.0, 20.0, 10.0, 5.0, 2.0, 1.0, and 0.5 s). Hemodynamic indices of synovial microvasculature (vascular volume, mean velocity and flow rate) were obtained and compared with clinical, laboratory, and histological surrogate markers. RESULTS: Although interval CETHS changes were noted for flow rate (P=0.007) and vascular volume (P=0.003) ratios in albumin-injected knees, no significant differences in ratios were identified over time between albumin-injected and non-injected knees for flow rate (P=0.52), vascular volume (P=0.23) and mean velocity (P=0.19). Flow rate most accurately differentiated between presence and absence of arthritis according to clinical measurements in early (day 1) arthritis, and mean velocity in mid-term arthritis (day 14; both P=0.02). CONCLUSION: Although the measurement properties of CETHS indices were poor in the evaluation of hemodynamic differences over time in albumin-injected knees compared with non-injected knees, they enabled discrimination between presence and absence of arthritis at specific time-points in different stages.

Animals↗

[Current state of evaluation of knee ligament lesions. The new IKDC knee evaluation form ].

Various scoring systems have been proposed for quantification of the disability caused by knee ligament injuries and to evaluation of the results of their treatment. None of them was found worldwide acceptance, mainly because all scoring systems attribute numerical values to factors that are not quantifiable, after which the arbitrary scores for parameters that are not comparable with each other are added together. For these reasons a group of knee surgeons from Europe and America met in 1987 and founded the International Knee Documentation Committee. A common terminology and an evaluation form were created. This form is the standard form for use in all publications on results of treatment of knee ligament injuries. It is a concise one-page form and includes a documentation section, a qualification section and a evaluation section. For evaluation there are four problem areas (subjective assessment, symptoms, range of motion and ligament examination). These are supplemented by four additional areas that are documented but are not included in the evaluation (compartmental findings, donor site pathology, X-ray findings and functional tests). The form can be used pre- and postoperatively and at follow-up. The Committee also laid down that in a publication the minimum follow-up time for short-term results should be 2 years, for medium-term results, 5 years, and for long-term results, 10 years. Most of the sheet is devoted to the qualification section. It is called "qualification" and not "scoring" section because no scores are given. Each parameter is qualified as "normal", "nearly normal", "abnormal" or "severely abnormal". This qualification is less subjective and emotional than "very good", "good", "fair" and "poor". No knee and no knee function can be better than normal, and it is rather doubtful whether any knee that has been operated on can ever be "normal" again. For evaluation, the parameters of the four problem areas "subjective assessment", "symptoms", "range of motion" and "ligament examination" are qualified for the group qualification. The worst qualification within the group is taken as the group qualification. The worst group qualification is taken as the final evaluation. If the knee is abnormal in any of the problem areas it cannot be entered as normal knee. For knees with chronic pathology it is also possible to evaluate the sum of levels of improvement or deterioration of all groups compared with the preoperative evaluation. The committee also recommends that terms describing knee ligament problems should be used according to the definitions published by Noyes et al.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Anterior Cruciate Ligament↗