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At least 919 records · Page 51Linked to original sources
PubMed1986

Free tissue transfers to the upper extremity.

With the expanded surgical options provided by free tissue transfers, upper extremity reconstruction has progressed to a level of greater finesse. Recognizing the ideal tissue for restoration of function and aesthetics, thin skin dorsally and sensate glabrous skin volarly, is the first step to effective application of microsurgery in the hand. With complex deformities, all missing components must be considered and the patient's goals realistically defined. An in-depth understanding of hand function is combined with an exhaustive knowledge of free tissue donor sites and a reconstructive plan is formulated. Staged reconstruction may be necessary, depending on the complexity of the problem. Ideal donor tissues are not always available, but it is expected that advances in immunology will soon make "spare part surgery" a viable alternative.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Varicose ulcer of the upper extremity.

Serious complications of local venous hypertension occur rarely in the upper extremity. These are most frequently the result of a dysfunctional arteriovenous fistula and may produce changes indistinguishable from those of chronic lower-extremity venous insufficiency. A combination of arterial and venous contrast imaging is essential for identifying major venous outflow obstruction and for planning appropriate surgical therapy.

Arteries↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Air gap magnification techniques in upper extremity fractures.

Air gap magnification is useful in the diagnosis of upper extremity fractures specifically as it applies to nondisplaced fractures of the radial head, carpals and metacarpals. These injuries often prove difficult if not impossible to detect on routine roentgenographs. Gap magnification is technically simple to perform, requires no special equipment, and has been useful in evaluating subtle roentgenographic changes.

Arm Injuries↗
PubMed1983

Arterial injuries of the upper extremities.

Twenty-five consecutive treated patients with traumatic lesions of upper extremity arteries are presented. All were males, and most were young and able-bodied. Simultaneous fracture and/or dislocation of bone was present in 17 of the 25 patients, nerve lesions in 14 and venous trauma in 7 patients. Serious injuries to other organs had occurred in 8 patients, 3 of whom had multi-trauma. Three patients died, 2 of them from injuries to other organs. Seven others underwent amputation of the limb. No amputation was necessitated by the arterial lesion only. The major causes of injury were traffic accidents (mostly involving motor-cycles) and industrial accidents. The rate of limb salvage in this patient series was 60%. All patients with traumatic arterial lesions should be seen as soon as possible by a vascular surgeon, even if there are serious injuries to other organs, so as to avoid unnecessary diagnostic procedures and optimize the prospects for arterial reconstruction.

Accidents, Traffic↗
PubMed1995

Gunshot wounds to the upper extremity. Evaluation and management of vascular injuries.

Gunshot wounds to the upper extremity are uncommonly life threatening but are associated with a high incidence of significant long-term disability. The identification of vascular injuries is dependent on careful clinical examination and the liberal use of arteriography. Standard techniques of vascular repair should be followed for arterial reconstruction. The rate of successful vascular repair is in excess of 90%, but long-term function is limited by a high incidence of associated nerve injury.

Arm↗
PubMed1993

[Possible modification of circulatory parameters of the upper extremity--using electrostimulation with the "Jogger" electrostimulator].

Circulatory disturbances of the upper extremities may be affected by blockade of the ganglion stellatum. This blockade is possible by electrical stimulation with pocket stimulators. Frequent blockades of the ganglion stellatum are possible, simple, free from pain and without drugs. Rheographic resurges and check up with skin thermographie will demonstrate the effectiveness of this method.

Arm↗
PubMed1999

Upper-extremity deep vein thrombosis after central venous catheterization via the axillary vein.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the frequency of central venous catheter-induced thrombosis of the axillary vein. DESIGN: Prospective, controlled study. SETTING: Tertiary care university center. PATIENTS: Sixty patients in a medical-surgical intensive care unit who required central venous catheterization via the axillary vein. INTERVENTIONS: Single-lumen, silicone elastomer or polyurethane catheters were inserted for a mean duration of 14.7+/-7.4 days (range, 4-33 days). On catheter removal, bilateral upper-extremity phlebographic examination was performed in each patient. The incidence of deep vein thrombosis in catheterized arms was compared with that in uncatheterized arms. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Of the 60 patients who underwent axillary vein cannulation, one patient had clinical signs of arm vein thrombosis, but no patient had clinical sign of pulmonary embolism. There were 35 patients (58.3%) who developed positive phlebographic examinations homolateral to the catheter. Fibrin sleeves that developed around the catheters were observed in 28 patients (47%). Five patients (8.3%) had phlebographic signs of partial axillary vein thrombosis: nonobstructive clots adherent to the vessel wall and/or the catheter. Two patients (3.3%) had phlebographic signs of complete axillary vein thrombosis. No thrombosis was observed in patients with catheterizations lasting < or =6 days, two cases were observed for duration of 7-14 days, and five cases were observed for duration of > or =15 days (p < .01). In the seven patients with axillary vein thrombosis, the vessel was cannulated with fewer than three puncture attempts, and the mean duration for catheter insertion (10+/-2.5 min) was not different from that of patients with no axillary vein thrombosis (14+/-9 min). CONCLUSIONS: Based on the data from the present study, we conclude that axillary vein catheterization is associated with a 11.6% frequency of upper-extremity deep vein thrombosis. This rate of vein thrombosis is similar to that observed after internal jugular or subclavian vein cannulation. Given the acceptable rate of this clinically important complication, axillary vein cannulation offers an attractive alternative site for catheter insertion to the internal jugular or subclavian vein in the critically ill. Because thrombosis is rare or absent in catheterizations lasting <15 days, it seems wise to withdraw axillary catheters after a maximum of 2 wks.

Arm↗
PubMed1987

Functional electrical stimulation for the control of the upper extremities.

A multi-channel functional electrical stimulation (FES) system for the restoration of hand function of the quadriplegic is described. The system is composed of a personal computer NEC PC-880lmkII, peripheral electronic circuits and two kinds of sensors, i.e. an analog displacement sensor for volitional control (channel 1) and a logical sensor (high pitch sound or head switch, channel 2). Combination of the two channel signals allow three major function: 1) designation of the desired prehension pattern among cylindrical grasp, key grip and parallel extension grip; 2) selection of the operation status--'start', 'proportional control', 'hold', 'stop'--and, 3) volitional control which can be controlled by the shoulder movement. In the clinical application, Caldwell-Reswick type multistrand stainless steel percutaneous electrodes were used. In this FES system, standard multi-channel stimulation patterns were obtained from electromyographical analysis of joint movement of the upper extremities in normal subjects which gave us precise information about a role of each muscle during various kinds of motion. Such stimulation patterns have enabled us to restore motor function of the paralyzed upper extremities for activities of daily living (ADL).

Electric Stimulation↗
PubMed1984

Calcification associated with terminal defects of the upper extremity.

Four children who had calcifications associated with terminal defects of the upper extremity are reported. A review of the literature has revealed no previous report. Moreover, an examination of the radiographs of 65 children who had terminal defects of the upper limb failed to show any such calcifications. The exact cause of this association remains unknown.

Arm↗
PubMed2006

Upper extremity disorders in the workplace: costs and outcomes beyond the first return to work.

BACKGROUND: Cumulative trauma disorders of the upper extremities (CTD) have become increasingly important in workers' compensation caseloads over the last two decades. Relative to occupational back pain, CTD have been much less studied. METHODS: We analyzed post-injury employment patterns and return-to-work probabilities for a sample of Ontario workers with CTD, for up to five years after injury. Results for workers with CTD are compared to results for workers with back injuries or fractures. RESULTS: Most workers with CTD return to work at least once, but a first return does not necessarily mark the end of work disability. Among workers absent at least once, 26% with CTD report a second injury-related absence, compared to 18% with back pain and 12% with fractures. After five years, focusing on first returns underestimates work-loss days associated with CTD by 32%. CONCLUSIONS: A substantial proportion of workers with CTD or work-related back pain experience injury-related absences after their first return to work. Focusing on the first return to work is misleading for both injury groups, but even more so for CTD, as they appear to be even more susceptible to multiple spells of work absence.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Upper extremity snowboarding injuries. Ten-year results from the Colorado snowboard injury survey.

A survey of snowboarding injuries was conducted over 10 seasons (1988 to 1998). A questionnaire evaluating 20 variables was used to collect data from 47 medical facilities near Colorado ski resorts. A total of 7430 snowboarding-related injuries were seen. A control group consisted of 3107 noninjured snowboarders. Most of those injured were 30 years of age or younger; 74% of injuries occurred in men and 26% in women; 39% of injured snowboarders were beginners and 61% were intermediate or experts. Men rode at more advanced levels than women. Injured snowboarders were more likely than noninjured snowboarders to be beginners. There were 3645 (49.06% of total) upper extremity injuries; 56.43% were fractures, 26.78% sprains, and 9.66% dislocations. The most common site of injury was the wrist (21.6% of all snowboarding injuries). Wrist fractures (except to the scaphoid) and sprains were more common in beginners, women, and younger age groups. Intermediate and expert men were more likely to sustain hand, elbow, and shoulder injuries, as well as more severe injuries. Falling was the predominant mechanism of upper extremity injuries. Snowboarders who wore protective wrist guards were half as likely to sustain wrist injuries as those who did not wear guards.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2002

Use of a prevention index to identify industries at high risk for work-related musculoskeletal disorders of the neck, back, and upper extremity in Washington state, 1990-1998.

BACKGROUND: The prevention of work-related musculoskeletal disorders such as carpal tunnel syndrome and low back disorders has been a focus of international prevention efforts including regulation. This study examines workers compensation claims in Washington State to provide baseline data from which to assess the need and the effects of prevention activities. METHODS: Washington State Fund workers compensation claims for general and selected specific hand/wrist, elbow, shoulder, and back disorders in 1990-1998 as well as general self-insured compensable (four or more lost workdays) claims data were examined. Payroll hours were used to calculate claims incidence rates per 10,000 full-time equivalent employees (FTEs). We created a prevention index (PI) to rank industries by averaging the ranks of their number of claims and their claims incidence rate. The focus was on non-traumatic soft tissue musculoskeletal disorders (NTST-MSDs). RESULTS: Between 1990-1998, there were 392,925 State Fund accepted claims for NTST-MSDs of the neck, back, and upper extremity resulting in $2.6 billion in direct costs and 20.5 million lost workdays. The average claims incidence rate (CIR) was 355 NTST-MSDs per 10,000 FTEs. The NTST-MSD CIR decreased significantly less than that for all other claims (P = 0.05) but the CIR for upper extremity NTST-MSDs did not significantly decrease over the study period. There were no significant changes in the CIRs for sciatica (4.9 per 10,000 FTEs) and rotator cuff syndrome (15.3 per 10,000 FTEs), whereas the CIR for epicondylitis (10.6 per 10,000 FTEs) increased and for carpal tunnel syndrome (24.5 per 10,000 FTEs) decreased significantly over the study period. Based on the prevention index, the top five industries for combined State Fund and Self-Insured Compensable NTST-MSDs were Trucking and Courier Services (SIC 421), Nursing Homes (SIC 805), Masonry (SIC 174), Air Transportation (SIC 451), and Residential Construction (SIC 152). Using Washington Industrial Classes (WIC), temporary workers in assembly and administrative services were also high on the prevention index. CONCLUSIONS: NTST-MSDs continue to be a large and costly problem in Washington State. While the incidence rates for some NTST-MSDs are decreasing, the overall rate is not decreasing as fast as the rate for all other claims. In some cases, the rate is stable (sciatica, rotator cuff syndrome) or increasing (epicondylitis). Heavy manual handling and repetitive work characterize the industries with the highest risk.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

The relations among upper-extremity loading characteristics and bone mineral density changes in young women.

The relations among the reaction forces engendered during an upper-extremity dynamic impact-loading exercise (DILE) program and bone mineral density adaptations (DeltaBMD) in the radius were investigated in 24 healthy premenopausal women (mean age = 29 +/- 6 years). Subjects performed DILE 36 cycles/day, 3 days/week for 24 weeks. The exercised arm was allocated randomly to either the dominant or the nondominant limb. In addition, subjects were assigned randomly into either damped or nondamped treatment arms to examine the effects of both higher- and lower-magnitude loading prescriptions. Measurements including anthropometrics, self-reported physical activity levels, hand-grip strength, radial BMD (DEXA, Hologic QDR1500, MA) at the ultradistal radius (UD), distal 1/3 radius (DR), and total distal radius (TOTAL), and exercise-related loading characteristics (impact load, loading rate, and impulse) were recorded at baseline and at 6 months. Simple linear regression models were used to fit the regional BMD changes to the reaction force, changes in hand-grip strength (DeltaGRIP), and changes in body weight (DeltaBW). Findings demonstrated that the damping condition utilized during DILE influenced the relations between loading events and BMD changes. Specifically, none of the reaction-force characteristics significantly predicted changes in BMD in participants performing DILE using the damped condition, whereas, in the nondamped condition, impact load accounted for 58% of the variance in BMD change at DR and 66% of the variance in BMD change at TOTAL. Thresholds of 345 and 285 N of impact force to promote BMD increases at DR and TOTAL, respectively, were obtained from the regression models in the nondamped group. Impulse was also an independent predictor of BMD changes at TOTAL, accounting for 56% of the variance. Neither DeltaGRIP nor DeltaBW significantly predicted DeltaBMD at any radial site. These findings, in young adult women, parallel previous reports identifying significant, regionally specific relations among external loading events and BMD changes in both animal and human models.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Effect of elbow flexion on upper extremity impact forces during a fall.

OBJECTIVE: The overall objectives are to develop a biomechanical model for a simulated fall with outstretched hand. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study involving young healthy volunteers in a university research laboratory setting. BACKGROUND: Little is known about the factors which influence fracture risk during a fall on outstretched hand. METHODS: A group of 11 male subjects volunteered for this investigation. A set of eight reflective markers was placed bilaterally on selected anatomic landmarks. Subjects were suspended with both elbows extended and wrists dorsiflexed, preparing to impact the ground and force plates from two different fall heights: 3 and 6 cm. Two different postures for the elbows were employed. In the elbow extension experiment, the elbows were extended at all times. In the elbow flexion experiment, the elbows were extended at impact, but then flexed immediately, as though in the initial downward phase of a push-up exercise. RESULT: Increasing the fall height significantly increased the upper extremity axial forces by 10% and 5%. No significantly different differences were found in the axial forces applied to the wrist, elbow or shoulder between the elbow flexion and elbow extension trials, but the elbow mediolateral shear force was 68% larger (P=0.002) in the extension trials. CONCLUSIONS: Performing an elbow flexion movement at impact reduces the first peak impact force value and postpones the maximum peak value. Although changing the fall arrest strategy from elbow extension to elbow flexion did not affect the peak impact force on the hand, it did require substantially greater elbow and shoulder muscle strengths. RELEVANCE: This paper yields insights into how the physical demands of arresting mild falls may relate to upper extremity muscle capacity, joint dislocation and bony fracture.

Accidental Falls↗
PubMed2003

Incidence of central vein stenosis and occlusion following upper extremity PICC and port placement.

The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence of central vein stenosis and occlusion following upper extremity placement of peripherally inserted central venous catheters (PICCs) and venous ports. One hundred fifty-four patients who underwent venography of the ipsilateral central veins prior to initial and subsequent venous access device insertion were retrospectively identified. All follow-up venograms were interpreted at the time of catheter placement by one interventional radiologist over a 5-year period and compared to the findings on initial venography. For patients with central vein abnormalities, hospital and home infusion service records and radiology reports were reviewed to determine catheter dwell time and potential alternative etiologies of central vein stenosis or occlusion. The effect of catheter caliber and dwell time on development of central vein abnormalities was evaluated. Venography performed prior to initial catheter placement showed that 150 patients had normal central veins. Three patients had central vein stenosis, and one had central vein occlusion. Subsequent venograms (n = 154) at the time of additional venous access device placement demonstrated 8 patients with occlusions and 10 with stenoses. Three of the 18 patients with abnormal follow-up venograms were found to have potential alternative causes of central vein abnormalities. Excluding these 3 patients and the 4 patients with abnormal initial venograms, a 7% incidence of central vein stenosis or occlusion was found in patients with prior indwelling catheters and normal initial venograms. Catheter caliber showed no effect on the subsequent development of central vein abnormalities. Patients who developed new or worsened central vein stenosis or occlusion had significantly (p = 0.03) longer catheter dwell times than patients without central vein abnormalities. New central vein stenosis or occlusion occurred in 7% of patients following upper arm placement of venous access devices. Patients with longer catheter dwell time were more likely to develop central vein abnormalities. In order to preserve vascular access for dialysis fistulae and grafts and adhere to Dialysis Outcomes Quality Initiative guidelines, alternative venous access sites should be considered for patients with chronic renal insufficiency and end-stage renal disease.

Adolescent↗