Can the use of radiography of arms and legs in accident and emergency units be made more efficient?

The efficiency of the selection of patients with injured arms and legs for radiography was investigated. The analysis was based on data on presenting signs and symptoms collected in a multicentre study organised by the Royal College of Radiologists working party on the effective use of diagnostic radiology. The work was carried out in eight accident and emergency units in England and Wales. With the help of various computer simulation techniques a combination of signs and symptoms that might usefully improve present practice was sought. The results suggest that for injuries of arms and legs the clinical determinants of bony injury cannot be refined further to improve current selection for radiography. This study shows that existing clinical practice is probably as good as it can be.     

Angiographic yield in penetrating extremity trauma.

Indications for angiography in the evaluation of penetrating extremity trauma remain controversial. Our experience was reviewed to determine the yield of angiography in penetrating extremity trauma and to correlate clinical findings with angiographic results. During an 81-month period from 1983 through 1989, 284 extremity arteriograms were carried out in 268 patients. The angiographic yield in patients with abnormal clinical findings was 51%. The angiographic yield in patients when proximity of the injury to major vessels was the only indication was 6% (7% with gunshot wounds and 0% with stab wounds). Neurologic deficit alone as an indication for angiography accounted for 55% of the angiograms interpreted as "negative" and none of those interpreted as "positive". We conclude that the use of angiography in patients with gunshot wounds to the extremity with "proximity injuries" to major vessels should continue, its use is not warranted in extremity stab wounds when proximity is the sole indication, and abnormal neurologic findings in the absence of other findings are a poor predictor of vascular injury.     

Variation in emergency department use of cervical spine radiography for alert,stable trauma patients

OBJECTIVE: To, assess the emergency department use of cervical spine radiography for alert, stable adult trauma patients in terms of utilization, yield for injury and variation in practices among hospitals and physicians. DESIGN: Retrospective survey of health records. SETTING: Emergency departments of 6 teaching and 2 community hospitals in Ontario and British Columbia. PATIENTS: Consecutive alert, stable adult trauma patients seen with potential cervical spine injury between July 1, 1994, and June 30, 1995. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Total number of eligible patients, referral for cervical spine radiography (overall, by hospital and by physician), presence of cervical spine injury, patient characteristics and hospitals associated with use of radiography. RESULTS: Of 6855 eligible patients, cervical spine radiography was ordered for 3979 (58.0%). Only 60 (0.9%) patients were found to have an acute cervical spine injury (fracture, dislocation or ligamentous instability); 98.5% of the radiographic films were negative for any significant abnormality. The demographic and clinical characteristics of the patients were similar across the 8 hospitals, and no cervical spine injuries were missed. Significant variation was found among the 8 hospitals in the rate of ordering radiography (p < 0.0001), from a low of 37.0% to a high of 72.5%. After possible differences in case severity and patient characteristics at each hospital were controlled for, logistic regression analysis revealed that 6 of the hospitals were significantly associated with the use of radiography. At 7 hospitals, there was significant variation in the rate of ordering radiography among the attending emergency physicians (p < 0.05), from a low of 15.6% to a high of 91.5%. CONCLUSIONS: Despite considerable variation among institutions and individual physicians in the ordering of cervical spine radiography for alert, stable trauma patients with similar characteristics, no cervical spine injuries were missed. The number of radiographic films showing signs of abnormality was extremely low at all hospitals. The findings suggest that cervical spine radiography could be used more efficiently, possibly with the help of a clinical decision rule.     

One-stage reconstruction of composite bone and soft-tissue defects in traumatic lower extremities

Management of bone loss that occurs after severe trauma of open lower extremity fractures continues to challenge reconstructive surgeons. Sixty-one patients who had 62 traumatic open lower extremity fractures and combined bone and composite soft-tissue defects were treated with the following protocol: extensive debridement of necrotic tissues, eradication of infection, and vascularization of osteocutaneous tissue for one-stage bone and soft-tissue coverage reconstruction. The mechanism of injury included 49 motorcycle accidents (80.3 percent), five falls (8.2 percent), three crush injuries (4.9 percent), two pedestrian-automobile accidents (3.3 percent), and two motor vehicle accidents (3.3 percent). The bone defects were located in the tibia in 49 patients (79 percent; one patient had bilateral open tibial fractures), in the femur in seven patients (11.3 percent), in the calcaneus bone in four patients (6.5 percent), and in the metatarsal bones in two patients (3.2 percent). The size of soft-tissue defects ranged from 5 x 9 cm to 30 x 17 cm. The average length of the preoperative bony defect was 11.7 cm. The average duration from injury to one-stage reconstruction was 27.1 days, and the average number of previous extensive debridement procedures was 3.4. Fifty patients had vascularized fibula osteoseptocutaneous flaps, six had vascularized iliac osteocutaneous flaps, and five patients had seven combined vascularized rib transfers with serratus anterior muscle and/or latissimus dorsi muscle transfers. One patient received a second combined rib flap because the first combined rib flap failed. The rate of complete flap survival was 88.9 percent (56 of 63 flaps). Two combined vascularized rib transfers with serratus anterior muscle and latissimus dorsi muscle flaps were lost totally (3.2 percent) because of arterial thrombosis and deep infection, respectively. Partial skin flap losses were encountered in the five fibula osteoseptocutaneous flaps (7.9 percent). Postoperative infection for this one-stage reconstruction was 7.9 percent. Excluding the failed flap and the infected/amputated limb, the primary bony union rate after successful free vascularized bone grafting was 88.5 percent (54 of 61 transfers). The average primary union time was 6.9 months. The overall union rate was 96.7 percent (59 of 61 transfers). The average time to overall union was 8.5 months after surgery. Seven transferred vascularized bones had stress fractures, for a rate of 11.5 percent. Donor-site problems were noted in six fibular flaps, in two iliac flaps, and in one rib flap. The fibular donor-site problems were foot drop in one patient, superficial peroneal nerve palsy in one patient, contracture of the flexor hallucis longus muscle in two patients, and skin necrosis after split-thickness skin grafting in two patients. The iliac flap donor-site problems were temporary flank pain in one patient and lateral thigh numbness in the other. One rib flap transfer patient had pleural fibrosis. Transfer of the appropriate combination of vascularized bone and soft-tissue flap with a one-stage procedure provides complex lower extremity defects with successful functional results that are almost equal to the previously reported microsurgical staged procedures and conventional techniques.     

The muscle flap in the treatment of chronic lower extremity osteomyelitis: results in patients over 5 years after treatment.

Preliminary reports have indicated that debridement of the bony sequestrum followed by muscle-flap coverage allows successful treatment of chronic osteomyelitis. To determine the long-term effectiveness of this procedure, 34 consecutive patients with chronic osteomyelitis of the distal lower extremity treated with debridement, a 10- to 14-day course of culture-specific antibiotics, and immediate muscle-flap coverage were evaluated. Patients were treated from 1979 through 1984, and long-term (greater than 5 years) follow-up was available for 27 (79 percent). Twenty-three (85 percent) of these patients underwent microvascular muscle transplantation (gracilis or latissimus dorsi), and four underwent local muscle flaps (gastrocnemius or soleus) for immediate wound coverage. Twenty-four patients (89 percent) healed and were without recurrence over long-term (greater than 5 years, mean 7.4 years) follow-up. Of the three with recurrence, two were cured (greater than 5 years follow-up) after additional muscle-flap procedures. Thus the overall success rate was 96 percent, with a minimum 5-year follow-up. Guidelines for muscle-flap selection and treatment techniques in current use are presented. Debridement and immediate muscle-flap coverage provide effective, single-stage treatment of chronic osteomyelitic wounds and allow antibiotics to be restricted to short-term use. Furthermore, muscle flaps covered with skin grafts provide durable coverage while allowing subsequent ancillary procedures (i.e., bone grafts) to be performed under the flaps.     

Algorithm for recipient vessel selection in free tissue transfer to the lower extremity.

The proper selection of a recipient vessel is essential for the success of free tissue transfer, especially when the transfer is to the lower extremity. However, a general agreement on which vessel to use has not been reached yet. Conflicting data have been reported on the survival and outcome of the transferred flaps, depending on the vessel used or the location of anastomosis. The aim of this study was to identify the patterns and problems in the selection of recipient vessels for free tissue transfer to the lower extremity and to establish a general guideline for proper selection. From September of 1990 to December of 1997, 50 consecutive, microvascular, free tissue transfers were performed on the lower extremity. The causes requiring soft-tissue coverage included trauma (25), unstable scar (11), chronic osteomyelitis (7), and tumors (7). The mean follow-up period was 22.4 months (range, 2 to 41 months). In 25 cases, the posterior tibial vessel was used as the recipient vessel. The microvascular anastomosis was done proximal to the zone of injury in 45 cases. The two most important factors in the selection of a recipient vessel are the site of injury and the vascular status of the lower extremity. Less important factors include the flap to be used, method, and site of microvascular anastomosis. All the currently feasible options for recipient vessels are included, and the opinions of other surgeons are reviewed. A general guideline is established, and an algorithm for the proper selection of a recipient vessel is proposed. This algorithm is a fast and convenient guide for evaluating the wound and planning the free flap to the lower extremity.     

Conventional radiography requires a MRI-estimated bone volume loss of 20% to 30% to allow certain detection of bone erosions in rheumatoid arthritis metacarpophalangeal joints

The aim of this study was to demonstrate the ability of conventional radiography to detect bone erosions of different sizes in metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joints of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as the standard reference. A 0.2 T Esaote dedicated extremity MRI unit was used to obtain axial and coronal T1-weighted gradient echo images of the dominant 2nd to 5th MCP joints of 69 RA patients. MR images were obtained and evaluated for bone erosions according to the OMERACT recommendations. Conventional radiographs of the 2nd to 5th MCP joints were obtained in posterior-anterior projection and evaluated for bone erosions. The MRI and radiography readers were blinded to each other's assessments. Grade 1 MRI erosions (1% to 10% of bone volume eroded) were detected by radiography in 20%, 4%, 7% and 13% in the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th MCP joint, respectively. Corresponding results for grade 2 erosions (11% to 20% of bone volume eroded) were 42%, 10%, 60% and 24%, and for grade 3 erosions (21% to 30% of bone volume eroded) 75%, 67%, 75% and 100%. All grade 4 (and above) erosions were detected on radiographs. Conventional radiography required a MRI-estimated bone erosion volume of 20% to 30% to allow a certain detection, indicating that MRI is a better method for detection and grading of minor erosive changes in RA MCP joints.     

Evaluation et traitement de l'entorse externe de la cheville dans un milieu de soins de première ligne: la radiographie systématique est-elle essentielle?

The authors describe the presentation, clinical evaluation and treatment of 151 patients (mean age 36.3 years) who presented to an outpatient clinic or the emergency department between Oct. 29, 1984, and Apr. 15, 1985, for a lateral ankle sprain. About 60% of the sprains were considered minor. Although 141 patients underwent simple radiography of the ankle on the first visit, only five fractures were identified. All the fractures were uncomplicated and were treated conservatively. No common criteria could be identified to explain why some patients with sprains of moderate severity were referred to an orthopedist while others were not. Of the 53 patients interviewed, 22 still had some limitation of physical activity 6 weeks after the sprain. The presence of malleolar soft-tissue swelling, pain in the bony structures and inability to bear weight should raise the suspicion of a fracture. If radiography had been limited to patients with these signs, no fracture would have been missed, and radiography would have been avoided in 70 cases.     

Use of Multiple-Site Performance-Contingent SEMG Reward Programming in Pediatric Rehabilitation: A Retrospective Review

We completed a retrospective review of the effectiveness of multi-site, performance-contingent reward programming on functional change in motor performance of 16 treatment resistant children. Patients were previously treated in physical or occupational therapy for head control, standing balance training, sitting and upper extremity use (brachial plexus injury). They then participated in a program that utilized multiple surface electromyography sites the use of which was rewarded with videos for performing the correct constellation of recruitment pattern (e.g., contracting some muscles while relaxing others). Onset of reward was calibrated for each patient and transfer of skill to outside the clinic was encouraged by linking a verbal cue to the correct motor plan. Fourteen of the 16 patients improved. The implications of the use of this technique in the treatment of motor dysfunction is discussed.     

New biomechanical model for clinical evaluation of the upper extremity motion in subjects with neurological disorders: an application case

Cervical spinal cord injury and acquired brain injury commonly imply a reduction in the upper extremity function which complicates, or even constrains, the performance of basic activities of daily living. Neurological rehabilitation in specialised hospitals is a common treatment for patients with neurological disorders. This study presents a practical methodology for the objective and quantitative evaluation of the upper extremity motion during an activity of daily living of those subjects. A new biomechanical model (with 10 rigid segments and 20 degrees of freedom) was defined to carry out kinematic, dynamic and energetic analyses of the upper extremity motion during a reaching task through data acquired by an optoelectronic system. In contrast to previous upper extremity models, the present model includes the analysis of the grasp motion, which is considered as crucial by clinicians. In addition to the model, we describe a processing and analysis methodology designed to present relevant summaries of biomechanical information to rehabilitation specialists. As an application case, the method was tested on a total of four subjects: three healthy subjects and one pathological subject suffering from cervical spinal cord injury. The dedicated kinematic, dynamic and energetic analyses for this particular case are presented. The resulting set of biomechanical measurements provides valuable information for clinicians to achieve a thorough understanding of the upper extremity motion, and allows comparing the motion of healthy and pathological cases.     

Expression of bone morphogenic proteins and receptors at the injured growth plate cartilage in young rats.

The injured growth plate cartilage is often repaired by bony tissue, resulting in impaired bone growth in children. Bone morphogenic proteins (BMPs) are important for bone fracture repair, and as a step to characterize potential involvement of BMPs in bony repair of injured growth plate, expression of BMPs and receptors (BMP-R) was examined by quantitative RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry in rat injured tibial growth plate. During the inflammatory response on day 1, slightly increased expression of BMP-3, BMP-4, BMP-R1a, and BMP-R2 was observed, with immunostaining seen among inflammatory cells at the injury site. During mesenchymal infiltration and osteogenic responses on days 3-14, moderately increased expression of BMP-2, -3, -4, -7, and BMP-R1a was found, with immunostaining observed among infiltrated mesenchymal cells and differentiated osteoblasts lining bony trabeculae. During maturation phase on days 14-25, only BMP-7 was seen upregulated slightly and was localized in osteoblasts and marrow cells at the injury site. The temporospatial expression of BMPs and receptors at the injured growth plate suggests potential involvement of BMP-3 and -4 in regulating the inflammatory response or as its mediators in modulating downstream events, and BMP-2, -3, -4, and -7 in the fibrogenic and osteogenic responses, and BMP-7 in bone remodeling at the injured growth plate.     

Comparison of clavicular joints in human and laboratory rat

The human clavicle provides the bony connection between the upper extremity and the axial skeleton and it is reported to be among the first bones ossified and the last bone to fuse. Clavicle development of the studied mammals shows a combination of intramembranous and endochondrial ossification. The covering of its joints in adult humans differs from other joints of long bones. The rat clavicle pattern morphologically appears to be partly different in comparison with the human one. These differences partially restrict the use of the rat as a model for the study of human articular cartilage but on the other hand they can provide some valuable possibilities for application in medical research and practice.     

Thermal injury kinetics in electrical trauma.

The distribution of electrical current and the resultant Joule heating in tissues of the human upper extremity for a worst-case hand-to-hand high-voltage electrical shock was modelled by solving the Bioheat equation using the finite element method. The model of the upper extremity included skin, fat, skeletal muscle, and bone. The parameter sets for these tissues included specific thermal and electrical properties and their respective tissue blood flow rates. The extent of heat mediated cellular injury was estimated by using a damage rate equation based on a single energy barrier chemical reaction model. No cellular injury was assumed to occur for temperatures less than 42 degrees C. This model was solved for the duration of Joule heating required to produce membrane damage in cells, termed the lethal time (of contact) for injury. LT's were determined for contact voltages ranging from 5 to 20 kV. For a 10,000 volt electrical shock LT's for skeletal muscle are predicted to be: 0.5 second in the distal forearm, 1.1 second in the mid-forearm, 1.2 second in the proximal elbow, and 2.0 seconds in the mid-arm. This analysis of the electrical shock provides useful insight into the mechanisms of resultant tissue damage and provides important performance guidelines for the development of safety devices.     

Effects of BMI on the risk and frequency of AIS 3+ injuries in motor‐vehicle crashes

Objective: Determine the effects of BMI on the risk of serious‐to‐fatal injury (Abbreviated Injury Scale ≥ 3 or AIS 3+) to different body regions for adults in frontal, nearside, farside, and rollover crashes. Design and Methods: Multivariate logistic regression analysis was applied to a probability sample of adult occupants involved in crashes generated by combining the National Automotive Sampling System (NASS‐CDS) with a pseudoweighted version of the Crash Injury Research and Engineering Network database. Logistic regression models were applied to weighted data to estimate the change in the number of occupants with AIS 3+ injuries if no occupants were obese. Results: Increasing BMI increased risk of lower‐extremity injury in frontal crashes, decreased risk of lower‐extremity injury in nearside impacts, increased risk of upper‐extremity injury in frontal and nearside crashes, and increased risk of spine injury in frontal crashes. Several of these findings were affected by interactions with gender and vehicle type. If no occupants in frontal crashes were obese, 7% fewer occupants would sustain AIS 3+ upper‐extremity injuries, 8% fewer occupants would sustain AIS 3+ lower‐extremity injuries, and 28% fewer occupants would sustain AIS 3+ spine injuries. Conclusions: Results of this study have implications on the design and evaluation of vehicle safety systems.     

A method for assessing recovery of fine motor function of the hand in a rhesus monkey model of cortical injury: an adaptation of the Fugl–Meyer Scale and Eshkol–Wachman Movement Notation

Motor dysfunction of the upper extremity can result from stroke, cortical injury and neurological diseases and causes significant disruption of activities of daily living. While some spontaneous recovery in terms of compensatory movements does occur after injury to cortical motor areas, full recovery is rare. The distinction between complete recovery and compensatory recovery is important as the development of compensatory movements in the upper extremity may not translate into full functional use in human patients. However, current animal models of stroke do not distinguish full recovery from compensatory recovery. We have developed a Non-Human Primate Grasp Assessment Scale (GRAS) to quantify the precise recovery of composite movement, individual digit action, and finger-thumb pinch in our rhesus monkey model of cortical injury. To date, we have applied this GRAS scale to assess the recovery of fine motor function of the hand in young control and cell-therapy treated monkeys with cortical injury confined to the hand representation in the dominant primary motor cortex. We have demonstrated that with this scale we can detect and quantify significant impairments in fine motor function of the hand, the development of compensatory function during recovery and finally a return to full fine motor function of the hand in monkeys treated with a cell therapy.     

The hit and miss of ISS and TRISS. Yorkshire Trauma Audit Group.

OBJECTIVE--To measure interobserver variation in recording injury from case notes and its effect on calculating injury severity scores (ISS) from identical data and predicting probabilities of survival by using the combined trauma and injury severity score (TRISS). DESIGN--Observer variation study using injury severity scoring and subsequent calculation of probability of survival based on combined trauma and injury severity scores. SUBJECTS--16 patients with a range of injury severity scores, and 15 observers. RESULTS--There was a wide variation in recorded injury severity scores, the probability of two observers agreeing on the score being 0.28 (28%). The probability of any two observers agreeing over which severity band the patient should be in was 0.5 (50%). Observer variation was independent of the training and type of observer. Survival probability (calculated by combined trauma and injury severity scoring methodology from individual observers'' scores) varied by over 0.2 in six of the 16 patients and by over 0.5 in three. CONCLUSIONS--There is wide observer variation in injury severity scoring, which highlights a potential fallibility in its use for trauma audit. The use of combined trauma and injury severity scoring for individual prediction of survival is potentially inaccurate except at the extremes of probabilities. The use of the 0.5 survival line on a combined trauma and injury severity score "pre-chart" is statistically and clinically inappropriate.     

2 型糖尿病患者肝损伤标志物与下肢动脉病变的相关性分析

目的：探讨2 型糖尿病患者肝损伤标志物水平与其下肢动脉病变的相关性,为2 型糖尿病并发症的防治提供参考依据。方 法：选取我院收治的2 型糖尿病患者946 例,根据下肢动脉内膜中层厚度分为以下3 组,即无动脉硬化组(276 例)、单纯性动脉硬 化组(598 例)和动脉硬化伴管腔狭窄或闭塞组(72 例)。分析和比较三组之间肝损伤标志物谷丙转氨酶(ALT)、谷草转氨酶(AST)、γ-谷氨酰转肽酶(GGT)水平的差异,及其与2型糖尿病患者下肢动脉硬化程度的相关性。结果：随着动脉硬化程度的加重,2 型糖尿病患者的ALT 水平逐渐升高,三组之间两两比较差异均有统计学意义(P<0.05)。动脉硬化伴管腔狭窄或闭塞组AST 水平显著高于非动脉硬化组和单纯性下肢动脉硬化组,而动脉硬化组和非动脉硬化组之间AST 水平比较无显著差异(P>0.05)。三组之间γ-谷氨酰转肽酶水平比较无显著性差异(P>0.05)。Spearman 等级相关分析显示ALT 与糖尿病下肢动脉硬化的相关系数为0.30484。结论：2型糖尿病患者ALT 水平与其下肢动脉硬化程度显著相关。     

Radiographic analysis of the midface of a stillborn infant with a unilateral cleft lip and palate

The midface of a full-term stillborn infant with a right complete unilateral cleft lip and palate was studied with plain-film radiography and tomography, xeroradiography, and computerized axial tomography. Gross skeletal and soft-tissue deficiencies on the cleft side were evident as compared to the noncleft side and involved the entire bony maxillary complex and antrum, the orbit, and the nasal pyramid and intranasal structures. The area on the cleft side was 19 percent less than the noncleft side, and the maximal anteroposterior dimension was 16 percent less. The cleft bony palatal shelf was 12.5 mm wide compared to 20 mm on the noncleft side. The findings demonstrate the deficient and abnormal functional matrix inherent in the cleft condition.