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Biomedical subjects

B F Morrey

Publications and source records attributed to B F Morrey.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Correlation of patient questionnaire responses and physician history in grading clinical outcome following hip and knee arthroplasty. A prospective study of 201 joint arthroplasties.

Questionnaires are commonly used in orthopaedic outcome studies. This study sought to determine if responses to a simple standardized questionnaire correlated with responses obtained during a physician interview in evaluation of clinical outcome following hip and knee arthroplasty. One hundred sixty-two patients with 201 hip and knee arthroplasties were asked to fill out a questionnaire prior to returning for routine follow-up evaluation. There was a highly significant correlation (P < .0001, r = .74) between scores calculated from patient responses on the questionnaire and those calculated from responses recorded during the subsequent physician visit. There was no significant difference between patient and physician clinical hip scores, but physicians gave significantly higher knee scores than patients for both long- ( > 4.5 years, P < .05) and short-term ( < or = 4.5 years, P < .0001) follow-up periods; however, 97% of patient responses were within one grade of physician-recorded answers to the same questions. Eight and one-half percent of scores differed in overall evaluation from good-excellent to fair-poor categories. This study both validates and defines more clearly the limitations of questionnaires for follow-up evaluation of clinical results following total hip and knee arthroplasty.

Aged

The elevated-rim acetabular liner in total hip arthroplasty: relationship to postoperative dislocation.

Although an acetabular component with an elevated rim is thought to improve the postoperative stability of a total hip prosthesis, the actual clinical value has not yet been demonstrated. To address this question, we reviewed the results of 5167 total hip arthroplasties that had been performed at our institution from April 1, 1985, through December 31, 1991. The prostheses included 2469 acetabular components with an elevated-rim liner (10 degrees of elevation) and 2698 with a standard liner. The cumulative probability of dislocation was estimated as a function of time since the operation with use of the Kaplan-Meier survivorship method. Forty-eight of the 2469 hips that had the elevated-rim acetabular liner dislocated within two years, compared with 101 of the 2698 hips that had the standard acetabular liner. The two-year probability of dislocation was 2.19 per cent for the hips with the elevated-rim liner and 3.85 per cent for those with the standard liner (p = 0.001). A similar trend was seen at five years; however, because of a smaller sample the difference was not significant. Increased stability at two years was also demonstrated for the hips with the elevated-rim liner when the hips were analyzed according to the operative approach, the mode of fixation, the sex of the patient, and the type of total hip arthroplasty (primary or revision). Although these data demonstrate improved stability after total hip arthroplasty when an elevated liner is used, particularly in hips that are at greater risk for dislocation of the prosthesis, the long-term effect of this elevated liner on wear and loosening remains unknown but is of considerable concern. The elevated liner deserves additional study to clarify its effect on wear and loosening.

Adult

Peroneal nerve palsy after total knee arthroplasty. Assessment of predisposing and prognostic factors.

Thirty-two postoperative peroneal-nerve palsies in thirty patients were documented in a retrospective review of 10,361 consecutive total knee arthroplasties performed at one institution from 1979 through 1992. The mean age of the thirty patients was sixty-five years (range, twenty-eight to seventy-eight years). Four of these patients had had a previous proximal tibial osteotomy and five had had a previous lumbar laminectomy. Ten knees (ten patients) had preoperative valgus alignment of 12 degrees or more. A control group of 100 patients who had had total knee arthroplasty during the same period was computer-matched to the patients by age, sex, and operating surgeon. Comparison of this control group with the thirty patients showed that epidural anesthesia for postoperative control of pain (p < 0.03), previous laminectomy (p < 0.04), and preoperative valgus deformity (p < 0.0001) were significantly associated with peroneal nerve palsy. The relative risk for patients who had had a previous proximal tibial osteotomy was doubled, but this was not significant (p < 0.4). To determine risk factors associated with anesthesia better, a subgroup of 4388 total knee arthroplasties performed during a five-year period (1988 through 1992) was also studied. In this sample, twenty-five peroneal-nerve palsies were documented. Eighteen occurred after epidural anesthesia (p < 0.03); five, after general anesthesia; and two, after spinal anesthesia. An important finding of this study is the high frequency of delayed presentation of peroneal nerve palsy. We believe that epidural anesthesia for postoperative control of pain leads to decreased proprioception and sensation postoperatively. It is postulated that positioning of the limb in this unprotected state may be a factor in the late development of palsy. The concept of the so-called double-crush phenomenon may partially explain the palsy seen in the patients who had had a lumbar laminectomy and asymptomatic peripheral neuropathy.

Adult

Effect of feedback on resource use and morbidity in hip and knee arthroplasty in an integrated group practice setting.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effect of a structured program of feedback about resource utilization and morbidity on resource consumption and complications in an orthopedic surgical practice. DESIGN: We prospectively analyzed use and outcomes before and after an intervention (departmental data presentation). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Feedback on resource utilization and morbidity for 2,820 patients who underwent a primary total hip or knee arthroplasty for a diagnosis of osteoarthritis between Jan. 1, 1990, and Dec. 31, 1992, was provided to members of the orthopedic department of an academic medical center. Data were adjusted for severity of disease. RESULTS: On reassessment 18 months after the beginning of the feedback program, total charges and length of hospital stay for hip or knee arthroplasty were significantly reduced. Interpractitioner variability was also reduced but not significantly. The feedback process was instrumental in identifying a specific complication--pulmonary embolism after bilateral total knee replacement--which was significantly reduced by addition of warfarin prophylaxis. CONCLUSION: The intervention was successful in reducing resource use (length of hospital stay) and complications (pulmonary embolism). In addition, total charges for hip and knee arthroplasty declined significantly at a time when medical center charges overall were increasing. Efforts to maintain continuous improvement will primarily focus on the development of critical pathways.

Critical Pathways

Tensile properties of the supraspinatus tendon.

The tensile properties of the supraspinatus tendon were investigated in 11 shoulders from fresh cadavers. The tendon was divided into three longitudinal strips: anterior, middle, and posterior. Each specimen was mounted on a materials testing machine, with four fluorescent markers placed on both surfaces of the tendon strip. The positions of these markers were recorded during the test by two synchronized video cameras. Load-deformation and strain curves were determined, and the stress-strain curve, strength, and modulus of elasticity were calculated. The posterior strip was thinner in cross section than the others (p = 0.0355). The ultimate load and ultimate stress were significantly greater in the anterior strip (16.5 +/- 7.1 MPa) than in the middle (6.0 +/- 2.6 MPa) and posterior (4.1 +/- 1.3 MPa) strips (p < 0.0001). The modulus of elasticity also was significantly greater in the anterior strip (p < 0.0001), but there was no significant difference between the superficial and deep surfaces. It is concluded that the anterior portion of the supraspinatus tendon is mechanically stronger than the other portions, and it seems to perform the main functional role of the tendon.

Aged

Operative treatment of medical epicondylitis. Influence of concomitant ulnar neuropathy at the elbow.

We performed a retrospective review of the long-term results of operative treatment of medial epicondylitis in thirty elbows (twenty-six patients). Sixteen elbows had concomitant ulnar neuropathy. All of the patients had tenderness over the medial epicondyle. The most sensitive provocative maneuver was resisted pronation of the forearm (a positive result for twenty-eight elbows), followed by resisted flexion of the wrist (a positive result for twelve elbows). The operative findings included an inflammatory focus in seventeen elbows and focal ulnar-nerve compression in nine. Débridement of the origin of the flexor-pronator tendon mass, with decompression or transposition of the ulnar nerve when indicated, was associated with an 87 per cent rate (twenty-six elbows) of good or excellent results at an average of seven years (range, two to fifteen years) after the operation. Twenty-four of the twenty-five elbows that had no or mild associated ulnar neuropathy (type-IA or IB medial epicondylitis) had a good or excellent result, while two of the five elbows that had moderate or severe associated ulnar neuropathy (type-II medial epicondylitis) had a good or excellent result. This difference was significant (p = 0.009). Nine patients (nine elbows) needed more than six months before maximum improvement was obtained.

Arm Injuries

Effect of femoral offset on range of motion and abductor muscle strength after total hip arthroplasty.

At a minimum of one year after operation, we studied 64 patients with 86 total hip arthroplasties (THA) by standard anteroposterior hip and pelvic radiographs and measurement of range of motion and of isometric abduction strength. The femoral offset correlated positively with the range of abduction (p = 0.046). Abduction strength correlated positively with both femoral offset (p = 0.0001) and the length of the abductor lever arm (p = 0.005). Using multiple regression, abduction strength correlated with height (p = 0.017), gender (p = 0.0005), range of flexion (p = 0.047) and the abductor lever arm (p = 0.060). Our findings suggest that greater femoral offset after THA allows both an increased range of abduction and greater abductor strength.

Adult

Use of distraction arthroplasty in unstable fracture dislocations of the elbow.

Patients with persistent instability after experiencing posterior dislocation of the ulnohumeral joint associated with large unstable fractures of the coronoid process of the ulna can be challenging to manage. To date, no reports have documented an effective treatment program for this injury. Joint stiffness or persistent instability results in most cases. Seven patients are discussed who were treated with a joint distraction device. Six (86%) of the 7 patients had successful outcomes at a minimum followup of 2 years. The mean arc of flexion before surgery was 33 degrees; after surgery, the arc increased to 88 degrees. The joint distraction device provides immobilization of periarticular fractures and simultaneously allows for joint movement, which results in a stable and mobile joint. Without this device, a 20% satisfactory result for this injury was reported; this percentage improved to 86% by rendering the joint stable with adequate motion.

Adult

Morphology of the torn rotator cuff.

The morphological characteristics of shoulders with torn rotator cuffs were determined using 41 embalmed specimens. The following parameters were measured in the supraspinatus (SSP), infraspinatus (ISP) and subscapularis (SSC) muscles: the length, thickness and width of the extramuscular tendon; the length of the intramuscular tendon; the length and width of a tear, if present, muscle fibre length; and muscle volume. The cross-sectional area (CSA) of the tendon was measured on the photographic image of slices of the tendon using an image analysis system, and the CSA of the muscle was calculated by dividing the muscle volume by muscle fibre length. The rotator cuff was intact in 11 shoulders. A partial-thickness tear of the cuff was present in 12 shoulders, a full-thickness tear of the SSP in 11 shoulders, and a full-thickness tear of more than 2 tendons in 7. Overall incidence of full-thickness tears of the rotator cuff was 44%, and that of partial-thickness tears 29%. With increase of tear size, the functional tendon length (extramuscular tendon length plus tear length) increased by a statistically significant amount in the SSP, ISP and SSC, whereas muscle fibre length decreased in SSP and ISP. It is concluded that the increased functional tendon length and decreased muscle fibre length are the main morphological changes that make the rotator cuff a physiologically abnormal unit. Surgical repair of the torn cuff would be expected to improve these anatomical changes and restore the kinetics of the glenohumeral joint.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Aged

Semiconstrained elbow replacement for distal humeral nonunion.

We have reviewed 36 of 39 consecutive patients with an average age of 68 years who had semiconstrained elbow replacement for distal humeral nonunion at an average follow-up of 50.4 months (24 to 127). Of these, 31 (86%) had satisfactory results, three (8%) had fair, and two (6%) had poor results; 32 patients (88%) had moderate or severe pain before and 91% had no or only mild discomfort after the procedure. Motion had improved from a mean arc of 29 degrees to 103 degrees before operation to 16 degrees to 127 degrees after surgery. All five flail extremities were stable at last assessment. There were seven complications (18%): two patients had deep infection, two had particulate synovitis, two had ulnar neuropathy and one had worn polyethylene bushes. Five of these seven, excluding the two with transient nueropathy, required reoperation (13%). Joint replacement arthroplasty can be a safe and reliable treatment for this difficult clinical condition, seen most commonly in elderly patients. This is a significant advance, since repeated osteosynthesis has been shown to be ineffective in most patients.

Activities of Daily Living

Malrotation of the humeral component of the capitellocondylar total elbow replacement is not the sole cause of dislocation.

Malrotation of the humeral component of the capitellocondylar total elbow replacement is thought but not proved to be one of the major causes of postoperative dislocation. The purpose of this study was to quantitate the effect of malrotation of the humeral component on the kinematics and laxity of the capitellocondylar total elbow prosthesis. Eleven fresh previously frozen elbows were used. With the humeral component in optimal position, external rotation, or internal rotation, movements of the elbow with neutral, valgus, and varus loading were monitored with an electromagnetic tracking device. When the humeral component was positioned in external rotation, the ulna was more valgus and supinated than when the component was in optimal position, and when the component was in internal rotation the ulna was more valgus in extension and more supinated in flexion. Malrotation in external rotation decreased valgus-varus laxity, and malrotation in internal rotation increased rotational laxity. Only one elbow became dislocated, despite constant severe maltracking between the components in all of the specimens. We concluded that although malrotation of the humeral component influences the laxity and causes maltracking, it is not the primary cause of postoperative dislocation. The contribution of other factors should be investigated.

Aged

Motion and laxity of the capitellocondylar total elbow prosthesis.

The motion and laxity of the capitellocondylar unconstrained total elbow prosthesis were assessed, with use of an electromagnetic tracking device and stimulated muscle-loading, after implantation in seventeen cadaveric elbows. The axis of motion of the elbows with the capitellocondylar implants averaged 2.1 +/- 2.3 degrees more varus angulation than that of the intact elbows. This difference may be attributed to the design of the implant, as the 5-degree-valgus humeral component used in this study has a smaller valgus inclination than the articular surface of the distal aspect of the humerus. Although the maximum valgus-varus laxity of the capitellocondylar elbow prostheses was, on the average, 4.3 +/- 2.4 degrees greater than normal (with simulated muscle-loading), the data must be interpreted in light of the fact that this in vitro study did not allow for soft-tissue healing. The prosthetic components tracked well, and there were no dislocations or malarticulations provided that appropriate soft-tissue tensioning and positioning of the components had been achieved at the time of implantation. Sectioning of either the medial or the lateral collateral ligament resulted in gross instability of the joint after capitellocondylar arthroplasty. The ulnar attachment of the medial collateral ligament was found to be vulnerable to injury during the positioning of the ulnar component of this implant.

Aged

Treatment of nonunion of olecranon fractures.

We report the results in 24 consecutive patients treated from 1976 to 1991 for nonunion of olecranon fractures. Their mean age was 42 years, and the mean interval from fracture to treatment for nonunion was 19 months. Management was by rehabilitation and activity as tolerated for three, continued immobilisation for one, and operative treatment for 20. Operations included excision of the olecranon fragment (1), osteosynthesis (16), and joint replacement (3). Four patients also had distraction arthroplasty. At a mean follow-up of 18 months no patient had severe residual elbow pain but three had moderate and six had mild symptoms. The mean arc of motion was 98 degrees representing an average improvement of 11 degrees. Twelve patients had an excellent result, four good, six fair, and two a poor result. Union had been achieved in 15 of the 16 patients treated by osteosynthesis.

Adolescent

Dynamic anterior stabilisers of the shoulder with the arm in abduction.

The stabilising effects on the glenohumeral joint of each of the rotator-cuff muscles and of the biceps were studied with the arm in abduction and external rotation in 13 cadaver shoulders. The muscles were loaded one at a time with forces proportional to their cross-sectional areas. We recorded the positions of the humeral head before and after the application to the humerus of an anterior force of 1.5 kg. When the capsule was intact, the anterior displacement with the subscapularis loaded was significantly larger than with the other muscles loaded (p = 0.0009). With the capsule vented, the displacement with the biceps loaded was significantly smaller than that with the subscapularis loaded (p = 0.0052). After creating an imitation Bankart lesion, the displacement with the biceps loaded was significantly less than with any of the rotator-cuff muscles loaded (p = 0.0132). We conclude that in the intact shoulder, the subscapularis is the least important anterior stabiliser, and that the biceps becomes more important than the rotator-cuff muscles as stability from the capsuloligamentous structure decreases. Strengthening of the biceps as well as the rotator-cuff muscles should be part of the rehabilitation programme for anterior shoulder instability.

Adult

Inflammatory arthritis after failure of silicone rubber replacement of the radial head.

The management of radial head fractures complicated by ligamentous disruption remains a matter of controversy. The use of a silicone radial head implant to provide temporary stability is thought to help to protect the ligaments during healing. The reported complications of long-term implantation of a silicone replacement include fracture, dislocation, synovitis, lymphadenitis and subchondral resorption. We now report one case in which an inflammatory process resulted in generalised cartilage degeneration. This has not previously been noted.

Arthritis