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Biomedical subjects

D M Lichtman

Publications and source records attributed to D M Lichtman.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Kienböck's disease.

Kienböck's disease is an isolated disorder of the lunate resulting from vascular compromise to the bone. The symptoms include wrist pain, limited range of motion, and decreased grip strength. The diagnosis is made from characteristic changes seen in the lunate on radiograms of the wrist. The severity of the disease can be categorized by staging the degree of involvement. This is helpful in guiding the practitioner through the maze of treatment options. Initial treatment of Kienböck's disease is conservative and includes immobilization, analgesics, and/or anti-inflammatory medication. If symptoms are not relieved, then based on the degree of involvement, several surgical options exist that will provide a successful result. These include autogenous tendon replacement arthroplasty, revascularization, radial shortening, ulnar lengthening, limited intercarpal arthrodesis, and silicone replacement arthroplasty. Salvage procedures for Kienböck's disease include wrist denervation, wrist arthrodesis, and proximal-row carpectomy. Currently, we prefer immobilization for treatment of stage I Kienböck's disease. For stage II, a revascularization procedure may be attempted or ulnar lengthening/radial shortening done, particularly if there is significant negative ulnar variance. In stage III, replacement arthroplasty and/or limited intercarpal arthrodesis is our treatment of choice, and for stage IV, one of the salvage procedures is indicated.

Arthrodesis↗

Dynamic triquetrolunate instability: case report.

A case is reported that demonstrates dynamic triquetrolunate instability with the additional finding of obstruction to smooth intercarpal motion by a tag of torn interosseous triquetrolunate ligament. The patient was successfully treated with excision of the ligamentous tag accompanied by triquetrolunate fusion.

Adult↗

The evaluation of chronic wrist pain.

Guidelines for the assessment of the chronically painful wrist are described, including the uses and limitations of plain roentgenograms, arthrography, CT, tomography, and cineradiography. A careful review of these studies is emphasized.

Arthroscopy↗

Ulnar carpal instabilities.

Ulnar carpal instabilities are more common than previously suspected. To date, instability patterns have been described at the triquetrolunate and triquetrohamate joints. In this article, the pathomechanics, diagnosis, and treatment of these instability patterns are reviewed and several pertinent case reports are presented.

Adult↗

Compression plate position. Extraperiosteal or subperiosteal?

Although compression plate fixation of diaphyseal long bone fractures is accepted treatment, surgical exposure and plate position in relation to the periosteum are controversial. Histologic, roentgenographic, and biomechanical methods were applied to investigate quality and chronology of healing in radial and ulnar fractures in adult dogs. Plate position was extraperiosteal in one limb and subperiosteal in the contralateral limb. There were no statistical differences in roentgenographic or histologic studies of healing between the two techniques, nor were significant statistical differences noted when comparing linear load, maximum load at failure, slope of the linear portion, energy absorbed to failure, stress, modulus of elasticity, strain at maximum linear load, strain at maximum load, and strain at failure. Thus, there was no appreciable difference in fracture healing between subperiosteal and extraperiosteal exposure with compression plate fixation of diaphyseal fractures in dogs. However, subperiosteal exposure is preferable because it is less likely to injure surrounding soft tissues.

Animals↗

Kienböck's disease--update on silicone replacement arthroplasty.

In a previous paper, early lunate silicone replacement arthroplasty (SRA) for Kienböck's disease was advocated because of poor results obtained in stage III disease. Since then, an additional 16 patients have been operated on. Thirteen had stage III disease, and 12 underwent successful SRA. This result is attributed to the modification in anatomical configuration and the improvement in the physical characteristics of the new high-performance silicone lunate implant. Because SRA gives good results in a high percentage of patients in stage III disease, alternative modes of therapy may be considered in stage I or stage II disease without jeopardizing the ultimate result from SRA in stage III disease.

Adolescent↗

Irreducible distal radioulnar joint occurring in a Galeazzi fracture - case report.

This is a report of an irreducible distal radioulnar joint associated with a Galeazzi fracture. The irreducible dislocation of the radioulnar joint was not appreciated until 2 weeks following compression plating of the radius fracture. The extensor carpi ulnaris was found to be wrapped anteriorly about the ulnar border of the distal ulna and was trapped in this position by the displaced ulnar styloid. The patient was successfully treated with open reduction of the styloid fracture and temporary wire fixation.

Adult↗

Ulnar midcarpal instability-clinical and laboratory analysis.

Patients with ulnar midcarpal instability have a characteristic pattern of clinical signs and symptoms related to the midcarpal joint. The usual presenting complaint is a painful wrist click which can be reproduced by ulnar deviation, axial compression, and pronation of the wrist. Routine x-rays are usually normal, but cinefluoroscopy reveals sudden dissociation between the proximal and distal carpal rows resulting in a dorsiflexion collapse deformity. In six of our patients, conservative therapy sufficed to relieve symptoms. Four other patients required surgical stabilization. We close to stabilize the triquetrohamate joint because it was a relatively easy procedure and eliminated instability in most instances. Laboratory studies aided in understanding the pathomechanics of midcarpal instability, which consisted of dorsal subluxation of the capitate and hamate on the lunate and triquetrum. We believe that midcarpal instability is not a rare condition but may often be confused clinically with more common carpal dissociations.

Carpal Bones↗

Pyogenic vertebral osteomyelitis complicating abdominal stab wounds.

Pyogenic vertebral osteomyelitis may follow any process which initiates bacteremia and should be considered in a differential diagnosis of back pain occurring in the convalescent phase of septicemia. The two cases discussed here, following abdominal stab wounds, illustrate the principles of diagnosis and management of this problem. Diagnosis is based on gradual onset of low back pain with spinal tenderness and paravertebral muscle spasms, without neurologic symptoms. Serial X-rays are helpful, as are technetium phosphate or gallium bone scans. Appropriate antibiotic plus immobilization are recommended.

Abdominal Injuries↗

Hip arthroplasties in Gaucher's disease.

In six patients with Gaucher's disease, arthroplasties were performed on ten hips for avascular necrosis of the femoral head. The follow-up ranged from two to twelve years. There were three Vitallium mold (cup) arthroplasties, seven primary total hip-replacement arthroplasties, and two revisions of total hip-replacement arthroplasties. Increased intraoperative and postoperative bleeding was often encountered. The cup arthroplasties yielded good results on long-term follow-up, but there was a high rate of loosening of the prosthetic components in the total hip replacements. There was one postoperative pathological fracture but there were no infections.

Adult↗

Surgical treatment of transchondral talar-dome fractures (osteochondritis dissecans). Long-term follow-up.

Experience with forty-nine patients with surgically treated transchondral fractures of the talar dome seen between 1957 and 1977 at our institution has indicated that surgical treatment yields a good long-term result. Long-term results in twenty-five patients with sufficiently long follow-up (average, sixty-five months) were recorded. Ninety-two per cent of the patients had had a history of severe ankle sprain or fracture and many had had chronic symptoms before the definitive diagnosis was made. The surgical treatment consisted of drilling and curettage followed by non-weight-bearing and early range-of-motion exercises. Twenty-two patients had good or excellent results, two had fair results, and one had a poor result. In eleven patients followed for five to eighteen years, no deterioration in functional capacity was noted; however, improvement in the postoperative status was noted for as long as eighteen months. Even when it was performed for a chronic lesion the operation gave a high percentage of good results, and the long-term results did not differ appreciably from the results eighteen months postoperatively. No other reports were found concerning long-term follow-up of this lesion.

Adolescent↗