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Biomedical subjects

H Vanharanta

Publications and source records attributed to H Vanharanta.

86 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1986

Herniated lumbar disc syndrome and vertebral canals.

Herniated lumbar disc or definite sciatica was diagnosed in 16 of 195 men and women who had reported a history of low-back pain in a health survey. Measurements related to the size and shape of the lumbar spinal canal were subsequently made from the survey radiographs and compared between various types of back syndromes. Age, body height, body mass index, occupation, and parity of women were controlled as potential confounders using analysis of covariance. Several dimensions of lumbar vertebral canals appeared more shallow in the subjects who had herniated disc or definite sciatica than in the other ones. In particular, the interarticular distance of the first sacral vertebra was found to be narrowed in the presence of sciatica, the difference of the adjusted distances to the other back pain category being in men 30.5 mm versus 35.1 mm (P = 0.02) and in women 23.8 mm versus 30.3 mm (P = 0.002), respectively.

Back Pain↗
PubMed1985

Radiographic measurements of lumbar spinal canal size and their relation to back mobility.

A total of 197 men and women with history of previous back pain were radiographed and clinically examined. Measurements related to the shape and size of the spinal canal were subsequently made from the lumbar radiographs. Interarticular distance and the ratio between interarticular and interpedicular distances were significantly less in women with restriction of lumbar extension, sidebending, and rotation: not in men. Anteroposterior (AP) foraminal distances and pedicular lengths were less in men with restricted extension and sidebending, although not in women. Midsagittal diameters were not significantly less in those with restricted mobility. The radiographic differences between men and women with restricted back mobility arise partly from the sexual differences in interarticular and AP foraminal distance, the former being less in women, the latter in men. This suggests a different pathogenetic factor in the two sexes.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Early detection of developing osteoarthritis by scintigraphy: an experimental study on rabbits.

Bone scintigraphy (99mTc-MDP) was used to study the development of experimental osteoarthritis produced by extension immobilization in rabbit knees. The purpose of the study was to determine a repeatable and noninvasive method for following the joint reaction leading to osteoarthritis. In comparison with the contralateral joints activity uptake in immobilized joints was already detectable in bone scintigraphy at 24 h, at the same time as the earliest changes in the biochemical reactions of joint tissues can be detected.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

Glycosaminoglycan polysulphate treatment in experimental osteoarthritis in rabbits.

The effect of glycosaminoglycan polysulphate as medication for osteoarthritis was studied in an experimental model of osteoarthritis induced by periodic immobilization of rabbit knees. In a pilot experiment with 5 weeks of continuous immobilization there were indistinct differences between treated and control groups. In the main study the right knees of 31 rabbits were immobilized five times for a period of one week at 4-week intervals, followed by 8 weeks without immobilization. The development of osteoarthritis was evaluated by mobility measurements, from radiographs and from the macroscopic appearance of the tibial and femoral joint faces at the end of the experiment. After each removal of the immobilization splint the treatment group showed significantly better mobility of flexion (14 degrees-37 degrees), but at the end of the follow up both groups had normal mobility to flexion. The radiographic stages of osteoarthritis after the fourth week of immobilization and at the end of the experiment were slight-moderate in the treatment group, while the controls had moderate and moderate-severe stages. After the assessments of macroscopic appearance, the tibial and femoral joint facies showed slight and slight-moderate osteoarthritis in the treatment group, while the controls had moderate osteoarthritis. This study indicates that glycosaminoglycan polysulphate may inhibit the development of osteoarthritis.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

Daily repeated traction in developing osteoarthritis. An experimental study in rabbits.

The effect of repeated traction on rabbit knee joint was studied during the development of experimental osteoarthritis. The traction (10 N to the immobilized leg) was administered one hour daily during seven weeks of immobilization of the knee and eight weeks of follow-up. The control group consisted of rabbits similarly immobilized and followed but without traction. The degree of osteoarthritis was measured from joint mobility, the evaluation of radiographs and the histological picture. Traction did not statistically significantly increase the mobility range of the knee joint in the treatment group in comparison with that of the control group, and the differences were small between the histological assessments of the two groups. At the end of immobilization the radiographic changes were less marked in the traction group than in the control group, but at the end of the follow-up the difference between the two groups was not as clear. Repeated traction did not, therefore, permanently prevent degenerative changes produced by the immobilization of the rabbit knee.

Animals↗
PubMed1982

Shortwave diathermy effects on 35S-sulfate uptake and glycosaminoglycan concentration in rabbit knee tissue.

The effect of shortwave diathermy on glycosaminoglycan metabolism in different connective tissues of rabbit knee was studied by both autoradiography and radioactivity measurements and quantification of the separated glycosaminoglycans. Of 30 rabbits used, 12 received 100W shortwave diathermy to the right knee 10 minutes a day for 5 days. Autoradiography clearly showed a higher uptake of 35S-sulfate by the capsular tissues of the knee treated with shortwave diathermy than in the contralateral knee. The most prominent feature of the biochemical analysis was the increase in the galactosamine (43%) and glucosamine (26%) concentrations of the collateral ligament glycosaminoglycans of the treated knee.

Animals↗
PubMed1982

Effect of short-wave diathermy on mobility and radiological stage of the knee in the development of experimental osteoarthritis.

The objective of the study was to determine the effect of short-wave diathermy on joint mobility and radiographic changes during the development of osteoarthritis. An experimental model for osteoarthritis was developed by periodic immobilization of rabbit knees. Nine rabbits was given short wave diathermy in the same knee 55 times for 5 minutes with a power of 50 W for 11 weeks. An identically immobilized group of 17 rabbits was used as control. The most significant effect on the mobility of the treated knee was the development of extension deficiency. This limitation developed within a week and was permanent. A smaller effect was found on flexion mobility. Flexion deficiency decreased at the end of the immobilization period and increased during remobilization, though at the end of the experiment there were no differences compared with the control. Radiographic changes were similar during the development of osteoarthritis in treated and non-treated groups.

Animals↗
PubMed1982

Effect of ultrasound on glycosaminoglycan metabolism in the rabbit knee.

The effect of ultrasound therapy on glycosaminoglycan metabolism in articular cartilages, menisci and capsular tissues of rabbit knee was studied using both autoradiography and biochemical methods. Glycosaminoglycans were examined by determining the uronic acid, glucosamine and galactosamine contents and the specific radioactivity of galactosamine of the purified substances. A total of 31 rabbits were used, 13 of which received ultrasound treatment, power 1 W/cm2, to the right knee 5 minutes a day for five days. The specific radioactivity in separated glycosaminoglycans of the medial collateral ligament of the treated knee was 69% higher than that of the controls and 36% higher than that of the contralateral ligament. The same effect was seen in autoradiography. Glycosaminoglycan concentrations of articular cartilage, menisci and collateral ligament were unaltered. The result may indicate that the main effect of ultrasound therapy is on the capsular tissues of a healthy joint.

Animals↗
PubMed1978

Swelling of the upper extremity, function and muscle strength of shoulder joint following mastectomy combined with radiotherapy.

Swelling of the arm, mobility of the shoulder joint and muscle strength were examined in 76 patients with breast cancer 4.5 to 14 years (mean 8 years) after primary therapy. Marked arm swelling was found on the operated side in 31% of the patients operated by radical mastectomy and in 18% of those having undergone total mastectomy. The swelling was more marked in the upper arm than in the forearm. Patients irradiated postoperatively with a megavoltage technique showed more often and more oedema than those treated with a kilovoltage technique. Obese patients had more swelling than patients of normal weight. Of the various movements of the shoulder joint, abduction, adduction, flexion, extension, horizontal extension and internal rotation were significantly reduced on the operated side in comparison with the non-operated side, but the differences were not great. Neither swelling of the arm nor the patient's weight had any effect on the function of the shoulder joint, as expressed in terms of abduction. Of the muscle groups in the shoulder joint adductors, flexors and extensors were significantly weaker on the operated than on the non-operated side. The muscle strength of the operated side averaged 25% weaker than that of the control side. Swelling of the arm did not reduce the muscle strength of the shoulder joint.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Low-back pain in nurses and some loading factors of work.

Questionnaires were sent to qualified nurses (QNs) and nursing aides (NAs) to study the prevalence of low-back pain (LBP) and sciatica in relation to age, work-load, free time activities, menstruation, pregnancies and number of children. LBP and sciatica severe enough to make them unfit for daily tasks were significantly more common in NAs. Back injury and disability pension due to sciatic symptoms were also more common in NAs. Occupationally, NAs had twice the amount of lifting, bending, and rotation, while QNs reported more sitting and standing at work. Under the age of 30, the heaviness of the work was related to LBP in both NAs and QNs. It was concluded that prevention should be directed to improvements in the occupational work load, particularly for younger nurses.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Lumbar spinal canal size of sciatica patients.

Seven measures at the three lowest lumbar interspaces were recorded from conventional radiographs of the lumbar spines of 160 consecutive patients with low back pain and sciatica admitted for myelography and possible surgery. Eighty-eight patients were operated upon for disc herniation, and of the conservatively-treated 72 patients, 18 had a pathologic and 54 a normal myelogram. The results were evaluated after one year using the occupational handicap scales of WHO. Correlations of radiographic measures to stature were moderate and to age small. After adjusting for stature and age, only the male interpedicular distances and the antero-posterior diameter of intervertebral foramen at L3 were greater than those of females. The males with a pathologic myelogram had smaller posterior disc height at L3 and a smaller interarticular distance at L3 and L4 than those with normal myelogram, likewise the midsagittal diameter at L3 and L4 in females. In all patients other measures besides posterior disc height were smaller than those for low back pain patients (p less than 0.001) or for cadavers (p less than 0.001). The only correlation between measures and clinical manifestations was between pedicular length at L3 and limited straight leg raising. Where the disc material had been extruded into the spinal canal, the interpedicular distance was significantly wider. Only anterior disc height at L3 revealed differences between good and poor outcome one year after surgery, as did the interarticular distance at S1 in patients with normal myelogram after conservative treatment.

Adolescent↗