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Biomedical subjects

J Coumas

Publications and source records attributed to J Coumas.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

Posterolateral instability of the knee.

Posterolateral instability of the knee is difficult to diagnose and treat. It has been attributed to failure of ligament reconstruction and has been the cause of numerous knee operations. We present a small group of patients who complained of giving way of the knee and who had an increased range of external rotation of the tibia at 90 degrees knee flexion. The patients all had similar symptoms. We describe the standing apprehension test, which was positive in every case. Anterior subluxation of the lateral femoral condyle was detected manually in four patients and confirmed by radiography and MRI in one. The medial knee pain which is often associated with episodes of instability is probably due to stretching of the posteromedial soft tissues and perhaps the saphenous nerve.

Anterior Cruciate Ligament↗

Two postprocessing CT techniques for determining the composition of trabecular bone.

Two dual-energy CT techniques have been developed to analyze the mineral and fat content of trabecular bone. Both are postprocessing techniques that employ calibration standards. Experiments were performed to test these techniques against conventional single-energy techniques and two other dual-energy techniques. As expected, all of the dual-energy methods estimate the mineral content more accurately when fat is present. In contrast to the other dual-energy methods, the new methods described in this article are unique because they make a separate estimate of the fat content of the bone. The results of preliminary tests of these techniques in estimating fat content have been encouraging. Although not exact, the estimates show the correct trend in increasing proportionately as the fat content increases. Possible applications of the techniques in the study of osteoporosis and other bone diseases are described.

Adipose Tissue↗

Posterior ossification of the shoulder: the Bennett lesion. Etiology, diagnosis, and treatment.

We report a series of ossific lesions of the posterior inferior glenoid in a group of elite baseball players. We hope to clarify the etiology, diagnosis, and treatment of the Bennett lesion. From August 1985 to August 1991, we identified six professional baseball pitchers and one college pitcher with evidence of ossification of the shoulder on plain radiographs, computed tomography, or magnetic resonance imaging. Arthroscopic examination was performed in all cases. All seven players had identifiable posterior labral injury on arthroscopic examination; six of these seven also had varying degrees of undersurface posterior rotator cuff damage. No anterior tissue damage, anterior instability, or subacromial impingement was noted. No ossification was identified arthroscopically. Intraarticular labral and rotator cuff tears were debrided arthroscopically and patients underwent rehabilitation for 4 to 6 months after surgery. Six of the seven athletes returned to preinjury performance levels; however, one pitcher is no longer playing competitive baseball. The Bennett lesion is an extraarticular posterior ossification associated with posterior labral injury and posterior undersurface rotator cuff damage. It is not, however, a result of traction stresses in the region of the triceps insertion. Recognition is important for identification and treatment of the lesion and associated pathologic damage.

Adolescent↗