Biomedical subjects

J Kinnunen

Publications and source records attributed to J Kinnunen.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

PubMed1996

Posterolateral lumbosacral fusion with transpedicular fixation: 63 consecutive cases followed for 4 (2-6) years.

We analyzed the clinical, vocational and radiologic outcomes of 63 consecutive posterolateral lumbosacral fusions performed with transpedicular fixation. The indication for surgery was long-standing intractable lumbar and/or radiating pain with spondylolysis-olisthesis in 31 cases, degenerative disc disease and/or facet joint arthrosis in 23 cases and pain after laminectomy/decompression in 9 cases. Radiographic union was finally achieved in 30 out of the 63 cases. Fixation device-related complications, such as screw misplacement, breakage, bending and loosening, occurred in 33 cases. 15 patients underwent refusion. 43 patients obtained good pain relief. There was no correlation between bony healing and a good clinical outcome. 28/49 preoperatively employed patients returned to work. There was no correlation between relief of pain and return to work. 20 patients retired on a full disability pension. The clinical results were best in the spondylolysis-olisthesis group. Only 2/15 patients with markedly reduced spondylolisthesis maintained the reduction. In 3 patients, progressive disc degeneration above the level of fusion was observed. We conclude that posterolateral lumbosacral fusion with transpedicular fixation provides a satisfactory clinical outcome in patients with spondylolysis-olisthesis, but the high incidence of complications related to the fixation device in the other indications studied is a serious drawback of the method.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1995

Bone changes after experimental osteotomies fixed with absorbable self-reinforced poly-L-lactide screws or metallic screws studied by plain radiographs, quantitative computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging.

The healing of the distal femoral osteotomy fixed with self-reinforced poly-L-lactide (SR-PLLA) or metallic screws in 16 rabbits was evaluated with plain radiographs, quantitative computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). At 36 weeks in the metallic fixation there was significantly more external callus than in the SR-PLLA fixation. On the metallic fixation side the cortical bone mineral density was significantly lower than on the non-operated side at 6 weeks as well as at 36 weeks. This decrease was not found in the SR-PLLA fixation. On the MRI on T1-weighted images a dark zone (signal void), and on the T2-weighted images a bright zone (increased signal intensity), was seen surrounding the screws, indicating oedema. At 36 weeks these oedematous zones were significantly smaller in the SR-PLLA fixation group than in the metallic one. The results give indirect evidence towards a more rapid and better osteotomy healing with the more physiologically elastic SR-PLLA screws than with the metallic screws. Fixation with SR-PLLA screws may prevent stress-protection atrophy and weakening of the fixed bone usually caused by the rigid metallic fixation.

Absorption↗

PubMed1994

Diagnostic performance of low field MRI in acute knee injuries.

The diagnostic performance of low field (0.1 T) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was studied prospectively and double-blindly among 33 patients with acute knee injuries. The subsequent arthroscopy was the golden standard. For lesions of the medial meniscus low field MR had a sensitivity of 88% and a specificity of 80%; for lesions of the lateral meniscus the sensitivity was 25% and the specificity 97%. For anterior cruciate ligament tears, low field MRI had a sensitivity of 83% and a specificity of 85%. The specificity for posterior cruciate ligament tears was 97%. The performance of low field MRI equalled that reported earlier for high field MRI, the only exception being the sensitivity for lateral meniscus lesions.

Acute Disease↗

PubMed1994

Emergency CT in blunt abdominal trauma of multiple injury patients.

Multiple injury patients with blunt abdominal trauma (n = 110) were examined by abdominal CT. An i.v., but not peroral, contrast medium was used, thereby eliminating the delay caused by administering peroral contrast medium and any subsequent delay in making the diagnoses and beginning operative treatment. Eighteen patients underwent emergency laparotomy after the initial CT examination. The preoperative CT findings were compared to the laparotomy findings. CT revealed all but one of the severe parenchymal organ lesions requiring surgery. The one liver laceration that went undetected had caused hemoperitoneum, which was diagnosed by CT. The bowel and mesenteric lesions presented as intra-abdominal blood, and the hemoperitoneum was discovered in every patient with these lesions. Fourteen patients also initially had positive abdominal CT findings; 10 of them underwent an additional abdominal CT within 3 days, but the repeat studies did not reveal any lesions in need of surgery. Omission of the oral contrast medium did not jeopardize making the essential diagnoses, but it did save time.

Abdominal Injuries↗

PubMed1994

Quality assurance of the bedside chest radiography process.

The bedside chest radiography process was analyzed in terms of modern quality management guidelines and the sources of quality problems were identified. In order to analyze systematically the various quality factors, the process was described in a top-down fashion with the aid of data flow diagrams. Two internal quality control points and one external point were found in the process. Means to measure quality at the quality control points including questionnaires and a formula for calculating the internal quality index were developed.

Humans↗

PubMed1993

[Quality of health care and costs].

The quality of health care is largely discussed issue among health care professionals in Finland. The purpose of this article is to point out some relations between the quality of nursing and the economical costs. The theme is mostly ignored in the published articles and books about quality of nursing and health care. In the previous studies of quality of nursing four main approaches have been introduced 1) practical approach, 2) professionalism, 3) client orientation and 4) research orientation. An important weakness in the approaches is that they are carried out from a point of view of a single profession at the time. Really multiprofessional projects are the exception. Additionally, economic costs have not been included in nursing quality concept or evaluation criterion. The need for quality in any health services is urgent, including nursing. That is because of decreasing resources and changing market oriented steering mechanisms in the Finnish health care system. In this situation the quality of nursing may arise as one important competition factor in the organizations and the units. The costs of poor quality of nursing are not well recognized among professionals. Collaboration between different professionals is a key issue to solve these kind of problems. We need more research about the relations between economic factors and quality of nursing and other health services.

Cost Control↗

PubMed1991

Lumbar spine interbody fusion with reinforced hydroxyapatite implants.

Porous coralline and synthetic hydroxyapatite blocks reinforced with either self-reinforced polyactide or polyglycolide were implanted into 15 lumbar intervertebral disc spaces in five minipigs in order to determine whether they could provide an osteoconductive bridge for interbody fusion. Histological examination and radiological analysis with plain films, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging were carried out. The osteoconductive properties were promising; creeping bone formation could be observed, although no complete fusion had been achieved at 24 weeks.

Animals↗

PubMed1991

Bone malalignment in acute injuries of the wrist.

The purpose of this study was to analyze radiographic signs of carpal bone instability in patients with an acutely injured wrist. There were 80 patients (52 women and 28 men) with a fall on the outstretched hand. Fifty patients had a fracture of the distal radius, and eight had a scaphoid fracture. The patients with a bone fracture showed a larger scapholunate angle than those without a fracture (P less than 0.001, t-test). However, only four of them showed true carpal bone instability: two patients with a scaphoid fracture and one with a radius fracture had dorsiflexion instability of the wrist and one patient with a radius fracture had dorsal subluxation of the wrist. In addition, one patient without any bone fracture had scapholunate dissociation, one form of carpal bone instability. Although carpal bone instability is not frequent in an acutely injured wrist, its signs should be remembered in the radiographic analysis of the traumatic wrist to prevent subsequent articular disorders.

Acute Disease↗

PubMed1990

Posttraumatic lumbar intraspinal extradural-intradural ossification.

A case of intraspinal calcification having mainly the configuration of an intradural cast is presented. The traumatic etiology is obvious, and we consider, that the dural sac and nerve root lacerations were associated with intradural as well as extradural hematomas, which later became calcified.

Adult↗

PubMed1990

The cleansing enema. How many for a good quality double-contrast enema?

The effects of the 'tap-water enemas till clear' method of bowel cleansing on the technical quality of double-contrast enema (DCE) were studied in 123 outpatients referred for DCE. Patients with one or two tap-water enemas (1.75 litres) before the DCE had significantly more faecal residue and flocculation of contrast medium than patients with three or more enemas. However, the number of enemas did not correlate significantly with mucosal coating. The results suggest that at least three tap-water enemas should be given before DCE.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1990

Double-contrast barium examination and endoscopy in the detection of small polyps of the large intestine.

The purpose of this study was to compare double-contrast barium examination (DCBE) and endoscopy in detection of small colonic polyps. In 57 patients DCBE revealed 106 polyps in the large intestine. On total colonoscopy, 62 polyps could be verified. The size of the polyps excised ranged from 2 to 15 mm. Compared with DCBE, colonoscopy verified 48 true positive, 44 false positive and 14 false negative polyps. In revealing a polyp less than 5 mm, DCBE had a sensitivity of 72%, whereas in detection of larger polyps the sensitivity was 81%. Histological verification was available in 52 of the 62 removed polyps. A tubular adenoma was found in 12 of the 29 diminutive polyps verified with histology. DCBE and colonoscopy could not differentiate between adenomas and hyperplastic polyps. Since a polyp less than 5 mm may represent an adenoma, a precancerous lesion, its removal is indicated during colonoscopy after DCBE has detected it.

Adenoma↗

PubMed1990

How many projections are really needed in angiographic assessment of the femoral bifurcation?

The purpose of this study was to analyze how many angiographic projections are needed in the diagnosis of hemodynamically significant stenoses of the femoral bifurcation. A total of 134 femoral bifurcations were examined with triplanar angiography in 67 patients (45 men and 22 women). The patients, ranging in age from 42 to 81 years (mean 63), suffered from incapacitating symptoms of peripheral arterial disease. The contralateral posterior oblique projection proved to be the most valuable in the assessment of hemodynamically significant arterial stenoses of the femoral bifurcation. An AP projection added information on stenoses of the inlets of the deep femoral artery in 9% of cases and on stenoses of the inlets of the superficial femoral artery in 6% of cases. An arteriographic examination should be started with a contralateral posterior oblique projection and this view will suffice in most cases.

Adult↗

PubMed1990

Improved visualization of posterior fossa with clivoaxial CT scanning plane.

Eighteen patients clinically suspected of having acoustic neurinoma were studied in both orbitomeatal and clivoaxial (CA) (the plane perpendicular to clivus) CT scanning planes during the same sessions. On the CA cuts there were highly significantly less (p less than 0.001) artifacts. Also, the tentorium was highly significantly (p less than 0.001) better visualized on the CA cuts. CA cuts could be recommended in cases when artifacts disturb the diagnostics of posterior fossa pathology or when detailed topographic information about pathologic anatomy round the tentorium is needed.

Adult↗

PubMed1990

Urography with spasmolytics.

The effects of glucagon (1 mg i.v.) and hyoscine butylbromide (Buscopan 20 mg i.v.) and placebo on the visualization of the pyelocalyceal systems and ureters was compared in a routine urography with abdominal compression in a double-blind, randomized trial comprising 189 kidneys and ureters. The visualization of the ureters in the supine position was highly significantly better than in the prone. In the prone position the ureteral visualization with Buscopan was marginally significantly better than with placebo or glucagon. Otherwise, neither Buscopan nor glucagon improved the pyeloureteral visualization. However, with glucagon the pyelocalyceal visualization was highly significantly poorer than with placebo, and marginally significantly poorer than with Buscopan.

Animals↗

PubMed1990

Wire-guided biopsies of nonpalpable breast lesions.

The purpose of this study was to review the results of mammographic wire-guided biopsies of nonpalpable breast lesions and the features of the lesions in the preoperative examinations. Sixty women, mean age 50.2 years (range 31 to 74), underwent a wire-guided biopsy of the lesion. Twenty-nine patients had preoperative fine needle aspiration of the lesion. The radiographic diagnosis was correct in 33 patients (55%); 25 had breast cancer and 8 patients had a benign lesion. In 9 of the 14 patients with clustered microcalcifications in mammography and in 13 of the 15 patients with a mass noted in mammography, the cytological examination was correct. Nonpalpable mammographic masses with regular borders and normal fine needle aspiration examination do not require biopsy. In malignant mammographic appearances associated with a normal fine needle aspiration examination, biopsy of the lesion should always be done.

Adult↗

PubMed1989

Double contrast barium meal and acetylcysteine.

In a prospective double blind study, acetylcysteine, a local and systemic respiratory tract mucolytic agent, or a placebo, were given to 100 patients prior to a double contrast barium meal to decrease the gastric mucus viscosity and to make the mucus layer thinner, in order to permit barium to outline the furrows surrounding the areae gastricae instead of the overlying thick mucus. However, acetylcysteine failed to improve either visualization of the areae gastricae or the general quality of the double contrast barium meal.

Acetylcysteine↗

PubMed1989

Omnipaque and Gastrografin in gastrointestinal follow-through examinations.

The non-ionic low-osmolar contrast medium Omnipaque was compared with the conventional ionic high-osmolar contrast medium Gastrografin in a randomized, double blind study comprising 71 consecutive gastrointestinal follow-through examinations performed because of suspected ileus or anastomosis control. The patients' reaction were confined to nausea, emesis and diarrhoe being very similar in both groups and related to the patients' illnesses. The taste of Gastrografin was more often judged unpleasant, but the difference was not significant. Omniplaque scored significantly better for contrast medium density and diagnostic visualisation in the small bowel, otherwise the differences were negligible. There were no significant differences in the transit time into the caecum. The high price of Omnipaque restricts its routine use. It may be diagnostically indicated in selected cases where greater accuracy in the delineation of pathologic anatomical details in the small bowel is desired.

Diatrizoate Meglumine↗

PubMed1989

Superior mesenteric artery syndrome. A follow-up study of 16 operated patients.

A series of 18 patients underwent surgery for upper abdominal symptoms and signs of superior mesenteric artery syndrome (SMAS). The diagnosis was made by simultaneous arteriography and barium meal. Findings at operation confirmed SMAS in every patient, and a duodenojejunostomy was performed. Duodenal and jejunal wall biopsy from 13 patients revealed normal myenteric and submucous plexuses. A follow-up study of 16 patients was performed after 7 years. At follow-up, the weight loss seen preoperatively had been corrected. However, symptoms were essentially similar to those found at the original examination. Only the frequency of the most distressing symptom, vomiting, was significantly decreased (p less than 0.05). The most striking features in the production of the "pincher mechanism" of the duodenum were found to be a short aortomesenteric distance together with sagittal parallelism between aorta and superior mesenteric artery. In conclusion, we recommend a conservative attitude in the treatment of SMAS. Surgical treatment with duodenojejunostomy may be indicated only if vomiting is a predominant symptom and proper conservative treatment has failed.

Adult↗