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Biomedical subjects

Michael Brage

Publications and source records attributed to Michael Brage.

7 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

Issues of importance to patients seeking care from members of the AOFAS: a preliminary report of the outcomes committee of the AOFAS.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this multi-center study was to examine the outcomes of importance for patients seeking treatment for foot and ankle disorders. An improved understanding of patient outcome preferences will assist surgeons in improving patient satisfaction. METHODS: An open-ended priority function questionnaire was administered to 235 patients presenting as new patients to five different outpatient locations. The questionnaire was designed to identify activities of importance to patients and was based on the McMaster Toronto Arthritis (MACTAR) patient preference disability questionnaire. Subjects were asked to list the specific activities that were limited by their condition. Open-ended answers were written on five blank spaces and then ranked as to their importance. The visual analog pain scale was recorded as a measure of the severity of the patient's symptoms at the time the response was made. The outpatient settings were two university hospitals, two private offices with academic affiliation, and one private office. Two hundred thirty-five surveys were collected between September and November of 2000; 227 surveys were acceptable for analysis. The respondents included 132 females (58.1%), 94 males (41.4%) and one patient who did not specify his gender (0.4%). The mean age was 45.8 (range 18 to 83) years. RESULTS: Average pain at the time of assessment was 2.7 on a scale of 0 to 9 and was reported to increase to 4.8 in a typical day. The most frequently ranked limitations were difficulty with walking (159), running (73), standing (55), and exercise (54). Walking also was the issue ranked as the highest priority (77 of 159), while running (11 of 73), standing (10 of 55) and exercise (3 of 54) were assigned lesser priority values. Only 68 of 227 respondents failed to list walking as an issue. Work, sleep, and social activities were not commonly cited as issues of importance. CONCLUSION: Patients presenting to office practices identified as specializing in foot and ankle disorders are predominantly middle-aged women in mild to moderate pain. Walking is the function most frequently identified as a problem and ranked as the highest priority for improvement. Social limitations were unlikely to be named as a limitation in this population.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed2005

Fresh ankle osteochondral allograft transplantation for tibiotalar joint arthritis.

BACKGROUND: Conventional treatment for tibiotalar joint arthritis relies on arthrodesis or prosthetic arthroplasty. Fresh osteochondral allografting is an alternative procedure to replace diseased articular cartilage. METHODS: Eleven patients (average age 43 years; range 18 to 65 years) had fresh osteochondral grafting of the tibiotalar joint. The diagnoses were posttraumatic arthritis in seven ankles, osteoarthritis in two, and an osteochondral defect in two. Precise cuts were made using the Agility (DePuy, Warsaw IN) ankle arthroplasty jigs. Bipolar replacements were used in nine ankles and unipolar in two. Results were evaluated using outcome scores, physical examinations, and standing ankle radiographs. RESULTS: At a minimum followup of 24 (average 33; range 26 to 45) months, six of the 11 ankles had successful grafting procedures. The average AOFAS score preoperatively improved from 55 to 73 postoperatively (p = 0.01). The patients' pain, gait, and walking surface scores were all significantly improved (p < 0.05). Of the five failures three underwent successful repeat allografting and one was revised to a total ankle arthroplasty, and one has had no further surgery. The ankle range of motion arc was 30 degrees or more in six ankles. Additional surgery included five talofibular joint debridements, three repeat graftings, two hardware removals, and one conversion to a prosthetic ankle replacement. There was one intraoperative fibular fracture and one superficial wound infection. The serum of 10 patients tested positive for cytotoxic HLA antibodies postoperatively. Radiographs revealed moderate and severe joint degeneration in six ankles; however, this did not necessarily correlate with a poor outcome. Poor results tended to occur in ankles with a graft-host size mismatch or graft thickness of less than 7 mm. CONCLUSION: Fresh osteochondral transplantation for tibiotalar joint arthritis is a promising alternative to arthrodesis and prosthetic replacement. Early results demonstrate successful outcomes and good pain relief in over half the patients in this series.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Reliability of the Foot Function Index:: A report of the AOFAS Outcomes Committee..

BACKGROUND: There currently is no widely used, validated, self-administered instrument for measuring musculoskeletal functional status in individuals with nonsystemic foot disorders. The purpose of this paper was to report on the assessment of reliability of one of these instruments. We wanted to determine if the Foot Function Index (FFI), which has been validated in rheumatoid patients without fixed foot deformity or prior foot surgery, would be reliable for a population of patients with foot complaints without systemic disease. METHODS: Patients were recruited from five orthopaedic offices where the physicians were members of the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society. Patients were asked to complete the FFI at the time of their initial office visit and then were given a second copy to complete and return by mail 1 week after their visit. RESULTS: Ninety-six patients completed the first questionnaire, and 54 patients completed the second. Reliability in this population was acceptable with an average of 23.5% of the patients providing retest values within one point of the initial response and an average of 45.3% of the patients providing the same response, for a total of 68.8% of all respondents answering within one point between their initial and second questionnaire. In two of the three categories, there were frequent nonresponses or no applicable responses. Four questions, two in the pain section and two in the activity limitation section, generated 20% or more of the nonapplicable answers. CONCLUSIONS: The FFI appears to be a reasonable tool for low functioning individuals with foot disorders. It may not be appropriate for individuals who function at or above the level of independent activities of daily living.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed2004

Brachymetatarsia.

Brachymetatarsia is a rare clinical entity that presents a complicated case to the treating surgeon. One-stage lengthening procedures with a variety of biologic and synthetic implants are preferred for metatarsals that only need to be lengthened up to 15 mm, whereas gradual lengthening allows for greater length gain and concomitant lengthening of the soft tissues. Adjacent metatarsal shortening may be used in conjunction with lengthening procedures to restore the parabolic arc of the metatarsal heads. Management should be tailored to the patient's individual deformity and expectations. Individualization of surgical techniques and patient selection criteria can result in a cosmetic, functional result that is satisfactory to the clinician and the patient.

Foot Deformities↗
PubMed2004

Heel pain-plantar fasciitis and Achilles enthesopathy.

Plantar fasciitis and Achilles enthesopathy are two of the most common causes of posterior heel pain. In the vast majority of cases, nonsurgical treatment methods are effective. In recalcitrant cases, surgery has been shown to be generally effective. There are a variety of described techniques for both conditions. Endoscopic treatment of plantar fasciitis leads to slightly enhanced recovery times compared with the traditional open release, but in the long term the results seem to be equivalent. Open debridement of the retrocalcaneal bursa, calcaneal osteophyte, and diseased tendon is the underlying principle behind surgical treatment of Achilles enthesopathy. This can be performed through a variety of approaches, and augmentation with suture anchors, tendon transfers, or allograft may be necessary when more than 50% of the tendon is excised.

Achilles Tendon↗
PubMed2003

Adult acquired flat foot deformity: clinical and radiographic examination.

Symptomatic adult acquired flat foot deformity is encountered in the orthopedic office on a frequent basis. Although many causes exist, a careful history and a stepwise approach to the physical examination will clue the examiner into making the correct diagnosis and provide appropriate treatment. Radiographs serve as an adjunct and assist in verifying the examination findings. CT, US, and MRI are helpful modalities for surgical planning or when the diagnosis remains questionable.

Adult↗