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Biomedical subjects

R Niskanen

Publications and source records attributed to R Niskanen.

16 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

Osteosynthesis and allogeneic bone grafting in complex osteoporotic fractures.

Thirty patients with osteoporotic fractures were treated operatively. An allogeneic bone transplant was used in combination with a conventional osteosynthesis in each patient. The bone graft was pulverized in a bone mill and used as a substitute graft to fill the bone defect, add stability, and enhance bone union. Fractures healed without complications in 20 patients. The osteosynthesis failed in 4 patients. The fracture failed to unite in an additional 3 patients. One deep infection occurred. A biopsy taken from the allogeneic bone at plate removal after fracture union demonstrated mature bone and new bone formation. The use of pulverized allograft bone for large bone defects in patients with osteoporotic fractures yields acceptable results with no adverse effects.

Aged↗
PubMed2001

Hip arthroscopy in osteoarthritis. A review of 68 patients.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: A few studies have investigated therapeutic effect of hip arthroscopy in osteoarthritis, and therefore the use of hip arthroscopy in osteoarthritis has remained controversial. The aim of this study was to evaluate diagnostic and therapeutic aspects of hip arthroscopy in primary osteoarthritis. MATERIAL AND METHODS: During a time period from 1995 to 1999, a total of 68 patients had an arthroscopic evaluation of primary hip osteoarthritis at the Päijät-Häme Central Hospital, Lahti, Finland. The mean (range) follow-up was 1.3 (0.3 to 4) years. Arthroscopy was diagnostic in 38 (56%), while six (9%) patients received either long-lasting anaesthetic or prednisolone, and in 24 (35%) debridement was possible. Partial synovectomy was performed in two (3%). RESULTS: Three months after the arthroscopy, 49 (72%) patients reported that their hip pain had decreased. One year after the arthroscopy, 18 (26%) patients stated that their hip pain was less pronounced than before the arthroscopy. The severity of hip osteoarthritis in preoperative x-rays correlated significantly (p = 0.035) with the subjective result: the milder the osteoarthritis, the more often patients reported that their hip pain had decreased after arthroscopy. No association was observed between age, sex, modified Outerbridge grade of chondropathy, or whether a debridement was done or not and the symptomatic relief after the arthroscopy. CONCLUSIONS: Hip arthroscopy with or without debridement of loose cartilage may, at least temporarily, reduce the pain of mild or moderate osteoarthritis of the hip. Still, repeated arthroscopies had no therapeutic effect.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Lack of virus transmission from bovine viral diarrhoea virus infected calves to susceptible peers.

None of 14 calves not previously exposed to BVDV became infected after being forced to have nose-to-nose contact with a group of 5 calves primarily infected with BVDV. These were 5 male calves primarily infected with a type I BVDV strain, after nose-to-nose contact with a persistently viraemic calf. All 5 became infected and were clinically affected. They were slightly depressed and pyretic at 8-9 days post-infection, with a body temperature of up to 41.6 degrees C, but no medical treatment was required. Seroconversions to BVDV were detected in these calves at 14 to 21 days post-infection. The 14 healthy calves, proved to be free from BVD virus--as well as antibodies, were introduced 2 by 2 into the group of 5 primarily infected calves on days 4, 7, 14, 21, 28, 35 and 42 after the 5 calves had been in contact with the persistently BVDV-infected calf. Each pair of calves stayed within the primarily infected group for 2 days. None of these 14 calves seroconverted to BVDV.

Animals↗
PubMed1999

Calcium chloride sprays decrease physiological disorders following long-term cold storage of apple.

Field experiments were carried out at the Horticultural Research Institute, and in five commercial apple orchards, located in southwest Finland including the Aland Islands during 1994 and 1995. The experimental cultivars were Melba, Raike, Red Atlas, Akerö, Aroma, and Lobo. The treatments were untreated control and preharvest calcium chloride (CaCl2) sprays at Ca 2.0 g/l. Fruit samples were stored for two to six months at 2-4 degrees C and 85-95% RH. The percentage of the incidence of physiological disorders of stored apples was scored. Fruit macronutrients, firmness, diameter and juice titratable acidity and percentage of soluble solids were determined. Only a few nutrient effects in the flesh of the apple cultivars were a result of CaCl2 sprayings. Preharvest CaCl2 sprays increased fruit firmness and the titratable acidity but decreased soluble solids, soluble solids/titratable acidity ratio, and the incidence of physiological storage disorders of some cultivars. When looking at the mean of all cultivars, CaCl2 sprayings increased titratable acidity and decreased soluble solids/titratable acidity ratio after four months of storage during 1995 and reduced the incidence of physiological disorders after three months of storage during 1994 and after four months of storage in 1995.

Calcium Chloride↗
PubMed1999

Biodegradable screw fixation of the syndesmosis together with metallic osteosynthesis. Preliminary experience of 7 ankles.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: In ankle fractures with separation of the tibiofibular mortise a metallic syndesmosis screw is generally used. As a rule, this transfixing screw is removed by a separate operation 6 to 8 weeks later. Usually the fracture fixation implants are removed by a second operation later on. In order to eliminate separate removal of the transfixing screw, we used a biodegradable syndesmosis screw in a pilot clinical study. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We treated seven consecutive patients with malleolar fractures and separation of the syndesmosis by an ordinary metallic plating and screw fixation of the fractures and biodegradable polyglycolic acid (PGA) screw transfixation of the syndesmosis. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: All the patients ended up with an acceptable result and stable ankle mortise. One of the ankles, which was the only one fixed by two transfixing PGA screws instead of one screw, had transient sinus formation and intraosseal osteolysis. The final result was good also in this case. The ankle mortise can be fixed safely by biodegradable screws in connection with metallic osteosynthesis of malleolar fractures. Thus a separate removal of the transfixing material is possible to eliminate.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Complications after treatment of proximal femoral fractures.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The number of fractures of the proximal femur is increasing faster than the number of elderly people. The aim of the study was to record all complications after operative treatment of proximal femoral fractures in order to reduce the incidence of these complications in the future. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The files of 334 patients with proximal femoral fractures were retrospectively analyzed. The number of all general and operative complications were recorded. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The primary mortality was 8 percent. The most common general complication was a thromboembolic one. Local complications were recorded in 66 cases. Thirty-eight percent of femoral neck fractures treated by internal fixation were complicated. Increased attention should be focused on the sufficient antithrombosis prophylaxis, which should be continued at least during the whole convalescence period at the hospital. It remains to be clarified, if improved technical skill may improve the results of femoral neck osteosynthesis, which in this group of patients appeared far from satisfactory. The development of post-operative care and selection of right patients to an appropriate rehabilitation program is perhaps the most important factor today, in order to reduce complications in general.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Autotransfusion of drained blood after total knee arthroplasty.

Osteoarthritic knees were treated by cemented (20 knees) or uncemented (five knees) total knee arthroplasty. The drained blood of the first six postoperative hours was collected, filtered and autotransfused. The blood loss of 20 first postoperative hours averaged 970 ml in the cemented and 1360 ml in the uncemented arthroplasties. An average of 60% of the shed blood was returned to the patients. Transient fever reaction took place during the autotransfusion of three patients, all in the cemented arthroplasty subgroup. No other complications were recorded. The amount of drained blood and transfused blood was compared with a similar series of 16 arthroplasties, treated without autotransfusion. Autotransfusion of filtered blood appears safe and useful in arthroplasty of the knee. Marked reduction of foreign blood transfusion but no direct financial benefit was attained by autotransfusion in these cases. Autotransfusion after uncemented arthroplasty of the knee appears advisable, because of the lack of side-effects, possibly caused by acrylic monomers and because the bleeding (and collection of shed blood) was more extensive than after cemented arthroplasty.

Aged↗
PubMed1993

Relationship between the levels of antibodies to bovine viral diarrhoea virus in bulk tank milk and the prevalence of cows exposed to the virus.

A positive relationship was found between the prevalence of cows in a herd which were antibody-positive for bovine viral diarrhoea virus (BVDV) and the level of antibodies to the virus in bulk tank milk as determined by an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In herds with an ELISA absorbance value of up to 0.20 there were very few or no antibody-positive cows, whereas in herds with an ELISA absorbance value of at least 0.81, 87 to 100 per cent of the lactating cows were antibody-positive to BVDV. An analysis of the level of antibodies to BVDV in milk samples from Sweden and Finland showed that of 123 Swedish herds, 83.7 per cent had detectable antibodies to BVDV in their bulk milk whereas only 3.1 per cent of the 291 Finnish samples were antibody-positive. The incidence of BVDV infection in 105 herds in one area of Sweden was determined by analysing two samples of bulk tank milk taken one year apart. The infection had apparently occurred recently in five of these dairy herds.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Winter dysentery diagnosed by farmers in dairy herds in central Sweden: incidence, clinical signs and protective immunity.

The occurrence of winter dysentery, diagnosed by farmers and defined as an outbreak of diarrhoea among at least 30 per cent of adult cattle in a herd, was monitored in 256 dairy herds in an area of central Sweden. The cumulative incidence of winter dysentery between April 1988 and March 1989 was 28.5 per cent. A typical outbreak lasted for one to two weeks and 74 per cent of the outbreaks occurred between November and January. A decrease in milk yield was reported in 90 per cent of the affected herds and the cows showed respiratory signs in 57 per cent of them. There was a significant (P < 0.05) association between the occurrence of fever and coughing. In 31 per cent of the outbreaks the farmer also noticed diarrhoea among the calves. One-third of the affected herds had experienced an outbreak within the previous four years and 18 per cent had at least one further outbreak during the following two years. There was a significantly (P < 0.05) lower disease score in herds that had had an outbreak within the previous four years than in herds which had had a less recent or no previous outbreak, indicating the development of temporary immunity to the causative agent.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Determination of level of antibodies to bovine virus diarrhoea virus (BVDV) in bulk tank milk as a tool in the diagnosis and prophylaxis of BVDV infections in dairy herds.

An indirect ELISA has been evaluated for determination of the level of antibodies to BVDV in individual milk samples and recently in bulk tank milk from dairy herds. As part of an epidemiological study, bulk milk and individual milk samples from all cows in 15 dairy herds were analysed for antibodies to BVDV two times one year apart. There was an excellent correlation between the level of antibodies in the bulk tank milk and the prevalence of BVDV antibody positive cows. The mean prevalence of BVDV antibody positive cows in the 15 dairy herds was 45.5% (188/413) at the first sampling and 46.2% (191/413) one year later. Seven of the herds had no, or only a low number of antibody positive cows. In contrast, between 52 to 100% of the cows in seven other herds were antibody positive to BVDV. In the 15th herd all cows without antibodies at the first sampling were antibody positive to BVDV one year later, indicating a recently introduced BVDV infection in this herd. Analysis of bulk milk samples for BVDV antibodies is now routinely used in Sweden as a tool in diagnosis and prophylaxis of BVDV infections in dairy herds. The importance and advantages of this diagnostic technique, that has made it possible to establish BVDV-free dairy herds, is discussed.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Bovine coronavirus as the causative agent of winter dysentery: serological evidence.

Sera from 9 dairy herds with epizootic enteritis (winter dysentery) were examined for antibodies to bovine coronavirus (BCV) and bovine virus diarrhoea virus (BVDV). Cows in 8 of the 9 herds seroconverted to BCV alone, while the animals in the ninth herd, which showed severe symptoms of the disease, seroconverted both to BCV and BVDV. The BCV antibodies, which were present in high titres 1 year postinfection, were transferred to the offspring via the colostrum and were then detectable in sera of calves until these were approximately 5 months old. A serological survey of 549 Swedish heifers showed that 61% of the animals were reactors to BCV. The prevalence of seroreactors to BCV was equally distributed over Sweden but was commonly either high or low in herds. In conclusion, BCV is commonly detected in animals suffering from winter dysentery. A co-infection with BVDV appears to aggravate the disease.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

Renorrhaphy with a polyglycolic acid mesh.

In recent years resorbable polyglycolic acid mesh has been successfully used in the treatment of splenic injuries. The use of a resorbable mesh seems promising also in the treatment of renal injuries and in the rare ruptures of renal allografts. The authors report their own experience in the use of resorbable polyglycolic acid mesh in the treatment of a renal injury.

Child↗
PubMed1989

Evaluation of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for detection of antibodies to bovine virus diarrhoea virus in milk.

The present study shows that milk is an appropriate source for detection of seroreactors to bovine virus diarrhoea virus (BVDV). There was close agreement between antibody titres in serum and in skim milk, as determined by an indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The antibody titres were usually lower in skim milk than in serum, but all seropositive cows (n = 84) were also skim milk-positive and all but one seronegative cow (n = 55) proved negative in skim milk. During lactation, the level of antibodies to BVDV in milk showed an inverse relationship to the amount of milk produced. However, there was a sufficient level of antibodies in milk throughout lactation to permit an adequate determination of BVDV antibody status in dairy cows. There was a mutual good agreement between milk antibody titre in the four mammary quarters, irrespective of milk cell count. Milk can be used to detect seroreactors to BVDV. Milk is preferable to blood in large-scale epidemiological studies, since the sampling procedure is much simpler.

Animals↗
PubMed1989

Delayed diagnosis of rupture of the main bronchus.

A case of a bronchus rupture with delayed diagnosis is reported. The symptoms of tracheobronchial lesions are discussed. With this case report the authors wish to bring attention to a rare but increasingly common injury in patients with multiple trauma.

Adolescent↗