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Biomedical subjects

S S Stevens

Publications and source records attributed to S S Stevens.

23 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Effect of early body image dissatisfaction on subsequent psychological and physical adjustment after disfiguring injury.

OBJECTIVE: The impact of body image dissatisfaction on quality of life after severe burn injury was investigated after controlling for other determinants of outcome (i.e., injury, distress, and preburn quality of life). METHODS: The postburn quality of life (2-months postdischarge) of groups with and without body image dissatisfaction was studied after controlling for preburn quality of life (measured 2-3 days postadmission). The patient population (N = 86) was 77.9% men, had an average total body surface area burned of 17.02%, and average full-thickness burn of 6.09%. Forty percent had facial injuries, 68.6% required surgery, most were injured by flame (39.5%), and 76.8% were employed. RESULTS: Multivariate analysis of covariance (covarying preburn level of Mental quality of life, facial injury, and size of burn) contrasting body image dissatisfaction groups found significantly lower psychosocial adjustment at 2-month follow-up in those with greater body image dissatisfaction (multivariate F = 3.61; p<.01). A second MANCOVA (covarying the preburn level of Physical quality of life and both facial injury and size of burn) found significantly lower physical functioning at 2-month follow-up in those with greater body image dissatisfaction (multivariate F = 2.78; p < .03). Adding two more covariates (depression and posttrauma distress) eliminated the effect of body image dissatisfaction on postburn Physical but not Mental adjustment. CONCLUSIONS: Body image dissatisfaction affects quality of life after severe burn injury. Distress moderates this impact on aspects of physical but not psychosocial health.

Adaptation, Psychological↗

Mechanobiology in the development, maintenance, and degeneration of articular cartilage.

During skeletal development, the establishment of a layer of cartilage at the ends of long bones is intimately linked to the process of endochondral ossification. Previous in vivo studies and computer models suggest that mechanobiological factors can play a key role in modulating cartilage growth and ossification. Specifically, intermittent hydrostatic pressure is thought to maintain cartilage, and shear stresses encourage cartilage destruction and ossification. In the present investigation we examined the combined effects of hydrostatic pressure and shear stress--in the form of an osteogenic index--on the development of a layer of articular cartilage, using an idealized finite element computer model. The results of our analyses provide further support for the view that mechanobiological factors play a key role in regulating the distribution of cartilage thickness and in maintaining a stable cartilage layer at maturity. The model predicts that joints that experience higher contact pressures will have thicker cartilage layers. These predictions are consistent with observations of cartilage thickness in both humans and animals. Variations in articular mechanical load are predicted to modulate cartilage thickness. These results are consistent with the view that the mechanobiological factors responsible for the development of diarthrodial joints eventually lead to cartilage degeneration and osteoarthritis (OA) with aging.

Aging↗