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PubMed1998

[3-D imaging of the facial surface by topometry using projected white light strips].

Three-dimensional registration of the facial surface by methods which are currently in use is difficult because of the long measuring times required by point-based imaging systems. Artifacts caused by movement appear, e.g., blinking. Also the production of a facial plaster-cast model for measuring is not an adequate solution. In order to acquire data of the facial surface in a contact-free manner, a system is needed that has short measuring times, is able to record data of complex surfaces and at the same time does no harm to the open eyes. The method described here represents a new development of an industrial high tech CAD/CAM system. Unlike customary point-based imaging systems, the stripe projection method works using entire planes. Structured light is aimed at the surface to be measured, recorded by videocamera and calculated by triangulation; then the different views are combined by computer. The system has an optic sensor that can record approximately 500,000 measuring points within seconds (ca. 1.7s). Test persons' faces and plaster-cast models of them (n = 15) were measured comparatively and serially (n = 5) to test the validity and reliability of the method for maxillofacial procedures. These investigations show that this method is appropriate for recording three-dimensional soft-tissue profiles. First studies on patients before and after dysgnathia operations were undertaken. A prospective long-term study for collecting data on pre- and postoperative dysgnathia patients has been begun. Initially, it will record the changes in facial soft tissue on the basis of skeletal displacement. Later, predictions about the soft-tissue changes subsequent to dysgnathia surgery can be worked out on the basis of stored data matched with three-dimensional bone data.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1992

Cartilage regeneration after proximal tibial osteotomy for medial gonarthrosis. An arthroscopic, roentgenographic, and histologic study.

High tibial osteotomy for medial gonarthrosis was performed in 28 patients (28 knees). At the time of surgery, arthroscopy was also performed and a cartilage-bone biopsy was obtained. Postoperatively, 15 patients were randomized to a cylinder plaster cast, whereas 13 patients had a hinged cast brace for early knee mobilization. At follow-up examination, two years after surgery, 16 patients accepted an arthroscopic examination with a cartilage-bone biopsy. In overcorrected knees, cartilage regeneration was found in eight of 14 patients on the medial tibial condyle and in nine of 14 on the medial femoral condyle. The main repair feature was proliferation of fibrocartilage, which covered bone and areas of fibrillated cartilage and filled vertical clefts in hyaline cartilage. The hyaline cartilage showed an increased cellularity with numerous nests of proliferating chondrocytes. No correlation was found between clinical outcome and the degree of cartilage regeneration as observed by arthroscopy, biopsy, or roentgenography. Knees with a brace postoperatively had better knee flexion two years after surgery. No difference in cartilage regeneration was recorded between knees with a plaster cast or a cast brace postoperatively.

Adult↗

PubMed2001

Long-term results of treatment of fractures of the medial humeral epicondyle in children.

BACKGROUND: The treatment of isolated, displaced fractures of the medial humeral epicondyle in children is controversial. Both plaster cast immobilization without reduction and open reduction and internal fixation have been advocated. The purpose of this long-term retrospective study was to analyze the functional and radiographic results of both nonsurgical and surgical management of these injuries. METHODS: Forty-two patients who had had an isolated fracture of the medial humeral epicondyle with displacement of >5 mm at an average age of twelve years (range, eight to fifteen years) were evaluated at an average age of forty-five years (range, thirty to sixty-one years). The patients were divided into three groups that were comparable with regard to the amount of fracture displacement, age at the time of the fracture, age at the time of follow-up, sports activities and occupation, and duration of follow-up. In Group I (nineteen patients), the fracture had been treated with a long-arm plaster cast without reduction of the displaced medial epicondyle. In Group II (seventeen patients), open reduction and internal fixation with either Kirschner wires or a T-nail had been performed. In Group III (six patients), the epicondylar fragment had been excised with suture reattachment of the tendons and the medial collateral ligament. RESULTS: According to a functional grading scale, there were sixteen good and three fair results in Group I. All but two patients were seen to have nonunion of the fragment on follow-up radiographs, but all had a normal result on valgus stress-testing of the elbow. The range of motion of the elbow was either normal or minimally decreased, and the grip strength of the ipsilateral hand was normal. There were fifteen good and two fair results in Group II. All patients had union of the medial epicondyle, with various radiographic deformities of the medial epicondyle, but the functional results were similar to those of the Group-I patients. The Group-III patients had four poor and two fair results. Four had constant pain at the elbow and paresthesias in the distribution of the ulnar nerve. One patient had a restricted range of motion of the elbow, four patients had an unstable elbow, and three patients had decreased grip strength of the ipsilateral hand. CONCLUSIONS: In our study, nonsurgical treatment of isolated fractures of the medial humeral epicondyle with between 5 and 15 mm of displacement yielded good long-term results similar to those obtained with open reduction and internal fixation. The nonunion of the epicondylar fragment that was present in most patients who had been treated only with a cast did not adversely affect the functional results. Surgical excision of the medial epicondylar fragment should be avoided because the long-term results are poor.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1981

The use of shortened periods of rigid postoperative immobilization in the surgical treatment of idiopathic scoliosis.

Seventy-eight consecutive patients with idiopathic scoliosis treated by Harrington instrumentation and spine fusion were allowed to walk shortly after operation, first in an underarm plaster cast for ten weeks and then in a canvas-front, hard-back Rohadur or Lexan brace until all external support was discontinued six months after operation. Sixty-four patients were followed for two years or more. Single thoracic curves, comprising almost half of the series, had an average final correction of 48 per cent, while all curves had an average final correction of 44 per cent. The average total loss of correction was 8 degrees, with approximately equal amounts lost in the first and second three months after operation. The incidence of pseudarthrosis was 1.5 per cent and the complications were minor. This series demonstrated that, for cooperative patients with idiopathic scoliosis of less than 90 degrees, the operative procedure and postoperative immobilization described can be expected to result in solid fusion without excessive loss of initial correction, pleasing cosmetic results, and less inconvenience to the patient because of decreased time in a plaster cast and early ambulation.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2003

[Conservative treatment of femoral fractures in children in data from the Orthopedic Clinic of the 2nd Medical Faculty of Charles University].

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: Conservative therapy is the method of choice for treating femoral fractures in younger children all over the world. At the Department of Orthopedic Surgery of the Second Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague, this approach has had a long tradition and has only partly been replaced by other, more recent methods. It is not always necessary to abandon well-established and reliable techniques because of new achievements and this is demonstrated by the results of our study. MATERIAL: In a period of 22 years, 112 boys and 97 girls were treated by Bryant's traction and 62 boys and 46 girls by Weber's traction. The former was used in children younger than 5 years, weighing less than 20 kg. The latter was applied in patients between 5 and 10 years of age whose body mass was between 20 to 35 kg. METHODS: Bryant's traction, used in the younger age category, offered the advantage of easy application without total anesthesia. Both legs were suspended in an apparatus that keeps the patient's pelvis slightly elevated above the bed level. Counter traction was provided by the weight of the suspended pelvis. In Weber's traction, used in children aged 5 to 10 years, a Kirschner's wire was inserted in the distal metaphysis of each femur in the frontal plane. The ends of each wire were attached to a metal U-shaped spreader. This apparatus holds the legs at right angles both in the knees and hips. Each patient was examined by X-ray at 1 week to check the correction of displacement and at 3 weeks to check callus development. All the patients were immobilized in a plaster cast spica for a period of 6 to 8 weeks after injury and each child was also shortly hospitalized for cast removal and early physical therapy. RESULTS: Fractures in the middle of the diaphysis with an oblique fracture line were most frequent. These and long spiral fractures responded well to these two methods in almost all cases. In transverse fractures, which are less common, when an angular dislocation persisted it was tolerated owing to the subsequent remodelation. The most serious complication was a shortening of the leg involved, which often occurred with the use of Bryant's traction. The shortening was found in 80% of the patients shortly after the fracture had healed. A low body mass of the child was generally responsible for failure to stretch the femur to its full length. In children treated by Weber's traction, the shortening was observed in 55% immediately after fracture healing. On examination at 1 and 3 weeks, its presence was markedly lower, occurring in 25% and 17% of the children, respectively. Lengthening was found only occasionally on examination in adolescence or adulthood, but this may have been due to other causes. Excessive movement of the child in bed, usually when the parents came to visit, sometimes interfered with good correction of the displacement. DISCUSSION: Bryant's traction was used in our department for conservative treatment even in very young children. The plaster cast spica was applied primarily to non-displaced fractures. Pavlík's harness, recommended by Rockwood and Stannard, was used in pediatric injuries only occasionally. When conservative treatment was indicated in older children, Weber's traction was applied. The Göteborg traction described by Havránek was not used. The shortening of the leg treated was the most frequent complication, but our results were not in agreement with the data reported by Stahelim, who described a greater and more frequent shortening in children older than our patients. In our study, younger children suffered from leg shortening more often, as was also reported by Náhoda and Stryhal. The subsequent lengthening was found only occasionally; the average values of 2.6 cm and 2.3 cm in younger and older children, respectively, as reported by Náhoda and Stryhal, were not recorded. When lengthening was observed, its value was always lower. A 30 degrees rotational deviation, observed by Verbeek in one third of his patients, was not seen in our children. Pseudoarthrosis or infection were absent in our population and a literature search showed that, when treated conservatively, femoral fractures were not associated with these complications. CONCLUSIONS: Well-established methods of conservative treatment of femoral fractures in children were evaluated with the objective to advocate their importance for today's orthopedic surgery. Although the children treated by these methods are confined to bed for a longer period than when more recent techniques are used, they may avoid many of the complications that accompany these new approaches.

Child↗

PubMed1978

[The therapy for pyogenic coxitis and its stabilisation with the fixateur externe (tubular system) (author's transl)].

The treatment of the destructive, unstable state of infection on the hip often takes an unfavourable course, because alloarthroplastic techniques are ruled out on principle, while the hip arthrodesis itself creates biomechanical problems under the incomparably more favourable aseptic conditions. The protracted trimming arthrodesis with immobilisation by pelvic plaster cast remains precarious with regard to the painful stress and the sedation of the infection, and it always includes the danger a damage causing immobilisation of the knee joint. The jointparts destructed by the infection are equivalent to an infected pseudarthrosis; for its stabilisation the fixateur externe is indicated, by analogy to the approach used on the extremities. The biomechanical problems are similar to those occuring with the internal fixation of hip arthrodesis: neutralisation of dislodging forces on the long leg lever, reliable anchorage of the means of osteosynthesis on the pelvis and axial compression on the broadest possible contact surfaces of the anthrodesis. A special installation of the fixateur externe (tubular system of the ASIF) is pointed out, which meets almost all requirements. The external osteosynthesis joins lateral ilium and femur shaft, compressing the hip area. For securing the stability it is necessary to include both of the iliac crests and a diagonal brace in the outer construction. The external fixation for stabilising the hip represents a large-scale technique which, by its nature, is inferior to internal osteosynthesis. But for the treatment of active pyogenic coxitis neither the arthrodesis by copra-head-plate nor the screw joint in connection with intertrochanteric osteotomy is suited. The advantages in contrast to the classical therapy with pelvic plaster cast are obvious. The operating method is explained on a model and presented in a casuistry on 3 people operated on so far. If the head-neck-segment is lost completely after septic head necrosis, a careful debridement and the Girdlestone-plastic usually lead to an infection sanitation, but mostly at the cost of an unstable hip on the considerably shortened leg.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

[Functional bracing after operative treatment of metacarpal fractures].

Metacarpal fractures are frequently immobilized for several weeks in forearm plaster cast, even after operative stabilisation. The purpose of this study was to assess the results after early functional treatment using metacarpal braces. 87 patients with 105 metacarpal fractures were included in a prospective study from February 1997 until November 2000. The AO-classification of the fractures was assessed for all patients: n=33 A1,n=9 A2,n=3 A3, n=27 B1,n=6 B2,n=7 B3,n=10 C1,n=7 C2, n=3 C3.Exclusion criteria were tendon or nerve injuries,pathological fractures (tumor or metabolic),additional digital fractures of the same ray,and a patients age of less then 18 years. All fractures were treated operatively. 73 patients (84%) were recruited for follow up after an average period of nine months. Average grip strength reached 96% (Jamar II) for the power grip, 97% for the three finger and 98% for the pinch grip compared to the contra-lateral side in the group where the dominant hand was affected. It was 88% for the power grip, 91% for the three finger grip and 94% for the pinch grip after injury of the non-dominant hand. The mean postoperative pain score on the visual analog scale was 0.2 for resting conditions, 0.8 for motion and 2.2 under stress.A decreased total range of motion was observed in 15 of 73 patients (21%). The average DASH score reached 6.5 points. Physical therapy was required for an average of 6.7 weeks. Only 41% of the patients with early functional treatment required further physical therapy after removal of the brace. The metacarpal brace used in this series protects from direct trauma,and provides a high patients comfort.It has no disadvantages considering fracture retention compared to conventional plaster casts or splints. The need for physical therapy is reduced after functional fracture bracing.Thus, the metacarpal brace has proven to be a suitable tool for early functional treatment after operative stabilisation of metacarpal fractures.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1977

[Conservative treatment of deformities of the anterior chest wall].

The authors have treated 55 deformities of the anterior chest wall in children. There were 37 cases of symmetrical pectus carinatum, 15 cases of asymmetrical pectus carinatum and 3 cases of pectus arcuatum. Associated lesions of the ribs, scapulae and spine are described. Treatment in every case was by plaster casts followed by a plaster jacket and exercises. The results were much more satisfactory in deformities associated with prominence than with depression of the sternum. In pectus carinatum, the results were better when the apex of the deformity was more distal. The best age for treatment was between 12 and 13 years. No patient was treated by operation.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2001

Surgical interventions for treating distal radial fractures in adults.

BACKGROUND: Fracture of the distal radius is a common clinical problem, particularly in older white women with osteoporosis. OBJECTIVES: To determine when, and if so what type of, surgical intervention is the most appropriate treatment for fractures of the distal radius in adults. SEARCH STRATEGY: We searched the Cochrane Musculoskeletal Injuries Group's specialised register, Cochrane Controlled Trials Register (The Cochrane Library Issue 4, 2000), MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, the National Research Register (Issues 2 to 4, 2000) and bibliographies of trial reports. The full search was concluded in December 2000. SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomised or quasi-randomised clinical trials involving skeletally mature patients with a fracture of the distal radius, which compared surgical treatment with conservative treatment, different types of surgical intervention or the duration of immobilisation after surgery. The main categories of surgical intervention were external fixation, percutaneous pinning, open reduction and internal fixation, and the insertion of bone scaffolding materials. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: All trials, meeting the selection criteria, were independently assessed by both reviewers for methodological quality. Data were extracted for anatomical, functional and clinical outcomes (including complications). The trials were grouped into categories relating to the main comparisons and types of surgical intervention. Despite clear heterogeneity in the characteristics of comparable trials, pooling of data was undertaken where possible and appropriate. MAIN RESULTS: Forty four trials, examining 23 treatment comparisons, met the inclusion criteria of this review. These involved a total of 3193 mainly female and older patients with generally displaced, often comminuted and potentially or evidently unstable fractures. Half of the trials compared surgery with plaster cast immobilisation. Summarising the outcomes was hampered by the variation between the studies in participant characteristics, interventions, quality of trial methodology and reporting, and methods of outcome measurement. Surgical methods were usually associated with better anatomical appearance after fracture healing, but there was inadequate evidence to confirm that these had resulted in better functional and clinical outcomes for the patients. REVIEWER'S CONCLUSIONS: The 44 randomised trials do not provide robust evidence for most of the decisions necessary in the management of these fractures. Although, in particular, there is some evidence to support the use of external fixation or percutaneous pinning, their precise role and methods are not established. It is also unclear whether surgical intervention of most fracture types will produce consistently better long-term outcomes. There is a need for good quality evidence for the surgical management of these fractures.

Adult↗

PubMed2002

Surgical versus conservative treatment for acute injuries of the lateral ligament complex of the ankle in adults.

BACKGROUND: Inversion injuries, primarily sprains, of the ankle are one of the most commonly treated injuries. The three main treatment modalities for acute lateral ankle ligament injuries are immobilisation with plaster cast or splint, 'functional treatment' comprising early mobilisation and the use of an external support (e.g. ankle brace or taping), and surgical repair or reconstruction. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to compare surgical versus conservative treatment for acute injuries of the lateral ligament complex of the ankle in adults. SEARCH STRATEGY: We searched the Cochrane Musculoskeletal Injuries Group specialised register (December 2001), the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register (The Cochrane Library, Issue 4, 2001), MEDLINE (1966 to May 2000), EMBASE (1980 to May 2000), CURRENT CONTENTS (1993 to 1999), BIOSIS (to 1999), reference lists of articles, and contacted organisations and researchers in the field. SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomised or quasi-randomised controlled trials comparing surgical with conservative interventions for treating acute injuries to the lateral ligament complex of the ankle in adults. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: At least two, usually three, reviewers independently assessed methodological quality and extracted data. Where appropriate, results of comparable studies were pooled using fixed and random effects models and relative risks with 95% confidence intervals for dichotomous outcomes calculated. Heterogeneity between trials was tested using a standard chi-squared test. We undertook sensitivity analyses to explore the effects of inclusion of quasi-randomised trials and subgroup analyses by the two main methods of conservative treatment. MAIN RESULTS: Seventeen studies, involving a total of 1950 mostly young active adult males, were included. All trials had methodological flaws. In particular, allocation was rated as effectively concealed in only one trial and there was no report of masking outcome assessors to the interventions in any trial. Outcome measures were variously defined and data for pooling for individual outcomes were only available for a maximum of 11 studies. While there were statistically significant differences for three primary outcomes (non-return to pre-injury level of sports; undefined pain or pain on activity; and subjective or functional instability) in favour of the surgical treatment group using the fixed effects model, these findings failed to demonstrate robustness in sensitivity analyses. Exclusion of the data from explicitly quasi-randomised trials or, given the highly statistically significant heterogeneity, analyses using the random effects model modified these findings to non-statistically significant differences. There was no statistically significant difference in ankle sprain recurrence, the other primary outcome measure. Though there was a statistically significantly higher incidence of objective instability in conservatively treated patients, the functional implications of this are uncertain. There was some evidence for a lower incidence of long-term ankle swelling in surgically treated patients. However, as well as tending to take longer to resume normal activities, including work, there was some limited evidence from a few trials for a higher incidence of ankle stiffness, impaired ankle mobility and complications in the surgical treatment group. Subgroup analyses by type of conservative treatment (plaster cast or functional treatment) revealed no statistically significant differences in effect for any of the six outcomes examined. REVIEWER'S CONCLUSIONS: There is insufficient evidence available from randomised controlled trials to determine the relative effectiveness of surgical and conservative treatment for acute injuries of the lateral ligament complex of the ankle. Sufficiently powered, good quality and adequately reported randomised trials of primary surgical repair versus the best available conservative treatment for well-defined injuries are required.

Acute Disease↗

PubMed1970