Ortho News

Sunday, April 15, 2012

A new twist in Robotic Surgery

Instead of using robots to asssist with surgery, how about specializing in performing surgery on robots?

Scientists build robot with muscles and joints

The next time you see someone doing the dance “The robot,” it might not be accurate in the world of modern robotics. Scientists at the University of Sussex, the University of Belgrade, and the Artificial Intelligence Lab of the University of Zurich have been working on a new humanoid robot that has muscles and joints, just like real humans. This means their movements won’t be as rigid as everyone has come to expect from robots. Slash Gear

New Ortho books to consider

Pediatric Orthopedic Surgical Emergencies by Joshua M. Abzug and Martin J. Herman (May 31, 2012) Hardcover

Current Management of Shoulder and Elbow Trauma by W. Levine, Christopher S. Ahmad and Edwin R. Cadet (May 30, 2012) Hardcover

Orthopaedic Emergencies by Casey J. Humbyrd, Benjamin Petre, Arjun S. Chanmugam and Dawn M. LaPorte (May 18, 2012) Paperback

Mercer's Textbook of Orthopaedics and Trauma by Sureshan Sivanathan and Eugene Sherry (May 1, 2012)

Physeal Injury Other Than Fracture by Hamlet A. Peterson (Apr 28, 2012)

ASSH Manual of Hand Surgery by Warren C. Hammert, Warren C. Hammert, Martin I. Boyer and David J. Bozentka (Mar 30, 2012) - Kindle eBook

Imaging of the Foot and Ankle by Thomas H. Berquist (Mar 30, 2012) - Kindle eBook

Some digital news of note

Google Scholar: See your citations
Have you realized that now scientisits can create Google Scholar profiles and receive citation reports automatically? It saves plenty of time and efforts. Great service! ScienceRoll

Prestigious medical journal The Lancet arrives on iPad
The next big move for medical journals is to move into the digital domain. The medical community has already seen a number of prestigious journals such as the NEJM and BMJ launch electronic versions which are available on the iPad. Electronic journals offer a number of advantages over traditional paper journals such as the ability to carry an entire back catalogue of issues, save, share and favourite articles for further reading. One of the latest journals to join the range of digital journals is The Lancet. The Lancet app is a free app for the iPad which offers current subscribers rapid access to recently published content from The Lancet and other specialty publications; The Lancet Oncology, The Lancet Neurology and The Lancet Infectious Diseases. iMedicalapps

The future of medicine is … here: TEDMED 2012
In just a few short years, the TEDMED conference has grown in size and prominence to become an annual highlight for healthcare visioneers and digerati. The list of speakers shows it to include some of the best and brightest in the nation, and spans disciplines from engineering to medicine to informatics to chemistry. iMedicalapps

Friday, April 13, 2012

Will 3-D printing launch a new industrial revolution?

Every year the technique turns out more complex artifacts, faster and cheaper. The technology is now used to print aircraft landing gears, dresses, car parts, individualized tooth crowns, artificial hips and knees, and more. PhysOrg

Similar post from Nov. 2011: Bare Bones Expenses for Orthopedic Surgeons: 3-D bone printing at 10% cost of traditional bone models

An Evaluation of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Parent Stress in Children With Orthopaedic Injuries

Trauma has more than physical effects on pediatric patients and their families. The purpose of this study was to evaluate pediatric orthopaedic trauma patients and patients with isolated nonoperative upper extremity (UE) fractures for emotional/psychologic symptoms associated with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and parent stress. Wallace M, Puryear A, Cannada LK. J Orthop Trauma. 2012 Apr 10. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 22495522 (J Orhop Trauma Publish Ahead of Print )

The Humble Cervical Collar Gets an Overhaul

An undergraduate team of three mechanical engineering students and three biomedical engineering students have redesigned the common cervical collar to provide better stabilization for the head and neck of accident victims. The inspiration for the HeadCase cervical collar came from Dr. John Hipp a former director of the Spine Research Laboratory at Baylor College of Medicine.

Dr. Hipp and his colleagues published a paper in 2010 in The Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery reporting abnormal separation between vertebrae in cervical collar users. The HeadCase collar aims to prevent this separation by providing a greater degree of immobilization. Where existing collars are wrapped around the neck, the HeadCase provides support to the cheeks, chest and top of the back. MedGadget

Wednesday, April 11, 2012

The Journal of Hand Surgery: articles in press

Posterior Elbow Release and Humeral Osteotomy for Patients With Arthrogryposis. Dan A. Zlotolow, Scott H. Kozin PDF

Biomechanical Measurements of Forearm Pronosupination With Common Methods of Immobilization. Aron M. Trocchia, John C. Elfar, Warren C. Hammert PDF

Vascularized Bone Grafts for Scaphoid Nonunions. D.B. Jones Jr, P.C. Rhee, A.Y. Shin PDF

Three-Dimensional Computed Tomographic Analysis of 11 Scaphoid Waist Nonunions. Andreas Schweizer, Philipp Fürnstahl, Ladislav Nagy PDF

Researchers find hospital residents more efficient with smartphones than pagers

Is the day of the hospital pager coming to an end?

Well, not yet, but the use of pagers in the hospital is being challenged by new wireless technological solutions.

Since 1949, pagers have remained one of the most commonly used technologies among all hospital personnel. However, researchers in the United Kingdom are looking to change this. They recently assessed whether a new wireless system can decrease some of the efficiencies of pager systems in hospitals. iMedicalApps

Cochrane Bone, Joint and Muscle Trauma Group

The Cochrane Bone, Joint and Muscle Trauma Group is one of around 50 collaborative Review Groups within The Cochrane Collaboration. Members of this Group – researchers, health care professionals from many disciplines and consumers - share an interest in generating reliable, up-to-date evidence. These reviews are published in The Cochrane Library (via Ovid).

Monday, April 9, 2012

Hyperspectral imaging: Shedding new light on wound healing

Clinicians who treat severe wounds may soon have powerful new diagnostic tools in the form of hyperspectral imaging (HSI) devices, calibrated to new NIST standard reference spectra, which will provide unprecedented perspective on the physiology of tissue injury and healing. PhysOrg.com

Sunday, April 8, 2012

Measurement of tibial nerve excursion during ankle joint dorsiflexion in a weight-bearing position with ultrasound imaging

The ability of peripheral nerves to stretch and slide is thought to be of paramount importance to maintain ideal neural function. Excursion in peripheral nerves such as the tibial can be measured by analysis of ultrasound images. The aim of this study was to assess the degree of longitudinal tibial nerve excursion as the ankle moved from plantar flexion to dorsiflexion in a standardised weight-bearing position. The reliability of ultrasound imaging to measure tibial nerve excursion was also quantified. PDF

Negative Pressure Wound Therapy Reduces Deep Infection Rate in Open Tibial Fractures

Conclusions: These results suggest that NPWT reduces the rate of deep infection when used for the dressing of traumatic wounds in open tibial fractures.

Rotator Cuff Regeneration Using a Bioabsorbable Material With Bone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells in a Rabbit Model

Hypothesis: A polyglycolic acid sheet scaffold with seeded mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) may enhance the expression of type I collagen products and increase the mechanical strength of the regenerated tendon in vivo. PDF

Brain controlled Upper Extremity Prosthesis

Wounded Warrior tests brain-controlled prosthetic
U.S. Air Force Tech Sgt. Joe Delauriers was the first patient at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center (WRNMMC) to begin using the Modular Prosthetic Limb (MPL). The brain-controlled prosthetic has nearly as much dexterity as a natural limb, 22 degrees of motion, and independent movement of fingers, the MPL was developed as part of a four-year program by the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL), along with WRNMMC and the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU).

Look for the full story and interview with Tech Sgt. Delauriers in the Spring 2012 edition of the Navy Medicine Magazine.

Friday, April 6, 2012

Research team finds compound that can spur cartilage growth

A research team from drug maker Novartis has discovered a compound that spurs cartilage growth in mice. As they describe in their paper published in the journal Science, the team has found that when a compound with molecules of kartogenin in it comes in contact with certain kinds of stem cells, chondrocytes develop, resulting in new cartilage growth, possibly paving the way perhaps, to a long sought treatment for osteoarthritis. MedicalXpress

Tumorpedia app for musculoskeletal tumors is well designed but light on content

Being an orthopaedic surgery resident with a particular interest in orthopaedic oncology, I was excited to try out the Tumorpedia family of apps.

I am always interested in expanding my sources of mobile references, and mobile study aids for orthopaedic in-training exams are sparse.

The Tumorpedia family of apps (Lite, Bone, Soft Tissue, Foot and Ankle, and Spanish) for iPhone/iPad claims to be “the most comprehensive source of musculoskeletal tumor information available for mobile devices.” iMedicalApps

A sprinkle of 'pixie dust' reduces post-surgical infection in spine

Scattering a gram of powdered antibiotic (vancomycin) directly into a spinal surgery wound appears to be a safe, cost-effective way to achieve low post-operative infection rates, according to a University of Rochester Medical Center study. MedicalXpress

Prolonged Versus Standard Duration Venous Thromboprophylaxis in Major Orthopedic Surgery: A Systematic Review.

Conclusion: Prolonged prophylaxis decreases the risk for venous thromboembolism, PE, and DVT while increasing the risk for minor bleeding in patients undergoing total hip replacement. Sobieraj DM, Lee S, Coleman CI, Tongbram V, Chen W, Colby J, Kluger J, Makanji S, Ashaye AO, White CM. Ann Intern Med. 2012 Mar 12. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 22412039 Free Full Text

Treatment of displaced intraarticular calcaneal fractures with or without bone grafts: A systematic review of the literature.

CONCLUSIONS: The operative treatment of intraarticular calcaneal fractures with bone grafts could restore the Böhler's angle better and the patients could return to full weight bearing earlier. However, the functional and efficacy outcomes appear to be similar between the two treatment groups. There were more joint depression and comminuted fractures in the bone graft group, and the mean followup time was shorter. Large sample comparative studies are still needed. Yang Y, Zhao H, Zhou J, Yu G. Indian J Orthop. 2012 Mar;46(2):130-7. PMID: 22448049 Free PMC Article

Transposition of an arterial segment from a traumatically amputated lower limb to treat an upper limb vascular lesion on a multi injured patient as an alternative technique for trauma patients

Trauma is a public health problem that throughout the world. Extremity vascular injuries need special consideration for they threaten limbs and lives [16] and [6].

Blunt trauma has worse prognosis and higher amputation rates, when compared to penetrating vascular injuries, for civilian and military wounds [16], [3] and [1].

Repair can be achieved by lateral sutures, but more often the traumatized vessel requires excisions and end-to-end anastomosis. If a “tension free” anastomosis is not possible a graft interposition is indicated, using an autogenous vein if possible [16], [17], [9], [14] and [10] or a prosthesis, that have a greater risk of infection and inferior patency rates when compared to autogenous ones, which is an important consideration in young injured patients with long life expectancies [14].

The quest for autogenous conduits in the multi injured patient can be challenging and an amputated limb can provide an important source of autologous conduits [10] and [11].

In Iraq, reversed saphenous grafts from contralateral amputated lower limbs were used to reconstruct injured arteries and veins of the remaining lower extremity [10] and [11].

To the best of our knowledge, however, the transposition of an arterial segment from a traumatically amputated lower limb to treat an upper limb arterial injury has not been previously reported. This option may be associated with important benefits when compared to the saphenous alternative for trauma patients.

The aim of this article is to describe the utilization of an arterial segment removed from a traumatically amputated lower limb as an autologous graft to treat an axillary artery injury on a multi injured patient.

Journal of Orthopaedic Trauma - published ahead of print

Use this link to get to articles

A New Fracture Model for "Terrible Triad" Injuries of the Elbow: Influence of Forearm Rotation on Injury Patterns

Distal Locking of Femoral Nails: Evaluation of a New Radiation-Independent Targeting System

Time-Dependent Effects of Chlorhexidine Soaks on Grossly Contaminated Bone

Outcomes of Nails Versus Plates for Humeral Shaft Fractures: A Medicare Cohort Study

Is Surgical Fixation for Stress-Positive Unstable Ankle Fractures Cost Effective? Results of a Multicenter Randomized Control Trial

The Safe Zone for External Fixator Pins in the Femur

Use of Bioabsorbable Pins in Surgical Fixation of Comminuted Periarticular Fractures

Patellar Tendon Healing With Platelet-Rich Plasma: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial

Hypothesis: Adding PRP to the patellar tendon harvest site would improve donor site healing and improve clinical outcome at 6 months after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction with a patellar tendon graft.

Patellar Tendon Healing With Platelet-Rich Plasma: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Trial. de Almeida AM, Demange MK, Sobrado MF, Rodrigues MB, Pedrinelli A, Hernandez AJ. Am J Sports Med. 2012 Apr 2. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 22472272

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Tactical Use Skin Closure Device Stops Traumatic Bleeding in Combat Zones

Bleeding is the single largest cause of preventable trauma death, and when our armed forces are out in the combat zone, stopping a bleeding wound can be difficult. Dr. Dennis Filips, a retired trauma surgeon from the Canadian Navy and CEO of Edmonton, AB-based Innovative Trauma Care, saw a lot of bleeding while serving in Afghanistan, and wondered if there could be a way to reduce the mortality rate from traumatic hemorrhage other than using tourniquets and hemostatic wound agents, which take time to apply. MedGadget

App to help wounded soldiers created by Department of Defense

With the recent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the term “wounded warrior” has entered into common parlance as the numbers of men and women returning from combat with physical and mental trauma continues to grow.

To help improve access to support services, the Department of Defense (DOD) has recently released a mobile app to help wounded soldiers and their families access information that can assist in their recovery and return to U.S. civilian life. iMedicalApps

New from Orthopedic Clinics of North America Volume 43, Issue 2 (April 2012)

TED: Jack Choi: On the virtual dissection table - Jack Choi (2012)

Onstage at TED2012, Jack Choi demonstrates a powerful tool for training medical students: a stretcher-sized multi-touch screen of the human body that lets you explore, dissect and understand the body's parts and systems. TED Talks

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

New from the Journal of Surgical Education

A Crisis of Faith? A Review of Simulation in Teaching Team-Based, Crisis Management Skills to Surgical Trainees

A Simulator Model for Sacroiliac Screw Placement

An Analysis of the Orthopaedic In-Training Examination Rehabilitation Section

Attitudes and Practices of Surgery Residency Program Directors Toward the Use of Social Networking Profiles to Select Residency Candidates: A Nationwide Survey Analysis

Attracting Students to Surgical Careers: Preclinical Surgical Experience

Computer-Aided Feedback of Surgical Knot Tying Using Optical Tracking

Evolving Care During a Decade at War

On Jan. 18, 2012, military and civilian orthopaedic surgeons, researchers, government representatives, and other medical specialists gathered in Washington, D.C., to evaluate the progress made in the treatment of extremity war injuries (EWI) and to examine the ongoing clinical and rehabilitative challenges facing orthopaedic surgeons and their patients. AAOS

Monday, April 2, 2012

Two military surgical trauma treatment apps for the Kindle

First to Cut: Trauma Lessons Learned in the Combat Zone, Real-World Scenarios of Patient Care and Surgery, Valuable Advice for Surgeons (Emergency War Surgery Series) [Kindle Edition]

An essential guide to important lessons in trauma surgery and critical care, First to Cut serves as a valuable companion to the famed Emergency War Surgery textbook. The introduction states: The first goal of this book is simple; to save lives. As all deployed combat surgeons know combat trauma is not your parent's civilian trauma. There is no equivalent to a patient with 100 fragmentation holes, above the knee amputation and a 10% burn in the civilian world. Being faced with these unique wounding patterns for the first time often results in mistakes that are not repeated due to experiencing it. We will document these experiences in a rapid format -in a conversational tone - so that combat surgeons can hopefully benefit from our mistakes and pearls of wisdom. To paraphrase Winston Churchill, these lessons can only be "forged in the fires of battle". Contents include: Fragmentation Wounds * Damage Control Resuscitation * Extremity and Vascular * Abdominal Injury * Urologic Injuries * Chest Injuries * Neck Injury * Brain and Spinal Injury * Burn Injury * Blast * Soft Tissue Injuries * Anesthesia * Triage * Military Unique * Intensive Care Unit * Post-Operative Complications * End of Life, Consent, Ethics * En Route Care * Field Expedient * Glossary of Terms.

Joint Theater Trauma System Clinical Practice Guidelines - Practical Emergency Information for Critical Trauma Care, Burns, Compartment Syndrome, Wounds, Head and Spine (Emergency War Surgery Series) [Kindle Edition]

An essential compilation of official Army military medical guidelines on over three dozen vital trauma care topics, this ebook serves as a valuable companion to the famed Emergency War Surgery textbook. Contents include:

Acoustic Trauma and Hearing Loss * Amputation * Blunt Abdominal Trauma * Burn Care * Canine Resuscitation * Management of Patients with Catastrophic, Non-Survivable Head Injury * Cervical and Thoracolumbar Spine Injury * Cervical Spine Evaluation * Clinical Management of Military Working Dogs * Compartment Syndrome and Fasciotomy * Damage Control Resuscitation * Emergent Resuscitative Thoracotomy * Fresh Whole Blood Transfusion * Frozen Blood * High Bilateral Amputation * Hypothermia Prevention * Infection Control * Inhalation Injury and Toxic Industrial Chemicals * Initial Care of Ocular and Adnexal Injuries * Intratheater Transfer and Transport * Management of Pain Anxiety and Delirium * Management of War Wounds * Management of Patients with Severe Head Injury * Neurosurgical Management * Nutrition * Pelvic Fracture Care * Post Splenectomy Vaccination * Prevention of Deep Venous Thrombosis * Trauma Airway Management * Unexploded Ordnance Management * Urologic Trauma Management * Use of Electronic Documentation * Use of MRI in Management of mTBI in the Deployed Setting * Use of Trauma Flow Sheets * Vascular Injury * Ventilator Associated Pneumonia

This is a privately authored news service and educational publication of Progressive Management. Our publications synthesize official government information with original material - they are not produced by the federal government. They are designed to provide a convenient user-friendly reference work to uniformly present authoritative knowledge that can be rapidly read, reviewed or searched. Vast archives of important data that might otherwise remain inaccessible are available for instant review no matter where you are.

The sympathetic innervation of the human foot

The sympathetic innervation of the hand was demonstrated using formaldehyde staining techniques in the 1990s and provides a basis for both medical (botulinum toxin type A) and surgical (sympathectomy) therapeutic approaches. This research investigates the sympathetic innervation of the human foot using tyrosine hydroxylase immunohistochemistry. Dellon AL, Höke A, Williams EH, Williams CG, Zhang Z, Rosson GD. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2012 Apr;129(4):905-9. PMID: 22456362

Sunday, April 1, 2012

Initial Achilles tendon repair strength-synthesized biomechanical data from 196 cadaver repairs.

CONCLUSIONS: Due to the small sample sizes, different study designs, and heterogeneity of strength measurement techniques, definite recommendations on surgical technique cannot be made but presented information might help in the decision making process for foot and ankle surgeons. Sadoghi P, Rosso C, Valderrabano V, Leithner A, Vavken P. Int Orthop. 2012 Mar 31. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 22460821

Racial Differences in the Incidence of Acute Low Back Pain in US Military Service Members.

Conclusion. Race, gender, and age were all found to be significant risk factors for acute low back pain. The highest rates were identified in Blacks followed by Whites, Hispanics, and American Indian/Alaskan Native and the lowest rates in Asians/Pacific Islanders. Significant differences in the effect of gender and age were identified between the different racial groups. Knox JB, Orchowski JR, Owens B. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2012 Mar 27. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 22460922

From the journal: Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy

Scapular dyskinesis and SICK scapula syndrome following surgical treatment of type III acute acromioclavicular dislocations. Murena L, Canton G, Vulcano E, Cherubino P. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc. 2012 Mar 30. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 22461014

Effect of graft tensioning on mechanical restoration in a rat model of anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction using free tendon graft. Fu SC, Cheng WH, Cheuk YC, Mok TY, Rolf CG, Yung SH, Chan KM. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc. 2012 Mar 30. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 22461015

Close-looped graft suturing improves mechanical properties of interference screw fixation in ACL reconstruction. Prado M, Martín-Castilla B, Espejo-Reina A, Serrano-Fernández JM, Pérez-Blanca A, Ezquerro F. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc. 2012 Mar 30. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 22461016

Clinical features and prognosis of discoid medial meniscus. Chen LX, Ao YF, Yu JK, Miao Y, Leung KK, Wang HJ, Lin L. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc. 2012 Mar 30. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 22461017

Role of glucosamine in the treatment for osteoarthritis.

Over the last 20 years, several studies have investigated the ability of glucosamine sulfate to improve the symptoms (pain and function) and to delay the structural progression of osteoarthritis. There is now a large, convergent body of evidence that glucosamine sulfate, given at a daily oral dose of 1,500 mg, is able to significantly reduce the symptoms of osteoarthritis in the lower limbs. This dose of glucosamine sulfate has also been shown, in two independent studies, to prevent the joint space narrowing observed at the femorotibial compartment in patients with mild-to-moderate knee osteoarthritis. This effect also translated into a 50 % reduction in the incidence of osteoarthritis-related surgery of the lower limbs during a 5-year period following the withdrawal of the treatment. Some discrepancies have been described between the results of studies performed with a patent-protected formulation of glucosamine sulfate distributed as a drug and those having used glucosamine preparations purchased from global suppliers, packaged, and sold over-the-counter as nutritional supplements. Reginster JY, Neuprez A, Lecart MP, Sarlet N, Bruyere O. Rheumatol Int. 2012 Mar 30. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 22461188

Another journal of interest: Clinical Cases in Mineral and Bone Metabolism

The management of sacral stress fractures: current concepts. Longhino V, Bonora C, Sansone V. Clin Cases Miner Bone Metab. 2011 Sep;8(3):19-23. PMID: 22461824

Painful hip arthroplasty: definition. Ferrata P, Carta S, Fortina M, Scipio D, Riva A, Di Giacinto S.

Clin Cases Miner Bone Metab. 2011 May;8(2):19-22. PMID: 22461810

Painful knee arthroplasty: definition and overview. Carulli C, Villano M, Bucciarelli G, Martini C, Innocenti M. Clin Cases Miner Bone Metab. 2011 May;8(2):23-5. PMID: 22461811

Painful knee prosthesis: surgical approach. Villano M, Carulli C, Puccini S, Soderi S, Innocenti M.

Clin Cases Miner Bone Metab. 2011 May;8(2):26-8. PMID: 22461812

Chicago Tribune: Surgical intern: Lessons learned A better scenario?

The orthopedic resident told me to put a "thumb spica cast" on the guy's hand and have him follow up in the clinic. As a brand new surgical intern, I had no idea what a thumb spica cast was; let alone how to make one. So I went to Google Images to see what it looked like, clicked on YouTube to figure out how to make a cast and then headed down to the emergency room and pretended I knew what the heck I was doing. The ER attending physician said I had excellent technique and that it looked as if I had been doing it for years. Chicago Tribune

Eplasty - open access journal worth a look

Eplasty

Combining the external fixation and microsurgical osteoseptocutaneous flap transplantation methods for limb salvage. Mateev M, Huang C, Imanaliev A, Ono S, Hyakusoku H, Ogawa R. Eplasty. 2012;12:e16. Epub 2012 Mar 22. PMID: 22461950

Use of Bioabsorbable Pins in Surgical Fixation of Comminuted Periarticular Fractures.

CONCLUSIONS: In highly comminuted periarticular fractures, bioabsorbable pins are an intriguing alternative to traditional fixation methods. They afford similar effectiveness in maintaining stability without evidence of pin migration or other concerns of buried metallic implants. Bassuener SR, Mullis BH, Harrison RK, Sanders R. Clin J Sport Med. 2012 Mar 28. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 22460347

Current advances in training orthopaedic patients to comply with partial weight-bearing instructions

Partial weight-bearing instructions are commonly given to orthopaedic patients and are an important part of post-injury and/or post-operative care. However, the ability of patients to comply with these instructions is poorly defined. Training methods for instructing these patients vary widely among institutions. Traditional methods of training include verbal instruction and use of a bathroom scale. Recent technological advances have created biofeedback devices capable of offering feedback to partial weight-bearing patients. Biofeedback devices have shown great promise in training patients to better comply with partial weight-bearing instructions. This review examines the background and significance of partial weight bearing and offers insights into current advances in training methods for partial weight-bearing patients. Hustedt JW, Blizzard DJ, Baumgaertner MR, Leslie MP, Grauer JN. Yale J Biol Med. 2012 Mar;85(1):119-25. Epub 2012 Mar 29. PMID: 22461750

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Double Drive Medical Screwdriver to Speed Up Screw Placements

The Kobalt Double Drive ratcheting screwdriver turned out to be popular with Christmas time gift shoppers last year. The device allows its user to crank the attached tool in a single direction even when the handle is turned both clockwise and counterclockwise.

Now the same technology is about to be introduced to the medical market via Double Drive Medical, a company founded to translate the mechanics of the screwdriver to the medical world. MedGadget

Sunday, March 25, 2012

First sterile iPad sleeve for operating room now available, exclusive hands-on review

EchoMedical has partnered with Protek Medical devices to bring to market a disposable sterile iPad sleeve for use in the operating room. iMedicalApps

Gait analysis accuracy: Android app comparable to standard accelerometer methodology

Smartphones are becoming more ubiquitous and many have a built in tri-axial accelerometer, a sensor that measures change in speed in multiple directions. These smartphone accelerometers can be used to assess gait patterns, or walking patterns, an important evaluation in many neurologic or musculoskeletal disorders. However, the reliability and validity of using smartphones to assess gait patterns is not yet fully established evaluated. In Japan, a team of registered physical therapists and other physicians performed a study to do just that. iMedicalapps

Navy (not Medical) Related: Materials inspired by Mother Nature: A 1-pound boat that could float 1,000 pounds

Combining the secrets that enable water striders to walk on water and give wood its lightness and great strength has yielded an amazing new material so buoyant that, in everyday terms, a boat made from 1 pound of the substance could carry five kitchen refrigerators, about 1,000 pounds. PhysOrg.com

Skull resconstruction immediately following traumatic brain injury worsens brain damage

Immediate skull reconstruction following trauma that penetrates or creates an indentation in the skull can aggravate brain damage inflicted by the initial injury, a study by a University of South Florida research team reports. Using a rat model for moderate and severe traumatic brain injury, the researchers also showed that a delay of just two days in the surgical repair of skull defects resulted in significantly less brain swelling and damage.

The study was published March 16, 2012 in the online journal PloS ONE. University of South Florida

Runner's high motivated the evolution of exercise

In the last century something unexpected happened: humans became sedentary. We traded in our active lifestyles for a more immobile existence. But these were not the conditions under which we evolved. David Raichlen from the University of Arizona, USA, explains that our hunter-gatherer predecessors were long-distance endurance athletes. 'Aerobic activity has played a role in the evolution of lots of different systems in the human body, which may explain why aerobic exercise seems to be so good for us', says Raichlen. However, he points out that testing the hypothesis that we evolved for high-endurance performance is problematic, because most other mammalian endurance athletes are quadrupedal. 'So we got interested in the brain as a way to look at whether evolution generated exercise behaviours in humans through motivation pathways', says Raichlen. Eurekalert!

New MRI Technique Visualizes Phosphorus, Opens Potential for Hard Tissue Imaging

The image here shows the interior

spongy bone of a rabbit femoral head,

or the "ball" of the rabbit's hip bone.

Conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) relies on aligning the magnetization of hydrogen atoms in a study sample, which makes it an excellent tool for visualizing water-rich materials like soft tissues and organs.

Yet MRI is not fundamentally limited to focusing on hydrogen atoms, and scientists at Yale have developed a new approach that allows them to visualize phosphorus, opening a way to look into hard tissues like bone. The imaging technology may take some time finding use in clinical practice though, because the process creates too much heat for live tissue to survive. We’re speculating that perhaps it may instead serve as a safer option over therapeutic radiation. MedGadget

Open PubMed with NMCP LinkOut Before Accessing Articles

Tuesday, April 17, 2012