1,720,964 research outputs found

    Critical time period for recovery of functional range of motion after surgical treatment of complex elbow instability: prospective study on 76 patients.

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    Complex elbow instability (CEI) is one of the most troublesome pathologies that orthopaedic surgeons have to face. One of the key requirements regarding the CEI surgical treatment is an early rehabilitation programme to avoid the elbow stiffness caused by a long period of immobilisation. Although this is well known, no study has ever examined how, and to what extent, the functional range of motion (ROM) is recovered during the various stages of a prompt rehabilitation. Our aims were: (1) to prospectively analyse the pattern of ROM recovery in a series of patients with CEI who underwent early rehabilitation and (2) to identify the period of time during rehabilitation in which the greatest degree of motion recovery is obtained. Materials and methods A total of 76 patients (78 elbows) with CEI were followed up for 2 years. All the patients underwent anatomical and stable ostheosynthesis of all the fractures, radial head replacement in Mason III fractures, ligament injuries reconstruction and early rehabilitation that started 2 days after surgery. Two surgeons evaluated the ROM with a hand-held goniometer every 3 weeks for the first 3 months, then at 6, 12 and 24 months after surgery. Results At the 3-week follow-up, the mean flexion (F), extension (E), pronation (P) and supination (S) were 113, 29, 60 and 62, respectively. At the 6-week and 9-week follow-up, F, E, P and S were 119, 23, 70 and 69 and 123, 24, 72 and 71, respectively. At the 3-month follow-up, these values were 131, 18, 76 and 72, while at the 6-month follow-up they were 136, 15, 79 and 77, respectively. Thereafter, the ROM improvement was not significant. Discussion This study shows that the first 6 months represent the critical rehabilitation period to obtain a functional elbow; indeed, 70% of the patients recovered functional ROM between the third and sixth month, though the recovery of flexion proved to be slower than that of the other elbow movements. Thereafter, improvement continued, though at a lower rate, until the end of the first year, when approximately 80% of the patients had recovered the functional ROM. Conclusions Following CEI surgical treatment, a rehabilitation programme needs to be started promptly and continued for at least 6 months because a significant improvement of ROM occurs prevalently in this period, which should be considered the critical time period to obtain a functional elbow in a majority of patient

    Clinical usefulness of proximal ulnar and radial fracture-dislocation comprehensive classification system (PURCCS): prospective study of 39 cases.

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    Background: Complex fracture-dislocations of the proximal ulna and radius represent a challenge even for expert orthopaedic surgeons. A new comprehensive classification, the proximal ulnar and radial fracture-dislocation comprehensive classification system (PURCCS), was recently proposed. The aim of this study was to analyze the clinical usefulness of this classification in a large series of patients. Materials and methods: We studied 38 patients (39 elbows) with a mean age of 56 years. All patients were classified with the PURCCS by use of standard radiography, computed tomography, and intraoperative fluoroscopy. Surgical treatment was performed according to the PURCCS therapeutic algorithm. Patients were followed up for a mean of 23 months. The clinical evaluation was performed with the Mayo Elbow Performance Score and Index (MEPS and MEPI); the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) score; and the modified American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (m-ASES) score. Results: Each pattern of fracture-dislocation in our series finds its position within the PURCCS. At the last follow-up, the mean MEPS, DASH score, and m-ASES score were 91.2, 14.9, and 83.9, respectively. The mean extension, flexion, pronation, and supination were 19 degrees, 136 degrees, 81 degrees, and 79 degrees, respectively. According to the MEPI, 72%, 20%, and 8% of cases were rated excellent, good, and fair, respectively. Two patients with elbow stiffness underwent a reoperation, with final satisfactory results. Conclusion: The PURCCS helps identify the main lesions of each injury pattern; the associated therapeutic algorithm helps select correct surgical strategies. This study showed that the clinical results were satisfactory in the majority of cases, with few major complications and reinterventions. The PURCCS is a comprehensive classification that may contribute to the surgical management of these difficult fracture-dislocations. (C) 2013 Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery Board of Trustees

    Radial head, radiocapitellar and total elbow arthroplasties: a review of recent literature.

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    The outcome of prosthetic elbow surgery is continually evolving. We thoroughly reviewed the literature on this issue to analyse the indications, outcomes and complications of the numerous types of implants currently in use. Radial head replacement is recommended in comminuted fractures of the radial head and in post-traumatic conditions. Medium- and long-term results prove to be satisfactory in the majority of cases, with no evidence to indicate that some prostheses (monopolar vs. bipolar; cemented vs. press-fit) are more effective than others; nonetheless, the bipolar-cemented implant was found to be associated with a lower revision rate than other prostheses. Unicompartmental arthroplasty has recently been used for the treatment of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis when the lateral compartment is prevalently involved; the results reported to date have been encouraging, although further studies are warranted to confirm the validity of these implants. Total elbow arthroplasty is performed in a range of conditions, including distal humerus fractures in the elderly and elbow arthritis. In the former condition, linked elbow replacement yields excellent results with few complications and a low revision rate. In elbow arthritis, total elbow arthroplasty is indicated when patients suffer from disabling pain, stiffness and/or instability that prevent them from performing daily activities. Unlinked elbow arthroplasty, which is used above all in rheumatoid arthritis, also yields satisfactory results, although the risk of instability persists. The use of linked elbow arthroplasty, which yields similar results but lower revision rates, has consequently increased. Lastly, the results yielded by linked elbow prosthesis in post-traumatic conditions are good, although not quite as good as those obtained in rheumatoid arthritis. Early mechanical failure may occur in younger and more active patients after elbow arthroplasty. However, the careful selection of patients who are prepared to accept functional limitations imposed by elbow implants will enable indications for elbow arthroplasty to be extended to young subjects, particularly when no other therapeutic options are available

    Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis

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    The present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed

    Variations on the Author

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    “Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship

    Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis

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    We provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis

    Open debridement and radiocapitellar replacement in primary and post-traumatic arthritis of the elbow: a multicenter study.

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    Abstract: Background: Postmortem and clinical studies have shown an early and prevalent involvement of the radiohumeral joint in primary and secondary arthritis of the elbow. The lateral resurfacing elbow (LRE) prosthesis has recently been developed for the treatment of lateral elbow arthritis. However, few data have been published on LRE results. Materials and methods: A prospective multicenter study was designed to assess LRE preliminary results. There were 20 patients (average age, 55 years). Preoperative diagnosis were primary osteoarthritis in 11 and post-traumatic osteoarthritis in 9. All patients underwent open debridement and LRE prosthesis. Patients were evaluated preoperatively and postoperatively with the Mayo Elbow Performance Score (MEPS), modified American Shoulder Elbow Surgeons (m-ASES) elbow assessment, and the Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (Quick-DASH). Mean follow-up was 22.6 months. Results: At the last follow-up, the mean improvement of MEPS and m-ASES was 35 (P=.001) and 34 (P=.001) respectively; the average Quick DASH decreased by 29 (P=.001). Average range of motion was improved by 35 degrees (P=.001). MEPI results were excellent in 12 patients, good in 2, and fair and poor in 3 each. Mild overstuffing was observed in 5 patients, and an implant malpositioning in 3. The implant survival rate was 100%. Conclusion: LRE showed promising results in this prospective investigation. Most patients had an uneventful postoperative course and have shown a painless elbow joint, with satisfactory functional recovery at short-term follow-up. Further studies with longer follow-up are warranted. (C) 2012 Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery Board of Trustees
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