1/9. Aneurysms and hypermobility in a 45-year-old woman.EDS type IV presents a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge to the primary care physician, surgeon, and rheumatologist. In patients for whom the diagnosis is known, avoidance of trauma, contact sports, or strenuous activities, joint bracing and protection, and counseling on contraception are helpful preventive strategies. In patients presenting with vascular, gastrointestinal, or obstetric complications, a history of hypermobility and skin fragility (easy bruising, abnormal scarring, poor wound healing) should lead to a suspicion of this diagnosis, and to caution in the use of certain invasive diagnostic and operative techniques. Efforts should be made to examine family members. Most importantly, when caring for such patients, the acute onset of headaches, chest pain, shortness of breath, and abdominal pain should arouse suspicion of a potentially catastrophic vascular or visceral event.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = physician (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/9. rehabilitation techniques for ligament injuries of the wrist.The goal of treatment after any wrist injury is a pain-free, stable joint with sufficient strength and mobility to carry out the daily recreational, and occupational tasks required by the individual. Treatment varies considerably depending on the age of the patient, the severity of the initial injury, the operative procedure performed, and the specific guidelines requested by the referring physician.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = physician (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/9. magnetic resonance imaging in diagnosis of chronic posterolateral rotatory instability of the elbow.Posterolateral rotatory instability of the elbow can be difficult to diagnose and requires a high degree of clinical suspicion. Cases of chronic posterolateral rotatory instability (symptoms present more than 1 year) may be an even more perplexing subgroup. This is a case report of a patient with a 30-year history of intermittent elbow instability. Clinical examination was equivocal, and magnetic resonance imaging was unable to define any ligamentous injury around the elbow. Examination under anesthesia and surgical findings were consistent with complete disruption of the lateral ulnar collateral ligament. The 12-month follow-up after surgical reconstruction showed complete resolution of symptoms. Posterolateral rotatory instability is a diagnosis largely made by examination under anesthesia. A thorough history and a high clinical suspicion are necessary to support the physician's decision to place the patient under anesthesia. Confirmation of a chronic tear of the lateral ulnar collateral ligament of the elbow with magnetic resonance imaging can be difficult and sometimes misleading.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = physician (Clic here for more details about this article) |
4/9. neck pain: common complaint, uncommon diagnosis--symptomatic clival chordoma.patients presenting with neck complaints, such as pain or stiffness, are not uncommon in the Emergency Department. Complaints of neck instability, however, are unusual. We report the case of a 30-year-old woman who presented with multiple neck complaints that included having a "wobbly" sensation of her neck on flexion, feeling as if it were unstable. Our patient indeed had atlanto-occipital instability secondary to a locally destructive tumor of the cranial base, known as a clival chordoma. Chordomas are rare and unique bony tumors that arise along the neural axis and are thought to originate from the nucleus pulposus. The tumors are slow growing; locally invasive; and cause a variety of neurologic, musculoskeletal, cranial, and neck complaints. We describe this unique case and its presentations in an attempt to increase the sensitivity of physicians in early detection of this rare and lethal tumor.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = physician (Clic here for more details about this article) |
5/9. Palmar radiocarpal dislocation resulting in ulnar radiocarpal translocation and multidirectional instability.Posttraumatic ulnar radiocarpal translation is a rare, often subtle, highly unstable, and potentially devastating manifestation of severe "proximal radiocarpal ligamentous instability. Radiocarpal dislocation should alert the treating physician to the risks of the spectrum of radiocarpal instabilities. Radiocarpal instability may initially be masked or unappreciated owing to presentation without radiocarpal dislocation, local pain and swelling, initially normal standard wrist radiographs, lack of recognition, or delay in the appearance of a static lesion. The specificity, sequence, and extent of extrinsic radiocarpal and ulnocarpal ligament traumatic disruptions are not fully understood, vary with injury severity, and may differ in instances of dorsal as opposed to palmar subluxation or dislocation. Multidirectional (global) wrist instability typically accompanies this ulnar radiocarpal instability in its most severe form and consequences may be dire. The carpus may be difficult to reduce or maintain owing to marked instability, compressive forces across the wrist, and soft tissue or bony fragment interposition. Additional local distal radioulnar joint or intercarpal injuries may further confound stability and require their own specific and simultaneous treatment. Radiocarpal reduction and repair of the radioscaphocapitate ligament and radiolunate ligaments may be sufficient treatment for acute isolated palmar radiocarpal instability. Temporary K-wire fixation may be added as a precaution to prevent palmar carpal subluxation during the time of ligament healing. Radiocarpal reduction, palmar and dorsal soft-tissue repair, and temporary K-wire fixation comprise one method of treatment for early recognized cases of post-traumatic ligamentous ulnar radiocarpal transposition. Halikis et al have recommended radiolunate arthrodesis. Rayhack et al have suggested that limited or complete wrist arthrodesis may be indicated for patients with delayed presentation or in acute cases with extreme instability. wrist arthrodesis is one means of management for patients with severe radiocarpal instability confounded by distal radioulnar joint or intercarpal instability, as seen in our patient. Damaged ligaments may have a poor blood supply and often may not hold sutures or heal well. Bone anchor sutures or some type of ligament augmentation may help to restore joint stability in some patients. Loss of stability may occur later owing to ligamentous laxity or inadequate soft-tissue healing. Radiolunate, radiocarpal, or complete wrist arthrodesis may be necessary to relieve pain, restore wrist alignment and stability, and reestablish extremity function for patients with chronic radiocarpal instability. wrist symptoms, age, general health, hand dominance, and occupation may be among the factors that influence the necessity for and timing of reconstruction. Rayhack et al have also postulated that negative ulnar variance may accommodate the occurrence of ulnar radiocarpal translocation and confound repair owing to lack of buttress at the ulnocarpal joint. They further speculated that a joint leveling procedure might improve the support for ligamentous repair or reconstruction in these cases. Permanent functional impairment must be anticipated in patients with ulnar radiocarpal instability. Impairment has typically been commensurate with the extent of the initial lesion, additional confounding local lesions, and length of follow-up.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = physician (Clic here for more details about this article) |
6/9. Chronic repetitive unrecognized flexion injury of the cervical spine (high jumper's neck).Unrecognized flexion injuries of the cervical spine may lead to late instability and neurologic damage. These hidden flexion injuries may be from acute or chronic traumatic episodes. Cervical spine instability was seen in an amateur high jumper as a result of chronic repetitive flexion loading of her cervical spine due to incorrect landing technique. The instability from these types of flexion injuries is generally unrecognized on a routine lateral radiograph. The presence of slight anterior subluxation, simple compression fractures, or subtle kyphotic angulation at one cervical level should alert the physician to this diagnosis. Flexion extension views are useful to demonstrate this instability. occupations and sports which involve repetitive flexion stress to the cervical spine are at risk for this type of late instability. Therefore, in high jumping careful attention to safe techniques of landing is of utmost importance.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = physician (Clic here for more details about this article) |
7/9. Conservative management of posttraumatic cervical intersegmental hypermobility and anterior subluxation.OBJECTIVE: To discuss the case of a young male football player who sustained a hyperflexion cervical injury, including radiographic evidence of intersegmental hypermobility and translational displacement with cervical hypolordosis and anterior subluxation. CLINICAL FEATURES: The patient suffered from neck pain, spasm, limited range of motion and mild sclerogenous referred arm pain. The results of neurological exams were normal. Radiographs of the cervical spine revealed cervical hypolordosis, intersegmental hypermobility and anterior subluxation. MRI was normal, with no evidence of disk herniation. INTERVENTION AND OUTCOME: The patient was immobilized for the first 10 days with a cervical collar and was administered adjunctive physiotherapy. light cervical manipulative techniques were added in the subacute stage, as were isometric and tubing exercises. The patient responded quickly and favorably to care. Subsequent radiographs revealed a reversal and resolution of the abnormal findings of the cervical hypolordosis, anterior subluxation and intersegmental hypermobility that were initially seen. CONCLUSION: Conservative chiropractic management of hyperflexion injuries may be useful in reducing clinical symptoms, cervical hypolordosis, anterior subluxation and intersegmental hypermobility, as seen in follow-up radiographs. chiropractic sports physicians have the diagnostic and therapeutic expertise to manage these types of athletic injuries.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = physician (Clic here for more details about this article) |
8/9. Recurrent posterior glenohumeral dislocation associated with increased retroversion of the glenoid. A case report.Recurrent traumatic posterior glenohumeral dislocation is rare and probably represents < 5% of all recurrent shoulder instability cases. Operative management of this problem is considered when symptomatic recurrent instability occurs despite an adequate physician-directed rehabilitation program. Before surgery, it is essential to recognize all directions of instability and any anatomic factors that may predispose the shoulder to recurrent instability, such as humeral head or glenoid defects, abnormal glenoid version or other anthropomorphic abnormalities, rotator cuff tears, neurologic injuries, or generalized ligamentous laxity. The authors report on a patient who had 2 previous failed attempts at posterior capsulorrhaphy for recurrent posterior shoulder dislocation after an atraumatic injury. The patient demonstrated a previously unrecognized unilateral increase in glenoid fossa retroversion and was successfully treated with a posterior opening wedge osteotomy of the scapular neck.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = physician (Clic here for more details about this article) |
9/9. The effects of simple trauma on patients with cervical spine neurofibromatosis: two case reports.Von Recklinghausen's disease of the cervical spine is rare. Spinal deformities appear to occur only in peripheral neurofibromatosis as opposed to central neurofibromatosis, and such deformities include non-dystrophic and dystrophic changes. We describe two patients with neurofibromatosis of the cervical spine who were subjects of simple trauma, one of whom demonstrated dystrophic and the other non-dystrophic changes. The first presented with acute upper cervical spine instability and subluxation, the second with cervical myelopathy. The purpose of this article is to heighten the physician's awareness that such patients have inherent pathology in the cervical spine such that simple trauma can have serious neurological consequences.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = physician (Clic here for more details about this article) |