Background:In this study, we hypothesized that leg positioning and distal tourniquet application, when compared with neutral positioning of the leg, alters the efficacy of sciatic nerve block performed by the double-stimulation technique.Methods:Ninety randomized, consecutive, ASA physical status I to III patients undergoing foot and ankle surgery with a popliteal fossa ...

Routine use of posterior superior alveolar (PSA) nerve block or maxillary infiltration for the removal of maxillary molars has been validated. The present study was undertaken to determine the relative contribution of posterior superior alveolar (PSA) block in cases of anesthesia required for maxillary molars. One hundred patients requiring removal ...

The role of in situ decompression in patients with severe ulnar nerve compression is still controversial. Thirty patients with severe ulnar nerve compression confirmed clinically and electrophysiologically underwent simple decompression. The mean age of the patients was 58 (range 26-87) years. Through incisions ≤4 cm the nerves were fully visualized ...

OBJECTIVE:: To investigate the factors that were effectual on the recovery of the facial nerve functions after repair with grafting. STUDY DESIGN:: Retrospective case review. SETTING:: Private neuro-otologic and cranial base quaternary referral center. PATIENTS:: One hundred ninety-four patients underwent facial nerve grafting during lateral cranial base surgery between July ...

Reverse shoulder arthroplasty (RSA) improves function in selected patients with complex shoulder problems. However, we presume patient function would vary if performed primarily or for revision and would vary with other patient-specific factors. We compared (1) the shoulder scores and (2) complications in patients with RSA for revision arthroplasty with ...

The use of reverse shoulder arthroplasty has considerably increased since first introduced in 1985. Despite demonstrating early improvement of function and pain, there is limited information regarding the durability and longer-term outcomes of this prosthesis. We determined complication rates, functional scores over time, survivorship, and whether radiographs would develop signs ...

To determine the prevalence of pseudoexfoliation syndrome (PEX) in our health area, in 4 counties of Tarragona, and its involvement in the health status of the population. This was a cross-sectional study of a sample of 2,342 inhabitants aged = 60 years, randomly selected from the population census. Subjects were ...

Normal function of the upper limb is seldom restored after limb-sparing surgery for tumors of the proximal humerus. The literature suggests superior shoulder function is achieved in the short term with reverse total shoulder arthroplasty compared to other techniques when performed for conditions with rotator cuff deficiency. It is unclear ...

Hyperprolactinemia has been associated with impaired metabolism, including insulin resistance. However, the metabolic effects of elevated prolactin (PRL) levels are not completely clarified. The aim of this study was to obtain more insights of metabolic consequences in hyperprolactinemia patients. Fourteen consecutive patients, eight women and six men, aged 39.7 (±13.7) ...

This study was designed to evaluate analgesia (pain intensity and analgesic consumption) and the time of discharge of patients who underwent ilioinguinal (II) and iliohypogastric (IH) nerve block associated with wound infiltration with 0.75% ropivacaine, or not, after inguinal hernia repair surgery under spinal anesthesia. This was a prospective, randomized, ...

Cuff tear arthropathy is the primary indication for total reverse shoulder arthroplasty. In patients with pseudoparalytic shoulders secondary to irreparable rotator cuff tear, reverse shoulder arthroplasty allows restoration of active anterior elevation and painless shoulder. High rates of glenoid notching have also been reported. We designed a new reverse shoulder ...

Early failure due to glenoid loosening with anatomic total shoulder arthroplasty in patients with severe rotator cuff deficiency led to the development of the reverse ball-and-socket shoulder prosthesis. The literature reports improved short-term pain and function scores following modern reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (RTSA) in patients with cuff tear arthropathy ...

In 1990, Hamada et al. radiographically classified massive rotator cuff tears into five grades. Walch et al. subsequently subdivided Grade 4 to reflect the presence/absence of subacromial arthritis and emphasize glenohumeral arthritis as a characteristic of Grade 4. We therefore determined (1) whether patient characteristics and MRI findings differed between ...

Rodríguez-Fernández AL, Garrido-Santofimia V, Güeita-Rodríguez J, Fernández-de-las-Peñas C. Effects of burst-type transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation on cervical range of motion and latent myofascial trigger point pain sensitivity. To assess the effects of a burst application of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) on cervical range of motion and pressure point sensitivity ...

INTRODUCTION: Subclinical neuropathy is an important feature of spinocerebellar ataxias (SCA) but the true prevalence and electrophysiological characteristics in genetically proven patients of SCA 1, 2 and 3 are largely unknown. METHODS: We prospectively compared the electrophysiological characteristics of neuropathy in 61 genetically confirmed cases of SCA (SCA1=28, SCA2=16 and ...

BACKGROUND: Using grafts directed to distal targets in brachial plexus reconstruction has the advantage over proximal targets of avoiding axonal dispersion. A long graft (more than 10 cm) is needed to reach most distal targets. The objective of this article is to identify factors associated with good versus poor outcomes in ...

Reasons for performing study: Neurectomy of the deep branch of the lateral plantar nerve and plantar fasciotomy have become accepted as methods of treatment of proximal suspensory desmopathy (PSD), but there are limited long-term studies documenting the outcome. Objectives: To describe long-term follow-up in horses with PSD alone or with ...

Periodic breathing with central sleep apnoea (CSA) is common in heart failure patients and is associated with poor quality of life and increased risk of morbidity and mortality. We conducted a prospective, non-randomized, acute study to determine the feasibility of using unilateral transvenous phrenic nerve stimulation for the treatment of ...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES:: Continuous femoral nerve block in patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA) improves and shortens postoperative rehabilitation. The primary aim of this study was to investigate whether the addition of sciatic nerve block to continuous femoral nerve block will shorten the time-to-discharge readiness. METHODS:: Ninety patients undergoing TKA ...

INTRODUCTION:: The aim of this prospective, randomized, double-blind study was to evaluate whether continuous sciatic nerve block can improve postoperative pain relief and early rehabilitation compared with single-injection sciatic nerve block in patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and lumbar plexus block. METHODS:: After ethical committee approval and written informed ...

Treatment of stress urinary incontinence consists of a wide range of options, from conservative therapies like lifestyle changes, medication, pelvic floor muscles exercises, electro-stimulation, to minimally invasive procedures--injection of collagen, suburethral slings TVT/TOT and last but not least, invasive surgical treatment reserved for recurrent and complex cases. Among the latest ...

HYPOTHESIS: The combination of suprascapular nerve block (SSNB) and axillary nerve block (ANB) has been reported to provide safe and effective analgesia for arthroscopic shoulder surgery. This study was designed to identify anatomic landmarks of the suprascapular nerve (SSN) and axillary nerve (AN) and to evaluate the effects of SSNB ...

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the risk of common peroneal nerve injury in FM drilling as compared to transtibial drilling in anatomical double-bundle ACL reconstruction. METHODS: Ten cadaveric knees without ligament injury or significant arthritis were used for this study. Knees were secured at 90° and ...

PURPOSE: We report on a modified kite flap for the reconstruction of thumb pulp defects. We performed nerve repair to improve thumb pulp sensation. METHODS: From May 2005 to December 2008, 42 thumbs in 42 patients were treated. The average size of the thumb pulp defects was 2.1 × 2.6 ...

Background: Epidural anesthesia (EA) is known to reduce postoperative thromboembolic complications, but the mechanisms are poorly understood. Review of the literature revealed no reports about the ability of epidural anesthesia (EA) to reduce the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE) in abdominal contouring surgery and/or liposuction. Most medical publications in this ...

: Numerous studies advocate the short-term benefits of sacral nerve stimulation for fecal incontinence, but there has been a paucity of studies on longer-term outcomes. : The objective of this study was to report the long-term outcome of sacral nerve stimulation performed for fecal incontinence at a single institution. : ...

Chronic pilonidal disease is a debilitating condition that typically affects young adults. There is a wide variety of available therapeutic strategies reflecting the inconsistent outcomes attributed to the various operative approaches. The majority involve excision of the sinus tract followed by either primary closure or healing by secondary intention. A ...

Study design:  Comparative effectiveness review. Study rationale:  Spinal fusion is believed to accelerate the degeneration of the vertebral segment above or below the fusion site, a condition called adjacent segment disease (ASD). The premise of dynamic stabilization is that motion preservation allows for less loading on the discs and facet ...

An association between therapeutic inhibition of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and solid malignancies was observed during the Wegener's Granulomatosis Etanercept Trial (WGET), which included 180 patients with granulomatosis with polyangiitis (Wegener's) (GPA). The present study was conducted to determine the malignancy risk beyond the time of exposure to study therapy. ...

Clinically evident neurologic injury of the involved limb after total shoulder arthroplasty is not uncommon, but the subclinical prevalence is unknown. The purposes of this prospective study were to determine the subclinical prevalence of neurologic lesions after reverse shoulder arthroplasty and anatomic shoulder arthroplasty, and to evaluate the correlation of ...

: The aim of this study was to identify differences in knee range of motion (ROM), movement speed, ground reaction forces (GRF) profile, neuromuscular activity, and muscle coactivation during the transition between stair descent and level walking in meniscectomized patients at high risk of knee osteoarthritis (OA) compared with the ...

Purpose. To assess the relation between visual field progression and adherence rate in patients with glaucoma using Travatan Dosing Aid® (TDA). Methods. In this 36-month retrospective study, 35 patients with primary open-angle glaucoma on travoprost or travoprost/timolol fixed combination monotherapy were submitted to ophthalmic examination and to visual field (VF) ...

Trigeminal neuralgia typically involves nerves supplying teeth, jaws and face of older females. Though the etiology is usually obscure, different treatment modalities have been tried for it viz. medicinal treatment, injection alcohol, peripheral neurectomy, rhizotomy, and microvascular decompression etc. Transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation (TENS) is an emerging and promising option ...

Esophagectomy has previously been the gold standard for patients with mucosal adenocarcinoma in Barrett's esophagus (Barrett's carcinoma, BC). Because of the minimal invasiveness and excellent results obtained with endoscopic resection (ER), the latter has become an accepted alternative. However, few data have so far been published comparing the 2 treatment ...

To evaluate if decompression surgery produces changes in retrobulbar blood flow parameters in Graves' ophthalmopathy (GO). Retrobulbar blood vessels of 26 eyes (14 patients) that underwent orbital bone decompression between June 2009 and May 2010 were measured prospectively using color Doppler ultrasound before and after surgery. The disease was inactive ...

The role of open repair in the management of ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm (RAAA) in patients>80 years old is questioned by the perceived high operative risk of these patients. This issue has been investigated in the present meta-analysis of observational studies. Studies on open repair of RAAA in patients>80 years ...

Bell's palsy (BP) is an idiopathic peripheral facial nerve paralysis of sudden onset. Its most alarming symptom is unilateral facial weakness, which can result in the inability to close the eyelids, smile, or whistle. The pathogenesis of BP is controversial and is believed to be caused by inflammation of the ...

AIMS AND CONTEXT: To evaluate the efficacy of adding clonidine to bupivacaine in bilateral infraorbital nerve block for hemodynamic changes, requirement of opioids, volatile agent, and muscle relaxants intraoperatively and relief of pain postoperatively Prospective, randomized, double-blind study. Fifty pediatric patients aged less than 24 months undergoing elective cleft lip ...

The incidence of liver disease progression among subjects with histologically advanced but compensated chronic hepatitis C is incomplete. The Hepatitis C Antiviral Long-term Treatment against Cirrhosis Trial was a randomized study of 3.5 years of maintenance peginterferon treatment on liver disease progression among patients who had not cleared virus on ...

Background. Sacral nerve stimulation implies electrical stimulation of a sacral nerve root by an electrode and a pacemaker. Within the past few years, sacral nerve stimulation has become a possible treatment option for selected patients with urinary retention, urinary incontinence, anal incontinence and constipation. The method is furthermore being tested ...

BACKGROUND:: Nerve transfers following traumatic brachial plexus injuries are seldom operated on after six months of injury because myoneural degeneration may set in before nerve regeneration can occur. An exception may lie in transferring healthy donor nerve fascicles directly onto an injured recipient nerve close to the motor point. This ...

OBJECTIVE:: To investigate long-term recovery after Bell's palsy and evaluate specific parameters for predicting the long-term outcome of facial weakness. STUDY DESIGN:: Retrospective clinical study combined with long-term follow-up. SETTING:: Tertiary care university hospital (Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Thessaloniki, Greece). PATIENTS:: Forty-four patients who were ...

: Sucralfate is a cytoprotective agent which adheres to mucoproteins and forms a protective barrier at wound sites. In oral form it is a common ulcer medication, and as a topical preparation it has been used to treat a wide variety of wounds. : The present study was designed to ...

Given that anecdotal evidence has suggested that certain groups of patients have difficulty accessing sinus surgery, this study aimed to discover the characteristics and access factors that deter patients from surgery. Patients were recruited from a community, academic otolaryngology-head and neck surgery practice serving a diverse community. In this cross-sectional ...

Given the lack of clarity regarding the value of varicocele correction in improving male fertility, we examined whether divergent results in this regard could be attributed to selection of patients, especially with regard to the duration of their infertility or to the length of patients' androgen receptor CAG repeats. In ...

To study the effect of rosuvastatin on vascular biomarkers and carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). SLE patients with inactive disease and subclinical atherosclerosis were randomized in a double-blinded manner to receive either rosuvastatin (10 mg/day) or matching placebo (half in each group were also randomly allocated ...

Postoperative nausea and vomiting causes discomfort in many patients despite both antiemetic prophylactics and improved anaesthetic techniques. Stimulation of acupoint P6 is described as an alternative method for prophylaxis of postoperative nausea and vomiting.In a randomised, double-blinded study, we aimed to investigate the effect of P6 acupoint stimulation on the ...

Hemorrhoid laser procedure is a new laser procedure for outpatient treatment of hemorrhoids in which hemorrhoidal arterial flow feeding the hemorrhoidal plexus is stopped by means of Doppler-guided laser coagulation. Our aim was to compare the hemorrhoid laser procedure with rubber band ligation for outpatient treatment of symptomatic hemorrhoids with ...

We investigated patients' self-reported experience following awake flexible fibreoptic tracheal intubation and compared this to the experience of matched patients who had undergone conventional tracheal intubation under general anaesthesia for the same type of surgical procedure. Patients suspected of having, or known to have, a difficult airway underwent flexible fibreoptic ...

Stapled transanal rectal resection has become the primary surgical procedure for surgical treatment of obstructed defecation syndrome caused by rectocele or rectal intussusception. The procedure is generally performed with 2 circular staplers. Recently, a dedicated contour-curved stapler was developed. This study was designed to compare the effects of these stapler ...