Ultrasound May Diagnose Ulnar Neuropathy Despite Normal Electrodiagnostic Findings
Posted 10 days ago
Most people know someone with or has heard of carpal tunnel syndrome , a repetitive stress injury involving the nerve that goes through the wrist (the carpal tunnel) and into the hand. While this is the most common entrapment neuropathy (nerve problem due to a nerve being trapped or pressed on), the second most common entrapment neuropathy that involves the arm has to do with the elbow and how the nerve passes through the cubital tunnel . Reference: Joon Shik Yoon, MD, PhD, Francis O. Walker, MD, and Michael Cartwright, MD. Ulnar Neuropathy With Normal Electrodiagnosis and Abnormal Nerve Ultrasound. In Archives of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation. February 2010. Vol. 91. No. 2. Pp. 318-320. read more [Link]

No Time Lost Results in Optimal Results for Transverse Sacral Fractures
Posted 10 days ago
Physicians at trauma centers must be prepared for the weird, the unusual, and the rare cases of everything because they see everything in all three of these categories. This case presentation of an extremely rare sacral fracture in a 13-year-old demonstrates this point very well. Reference: Ashwin Avadhani, MS(Orth), DNB(Orth), et al. Pediatric Transverse Sacral Fracture with Cauda Equina Syndrome. In The Spine Journal. February 2010. Vol. 10. No. 2. Pp. E10-E13. read more [Link]

New Problem Discovered with X-Stop Devices
Posted 10 days ago
Neurosurgeons from Italy are the first to report a new complication with X-stop devices used in the lumbar spine. What are X-stops? And what's the new problem? Reference: Giuseppe M. V. Barbagallo, MD, et al. The Sandwich Phenomenon: A Rare Complication in Adjacent, Double-Level X-Stop Surgery. In Spine. February 1, 2010. Vol. 35. No. 3. Pp. E96-E100. read more [Link]

Three Rare Cases of Cervical Spondylolysis
Posted 10 days ago
Sometimes surgeons encounter patients with a condition so rare, it's worth writing about. In this article, three cases of cervical spondylolysis are presented. Only 100 cases of this type have ever been reported in the entire world. What is cervical spondylolysis? Reference: Poong Gee Ahn, MD, et al. Cervical Spondylolysis. In Spine. February 1, 2010. Vol. 35. No. 3. Pp. E80-E83. read more [Link]

Managing Low Back Pain Without Medications
Posted 10 days ago
There are a wide variety of treatment options available for the patient with low back pain that don't rely on medications. There's spinal manipulation, acupuncture, massage, nerve stimulation, biofeedback, yoga, behavioral counseling, lumbar supports, and much, much more. This article is designed to assist physicians and patients in understanding what's out there and how and when to use it. Reference: Steven J. Atlas, MD, MPH. Nonpharmacological Treatment for Low Back Pain. In The Journal of Musculoskeletal Medicine. January 2010. Vol. 27. No. 1. Pp. 20-27. read more [Link]

Keeping Up With the Latest in Foot and Ankle Surgery
Posted 10 days ago
In an effort to help orthopedic surgeons keep up with the latest research, the authors of this specialty update present a summary of evidence related to foot and ankle surgery. More than a dozen of the most common problems are presented including ankle fractures, calcaneal (heel bone) fractures, chronic ankle instability, ankle joint replacement, ankle fusion, diabetes-related problems, tendon problems, bunions, impingement problems, foot deformities, and amputations. Reference: Randall C. Marx, MD, and Mark S. Mizel, MD. What's New in Foot and Ankle Surgery. In Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. February 2010. Vol. 92-A. No. 2. Pp. 512-523. read more [Link]

Surgeons Solve the Dilemma of Classifying Thoracolumbar Spinal Fractures
Posted 10 days ago
Surgeons faced with decisions about treatment for thoracolumbar spinal fractures are really challenged by the lack of one simple, adaptable, easy-to-remember classification system. Currently there are at least eight different systems described and in use. In this article, a new valid and reliable system is introduced that can be used in the clinic. Reference: Alpesh A. Patel, MD, and Alexander R. Vaccaro, MD, PhD. Thoracolumbar Spine Trauma Classification. In Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. February 2010. Vol. 18. No. 2. Pp. 63-71. read more [Link]

How To Manage Severe Tibial Bone Fractures
Posted 10 days ago
Orthopedic surgeons will appreciate this article. It is the second part of a two-part series on open tibial shaft fractures . In the first part (published in the January 2010 Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (JAAOS)), open tibial shaft fractures was introduced as a topic. The focus of the earlier journal was evaluating these fractures and the initial treatment taking care of the open wound. Reference: J. Stuart Melvin, MD, et al. Open Tibial Shaft Fractures: II. Definitive Management and Limb Salvage. In Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. February 2010. Vol. 18. No. 2. Pp. 108-117. read more [Link]

Patients with Spinal Stenosis Can Benefit from Nerve Blocks
Posted 10 days ago
Despite our many advances in medicine and especially all the improved technology, we still don't know what causes back pain for many people. And without an understanding of the cause, it is difficult to find an effective way to treat it. We do know now that some patients have back pain coming from the facet (spinal) joint(s). Using an injected anesthetic to the facet joint's nerve has confirmed that this area can be a pain generator. Reference: Milan P. Stojanovic, MD, et al. MRI Analysis of the Lumbar Spine: Can It Predict Response to Diagnostic and Therapeutic Facet Procedures? In The Clinical Journal of Pain. February 2010. Vol. 26. No. 2. Pp. 110-115. read more [Link]

New Ideas About Nervous System Function in Complex Regional Pain Syndrome
Posted 10 days ago
This group of researchers have been studying patients with complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) for a long time. They've been trying to figure out what causes the symptoms these patients suffer in order to find better ways to treat CRPS (or even prevent it). Reference: Tobias Vogel, MD, et al. Sympathetic Dysfunction in Long-Term Complex Regional Pain Syndrome. In The Clinical Journal of Pain. February 2010. Vol. 26. No. 2. Pp. 128-131. read more [Link]