Incidence, Positional Distribution, Severity, and Time Missed in Medial Collateral Ligament Injuries of the Knee in NCAA Division I Football Athletes.

Introduction: We studied injury to the medial collateral ligament (MCL) in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I football players, their incidence, magnitude of injury, distribution by position, and missed time, which has not previously been described in a consecutive series.

Methods: The knee injuries sustained in 163 consecutive NCAA Division I collegiate football players at our institution were evaluated over a span of 6 years.

Results: The incidence of MCL injuries with any knee injury was 29% (47 of 163).

Ultrafast nonlinear optical studies of silicon nanowaveguides.

Results of a self-consistent ultrafast study of nonlinear optical properties of silicon nanowaveguides using heterodyne pump-probe technique are reported. The two-photon absorption coefficient and free-carrier absorption effective cross-section were determined to be 0.68cm/GW, and 1.

Can the reparability of meniscal tears be predicted with magnetic resonance imaging?

Background: Historically, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has been very useful in diagnosing meniscal tears but not as valuable in predicting whether a meniscal tear is reparable. Given that several recent studies suggested that MRI can be used to predict tear reparability, the topic has resurfaced as a controversy in the orthopaedic and radiology literatures.

Hypothesis: Experienced musculoskeletal radiologists can use MRI to predict the reparability of meniscal tears with good to excellent accuracy using the same arthroscopic criteria used by surgeons intraoperatively.

Brachial artery-jugular vein jump graft: a salvage procedure for vascular access.

A prospective analysis was made on 11 patients who received a brachial artery-external/internal jugular polytetrafluoroethylene jump graft for hemodialysis access. The procedure was chosen because of exhaustion of the veins in the upper extremity owing to previous multiple failed fistulas or grafts. In two patients, the procedure failed after several months.

Accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging in determining the presence and size of recurrent rotator cuff tears.

We attempted to assess the accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in determining the size of recurrent cuff tears in correlation with size measured at surgery. Thirty-seven shoulders in 33 patients who had reoperation for a presumed failed rotator cuff repair were retrospectively evaluated. All patients had preoperative MRI, the results of which were read by a musculoskeletal radiologist to determine the presence of a tear and to estimate its size.