Examination of Skill Acquisition and Grader Bias in a Distal Radius Fracture Fixation Model.

Objectives: Primary: Assess the ability of faculty graders to predict the objectively measured strength of distal radius fracture fixation. Secondary: Compare resident skill variation and retention related to other knowable training data.

Design: Residents were allowed 60 minutes to stabilize a standardized distal radius fracture using an assigned fixed-angle volar plate.

Development of a disposable force-sensing glove for clinicians and demonstration of its force measurements on patients during rehabilitation following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction surgery.

For many clinicians, their effectiveness is dependent on the magnitude of forces they manually apply to their patients. However, current state-of-the-art care strategies lack quantitative feedback, making it difficult to provide consistent care over time and among multiple clinicians. To provide real-time quantitative feedback to clinicians, we have developed a disposable glove with a force sensor embedded in the fingertips or palm.

Development, construct validity, and reproducibility of a mimetic sealed jar measuring the dynamics of opening.

Measurement of the dynamic kinetics involved in opening a jar may enable health care professionals to understand and train individuals in optimal hand/grip mechanics. This technical note details the design, validity, and reproducibility testing of a mimetic jar capable of measuring the forces and moments and isolated digital forces applied to the lid of the jar. An ecological jar instrument was designed with a torque limiter to provide a natural opening mechanism while a six-axis load cell and force sensing resistors recorded the way individuals applied force to the jar and lid during opening of a sealed container.

Radiographic Analysis of Simulated First Dorsal Interosseous and Opponens Pollicis Loading Upon Thumb CMC Joint Subluxation: A Cadaver Study.

Background: Therapy programs to treat thumb carpometacarpal (CMC) arthritis may engage selective activation and reeducation of thenar muscles, particularly the first dorsal interosseous (FDI) and opponens pollicis (OP) to reduce subluxation of the joint. We describe the effect of simulated selective activation of the FDI and OP muscles upon radiographic subluxation of the thumb CMC joint.

Methods: In a cadaver model of CMC subluxation, loads were applied to the FDI, the OP, and then concomitantly at 0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% maximal loads and radial subluxation of the joint and reduction in subluxation was measured.