A novel tension relief technique to aid the primary closure of traumatic equine wounds under excessive tension.

Background: To achieve an excellent functional and cosmetic result, primary closure is preferred over leaving wounds to heal by secondary intention. However, traumatic wounds are often under excessive tension during wound closure and incorrect suture technique can compromise microcirculation, leading to skin necrosis and impaired wound healing.

Objective: To describe an inexpensive and effective tension relief technique that helps the successful primary closure of a variety of equine wounds at high risk of dehiscence.

Tunnel grafting for wound repair in horses: a novel technique in graft production and placement.

There are several skin grafting methods described in the human and animal literature. Currently, there are five types of free grafts used in horses: pinch and punch grafts, split and full-thickness sheet or mesh grafts and tunnel grafts. Published methods of tunnel grafting describe the use of alligator forceps.

Motor imagery in people with a history of back pain, current back pain, both, or neither.

Introduction: There is mounting evidence that cortical maps are disrupted in chronic limb pain and that these disruptions may contribute to the problem and be a viable target for treatment. Little is known as to whether this is also the case for the most common and costly chronic pain-back pain.

Objectives: To investigate the effects of back pain characteristics on the performance of left/right trunk judgment tasks, a method of testing the integrity of cortical maps.

Left/right neck rotation judgments are affected by age, gender, handedness and image rotation.

Understanding motor imagery of the hands and feet has led to promising new treatments for neurological and chronic pain disorders. We aimed to extend this line of research to the neck with a view to developing the definitive platform study upon which clinical and experimental studies can be based. In a cross-sectional experiment with a convenience sample, volunteers were shown 40 photographs of a model with their head turned to the left or right.

Transversus abdominis: changes in thickness during the unsupported upper limb exercise test in older adults.

Novel, short-lived upper limb tasks performed by young adults have been used to investigate the role of transversus abdominis (TrA) in maintaining postural stability. Little information exists concerning the behaviour of TrA in older adults during protracted postural challenges. The primary aim of this study was to describe the change in thickness of TrA during an incremental upper limb exercise test in older adults.

Fresh water leaching of alkaline bauxite residue after sea water neutralization.

Processing of bauxite to extract alumina produces a strongly alkaline waste, bauxite refining residue, which is commonly stored in engineered structures. Once full, these waste dumps must be revegetated. In many alumina refineries, the waste is separated into fine-textured red mud and coarse-textured residue sand (RS).

Transversus abdominis: changes in thickness during an incremental upper limb exercise test.

The aim of this study was to measure transversus abdominis (TrA) during an incremental fatiguing task. Using real-time ultrasound, TrA thickness was measured in 26 healthy subjects (18-25 years, 9 male) during an unsupported upper limb exercise test (UULEX). Repeatability of changes in TrA thickness during the UULEX was established by using a test-retest process (n=9, intraclass correlation coefficient=0.

Effect of time of day on the vertical spinal creep response.

Vertical spinal creep (VSC) is height loss during sustained postures over a set period of time. While total stature has been demonstrated to decrease throughout the day, whether a diurnal effect applies to the VSC response has not been reported. The aim of this study was to investigate whether time of day had an effect on the magnitude of the VSC response in young subjects asymptomatic for musculoskeletal pathologies.

Revegetation strategies for bauxite refinery residue: a case study of Alcan Gove in Northern Territory, Australia.

Alumina extraction from bauxite ore with strong alkali produces waste bauxite refinery residue consisting of residue sand and red mud. The amount and composition of refinery residue depend on the purity of the bauxite ore and extraction conditions, and differs between refineries. The refinery residue is usually stored in engineered disposal areas that eventually have to be revegetated.

Comminuted fracture of the distal sesamoid bone and distal rupture of the deep digital flexor tendon.

A 10-year-old show jumper was evaluated for an acute severe lameness (grade 4 of 5) of the right foreleg. During weight bearing, the toe of the affected limb rotated dorsally suggesting rupture of the deep digital flexor tendon (DDFT). Upon radiographic examination of the hoof, a severe erosion at the flexor surface and a parasagittal fracture of the distal sesamoid bone were found.

Seawater neutralization of alkaline bauxite residue and implications for revegetation.

Reaction of bauxite residue with seawater results in neutralization of alkalinity through precipitation of Mg-, Ca-, and Al-hydroxide and carbonate minerals. In batch studies, the initial pH neutralization reaction was rapid (<5 min), with further reaction continuing to reduce pH for several weeks. Reaction with seawater produced a residue pH of 8 to 8.

Virtual reality as a pediatric pain modulation technique: a case study.

Post-surgical pain has been consistently reported in pediatrics as being difficult to manage and limiting to surgical outcomes. Pain management of children is not ideal, and some children unable to tolerate traditional pharmacological agents. Virtual reality (VR) is a new and promising form of non-pharmacologic analgesia.

Laryngeal reinnervation in the horse.

Left laryngeal hemiplegia is a frustrating condition for the equine athlete and equine veterinarian. Treatment for the past 30 years has centered on the prosthetic laryngoplasty ("tie-back") with or without ventriculectomy. Laryngeal reinnervation has been used successfully in people and has been shown experimentally to benefit affected horses.

Effects of chronic low back pain, age and gender on vertical spinal creep.

This study investigated the effect of chronic low back pain, age, gender, and time of measurement on the magnitude of vertical spinal creep (VSC) and its recovery. A mixed design, involving three independent variables (chronic low back pain, age, and gender) and one repeated variable (time), was used. One hundred and six subjects of both genders, with and without chronic low back pain, aged between 20 and 60 years, participated in the study.

Cervical implant from villoglandular endometrial adenocarcinoma masquerading as cervical villoglandular adenocarcinoma.

This is an unusual presentation of a rare subtype of endometrial adenocarcinoma (villoglandular papillary carcinoma, VGPC) in a 71-year-old woman, which was initially diagnosed on cervical biopsy as being primary cervical VGPC. Loop excision failed to show any evidence of residual disease. Subsequent hysterectomy revealed a localized villoglandular carcinoma involving the uterine fundus and invading the inner one-third of the myometrium, the background endometrium was atrophic.

Reliability of the vertical spinal creep response measured in sitting (asymptomatic and low-back pain subjects).

Vertical spinal creep (or change in stature) has been used as an index of spinal loading, yet reliability of the testing protocol has not been fully examined. This study investigated the reliability of a vertical spinal creep response in 10 asymptomatic and five low-back pain subjects. Each subject performed the 25-min testing protocol, which consisted of three phases (5-min preload, 10-min loaded and 10-min unloaded), at the same time on two separate days.

Adolescent versus adult responses to vertical spinal loading.

This study compared the vertical spinal creep response between adolescent and adult males. Thirty healthy male subjects, 15 adolescents (aged 12 to 16 years) and 15 adults (aged 30 to 57 years) were measured. Spinal creep was measured continuously over 25 min under loaded and unloaded conditions using a seated stadiometer that controlled spinal posture.

On the constructs of quality physiotherapy.

The quality of physiotherapy services invites evaluation using a range of constructs. These must reflect the needs of different stakeholders and the different elements of the "package" of physiotherapy. Measurement of quality can consider organisation of the service, the way in which care is provided, the way in which information about care is recorded and used for evaluation purposes, and the outcome of care.

Contribution of soft tissue deformation below the sacrum to the measurement of total height loss in sitting.

This study investigated the contribution of soft tissue deformation below the sacrum (S) and vertical spinal creep to total height loss (THL) measured in sitting. Eight asymptomatic subjects (four males, four females) aged between 21 and 51 years were measured. Simultaneous measurement of THL and S were commenced after the subjects had been sitting for 5 min.

Three-dimensional analysis of active cervical motion: the effect of age and gender.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the effects of age and gender on three-dimensional (3D) active cervical spine motion. DESIGN: This was a descriptive study. BACKGROUND: This study expanded on previous investigations of age and gender effects on single plane motion of the cervical spine.

Effects of various isoresistive training programmes on trunk muscle performance.

Isoresistive movements provide a functional method of testing muscle performance and of providing exercise; the resistance applied is usually a percentage of the maximal isometric torque which can be developed by individual subjects. The aim of the current study was to compare the effectiveness of dynamic isoresistive exercise programmes using 25, 50 or 75% of the maximum isometric flexion torque and static isometric exercises for improving the performance of the trunk flexors and extensors. Subjects comprised 42 asymptomatic females aged 18-25 years who were randomly assigned to control or exercise groups.

Superior check ligament desmotomy for treatment of superficial digital flexor tendonitis in thoroughbred and standardbred horses.

Bilateral superior check ligament desmotomy was performed on 31 Thoroughbred and 17 Standardbred horses as the sole method of treatment for superficial digital flexor tendonitis. Horses resumed racing between 6 and 19 months after surgery. Horses that were able to compete in 5 or more races without injury to the tendon again were considered to have had a successful return to racing.

Histologic evaluation of nerve muscle pedicle graft used as a treatment for left laryngeal hemiplegia in standardbreds.

A nerve muscle pedicle (NMP) graft was placed in the cricoarytenoideus dorsalis (CAD) muscle of 6 horses with induced left laryngeal hemiplegia. The NMP graft was created by use of the first cervical nerve and omohyoideus muscle. In 1 horse (control), the first cervical nerve was transected after placement of the NMP graft.

Treatment of left laryngeal hemiplegia in standardbreds, using a nerve muscle pedicle graft.

The efficacy of a nerve muscle pedicle (NMP) graft in restoring upper airway function was evaluated in exercising horses with induced left laryngeal hemiplegia. The NMP graft was created from the first cervical nerve and the omohyoideus muscle and transplanted into the left cricoarytenoideus dorsalis muscle. Seven adult Standardbreds were trained to exercise on a treadmill inclined at 6.