Subacromial decompression versus diagnostic arthroscopy for shoulder impingement: a 5-year follow-up of a randomised, placebo surgery controlled clinical trial.

Objectives: To assess the long-term efficacy of arthroscopic subacromial decompression (ASD) by comparing it with diagnostic arthroscopy (primary comparison), a placebo surgical intervention, and with a non-operative alternative, exercise therapy (secondary comparison).

Methods: We conducted a multicentre, three group, randomised, controlled superiority trial. We included 210 patients aged 35-65 years, who had symptoms consistent with shoulder impingement syndrome for more than 3 months.

Subacromial decompression versus diagnostic arthroscopy for shoulder impingement: randomised, placebo surgery controlled clinical trial.

Objective: To assess the efficacy of arthroscopic subacromial decompression (ASD) by comparing it with diagnostic arthroscopy, a placebo surgical intervention, and with a non-operative alternative, exercise therapy, in a more pragmatic setting.

Design: Multicentre, three group, randomised, double blind, sham controlled trial.

Setting: Orthopaedic departments at three public hospitals in Finland.

Arthrosis of glenohumeral joint after arthroscopic Bankart repair: a long-term follow-up of 13 years.

Hypothesis: The purpose of the study was to establish radiologic and clinical occurrence of glenohumeral arthrosis after arthroscopic Bankart repair.

Materials And Methods: Between January 1994 and December 1998, an arthroscopic Bankart repair was performed in 187 patients at our institution. We were able to assess clinical and radiologic glenohumeral arthrosis in 72 of the 101 patients who met the inclusion criteria (74 shoulders) (71%) after a 13-year follow-up.

Emergency procedure skills of graduating medical doctors.

In the present study final-year medical students' degree of theoretical knowledge and rate of successful performance of emergency procedures was assessed. A questionnaire was sent to all final-year medical students in Finland in 1997 (n=504) in all five medical faculties. The response rate was 80.

Ruptured tibio-fibular syndesmosis: comparison study of metallic to bioabsorbable fixation.

The patients of this study come from a series of 43 consecutive ankle fracture patients with syndesmotic rupture operated on at our department. Of these patients, 18 were treated with bioabsorbable self-reinforced poly-L-lactide screw and 12 treated with metallic screw. All agreed to participate in this study.

Surgical procedure skills of graduating medical students: effects of sex, working, and research experience.

Background: Surgical procedures constitute an important part of every physician's daily practice. However, few studies have investigated the surgical skills of graduating medical students and, especially, factors that might be related to their degree of surgical competence. The present study sought to gather information on the basic surgical skills of graduating medical students and to establish whether factors influencing the students' competence could be identified and used to improve the teaching of basic surgical skills at medical schools.