The duration of symptoms does not correlate with rotator cuff tear severity or other patient-related features: a cross-sectional study of patients with atraumatic, full-thickness rotator cuff tears.

Hypothesis: The purpose of this cross-sectional study is to determine whether the duration of symptoms influences the features seen in patients with atraumatic, full-thickness rotator cuff tears. Our hypothesis is that an increasing duration of symptoms will correlate with more advanced findings of rotator cuff tear severity on magnetic resonance imaging, worse shoulder outcome scores, more pain, decreased range of motion, and less strength.

Methods: We enrolled 450 patients with full-thickness rotator cuff tears in a prospective cohort study to assess the effectiveness of nonoperative treatment and factors predictive of success.

Patient understanding of the role of the orthopedic resident.

Introduction: Patients have identified the knowledge of a physician's level of training as important. Previous studies show equally poor patient's understanding of the medical education hierarchy. Given the importance to the patient and the possible effect on patient satisfaction, it is critical to evaluate patient's understanding of the orthopedic educational hierarchy.

Management of knee arthropathy in patients with vascular malformations.

Objective: To describe our experience with surgical intervention for symptomatic intraarticular vascular malformations of the knee in patients with peripheral vascular malformations including Klippel-Trénaunay syndrome (KTS).

Methods: Eleven patients underwent surgical intervention for symptomatic intraarticular vascular malformations of the knee between 1987 and 2008. Seven patients had KTS, and 4 patients had venous malformations.

An explorative learning approach to teaching clinical anatomy using student generated content.

Translating basic sciences into a clinical framework has been approached through the implementation of various teaching techniques aimed at using a patient case scenario to facilitate learning. These techniques present students with a specific patient case and lead the students to discuss physiological processes through analysis of provided data supported by independent learning and research. However, no literature exists that describes a reverse teaching methodology in which students are given disease diagnosis and then asked to construct a patient case.

Anatomical variations of the iliolumbar vein with application to the anterior retroperitoneal approach to the lumbar spine: a cadaver study.

Objectives of this study include identification of lumbosacral venous variations, designation of a critical area of dissection for surgical exposure, and comparison between both male/female and right/left-sided anatomy. Attempts were made to provide anatomic nomenclature that accurately describes these structures. Thirty-eight iliolumbar venous systems in 20 cadavers (11 females/9 males) were dissected.

Magnetic resonance imaging of surgically confirmed anterior cruciate ligament graft disruption.

Objective: To evaluate previously described primary and secondary MRI signs of disruption to anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) grafts in surgically proven cases.

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively analyzed MR images of 48 patients (mean age 29 years) with clinically suspected ACL graft disruption. All patients had surgical confirmation of the MRI findings.