[Treatment of phalangeal fractures using the mini-hook plate. An alternative for surgical fixation of small phalangeal bone fragments?].

Background: Fixation of the small bony fragments of the phalanges is often difficult. In this study a clinical and radiological evaluation was carried out after operative treatment using the mini-hook plate.

Patients And Methods: Between 2003 and 2006 a total of 36 fractures were treated operatively using the mini-hook plate.

Fulminant unilateral pulmonary edema after insertion of a chest tube: a complication after a primary spontaneous pneumothorax.

Introduction: The insertion of a chest tube in cases of large pleural effusion or spontaneous pneumothorax is a common surgical procedure often performed by a physician in training under the supervision of a senior physician.

Case Presentation: The authors report the case of a 35-year-old man with a persistent, complete spontaneous pneumothorax of approximately 30 hours' duration. Within 90 minutes after insertion of a chest tube, he developed severe unilateral pulmonary edema and required mechanical ventilation.

[Biomechanical study of four palmar locking plates and one non-locking palmar plate for distal radius fractures: stiffness and load to failure tests in a cadaver model].

Five different palmar fixation plate designs were compared in a distal radial osteotomy cadaver model with regard to their biomechanical properties. A metaphyseal osteotomy gap of 1 cm was performed and the osteosynthesis was plated according to the manufacturer's instructions. Axial load was applied to the construct by a pneumatic material testing machine.

[The distally based sural neurocutaneous island flap for coverage of soft-tissue defects on the distal lower leg, ankle and heel].

Objective: Stable coverage of soft-tissue defects in the critical regions of the distal lower leg, ankle and heel by avoidance of a microsurgically transplanted free flap.

Indications: Soft-tissue defects < or = 10 cm in diameter--either by trauma or complications (skin necrosis, infection)--on the distal lower leg, ankle or heel with exposed osseous, tendinous or articular structures including high-risk patients (diabetes mellitus type 1/2 and/or arterial vascular disease including stage IIb, not capable of improvement).

Contraindications: Relative: diameter of defect > 10 cm.

Dynamic angular three-dimensional measurement of multisegmental thoracolumbar motion in vivo.

Study Design: Method validation and in vivo motion segment study.

Objective: To determine in healthy subjects in vivo intervertebral segmental kinematics and coupled motion behavior in all 3 planes simultaneously for 3 segments and to evaluate whether these results differ from those in the normal population according to the literature.

Summary Of Background Data: Few studies have provided a direct invasive approach to investigate segmental kinematics in vivo.