Radiolunate fusion. The forgotten partial arthrodesis.

Radiolunate fusion has been used successfully in the treatment of rheumatoid ulnar translation of the carpus and degenerative radiolunate arthritis. Fusing the lunate to the radius places the keystone of the carpus in an aligned and stable position. The use of radiolunate fusion has been introduced here for other treatment challenges including traumatic ulnar translation of the carpus, dynamic midcarpal instability, volar and static intercalated segment instability.

Effect of immobilization, immediate mobilization, and delayed mobilization on the resistance to digital flexion using a tendon injury model.

This study employed a tendon injury model in chickens to determine the effect of immobilization, immediate mobilization, and delayed mobilization on the energy required to fully flex the digit following surgical trauma to the tendon, as determined by measurement of the work of flexion (WOF). The immobilized group showed no increased WOF at 3 days compared to the zero time control values, followed by significant increased WOF at 1 week (36%), 2 weeks (41%), and 3 weeks (63%). The immediate mobilization tendons showed an initial 36% rise in the work of flexion at 3 days, which increased to 40% at 1 week, and then decreased to baseline control values by 3 weeks.

Soft-tissue injuries of the wrist.

The wide spectrum of athletic activities places demands of different magnitudes, orientations, and degrees of repetition on the wrists of athletes. These demands can result in injuries to the soft tissues of the wrist, which may make optimal athletic performance difficult if not impossible. With the advent of increased awareness of injuries particular to a sport and advances in diagnostic acumen, both technologic and clinical, these once enigmatic pathologic entities can be approached with a treatment plan that often can return the athlete to competition quickly.

Surgical classification of central deficiency according to the thumb web.

A classification for congenital central deficiency is presented. In contrast to previous classification schemes, this proposed classification is based on the characteristics of the thumb web, which are more important to the function of the hand than are the central deficiency features. Five progressive narrowings of the thumb web are identified: normal web (type I), narrowed web (type II), syndactylized web (type III), merged web (type IV), and absent web (type V).

A comparison of a new graduated estrogen formulation with three constant-dosed oral contraceptives.

Four-hundred-twenty-six women, aged 18 to 36, completed a four-cycle comparative, randomized, single-blind (observer blind), multicenter study of a new graduated estrogen formulation with three constant-dosed combination oral contraceptives containing the same synthetic steroid compounds. The products studied were Loestrin 1/20, Loestrin 1.5/30, Norlestrin 1/50, and a new graduated estrogen product, Estrostep.