Suture Materials, Needles, and Methods of Skin Closure: What Every Hand Surgeon Should Know.

Sutures are used ubiquitously in surgery and are the most implanted materials in hand surgery. However, surgical training does not routinely include formal education on stitching materials or needles. Rather, suture familiarity is passed down by common use throughout training.

Secondary Management of Nonnail Perionychial Deformities: Restoring Aesthetic and Functional Subunits.

Delayed finger and thumb tip reconstruction should try to optimally reconstruct perioncyhial aesthetic and functional units by replacing tissue as closely resembling the original loss as possible. Avoid thinking in terms of a "reconstructive ladder" but rather going directly to the reconstructive choice that seems most suited to the task. Some reconstructive choices may seem more attractive because of their simplicity, but may not necessarily give the best functional and aesthetic result.

Why you should wear your seatbelt on an airplane: Burst fracture of the atlas (jefferson fracture) due to in-flight turbulence.

The Jefferson fracture is a burst-type fracture to the atlas first described in 1919, characterized by anterior and posterior fractures of the weak C1 ring caused by a sudden axial load to the vertex of the skull. Here we report a Jefferson fracture caused by head trauma due to mid-flight turbulence in an unrestrained 56-year-old male airline passenger. Imaging revealed a comminuted burst fracture of the atlas with an avulsion fracture of the transverse atlantal ligament.

Fuzzy Functional Dependencies as a Method of Choice for Fusion of AIS and OTHR Data.

Maritime situational awareness at over-the-horizon (OTH) distances in exclusive economic zones can be achieved by deploying networks of high-frequency OTH radars (HF-OTHR) in coastal countries along with exploiting automatic identification system (AIS) data. In some regions the reception of AIS messages can be unreliable and with high latency. This leads to difficulties in properly associating AIS data to OTHR tracks.

A Prospective Study on the Effect of Corticosteroid Injection Dosage for Hand Disorders in Non-Insulin Dependent Diabetics.

Local administration of corticosteroids is an effective yet potentially dangerous intervention in the treatment of hand disorders in diabetics. Prolonged exposure to hyperglycemia contributes to non-enzymatic glycosylation of various organ systems, which may cause detrimental health effects such as blindness, renal failure, and peripheral neuropathy, contributing to the high cost of health care. The purpose of this study is to determine the effects of corticosteroid dosage on serum glucose levels when used to treat common hand disorders in diabetic patients.

Maritime over the Horizon Sensor Integration: High Frequency Surface-Wave-Radar and Automatic Identification System Data Integration Algorithm.

To obtain the complete operational picture of the maritime situation in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) which lies over the horizon (OTH) requires the integration of data obtained from various sensors. These sensors include: high frequency surface-wave-radar (HFSWR), satellite automatic identification system (SAIS) and land automatic identification system (LAIS). The algorithm proposed in this paper utilizes radar tracks obtained from the network of HFSWRs, which are already processed by a multi-target tracking algorithm and associates SAIS and LAIS data to the corresponding radar tracks, thus forming an integrated data pair.

Mycobacterium longobardum Infection in the Hand.

Mycobacterium longobardum is a slow-growing, nontuberculous mycobacterium that was first characterized in 2012. We report a case of M. longobardum infection in the right middle finger of a diabetic man.

Machete injuries to the upper extremity.

Purpose: We intend to describe and analyze the spectrum of upper extremity injuries that arises from both accidental and intentional machete injuries with a focus on associated complications and comorbidities. This review is the first from a United States institution, and the only from a designated level 1 trauma center.

Methods: A retrospective review of machete related upper extremity injuries admitted to a level 1 trauma center from 2008 to 2016.

Vascular smooth muscle cell optimization of vasculogenesis within naturally derived, biodegradable, hybrid hydrogel scaffolds.

Background: As vascularization represents the rate-limiting step in permanent incorporation of hydrogel-based tissue-regeneration templates, the authors sought to identify the material chemistry that would optimize endothelial cell adhesion and invasion into custom hydrogel constructs. The authors further investigated induction of endothelial tubule formation by growth factor supplementation and paracrine stimulation.

Methods: Hydrogel scaffolds consisting of combinations of alginate, collagen type I, and chitosan were seeded with human umbilical vein endothelial cells and maintained under standard conditions for 14 days.

The effect of two different trochanteric nail lag-screw designs on fixation stability of four-part intertrochanteric fractures: a clinical and biomechanical study.

Objectives: To compare lag-screw sliding characteristics and fixation stability of two cephalomedullary nails (CMN) with different lag-screw designs (solid and telescopic), we conducted a biomechanical study and an analysis of clinical results.

Methods: Six pairs of cadaver femurs with simulated intertrochanteric fractures were randomly assigned to one of two CMN fixations. Femur constructs were statically then cyclically loaded on an MTS machine.

Treatment of two-part proximal humerus fractures: intramedullary nail compared to locked plating.

Background: Two-part proximal humerus fractures are common orthopedic injuries for which surgical intervention is often indicated. Choosing a fixation device remains a topic of debate.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to compare two methods of fixation for two-part proximal humerus fractures, locking plate (LP) with screws versus intramedullary nailing (IMN), with respect to alignment, healing, patient outcomes, and complications.

Outcomes after knee joint extensor mechanism disruptions: is it better to fracture the patella or rupture the tendon?

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to compare the outcome after the operative treatment of patella fractures (PFs) as compared with those of quadriceps tendon and patella tendon (PT) ruptures.

Design: This pertains to a retrospective case control.

Setting: The setting was in academic teaching hospitals.

The effects of pronator quadratus repair on outcomes after volar plating of distal radius fractures.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate forearm rotation after volar plating of the distal radius fractures with and without pronator quadratus repair.

Design: This was an institutional review board-approved retrospective review of prospectively collected data.

Setting: The study was conducted at an Academic Medical Center.

Future practice plans of orthodontic residents in the United States.

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to investigate the future clinical practice plans of orthodontic residents in the United States.

Methods: All program chairs and directors of the 65 US orthodontic residency programs were contacted by e-mail and telephone and asked for permission to e-mail their residents and invite them to take part in an anonymous 57-item questionnaire online. A total of 335 e-mails from 37 programs were obtained, and the survey was sent in May 2007.