Publications by authors named "Taylor Rakauskas"
Bertolotti's Syndrome, a subset of lumbosacral transitional vertebrae (LSTV), is one cause of chronic low back pain (LBP), and a commonly overlooked differential diagnosis. The incidence of Bertolotti's Syndrome has been underestimated in the past and is common in those of younger ages around 30-40. Although diagnostics, imaging methods, and treatment algorithms have been improved in the past few years, there is no gold standard and more long-term, prospective research is needed.
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- A study compared the clinical outcomes of lateralized reverse shoulder arthroplasty (RSA) and RSA with latissimus dorsi transfer (LDT) in patients with poor preoperative external rotation (ER).
- The analysis showed that lateralized RSA alone led to better postoperative ER and Constant scores while having fewer complications compared to RSA with LDT.
- Both procedures are effective for restoring ER, but lateralized RSA is preferred due to its lower risk of nerve injuries and dislocations, although LDT may still be suitable for select patients with severe ER loss.
Article Synopsis
- Increased commercial spaceflight and space tourism highlight the need to understand the impact of spaceflight on musculoskeletal health, particularly regarding upper extremity injuries, which are the most common in this environment.
- A literature review revealed that spaceflight leads to decreased bone mineral density, various muscle atrophy patterns, and peripheral nerve issues, such as hand numbness, but the exact causes remain unclear.
- Although current research offers some insights into maintaining upper extremity health during spaceflight, significant knowledge gaps persist, indicating a need for further investigation into injury risks and preventative measures.
Background: In wrist salvage, proximal row carpectomy (PRC) has increasingly shown superior outcomes to four-corner fusion (4CF). Furthermore, PRC with resurfacing capitate pyrocarbon implants (PRC + RCPIs) provides a treatment option that may allow patients to avoid 4CF or wrist arthrodesis and help restore natural joint function and distribute loads evenly across the implant, though RCPI has yet to be evaluated on a large scale. We aimed to compare outcomes between PRC and PRC + RCPI for the treatment of scapholunate advanced collapse (SLAC) and scaphoid nonunion advanced collapse (SNAC) wrists.
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- The study focuses on reverse shoulder arthroplasty (RSA) combined with latissimus dorsi transfer (LDT) to enhance external rotation, highlighting the significance of the tendon insertion site for optimal results.
- It reviews 16 studies involving 264 patients, detailing various humeral insertion sites used for LDT and comparing clinical outcomes, including range of motion and Constant scores.
- The findings show that the majority of insertion sites were at the greater tuberosity, with no significant differences in outcomes based on insertion location or whether LDT was performed alone or with teres major transfer, while common complications included dislocation and infection.
Article Synopsis
- Proximal row carpectomy (PRC) is found to be more effective than four-corner fusion (4CF) in treating wrist conditions, with significant improvements in wrist motion and pain relief.
- A systematic review analyzed 61 studies involving over 3,000 wrists, showing PRC patients had better postoperative extension and ulnar deviation compared to those who underwent 4CF.
- PRC had a lower rate of complications and a smaller percentage of patients requiring additional surgery, indicating its potential as a superior option for certain wrist conditions.
Article Synopsis
- Latissimus dorsi transfer (LDT) aims to improve motion, particularly external rotation (ER) and forward elevation (FE), in patients undergoing reverse shoulder arthroplasty (RSA) with combined motion loss, and this review summarizes evidence on its outcomes and complications.
- A systematic review of 19 studies involving 258 RSAs showed significant improvements in ER and FE post-surgery, with mean ER changing from -12° to 25° and FE from 72° to 141°.
- Complication rates were found to be 14.1%, including tendon tears and nerve-related issues, and no significant differences in outcomes were found between different implant designs or when a teres major transfer (TMT) was
Complex motion of the human thumb is enabled by the balanced architectural design of the extrinsic and intrinsic thumb muscles. Given that recent imaging advances have not yet been applied to enhance our understanding of the in vivo properties of thumb muscles, the objective of this study was to test the reliability and validity of measuring thumb muscle fascicle lengths using extended field of view ultrasound (EFOV-US). Three muscles (FPL: flexor pollicis longus, APB: abductor pollicis brevis, and ECU: extensor carpi ulnaris) were imaged in eight healthy adults (4 female; age, 21.
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