Nephron-sparing surgery compared with radical nephrectomy for renal tumors: current indications and results.

Background: Small asymptomatic solid renal masses are being found more often through the frequent use of abdominal ultrasonography and computed tomography. Nephron-sparing renal surgery is being done more often to treat these small lesions. A retrospective review was done to determine the effectiveness of this treatment.

Anterior stabilization of thoracolumbar burst fractures using the Kaneda device: a preliminary report.

Anterior decompression and fusion is a valuable technique in the treatment of thoracolumbar burst fractures. Anterior instrumentation has evolved to correct deformity and stabilize the spinal segments during decompression and bone grafting as a single-stage procedure. One anterior device developed by Kaneda has been used in our institution since 1989.

Musculoskeletal disability, employment, and rehabilitation.

Objective: To determine which, if any, baseline social and disease characteristics can be used to identify persons with musculoskeletal disabilities accepted for state-federal vocational rehabilitation services who are most likely to return to work.

Methods: A database of case closures from the Alabama Vocational Rehabilitation Service was analyzed using segmentation modelling. This included all persons (n = 4093) with musculoskeletal disability who were accepted by the Alabama Vocational Rehabilitation Agency in 1987-91.

Hematologic disorders including sickle-cell syndromes, hemophilia, and beta-thalassemia.

A review of the literature on rheumatologic manifestations in hematologic disease supports the idea that magnetic resonance imaging is useful in the identification of tissue patterns suggestive of vasoocclusion and myonecrosis in sickle-cell anemia and in diagnosing significant synovial hypertrophy in hemophilia. With reference to treatment, the use of yttrium-90 silicate and P-32 colloid for radiosynovectomy in patients with hemophilic arthropathy and the latest results of total joint replacement surgery in sickle-cell anemia and hemophilia patients are discussed.