Irreversible spinal nerve injury from dorsal ramus radiofrequency neurotomy: a case report

Radiofrequency neurotomy (RFN) of the medial branches of the dorsal rami is a successful method of treating facet joint pain. Documented serious complications are rare. We discuss the case of a 33-year-old woman with low back pain (LBP) who sustained a right L5 nerve root injury during RFN. The patient had several months of axial LBP after a motor vehicle collision. She had no relief after anti-inflammatory medications, physical therapy, L5-S1 interlaminar epidural corticosteroid injections, and a right sacroiliac joint injection. She then received bilateral L3 and L4 medial branch and bilateral L5 dorsal ramus blocks with excellent temporary pain relief. Subsequently she underwent bilateral L3 and L4 medial branch and bilateral L5 dorsal ramus RFN. Afterward, she noticed new right leg pain and paresthesias extending throughout the L5 dermatome. Electromyography and magnetic resonance imaging were normal and she was diagnosed with a right L5 sensory radiculopathy. The right leg symptoms were unresponsive to multiple medications. After a successful trial with a spinal cord stimulator, she underwent permanent stimulator placement. Afterward, she had 90% relief of her right leg pain and discontinued all analgesics. Irreversible injury of nontarget nerves is a possible complication of RFN, and can be avoided by following proper procedural protocol.     

Prevalence of facet joint pain in chronic low back pain in postsurgical patients by controlled comparative local anesthetic blocks

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the prevalence of facet joint pain in patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP) after surgical intervention(s). DESIGN: A prospective, nonrandomized, consecutive study. SETTING: An ambulatory interventional pain management setting. PARTICIPANTS: The prevalence of facet joint pain was evaluated in patients with CLBP after various surgical intervention(s) referred to an interventional pain management practice. The sample was derived from 282 patients with persistent CLBP after various surgical intervention(s). Of these, 242 patients consented to undergo interventional techniques. A total of 117 consecutive patients with chronic, nonspecific low back pain, after lumbar surgical intervention(s) were evaluated with controlled, comparative local anesthetic blocks. INTERVENTIONS: Controlled, comparative local anesthetic blocks (1% lidocaine or 1% lidocaine followed by .25% bupivacaine) under fluoroscopic visualization using 0.5mL to block each facet joint nerve. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: A positive response was defined as at least 80% reduction of pain with ability to perform previously painful movements. A positive response was considered to be pain relief from the lidocaine block lasting at least 1 hour or at least 2 hours or greater than duration of relief with lidocaine when bupivacaine was used. Controlled, comparative local anesthetic blocks were used to eliminate false-positive results. Valid information is only obtained by performing controlled blocks in the form of comparative local anesthetic blocks, in which, on 2 separate occasions, the same joint is anesthetized by using local anesthetics with different durations of action. If patients obtained appropriate response with both blocks, they were considered a positive. If they obtained appropriate response with lidocaine but not with bupivacaine, they were considered false-positive, whereas if the response was negative with lidocaine, they were considered negative. RESULTS: The prevalence of lumbar facet joint pain in patients with recurrent pain after various surgical intervention(s) was 16% (95% confidence interval, 9%-23%). The false-positive rate with a single block with lidocaine was 49%. CONCLUSIONS: Facet joints are clinically important pain generators in a small but significant proportion of patients with recurrent CLBP after various surgical intervention(s).     

Reduced or painful jaw movement after collision-related injuries: a population-based study

BACKGROUND: The authors report the incidence of and factors associated with reduced and/or painful jaw movement after motor vehicle collisions that resulted in whiplash-associated disorders (WADs). METHODS: All adults filing collision-related personal injury claims during an 18-month period in Saskatchewan, Canada, were evaluated via questionnaire to determine demographic characteristics, precollision health (including jaw pain), collision parameters and collision-related symptoms, including reduced and/or painful jaw movement and injury-related neck pain. The authors excluded patients who were hospitalized for more than two days and those who sustained injuries as a pedestrian, bicyclist or motorcyclist. In determining incidence rates, the authors also excluded those who had had jaw pain before the collision. RESULTS: The incidence of reduced and/or painful jaw movement was 14.9 percent (n = 1,158), and it was higher in subjects with WADs (15.8 percent) than in those without WADs (4.7 percent; relative risk = 3.36, 95 percent confidence interval, 2.36 to 4.78). Within the WAD injuries, multivariable logistic regression revealed that the onset of reduced and/or painful jaw movement was associated with female sex; age < 50 years; having hit one's head in the collision; and postinjury symptoms of difficulty swallowing, ringing in the ears, dizziness or unsteadiness, and more intense neck pain. Collision parameters, such as head position at the time of the crash and headrest use and type, were not associated with onset of jaw symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: Reduced or painful jaw movement was more common in people with WADs than in those with other collision-related injuries. Among those with WADs, reduced or painful jaw movement was more common in women and younger people. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Reduced or painful jaw movement is an important aspect of WADs, and more studies are needed to determine how to best assess and treat this problem.     

Prosthetic hip infection due to Brucella melitensis: case report and literature review

Prosthetic joint infection (PJI) due to Brucella spp. is extremely rare. We report the case of a prosthetic hip infection due to Brucella melitensis in a 51-year-old male patient. The initial presentation was a gluteal abscess. There was radiographic evidence of implant loosening. The patient was cured after prolonged treatment with streptomycin, rifampicin, and doxycycline, followed by 2-stage exchange of the prosthesis. Brucella spp. should be considered in the differential diagnosis of PJI in countries where brucellosis is endemic. The review of all cases previously reported shows that a conservative approach using antibiotics alone can be followed in patients without signs of implant loosening. In contrast, prolonged antibiotic treatment and prosthetic joint revision should be considered in patients with evidence of implant loosening.     

踝关节外侧副韧带损伤程度与X线应力位下测量数值相关性分析

目的:探讨踝关节外侧韧带损伤程度（3D核磁共振表现）与X线踝关节应力位测量数值之间的关系。方法:选择2019年6月—2020年12月治疗的有踝关节韧带损伤病史126例患者作为研究分析对象,对所选患者测定X线踝关节应力位上距骨倾斜角度和距骨前移距离;对踝关节外侧副韧带（主要是腓距前韧带和腓跟韧带）损伤程度在MRI上进行评估。统计分析踝关节外侧副韧带与X线应力位测量数值（距骨倾斜角度和距骨前移距离）之间的相关性。结果:完整的腓距前韧带内翻应力位距骨倾斜角为（3.97±1.76）°,前抽屉位距骨前移距离为（3.86±1.18） mm;完整的腓跟韧带内翻应力位距骨倾斜角为（5.64±2.13）°,前抽屉位距骨前移距离为（4.37±1.54） mm。随着腓距前韧带和腓跟韧带损伤程度增加,内翻位距骨倾斜角增大,前抽屉位距骨前移距离增加,差异具有统计学意义（P<0.05）。踝关节外侧韧带（腓距前韧带与腓跟韧带）损伤程度与X线踝关节应力位下距骨倾斜角、距骨前移距离之间呈正相关 （r=0.748,P＜0.001;r=0.425;P=0.002;r=0.487;P＜0.001;r=0.402,P=0.004）。结论:腓距前韧带和腓跟韧带损伤程度与内翻位距骨倾斜角和前抽屉位距骨前移距离之间（特别是内翻位距骨倾斜角）呈正相关,可以作为临床诊断的重要依据。     

胫骨平台伴髁间棘骨折术后关节功能康复的影响因素分析

目的 Logistics回归分析胫骨平台伴髁间棘骨折患者术后关节功能康复效果的影响因素,建立风险模型预测,进一步为术后膝关节功能康复奠定基础。 方法 选取胫骨平台伴髁间棘骨折患者328例作为研究对象,美国特种外科医院膝关节评分（Hospital for Special Surgery Knee Score,HSS）评估患者术后膝关节功能康复效果,Logistics回归分析术后关节功能康复效果的影响因素,建立Logistic回归预测模型,进一步评估该模型预测术后关节功能康复效果的敏感度和特异度。 结果 胫骨平台伴髁间棘骨折患者328例,术后膝关节功能恢复良好82.93%,术后膝关节功能恢复不良17.07%;Logistic回归方程分析得知,年龄、体重指数、术前（American Society of Anesthesiologists,ASA）分级、手术时间、骨质疏松、术前膝关节活动度、术后疼痛是胫骨平台伴髁间棘骨折患者术后关节功能康复效果的影响因素（P＜0.05）;当Logistic（P）＞3.87时预测价值最优,敏感度为67.9%,特异度为93.5%。 结论 受年龄、体重指数、术前ASA分级、手术时间、骨质疏松、术前膝关节活动度、术后疼痛等因素影响,胫骨平台伴髁间棘骨折患者术后存在膝关节功能恢复不良风险,临床应加强预防性干预,以提高康复效果,改善预后。     

股骨近端锁定钢板与股骨近端髓内钉内固定术治疗股骨粗隆下骨折患者的效果比较

目的:比较股骨近端锁定钢板(PFLP)与股骨近端髓内钉(PFN)内固定术治疗股骨粗隆下骨折患者的效果。方法:回顾性分析2018年7月至2020年7月该院收治的84例股骨粗隆下骨折患者的临床资料,依据手术方式不同分为对照组和观察组各42例。对照组采用PFLP内固定术治疗,观察组采用PFN内固定术治疗。比较两组术中出血量、手术时间、住院时间、骨折愈合时间、术后髋关节功能及不良事件发生率。结果:观察组术中出血量少于对照组,手术时间、住院时间、骨折愈合时间短于对照组,差异均有统计学意义(P<0.05);术后6个月,观察组髋关节功能优良率为95.24%(40/42),高于对照组的76.19%(32/42),差异有统计学意义(P<0.05);观察组不良事件发生率为7.14%(3/42),低于对照组的23.81%(10/42),差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。结论:与PFLP内固定术相比,PFN内固定术治疗股骨粗隆下骨折效果确切,能够缩短手术时间、住院时间、骨折愈合时间,减少术中出血量,提高患者术后髋关节功能,降低术后不良事件发生率。     

mini-Swashbuckler入路联合股骨外侧微创内固定系统治疗股骨远端骨折患者的效果

目的:观察mini-Swashbuckler入路联合股骨外侧微创内固定系统(LISS)治疗股骨远端骨折患者的效果。方法:选取80例股骨远端骨折患者为研究对象,按照随机数字表法分为对照组与观察组各40例。对照组采用传统Swashbuckler入路联合LISS治疗,观察组采用mini-Swashbuckler入路联合LISS治疗,比较两组临床相关指标水平、膝关节功能[美国特种外科医院膝关节功能(HSS)]评分、并发症发生率和生命质量[简明健康状况调查量表(SF-36)]评分。结果:观察组手术时间长于对照组,术中出血量少于对照组,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05);两组住院时间和骨折愈合时间比较,差异无统计学意义(P>0.05);术后3、6个月时,观察组HSS评分均高于对照组,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05);观察组并发症发生率为5.00%(2/40),与对照组的10.00%(4/40)比较,差异无统计学意义(P>0.05);术后6个月,两组SF-36评分均高于术前,且观察组高于对照组,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。结论:mini-Swashbuckler入路联合LISS治疗股骨远端骨折患者可减少术中出血量,提高HSS和SF-36评分,效果优于传统Swashbuckler入路联合LISS治疗,但手术时间长于传统Swashbuckler入路联合LISS治疗。     

伤科黄水外敷在全膝关节置换术后的应用效果观察

目的：探讨伤科黄水在全膝关节置换术后的应用效果。方法：选择2020年1月至2021年3月我院收治的膝骨性关节炎行全膝关节置换术的患者134例,随机分为2组,每组各67例。对照组给予术后常规康复,观察组给予术后常规康复联合使用伤科黄水外敷。比较两组护理前后的膝关节活动度(ROM)、疼痛视觉模拟评分(VAS)、膝关节HSS评分、肿胀值、匹兹堡睡眠质量指数量表(PSQI)评分、深静脉血栓发生率。结果：干预后, 两组的ROM和HSS评分均较干预前升高(P<0.05),且干预后观察组的ROM和HSS评分均高于对照组(P<0.05);干预后,两组的VAS评分、PSQI评分、肿胀值均较干预前降低(P<0.05),且干预后观察组VAS评分、PSQI评分、肿胀值均低于对照组(P<0.05);观察组深静脉血栓发生率低于对照组(P<0.05)。结论：伤科黄水外敷可以改善全膝关节置换术后患者的膝关节功能,缓解肿痛,提高睡眠质量,降低深静脉血栓发生率。     

尺骨冠状突骨折合并肘关节后脱位有限元模型的建立与分析

目的：建立尺骨冠状突骨折合并肘关节后脱位的有限元模型,并对肘关节后脱位在关节稳定性方面的影响进行数字化研究。方法：建立正常肘关节-前臂（IEJF）有限元模型与尺骨冠状突骨折肘关节-前臂（FUCF）有限元模型。采用压缩、屈曲两组生理荷载（每组3种幅值）,进行计算、验证和应力分析。结果：建立了结构完整的IEJF与FUCF有限元模型,并对模型进行验证,情况与临床实际符合。计算得出FUCF有限元模型较IEJF有限元模型桡骨头出现了严重的应力集中现象,不同压缩荷载作用下的肘关节纵向压缩位移与不同屈曲力矩导致的屈曲角都有所增加。结论：尺骨冠状突骨折及肘关节后脱位对肘关节-前臂纵向不稳有一定程度的影响。本研究所构建的肘关节-前臂有限元模型对尺骨冠状突骨折合并肘关节后脱位的临床稳定性评估研究及手术治疗方案的制定具有一定的参考价值。