Tubulin polymerization‐promoting protein family member 3, Tppp3, is a specific marker of the differentiating tendon sheath and synovial joints

Tppp3, a member of the Tubulin polymerization‐promoting protein family, is an intrinsically unstructured protein that induces tubulin polymerization. We show that Tppp3 is a distinct marker in the developing musculoskeletal system. In tendons, Tppp3 is expressed in cells at the circumference of the developing tendons, likely the progenitors of connective tissues that surround tendons: the tendon sheath, epitenon, and paratenon. These tissues form an elastic sleeve around tendons and provide lubrication to minimize friction between tendons and surrounding tissues. Tppp3 is the first molecular marker of the tendon sheath, opening the door for direct examination of these tissues. Tppp3 is also expressed in forming synovial joints. The onset of Tppp3 expression in joints coincides with cavitation, representing a molecular marker that can be used to indicate this stage in joint transition in joint differentiation. In late embryonic stages, Tppp3 expression highlights other demarcation lines that surround differentiating tissues in the forelimb. Developmental Dynamics 238:685–692, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Neuroanatomy of cervical sympathetic trunk: A cadaveric study

To reduce the risk of iatrogenic injury to sympathetic chain during anterior and anterolateral approaches to the cervical spine, its location has to be well defined and known by surgeons. We analyzed the course of sympathetic chain and its ganglia from C7 up to its entry into the cranial base and its relationship mainly with the longus colli (LC). Formalin fixed 20 human cadavers were dissected under operating microscope. Measurement of the dimensions of the ganglia, distance of the trunk to the LC, and the angles identifying the course of the chain were performed. Superior and inferior cervical/cervicothoracic ganglion were observed in all specimens, the middle cervical ganglion was observed in 48% of the specimens. The middle ganglion consisted of two ganglia in 10% of the dissected sides. Forty percent of the inferior cervical/cervicothoracic ganglion was at the C7 level, 25% was at C7‐Th1 disc level, and 35% was at Th1 level. Vertebral ganglion was detected in only 8% of the specimens. The course of the sympathetic trunk converges medially descending from upper cervical levels to the lower levels. Anterior surgical approach to the cervical spine is a commonly used procedure. Although Horner syndrome due to sympathetic injury is not a common sequence of cervical operations, our findings support the current few reports on the subject and should be useful to any surgeon who operates in the cervical region to avoid this uncommon complication. Clin. Anat. 22:324–330, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Flexor tendon repair in vitro: a comparative histologic study of the rabbit, chicken, dog, and monkey

Flexor tendon healing in four different animal species was explored in a tissue culture system. Ninety percent transverse lacerations were made in 88 tendon segments obtained from rabbits, chickens, dogs, and monkeys. The tendons were removed from culture and studied by light and electron microscopy at intervals of 3, 6, 9, and 12 weeks. A characteristic sequence of repair including epitenon thickening, cellular differentiation, cell migration, and phagocytosis was seen in each of the repaired tendons. The endotenon cells of several animal tendons appeared to be synthesizing collagen. There was a consistent difference in the rate of healing between the four species. The rabbit tendons demonstrated nearly complete closure of the repair site by 12 weeks. A lesser response was seen in the chicken, followed by the dog and monkey. The differences in healing rate appeared to be due to the non-species-specific in vitro culture media. The in vitro flexor tendon culture system is particularly useful in studying the tendon repair responses of various species with the contributions of vascularity and synovial cells excluded.     

Calcific tendinitis of popliteus tendon: a case report and review of literature

A 63-year-old woman presented with a 3-week history of worsening right knee pain. She was fully unable to bear weight and denied any history of trauma, locking or giving way. On examination, she was systemically well with posterolateral joint line tenderness and a reduced range of movement. Blood tests and a joint aspirate were normal. Radiographs reported no fracture, but suggested a loose body in the lateral gutter of the knee. She was discharged with analgesia and physiotherapy. Subsequent follow-up X-rays demonstrated the opacity in the later gutter to be appearing less dense until it eventually disappeared. This correlated to a progressive improvement in the patient’s pain and range of movement in the knee leading to the diagnosis of acute calcific tendinitis of the popliteus tendon. This case report suggests that calcifying tendinitis of popliteus tendon should be considered in the differential diagnosis of acutely painful knee. The case demonstrates that the natural history of calcifying tendinitis of popliteus is similar to that in supraspinatus and that conservative treatment will eventually resolve the symptoms.     

单髁膝关节置换术后髌腱长度的变化

目的 研究单髁膝关节置换(UKA)术后的髌腱是否存在有意义的短缩(大于10%),术后髌腱长度变化与膝关节活动度、疼痛、僵硬及功能的关系.方法 自2005年3月～2008年1月,对34例41个膝关节行UKA手术.测量术前及术后8个月以后的髌腱长度和膝关节活动度,进行WOMAC评分.对测量测量数据进行组内及相关性统计学分析.结果 手术前后髌腱长度差异无统计学意义(P<0.01),关节活动度、WOMAC疼痛、僵硬及功能评分有显著性差异(P<0.01).髌腱的长度变化与术后关节活动度、疼痛、僵硬及功能无直线相关关系(P<0.01).结论 UKA手术损伤小,对膝关节生物力学机制干扰轻,值得推广.     

手部肌腱吻合术后康复

目的作者自2000年初至2004年7月进行手部肌腱吻合120例,随访120例,手部肌腱吻合术后进行程序化的康复训练,方法肌腱吻合法均采用3-0或4-0聚丙烯单针缝线、改良的Bunnell、Kessler和肌腱编制缝合法,患者肌腱均为I期手术吻合,术后伤口I/乙愈合105例、II/乙15例,手部肌腱吻合术后均采用程序化的康复训练, 结果对手部肌腱吻合术后的患者进行程序化的康复训练,取得良好的效果. 结论本康复训练程序目前已逐渐形成我院的治疗常规,并逐步推广和普及.     

Early “90/90 deformity” of the thumb: pathogenesis and surgical correction

Early 90/90 deformity of the thumb is not only present in cases of chronic polyarthritis. In order to avoid pathological hyperextension in the distal joint, active stabilization of the metacarpophalangeal joint of the thumb can be restored by transposing and inserting the extensor indicis tendon in the proximal phalanx, at the same time maintaining the agonistic-antagonistic play of tendons. The different pathogenic forms and the surgical technique for correction of the deformity are demonstrated in this paper.     

Does irradiation affect the clinical outcome of patellar tendon allograft ACL reconstruction?

The clinical implications of using irradiation to sterilize allograft bone–patellar tendon–bone (BPTB) remains unknown. The purpose of this study was to compare the clinical outcome of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction with irradiated allograft versus autograft BPTB. We hypothesized that patients undergoing ACL reconstruction with irradiated BPTB allograft would have no significant differences in patient-reported and objective parameters compared to those undergoing autograft BPTB reconstruction. Patients who underwent ACL reconstruction with either irradiated allograft or autograft BPTB from 1996 to 2002 were eligible for this study. One hundred and two patients (39 allograft, 63 autograft) met the study criteria and were available for follow-up. The BPTB allografts were obtained from a single tissue bank and were sterilized with 2.5 Mrad of irradiation prior to distribution. Participants completed the International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) subjective knee form and returned for physical and radiographic examinations, instrumented measurement of laxity, and functional testing. Patients were evaluated at an average follow-up of 4.2 years (range 1.8–8.4). Those undergoing allograft reconstruction were older (44±8.4 vs. 25.3±9.3 years, p<0.001) and had a longer median time from injury to surgery (17.1 weeks vs. 9.7 weeks, p=0.04). There was no difference in IKDC Subjective Knee Scores between groups (86.7 allograft vs. 88.0 autograft, p=0.65). The average maximum manual KT-1000 side-to-side difference was 1.3 and 2.2 mm for allograft and autograft, respectively (p=0.04); however, after adjusting for age, this difference was no longer significant. 90.6% of the allograft and 82.8% of the autograft had normal/nearly normal overall IKDC physical examination rating (p=0.37). 66.7% of the allograft and 77.8% of the autograft returned to the same or more strenuous level of sports (p=0.25). Patients undergoing ACL reconstruction with irradiated allograft BPTB had similar clinical outcomes compared to those reconstructed with autograft BPTB. These data suggest that irradiation can be used to sterilize BPTB allograft without adversely affecting clinical outcome.     

Retropharyngeal tendinitis: Three probable cases with an unusually low epicentre

Retropharyngeal tendinitis is a rare but underdiagnosed disorder. The clinical picture is characterized by increasingly severe pain in the upper neck occurring within 1 or 2 days and with pain aggravated by swallowing and head movements. Acute-phase roentgenograms show substantial soft-tissue swelling anterior to the vertebral bodies, C1 to C4, often accompanied by amorphous calciferous deposition below the anterior tubercle of the atlas. The course is benign, the patient being asymptomatic after 1 or 2 weeks. I briefly describe three cases which were characterized by severe pain in the mid-cervical spine and radiologic findings of soft-tissue swelling anterior to the vertebral bodies, C2-C6. These cases were probably due to acute tendinitis of the longus colli muscle, although located at a lower level than in previously reported cases of retropharyngeal tendinitis.