RESUMO
Introduction: Soft-embalmed cadavers have been used in medical education with a variety of success in different curriculum objectives. In the United States, the ACL is the most commonly injured ligament. Yet, there has been little focus on the stability of the knee in the sagittal plane provided by the anterior cruciate ligament within the soft-embalmed cadaver model. If the soft-embalmed cadaver ligaments contain similar elastic properties as an in-vivo knees, this will offer yet another means for further advancements in medical education to detect and assess musculoskeletal injuries. Purpose: Evaluate how similarly the anterior tibial translation of soft-embalmed cadaver anterior cruciate ligaments compares to in-vivo tissue. Methods: The KT-1000 arthrometer was used to assess the laxity of the anterior cruciate ligament of thirteen soft-embalmed cadavers consisting of five females and eight males with a mean age of 79.3 years and duration of time since embalming ranging from 250 to 1156 days. Anterior displacement of the tibia in relation to the femur was registered at 67N and 89N. The soft-embalmed cadaver measurements were compared against twenty-one healthy uninjured individuals whose anterior tibial translation was measured using the same process. Data sets were analyzed using a welch two-sample t-test to determine the similarity between the means of the data sets. Results: The t-tests proved a significant difference between live and soft-embalmed cadaver knees. The anterior tibial translation in the set of healthy live knees directly compared to the soft-embalmed cadaver group for 67N depicts an average difference of 1.76mm. The same comparison at 89N depicts an average difference of 2.12mm. Conclusion: While soft-embalmed cadavers may not directly replicate ATT to an exact number to that of in vivo tissue, they still allow the perception of the tibial translation against a stationary femur. The difference is less than 2.5 mm in both data sets when compared to an in-vivo knee, equivalent to one-tenth of an inch. Suggesting the viability of soft-embalmed cadavers ATT and should not exclude their use in medical education.
RESUMO
Introduction: Mallet finger is a common hand injury in sports in which the terminal extensor tendon is disrupted. This case report describes the rare occurrence of joint autofusion following surgical fixation of an unstable mallet finger injury. Case Report: We present a case of a 13-year-old right-hand dominant boy who sustained a right long finger bony mallet injury while playing football. Treatment consisted of closed reduction, percutaneous pinning of the right long finger distal interphalangeal (DIP) joint. He went on to heal with residual DIP joint stiffness and only 20° of residual motion that were noted on the early follow-up. Seven years later, he presented with no motion at the right long finger DIP joint. X-rays of his right long finger showed a complete fusion of bone across the DIP joint. Conclusion: Autofusion as a complication of mallet finger surgery is an unprecedently rare finding, especially in the absence of any predisposing factors. This complication must be considered when treating mallet finger injuries through surgical intervention. Fortunately, the loss of DIP motion, complete in this case, had no long-term effect on the overall use of this patient's hand.