Influence of medial and lateral imaging plane inclination on assessment of trochlear depth, sulcus angle, and facet asymmetry in the setting of trochlear anatomy: a cadaveric study.

PURPOSE: (1) to assess the influence of medial or lateral imaging plane inclination on the measurement of sulcus angle, trochlear depth, and facet asymmetry on transverse cross-sectional images. (2) to assess the effect of measurement level (height) on these respective parameters. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty dry femurs (9 left, 11 right) were imaged with CT. A 3D dataset was obtained from which axial images were reconstructed in the ideal plane without inclination as well as with 8° of medial and lateral inclination. Sulcus angle, trochlear depth, and facet asymmetry were measured on the 3 image sets. In addition, the measurements were performed at 5 mm and 10 mm from the superior margin of the medial trochlear facet. Statistical analysis consisted of the Wilcoxon test and calculation of measurement variation. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences between the indicated measurements on the reference set compared to medial or lateral inclination. All measurements were significantly different depending on measurement height. CONCLUSION: Medial or lateral inclination in the transverse imaging plane of 8° does not influence the values of typical parameters used for the assessment of trochlear dysplasia. The measurement height has a significant influence, and a consensus should be found as to which is the optimal measurement height.

Determinants of using (non-)fluoroscopy-guided positioning for radiographs: a case study research.

This study examines the determinants of using (non-)fluoroscopy-guided positioning (FGP) for radiographs, in order to improve the use of non-FGP imaging techniques. We focused on knowledge and attitudes of radiographers and radiologists with respect to applying non-FGP in radiography and organizational factors. We analyzed data from an in-depth multiple case study that includes observations and field notes, interviews, documents and images collected from the radiology departments of four hospitals. The unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT) was used to frame the findings. We found that inadequate skills and insufficient knowledge of positioning techniques and negative attitudes towards non-FGP were present. More precisely, staff expressed concerns with respect to the impact on the workload and workflow. Besides facilitating organizational conditions, the social influence of peers and the clinical leadership of RLs were found to be important. Adequate supervision, regular feedback and coaching were identified as important enabling factors for increasing the quality of the applied imaging techniques. In the conclusion we state that determinants of using non-FGP are quite complex. Therefore we argue that a holistic approach considering all these aspects is needed to improve imaging practices.

Job-related stress and sickness absence among belgian nurses: a prospective study.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of job stress on sickness absence of nurses and determine the predictive power of the Demand-Control-Support (DCS) model, the Effort-Reward Imbalance-Overcommitment (ERI-OC) model, and a combination of both. DESIGN: A survey was conducted to measure job stress in a sample of 527 Belgian nurses, followed by prospective data collection of sickness absence (long-term, short-term, and multiple episodes). FINDINGS: Perceptions of job strain and ERI increased the odds for long-term (adjusted odds ratio [OR] = 2.26; 99% confidence interval [CI; 1.27-4.04]) and multiple episodes of sickness absence (adjusted OR = 1.64; 95% CI [1.01-2.65]). Iso-strain and ERI-OC increased the odds for long-term (OR = 1.75; 95% CI [0.98-3.11]), multiple episode (adjusted OR = 1.93; 95% CI [1.14-3.26]), and short-term (adjusted OR = 1.69; 95% CI [1.03-2.76]) sickness absence. CONCLUSIONS: The combined model of DCS and ERI-OC predicts the odds for long-term and short-term sickness absence and multiple episodes. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: This study has implications for human resources management in nursing organizations. Nursing administrators are advised to monitor and balance nurses' job demands and efforts. They should recognize the importance of social support, job control, job rewards, and overcommitment in order to reduce the job stress of nurses.