MR imaging of the symptomatic ankle and foot.

MR imaging can play a key role in the evaluation of soft tissues and marrow space of the symptomatic muscle and foot. Diagnostic efficacy is optimized by tailoring the examination to a given problem. Techniques for MR imaging of the foot and ankle are reviewed, the clinical use of MR imaging for examining the structures of the foot and ankle is discussed, and strategies for the integration of MR imaging into the work-up of selected clinical problems are presented.

Psoas release at the pelvic brim in ambulatory patients with cerebral palsy: operative technique and functional outcome.

Seventeen patients with cerebral palsy (29 hips) underwent psoas recession at the pelvic brim. The operative technique was a direct anterior approach, lateral to the femoral sheath. There were no infections or nerve or arterial injuries. After surgery, clinical examination revealed that fixed hip-flexion contractures decreased significantly in all patients. All of the subjects retained the ability to flex the hip against gravity and against manual resistance. All of the subjects underwent pre- and postoperative gait analysis. Stance-phase dynamic minimum hip flexion decreased significantly. Dynamic pelvic tilt improved to a statistically significant level for the younger children but did not for the group as a whole. There was less improvement with increasing age. Step length was significantly increased and cadence significantly decreased in all patients. We conclude that psoas recession at the pelvic brim, by using the anterior approach, lateral to the femoral sheath, is a safe, reliable, and effective procedure for children with cerebral palsy who have excessive anterior pelvic tilt and excessive dynamic hip flexion or hip-flexion contracture.

Avascular necrosis of the first metatarsal head: incidence in distal osteotomy combined with lateral soft tissue release.

The incidence of avascular necrosis of the metatarsal head following distal first metatarsal osteotomy combined with adductor tendon release has not been documented in a large series of patients. Of 82 consecutive procedures in 64 patients performed between 1986 and 1988, 42 patients (58 procedures) were available for clinical and radiographic examination. Average follow-up was 2.5 years (range 1.0-4.2 years). There were 35 L-shaped and 23 chevron osteotomies which were combined with a lateral soft tissue release that included adductor tenotomy. Preoperative hallux valgus angle averaged 25 degrees (range 15-40 degrees), and intermetatarsal angle averaged 12 degrees (range 5-24 degrees). Follow-up amount of correction averaged 13 degrees and 5 degrees, respectively. Eighty-four percent of patients were satisfied with their result. There was one case of avascular necrosis. The patient was asymptomatic at 4.2 years' follow-up, and the remaining patients included two with infections, one hallux varus, and no nonunions.

Enhancement of Clq binding activity by IgM rheumatoid factor.

Clq binding activity (ClqBA) averaged 18.1 +/- 14.5% (1 SD) in 28 rheumatoid arthritis (RA) sera (normal sera = 3.9 +/- 0.4%). Further analysis indicated that rheumatoid factor (RF) positive [RA (+)] sera averaged 30.4% ClqBA, significantly greater than the 3.9% ClqBA in RA RF negative [RA(-)] sera (p less than 0.01). In the RA(+) sera, RF titer correlated with ClqBA (r = +0.73). Addition of IgM RF to sera of normal, SLE, and RA(-) patients, as well as to aggregated IgG and reduced and alkylated aggregated IgG, resulted in significant increases in ClqBA, up to 14% in the latter group (p less than 0.01). Control IgM added to these same systems had no effect on ClqBA. IgM RF only slightly increased Clq binding of monomeric IgG.