An unusual complication of the Keller bunionectomy: spontaneous stress fractures of all lesser metatarsals.

The authors describe the etiology and pathomechanics of the more commonly encountered complications of the Keller bunionectomy with an unusual case report wherein a patient sustained spontaneous fractures of all lesser metatarsals after the Keller procedure.

[Reference values of cardiac volume in children and adults of the Ivory Coast]. / Valeurs de référence du volume cardiaque d'enfants et d'adultes ivoiriens.

The cardiac volume in decubitus was measured by Rohrer radiological method in 229 subjects, of which 150 were children of both sexes, aged 4 to 16 and 79 were adult males, 17 to 50 years old. Anthropometric parameters and maximum O2 consumption were also measured. Considering that the size of thorax in Ivory Coast natives is significantly smaller than that of a Caucasian, an eventual influence over the cardiac volume was looked for. Results showed that: -- in the child, the cardiac, volume increased linearly with age: 162 ml at 4 and 680 ml at 16; -- significant positive correlations were found between the cardiac volume, the body-weight andusrface, and the measurements of the thorax; -- when compared to data found in the literature, the cardiac volumes of children and adults of the Ivory Coast in relation with the body weight or surface are lower than the values found in Caucasians; -- children who have been swimming for two years and adults from the national swimming team have a cardiac volume significantly superior to that of Ivory controls; for these subjects, results are equivalent to those of Caucasians; -- there is a highly significant positive correlation between the cardiac volume and the maximum oxygen consumption. To compare values of cardiac volume in different populations, it is necessary that the groups of subjects be very homogeneous and have a comparable level of activity.

[Respiratory function in patients with sickle cell disease (author's transl)]. / La fonction respiratoire de sujets drépanocytaires

Respiratory function was systematically studied in 61 patients with sickle cell disease, in and out of crisis. Pulmonary volumes and flows, blood gases and P50 were measured. It was found that : 1. vital capacity was decreased in about half of the patients (obstructive symptoms in five cases), 2. hypoxaemia existed under air, with a fall in hemoglobin saturation, 3. hypoxaemia existed under pure O2 showing the existence of veno-arterial shunts, 4. an increase in P50 revealed a decrease in haemoglobin oxygen affinity (P50 (7.40, 37 degrees C) torr = 49.08 -- 1.57 [Hb] (g/100 ml) +/- 4.81), 5. during sickle cell crisis, there was evidence of obstructive symptoms associated with a Pao2 decrease and a moderate alveolar hypoventilation. Several hypotheses concerning the restrictive syndrome and the hypoxaemia are discussed.

[Study on correlations between certain biological parameters and the Achillean reflexogram in a homogeneous African population (author's transl)]. / Recherche de corrélations entre quelques paramétres biologiques et le réflexogramme Achilléen d'une population Africaine homogéne

Study of a homogenous population comprising 25 male Africans. The following parameters have been measured: proteinemia, hematocrit, natremia, calcemia, globular and plasmatic magnesemia, duration of the achillean reflexogram. Hyperproteidemia and hypomagnesemia, which are usually observed in African people, were found. A negative linear relationship significant at the 10 0/0 threshhold has been demonstrated between the reflexogram and the P.B.I. value.