Prevalence, topographic and morphometric features of femoral cam-type deformity: changes in relation to age and gender.

Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) syndrome is a frequent cause of pain and in recent years considered to be a precursor of premature hip osteoarthritis. The structural abnormalities which characterize FAI syndrome, such as the cam-type deformity, are associated with morphological alterations that may lead to hip osteoarthritis. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and topographic and morphometric features of the cam deformity in a series of 326 femur specimens obtained from a Mexican population, as well as changes in prevalence in relation to age and gender. The specimens were subdivided into groups according to gender and age. A standardized photograph of the proximal femur of each specimen was taken, and the photograph was used to determine the alpha angle using a computer program; the location of the lesion was determined by quadrant and the morphometric characteristics were determined by direct observation. The overall prevalence of cam deformities in the femur specimens was 29.8 % (97/326), with a prevalence by gender of 35.2 % (64/182) in men and 22.9 % (33/144) in women. The mean alpha angle was 54.6° ± 8.5° in all of the osteological specimens and 65.6° ± 7.5° in those specimens exhibiting a cam deformity. Cam deformities were found topographically in the anterior-superior quadrant of the femoral head-neck junction in 86.6 % (84/97) of the femurs. Deformities were found in 28.2 % of the right femurs and 31.3 % of the left femurs. The prevalence of cam deformity was higher in the femur specimens of young men and in those of middle-aged and older women. There were no significant differences in this deformity in relation to the alpha angle according to age and gender.

[Frequency with which semiquantitative expressions are used in Mexican medical literature]. / Frecuencia de utilización de expresiones semicuantitativas en la literatura médica mexicana.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the frequency with which semiquantitative expressions are used in Mexican medical journals. STUDY DESIGN: [corrected] Comparative survey. Frame of reference. Four Mexican medical journals considered representative of the medical literature in Mexico were studied (Revista de Investigación Clínica, Archivos de Investigación Médica, Revista Médica del IMSS and the Boletín Médico del Hospital Infantil de México). STUDY UNITS: Ten articles randomly selected and considered as original research material published in 1987 from each journal were used. MEASUREMENTS: Eight terms were identified in each text of the selected articles: almost always, very probably, probable, probably, frequent, possible, improbable and almost never. MAIN RESULTS: One hundred and fifty three expressions were identified, for a global average of 3.8 expressions per article. No statistical significant differences were found between the journals in relation to the frequency with which the expressions were used (P = 0.76). When comparing the chapters of each article, significant statistical differences were found which disappeared when the comparison was rated. In 89% of the cases, the expressions did not have a referral which therefore did not allow for their quantification. Finally, those articles defined as "clinical" had a greater frequency of semiquantitative expressions than those considered as "biomedical" (4.2 vs 1.3 on the average, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: On the average, semiquantitative expressions are used four times per article, 75% of the times without a referral which would allow to quantify them, which could condition for a wide variety of interpretations on behalf of the readers.