Clinical Outcome of Lateral Wedge Osteotomy of the Radius in Advanced Stages of Kienböck's Disease.

BACKGROUND: Radius osteotomies showed favorable clinical outcome in Kienböck's disease. However, few articles have been published on the long-term outcome of lateral wedge osteotomy of the radius in patients with advanced stage Kienböck's disease. METHODS: Eleven patients with Lichtman stage IIIB/IV Kienböck's disease (group A; mean follow-up period, 86.1 months; range, 48 to 163 months) and 14 patients with Lichtman stage IIIA Kienböck's disease (group B; mean follow-up period, 85.1 months; range, 49 to 144 months) underwent radial wedge osteotomy between August 2004 and August 2012. Radiological changes of the lunate and radiocarpal joint were compared between two groups after osteotomy. The wrist flexion/extension angle, grip strength, and Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) scores were evaluated preoperatively and at the final follow-up. The Nakamura Scoring System (NSSK) was used for comprehensive understanding of radiological and clinical outcomes. RESULTS: Nine patients of group A and 11 patients of group B showed radiological improvement in the lunate regarding sclerosis, cystic changes, or fragmentation. No patients showed progression of arthritic changes in radiocarpal and midcarpal joints. The wrist flexion/extension angle, grip strength, and DASH score were significantly improved in both groups after operation, but intergroup difference was not statistically significant at the final follow-up (p = 0.149, p = 0.267, and p = 0.536, respectively). The mean NSSK was 21.6 (range, 15 to 27) in group A and 21.8 (range, 15 to 26) in group B. CONCLUSIONS: Radial wedge osteotomy yielded excellent radiological and functional outcomes in advanced stages of Kienböck's disease and these results were comparable to those of Lichtman stage IIIA disease. This technique could be a useful alternative to salvage procedures in the treatment of Lichtman stage IIIB/IV Kienböck's disease without severe radiocarpal arthritis.

The Effect of Psychological Factors on the Outcomes of Carpal Tunnel Release: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: Several studies report that psychological factors are associated with outcomes of carpal tunnel release. However, interpretation of the association is difficult as there are diverse outcome parameters and patient expectations are different. We performed a systematic review to assess the relationships between psychological factors and the various outcome parameters. METHODS: We identified 611 papers and selected 8 papers that fit the inclusion criteria. Psychological factors assessed were anxiety, depression, pain catastrophizing, coping, and mental health status. Outcomes of interest included satisfaction and measures of perceived level of function, pain, and physical measures of recovery. RESULTS: For satisfaction and perceived level of function as the outcome, three studies reported a significant association, one study found an association approaching a value of significance, and one study reported no association. For pain as the outcome, two studies reported a significant association. For physical measures, one study reported no association. CONCLUSIONS: This systematic review found that depression correlates with postoperative pain, but that the association is less clear between psychological factors and outcomes such as satisfaction, perceived level of symptom and function, and physical measures of recovery. As pain may not be a primary symptom or outcome of CTS, we consider that the current literature does not strongly support the association between psychological factors and outcomes of CTR. This review could be of benefit during preoperative counseling in patients with psychological disturbances.

Evaluation of Radiographic Instability of the Trapeziometacarpal Joint in Women With Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

PURPOSE: To determine whether median nerve dysfunction measured by electrophysiologic studies in carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is associated with thumb trapeziometacarpal (TMC) joint instability. METHODS: We evaluated 71 women with CTS and 31 asymptomatic control women. Patients with generalized laxity or TMC joint osteoarthritis were excluded. We classified the electrophysiologic severity of CTS based on nerve conduction time and amplitude and assessed radiographic instability of the TMC joint based on TMC joint stress radiographs. We compared subluxation ratio between patients with CTS and controls and performed correlation analysis of the relationship between the electrophysiologic grade and subluxation ratio. RESULTS: Thirty-one patients were categorized into the mild CTS subgroup and 41 into the severe CTS subgroup. There was no significant difference in subluxation ratio between the control group and CTS patients or between the control group and CTS subgroup patients. Furthermore, there was no significant correlation between electrophysiologic grade and subluxation ratio. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that patients with CTS did not have greater radiographic TMC joint instability compared with controls, and suggests that TMC joint stability is not affected by impaired median nerve function. Further studies could investigate how to better evaluate proprioceptive function of TMC joint and whether other nerves have effects on TMC joint motor/proprioceptive function, to elucidate the relationship between neuromuscular control of the TMC joint, its stability, and its progression to osteoarthritis. TYPE OF STUDY/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Diagnostic II.

Biomechanical analyses of the human flexor tendon adhesion models in the hand: A cadaveric study.

Patients with longstanding trigger finger may develop flexion contracture at the proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joint that persists even after division of the A1 pulley. The purpose of this study was to explore the hypothesis that flexion deformity of the PIP joint in advanced trigger finger is caused by severe adhesion between the flexor digitorum superficialis (FDS) and the flexor digitorum profundus (FDP) tendons. Ten freshly frozen cadaveric hands were used in the experiments. After preparation of the extrinsic flexor, extrinsic extensor, and intrinsic muscle tendons, we applied weights to the flexor tendons and minimal tension to the extrinsic extensor and intrinsic muscle tendons. We then measured the initial flexion angles of the metacarpophalangeal (MCP) and PIP joints. Next, we measured the flexion angles of the MCP and PIP joints as increasing tension was applied to the extrinsic extensor and intrinsic muscle tendons, respectively. We repeated these experiments after constructing flexor tendon adhesion model. The initial flexion angles of the MCP and PIP joints were greater in the adhesion model, as were the average tensions required for full extension of these joints. Our results suggest that adhesion between two flexor tendons contributes to progression of flexion deformity in the PIP joint.

Korean type distal radius anatomical volar plate system: a preliminary report.

BACKGROUND: Distal radius fracture is the most common fracture of the upper extremity, and approximately 60,000 distal radius fractures occur annually in Korea. Internal fixation with an anatomical volar locking plate is widely used in the treatment of unstable distal radius fractures. However, most of the currently used distal radius anatomical plate systems were designed based on the anatomical characteristics of Western populations. Recently, the Korean-type distal radius anatomical volar plate (K-DRAVP) system was designed and developed based on the anatomical characteristics of the distal radius of Koreans. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the preliminary results of the new K-DRAVP system, and to compare its radiologic and functional results with those of the other systems. METHODS: From March 2012 to October 2012, 46 patients with acute distal radius fractures who were treated with the K-DRAVP system at three hospitals were enrolled in this study. Standard posteroanterior and lateral radiographs were obtained to assess fracture healing, and three radiographic parameters (volar tilt, radial inclination, and radial length) were assessed to evaluate radiographic outcomes. The range of motion and grip strength, the Gartland and Werley scoring system, and the disabilities of the arm, shoulder and hand (DASH) questionnaire were used to assess clinical and functional outcomes. RESULTS: All radiologic parameters were restored to normal values, and maintained without any loosening or collapse until the time of final follow-up. Grip strength was restored to 84% of the value for the unaffected side. The mean range of motion of the wrist at final follow-up was restored to 77%-95% of the value for the unaffected side. According to the Gartland and Werley scoring system, there were 16 excellent, 26 good, and 4 fair results. The mean DASH score was 8.4 points. There were no complications after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: The newly developed K-DRAVP system could be used to restore and maintain good anatomical parameters, and provide good clinical outcomes with low complication rates. This system is a promising surgical option for the treatment of distal radius fractures in the Korean population.

Radial collateral ligament injury of the little finger proximal interphalangeal joint in young pianists.

PURPOSE: To report the features of radial collateral ligament injury of the little finger proximal interphalangeal joint in young piano players. METHODS: Between 2005 and 2012, we treated 6 cases of radial collateral ligament injury of the little finger proximal interphalangeal joint in young piano players at a single referral center. We conducted a retrospective review of charts and radiographs and telephone-interviewed all patients at a mean follow-up of 33 months (range, 12-66 mo) to evaluate features of this injury. RESULTS: All patients were girls with a mean age of 10 years (range, 8-12 y), and all had injuries in their right hands. Patients had been playing piano for a mean 3.8 years (range, 3-5 y) and practicing for a mean 1.8 hours per day (range, 1-3 h). Pain was commonly aggravated when they played octaves or advanced pieces requiring extensive finger movements. All patients were playing on standard-size piano keyboards and had generalized hypermobility with a mean Beighton and Horan score of 6.3 (range, 5-9). Two patients had an ulnar deviation deformity of 10° and 15° each at the proximal interphalangeal joint whereas the others had no fixed joint deformity. Five patients showed improvement with conservative treatment, but 1 patient underwent surgery. CONCLUSIONS: In our practice, all piano-related radial collateral ligament injuries were in female preadolescents with evidence of generalized hypermobility; patients had been playing piano extensively, suggesting that the injury could have resulted from stress on the joint during piano playing. Future studies should further evaluate the efficacy of modifying keyboard size, techniques, and repertoires for piano lessons and of patient education for this type of injury. TYPE OF STUDY/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic IV.

Anatomy of the direct small branches of the proper digital nerve of the fingers: a cadaveric study.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the anatomical constancy of the direct small branches of the proper digital nerve. METHODS: A total of 208 digital nerves of the index, long, ring, and little fingers from 13 cadavers were studied. For each digital nerve, the number of direct small branches was counted at the proximal and middle phalanx levels. In addition, the diameter of these branches was measured at the level of the branch bifurcation. We also measured the diameter of the proper digital nerve at the level of the distal interphalangeal (DIP) joint. RESULTS: The direct small branches of the proper digital nerve were anatomically constant among the index, long, and ring fingers. The average number of direct small branches was 2.7 at the proximal phalanx level and 2.3 at the middle phalanx level. At the level of the DIP joint, the average thickness of the proper digital nerve was 0.85 mm in the index finger, 0.84 mm in the long finger, 0.72 mm in the ring finger, and 0.49 mm in the little finger. CONCLUSION: In this study, we verified the anatomical constancy of the direct small branches of the proper digital nerve. The size of these branches at the proximal phalanx level was similar to that of the corresponding proper digital nerve at the level of the DIP joint. Therefore, these nerve branches at the proximal phalanx could be applied to the creation of various sensate flaps for the reconstruction of the fingertip injuries.

Posterolateral rotatory instability of the elbow after corrective osteotomy for previously asymptomatic cubitus varus deformity.

BACKGROUND: We identified a subset of patients who had posterolateral rotatory instability (PLRI) following corrective osteotomy for asymptomatic cubitus varus deformity. We aimed to identify risk factors for PLRI in such patients by comparing this subgroup to patients who did not demonstrate PLRI following osteotomy. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records and radiographs of 22 patients with cubitus varus that underwent corrective osteotomy at our institution between 2003 and 2010. All patients underwent surgery for cosmetic reasons, and no patient reported functional problems such as PLRI or ulnar nerve symptoms pre-operatively. We sought to identify differences between those that experienced an increase in PLRI after osteotomy (PLRI group) and those that did not (non-PLRI group) with regard to demographics, degree of deformity, amount of surgical correction, and final outcomes. RESULTS: Five patients had PLRI after osteotomy, and all five subsequently underwent lateral ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction using a triceps tendon graft. No statistically significant difference was observed between the PLRI and non-PLRI groups in terms of demographics, degree of deformity, amount of surgical correction, range of motion, and final Mayo Elbow Performance Index (MEPI) and the Disabilities of Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) scores. However, the PLRI group had marginally greater medial displacement of the distal fragment. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that PLRI can become apparent after corrective osteotomy for cubitus varus in the absence of clinical symptoms of instability preoperatively. We suggest that careful examination for PLRI should be performed after surgical correction for cubitus varus deformity, and surgeons should be prepared to proceed with simultaneous reconstruction of the lateral ligaments of the elbow.

The relationship between positive or negative phrasing and patients' coping with lateral epicondylitis.

BACKGROUND: Research suggests that phrases with negative content can affect patients' response to medical procedures and how they cope with medical illnesses. We hypothesized that patients with lateral epicondylitis who describe their condition in positive phrases cope better than those who do not. METHODS: We prospectively followed up 91 patients with lateral epicondylitis for 12 months. The patients indicated their baseline coping status based on the Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS) and were discharged with a wait-and-see policy. During follow-up interviews, the patients described the nature of their condition in their own words and were then categorized into either positive or negative phrasing groups. We compared these two groups regarding current coping status and whether they had sought additional treatment. We also analyzed for the factors associated with these outcomes. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in baseline PCS scores between the two groups. At follow-up, patients in the positive phrasing group (n = 62) had significantly lower PCS scores and were less likely to seek additional treatment than those in the negative phrasing group (n = 29). Multivariable analyses showed that positive phrasing and low pain levels were independently associated with improvement in PCS scores and that negative phrasing and depression were independently associated with patients' seeking additional treatment. CONCLUSION: Patients' positive phrasing about their condition are associated with improvement in their coping status and with less use of medical resources in the case of lateral epicondylitis. This study suggests that patients with more positive attitudes toward their illness cope and comply better when a wait-and-see treatment is recommended by their physicians.

Is surgery for brachial plexus schwannomas safe and effective?

BACKGROUND: Schwannomas rarely are found in the brachial plexus, and although they are benign, they present significant challenges to surgical treatment. To our knowledge, there are few studies investigating the surgical outcomes of patients with brachial plexus tumors. QUESTIONS/PURPOSES: We analyzed the outcomes of 19 patients with brachial plexus schwannomas and asked: (1) How do these patients present? (2) Where are the tumors located in the brachial plexus? (3) What are the complications and neurologic results of patients after excision of the tumor? METHODS: From February 2002 to August 2012, one orthopaedic hand surgeon treated 19 patients with schwannomas of the brachial plexus. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records and MRI data of all patients. There were 11 women and eight men, with a mean age of 50.2 years (range, 32-63 years). The tumor was located on the right side in eight patients and on the left in 11 patients. We evaluated neurologic deficits preoperatively and neurologic deficits and local recurrence of tumors postoperatively. Minimum followup was 12 months (mean, 37.2 months; range, 12-90 months). RESULTS: The most common initial presentation was a palpable mass. The masses were located at all levels along the brachial plexus, including the root, trunk, cord, and terminal branches. The smallest mass was 1.5 × 1.5 × 0.5 cm and the largest was 11 × 10 × 6 cm. Fourteen of the 19 patients did not have any postoperative neurologic deficits. All the removed masses were proven histologically to be schwannomas. Of the five patients who had postoperative neurologic deficits, three had transient sensory deficits, one had weakness of the flexor pollicis longus and second flexor digitorum profundus, and another had weakness of the extensor pollicis longus. No recurrence was observed during the followup period. CONCLUSIONS: Schwannomas of the brachial plexus are a potentially curable lesion with an acceptable surgical risk of injury to neurovascular structures. With precise surgical techniques, these tumors can be removed to improve symptoms with minimal morbidity. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV, therapeutic study. See the Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

The effect of patient involvement in surgical decision making for carpal tunnel release on patient-reported outcome.

PURPOSE: To investigate whether patient-reported outcomes are different according to patients' preference or experience in surgical decision making for carpal tunnel release. METHODS: We preoperatively surveyed 85 patients who underwent carpal tunnel release regarding their preferred role in the process of surgical decision making and assessed their experienced role in the actual decision making 6 months after surgery using a Control Preference Scale. For patient-reported surgical outcomes, we used the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand questionnaire. We compared these outcomes with those of patients having different preferences or experiences in surgical decision making and also compared the outcomes according to whether the preferred roles match the experienced roles. RESULTS: The Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand scores were not significantly different between patients with different preferences for involvement in decision making for surgery or between those with different experiences in the actual decision making. However, those who experienced the same level of involvement as they had preferred were found to have better Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand scores than those who experienced a more active role or a more passive role than they had preferred. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that patient-reported outcomes were not different between those with different preferences or experiences in surgical decision making for carpal tunnel release. However, this study suggests that patients whose experience in decision making matched with their preference may have better subjective outcomes after carpal tunnel release. This suggests that patients with carpal tunnel syndrome may benefit from physicians' efforts of identifying patients' preferences for involvement in decision making and matching the identified preferences to the decision-making process. TYPE OF STUDY/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Prognostic II.

Role of integrin-linked kinase in osteosarcoma progression.

Although integrin-linked kinase (ILK) has been suggested to play a role in the tumorigenesis of a number of human epithelial carcinomas, little is known of its role in musculoskeletal sarcoma. The authors studied ILK expression by immunohistochemistry using osteosarcoma prechemotherapy specimens from 56 patients, and investigated the prognostic implications of the findings obtained. It was found that ILK overexpression was significantly correlated with the presence of distant metastasis (p = 0.008) and that it was an independent prognostic factor for both poor overall survival and poor event-free survival (p = 0.015 and 0.010, respectively). During a transfection experiment conducted by transfecting osteosarcoma cells with ILK siRNA, VEGF concentrations were measured using an ELISA kit, and then compared with those of untransfected controls to evaluate its angiogenic effects. In addition, apoptotic percentages were measured by Annexin-V flow cytometry, and invasive properties were evaluated by measuring the numbers of non-migrating cells in a Boyden chamber. It was found that ILK downregulation significantly decreased angiogenesis, increased apoptosis, and decreased invasiveness of osteosarcoma cells. These results show that ILK is a promising prognostic factor in osteosarcoma and a novel potential therapeutic target for the treatment of osteosarcoma.

The effect of buffered lidocaine in local anesthesia: a prospective, randomized, double-blind study.

PURPOSE: Open carpal tunnel decompression under local anesthesia is routinely done by many surgeons. However, patients complain of pain during the injection of local anesthesia. This prospective, double-blind, randomized study was to compare the pain visual analog scale (VAS) scores of local anesthesia using lidocaine with and without sodium bicarbonate in patients with bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome. METHODS: Twenty-five patients underwent bilateral simultaneous carpal tunnel decompression. All had topical anesthetic cream applied on the palm and wrist before the lidocaine block. In a randomized manner, half of the hands were blocked with nonbuffered lidocaine and half were blocked with buffered lidocaine. Pain was evaluated on a VAS score. RESULTS: The mean pain VAS score in the hand with buffered lidocaine was 4.6 ± 1.5 and 6.5 ± 1.5 for the hand with nonbuffered lidocaine. After adjustment for individual threshold of the pain, the mean pain VAS score changed into 4.6 ± 1.3 with buffered lidocaine and 6.6 ± 1.7 without buffered lidocaine. CONCLUSIONS: In open carpal tunnel surgery, the use of buffered lidocaine for local anesthesia reduces the anesthetic pain effectively. TYPE OF STUDY/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic I.

Radial polydactyly: proposal for a new classification system based on the 159 duplicated thumbs.

BACKGROUND: Polydactyly is one of the most common congenital differences that affect the hand. It has various anatomic and morphologic features. Although the Wassel classification has been used widely for radial polydactyly, it is based on the anatomic level of duplication and has some limitations in describing the concrete morphology of the duplication. The authors devised a new classification system based on the anatomic pattern of duplication to facilitate surgical correction of the deformity and evaluated surgical outcomes. METHODS: A total of 159 duplicated thumbs in 142 patients who were treated surgically from 1990 to 2007 and followed for > 12 months were included in this series. The authors categorized all cases of radial polydactyly into the following: type I (joint type), where the extra digit has its own joint at its origin; type II (single epiphyseal type), where the origin of the extra digit is derived directly from the common epiphysis; type III (osteochondroma-like type), where the origin of the extra digit resembles an osteochondroma; and type IV (hypoplastic type), where the extra digit is connected to the main digit by soft tissue alone. All patients underwent surgical treatment based on this classification. The surgical outcomes were assessed using the Tada score. RESULTS: Of the 159 radial polydactyly cases, 84 (50%) were classified as the joint type-37 (22%) as the osteochondroma-like type, 33 (19%) as the single epiphyseal type, and 15 (9%) as the hypoplastic type. All the cases were classified with the proposed classification system. In the evaluation of the surgical outcomes, 134 (84%), 17 (11%), and 8 (5%) were rated as good, fair, and poor, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: This new classification system for radial polydactyly is practical and closely related to the surgical strategies. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Diagnostic IV.

Retrograde intramedullary nailing for distal femur fracture with osteoporosis.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of distal femur fracture in the elderly has been increasing recently, and commonly occurs with osteoporosis. Retrograde intramedullary nailing has been considered a good surgical option for distal femur fracture. The purpose of the present study was to present our surgical results with retrograde intramedullary nailing for distal femur fractures with osteoporosis. METHODS: Thirteen patients diagnosed with extra-articular distal femur fracture and osteoporosis and managed with retrograde intramedullary nailing were retrospectively reviewed. Cement augmentation was used in four patients, shape memory alloy was used in eight patients and both were used in one patient. All patients were followed up for more than 2 years. Radiologic alignments were scored and Tegner and the Lysholm activity score was used for a functional assessment. RESULTS: The average time to clinical union was 13 weeks (range, 10 to 15 weeks). In 12 of our cases, the total alignment scores were excellent. At the last follow-up, the mean range of motion was 116° (range, 110° to 125°). The average functional score at postoperative 1 year was 2.6 (range, 1 to 5). CONCLUSIONS: Retrograde intramedullary nailing is a good surgical option for distal femur fracture with osteoporosis. Cement augmentation and shape memory alloy can also be used for added mechanical stability. This surgical technique is very useful for distal femur fracture with osteoporosis as it promotes fracture healing and early rehabilitation.

Early initiation of bisphosphonate does not affect healing and outcomes of volar plate fixation of osteoporotic distal radial fractures.

BACKGROUND: Bisphosphonates can adversely affect fracture-healing because they inhibit osteoclastic bone resorption. It is unclear whether bisphosphonates can be initiated safely for patients who have sustained an acute distal radial fracture. The purpose of this randomized study was to determine whether the early use of bisphosphonate affects healing and outcomes of osteoporotic distal radial fractures treated with volar locking plate fixation. METHODS: Fifty women older than fifty years of age who had undergone volar locking plate fixation of a distal radial fracture and had been diagnosed with osteoporosis were randomized to Group I (n = 24, initiation of bisphosphonate treatment at two weeks after the operation) or Group II (n = 26, initiation of bisphosphonate treatment at three months). Patients were assessed for radiographic union and other radiographic parameters (radial inclination, radial length, and volar tilt) at two, six, ten, sixteen, and twenty-four weeks, and for clinical outcomes that included Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) scores, wrist motion, and grip strength at twenty-four weeks. The two groups were compared with regard to the time to radiographic union, the radiographic parameters, and the clinical outcomes. RESULTS: No significant differences were observed between the two groups with respect to radiographic or clinical outcomes after volar locking plate fixation. All patients obtained fracture union, and the mean times to radiographic union in Groups I and II were similar (6.7 and 6.8 weeks, respectively; p = 0.65). Furthermore, the time to radiographic union was not related to osteoporosis severity or fracture type. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with an osteoporotic distal radial fracture treated with volar locking plate fixation, the early initiation of bisphosphonate treatment did not affect fracture-healing or clinical outcomes. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic Level I. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

The radiologic relationship of the shoulder girdle to the thorax as an aid in diagnosing neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome.

PURPOSE: Neurogenic thoracic outlet syndrome (NTOS) is produced by compression of the brachial plexus in the thoracic outlet. The lower position of the shoulder girdle relative to the upper thorax may be related to NTOS. We investigated this hypothesis using plain cervical radiographs. METHODS: We conducted this case-control study using plain cervical anteroposterior and lateral radiographs in 63 NTOS patients and 126 carpal tunnel syndrome patients who were matched for age and sex. To estimate the position of the shoulder girdle relative to the upper thorax, we analyzed the level of the clavicle using 2 parameters: the number of vertebrae visible in a lateral radiograph and the number of vertebrae above the line connecting both sternal ends of the clavicles in an anteroposterior radiograph. The number of vertebrae visible in a lateral radiograph was the parameter for the level of the lateral part of the clavicle relative to the upper thorax, whereas we used the number of vertebrae above the line connecting both sternal ends of the clavicles in an anteroposterior radiograph to determine the level of the medial part of the clavicle. RESULTS: Both parameters were greater in the NTOS group than in the control group, which suggests that the level of the shoulder girdle was lower in the NTOS group than in the control group. In addition, the risk of NTOS was increased in patients with lower shoulder girdle position. CONCLUSIONS: The lower placement of the shoulder girdle relative to the upper thorax was related to NTOS. Physicians may be able to estimate the position of the shoulder girdle using plain cervical radiographs when NTOS is clinically suspected. TYPE OF STUDY/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Diagnostic IV.

Prospective multicenter trial of modified retrograde percutaneous intramedullary Kirschner wire fixation for displaced metacarpal neck and shaft fractures.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this prospective multicenter study was to assess the clinical and radiographic outcome of a newly devised technique of retrograde intramedullary fixation with multiple Kirschner wires in metacarpal neck and shaft fractures. METHODS: Between May of 2002 and June of 2007, a total of 121 metacarpal fractures in 105 patients that were treated with the authors' modified intramedullary Kirschner wire fixation technique were included in this study. The average follow-up period was 10 months. The surgical outcome was assessed by clinical and radiographic data. RESULTS: The average range of motion in the metacarpophalangeal joint of the injured side was not significantly different from that of the uninjured side. There was no case of residual rotational deformity postoperatively, and the average Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand questionnaire score was 8.5 (range, 0 to 41). Average dorsal apex angulation and average shortening were reduced significantly from 39.0 degrees and 3.1 mm, to 9.7 degrees and 0.0 mm, respectively, in neck fractures; and from 29.5 degrees and 3.0 mm, to 7.0 degrees and -0.1 mm in shaft fractures, respectively. Average time to union was 5.6 weeks, and there were no cases of nonunion. CONCLUSION: Modified retrograde intramedullary fixation with multiple Kirschner wires is a straightforward and reliable technique that successfully resulted in good functional and cosmetic results in addition to excellent bone healing. CLINICAL QUESTION/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic, IV.

Minimal epicondylectomy improves neurologic deficits in moderate to severe cubital tunnel syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Previous studies of minimal medial epicondylectomy for cubital tunnel syndrome included patients with mild disease, making it difficult to determine how much this procedure improved sensory and motor impairments in patients with moderate to severe disease. QUESTIONS/PURPOSES: We asked if minimal epicondylectomy improved sensory and motor impairments in patients with moderate to severe cubital tunnel syndrome. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 25 patients treated with minimal medial epicondylectomy for advanced cubital tunnel syndrome involving motor weakness between January 2003 and February 2009. Preoperatively, five patients had Medical Research Council (MRC) Grade 4 motor strength without atrophy (McGowan Grade IIA), nine had MRC Grade 3 motor strength with detectable atrophy (McGowan Grade IIB), and 11 had MRC Grade 3 or less motor strength with severe atrophy (McGowan Grade III). Postoperatively we obtained DASH scores and evaluated improvement of sensory impairment and motor impairment: excellent with minimal sensory deficit and motor deficit, good with mild deficits, fair with improved but persistent deficit(s), and poor with no improvement. The minimum followup was 13 months (mean, 46 months; range, 13-86 months). RESULTS: The mean DASH score was 14 points (range, 2-47 points). Of the 25 patients, sensory improvement and motor improvement were excellent in 16 patients, good in five, fair in two, and poor in two. Twenty-three of the 25 patients improved at least one McGowan grade. There were no complications, such as medial elbow instability. CONCLUSIONS: Minimal medial epicondylectomy can improve sensory and motor impairments for patients with moderate to severe cubital tunnel syndrome. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV, therapeutic study. See the guidelines for authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.