Chronic compartment syndrome caused by aberrant fascia in an aerobic walker.

The following is a case presentation of a 36-yr-old female athlete who presented with the symptoms and signs of chronic anterior compartment syndrome. Pre-exercise and post-exercise tissue pressure measurements revealed increased compartment pressures in both of her anterior leg compartments. Aberrant fascial bands overlying and compressing the anterior compartments were discovered at the time of surgery. Fasciotomies led to complete recovery and return to previous levels of athletic activity. This is the first report of aberrant fascia as a cause of chronic anterior compartment syndrome.

The effects of "decelerated" rehabilitation following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction on a hyperelastic female adolescent: a case study.

Current concepts in postoperative anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction management include participation in an "accelerated" rehabilitation program. There are no published reports examining the effects of accelerated or conservative rehabilitation on subjects with generalized ligamentous hyperelasticity. The purpose of this case study was to examine the effects of a conservative or "decelerated" rehabilitation program on the functional outcome of a hyperelastic female adolescent athlete following ACL reconstruction. The subject was a 15-year-old female basketball player who sustained a unilateral ACL tear and underwent subsequent ACL reconstruction using a patellar tendon autograft. The subject immediately began participation in a "decelerated" rehabilitation program in which the intensity and rate of progression was decelerated, emphasizing a prolonged period of maximum graft protection. Progress was objectively quantified with a battery of diagnosis-specific tests at scheduled intervals. Results at 52 weeks postoperative revealed normal range of motion, proprioception, balance, knee stability, quadriceps strength, hamstring strength, and subjective assessment values, and only a 4.0% deficit in functional scores. Our results suggest a "decelerated" rehabilitation program may be appropriate for the population with generalized ligamentous hyperelasticity by yielding excellent functional results without compromising the integrity of the graft and, ultimately, knee stability.

Pitfalls in the use of interference screws for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: brief report.

Arthroscopically assisted bone patellar tendon bone reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is becoming an increasingly popular surgical technique. Use of interference screw fixation of the bone plugs within bony tunnels has been shown to improve fixation and pull-out strength. Several potential pitfalls exist which can jeopardize results of the surgical procedure when this form of fixation is used. This article describes the potential pitfalls and suggests methods to avoid them.

Continuous passive motion after internal fixation of distal humerus fractures.

Two patients with severe intra-articular fractures of the distal humerus were treated with internal fixation and postoperative continuous passive motion (CPM) of the elbow. The CPM machine's range of motion was initially set at 30 degrees to 70 degrees of flexion for one patient and 45 degrees to 90 degrees of flexion for the other. The arc of motion was gradually increased daily without discomfort. There was no occurrence of wound complications, nonunion, loss of reduction, heterotopic ossification, or failure of fixation. At last evaluation, both patients had full pronation and supination. One patient had 0 degrees to 135 degrees of elbow flexion, and the other had 30 degrees to 110 degrees. Both patients had pain-free elbows. CPM was found to be a valuable therapeutic modality in the postoperative management of intra-articular fractures of the elbow.

Osteomalacia as a very late manifestation of primary hyperparathyroidism.

An 86-year-old woman with a history of treated hyperthyroidism and a 20-year history of untreated primary hyperparathyroidism developed generalized bone pain and a pseudofracture of the midshaft of the left femur. Laboratory examinations revealed elevated serum calcium, alkaline phosphatase, and C-terminal parathyroid hormone levels. Serum inorganic phosphate was below normal and 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels were low-normal. An undecalcified transiliac bone biopsy specimen following tetracycline double labeling revealed osteomalacia and osteitis fibrosa. Following treatment with vitamin D and phosphate, the serum inorganic phosphate level rose to normal. There was a decrease in bone pain, and the pseudofracture healed. However, the serum calcium, alkaline phosphatase, and C-terminal parathyroid hormone levels remained elevated. Longstanding primary hyperparathyroidism causes chronic hypophosphatemia and may lead to osteomalacia. Osteomalacia and its consequences may be part of the spectrum of bone disease seen in patients with longstanding primary hyperparathyroidism.