Hans Wedren

Incidence, nature, and causes of ice hockey injuries A three-year prospective study of a Swedish elite ice hockey team

In this prospective study, we have investigated inci dence of injuries of different severity, types of injury, and mechanisms of injury during ice hockey practice and games. One Swedish elite hockey team was closely observed during three seasons (1982 to 1985). There was a total number of 95 injuries and 29 facial lacera tions. The majority of injuries were minor (73%) and only 8% were classified as major. Seventy-six percent of the injuries occurred during games and 24% during practice. The incidence of injury during practice was 1.4 per 1,000 player-practice hours and 78.4 per 1,000 player-game hours. In comparison with other sports, the incidence of injury during hockey practice is very low, while that during games is high. Eighty percent of the injuries were caused by trauma and 20% by over use. The most common types of injury were contusions, strains, and sprains. Complete tear of the medial col lateral ligament of the knee was the most common severe injury. Most injuries resulted from body contact, predominantly tackling (checking), and from puck or stick contact. A reduction of the number of minor and moderate injuries should be possible by stricter en forcement of the hockey rules, especially against stick violations, and more widespread use of visors.

Injuries in international ice hockey A prospective, comparative study of injury incidence and injury types in international and Swedish elite ice hockey

In this prospective study, we have investigated inci dence, nature, and mechanisms of injury in the Swedish national hockey team during 40 international games. There were 19 injuries associated with absence from practice or games, and 17 facial lacerations. The inci dence of injuries associated with absence was 79.2 per 1,000 player-game hours, compared to the correspond ing incidence of 78.4 found for Swedish national hockey. The incidence of facial wounds was 70.8 per 1,000 player-game hours, compared to the incidence of 21.8 for Swedish national hockey. The high incidence of facial injuries in international hockey is due to a high rate of stick contact injuries. Stricter enforcement of rules and more widespread use of visors would reduce the number of facial injuries.

Intermittent self-dilatation after internal urethrotomy for primary urethral strictures : A case-control study

Objective. To retrospectively evaluate the effects of intermittent self-dilatation (ISD) on the natural course of urethral strictures after an internal urethrotomy. Material and methods. A retrospective case–control analysis of all males who had undergone a first time internal urethrotomy due to a urethral stricture in 1998–2000 at 15 urological departments in Sweden. Out of 217 included patients 162 were treated with internal urethrotomy only and 55 with internal urethrotomy followed by postoperative ISD. Demographic data including stricture localization, stricture aetiology and reoperation dates, as well as postoperative indwelling catheter and antibiotic treatment, were collected from the medical records. Factors concerning the ISD were also gathered: postoperative starting time, dilatation catheter size, dilatation frequency and time for retreatment. All patients’ medical records were followed for 3–6 years until 2003. Results. The median time until recurrence (surgical reoperation) was 732 days in the ISD group and 167 days in the non-ISD group (p<0.0001). The frequency of recurrence after internal urethrotomy was 9% (5/55) in the ISD group and 31% in the non-ISD group (51/162) during the observational follow-up period (p=0.0007). There was a higher risk of recurrence among those with a traumatic aetiology (39/104) compared with those with unknown aetiology (14/89) (p=0.0005). Patients with a postoperative catheter had a lower risk of recurrence (40/172) than those without one (16/45) (p=0.01). Conclusions. Postoperative ISD of a urethral stricture, primarily treated by internal urethrotomy, significantly reduces the stricture recurrence rate as well as delaying the time until recurrence.

Effects of Sodium Pentosanpolysulphate on Symptoms Related to Chronic Non-Bacterial Prostatitis: A Double-blind Randomized Study

A therapeutical trial was conducted with pentosanpolysulphate (Elmiron) in 24 patients with chronic non-bacterial prostatitis. The study was double-blind and 10 patients received Elmiron 200 mg X 2 daily while 14 received a placebo. A beneficial effect (p less than 0.01) was registered on symptoms from muscles and joints. A side-effect observed was a tendency to develop diarrhoea in a few patients prone to gastrointestinal disturbances previously.

Staphylococcus saprophyticus in males with symptoms of chronic prostatitis

Staphylococcus saprophyticus was isolated in 17 percent (12 of 71 men) during one year, but with a peak in August and September to 21 percent in patients referred to the urology department with a suspicion of chronic bacterial prostatitis. Seven of the 12 men had S. saprophyticus in highest number at the prostatic level. Three of these were designated as chronic bacterial prostatitis. In this study the occurrence of S. saprophyticus appears to follow, and possibly depends on, previous antibiotic therapy. S. saprophyticus disappeared without treatment in all cases.

Osteosarcoma: A Multifactorial Clinical and Histopathological Study with Special Regard to Therapy and Survival

A multifactorial analysis was performed on all 153 unequivocal cases of genuine osteosarcoma recorded in the Swedish Cancer Registry for the years 1958 through 1968. Cases of so-called parosteal osteosarcoma, soft-tissue osteosarcoma and osteosarcoma secondary to Pagets disease of bone were not included. The osteosarcomas were subclassified as follows: osteoblastic (69 per cent), chondroblastic (19 per cent) and fibroblastic (12 per cent). The overall 5-year survival rate was 22 per cent; 55 per cent for those who had undergone amputation above the joint proximal to the involved skeletal part, 22 per cent for those amputated on the involved skeletal part, 11 per cent for those treated with local extirpation of the tumor, and 1 per cent in cases in which the lesion was not radically removed. Tumors of the femur, humerus and scapula were as malignant as axial tumors. The former carried a 5-year survival rate of 13 per cent, regardless of whether the patients had been treated with exarticulation or amputation on the involved skeletal part. Patients with axial tumors showed a 5-year survival rate of 15 per cent. These survival data suggest that proximal amputation alone might suffice for lesions situated distally to the knee and elbow joints, while tumors in the humerus and femur should be treated with amputation combined with multicytostatic treatment or immunotherapy and axial tumors with local resection and multicytostatic or immunologic treatment.

Plasma Proteins and Anti-Kidney Antibodies in Renal Carcinoma

Occurrence of the nephrotic syndrome in association with renal carcinoma has been reported earlier. There is a risk of masking of carcinoma due to symptoms of nephrotic syndrome/glomerulonephritis. In this study the serum protein profile in patients with renal carcinoma was found to be similar to that of patients with glomerulonephritis. However, increased levels of complement factors C3 and C4 were found, indicating low or none complement consumption. Patients with metastasis had higher blood ESR, orosomucoid, CRP, C3 and C4 but lower Hb and albumin than patients without evidence of metastasis. Immunofluorescence examination of kidneys and sera indicated the occurrence of antibodies against glomerular structures, IgG antibodies were demonstrated in most patients, IgA and IgM in some.