Kamilcan Oflazoglu

Negative Ulnar Variance and Kienböck Disease.

PURPOSE To test the primary null hypothesis that there is no difference in mean ulnar variance (UV) scaled to the length of the capitates between 166 wrists with Kienböck disease and an equal number of matched controls and to test the secondary null hypothesis that mean scaled UV does not vary based on age, sex, or race in both Kienböck and control wrists. METHODS Ulnar variance was measured on posteroanterior radiographs of the wrist as the distance between a line through the midpoint between the volar and the dorsal edges of the ulnar margin of the radius and a line tangential to the most distal aspect of the carpal surface of the head of the ulna, both perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the radius. Measurement of UV was scaled to the length of the capitate, resulting in a UV to capitate height (UV:CH) ratio. RESULTS We found a significant difference in mean UV:CH ratio between patients with Kienböck disease and a control group matched by age, sex, race, and limb. The prevalence of negative UV was high in both patients with Kienböck disease and matched controls. There were no differences in mean UV:CH ratio with respect to age, sex, or race among patients with Kienböck disease or matched controls. CONCLUSIONS The precise role of ulna minus in the development of Kienböck disease remains uncertain and unanswered, given that many patients with Kienböck disease have neutral or positive UV. In addition, a large proportion of the normal population has negative UV, whereas Kienböck disease is rare.

Prevalence of and Factors Associated With Major Depression in Patients With Upper Extremity Conditions

PURPOSE To determine the prevalence of an estimated diagnosis of major depression in patients with upper extremity conditions and factors that help identify patients who might benefit from psychological treatment. METHODS In this observational cross-sectional study, 190 patients completed questionnaires measuring symptoms of depression with the Patient Health Questionnaire, upper extremity disability with the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Upper Extremity, pain interference with the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Pain Interference, and health anxiety with the Short Health Anxiety Inventory. RESULTS The estimated prevalence of an estimated diagnosis of major depression (Patient Health Questionnaire 9 ≥ 10) among this group of patients was 12%. Having multiple pain conditions, a history of depression, and greater limitation from pain for daily activities were independently associated with an estimated diagnosis of major depression. CONCLUSIONS The finding that 1 in 8 patients presenting to a hand surgeon have untreated or undertreated symptoms of depression sufficient to qualify for an estimated diagnosis of major depression emphasizes the importance of assessing for depression at all levels of care.

The Relationship Between Catastrophic Thinking and Hand Diagram Areas

PURPOSE To evaluate the relationship between the total area marked on pain and numbness diagrams and psychosocial factors (depression, pain catastrophic thinking, and health anxiety). METHODS A total of 155 patients marked painful and numb areas on separate hand diagrams. Patients also completed demographic, condition-related, and psychosocial (Pain Catastrophizing Scale, Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Depression Computer Adaptive Test, and Short Health Anxiety Inventory) questionnaires. Bivariate and multivariable analyses were used to determine factors associated with total area marked on the pain and numbness diagrams. RESULTS The total area marked on the pain diagram correlated with catastrophic thinking, symptoms of depression, and health anxiety. In multivariable analysis, catastrophic thinking was the sole predictor of marked pain area, accounting for 10% of variance in the hand pain diagram. The total area marked on the numbness diagram correlated with the interval between onset and visit, diagnosis, catastrophic thinking, and symptoms of depression. In multivariable analysis, the interval between onset and visit, a diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome, and catastrophic thinking were independently associated with total area marked on the hand numbness diagram. CONCLUSIONS Catastrophic thinking was independently associated with larger pain and numbness areas on a hand diagram. This suggests that larger symptom markings on hand diagrams may indicate less effective coping strategies. Hand diagrams might be used as a basis for discussion of coping strategies and illness behavior in patients with upper extremity conditions. TYPE OF STUDY/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Diagnostic III.

Axillary artery injury associated with subpectoral biceps tenodesis: a case report.

Tenotomy or tenodesis of the long head of the biceps tendon can be used to treat anterior shoulder pain believed to be related to biceps tendinopathy.The rationale for tenodesis rather than tenotomy is primarily based on improved aesthetics and maintenance of the functional length of the muscle for higher-demand patients. 14-16 Open subpectoral biceps tenodesis (OSPBT) fixes the long head of the biceps tendon relatively distally, removing it from the bicipital groove where it might continue to produce symptoms. 9 The long head of the biceps is immediately adjacent to major neurovascular structures in this area. 4 A surgeon operating through a small incision might get disoriented and veer too medially, especially when the patient is in lateral decubitus. Retractors may also place these structures at risk. There are several reports of iatrogenic brachial plexus injury using subpectoral biceps tenodesis. 3,8,10,11 It makes sense that the artery (transitioning from axillary to brachial at this level) might also be at risk (Fig. 1). The present report describes a patient with axillary artery injury during OSPBT.

Factors associated with subluxation in mallet fracture

Radiographs and medical record of all adult patients with a mallet fracture in three hospitals between 2004 and 2014 were reviewed. International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) codes and text search in radiographic reports were used to identify all acute patients with potential mallet fractures in our institutional database. Manually checking, 392 true mallet fractures were identified among them, 78 had subluxation at the time of diagnosis and 19 had subluxation at a later time point during treatment. Fragment size, fragment displacement, and interval between injury and treatment were associated with initial and late subluxation. Subluxation was not observed when the fracture size was less than 39% of the total articular surface. For each 1% increase in total articular surface involvement in fractures with more than 39% involvement, the risk of subluxation increased by 4% and for each 1% of displacement, the risk of subluxation increased by 4%. Level of Evidence: IV

The Prevalence of Triangular Fibrocartilage Complex Signal Abnormalities on Magnetic Resonance Imaging Relative to Clinical Suspicion of Pathology

PURPOSE To determine the prevalence of triangular fibrocartilage complex (TFCC) signal changes in patients undergoing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the wrist and its relationship to a clinical suspicion of TFCC pathology. The secondary purpose was to study factors that are associated with TFCC signal changes. METHODS In this retrospective study, we looked for any TFCC signal changes in the reports of MRI findings performed during a 3-year period in 1,134 patients. Demographic characteristics, the categorized indications for MRI, and symptoms at the time of the MRI were also retrieved from the medical records. Patients were divided into 6 groups, based on age, to calculate the proportions of TFCC signal changes in the entire cohort and as an incidental finding among patients without a clinical suspicion of TFCC pathology within each age group. RESULTS A total of 321 patients (28%) had incidental TFCC signal changes. The prevalence among 18- to 30 year-olds was 19%, and increased to 64% in patients older than 70 years. Multivariable logistic regression analysis demonstrated that an increase in age is significantly associated with having TFCC signal changes on MRI in patients who have a low clinical suspicion of TFCC pathology. The rate of incidental TFCC signal changes steadily increases with age. CONCLUSIONS The TFCC signal abnormalities on MRI are more common with increasing age in patients with low clinical suspicion of TFCC pathology. At age 70, more than half of all patients will have TFCC signal changes, and more than 90% are present in patients with a low clinical suspicion of TFCC pathology. TYPE OF STUDY/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Diagnostic IV.

Mallet Fractures of the Thumb Compared With Mallet Fractures of the Fingers.

Background: The purpose of this study was to look for differences in mechanism, radiographic findings, and treatment between mallet fractures of the thumb and mallet fractures of the index through small fingers. Methods: This retrospective study included 24 mallet fractures of the thumb and 392 mallet fractures of other digits. We compared demographics, injury factors (side, dominant hand, time between injury and first visit, and injury mechanism), subluxation, fragment size, treatment, and time from injury to final evaluation between the 2 groups. Results: Mallet fractures of the thumb presented for treatment sooner after injury (2.9 vs 13 days on average), had less fragment displacement (27% vs 33%), and less articular involvement (39% vs 46% on average). None of the mallet fractures of the thumb had radiographic evidence of subluxation, whereas 25% of mallet fractures of other fingers had initial or later subluxation. Conclusions: Mallet fractures of the thumb are not likely to subluxate.

Recognizing the elbow prosthesis on conventional radiographs

The objective of this study was to make an overview that can be useful in determining which type and brand of prosthesis a patient has when visiting the emergency department or outpatient clinic with a periprosthetic fracture, dislocation, or implant failure. The commonly used prostheses in Europe are opted for this list. The radiographs used for this list are obtained either from the company or from our own patients. This list contains the Coonrad/Morrey total elbow prosthesis, the Nexel total elbow prosthesis, the GSB III Elbow Prosthesis, the iBP Total Elbow System, the Discovery Elbow System, the NESimplavit Elbow System, the Latitude Elbow prosthesis, the Solar Elbow, and the Souter–Strathclyde total elbow. The characteristics of each prosthesis are described.