Manabu Kushida

Treatment for Distal Radius Fracture Using External Fixation with Electrical Stimulation

We performed treatment for distal radius fracture using the Bone Grow External Fixator (BGF, MES co.) which combines non-bridging type external fixation with electrical stimulation. 7 fractures (three males and four females) were treated with the BGF. The age ranged from 32 to 76 years (average; 59.3 years). We removed the BGF four to six weeks after recognizing bone union on X-ray.As the BGF is of the non-bridging type, it allows range of motion exercise at an early stage and prevents loss of radius length after removal. However this method by itself is not adequate for severe osteoporotic cases and comminuted fractures. For these cases we obtained satisfactory results by using with β-TCP, minimum open reduction and internal fixation. We need more cases to evaluate utility of electrical stimulation.

Measuring the Tension of Repaired Rotator Cuff.

Our purpose is to evaluate the relation between the tension of the repaired rotator cuff, size of the tear, linear bands of the supraspinatus muscle scanned by MRI, and postoperative JOA score. The subjects were 18 patients (15 males, 3 females) with rotator cuff tear of the shoulder aged 52 to 74 years. We measured the tension of the repaired rotator cuff at the arm at the 0°, 30°, 60° abduction positions using a simple spring scale, and we classified into three grades the linear bands of the supraspinatus by MRI. As a result, there were two grade 1 shoulders, six grade 2 shoulders, and ten grade 3 shoulders. The larger tears require higher tension repair, in particular the tension when the arm was elevated by 30° and size of the tear were found to be related. No significant difference was seen between the size of the tear and the JOA score in this study for every grade.