Moshe Nissan

Whiplash injury--a retrospective study on patients seeking compensation

The purpose of this cohort study is to evaluate the objective long-term findings and the final outcome of a population suffering from whiplash-associated disorders (WAD) after rear-end car collision and claiming legal compensation. Eight hundred and sixty-six patients after whiplash injury were followed up on average 32 months post-trauma. All patients had clinical examination and radiographs performed on the day of the accident and at follow up. MRI, CT scan, bone scan, electromyographic (EMG) tests were performed upon request of the treating physician and correlated by the authors with the clinical findings. Cervical pain was the most common complaint (96%). Radiating pain to one side of the upper limbs or the shoulder was also very common (36 and 24%, respectively). Chin to chest test was found to be a strong indicator in differentiating between the less severe (grades 1 and 2) to more severe (grades 3 and 4) WAD patients. In 10% of the patients with normal radiographic findings, degenerative changes were found at follow up. CT scan and MRI did not add to patient diagnosis, except for those patients suffering from degenerative changes and decreased range of motion (RoM). Based on our findings the initial radiograph taken in the emergency room was the best imaging modality and probably the only one needed routinely following whiplash injury. Although this is a special subgroup of patient seeking compensation, the overall prognosis is favorable in all grades of WAD injury and there is no need for further diagnostic expenditures.

Dynamic pressures on the diabetic foot.

A retrospective study was conducted in order to investigate the relation between increased plantar pressure and ulcers in the diabetic foot and contribute more information on this subject. Maximal plantar pressure (MPP) is reported on various areas of the plantar aspects of the feet in 328 diabetic patients and 75 healthy subjects. An increase in MPP under all plantar areas except for the heels was found to be related with increasing severity of the diabetes symptoms. There was also a significant decrease in the application of high pressures to the heels, the metatarsal heads II-IV and the toes.

Comparison of results between chitosan hollow tube and autologous nerve graft in reconstruction of peripheral nerve defect: An experimental study

This study evaluated a chitosan tube for regeneration of the injured peripheral nerve in a rodent transected sciatic nerve model in comparison to autologous nerve graft repair.

Whiplash injury: is there a role for electromyographic studies?

IntroductionThis retrospective study was undertaken to assess the value of carrying out baseline and follow-up electromyography (EMG) for patients with whiplash-associated disorders (WAD, grades I and II) after they had undergone rear-end car collisions, and to determine if there is any agreement with clinical and imaging (CT and MRI) findings.Materials and methodsWe carried out a retrospective review of 330 patients seeking compensation after rear-end car collisions. The treating physician referred all patients for EMG studies in the post-injury follow-up period and for additional CT scans and MRIs. All patients underwent physical and X-ray examination by the senior author (SD), and 75 patients with persistent radicular complaints were referred again for EMG studies. The results of the association between patient complaints, clinical examination, and EMG, CT and MRI studies are reported.ResultsWe sought but failed to find any correlations between 354 EMG results with those of 278 CT scans and 75 MRIs. Both subjective complaints and early vs late EMG abnormalities showed statistical agreement and persistency of findings only at disc level C7/D1.ConclusionsOur data indicate that follow-up EMG studies for patients with WAD do not contribute any useful information for patient management.

The normal, healthy low back: some functional parameters

The lower back is a major factor in the patient’s health as well as in his/her economic and social conditions. Many of the diagnostic and therapeutic decisions regarding the lower back are subjective in nature. Complimentary objective and quantitative data will be of great help in clinic and hospital. Some data of this kind evolving from 3-D (3 dimensional) dynamometry is described here and compared to the existing normal, non-symptomatic database published elsewhere. This is an important step toward the objective definition of the abnormal function of the lower back and the use of 3D dynamometry in the clinic. The range of motion (RoM), maximal isometric torque (MIT), maximal and average speed of motion (MV and AV) and the maximal torques applied in secondary planes while moving in a primary plane (MST) are reported in 54 non-symptomatic volunteers. The men and the women had a similar RoM in all planes (80–90 degrees) but all other results are sex-dependent. The men demonstrated nearly twice the women’s torques around all axes, isometrically, and moved much faster in all directions.

Regeneration of the transected rat sciatic nerve after suturing or adhesion with cyanoacrylate glue

OBJECT Traditional treatment of transected peripheral nerves has been by suturing the nerve ends to each other. Because this approach is not widely available and is technically demanding, the authors evaluated an easier method for end-to-end anastomosis using cyanoacrylate-based glue. METHODS The authors used a rat sciatic nerve model. The sciatic nerve was transected in one hind limb in each of 40 rats. In 20 rats, end-to-end anastomosis was performed with suturing, while in the other 20 it was performed using only cyanoacrylate glue. The outcome variables were incapacitance test results; the functional sciatic index; somatosensory evoked potentials; axon counts and sizes at the proximal, anastomotic, and distal levels; local adhesions; and automutilation injuries. Outcomes were measured in a manner blinded to the anastomotic technique. RESULTS Only the somatosensory evoked potentials and degree of local adhesions were significantly better in the Suture Group than in the Glue Group. With respect to the remaining outcomes (automutilation injuries, counts of large and medium axons combined, and counts of small axons), either the results were significantly better in the Glue Group or the between-groups difference was not statistically significant. There were no consistent significant correlations between the various outcome measures. CONCLUSIONS Using cyanoacrylate-based glue for microanastomosis of cut nerves appears to be as effective as microsuturing the nerve ends. Despite more local adhesions in the glued nerves, most functional outcomes were not influenced by the anastomotic technique. Validation of these findings awaits studies of larger groups of animals.

Whiplash associated disorders – subjective complaints vs clinical and objective findings. A retrospective study of 866 patients

The subjective complaints of 866 WAD (whiplash associated disorders) patients were recorded at a follow-up examination some 32 months after the accident. The complaints were compared to a number of relatively objective examinations -- X-ray, CT, MRI, EMG, Bone scan, and clinical assessment. Neck pain and radiating pain to the limbs were the major complaints. The big majority of the X-rays findings, both primary and late (98%), were found either non-pathological or indicating degenerative changes and old fractures. All positive CT and MRI findings not related to known degenerative changes and old fractures were considered relevant. Bone-scan and clinical findings not related to old injuries were considered to be relevant to the WAD. Positive EMG findings were considered relevant except for those related with incidental CTS. Comparing the various testing modalities, CT and EMG were found positive in 25% and 33% of the tested sample (11% and 12% of the whole WAD patients), accordingly. Bone-scan and MRI were conducted in a much smaller sample of the patients, and only 33% and 25% (3% and 2% of the whole population) were found pathologic, accordingly. Clinically, C-C (chin-chest touch) and RoM tests identified 75 (9%) and 58 (7%) of the pathologic population, accordingly. Excluding degenerative changes and incidental CTS, only 25% of the patients had any objective supporting findings.