Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay of colostral IgG transported into lymph and plasma in neonatal pigs.

Amounts of colostral proteins in lymph and plasma were estimated by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) after infusion of bovine colostrum into the duodenal lumen in nonsuckling neonatal pigs. The rate of immunoglobulin (Ig) G transport in lymph of the thoracic duct reached the maximal level (4.7 +/- 1.3 mg.15 min-1.kg body wt-1) within 3 h after the duodenal infusion. The rate of small protein (SP) transport more slowly increased than that of IgG. On the contrary, casein remained in the much lower level in lymph. IgG concentration in plasma increased gradually and reached a plateau level (2.5 +/- 0.9 g/l) 5 h after the infusion, but the levels of SP and casein were slowly and slightly increased in plasma. The IgG-to-casein and SP-to-casein ratios in lymph and plasma were 161:15:1 and 128:12:1 4 h after the infusion, respectively, and much higher than the value in the colostrum (IgG/SP/casein = 15:4:1). These results indicate 1) that IgG transported via lymph flow after absorption through the small intestine is faster than that via blood flow, 2) that the concentration of absorbed IgG is higher than that of absorbed SP and much higher than the concentration of absorbed casein both in the lymph and plasma, and 3) that total amount of colostral protein transported via blood flow is larger than that transported via lymph flow.


Aging alters feedback effects of the activity-rest cycle on the circadian clock.

Two different stimuli (i.e., benzodiazepines and dark pulses) inducing phase shifts in the circadian clock of young hamsters through changes in the level of activity do not induce phase shifts in old hamsters, despite the fact that these stimuli induce a similar acute change in locomotor activity in young and old animals. In contrast, old hamsters remain sensitive to the phase-shifting effects of stimuli clearly not associated with any change in locomotor activity (i.e., protein synthesis inhibitors or light). Thus the circadian system of old animals becomes selectively unresponsive to synchronizing signals mediated by the activity-rest state of the animals. Previous age-related changes in circadian rhythmicity that have been observed in mammals, including humans, may be related to a weakened coupling between the activity-rest cycle and the circadian clock.


Psychosocial rehabilitation and psychiatry in the care of long-term patients.

The relationship between psychosocial rehabilitation and psychiatry in the care of long-term mental patients is one that may often be characterized, at best, as an uneasy alliance. The author summarizes the basic concepts that define the discipline of psychosocial rehabilitation and discusses how those concepts have at times been distorted in actual practice. The article concludes with an analysis of the two disciplines' common ground in caring for long-term patients and a commentary on the benefits that each may offer the other. Together psychiatry and psychosocial rehabilitation hold the key to improved circumstances for realizing the promise of deinstitutionalization, which seems largely to have eluded us for the past several decades.


The psychoanalytic conceptualization of perinatal loss: a multidimensional model.

Much has been learned about perinatal loss over the past 20 years through clinical investigations and quantitative research. However, a review of studies over the past decade reveals that perinatal loss is increasingly being seen in the same way as a death of any other member of the family, rather than as a unique bereavement. A comprehensive understanding of perinatal loss anchored in a theoretical framework of pregnancy is lacking. This article offers a multidimensional model for examining this loss by applying four psychoanalytic interpretations of pregnancy. 1) From the perspective of pregnancy ushering in the new developmental phase of parenthood, perinatal loss becomes a developmental interference, disrupting a significant milestone as well as causing isolation from peers. 2) In light of the usual recapitulation of earlier conflicts during pregnancy as noted by drive theory, perinatal loss may lead to an intensification of intrapsychic conflicts. 3) Understanding pregnancy as the creation of a specific person in an object relations model highlights the importance of mourning after perinatal death, as well as the need to tend to associated unresolved grief from earlier losses. 4) Finally, a model of narcissism describes how pregnancy reorganizes self-esteem, thereby delineating the intense narcissistic injury and rage that often follow perinatal loss. These multiple frameworks help to explain the many repercussions of this loss as well as to account for individual differences. Research findings are selectively reviewed to support the validity of this model. Conversely, this model may productively guide future avenues for research.


Contested boundaries of bipolar disorder and the limits of categorical diagnosis in psychiatry.

The authors' primary objective is to outline the phenomenology, importance, and available data on issues concerning the boundaries between bipolar disorder and diagnoses such as schizophrenia, unipolar depression, and personality disorders. In addition, by illuminating the many difficulties with the boundaries of one of psychiatry's more robust diagnoses, they hope to awaken in the reader a healthy skepticism about current psychiatric nosology. For a topic of this scope, a literature review must be selective. For each boundary area, a mixture of classic and recent papers covering a range of validating criteria is included whenever possible. Good summary data are cited when available, as are a selection of relevant theoretical papers. The review indicates that current diagnostic criteria for bipolar disorder are generally reasonable, but there are many problem areas, most of which cannot be solved by changes in criteria. Notable among these are 1) the possibility of future manic episodes in unipolar disorder, 2) schizoaffective disorder, bipolar type, and 3) borderline personality disorder with prominent mood swings. The disputes concerning the boundaries of bipolar disorder illustrate the limitations of categorical diagnosis which result from the implementation of diagnostic criteria, the criteria themselves, the fundamental nosologic process, and the phenomena themselves. If these limitations are to be extended, it may be necessary to explore alternative ways of defining psychiatric diagnoses for different settings in research and clinical practice.


Psychiatric outpatient practice: patterns and policies.

The purpose of this paper is to explore possible consequences of recent changes in the Medicare payment schedule for office-based psychiatric services. Psychiatric office visits from the 1985 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey were categorized in a manner that approximates commonly used codes of the Physicians' Current Procedural Terminology. An analysis was conducted of the frequency and clinical characteristics of various types of services, focusing particularly on visits of under 20 minutes in length that included a medication prescription (medication visits) and other visits of 35 minutes or less in duration (brief visits). Medication visits and brief visits together accounted for more than one-quarter (27.3%) of all U.S. psychiatric office visits. The relative risk of receiving these short visits was greater for patients who paid with public resources, were over 65 years of age, were nonwhite in race (brief visits only), received a prescription for an antipsychotic medication, or were diagnosed as having a psychotic disorder. Short office visits are provided to a particularly vulnerable patient population. The reduction in Medicare copayments for medication management services should increase the patient demand for these short visits. However, where the new Medicare schedule has lowered physician fees for these services, the financial incentive to provide short visits will decrease and patient access may become limited.


Regional cerebral glucose metabolism in bulimia nervosa.

The authors' purpose in this study was to further delineate the character of cerebral metabolism in bulimia nervosa and to determine if functional links could be made between regional cerebral metabolism and the symptoms of depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and bulimia nervosa. Regional cerebral glucose metabolism was measured by using positron emission tomography in 11 inpatients with bulimia nervosa and 18 normal comparison subjects matched in sex (all were women), age, and educational level. The bulimic patients were also tested for symptoms of major depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder. The patients with bulimia showed a correlation between lower left anterolateral prefrontal regional cerebral glucose metabolism and greater depressive symptoms. However, the orbitofrontal regional cerebral glucose metabolism of patients with bulimia was not greater than that of comparison subjects, nor was higher orbitofrontal metabolism correlated with greater obsessive-compulsive disorder symptoms. These findings lead to the conclusion that left anterior lateral prefrontal cortex hypometabolism varies with the depressive symptoms observed in bulimia but that temporal lobe hypermetabolism and asymmetries appear to be independent of the mood state.


Coping with the threat of AIDS: the role of social support.

There has been relatively little clinical research on how asymptomatic HIV-positive men cope with the threat of AIDS. The present study was intended to 1) describe the coping strategies used by asymptomatic HIV-positive homosexual men, 2) examine the relationship of coping to dysphoria and self-esteem, and 3) explore how race and social support correlate with coping. The study group was composed of 52 asymptomatic HIV-positive homosexual men. A group of 53 HIV-negative homosexual men was used for descriptive comparison. Data on coping, social support, dysphoria, and self-esteem came from self-report measures; depression was also determined by interviews with the Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression. The authors found that 1) subjects primarily coped with the threat of AIDS by adopting a fighting spirit, reframing stress to maximize personal growth, planning a course of action, and seeking social support; 2) more helpless coping, less fighting spirit, and less personal growth were related to dysphoria and poor self-esteem, whereas denial was related to more depression, anger, and helpless coping; 3) satisfaction with one's social support networks and participation in the AIDS community were related to more healthy coping strategies (e.g., fighting spirit, personal growth); and 4) black subjects expressed more denial, more helplessness, and less social support. These results suggest that health professionals should encourage more adaptive coping strategies, help patients use existing sources of positive social support, and assist patients, particularly black patients, in finding community support networks.


Psychopathology, hypnotizability, and dissociation.

The purpose of the study was to replicate and extend previous findings regarding the hypnotizability of different clinical groups. The authors compared the differential hypnotizability of four psychiatric groups--patients with dissociative disorders (N = 17), schizophrenia (N = 13), mood disorders (N = 13), and anxiety disorders (N = 14)--and one normal group of college students (N = 63). Hypnotizability was assessed by four different measures: the eye roll sign and the induction score of the Hypnotic Induction Profile, the Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale, Form C, and two self-ratings of hypnotizability. As predicted, dissociative disorder patients had significantly higher hypnotizability scores on all measures than all other groups. Schizophrenic patients, on the other hand, had significantly lower scores than normal subjects on the eye roll sign and induction score but not on the other measures of hypnotizability. Some other unpredicted between-group differences were also found. Nevertheless, despite the between-group differences, the intercorrelations between the various hypnotizability measures within the normal group were very similar to those observed in the combined patient groups. The findings suggest that routine hypnotizability assessment may be useful in the differential diagnosis of patients with dissociative disorders.


A historical perspective on the role of state hospitals viewed from the era of the "revolving door".

By focusing on the functioning of a state hospital throughout its existence, the author provides a historical perspective on the nature and causes of "revolving door" admissions. Northampton State Hospital was chosen as a prototype, and data on characteristics of patients and patterns of hospital utilization were analyzed from three 10-year periods: 1880-1889, 1930-1939, and 1980-1989. The data for the first two time periods came from the hospital's admission and discharge logbooks and its annual reports; the material for the most recent decade was obtained from unpublished yearly reports generated by the hospital's medical records department. The hospital operated very differently in each of the decades analyzed, but only in the 1980s was recidivism a major finding. This was not, as has often been thought, due to problems or populations unique to the state hospital in the 1980s nor to the fact that in earlier eras the state hospital rarely discharged patients. The once-large asylum has been replaced by a facility rapidly admitting and discharging patients, many of whom have accumulated more than 10 lifetime admissions, in a pattern of care not previously noted. State hospitals have functioned in different yet questionable ways throughout their history. Their current role of providing a revolving-door pattern of care to a considerable population is rooted in a contemporary shift in ideology. This role for state hospitals appears to make no more sense than did their earlier role as neglected and neglectful asylums, and it should be reevaluated.


Meta-analysis of subjective sensitivity to alcohol in sons of alcoholics.

Meta-analysis was used to review the research literature on self-reported sensitivity to alcohol among sons of alcoholic and among normal control subjects. Computerized and manual searches identified 17 eligible independent articles; nine contained the information necessary to compute effect sizes, and additional data on two other studies were provided by authors in response to written and telephone requests. Findings from 10 studies indicated that sons of alcoholics report significantly less sensitivity to alcohol than normal control subjects overall and during the ascending (i.e., 0-35 minutes after alcohol) and descending (i.e., 40-240 minutes after alcohol) limbs of the blood alcohol curve. Response to placebo did not significantly distinguish these groups in the five studies that included such assessment. It may be appropriate to appraise the biological sons of male alcoholics that they may experience less subjective sensitivity to alcohol than other individuals, but it is not possible to predict whether any particular individual will experience such lower sensitivity. In addition, self-report data can be influenced by many factors, and further research that assesses multiple psychological and physiological measures and uses longitudinal designs is needed to determine the relationship between specific factors and the development of alcoholism.


Cross-cultural differences in rating hyperactive-disruptive behaviors in children.

To determine the extent to which the reported variations across countries in the prevalence of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder are due to cultural differences among raters, the authors examined the degree to which mental health professionals in four countries differed in their ratings of hyperactive-disruptive behaviors in children. Mental health professionals from China (N = 8), Indonesia (N = 12), Japan (N = 9), and the United States (N = 8) rated the presence and degree of hyperactive-disruptive behaviors in standardized videotape vignettes of four 8-year-old boys participating in individual and group activities. Chinese and Indonesian clinicians gave significantly higher scores for hyperactive-disruptive behaviors than did their Japanese and American colleagues. These findings suggest that perceptions of hyperactivity vary significantly across countries even if uniform rating criteria are applied. Without correction for these perceptual differences, cross-cultural prevalence rates of hyperactivity may not be comparable.


Deterioration in premorbid functioning in schizophrenia: a developmental model of negative symptoms in drug-free patients.

The authors examined the relationship between negative symptoms and premorbid variables in drug-free schizophrenic patients. The authors studied 63 clinically stable male schizophrenic inpatients who were not receiving any psychoactive medication. The patients were classified as having negative, positive, or mixed symptoms, and their premorbid functioning during childhood, early adolescence, and late adolescence was assessed by using the Premorbid Adjustment Scale. Correlational analyses were applied to the classification and developmental models. Patients with negative symptoms had significantly lower levels of premorbid functioning during late adolescence and significantly greater premorbid deterioration between childhood and early adolescence. Correlational analysis revealed significant positive relationships between premorbid variables and negative symptoms. The data suggest that a deterioration in social and intellectual functioning between childhood and adolescence is associated with the development of a negative symptom syndrome in schizophrenia. The premorbid deterioration appears to be an early prodrome of the disorder. Whether this residual negative symptom syndrome is in some way related to the deficit syndrome of schizophrenia awaits a prospective study.


Alprazolam plasma concentrations and treatment response in panic disorder and agoraphobia.

The authors' goal was to evaluate the relationship between plasma concentrations of alprazolam and both treatment response and side effects in patients with panic disorder and agoraphobia. Ninety-six patients with panic disorder and agoraphobia were treated at three sites in a 6-week, fixed-dose, double-blind, placebo-controlled, dose-response study of 2 mg/day or 6 mg/day of alprazolam. Assessments were made of panic attacks, avoidance behavior, generalized anxiety, and global response. Blood samples were collected throughout the study and analyzed for alprazolam and other benzodiazepines. Patient compliance with the protocol was judged to be good on the basis of plasma concentrations. According to logistic regression analysis, the relationships between plasma alprazolam concentration and response, as reflected by number of panic attacks reported, phobia ratings, physicians' and patients' ratings of global improvement, and the emergence of side effects, were significant. However, there was no significant relationship between plasma alprazolam concentration and the degree of generalized anxiety symptoms. The authors conclude that plasma concentration of alprazolam is related to treatment response, particularly in panic attacks. The alprazolam concentration associated with treatment response or with emergence of a given side effect varied widely among individuals, highlighting the necessity for individualized dose adjustment to obtain optimal treatment response while minimizing side effects.


Panic disorder history in the families of patients with angiographically normal coronary arteries.

The authors evaluated the diagnostic validity of an interview-based panic disorder diagnosis in cardiology chest pain patients with angiographically normal coronary arteries. Patient probands with normal coronary arteries (N = 65) were first contracted immediately after their normal angiogram and were given a structured diagnostic interview. On the basis of the results of the interview, probands were grouped as having panic disorder (N = 19), panic attacks that did not meet frequency criteria for panic disorder (N = 17), or no panic (N = 29). At a later time, patient probands were recontacted and given a structured family history interview that inquired about psychopathology in their first-degree biological relatives (N = 544). As predicted, panic disorder was significantly more prevalent among the first-degree relatives of probands with normal coronary arteries diagnosed with panic disorder or panic attacks than among the family members of probands with normal coronary arteries without panic (17.4% versus 15.7% versus 4.0%). Family members of probands with panic attacks were significantly more likely to be diagnosed with major depression than were the family members of probands with no panic; however, differences did not reach significance for family members of the panic disorder proband group. Groups did not differ significantly in familial alcoholism. These data support the construct validity of an interview-based panic disorder diagnosis among patients with chest pain and normal coronary arteries and suggest that these patients could benefit from treatment for panic disorder.


Phenomenology and course of psychiatric disorders associated with combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder.

Studies indicate that chronic combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is frequently associated with other psychiatric disorders. Questions regarding the nature and interrelationships of these conditions require clarification. The purpose of this study was to address primary and secondary illness relationships by focusing on the specific phenomenology and course of illness onset of PTSD comorbidity. In order to minimize confounding factors, only outpatients without recent substance use disorders were included. Sixty subjects who had been exposed to severe combat stress including veterans of Vietnam and veterans of World War II or Korea, 15 of whom were former prisoners of war, received structured assessments over serial evaluations. PTSD was the most prevalent lifetime disorder followed by major depression, panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and phobic disorder or symptoms. Endogenous-appearing features overlapping other clinical populations were common; however, some specific symptom patterns also were suggestive of traumatic influence. Unlike generalized anxiety disorder and past substance use, the mean onset of phobias, major depression, and panic disorder, respectively, occurred later than PTSD. These observations suggest that persistent conditions related to PTSD progress toward symptoms that are increasingly autonomous in their pattern of occurrence.


Recovery and relapse from major depressive disorder in the elderly.

Results from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Collaborative Study of the Psychobiology of Depression raised serious concerns about the longer-term prognosis for major depressive disorder in younger persons. However, little research has examined the prognosis for major depressive disorder in the elderly despite suggestions that they have poorer clinical outcomes than younger adults. The objective of this study was to 1) document rates of recovery and relapse from major depressive disorder in a large group of inpatient elderly and 2) compare recovery and relapse rates from major depressive disorder in the elderly with those in a mixed-age patient group from the NIMH collaborative study. The psychiatric status of 127 elderly inpatients diagnosed with major depressive disorder by Research Diagnostic Criteria was evaluated for 1 year. The same diagnostic and follow-up method to assess psychiatric symptoms employed in the NIMH study were used. One year after study admission, 72% of elderly patients had recovered. Nineteen percent of recovered patients, however, had a subsequent episode of major depressive disorder. Recovery and relapse rates in the elderly did not significantly differ from those reported for the mixed-age group in the NIMH study. It is erroneous to single out the elderly as being more likely to have poorer longitudinal treatment outcomes than others. Study findings indicate the need for continued refinement of somatic and nonsomatic treatments for the elderly to improve rates of sustained recovery from depression.


Prediction of outcome in mania by mood-congruent or mood-incongruent psychotic features.

The aim of this study was to determine the significance of mood congruence of psychotic features in mania as a predictor of outcome. Fifty-four patients with bipolar disorder were followed prospectively for 4 years after recovery from an episode of mania with psychotic features. Assessments of residential and occupational status, interepisode symptoms, and episode recurrences were made at 6 and 48 months after recovery. Categorical outcomes were evaluated by logistic regression and recurrence risk with survival analysis. Mood-incongruent psychotic features during the index manic episode predicted a shorter time in remission at 4 years (hazard ratio = 2.6), and Schneiderian first-rank symptoms predicted poor residential status at 4 years (odds ratio = 20.1). Differentiation of mood congruence of psychotic features in mania evidently has prognostic validity and, therefore, has utility as a nosological characteristic.


Psychotic symptoms and suicidal behavior in hospitalized children.

Association of psychotic symptoms with suicidal behavior was studied in 90 hospitalized prepubertal children. Children with psychotic symptoms were more likely to have threatened or attempted suicide. The association of visual hallucinations with suicidal behavior was stronger than that of auditory hallucinations or psychotic ideation. The authors speculate that psychosis in general and visual hallucinations especially may be indicators of suicide risk among children.


Amelioration of mitral valve prolapse after treatment for panic disorder.

Twenty panic disorder patients with mitral valve prolapse showed amelioration of prolapse on repeat echocardiogram after treatment for panic disorder. This effect was significant when compared to repeat echocardiograms in eight psychiatrically normal control subjects with mitral valve prolapse.


Hyperventilation-induced cerebral ischemia in panic disorder and effect of nimodipine.

Basilar artery blood flow was measured by transcranial Doppler ultrasonography before and during hyperventilation in nine patients with panic disorder and nine normal comparison subjects. The hyperventilation-induced decrease in basilar artery blood flow was significantly greater in patients with panic attacks than in comparison subjects. Two patients with decreases in basilar flow greater than 80% were successfully treated with nimodipine, a centrally active calcium channel blocker.


Accumulation of fluoxetine and norfluoxetine in human brain during therapeutic administration.

In vivo 19fluorine nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy was used to measure the brain concentration of fluoxetine and norfluoxetine in five patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder and three with major depression. The mean brain:plasma ratio of the parent drug plus the metabolite was significantly elevated to 2.6 (SD = 1.0) (95% confidence interval = 1.9-3.3). This accumulation may have implications for understanding both the therapeutic and the toxic effects of fluoxetine.


Severity of cocaine dependence as a predictor of relapse to cocaine use.

The severity of cocaine dependence of 39 hospitalized patients was assessed by administering the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-III-R. No significant relationship was found between severity of cocaine dependence and cocaine use at 3-month follow-up. These findings suggest that severity of cocaine dependence may be a poor predictor of relapse to cocaine use.


Recall of mental sleep experience with or without prior verbalization.

We investigated whether verbalization of contents of mental sleep experience (MSE), just after awakening provoked during rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, facilitates subsequent recall in the morning. Twelve subjects were awakened four times in each of two experimental nights and alternately asked to recall, with or without concurrent verbalization, MSE contents preceding the awakening. In the morning, the subjects were asked to report MSEs both verbalized and nonverbalized during the night. If subjects were unable to provide a spontaneous morning report, they were prompted using a probe, which was the title given by the subjects to each MSE at the end of its verbalization or covert recall at night. Frequencies of spontaneous reports were high, regardless of whether MSEs had been previously verbalized or not. The proportions of spontaneous and probed reports were similar for verbalized and nonverbalized MSEs, but spontaneous morning reports were longer than probed ones, regardless of their previous verbalization. Spontaneous and probed morning reports corresponding to night reports shared similar linguistic structures (i.e., length of sentences and proportions of waking-related utterances, which are indicative of difficulty of retrieval for MSE contents) and had similar percentages of contents common to night and morning reports. These findings support the hypothesis that verbalization does not directly influence the further accessibility of MSE contents.


Pavlov's conceptualization of learning.

Introductory texts in psychology create the misleading impression that I. P. Pavlov was concerned solely with conditioned reflexes. In fact, influenced by Woodworth's Contemporary Schools of Psychology (1931), Pavlov also became interested in learning. Pavlov proposed a two-factor learning theory according to which all learning was based on association, but conditioning and trial and error learning had specific functions. According to Pavlov, conditioned reflexes were temporary and unstable and therefore more flexible in the interaction of higher organisms with the changing environment. Trial and error learning provided knowledge and was relatively more stable. Scientific discovery was based on facts obtained by trial and error; valid relations were reinforced by experimental results, whereas incorrect relationships were extinguished. Some suggestions are made that would allow authors of introductory texts to describe more informatively the contributions of Pavlov to modern psychology.


Commentary: the public health consequences of restricted induced abortion--lessons from Romania.

The question of whether abortion should be legal is currently being decided in many countries. Although much of the discussion has focused on ethical issues, the public health consequences should not be overlooked and should be addressed realistically and responsibly. Nowhere are the public health manifestations of restricted abortion more apparent than in Romania. The pronatalist policies of the Ceaucescu regime resulted in the highest maternal mortality rate in Europe (approximately 150 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births) and in thousands of unwanted children in institutions.


Determinants of depressive symptoms in the early weeks after miscarriage.

We tested whether and under what conditions miscarriage increases depressive symptoms in the early weeks following loss. We interviewed 232 women within 4 weeks of miscarriage and 283 pregnant women and 318 community women who had not recently been pregnant. Depressive symptoms were measured with the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D) Scale. Among women who had miscarried, the proportion who were highly symptomatic on the CES-D was 3.4 times that of pregnant women and 4.3 times that of community women. Among childless women, the proportion of women who had miscarried who were highly symptomatic was 5.7 times that of pregnant women and 11.0 times that of community women. Women who had miscarried were equally depressed regardless of length of gestation; among pregnant women, depressive symptoms declined with length of gestation. Among women who had miscarried, symptom levels did not vary with attitude toward the pregnancy; among pregnant women, depressive symptoms were elevated in those with unwanted pregnancies. Prior reproductive loss and advanced maternal age (35+ years) were not associated with symptom levels in any cohort. Depressive symptoms are markedly increased in the early weeks following miscarriage. This effect is substantially modified by number of living children, length of gestation at loss, and attitude toward pregnancy.


Trends in obstetric operative procedures, 1980 to 1987.

Increasing rates of cesarean deliveries have received widespread attention in recent years, as concern in the United States about unnecessary surgical procedures has increased. However, little information has been published on the national trends of other operative obstetric procedures occurring during deliveries. We analyzed data from the National Hospital Discharge Survey to examine trends in the use of forceps, vacuum extraction, and cesarean section from 1980 through 1987. The rate of cesarean sections increased by 48%, while the rate of forceps procedures declined by 43%. Although the risk of cesarean section was significantly increased for older women, the risk of forceps and vacuum extraction procedures did not vary by age. Women with private insurance were significantly more likely to receive a cesarean section (rate ratio [RR] = 1.2), forceps procedure (RR = 1.7), and vacuum extraction procedure (RR = 1.8) than were women without private insurance. As pressure mounts to decrease the national cesarean section rate from 24% to 15% by the year 2000, attention should also be given to surveillance of other operative delivery procedures.


Changes in mammography use: economic, need, and service factors.

The purpose of this study was to document changes in mammography use between 1987 and 1990 and assess the relationship of use to selected economic, need, and health system factors. Independent random-digit-dialed telephone surveys of women between 52 and 75 years of age were conducted. Between 1987 and 1990, the proportion of women who had had a mammogram in the past year increased from 31% to 51%. Though income was significantly related to overall patterns of use, it was not associated with recent mammogram use in 1990. Women with a family history of breast cancer reported greater use at both times, as did women who reported having a regular physician (particularly a gynecologist or internist). When all other variables were controlled for, women were over nine times more likely to have had multiple and recent mammograms in 1990 than in 1987. Mammography use dramatically increased between 1987 and 1990. There were strong relationships between the type of regular physician and mammography screening and between economic and personal history and repeated and recent mammography use.


Current cigarette smoking and risk of acute pelvic inflammatory disease.

Further information is needed on modifiable factors associated with the occurrence of acute pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). Cigarette smoking has been implicated as a risk factor for PID sequelae, but the association between smoking and PID has yet to be fully examined. We conducted a population-based case-control study to evaluate smoking as a risk factor for acute PID. The case patients (n = 131) were women health maintenance organization (HMO) enrollees between the ages of 18 and 40 years who were treated for a first episode of PID. The control patients (n = 294) were randomly selected from the HMO enrollment files. Relative to never smokers, current smokers were at increased risk of PID. Women who smoked 10 or more cigarettes per day had a higher risk than did those who smoked less. Available data indicate that smoking status is not serving as a marker for uncontrolled confounding by lifestyle factors. Our study results suggest that smoking represents a modifiable risk factor for acute PID.


Lead exposure and child behavior.

Unlike cognitive impairments associated with lead exposure, lead-associated child behavior problems have been difficult to specify, particularly in young children. The Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) and the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale were used as the outcome and confounding variables, respectively, of major interest. These measures were examined with respect to blood lead levels of 201 African-American children aged 2 through 5 years. In comparison with the low exposed group, the high exposed group (two consecutive blood lead levels greater than or equal to 15 micrograms/dL) had a significantly higher mean CBCL Total Behavior Problem Score (TBPS) and Internalizing and Externalizing scores; when other factors, including maternal depressive symptomatology, were controlled for, regression procedures indicated a .18-point TBPS increase for each unit increase in lead and a 5.1-point higher TBPS in the high exposed group; children in this group were 2.7 times more likely to have a TBPS in the clinical range. Through its use of a standardized parent-report measure of behavior and its consideration of maternal morale in multiple linear and logistic regression procedures, this study provides further evidence of lead's detrimental effect on child behavior at levels typical of present-day exposure.


Pregnancy among the Hmong: birthweight, age, and parity.

The influx of Southeast Asians into the United States allows for the study of this special population and contributes to a broader understanding of reproductive health. We used information on birth certificates to identify 1937 Hmong children born 1985 through 1988 in California, and we compared birthweight and reproductive factors as related to these children with the same factors as related to 3776 White, non-Hispanic children born in the same period. Mean birthweight among Hmong children (3311 g) was significantly lower (P less than .05) than among White children (3452 g), but the proportion of births under 1500 g was higher for Whites. Hmong women were of much higher parity and were more likely to deliver at both a young (less than 18 years) and an old (greater than 40 years) maternal age. At every age and every parity, however, Hmong women had cesarean sections at one-half to one-tenth the rate of White women. Despite a high proportion of births at high parity and advanced maternal age, Hmong women gave birth to very low-birthweight babies at essentially the same rates as White women. Their lower cesarean section rates, however, deserve further attention.


Neonatal tetanus in rural Bangladesh: risk factors and toxoid efficacy.

Tetanus continues to be a leading cause of neonatal death in Bangladesh as in other developing countries, yet little is known about risk factors or the efficacy of tetanus toxoid in this setting. In May 1990, mothers of 6148 infants born alive between March 15, 1989, and March 14, 1990, in 30 rural unions of Rajshahi Division in Bangladesh were interviewed. Three surviving controls for each neonatal tetanus death were matched for sex, residence, and date of birth. Of 330 neonatal deaths, 112 met the case definition for tetanus. Risk was increased with a history of neonatal tetanus in a previous child, application of coconut oil to the vagina, and use of multiple ties on the umbilical cord. Risk was reduced by the birth attendant washing hands and using a cleaned cord-cutting tool. Risk was not reduced by a maternal history of two doses of tetanus toxoid (TT2), although estimated efficacy of TT2 was 45% (95% confidence interval = 16% to 64%). Subsequent to the survey, a reference laboratory reported to potency in three consecutive lots of tetanus vaccine from the production laboratory in Bangladesh. These findings identify high-risk mothers, stress the importance of washing hands and cleaning the cord-cutting tool, and demand improved quality control of tetanus vaccine production.


Improving estimates of HIV-1 seroprevalence among childbearing women: use of smaller blood spots.

Nationwide, human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) seroprevalence surveys using dried neonatal blood specimens are critical to estimating HIV-1 seroprevalence among childbearing women. However, the noninclusion of blood specimens deemed "quantity not sufficient" (QNS) for HIV-1 antibody testing potentially introduces bias. In Wisconsin beginning in 1990, we modified the survey protocol to reduce QNS rates and assess bias introduced by QNS specimens. The HIV-1 antibody assay was modified to use four 1/8-in blood spots when a single 1/4-in blood spot could not be obtained. Both methods obtain identical blood volumes for testing. During a 27-month period, 7396 (4.8%) of 154,683 specimens were deemed QNS using 1/4-in blood spots. Of these, 6590 (89%) were of sufficient quantity to be tested using four 1/8-in blood spots; 6 (0.09%) specimens tested with 1/8-in blood spots were HIV-1 Western blot assay positive compared with 44 (0.03%) of 147,287 1/4-in specimens (odds ratio = 3.0; 95% confidence interval = 1.2, 7.4). Because noninclusion of QNS specimens potentially introduces bias, incorporating the results of HIV-1 antibody testing of QNS specimens using four 1/8-in blood spots can improve the accuracy of HIV-1 seroprevalence estimates in these serologic surveys.


The disclosure of celebrity HIV infection: its effects on public attitudes.

Despite the magnitude of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) epidemic, studies have shown low levels of public concern about human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)/AIDS. We investigated the effects of celebrity disclosure of HIV infection on the AIDS-related perceptions of urban men. Measures of AIDS-related perceptions were collected from 361 men waiting for mass transportation in downtown Chicago; 252 were assessed at three time points prior to and 109 were assessed at two time points after professional basketball star Earvin "Magic" Johnson's disclosure of his HIV infection. Significant increases in concern about AIDS, interest in AIDS information, and talking with friends about AIDS occurred after celebrity disclosure of HIV infection. Celebrity disclosure of HIV seropositivity demonstrated a marked change in AIDS-related perceptions among the men surveyed. Changes in awareness due to celebrity disclosure may lead to increased readiness to reduce risk and could be viewed as a window of opportunity for HIV prevention efforts.


Legal blindness among 10-year-old children in Metropolitan Atlanta: prevalence, 1985 to 1987.

The prevalence of legal blindness in 10-year-olds in metropolitan Atlanta was 6.8 per 10,000 during 1985 to 1987. The prevalence was 8.8 per 10,000 in Black boys, 8.6 per 10,000 in White boys, 6.7 per 10,000 in White girls, and 1.8 per 10,000 in Black girls. Retinopathy of prematurity was the most common known cause (1.0 per 10,000). Of the 61 cases, 40 had other disabilities, including 14 with mental retardation, cerebral palsy, and epilepsy. The low prevalence among Black girls and the frequent occurrence of blindness with other disabilities are noteworthy.


Sudden infant death syndrome and maternal smoking.

Data from Missouri for the period 1980 to 1985 suggest a dose-response relationship between smoking during pregnancy and the incidence of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). However, data from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development SIDS Cooperative Epidemiological Study did not support a dose-response relationship. Neither the Missouri data nor the Cooperative Study data support a relationship between the age of occurrence of SIDS and smoking during pregnancy.


Stage at diagnosis in breast cancer: race and socioeconomic factors.

Cancer incidence data from three US metropolitan areas were coupled with census tract indicators of education and income. The data suggest that both Black and White cancer patients living in census tracts with lower median education/income values are diagnosed in later disease stages than are patients in tracts with higher median education/income values. Within education and income strata, Black women had a less favorable stage of disease at diagnosis than Whites. The exception was in upper education/income levels, where the disadvantage for Blacks disappeared. These data provide additional evidence that women of low socioeconomic status could benefit from targeted screening.


Measuring the use of mammography: two methods compared.

Population studies often estimate mammography use using women's self-reports. In one North Carolina county, we compared self-report surveys with a second method--counting mammograms per population--for 1987 and 1989. Estimates from self-reports (35% in 1987, 55% in 1989) were considerably higher than those from mammogram counts (20% in 1987, 36% in 1989). We then confirmed 66% of self-reports in the past year. Self-reported use is more accurate regarding whether a woman has had a mammogram than when she had it, but self-reports accurately measure change over time.


Women with multiple sexual partners: united states, 1988.

Women who have multiple sexual partners in a short time period are appropriate targets for sexually transmitted disease (STD) prevention. We analyzed survey data collected in 1988 from a nationally representative sample of 8450 American women aged 15 to 44 to identify markers of such behavior. Among sexually active persons, 0.4% of married women and 8.4% of unmarried women had two or more sexual partners in the 3 months preceding the interview; unmarried marital status, early age at first sexual intercourse, lack of religious affiliation, and young age were associated with this behavior. All except young age were predictive after multivariate analysis. Such factors may help define women at elevated STD risk and allow better targeting of STD prevention.


The medical origins of homelessness.

In 1989 through 1990, we conducted a cross-sectional survey of 1437 homeless adults in northern California (98% response rate). Prevalences of alcohol abuse, illegal drug use, and psychiatric hospitalization when adults first became homeless were 15% to 33% lower than prevalences following homelessness. The largest differences between the homeless and a comparison group of 3122 nonhomeless adults were for psychiatric hospitalization (odds ratios [ORs] of 4.6 for men and 5.9 for women) and alcohol abuse (ORs of 2.3 for men and 4.0 for women). However, when prehomeless prevalences of addictive and psychiatric disorders were compared with prevalences among the nonhomeless, absolute differences were no greater than 12%.


The search for meaning: RU 486 and the law of abortion.

The advent of RU 486 (mifepristone), a steroid analogue capable of inducing menses within 8 to 10 weeks of a missed menstrual period, has provoked a firestorm of concern and controversy. When used in conjunction with prostaglandin (RU 486/PG), it is at least 95% effective. Used in France principally to terminate confirmed pregnancies very early in the process of gestation, RU 486 raises many interesting legal questions. This article focuses on whether and how RU 486/PG can be accommodated within the framework of the world's current abortion laws. Four avenues are explored and conclusions drawn. First, it is clear that RU 486/PG can be used readily, if approved, within the regimens established by liberal abortion laws, as has been the experience in France, the United Kingdom, and even China. Second, although unlikely, the introduction of this new technology may inspire a reexamination of restrictive abortion statutes themselves. Third, some of the presently restrictive laws may be interpreted to permit RU 486/PG use as a legal procedure, for a very narrow range of reasons. Finally, in some settings the early use of RU 486/PG (before pregnancy can be confirmed) may fall outside the reach of abortion legislation and hence be acceptable from a legal point of view.


Diagnostic value of ultrasonography in partial ruptures of the Achilles tendon.

We evaluated 37 patients with surgically treated Achilles tendon disorders, comparing findings of preoperative ultrasonography with findings at surgery, to investigate the reliability of ultrasonography in diagnosing partial ruptures of the Achilles tendon. Discontinuity of tendon fibers, focal sonolucencies, and localized tendon swelling were positive findings suggestive of partial ruptures. We found the use of ultrasonography to be safe and reliable, with a sensitivity of 0.94, a specificity of 1.00, and an overall accuracy of 0.95.


Osseous injury associated with acute tears of the anterior cruciate ligament.

Multiplanar spin-echo magnetic resonance imaging was performed on 54 patients with acute complete anterior cruciate ligament tears. Imaging was done within 45 days of index anterior cruciate ligament injury. Spin-echo T1- and T2-weighted images were used to determine the lesion morphology and location. Only the T2-weighted sagittal images were used for the incidence assessment; T2-weighted spin-echo imaging reflects free water shifts and best indicates the acute edema and inflammatory changes from injury. Eighty-three percent (45 of 54) of the knees had an osseous contusion directly over the lateral femoral condyle terminal sulcus. The lesion was highly variable in size and imaging intensity; however, the most intense signal was always contiguous with the subchondral plate. Posterolateral joint injury was seen in 96% (43 of 45) of the knees that had a terminal sulcus osseous lesion determined by magnetic resonance imaging. This posterolateral lesion involves a spectrum of injury, including both soft tissue (popliteus-arcuate capsuloligamentous complex) and hard tissue (posterolateral tibial plateau) injuries. The consistent location of the osseous and soft tissue injuries underscores a necessary similar mechanism of injury associated with these acute anterior cruciate ligament tears. Based on these characteristic findings, several proposed mechanisms of injury are discussed.


Partial rupture of the patellar ligament.

Eighty-one patients with 91 partial ruptures of the patellar ligament verified by ultrasonography were treated conservatively with a standardized training program based on the principles of eccentric loading. The partial ruptures were quantified by measuring the length of the hypoechoic lesion using ultrasonography in longitudinal projection. The partial ruptures were then divided into three groups: Grade I (less than 10 mm), Grade II (10 to 20 mm), and Grade III (greater than 20 mm). The results after the training program were significantly better in Grade I ruptures than in Grades II and III. The overall need for surgery was 29.6%: highest in Grade III ruptures (38.5%) and lowest in Grade I ruptures (6.6%). The outcome of conservative management, as well as the need for surgery of partial ruptures of the patellar ligament, may to some extent be predicted by the use of ultrasonography.


Posterior shoulder instability. Surgical versus conservative results with evaluation of glenoid version.

We conducted a retrospective study on 50 patients with recurrent posterior shoulder instability. Twenty-five patients were treated conservatively with a specific rehabilitation program strengthening the rotator cuff. The other 25 patients, who did not improve with rehabilitation, underwent surgical reconstruction, the majority of these being soft tissue repairs. Recurrence in the surgically treated group averaged 72% while that in the conservatively treated group was 96%. However, 50% of those patients treated surgically and 68% of those treated conservatively felt their symptoms were improved. In view of the high recurrence rate with soft tissue reconstruction, computed tomography scans were obtained to evaluate glenoid version. Those patients with posterior shoulder instability were found to have increased glenoid retroversion when compared to an uninjured population (P less than 0.05). Our conclusions based on this study were that 1) specific therapy in the form of rotator cuff strengthening should be the initial form of treatment in patients with posterior shoulder instability, 2) soft tissue surgery has a high rate of recurrence, 3) the return to sports is variable, 4) there appears to be an increased incidence of glenoid retroversion in this patient population, and 5) the incidence of posttraumatic arthritis is low.


The effect of in situ freezing on rabbit patellar tendon. A histologic, biochemical, and biomechanical analysis.

Cell necrosis has been well documented as one of the many changes that occur in autogenous tendon when it is used to reconstruct the anterior cruciate ligament. The purpose of this experiment was to isolate cell necrosis as a variable and study its effect on the patellar tendon. To accomplish this, both knees of 25 New Zealand White rabbits were operated on. In one knee, a 5-mm wide band of patellar tendon was subjected to two rapid freeze-thaw cycles, while the other knee underwent sham surgery. Histologic evaluation showed a zone of necrosis at 2 and 4 weeks with cellular repopulation complete at 8 weeks. patellar tendon cross-sectional area was 0.118 cm2 at 8 weeks for the frozen specimens compared to 0.102 cm2 for the sham-operated controls. This difference was significant at the P = 0.025 level. Mechanical testing at 4 and 8 weeks revealed no significant changes in tendon length, maximum load, or stiffness. The collagen content was also unchanged at both 4 and 8 weeks.


An injection technique to create a bloodless field in arthroscopically assisted anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.

We did a retrospective study of 67 patients who had arthroscopically assisted anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction using the middle one-third of the patellar tendon to evaluate a technique for creating a bloodless field using a local anesthetic with epinephrine injection (the injection technique). For 37 patients, the bloodless field was created using the injection technique. In 30 others, hemostasis was achieved in the usual fashion with the pneumatic tourniquet. All patients underwent general anesthesia. Mean operative time and length of hospital stay was similar for each group. Mean postoperative pain medication consumption was significantly decreased for patients treated with the injection technique. No clinically recognizable complications could be attributed to either technique. We conclude that subcutaneous and intraarticular injection of local anesthesia with epinephrine is a satisfactory method of establishing a bloodless field in arthroscopically assisted anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction operations.


A biomechanical evaluation of taping and bracing in reducing knee joint translation and rotation.

We used five randomly selected cadaver specimens to evaluate the Anderson Knee Stabler and the Lenox Hill Knee Brace, individually and in combination with an anterior cruciate ligament protective tape method. Reduction of total laxity, as well as a defined pathologic anterior-posterior translation and internal-external rotation, was tested after the anterior cruciate and medial collateral ligaments of the specimens had been sectioned. Displacements were produced pneumatically; loads were applied to the tibia with the knee in 50 degrees of flexion. The tape and Lenox Hill Brace combination showed the greatest reduction in both anterior-posterior translation and internal-external rotation. The Lenox Hill Brace and the tape method used individually both restricted anterior-posterior translation and internal-external rotation better than the Stabler Brace alone. This study provides objective evidence of the restraining capabilities of these protective systems that may prove to be beneficial in the clinical setting.


Arthroscopic meniscectomy in patients over the age of 40.

One hundred eighteen patients, aged 40 or older, underwent partial meniscectomy and limited debridement of coexisting grade III or grade IV degenerative articular cartilage lesions. No curettage, abrasion arthroplasty, or subchondral drilling was performed. The average age of the patients was 57 years (range, 40 to 78). The mean followup was 3.3 years (range, 1 to 7). Sixty-three similar patients who also underwent partial meniscectomy but did not have the finding of significant coexisting articular surface erosion were studied for comparison. Of the 118 patients in the group with articular lesions (78 men and 40 women), 71 (60%) rated their improvement as significant, 22 (19%) as moderate, and 15 (13%) as mild; 10 (8%) noted no improvement. Although 98 (83%) were generally satisfied with their result, only 57 (48%) reported satisfaction for sports. However, 89 (75%) had resumed and continued recreational athletic activities. Results tended to be worse in women, in patients older than 60, in those with moderate or severe tibiofemoral radiographic changes, those who had a grade IV articular lesion, and those with longer followup time. Although results were poorer in patients with coexisting grade III or grade IV degenerative arthritis, arthroscopic partial meniscectomy and limited debridement was an acceptably effective procedure in patients over the age of 40.


Exercise performance of collegiate rodeo athletes.

In this study we examined the physical, hematologic, and exercise response of 20 male and 10 female athletes of the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association, Central Rocky Mountain Region. Male subjects were grouped by roughstock, steer wrestling, and roping events. Female athletes were grouped separately. Maximal aerobic capacity, pulmonary ventilation, respiratory exchange ratio, energy expenditure, maximal heart rate, blood pressure, treadmill time, pre- and postexercise lactate, percent body fat, lean body mass, blood chemistry, serum lipids, and reaction/movement time were analyzed by event. No significant differences (P greater than 0.05) were found in any of these categories between male events. Mean resting blood chemistry parameters of rodeo athletes were within normal ranges. Steer wrestling athletes possessed greater body size and lean body mass than other groups. When analyzing body composition, blood pressure, and total cholesterol:high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol ratios, results indicate average to low risk for coronary heart disease. When compared to other intermittent-activity sport athletes, college rodeo athletes appear to have similar aerobic capacities, but possess lower lean body mass and greater percent body fat.


The effect of exercise on patellar tracking in lateral patellar compression syndrome.

The influence of a physical therapy program on pain and patellar tracking was investigated clinically and radiologically with tangential views in 51 knees with lateral patellar compression syndrome. A pretest-posttest design was used to evaluate physical measurements of patellar alignment in subjects who had had patellofemoral pain for a minimum of 6 weeks. Eighty-four percent of the subjects were pain-free after an average of 8 weeks of rehabilitation or 11 physical therapy visits, with a mean quadriceps strength to total body weight ratio of 61% in women and 86% in men. The pretest-posttest difference in Merchant's congruence angle was significant at a probability of 0.0066 in the patients who were pain-free after exercise, demonstrating less lateral patellar tracking. The pretest-posttest difference in iliotibial band flexibility was significant at a probability of 0.0017, with the patients who were pain-free after exercise becoming more flexible. No significant differences were observed from before to after exercise in the patellofemoral index, Q angle, hamstring flexibility, thigh measurement, sclerotic subchondral bone, or sulcus angle. We were unable to predict which subjects would become pain-free with exercise by patellar position because the group that improved began more laterally tilted. The results of this study indicate that patellar tracking is improved with vastus medialis oblique strengthening, iliotibial band stretching, and joint mobility exercise in the majority of subjects with lateral patellar compression syndrome.


Handball injuries. An epidemiologic and socioeconomic study.

A total of 570 injuries in handball players were prospectively registered in a well-defined geographic area of 124,321 inhabitants. The incidence of handball injuries was 46 per 10,000 inhabitants per year. The incidence in women (61 per 10,000 per year) was double that of men (31 per 10,000 per year). Sixty-two percent of the injuries were ligament sprains and tears and 12% were fractures. A total of 7% of the patients were hospitalized and the total loss of income because of sick leave was $3870. Sixty-eight percent of the injured handball players were absent from handball more than 1 week. Surprisingly, 8% of the minor injuries resulted in a sick leave of more than 6 days.


Occurrence of free nerve endings in the soft tissue of the knee joint. A histologic investigation.

We present a comprehensive histologic study of neurologic structures in 18 static and dynamic knee structures of 8 cadaveric knees. Qualitative and quantitative measurements of the incidence of free nerve endings in the structures were recorded. The highest amounts of afferent nerve fibers type IVa were found in the retinacula, the patellar ligament, the pes anserinus, and in the ligaments of Wrisberg and Humphry; the lowest amount was found in the anterior cruciate ligament. There is a positive correlation between the number of mechanoreceptors per standardized area unit and the clinical presentation of certain knee disorders.


KT-1000 arthrometer: conscious and unconscious test results using 15, 20, and 30 pounds of force.

A recent published report indicated that the reliability and validity of anterior laxity measurements obtained by using the KT-1000 arthrometer were questionable. The purpose of our study was to examine the diagnostic validity of anterior laxity measurements testing patients in conscious and unconscious states using the KT-1000 arthrometer at 15, 20, and 30 pounds of force. The sample included 68 patients with confirmed anterior cruciate ligament disruption. They were given anterior-posterior drawer tests at 20 degrees in both unconscious and conscious states; measurements were recorded at 15, 20, and 30 pounds of force. The results indicated that the measurements in the unconscious state were significantly higher (P less than 0.01) than the values obtained in the conscious state. The anterior cruciate ligament-disrupted knees produced significantly higher (P less than 0.01) anterior laxity. The difference between anterior cruciate ligament-disrupted knees and normal knees grew significantly larger (P less than 0.01) as force increased. More patients demonstrated a difference greater than 2 mm between anterior cruciate ligament-disrupted knees and normal knees at 30 pounds (81% to 83%) than at 20 pounds (64% to 72%) of force. Seventy-nine percent of the patients demonstrated a compliance index difference greater than 1 mm using 15 and 30 pounds between the normal and anterior cruciate ligament-disrupted knee. These data provide statistical validity for the compliance index and support for the use of anterior laxity measurements at 30 pounds of force. However, approximately 20% of these patients did not demonstrate an anterior cruciate ligament-disrupted-normal knee difference greater than 2 mm or a compliance index difference of greater than 1 mm.


Shoulder strength, power, and endurance in college tennis players.

Twenty-four college tennis players were tested for bilateral shoulder internal/external rotation strength on a Cybex 340 isokinetic dynamometer; they were positioned supine with the glenohumeral joint abducted to 90 degrees. Subjects produced significantly (P less than 0.01) more torque in internal rotation at 60 and 300 deg/sec in the dominant arm compared to the nondominant arm. Subjects also produced significantly more power in internal rotation at 60 deg/sec in the dominant arm. No significant differences between the dominant and nondominant arms were seen in internal rotation power at 300 deg/sec or in the internal rotation endurance ratio. No significant differences were seen in external rotation on any measurement. By significantly increasing the strength of the dominant shoulder in internal rotation without subsequent strengthening of the external rotators, muscle imbalances may be created in the dominant arm that could possibly affect the tennis player's predisposition to injuries caused by overloading of the shoulder joint. This study suggests that external rotation strengthening exercises should be implemented in tennis conditioning programs to maintain muscle strength balance, and possibly reduce the chance of overload injury.


Functional postoperative treatment of Achilles tendon repair.

Twenty-one patients with surgically repaired Achilles tendon tears that were treated postoperatively with a functional orthosis rather than routine cast immobilization were evaluated. The orthosis allowed unrestricted plantar flexion and limited dorsiflexion to neutral. Toe-touch weightbearing crutch ambulation was allowed immediately and was gradually increased over the 6 to 8 weeks of treatment. Of the 21 patients, 14 were men and 7 were women; the average age at injury was 35.6 years (range, 19 to 65). The minimum followup was 2 years, with an average of 31 months. The repairs were acute in 18 of the patients and chronic in 3. Subjectively, 16 patients felt they returned to their preinjury level of activity and only 1 was not satisfied with his result. Objectively, there were no significant alterations in ankle range of motion when compared to the contralateral limb, with plantar flexion unchanged and dorsiflexion increased an average of only 2 degrees. The average plantar flexion and dorsiflexion strength, power, and endurance of the ankles as measured by isokinetic testing revealed no significant differences when comparing the operated leg to the nonoperated side: strength, 99% and 93%, respectively; power, 98% and 96%, respectively; and endurance, 93% and 91%, respectively. The angles at which the peak torques occurred were similarly not statistically different. Two patients had superficial wound infections, and 1 had scar adherence of the skin to the tendon. No one had rerupture of the tendon. In conclusion, while the many benefits of postoperative early motion are well proven, there has been hesitation to implement this after Achilles tendon surgery due to the concern of compromising the repair. As shown by this study, early controlled motion can safely and effectively be used following Achilles tendon repair in the motivated, reliable patient.


Spontaneous fractures of the humerus during pitching. A series of 12 cases.

We report the recent occurrence of spontaneous humeral shaft fractures in 12 pitchers. The subjects were interviewed over the telephone using a standard questionnaire. Radiographs and medical records were solicited from their physicians. Their average age was 36 years and they had pitched an average of 11.4 years with an average layoff of 14 years (range, 7 to 24). Mean time between games pitched was 21 days (range, 3 to 56). The average number of pitches before the fracture occurred was 38 (range, 10 to 100). Pain was experienced at some point before the fracture in 75% of the pitchers and 75% of the fractures were spiral. These fractures were most probably spontaneous fractures brought on by accumulated fatigue damage. The period of buildup after a prolonged period of layoff was probably insufficient time for proper bone remodeling to occur in these men. While a large percentage of these men had pain before their injury, suggesting a predisposing stress fracture, there is no doubt that their fractures could still be caused by a sudden torsional load without the presence of a stress fracture.


Nontraumatic clavicular osteolysis in weight lifters.

In a previous study, we found an overrepresentation of weight lifters in patients who had a resection of the lateral end of the clavicle. To further investigate a possible association between competitive weight lifting and the development of nontraumatic osteolysis of the lateral end of the clavicle, we studied a group of 25 Danish weight lifters. This group was compared to an age-matched control group of 25 men who had never engaged in weight training procedures. None of the subjects had any history of trauma to the shoulder girdle. All 50 subjects underwent radiographic examination of both shoulder joints. In the weight lifter group, seven cases (28%) demonstrated classical radiographic findings of clavicular osteolysis, with loss of subchondral bone detail, translucency, and cystic changes, while four subjects (16%) had subjective symptoms but no radiographic changes. None of the individuals from the control group revealed similar symptoms or radiographic signs. Thus, based on this limited material, the prevalence of the disorder is about 27%.


Quantitative evaluation of knee instability and muscle strength after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction using patellar and quadriceps tendon.

Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction using an autologous graft harvested from the central one-third of the patellar and quadriceps tendon was performed in 65 knees of 65 patients who were followed from 3 to 7 years. Mean anterior laxity of both knees was measured before and after surgery in each patient using the Styker Knee Laxity Tester. At 30 degrees of knee flexion, 58 patients (89%) had differences of less than 2.5 mm between the operated and unoperated knees. Quadriceps strength was measured with the Cybex II and was less than 50% of the uninjured knee at 3 months after surgery. In men, quadriceps strength returned to 78% of normal at 1 year and 85% at final followup. These values were equal to the preoperative level. In women, the quadriceps strength at final followup was 70%, significantly lower than preoperative strength. Hamstring strength recovered to equal the normal strength. Although anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction using one-third of the patellar and quadriceps tendon achieves stability, postoperative quadriceps weakness is a disadvantage. This weakness may be caused by impairment of the knee extensor mechanism resulting from harvesting the graft. We do not currently recommend this technique for anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.


Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans. A clinicopathologic review with emphasis on fibrosarcomatous areas.

We reviewed 75 cases of dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) from the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. All accessions were examined for areas of giant cell fibroblastoma (GCF), but none was found. The 30 cases having a minimum of 5 years follow-up were studied in more detail. The histologic findings were typical of DFSP in 24 cases, whereas in six cases discrete areas with a fascicular or "herringbone" growth pattern, considered to represent fibrosarcomatous change (DFSP-FS), were evident. The mitotic rate was usually but not always higher in fibrosarcomatous areas, and occasional examples of typical DFSP demonstrated relatively numerous mitotic figures (up to 35 per 10 high-power fields). Other histologic findings of interest were the presence of melanin in two cases of DFSP and the focal presence of a distinctive type of multinucleated giant cell similar to those seen in GCF in six cases. Patients with DFSP-FS differed from those with DFSP in that they had a higher median age (56 years vs. 37 years). Tumor location was similar in both groups, with the trunk being the most common site. No significant difference in either the rate of local recurrence or the interval until recurrence between DFSP and DFSP-FS was evident; the only factor strongly related to local recurrence was adequacy of surgical margins. However, the only two patients who died of tumor, including the sole patient with distant metastasis, had DFSP-FS. We conclude that DFSP-FS deserves recognition as a variant of DFSP.


Muscle differentiation and clinicopathologic features of gastrointestinal stromal tumors.

We analyzed 46 gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) using a panel of antibodies to determine the frequency of smooth muscle differentiation and the relationship of immunophenotype to histopathologic features and clinical behavior. Thirty-six GISTs were classified as benign or malignant based exclusively on clinical behavior; a 2-year minimum follow-up was required for benign lesions. GISTs were immunopositive in the following categories: vimentin 45 of 46, desmin nine of 45, muscle-specific actin (MSA) 36 of 46, alpha-smooth muscle actin (SMA) 34 of 46, chicken gizzard actin-7 zero of 38, cytokeratin two of 46, S100 protein six of 46, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) zero of 46, synaptophysin zero of 46, and chromogranin one of 46. At least one muscle marker was positive in 39 of 46 tumors. Five GISTs were MSA positive/SMA negative, and three were MSA negative/SMA positive. All desmin-positive cases reacted with MSA or SMA. Eight GISTs were positive for vimentin, MSA, SMA, and desmin, whereas seven were vimentin positive only. Compared with the latter, the former tended to be smaller, less often necrotic, and clinically benign (p less than 0.05 for each). All vimentin-positive only GISTs were malignant. Immunohistochemical features did not correlate with tumor site, cellularity, nuclear pleomorphism, or mitotic rate. Benign GISTs were less cellular than were malignant GISTs (p less than 0.05), but they did not differ statistically in degree of nuclear pleomorphism, necrosis, mitotic rate, or size. We conclude that (a) 85% of GISTs react with at least one muscle antibody; (b) immunohistochemical features are unrelated to anatomic site; (c) SMA is, in effect, as sensitive as MSA, whereas desmin is less sensitive; and (d) simultaneous vimentin, MSA, SMA, and desmin positivity correlates with a benign outcome.


Suppurative granulomatous lymphadenitis. Immunohistochemical evidence for a B-cell-associated granuloma.

The cellular composition of suppurative granulomas was investigated by the application of monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies to paraffin sections and compared with nonsuppurative, hypersensitivity-type granulomas. Macrophages, T cells, and dendritic cells showed a similar distribution in both types of granulomas. In addition to the presence of granulocytes, a major difference between suppurative granulomas and hypersensitive-type granulomas concerned their relationship with B lymphocytes. Hypersensitive-type granulomas were surrounded by small mantle B cells, but they did not contain any B lymphocytes. In contrast, variable numbers of B cells were found either at the periphery or in the center of suppurative granulomas. In view of their morphology (medium size, pale cytoplasm, irregular nuclear shape) and phenotype (L26 +/LN1 -/MB2 +/MT2 +) these B lymphocytes closely resembled monocytoid B cells. The monocytoid B cells might have a role in the recruitment of polymorphonuclear granulocytes and in the development of the necrosis, which occur within suppurative granulomas.


Incidental lymphocytic prostatitis. Selective involvement with nonmalignant glands.

We documented the presence of lymphocytic prostatitis in all prostate specimens received over a 4-month period. Lymphocytic prostatitis was present in 44% of biopsy specimens (n = 77), 95% of transurethral prostatic resection specimens (n = 20), and 100% of total prostatectomy specimens (n = 9). The patchiness of the prostatitis within the prostate in part explains the lower prevalence in the biopsy specimens, which sample a much smaller portion of the gland compared with the other procedures. Lymphocytic prostatitis was seen in prostates both with and without adenocarcinoma. However, in specimens containing carcinoma, the lymphocytic aggregates rarely involved malignant glands. Instead, the aggregates were either stromal or involved nonmalignant glands either adjacent to or away from the tumor, including glands with hyperplasia, atrophy, and prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia. Even when malignant and nonmalignant glands were in close proximity, there was a sharp demarcation with respect to lymphocytic inflammation. Immunohistochemical staining with B-cell and T-cell markers disclosed that the vast majority are T lymphocytes. The localization of lymphoid aggregates to nonmalignant (including prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia) glands but not frankly neoplastic glands, suggests a selective escape of immune detection by neoplastic glands.


Interstitial and airspace granulation tissue reactions in lung transplant recipients.

Twenty-three transbronchial and open-lung biopsies from patients who had received a lung allograft displayed fibromyxoid plugs of granulation tissue within airways, airspaces, and the interstitium in a patchy distribution. This granulation tissue-like reaction was identified in three clinicopathologic settings. First, 11 cases occurred with acute lung rejection, of which four cases had been partially treated with steroids for a previous rejection episode. Second, in seven cases the fibromyxoid tissue represented the healing phase of previously diagnosed diffuse alveolar damage resulting from preservation (harvest) injury to the allograft. Third, five cases were related to infection: herpes, Pseudomonas, Serratia, Staphylococcus, and Pneumocystis pneumonias. Although organizing pneumonia-like responses usually suggest an infectious episode, this reaction may be seen as a manifestation of acute lung rejection or ischemic lung injury.


Non-Hodgkin's lymphomas arising in patients successfully treated for Hodgkin's disease. A clinical, histologic, and immunophenotypic study of 14 cases.

We report on 14 patients who developed Hodgkin's disease (HD), were successfully treated, and subsequently developed non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL). The median interval between the diagnosis of HD and the diagnosis of NHL was 136 months (range 11-336). The clinical features of the patients with HD were similar to other patients with HD. Results of biopsies showed 12 nodular sclerosis and one mixed cellularity; one was not further classified. Immunophenotypic studies in nine cases showed that the Reed-Sternberg (RS) and Hodgkin's (H) cells were LeuM1+ LCA-. The patients were treated for HD in a nonuniform manner: two received radiation therapy, four received chemotherapy, and eight received both modalities. The NHLs were usually extranodal (79%) with frequent presentation as an abdominal mass. According to the Working Formulation, six lymphomas were small noncleaved cell (four non-Burkitt's, two Burkitt's), three were diffuse large cell, and two were follicular and diffuse large cell. Three neoplasms were not classified: two lymphomas with plasmacytoid differentiation were placed in the intermediate and low-grade categories, respectively, and one neoplasm was a plasmacytoma. All 14 neoplasms had an immunophenotype typical of NHL of B-cell lineage and were LeuM1-. Seven of the 12 patients treated with combination chemotherapy experienced a complete remission of their NHL. We conclude that the clinical, histologic, and immunophenotypic findings of the NHLs in these patients are analogous to those of NHLs that occur in immunosuppressed patients, suggesting that immunodeficiency plays a role in the pathogenesis of NHLs arising after HD.


Inflammatory pseudotumors of the major salivary glands. Clinicopathologic and immunohistochemical analysis of six cases.

Inflammatory pseudotumor is a pathologic term used to describe reactive, pseudoneoplastic phenomena, which reportedly occur in many parts of the body. Clinicopathologic and immunohistochemical findings in six cases of inflammatory pseudotumor of the major salivary glands are described. All six lesions involved the parotid gland. There were three men and three women affected, with a median age of 72.5 years. All patients presented with a swelling of several months' duration in the parotid region. Five patients were alive and free of tumor at an average of 3.2 years after surgical removal, and one patient was lost to follow-up. The lesions were firm, discrete nodules, grossly described as homogenous yellow-gray tissue. Histologically, all lesions contained a diversified admixture of four histological elements: (a) myofibroblasts, (b) histiocytes, (c) plasma cells, and (d) lymphocytes. Results of immunohistochemical studies showed a biphasic spindle cell population of myofibroblasts and histiocytes with variable staining characteristics for KP-1(CD-3), smooth muscle actin, muscle-specific actin, and vimentin. These findings are in agreement with the concept that inflammatory pseudotumor is a fibroinflammatory lesion with an abundant component of myofibroblastic/fibrohistiocytic elements.


Low-grade mucinous cystadenocarcinoma in the spleen.

A 69-year-old man with an enlarged spleen, found by computed tomography scan to be multicystic, underwent a splenectomy. Pathological examination revealed a Low-grade mucinous cystadenocarcinoma that was histologically analogous to a mucinous tumor of the ovary. The serum level of tumor markers carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA)and CA19-9 were elevated preoperatively and returned to normal after the operation. In the absence of a primary tumor elsewhere, we considered this tumor to be primary in the spleen, and it was presumed that the tumor arose either from invaginated capsular mesothelium of the spleen or from heterotopic pancreatic or enteric tissue within the spleen.


New evidence and new hope concerning endothelial seeding of vascular grafts.

Endothelial cell (EC) seeding of prosthetic bypass grafts has been promoted as a method of improving graft patency. However, an efficient and reliable method of seeding vascular prostheses with ECs is lacking due to inefficient harvesting of ECs and poor attachment and proliferation of cells on the prosthetic surfaces. To investigate the effect of a commonly used prosthetic surface on EC attachment and proliferation, we measured the attachment and proliferation of ECs on polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) grafts uncoated or coated with gelatin, laminin, fibronectin, collagen type I and/or III, or RGD (arginine-glycine-aspartate)-containing peptide. EC attachment and proliferation were both significantly decreased on the untreated PTFE graft surface. Conversely, coating of PTFE with fibronectin, RGD, laminin, or gelatin significantly (p less than 0.05) improved the attachment of ECs, with the most striking increases occurring with laminin and gelatin. Similarly, all matrix components in this study improved EC proliferation compared with untreated PTFE, with RGD and gelatin producing the most significant improvement. PTFE adversely effects EC attachment and proliferation. These properties can be improved by treating PTFE graft surfaces with extracellular matrix components in relatively low concentrations. Future investigations are needed to determine whether there are combinations and concentrations of matrix components that will optimize these cellular functions on vascular prostheses.


Influence of arterial access sites and interventional procedures on vascular complications after cardiac catheterizations.

The purpose of this study is to define the incidence of complications at the arterial access site after cardiac catheterization. The influence of the arterial access site on these complications was identified, as were the clinical characteristics of these problems. A total of 8,797 cardiac catheterizations were performed over the 3-year period of this study. Diagnostic catheterizations and percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasties (PTCAs) were included, and the arterial access site was identified. Diagnostic catheterizations were performed via the brachial artery (group I, n = 3,137) or the femoral artery (group II, n = 4,055). PTCAs were also performed via the brachial artery (group III, n = 32) or the femoral route (group IV, n = 1,573). Ninety-five major vascular complications occurred during the course of this study. The frequency of complications was higher with brachial artery catheterization when compared with the femoral route. PTCA was associated with a higher complication rate than diagnostic studies. Brachial artery complications were primarily arterial thromboses, which were easily diagnosed and treated. Femoral artery complications were more complicated, difficult to identify, and associated with significant morbidity.


Risk of spinal cord dysfunction in patients undergoing thoracoabdominal aortic replacement.

The records of 150 consecutive patients undergoing thoracoabdominal aortic replacement from 1980 to 1991 were retrospectively reviewed. There were 89 men and 61 women; mean age was 67.8 years (range: 33 to 88 years). Since June 1989, a multimodality prospective perioperative protocol was used to reduce the risk of spinal cord dysfunction. Ischemia is minimized by complete intercostal reimplantation whenever possible, cerebrospinal fluid drainage, and maintenance of proximal hypertension during cross-clamping. Spinal cord metabolism is reduced by moderate hypothermia, high-dose barbiturates, and avoidance of hyperglycemia. Reperfusion injury is minimized by the use of mannitol, steroids, and calcium channel blockers. Ninety-seven percent of patients survived long enough for evaluation of their neurologic function. Spinal cord dysfunction was reduced from 6 of 108 (6%) in the preprotocol group to 0 of 42 in the protocol group (0%) (p less than 0.01). The overall 30-day operative mortality was not significantly different between the groups (9% versus 12%, p = NS). A multimodality protocol appears to be effective in reducing the risk of spinal cord injury during thoracoabdominal aortic replacement.


Nonoperative management of visceral aneurysms and pseudoaneurysms.

During the period from 1975 to 1991, 41 patients with 60 visceral artery aneurysms were treated at the Affiliated Hospitals of Emory University. The total included 13 patients in whom 16 aneurysms were treated primarily by transarterial embolization. There were seven hepatic artery aneurysms, three splenic artery aneurysms, three gastroduodenal artery aneurysms, two left gastric artery aneurysms, and one right gastroepiploic artery aneurysm. Average age of these patients was 50 years; there were eight males and five females. Seven patients presented with gastrointestinal bleeding, and two patients presented with abdominal pain. In four patients, the aneurysm was an incidental finding. Etiology of the true or false aneurysms consisted of pancreatitis in two patients, trauma in three patients, connective tissue disease in one, and was unknown in the remainder. Embolization was performed in seven cases with Gianturco coils and Gelfoam, with coils alone in four, with Gelfoam alone in four, and with detachable balloons in one instance. Complete occlusion was achieved initially in 13 cases. Recanalization occurred in two patients over a mean follow-up period of 8.6 months, requiring re-embolization in one patient, whereas the other patient was managed expectantly. In three cases, embolization was unsuccessful: two cases required surgical correction, and one case was managed expectantly. Only one complication was related to the embolization procedure, which was a common hepatic arterial dissection that proceeded to the formation of a false aneurysm. Embolization as the primary treatment modality for visceral artery aneurysms should be considered in patients with the following diagnoses: pseudoaneurysms associated with pancreatitis, intrahepatic aneurysms, most splenic artery aneurysms, and gastric, gastroduodenal, and gastroepiploic aneurysms. The procedure has a low risk and may obviate a difficult surgical procedure, but it does not preclude surgical intervention should the need arise.


Influence of complete revascularization on chronic mesenteric ischemia.

Complete revascularization for chronic intestinal ischemia is controversial. Fifty-eight patients (119 arteries) underwent mesenteric revascularization between 1981 and 1988. There were 46 women and 12 men (mean age: 63 years). Sixty percent of patients had three-vessel disease. Twenty-one patients underwent concomitant aortic reconstruction. Operative mortality was 10%. Four of the six deaths occurred in patients undergoing aortic surgery. Late graft failure occurred in five patients (10%). Five-year survival for patients with three-vessel involvement who underwent three-vessel repair was 73%, compared with 57% for two-vessel repair and 0% for one-vessel repair (p = NS). Similarly, graft patency in patients with three-vessel disease was highest in those patients who had complete revascularization (90%, 54%, and 0%, respectively) (p = NS). We conclude that increased graft patency and survival in patients with three-vessel disease was most frequent with complete revascularization. Diseased inferior mesenteric arteries should be repaired if feasible. Concomitant aortic operations should be avoided if possible.


Long-term follow-up of poor-risk patients undergoing small-diameter portacaval shunts.

The small-diameter portacaval H-graft has been shown to be a reliable method of controlling variceal hemorrhage. However, little has been written about the long-term follow-up of poor-risk patients treated by this method. Over the last 11 years, we have performed 38 portacaval H-grafts; 79% of the patients were Child's B or C, and 79% were alcoholic. The mean age was 52 years, and the mean period of follow-up was 44 months. Over 37% of the grafts were performed in patients who were bleeding at the time of operation. Our 30-day operative mortality was 13%. Postoperatively, the small-diameter H-graft was associated with mild to moderate encephalopathy in 33% of the patients and ascites in 42%. Both these conditions were easily controlled with diet and medication. Early recurrent variceal bleeding was seen in 13% of patients. However, on late follow-up, recurrent hemorrhage and encephalopathy have been seen in only 12% and 14% of patients, respectively. We conclude that the portacaval H-graft is a reliable and lasting method for controlling variceal bleeding with an acceptable postoperative morbidity and mortality.


Major complications of angioaccess surgery.

Angioaccess procedures at one institution over a 4-year period were retrospectively reviewed to ascertain the frequency of major limb- or life-threatening complications. A total of 435 angioaccess procedures were performed, including 81 Cimino-Brescia fistulas, 166 polytetrafluoroethylene grafts, and 111 thrombectomy/revisions. There were 77 operations for major complications in 53 patients. In addition, five patients required major vascular repair or emergency thoracotomy for complications of central hemodialysis line placement. A significant portion (18% of this series) of the total angioaccess caseload of a vascular surgeon will be utilized in the repair of major complications. The in-hospital (6 patients, or 11%) and long-term (12 patients, or 23%) mortality rates are significant. Although most complications can be repaired without limb loss and with shunt salvage, a small percentage (in our study three patients, or 4%) will have debilitating long-term symptoms.


Safety of arteriography by direct puncture of a vascular prosthesis.

A total of 122 catheterizations were performed in 105 patients with femoral grafts. Ninety-five femoral grafts were punctured. The mean follow-up time was 21 months. Sixty-one patients had follow-up duplex ultrasounds of the graft puncture site at 6 months. The complication rates for patients with direct graft puncture were comparable to those of patients without grafts undergoing femoral catheter arteriography. Twenty-seven cases with femoral grafts had arteriography using the transaxillary technique. The overall complication rate for the 95 cases with graft puncture was 12% (8% were minor complications) in contrast to 30% (22% were major complications) for the 27 cases with the transaxillary approach. The local, nervous system, and major complication rates were all significantly less in patients with graft puncture than in patients with the transaxillary approach. There was no evidence of early or late pseudoaneurysm formation, disruption of the suture line, or late graft infection in patients with graft puncture. Direct graft puncture arteriography is safe and preferable to the transaxillary approach.


Arterial and ischemic aspects of total knee arthroplasty.

Prospective and retrospective analyses of 1,182 consecutive patients undergoing primary total knee arthroplasty (TKA) were performed to determine (1) the incidence of chronic lower extremity ischemia (CLEI); (2) the effect of tourniquet occlusion; and (3) guidelines that will allow TKA to be performed safely. Despite the appropriately advanced age of our patients, the incidence of CLEI was only 2%. All ischemic complications occurred in six patients with CLEI (25%), but none resulted in death or amputation. The ischemic complications consisted of pressure-induced necrosis of toes, heel, or foot, atheroembolism, femoral-popliteal graft occlusion, and asymptomatic popliteal occlusion. Tourniquet compression in the 1,158 patients without CLEI produced no untoward effects. Patients with mild CLEI can have a TKA performed safely with a tourniquet if there is no femoropopliteal calcification. When the ischemia is severe or there is a femoropopliteal aneurysm, arterial reconstruction should precede the TKA. In patients with patent femoral-popliteal bypasses or calcification without ischemia, TKA should be performed without a tourniquet. Ischemic pressure necrosis is an additional mechanism of injury.


Thrombolytic therapy of synthetic graft occlusions before vascular reconstructive procedures.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of thrombolysis of synthetic grafts before urgent vascular reconstruction. In 29 patients, 41 thrombosed synthetic grafts that underwent intraarterial thrombolysis were studied. The cases were divided into three groups: group I--complete thrombolysis followed by reconstruction; group II--complete thrombolysis alone; and group III--incomplete lysis requiring reconstruction or sympathectomy. Follow-up ranged from 1 to 556 days (mean: 149 days). Kaplan-Meier analysis was used to determine patency and limb salvage rates. One-year patency and limb salvage rates were 53% and 95%, 34% and 67%, and 38% and 48%, respectively, for groups I, II, and III. Eighteen complications occurred in 16 of the 41 (39%) episodes. One patient died of intracranial hemorrhage. The best results were achieved when complete lysis was followed by appropriate reconstruction. Patency was equally poor in complete thrombolysis alone and reconstructions required by incomplete thrombolysis. Limb salvage was better after complete thrombolysis, regardless of the appropriate reconstruction.


Liver and spleen phagocytic depression after peripheral ischemia and reperfusion.

Liver and spleen phagocytic clearance of blood-borne microparticulate tissue debris and products of intravascular coagulation after trauma and surgical injury is an important mechanism to limit the deposition of debris in the pulmonary vascular bed. Plasma fibronectin (pFn) modulates this clearance process. We evaluated the effect of a localized peripheral ischemia and reperfusion injury on liver and spleen phagocytic function. Male rats (250 to 350 g) underwent 4 hours of tourniquet-induced bilateral hindlimb ischemia, followed by 18 hours of reperfusion after release of the tourniquet. Rats subjected to ether anesthesia alone or anesthesia followed by groin incision without ischemia were the control and sham groups, respectively. Reticuloendothelial (RE) phagocytic function was assessed at 15 minutes and 18 hours after the start of reperfusion by the in vivo liver and spleen removal of blood-borne iodine 125 (125I)-test microparticles, which were coated with gelatin (denatured collagen) to enhance their interaction with pFn. Liver and spleen particle uptake in control and sham rats was similar. In contrast, after 4 hours of ischemic injury with 15 minutes of reperfusion, we observed a 30% to 40% decrease (p less than 0.05) in liver and spleen particle uptake as compared with sham controls with partial restoration of this removal mechanism by 18 hours. This depression in liver and spleen phagocytic function was associated with a significant (p less than 0.05) increase in the deposition of the 125I-test particles in the lung. RE depression was not due to a deficiency of pFn; indeed, a marked elevation (588 +/- 12 micrograms/mL versus 1,083 +/- 40 micrograms/mL) of pFn was observed by immunoassay over the 18-hour reperfusion interval. Comparative bioassay of humoral (opsonic) versus cellular (Kupffer's cell) activity revealed that Kupffer's cells in livers from controls or ischemia-reperfusion rats exhibited normal phagocytic function when incubated in plasma harvested from either control or 4-hour ischemic rats. The opsonic activity of plasma harvested after ischemia and reperfusion was also more than adequate, consistent with the immunoassay analysis. Thus, the impaired liver and spleen clearance mechanism after peripheral ischemia and reperfusion injury did not appear to be due to either a macrophage cellular deficit or a lack of pFn. This clearance depression may be mediated by splanchnic malperfusion, which is known to develop after peripheral ischemia and reperfusion and associated soft tissue injury.