Bulletin of the NYU hospital for joint diseases
-
Bull NYU Hosp Jt Dis · Jan 2012
Review"Incidental" bone lesions--when to refer to the tumor specialist.
Incidental bone tumors are, by definition, asymptomatic lesions that are discovered through routine radiographs obtained for other reasons. Generally, these lesions are benign and latent, requiring no further intervention except observation. However, occasionally these radiographs will detect benign aggressive processes or even malignant lesions that do require further treatment and referral to a tumor specialist. ⋯ It will then focus on the types of bone lesions that are often found incidentally by routine radiography. Specific recommendations, including recommendation for referrals to orthopaedic tumor specialists, will be noted for lesions described. Most malignant lesions will present with pain and a constellation of history and physical exam findings that will signal the patient to seek medical care; although they will be mentioned for the sake of comparison and completeness, they will not be the focus of this review.
-
Bull NYU Hosp Jt Dis · Jan 2012
ReviewCorticosteroids as disease modifying drugs in rheumatoid arthritis treatment.
The current approach to treatment of RA includes early and aggressive treatment with routine monitoring of outcomes to give patients the best chance of decreasing disease activity as much as possible, with low disease activity and remission being a realistic goal for many patients. In this quest, DMARDs, especially MTX, are the anchor treatment, and low dose prednisone should also be considered in combination with MTX as the best initial choice for RA treatment. Current data suggest that corticosteroids are disease modifying agents that enhance the effects of DMARDs with no real impact on adverse events. We are much better positioned now then in earlier times to provide a good outcome for our patients, and every available tool needs to be considered and utilized for this purpose.
-
Bull NYU Hosp Jt Dis · Jan 2012
ReviewOutcomes of interlaminar and transforminal spinal injections.
Epidural spinal injections can be administered via a translaminar or transforaminal route, depending on the clinical scenario. When it is more desirable to target a specific nerve root, a transforaminal approach is typically used, and when the target is more diffuse, a translaminar method is chosen. Both are commonly used and can be utilized similarly in the lumbar or cervical spine. ⋯ In the lumbar spine, both translaminar epidural steroid injections (TLESI) and transforaminal epidural steroid injections (TFESI) have been shown to provide up to 6 months of pain relief, though long-term benefits are less reliable. In the cervical spine, translaminar injections may provide longer relief and have a lower complication rate than cervical transforaminal injections. Proper technique is essential to minimize the rate of these rare but occasionally severe complications.
-
The causes of brachial plexus palsy in neonates should be classified according to their most salient associated feature. The causes of brachial plexus palsy are obstetrical brachial plexus palsy, familial congenital brachial plexus palsy, maternal uterine malformation, congenital varicella syndrome, osteomyelitis involving the proximal head of the humerus or cervical vertebral bodies, exostosis of the first rib, tumors and hemangioma in the region of the brachial plexus, and intrauterine maladaptation. ⋯ The probability of obstetrical brachial plexus palsy is directly proportional to the magnitude, acceleration, and cosine of the angle formed by the direction of the vector of the stretching force and the axis of the most vulnerable brachial plexus bundle, and inversely proportional to the resistance of the must vulnerable brachial plexus bundle and of the shoulder girdle muscles, joints, and bones. Since in most nonsurgical cases neither the contribution of each of these factors to the production of the obstetrical brachial plexus palsy nor the proportion of traction and propulsion contributing to the stretch force is known, we concur with prior reports that the term of obstetrical brachial plexus palsy should be substituted by the more inclusive term of birth-related brachial plexus palsy.
-
Bull NYU Hosp Jt Dis · Jan 2011
ReviewAdverse soft-tissue reactions around non-metal-on-metal total hip arthroplasty - a systematic review of the literature.
Adverse local soft-tissue reactions have been associated with severe osteolysis and implant failure in metal-on-metal total hip arthroplasty (THA). Such a causal relationship has not often been associated with non metal-on-metal bearing surfaces. The purpose of this study was to assess the literature for cases of adverse soft-tissue reactions in non-metal-on-metal bearings in order to determine if a consistent histological diagnosis existed and if it was bearing-specific. ⋯ The present analysis revealed that similar adverse soft-tissue reactions have been described for both metal-on-polyethylene and ceramic bearing surfaces. When encountering such reactions in patients, a comprehensive diagnostic workup, including computed tomography (CT) scanning, lesion biopsy, and revision planning to alternate bearing surfaces should be considered.