We reviewed 15 patients with an arthrodesis of the elbow using an AO compression-plate technique, after an average follow-up of 24 months. The most common indication was an open, infected high-energy injury with associated bone loss. Arthrodesis was successful in all but one patient in whom severe deep infection necessitated amputation. Eight patients were treated with the metal partly exposed ...

BACKGROUND Diabetes mellitus-related lower extremity amputation is a major complication severely affecting patient survival and quality of life. OBJECTIVES To analyze epidemiological and clinical trends in the incidence and survival of lower extremity amputations among diabetes patients. METHODS We conducted a retrospective observational cohort study of 565 consecutive diabetes patients who...

OBJECTIVE To identify factors that influence survival after diabetes-related amputations. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We abstracted medical records of 1,043 hospitalized subjects with diabetes and a lower-extremity amputation from 1 January to 31 December 1993 in six metropolitan statistical areas in south Texas. We identified mortality in the 10-year period after amputation from death certif...

Between 1969 and 1985 26 patients with destructive lesions of the distal humerus were treated by endoprosthetic replacement; each implant was custom-made and incorporated part of the distal humerus or the entire bone as well as a hinged total elbow replacement. Recurrence occurred in three of the patients with tumours, and three prostheses were removed because of deep infection in patients with...

Background. Intermanual transfer training may be beneficial for persons with an upper limb amputation, since it facilitates prosthesis training shortly after the amputation. Intermanual transfer implies improvement of skill in the affected arm, after training the unaffected arm. Previously, this has been demonstrated only in able-bodied persons for prosthetic skills. Objective. To determine int...

1 This work was supported by Veterans Administration Contract V1005M-1079. 2 Coordinator, Prosthetic Research and Education, Northwestern University Prosthetic-Orthotic Center. 3 Research Prosthetist, Northwestern University Prosthetic Research Center. The ability to make a socket by applying a thermoplastic material such as Polysar X-414 (Polymer Corp. Ltd. TM) directly to an amputee's stump o...