Persistent fetal carotid-vertebrobasilar anastomoses [Persistan fetal karotid-vertebrobaziler anastomozlar.]

PubMed ID: 14661609The primitive trigeminal, otic (acoustic), hypoglossal, and proatiantal intersegmental arteries are persistent fetal anastomoses between the carotid and vertebrobasilar circulations. These fetal anastomoses regress at roughly the rate at which the posterior communicating and vertebral arteries develop. The purpose of this study is to review the persistent fetal carotid-vertebrobasilar anastomoses with MRI and DSA

Thrombosis and thrombophilebitis of the internal jugular vein as a very rare complication of the ventriculoatrial shunt

PubMed ID: 15708232A 21-year-old man presented with a sausage shaped mass lesion, located in the right anterolateral region of the neck. He had been operated on for hydrocephalus and thoraco-lumbar myelomeningocele at the age of 10 days and 2 months, respectively. Although he was asymptomatic at the age of 10 years, ventriculoatrial (VA) shunt was considered non-functional. Doppler ultrasound showed thrombosis of the right internal jugular vein. Cervical magnetic resonance imaging displayed thrombosis and thrombophilebitis of the right internal jugular vein with loss of flow pattern. VA shunt was removed under general anesthesia and shunt material sent for culture. Staphylococcus aureus grew from the culture of shunt material. A cephalosporin (cefuroxime axetil) was administered and the neck mass disappeared in 4 weeks. He has been symptom free for the last 5 years. VA shunts for hydrocephalus have some well-defined specific complications. In this paper, a case with VA shunt related thrombosis and thrombophilebitis of internal jugular vein was presented and management of VA shunt related cardiovascular complications were discussed. © 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Case report: Cerebral superficial siderosis: MRI findings [Serebral süperfisyal siderozis: MRG bulgulari.]

PubMed ID: 14661289Superficial siderosis of the central nervous system is a rare condition characterized by deposition of hemosiderin in the leptomeninges, subpial tissue and spinal cord. Magnetic resonance imaging provides prompt diagnosis of this entity. Three cases of cerebral superficial siderosis are presented in this study. On T2-weighted images, typical hypointense rims were observed under the brain surface. In one patient, there was also spinal superficial siderosis findings

Middle-term therapeutic effect of the sacroiliac joint blockade in patients with lumbosacral fusion-related sacroiliac pain

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the therapeutic effect of sacroiliac (SI) blockade in patients with and without lumbosacral fusion. Methods: This study included 72 patients diagnosed with SI pain and who received blockade injection (methylprednisolone and lidocaine). Patients were divided into 2 groups; 22 patients in the fusion group who underwent previous lumbosacral fusion and 50 patients in the non-fusion group. Average follow-up was 17.7 (range: 6 to 30) months. All patients were evaluated before and after intervention using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), Oswestry Disability Index, Rivermead Mobility Index and SF- 36. Results were statistically analyzed. Results: Activity pain (a component of VAS) was significantly better in the non-fusion group than the fusion group (p=0.042). No other statistically significant differences were observed between groups (p>0.05). Conclusion: Sacroiliac blockade has a similar therapeutic effect on patients who underwent lumbosacral fusion surgery as on non-operated patients in the middle-term. Therefore, alternative treatment options are not necessary in patients with fusion. © 2014 Turkish Association of Orthopaedics and Traumatology

Comparison of effects of supervised physiotherapy and a standardized home program on functional status in patients with total knee arthroplasty: a prospective study.

[Purpose] The aim of this study was to determine the functional differences between total knee arthroplasty (TKA) patients who were treated with supervised physiotherapy or a standardized home program and perform a cost analysis. [Subjects and Methods] Patients who received total knee arthroplasty between January 2009 and June 2011 were enrolled in this study; those with mean ages of 64.25±3.86 (60-68) years (n=18) and 68.08±6.25 (61-79) years (n=16) were placed in the supervised physiotherapy and standardized home program groups, respectively. All patients were evaluated by the same researcher before and after surgery, and the therapy programs were applied by another physiotherapist. All patients were evaluated for joint range of motion (ROM), pain, functional status (WOMAC), overall quality of life (SF-36), and depressive symptoms (BECK Depression Scale). [Results] A significant clinical improvement was observed in postoperative assessments. A statistically significant difference could not be found between ROM and functional levels of the patients in both groups. [Conclusion] No difference was found between the patients performing supervised or standardized home program with respect to the effects on functional status. A home exercise program can be used in the rehabilitation of patients with TKA, and implementation of home exercise programs can also reduce health-care spending

Comparison of effects of supervised physiotherapy and a standardized home program on functional status in patients with total knee arthroplasty: A prospective study

[Purpose] The aim of this study was to determine the functional differences between total knee arthroplasty (TKA) patients who were treated with supervised physiotherapy or a standardized home program and perform a cost analysis. [Subjects and Methods] Patients who received total knee arthroplasty between January 2009 and June 2011 were enrolled in this study; those with mean ages of 64.25±3.86 (60–68) years (n=18) and 68.08±6.25 (61–79) years (n=16) were placed in the supervised physiotherapy and standardized home program groups, respectively. All patients were evaluated by the same researcher before and after surgery, and the therapy programs were applied by another physiotherapist. All patients were evaluated for joint range of motion (ROM), pain, functional status (WOMAC), overall quality of life (SF-36), and depressive symptoms (BECK Depression Scale). [Results] A significant clinical improvement was observed in postoperative assessments. A statistically significant difference could not be found between ROM and functional levels of the patients in both groups. [Conclusion] No difference was found between the patients performing supervised or standardized home program with respect to the effects on functional status. A home exercise program can be used in the rehabilitation of patients with TKA, and implementation of home exercise programs can also reduce health-care spending. © 2014 The Society of Physical Therapy Science