Performance of the single intradermal comparative tuberculin test in identifying cattle with tuberculous lesions in Irish herds

The sensitivity of the single intradermal comparative tuberculin test, as applied in the Republic of Ireland, was estimated in 353 cattle with tuberculous lesions. These cattle had been removed from 47 herds which were depopulated owing to chronic or extensive infection with Mycobacterium bovis. The test had a sensitivity of 90.9 per cent, because 321 (90.9 per cent) of the 353 cattle with tuberculous lesions gave a positive or inconclusive result, and 32 gave a negative result. These 32 negative cattle came from 17 (36 per cent) of the 47 depopulated herds.     

How can and do Australian doctors promote physical activity?

We describe a modified technique for the salvage of a total knee arthroplasty after disruption of the extensor mechanism. Between January and December 1992, seven patients had reconstruction of the extensor mechanism with use of a medial or an extended medial gastrocnemius flap. Six of the seven patients were followed for a mean of thirty-three months (range, twenty-six to forty-one months) and were evaluated both preoperatively and postoperatively with regard to the knee and functional scores of The Knee Society as well as the range of motion, extensor lag, walking status, and patellar height. The seventh patient was lost to follow-up six months postoperatively and was excluded from the analysis of the results. Preoperatively, the knee and functional scores were 16 +/- 12.3 points and 12 +/- 12.1 points (mean and standard deviation), respectively; the mean range of motion was 70 +/- 44.0 degrees; and the mean extensor lag was 53 +/- 33.4 degrees. Postoperatively, the mean knee and functional scores improved to 82 +/- 12.4 points and 51 +/- 23.0 points, respectively; the mean range of motion improved to 100 +/- 21.8 degrees; and the mean extensor lag decreased to 24 +/- 18.8 degrees. After the procedure, all patients who previously had been dependent on a walker were able to walk about the community with or without a cane, and those who had been dependent on a wheelchair were able to walk with the assistance of a walker. Patellar height was measured according to the method of Insall and Salvati for the four patients who had a patella. Preoperatively, the patellar heights were grossly abnormal; postoperatively, they more closely approached accepted normal values for three of the four patients. Reconstruction of a complicated rupture of the extensor mechanism with use of a medial gastrocnemius transposition flap after total knee arthroplasty is a reliable option for treatment.     

Relation between arteriosclerosis in the coronary and renal arteries

This study analyzes the severity of coronary artery disease in terms of the severity of renal artery disease in 609 patients undergoing coronary and renal angiography. The presence of renal artery disease of any severity is strongly suggestive of advanced coronary artery disease.     

Spondylodiscitis caused by Streptococcus agalactiae

Two previously healthy adults, a man aged 69 and a woman aged 51 years, presented with spondylitis caused by Streptococcus agalactiae. One patient had fever and acute pain in the neck, the other progressive pain in the lower back. From cultures of blood and bone respectively. S. agalactiae was isolated. Both patients recovered after treatment with benzylpenicillin. S. agalactiae (group B streptococcus) is a wellknown cause of invasive infections in neonates and pregnant adults. Infections in nonpregnant adults are increasingly reported. Chronic conditions such as diabetes mellitus are strongly associated with disease caused by S. agalactiae.     

Effect of calcium carbonate on the compliance of an apatitic calcium phosphate bone cement

Clinical requirements for calcium phosphate bone cements were formulated in terms of the initial setting time, the final setting time, the cohesion time and the ultimate compressive strength. Three cement formulations were tested. The previously developed Biocement H was made of a powder containing alpha-tertiary calcium phosphate and precipitated hydroxyapatite. Biocement B2 powder was made by adding some CaCO3 to Biocement H, whereas Biocement B1 was made by adding some CaCO3 but with simultaneous adjustment of the amount of precipitated hydroxyapatite.The liquid/ powder ratio of the cement paste and the accelerator concentrations (percentage Na2HPO4) in cement liquid were varied. For Biocement H there was no combination of L/P ratio and percentage Na2HPO4 for which all clinical requirements were satisfied. However, there was an area of full compliance for Biocements B1 and B2, of which that for B1 was the largest. Therefore, Biocement B1 may be applied in clinical situations as those in orthopaedics, plastic and reconstructive surgery and oral and maxillofacial surgery, even when early contact with blood is inevitable.     

The functional outcome of lower-extremity fractures with vascular injury

Salvage of lower-extremity Gustilo type IIIC fractures is difficult, time-consuming for the patients and physicians, and not universally successful because of poor functional outcomes. Even if successful with limb salvage, the functional result may be unsatisfactory because of mutilating injuries to muscle and nerve, bone loss, and the presence of chronic infection. From July 1991 until July 1994, revascularizations of open IIIC fractures were attempted for wounds with Mangled Extremity Severity Score (MESS) < or = 10. The functional results were evaluated at 2 years after injury. Thirty-six lower-extremity revascularizations were performed on 34 patients, including 1 patient with bilateral distal tibial IIIC fractures and a child with IIIC femoral fracture accompanied by ipsilateral distal tibial amputation. Excluded were patients with below-ankle IIIC fractures as well as patients who underwent immediate amputation at admission. After the revascularization, seven patients with IIIC fractures (7 of 36, 19.4%) underwent secondary amputation within 1 week. At the 2-year follow-up, the overall secondary amputation rate was 25% (9 of 36) and the salvage rate was 75% (27 of 36). Those were no deaths. Of the 29 salvaged limbs among these 27 patients, 23 limbs (23 of 29, 79.3%) required secondary coverage procedures that included 12 free flap transfers (12 of 29, 41.4%). Every patient needed subsequent reconstructive surgery to achieve an acceptable functional result. In this series, MESS was able to predict the secondary amputation rate and the functional result. Sixteen of the 17 limb-salvaged patients with MESS < or = 7 were able to achieve minimal functional requirements, whereas 3 of the 10 patients with MESS = 8 to 10 failed to achieve minimal functional requirements at the 2-year follow-up. Using statistical analysis, we found that the salvaged limbs with MESS < or = 9 exhibited a significant difference in achieving adequate function compared with limbs with MESS > 9. Using our protocol for treatment for IIIC fractures, the threshold for immediate amputation can be raised from MESS = 7 to MESS = 9. Our conclusions are (1) more severely injured limbs have poor functional results, (2) every patient needs subsequent reconstructive surgery, and (3) the MESS may be helpful in decision-making.