No abstract

The relationship between long-term ballet dancing and eventual arthrosis of the hip, ankle, subtalar, and first metatarsophalangeal joint was examined in 19 former professional female dancers, aged 50 to 70 years. The dancers were compared with pair-matched controls. All 38 women underwent medical history taking, clinical examination, and roentgenography of the joints studied. The roentgenographs were independently judged by two investigators and grouped according to a modified classification of Hermodsson. We found a statistically significant increase in roentgenologic arthrosis of the ankle, subtalar, and first metatarsophalangeal joints in the ballet group compared with the control group. There was no significant difference regarding degenerative changes of the hip joint. However, subjects in the dance group who had evidence of degenerative changes on roentgenographs had no clinical complaints. There was a statistically significant increase in hallux valgus deformity in the ballet group (P < 0.05). The dancers also showed a statistically significant increase in flexion, external rotation, and abduction of the hip joint, dorsal flexion of the first metatarsophalangeal joint, and inversion and eversion of subtalar joint. But the control group had statistically significant increased plantar flexion of the first metatarsophalangeal joint. The most important cause of the statistically significant increase of arthrosis of the ankle and first metatarsophalangeal joints must be explained by repetitive microtrauma.

We studied the merits of physical examination after inversion injury of the ankle in 160 consecutive patients. They had an explanatory operation if they had a positive arthrogram and/or positive signs on a delayed physical examination. To determine the interobserver variation in delayed physical examination, five different examiners were asked to give independent assessment of the injury. Those with limited clinical experience produced more accurate results when physical examination was performed at five days after the injury, rather than within 48 hours. The specificity and sensitivity of delayed physical examination for the presence or absence of a lesion of an ankle ligament were found to be 84% and 96%, respectively. The interobserver agreement for the delayed physical examination of the ankle was good (kappa values 0.5, 0.6, 0.6 and 1.0). Delayed physical examination gives information of diagnostic quality which is equal to that of arthrography, and causes little discomfort to the patient.

Purpose: To assess features and outcomes of Coats disease over 5-decades. Methods: Retrospective review of Coats disease patients at a single center. Features and outcomes were compared based on decade of presentation. Results: There were 351 patients with Coats disease. The presenting median age (6 years), male sex (84%), and unilaterality (100%) did not change per decade. Coats disease classification did not change per decade with Stage 1 (1%), Stage 2 (21%), Stage 3 (68%), Stage 4 (6%), and Stage 5 (1%). Clinical features that changed per decade (1970s vs. 1980s vs. 1990s vs. 2000s vs. 2010s) included 1980s features of more eyes with exudation in all 4 quadrants (22% vs. 58% vs. 44% vs. 33% vs. 27, P = 0.01) and total exudative retinal detachment (33% vs. 53% vs. 39% vs. 27% vs. 21%, P < 0.001). Imaging features that changed per decade included 2010s greater fluorescein angiographic extent of retinal non-perfusion in mean clock hours (4 vs. 4 vs. 3 vs. 5 vs. 6, P = 0.003), and 1980s greater mean height of retinal detachment ultrasonographically (5 vs. 12 vs. 5 vs. 5 vs. 4 mm, P < 0.001). Treatment features that changed per decade included 1980s greater primary enucleation (11% vs. 16% vs. 3% vs. 4% vs. 1%, P = 0.001), and 2010s greater use of laser photocoagulation (55% vs. 33% vs. 38% vs. 40% vs. 72%, P < 0.001), sub-Tenon corticosteroid (0% vs. 4% vs. 5% vs. 8% vs. 29%, P < 0.001), and intravitreal anti-VEGF) (0% vs. 4% vs. 2% vs. 13% vs. 18%, P = 0.003). Outcomes that changed per decade included 2010s findings of more complete resolution of subretinal fluid (64% vs. 59% vs. 38% vs. 58% vs. 72%, P = 0.01) and less need for primary/secondary enucleation (17% vs. 27% vs. 14% vs. 13% vs. 6%, P = 0.04). Conclusion: Eyes with Coats disease in the 1980s demonstrated more advanced findings, often requiring enucleation. Over the decades, greater use of laser photocoagulation and injections has led to improved disease resolution with greater globe salvage.