Anatomical and Radiographic Characterization of the Lateral Patellofemoral Ligament of the Knee.

The purpose of the current study was to describe the femoral and patellar insertions of the lateral patellofemoral ligament (LPFL) and to determine their location relative to known anatomic and radiographic landmarks. In this descriptive laboratory study, 10 cadaveric knees were dissected, and the patellar and femoral insertions of the LPFL were identified. Each specimen was examined radiographically. The average center of the femoral insertion of the LPFL was calculated in reference to radiographic landmarks.

Distribution of Neuron Cell Bodies in the Intraspinal Portion of the Spinal Accessory Nerve in Humans.

The spinal accessory nerve is often identified as a purely motor nerve innervating the trapezius and sternocleidomastoid muscles. Although it may contain proprioceptive neurons found in cervical spinal levels C2-C4, limited research has focused on the histology of the spinal accessory nerve. The objective of the present study was to examine the spinal accessory nerve to determine if there are neuronal cell bodies within the spinal accessory nerve in humans. Cervical spinal cords were dissected from eight cadavers that had previously been used for dissection in other body regions. The segmental rootlets were removed to quantify the neuron cell bodies present at each spinal level. Samples were embedded in paraffin; sectioned; stained with hematoxylin and eosin; and examined using a microscope at 4×, 10×, and 40× magnification. Digital photography was used to image the samples. Neuronal cell bodies were found in 100% of the specimens examined, with non-grossly visible ganglia found at spinal levels C1-C4. The C1 spinal level of the spinal accessory nerve had the highest number of neuron cell bodies.

Diagnosis of appendicitis by bedside ultrasound in the ED.

BACKGROUND: Computed tomography (CT) has largely become standard of care for diagnosing appendicitis at the expense of increased patient radiation exposure, cost, and time to surgical intervention. To date, there are very limited data on the accuracy of bedside ultrasound (BUS) for the diagnosis of appendicitis in adults. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to evaluate test characteristics of BUS for diagnosis of acute appendicitis in the emergency department. METHODS: Data were prospectively collected on 97 cases of suspected appendicitis, which had BUS performed by trained residents with attending supervision between August 2011 and November 2013. All BUS interpretation and additional diagnostic imaging were left to the discretion of the physician or surgical consultants. A blinded ultrasound fellowship-trained physician reviewed all images after clinical treatment. Bedside ultrasound findings and patient outcomes were reported. RESULTS: A total of 97 adult cases underwent diagnostic ultrasound scans for suspected appendicitis. Of 97 cases, 34 had acute appendicitis by surgery/pathology report. Twenty-four BUS were positive for acute appendicitis and 11 were nondiagnostic. Of 24 positive ultrasounds, 23 had appendicitis on pathology report. There was 1 false-positive result, yielding a sensitivity of 67.65% (95% confidence limits, 49.5%-82.6%) and a specificity of 98.41% (95% confidence limits, 91.4%-99.7%). Of 23 positive BUS, 12 cases went to the Operating Room without an abdominal CT yielding a 12% reduction in CT utilization. If all positive BUS went to the OR without a CT scan, this would yield a 24% reduction in CT utilization. CONCLUSIONS: Bedside ultrasound may be an appropriate initial test to evaluate patients with suspected acute appendicitis in the emergency department.

Impact of the clinical ultrasound elective course on retention of anatomical knowledge by second-year medical students in preparation for board exams.

Ultrasound has been integrated into a gross anatomy course taught during the first year at an osteopathic medical school. A clinical ultrasound elective course was developed to continue ultrasound training during the second year of medical school. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of this elective course on the understanding of normal anatomy by second-year students. An anatomy exam was administered to students enrolled in the clinical ultrasound elective course before the start of the course and after its conclusion. Wilcoxon signed ranks tests were used to determine whether exam scores changed from the pre-test to the post-test. Scores from two classes of second-year students were analyzed. Students who took the elective course showed significant improvement in the overall anatomy exam score between the pre-test and post-test (P < 0.001). Scores for exam questions pertaining to the heart, abdomen, upper extremity, and lower extremity also significantly improved from the pretest to post-test (P < 0.001), but scores for the neck and eye showed no significant improvement. The clinical ultrasound elective course offered during the second year of medical school provided students with an important review of key anatomical concepts while preparing them for board exams. Our results suggested that more emphasis should be placed on head and neck ultrasound to improve student performance in those areas. Musculoskeletal, abdominal, and heart ultrasound labs were more successful for retaining relevant anatomical information.