[Computerized tomography as a diagnostic complement of standard radiograms in the evaluation of traumatic lesions of the carpal scaphoid. A study of 10 cases]. / La tomografia Computerizzata quale complemento diagnostico dei radiogrammi standard nella valutazione delle lesioni traumatiche delle scafoide carpale. Studio di 10 casi.

The authors investigated the value of direct coronal CT as a diagnostic complement to plain radiography in the assessment of post-traumatic scaphoid conditions. The series included 10 patients who were selected either for disagreement of clinical and radiological findings, the latter being negative (3 patients), or for better assessment of radiological findings, which had diagnosed bone lesions, in order to plan treatment (7 cases). CT provided additional information in 5 patients, demonstrating 2 nonunited fractures in the first group and 2 pseudoarthroses with no significant bone deformity and 1 osteonecrosis in the second group. These results, which proved essential to plan the subsequent treatment, show that CT has, at present, in specific cases, a definite role in evaluating post-traumatic scaphoid conditions, and stress the value of direct coronal images, which are both easy to interpret, being equivalent to radiographs in postero-anterior projection, and quick to perform.

[Nutritional assessment of aged patients with fractures of the proximal epiphysis of the femur]. / Valutazioni nutrizionali in pazienti anziani con frattura dell'epifisi prossimale del femore.

Forty-two patients (M/F 9/33; age 78 +/- 10 years) were studied during Hospital stay for femoral neck fractures (16 neck, 26 pertrochanteric fractures). All underwent fracture surgery (internal fixation in 30, arthroplasty in 12 patients). Food intake was evaluated daily, supplemented with specific recipes. Biochemical assessment of nutritional status (hemoglobin, hematocrit, total proteins, albumin, prealbumin, Na, K, Ca, Fe, P, Mg) was performed before and after surgery. Nitrogen balance was evaluated in 8 patients in the post-operative period (40 determinations). The study group was compared for post-surgical complications and mortality during Hospital stay with a historical control group without any nutritional survey. Mean daily caloric intake was (M +/- DS) 1014 +/- 360 in the preoperative period, 960 +/- 210 and 1036 +/- 185 postoperatively (5-9 and 10-15 days post-surgery, respectively). Mean nitrogen intake was, respectively, 7.5 +/- 2.6, 7 +/- 2.1, 6.9 +/- 1.6 gN/day. No significant differences were found. In the preoperative period, the following tests were found below the normal range: iron (median 30 micrograms/dL), albumin (median 3.1 g/dL), hemoglobin (median 12 g/dL) hematocrit (median 35%). After surgery, they decreased significantly; also prealbumin, in normal limits before surgery (20 +/- 0.7 mg/dl), decreased significantly 5-9 days after surgery. After 10-15 days from surgery, only prealbumin and iron reached the preoperative level.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)