[Physical therapy in the rehabilitation of patients with aerobic infections of the extremities]. / Vrijednost fizikalne terapije za rehabilitaciju osoba sa aerobnim infekcijama ekstremiteta.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate how infection of extremity after war wound influenced the possibilities and immediate effects of a physical therapy. METHODS: The retrospective clinical investigation comparing two groups: group A (n = 86) with infection, group B (n = 87) without infection. Main indicators for possibilities of the physical therapy were the numbers and types of physical procedures used. For the estimation of immediate effects of physical therapy the muscle power and the range of motion were used. RESULTS: The number of daily physical procedures in the group with infection, compared to the group without infection, was significantly lesser ((A: 2.87 +/- 1.73; B: 4.02 +/- 1.73; p < 0.001). The patients with infection were significantly less frequently submitted to thermotherapy, hydrotherapy, interferent current and electrostimulation. Patients with infection, compared to patients without infection, had significantly poorer improvement of amplitude of analyzed movements at the end of treatment (A: 6.66 +/- 7.28 degrees; B: 16.66 +/- 14.79 degrees; p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The infection of the extremities limited the possibilities and reduced the immediate effects of physical therapy.

[Reconstruction of vascular bed in the affected segment of the leg in patients with defects of the crural bones complicated by chronic osteomyelitis]. / Vosstanovlenie sosudistogo rusla v porazhennom segmente u bolnykh s defektami kostei goleni, oslozhnennymi khronicheskim osteomielitom.

The article analyses the results of medical rehabilitation of 176 patients with defects in the leg bones complicated by chronic osteomyelitis by methods of transosseous osteosynthesis. In average hospitalization terms of 380.8 +/- 15.6 days, medical rehabilitation was achieved in 88.6% of patients. The results of complex clinical and laboratory examination of 46 patients by means of angiographic, radionuclide, and physiological methods confirm gradual correction of the initial regional arterial insufficiency which was combined with anatomical and physiological rehabilitation of the affected leg by the end of treatment. It was established that the high clinical result of the developed methods of transosseous osteosynthesis is based on the formation of a new zone of the vascular channel in the affected limb segment.

[Rehabilitation of patients with suppurative osseous complications of gunshot wounds of the shoulder in Ethiopia]. / Reabilitatsiia bol'nykh s gnoino-kostnymi oslozhneniiami ognestrel'nykh ranenii plecha v usloviiakh Efiopii.

The authors have analysed the results of the treatment of 68 patients with pyo-osseous complications of the gunshot wounds of the shoulder which had been repeatedly operated at previous stages. The failures were connected with suppurations of the wounds, faults of the surgical technique and the postoperative management of the patient. All the patients were operated repeatedly at two stages: radical necrosequestrotomy, epidermatoplasty and tendoplasty were performed at stage I and bone autografting with immobilization with an plaster bandage were performed at stage II. The results of the treatment were good in 31 patients, satisfactory in 18 patients and not satisfactory in 6 patients. After tendoplasty the results were good in 12 patients and satisfactory in in 6 patients.

[The treatment of deep hand infections]. / De behandeling van diepe handinfecties.

Thirty patients with deep infections of the hand presented between 1982 and 1986 in our Department of Traumatology. Twenty infections were caused by neglected cut- or stab-wounds or animal bite injuries. Mostly Staphylococci or Streptococci were isolated from the wound culture. Only twelve patients could be operated upon ambulatory basis. Postoperative treatment was necessary for more than two months in half of the patients. The patients had a moderate or severe diminution of hand function. All cut- or stab-wounds and human or animal bite injuries of the fingers and hand must be considered as infected wounds. In patients with deep hand infections, surgical debridement and exploration should be performed urgently. Postoperative daily cleaning of the wound, washing out of the infected tendon sheath and passive mobilization of the fingers should be done. The active mobilization starts when infection is regressed and is continued for several weeks. Nevertheless we have to accept a significant loss of hand function in many patients.