Immersive Virtual Reality in Orthopedic Hand Therapy.

Emerging advances in immersive virtual reality incorporating optical hand-tracking present promising potential for application in orthopedic hand therapy. The system is designed to analyze hand movements, enabling users to "use" their hands virtually in any fabricated setting. This article, supplemented with videos, examines practical applications of immersive virtual reality in routine hand therapy and provides a scientific presentation of the interaction of immersive virtual reality with our physiological and neurological systems. Indications for immersive virtual reality use, critical evaluations and recommendations are comprehensively discussed. Immersive virtual reality has the potential to evolve into a standard treatment modality in orthopedic hand therapy.

Total hip arthroplasty with a superior approach and in situ preparation of the femoral stem: technique and feasibility in a prospective series of 80 cases.

We report on the feasibility of a technique for total hip replacement with in situ preparation of the femoral stem through a superior approach and with the use of standard instruments. From December 2017 to august 2018, 100 patients were recruited for total hip replacement. 80 patients underwent THA through a superior approach with femoral broaching before femoral neck cut. We evaluated feasibility, complications and early functional outcome. There were no major complications. Postoperative leg length discrepancy was on average +0.6mm and offset -0.5mm. The mean acetabular cup inclination was 42.0° and the mean anteversion was 14.5°. The mean WOMAC score was 46 before, 76 at 1 month and 86 at 3 months after surgery. Functional scores (OARSI) were significantly improved at 3 months. Superior in situ total hip replacement is a reliable and reproducible technique with an excellent clinical outcome. It is an iteration to the posterior approach, hence the learning curve is steep and if needed, conversion to a standard posterior approach is possible.

A Detailed Comparison of Preoperative Complaints in Severe Carpal Tunnel Syndrome versus Recurrent Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Using the Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire.

Background: The Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire (BCTQ) has a symptom severity scale (SSS) with 11 questions and a functional status scale (FSS) with 8 questions. The final score for each scale is the sum divided by the number of questions and ranges between 1 and 5. A score of 1 indicates they have no complaints and 5 indicates high severity and functional loss. Unfortunately, this single digit score does not permit a detailed analysis of the symptoms and functional status. The aim of this study is to conduct an in-depth comparison of preoperative complaints using the BCTQ between patients with severe carpal tunnel syndrome (SCTS) and recurrent carpal tunnel syndrome (RCTS). Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study on the preoperative status of 37 patients with SCTS and 18 patients with RCTS using the BCTQ. The questions in the SSS and FSS were classified into four groups based on the responses of patients, namely a low complaint (LC) (1-1.99), moderate complaint (MC) (2-2.99), high complaint (HC) (3-3.99), and severe complaint (SC) (4-5) groups. The patients in the SCTS and RCTS groups were compared to find differences in age, gender, hand dominance, and responses to questions in the SSS and FSS. Results: The age of patients in the SCTS group (76.06 years) was significantly higher compared to the RCTS group (51.11 years). There was no significant difference between the two groups with regard to gender or hand dominance. The top question with SC or HC response in the SCTS group was problems in grasping small objects (SSS) and fastening buttons (FSS) and in the RCTS group was tingling in the hand (SSS) and difficulty with opening a jar (FSS). Conclusions: An in-depth analysis of the BCTQ allowed us to compare and understand differences in symptoms and function between patients with SCTS and RCTS. Level of Evidence: Level III (Therapeutic).