Objective To evaluate the effects of different ways of exercise training on elderly patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ( COPD) , which focuse on the changes of cardiopulmonary exercise function and COPD symptoms. Methods 54 cases of elderly patients with stable COPD were randomly allocated to a control ( 15 cases) , a lower-limb ( 20 cases) , or a upper-Limb and lower-Limb combined exercise group ( 19 cases) . All patients received conventional medical therapy.Meanwhile, the exercise groups received training for 16 weeks. The improvements of resting spirometry,cardiopulmonary exercise test ( CPET) , and dyspnea ( Borg scale rating) were evaluated before and after the training scheme. Results There was no significant difference in resting spirometry after exercise training( P gt;0. 05) . Exercise tolerance and Borg scale were improved in both exercise groups significantly than baseline ( P gt;0. 05) and the control group ( P gt;0. 05) . VE@ 50% Vo2max was improved significantly in the combined group( 4. 81 ±0. 70 vs. 2. 49 ±1. 15, P lt; 0. 001) . Breathing reserve ( BR) was elevated in bothexercise groups than the control ( P lt; 0. 01) , and the improvement in the combined group was more significant ( 9. 79 ±1. 57 vs. - 1. 36 ±2. 82, P lt; 0. 001) . Gas exchange response ( VD /VT ) was slightly improved after rehabilitation in the combined group( P lt;0. 05) . Borg scale after rehabilitation was correlatedwith FEV1% pred, BR, and Vo2 /kg after rehabilitation[ Borg = 9. 516 - 0. 174 ×FEV1% pred - 0. 156 × (Vo2 /kg) - 0. 023 ×BR] . Conclusions Upper-limb combined with lower-limb exercise training can markedly improve the level of aerobic capacity and ventilation in elderly patients with stable COPD, and then improve the exercise tolerance.
Objective To investigate the etiology, diagnosis, revascularization of upper l imb ischemia and the compl ications. Methods From March 2003 to February 2008, 72 cases of upper l imb ischemia were treated. There were 44males and 28 females, aged 19-90 years old (median 63 years old). The duration of the disease was 1 hour to 2 years. All cases had symptoms of l imb ischemia such as paleness, coldness, paralysis. According to individual condition, 72 patients accepted revascularizations including thromboembolectomy, reconstruction after traumatic injuries, pseudoaneurysm excision and angioplasty, balloon dilatation and stent implant, arterial repair, patch, vascular prosthesis or vein bypass/transplantation, and l igation or coarctation of fistula. Results Sixty patients (83.3%) recovered well after operation. Re-occlusion following thromboemboletomy was found in 6 patients (8.3%). And there were 4 patients (5.6%) with l imbs disturbance and muscles contracture and 2 patients (2.8%) with compartment syndrome in this series. The affected l imb had to be amputated in 2 patients (2.8%). And 1 patient (1.4%) died of cerebral hemorrhage because of anticoagulation 3 days after operation. All patients were followed up 1-6 years (mean 52 months) after operation. Four patients recurred and got improved after retreatments. The others got a good result with normal skin color and temperature, restoration of the radial and ulnar pulses, normal saturation of blood oxygen of finger ti p (gt; 90%) and patent blood flow of affected arteries was shown by color Doppler ultrasound. Conclusion The study indicates that identifying the etiology of upper l imb ischemia before operation and active revascularizations consistent with different causes are the key to treat the upper l imb ischemia.
【Abstract】 Objective To investigate the operative techniques and cl inical results of repairing the soft tissue defectsof forearm and hand with free peroneal perforator-based sural neurofasciocutaneous flap. Methods From May 2006 toJanuary 2007, 6 patients including 5 males and 1 female were treated. Their ages ranged from 22 years to 51 years. They were injured by motor vehicle accidents (2 cases), or crushed by machines (4 cases), with skin defect of hand in 1 case, skin defect of hand associated with tendon injuries and metacarpal fractures in 2 cases, skin defect of forearm in 2 cases, and forearm skin defects with fractures of radius and ulna in 1 case. The areas of soft tissue defect ranged from 16 cm × 7 cm to 24 cm × 10 cm. The debridement and the primary treatment to tendons or bones were performed on emergency. And free flaps were transplanted when the wound areas were stable at 4 to 7 days after the emergent treatment. During the operation, the flaps were designed along the axis of the sural nerve nutrient vessels according to the shape and size of the soft tissue defects, with the peroneal perforator above the lateral malleolus as the pedicle and along with a part of the peroneal artery for vascula anastomosis. Then the flaps were harvested and transferred to the reci pient sites with the peroneal vartey anastomosed to the radial (or ulnar) artery and the peroneal veins to one of the radial (or ulnar) veins and the cephal ic vein, respectively. The flap size ranged from 18 cm × 8 cm to 25 cm × 12 cm. The donor areas were closed by skin grafts. Results The 5 flaps survived after the surgery. Partial inadequate venous return and distal superficial necrosis happened in only 1 case, which also got secondary heal ing by changing dressing and anti-infective therapy. The donor sites reached primary heal ing completely. The followed-up in all the patients for 6 to 13 months revealed that the appearance and function of the flaps were all satisfactory, and no influence on ambulation of donor site was found. Conclusion Peroneal perforator-based sural neurofasciocutaneous flap has the advantages of favourable appearance, constant vascular pedicle, rel iable blood supply, large size of elevation and minor influence on the donor site. And the free transfer of this flap is an ideal procedure to repair the large soft tissue defects of forearm and hand.
Objective To evaluate the long-term function of the traumaticallydamaged joint after its repair with transplantation of a fresh or a frozen allogenic joint. Methods From March 1977 to September 1993, 13 patients (9 males, 4females; age, 17-55 years) with traumatically-damaged joints underwent transplantation of the fresh or the frozen allogenic joints. Five patients had 5 damagedmetacarpophalangeal joints, 6 patients had 9 damaged interphalangeal joints, and 2 patients had 2 damaged elbow joints. So, the traumatic damage involved 13 patients and 16 joints. All the metacarpophalangeal joints and the interphalangeal joints were injured by machines and the 2 elbow joints were injured by road accidents. The patients were randomly divided into 2 groups: Group A (n=7) andGroup B (n=6). The 7patients with 8 joints in Group A underwent transplantation of fresh allogenic joints; the 6 patients with 8 joints in Group B underwent transplantation of frozen allogenic joints. The allogenic joint transplants were performed in the period from immediately after the injuries to 6 months after the injuries. The motion ranges of the transplanted joints and the X-ray films were examined after operation, and the immunological examination was performed at 8 weeksafter operation. Results The time for synostosis was 5-8 months in Group A, but4-6 months in Group B. In Group A, at 2 years after operation the metacarpophalangeal flexion was 30-40° and the interphalangeal flexion was 20-30°; however,at 6 or 7 years after operation the interphalangeal flexion was only 10-20°. The patients undergoing the transplantation with fresh elbow joints had the elbowflexion of 60° and the elbow extension of 0°, and had the forearm pronation of 30°and the forearm supination of 30°. But in Group B, at 2 years after operation the metacarpophalangeal flexion was 6070° and the interphalangeal flexionwas 40-50°; at 6 or 7 years after operation the interphalangeal flexion was still 40-50°. However, the patients undergoing the transplantation with frozen elbow joints had the elbow flexion of 90° and the elbow extension of 0°, and hadthe forearm pronation of 45° and a forearm supination of 45°. The joint motion ranges, the Xray findings, and the immunological results in the patients undergoing the transplantation of the frozen allogenic joints were significantly better than those in the patients undergoing the transplantation of fresh allogenicjoints. There was a significant difference in the immunological examination between Group A and Group B (IL2, 21.64±3.99；CD4/CD8,3.88±0.82 vs.IL-2,16.63±3.11；CD4/CD8, 2.53±0.23, P＜0.01). Conclusion Repairing the traumatically-damaged joints with frozen allogenic joints is a better method of regaining the contour, movement, and complex motion of the hands.
Objective To discuss the reconstructive method of the bone defect after resection of the upper extremity bone tumor and to assess the outcome of the autograft to reconstruct the bone defect after the bone tumor resection. Methods From August 1998 to March 2004,16 patients aged 7~45 years suffering from bone tumor of the upper extremity were treated with the wide resection of the bone tumor and the reconstruction of the bone defect by the autograft. The following diagnoses were confirmed by pathological examination:Ewing’s sarcoma and osteosarcoma of theproximal humerus in 1 patient each; Ewing’s sarcoma of the distal humerus in 2 patients;giant cell tumor in 8 patients, highgrade chondrosarcoma in 2, malignant fibrohistiocytoma in 1; and osteosarcoma in 1 of the distal radius. Substitution of the proximal humerus with the clavicle was performed in 2 patients, andthedistal humerus with the fibula in other 2 patients. Of the 12 patients with tumor in the distal radius, 1 was reconstructed with autograft of the iliac bone and 11 with autograft with the fibula. The functional outcome was evaluated by the MSTS score. Results The follow-up for 36 and 12 months respectively revealed that in the 2 patients undergoing the autograft with the clavicle in the proximal humerus, good shoulder functions of flexion and extension were obtained although the function of abduction was poor, with the MSTS scores of 23 and 22 respectively. In the 2 patients undergoing the autograft with the fibular in the distal humerus, good elbow function and bone union were observed according to the followup for 3 and 4 months respectively, with the MSTS scores of 24 and 19 respectively. Of the 12 patients undergoing the autograft in the distal radius, 11 had an excellent or good function with no complication, with the average MSTS score of 22.6 (ranging from 18 to 27), accordingto the follow-up for 6-75 months; only 1 had no bone union 10 months after operation and lost the follow-up afterwards. Conclusion Reconstruction ofthe bone defect with the autograft after the wide resection of the upper extremity bone tumor is an ideal and reliable method for some suitable patients, especially for some children.
Objective To discuss the advantages and disadvantages of flaps in therepairment of soft tissue defects in upper extremity. Methods Based on the 2 609 cases of flaps in 2 512 patients from 1995 to 2004,the advantages and disadvantages of different sort of flaps, outcomes of treatment and indications of different soft of flaps were analyzed retrospectively. In the series, 2 089 pieces of the traditional flaps of different sorts were applied in 1 992 patients, 474 piecesof the axial flaps of different sorts were applied in 474 patients, different sorts of free flaps were used in 46 patients. Results Follow-ups were done for 1 month to 9 years (2.7 months in average). 2 531 flaps survived (97.01%); complete necrosis occurred in 10 flaps(0.38%); partial necrosis occurred in 68 flaps(2.61%). Of the 2 089 traditional flaps, 46 had partial necrosis(2.2%); 687 needed flap revisions(32.9%). Of the 474 axial flaps, 28 had complete or partial necrosis(5.9%); 82 needed revisions(17.3%). Of the 46 free flaps, 4 had complete or partial necrosis(8.7%) and nearly all the anterolateral flpas of thighs needed revisions.Conclusion Traditional flaps had the advantages of easy manipulation and the highest survival rate, however, also had the disadvantages of poor texture and many timesof operations. The flap with a pedicle had the advantage of good texture, consistent artery, free-range arc, however, the venous congestion was its disadvantage, which impaired the survival of the reverse flap. Free flap had the advantage ofgood texture and abandant donor site, but complicate manipulation was its shortage. Axial Flap with a pedicle is the optional choicefor repairing soft tissue defects in upper extremity.