bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Age Differences in Types of Interpersonal Tensions
Authors: Cichy Kelly E. , Fingerman Karen L. , Lefkowitz Eva S.
Published: February 2007

This study examined age differences in topics that generate interpersonal tensions as well as relationship level characteristics that may account for variability in the content of interpersonal tensions. Participants aged 13 to 99 years ( N = 184) diagramed their close and problematic social networks, and then provided open-ended descriptions of recent tensions with up to 6 social partners. Multilevel models were conducted to examine variability in 5 types of tensions (i.e., financial issues, daily activities, scheduling, job/school, and self). Older adults were less likely than younger ages to describe tensions over job/school and daily activities. Job/school tensions were more likely to occur with acquaintances and negative network members. Tensions over scheduling were more likely to occur with positive and ambivalent network members, and tensions over daily activities were associated with less emotional distress. Results suggest relationship characteristics contribute to the content of tensions.
Maximizing Participation of Hispanic Community-Based/Non-Governmental Organizations (Ngos) in Emergency Preparedness
Authors: Baezconde-Garbanati Lourdes , Unger Jennifer , Portugal Cecilia , Delgado Jane L. , Falcon Adolph , Gaitan Marcela
Published: February 2007

To better understand social and structural changes needed to maximize community-based participation in emergency preparedness, 27 organizations, representing 12 states, participated in a study of the National Alliance for Hispanic Health. The study assessed social change needs (social will, community readiness, assets, and barriers) and structural needs (organizational capacity to integrate services into emergency management efforts locally). Results show high social will but little community readiness. Most non-governmental organizations (NGOs; 96%) were willing, but ill-prepared (65%) to face large-scale emergencies. Assets include bilingual/bicultural personnel, cultural competency, local knowledge, and public trust. Barriers include lack of culturally appropriate training and resources. Structurally, most NGOs want to link with voluntary organizations (79%) and public health departments (74%), but lack integration and coordination. Maximizing timely participation of these underutilized stakeholders in emergency planning can ensure culturally-proficient, community-tailored emergency plans, increased public confidence, and timely compliance with evacuation orders, thus helping to save lives.
Expressive/Exploratory Technical Writing (XTW) in Engineering: Shifting the Technical Writing Curriculum
Authors: Warnock Scott , Kahn Michael
Published: February 2007

While the importance of “expressive writing,” or informal, self-directed writing, has been well established, teachers underutilize it, particularly in technical writing courses. We introduce the term expressive/exploratory technical writing (XTW), which is the use of informal, self-directed writing to problem-solve in technical fields. We describe how engineering students resist writing, despite decades of research showing its importance to their careers, and we suggest that such resistance may be because most students only see writing as an audience-driven performance and thus incompletely understand the link between writing and thinking. The treatment of invention in rhetorical history supports their view. We describe two examples of using XTW in software engineering to plan programming tasks. We conclude by discussing how a systematic use of XTW could shift the technical writing curriculum, imbuing the curriculum with writing and helping students see how to problem-solve using natural language.
There's More to the Title Than Meets the Eye: Exploring the Possibilities
Authors: Hartley James
Published: February 2007

There is little research on the use of titles in academic articles, and even less on different types of titles. In this article Crosby's taxonomy of titles [1] is brought up-to date and extended. Twelve types of titles are distinguished. The author argues that it would be helpful to discuss these different types with student writers.
The Distribution of Mortality in the United States: The Effects of Income (Inequality), Social Capital, and Race
Authors: Weaver Robert R. , Rivello Robert
Published: February 2007

This article examines how absolute and relative income levels, social capital, and racial/ethnic composition interact to explain variation in age-adjusted mortality rates across the 48 contiguous U.S. states. Our data showed that social capital had a powerful, negative effect on age-adjusted mortality rates —higher social capital states had lower age-adjusted mortality rates. After controlling for other variables, median income moderately related to mortality, but unexpectedly three measures of inequality did not. Finally, states' percent African American positively related to mortality, though indirectly and mediated entirely by social capital. In contrast, the strong negative effect of percent Hispanic/Latino on mortality was partially suppressed by its negative association with social capital. Our understanding of the substantial impact of social conditions on mortality can help inform public policies and actions that may foster healthier and longer lives.
The Role of Psychotherapy and Humor for Death Anxiety, Death Wishes, and Aging
Authors: Richman Joseph
Published: February 2007

This article is part of a series of humor on social attitudes (Richmen, 1977), humor by the elderly (Richman, 1989), assessment (Richman, 1996a), and psychotherapy (Richman, 1996b). The present study is based on the topics of humor related to death anxiety and wishes, and aging that emerged during psychotherapy with elderly patients. The healing qualities of laughter and humor have been observed since Biblical times to the present, however the applications of humor to professional psychotherapy is still in its infancy. The examples in this study spell out how humor in therapy can bring people together, and help them affirm life and laugh at anxiety, depression, and their problems in living.
Academic Technology in Higher Education: Organizing for Better Results
Authors: Nworie John
Published: February 2007

The field of instructional technology has continued to evolve since its inception in the early l900s. Academic technology units in higher education have witnessed tremendous change in the last one and a half decades. The changes have led to reorganizations, realignments, adoption of innovative administrative structures, increased demands for services, and the addition of new roles for their personnel. In the midst of the changes, institutions continue to investigate the best approach to the organization of their academic technology to best serve faculty and the instructional needs of the institution. Proper organization and effective administration can lead to a thriving unit that efficiently supports the instructional goals of the institution. This article examines changes in academic technology support units (ITU) and models that are emerging in the organization of the units, and suggests issues to consider in the organization or reorganization of units that provide instructional technology support in higher education.
Another Slant on the Oblique Effect in Drawings and Paintings
Authors: Miller R. J.
Published: February 2007

Latto and Russell-Duff (2002) showed that artists used more horizontal and vertical than oblique lines in museum paintings, concluding that this preference was a reflection of the traditional (presumably neurogically mediated) “oblique effect.” Alternative explanations, however, could be that oblique orientations have a unique status as a result of artistic training and tradition, and/or that a quadrilateral frame may induce such preferences, and/or that most of the paintings were representational, and the real world is more horizontal and vertical than oblique. Sixty-three undergraduates drew two pictures, one representational and the other abstract, on circular sheets of paper. Fewer oblique than horizontal or vertical lines were used in representational drawings. However, for abstract pictures there was no difference among the three orientations. Similar results occurred for line length. The average extent to which line angles departed from oblique was significantly less for abstract than representational pictures. It was concluded that the “oblique effect” reported by Latto and Russell-Duff could have been at least in part a reflection of the subject matter of the paintings rather than an inherent preference for horizontal and vertical orientations.
Alcohol Abuse as a Rite of Passage: The Effect of Beliefs about Alcohol and the College Experience on Undergraduates' Drinking Behaviors
Authors: Crawford Lizabeth A. , Novak Katherine B.
Published: February 2007

Qualitative studies of alcohol's ritual influences indicate that college undergraduates who drink heavily tend to view alcohol use as integral to the student role and feel entitled to drink irresponsibly. Our analyses, based on a standardized measure of these beliefs administered to approximately 300 students, confirmed these findings. Among our sample, beliefs about alcohol and the college experience had an effect on levels of alcohol consumption similar in magnitude to that of other variables commonly associated with a risk for heavy drinking. Moreover, the alcohol beliefs index moderated the effects of three risk factors—gender, high school drinking, and friends' use of alcohol—on respondents' drinking behaviors. These findings are discussed within the context of the anthropological literature on liminality and rites of passage and with regard to strategies for intervention that address the structural roots of the widespread abuse of alcohol on college campuses.
Life-History Related Differences in Possible Selves in Very Old Age
Authors: Hoppmann Christiane , Smith Jacqui
Published: February 2007

The impact of early life events that take place under specific historical and societal circumstances on adult development have rarely been investigated in old age. We examined whether having started a family in young adulthood was related to the contents of possible selves generated by women aged 85 to 100+ in the Berlin Aging Study ( N = 129; M age = 93 years). Health-related possible selves dominated in the entire sample. However, mothers ( n = 79) and lifetime childless women ( n = 50) differed in their endorsement of family- and friend-related possible selves. Contrary to expectations, childless women mentioned more family-related themes, while mothers addressed more friendship-related themes. Despite these differences both groups of women reported equally high levels of well-being. These findings indicate that starting a family in young adulthood still has an influence on the self up until very old age and that these distinct pathways can still lead to similar aging success.
The Influence of Cultural Perception of Causation, Complications, and Severity of Childhood Malaria on Determinants of Treatment and Preventive Pathways
Authors: Falade Catherine O. , Ogundiran Moradeke O. , Bolaji Mark O. , Ajayi Ikeoluwapo O. , Akinboye Dora O. , Oladepo Oladimeji , Adeniyi Joshua D. , Oduola A. M. J.
Published: February 2007

A cluster sample of 2,052 mothers and other caregivers of children from southwest Nigeria was studied. Qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection were employed, including semi-structured questionnaires, focus groups, in-depth interviews, and parasitological investigation forms/blood smears. “Too much work” (17.7%) and “too much sun” (12.6%) were the two most-often mentioned causes of malaria. Malaria was not perceived as a serious disease. Convulsions and anemia are not perceived as complications of malaria and are preferentially treated by traditional healers. Fifty-eight and one-half percent of children with malaria were treated at home. Choice of drugs used was based on previous experience and advice from various members of the community. Fathers (53.5%) and mother (32.5%) decided on where ill children received treatment. Mothers (51.5%) paid for the drugs more often than fathers (44.6%). Symptoms described as “iba lasan,” which means “ordinary fever,” conform to the clinical case definition of malaria. Cultural practices that are likely to influence appropriate treatment-seeking include cultural perception of malaria as ordinary fever, wrong perceptions of severe malaria, and father's role as decision maker.
Peer Scaffolding of Knowledge Building Through Collaborative Groups with Differential Learning Experiences
Authors: Lai Ming , Law Nancy
Published: February 2007

This article describes a case study of an international collaboration between two classes of fifth grade students through an online discussion platform with one group more experienced in online knowledge building activities than the other. Before the collaboration, the novice class tended to produce isolated notes filled with information and confined their efforts to their own selected topics. When the more experienced class joined in, the discourse of the students in the novice class changed from more information-centered toward meaning negotiations; many more of their notes were linked with one another and they no longer confined their reading and responses to their own study topic. The class more experienced in knowledge building was more ready to express disagreement in their discourse. There was also evidence that the novice class learned from the experienced class to ask more questions in their online discussion. When the joint-collaboration ended, the novice class could still maintain the changed interaction patterns that reflected a stronger knowledge building orientation.
Cognitive Tools for Understanding History: What More Do We Need?
Authors: O'Neill D. K. , Weiler M. J.
Published: February 2007

Computer-based cognitive tools may have an important role to play in making widespread improvements in history teaching. Scholars agree that one important way to help students understand history is to involve them in historical interpretation, and there have been promising developments in the design of tools that scaffold students' interpretation of historical sources. However, some of the researchers themselves have pointed out important limits to this approach. Using participant-observer data from a classroom project aimed at improving students' grasp of “metahistorical” ideas, this article further illuminates the challenge of helping students to understand historical interpretation, and sketches the rough outlines of a library-based system that would augment existing cognitive tools.
The Added Value Features of Online Scholarly Journals
Authors: Luzón María José
Published: February 2007

Online scholarly journals have become an important tool for the generation of knowledge and the distribution and access to research. The purpose of this article is to analyze the features of online scholarly journals and to determine whether they incorporate new Internet-enabled features and functions which help to meet the needs of the members of the scholarly community more effectively. Drawing on Taylor's concept of added value [1], the features of online scholarly journals were classified into the following types: features which enhance ease of use and facilitate access to data, features that provide selected information and thus reduce noise, features which improve quality, features which address specific user needs, and features which contribute to time or cost savings. The analysis revealed that, although some online journals operate in the same way as print journals, there are others which incorporate innovative features which are transforming the journal to make it a more effective tool for scholarly activity.
Sign Language Subtitling by Highly Comprehensible “Semantroids”
Authors: Adamo-Villani Nicoletta , Beni Gerardo
Published: February 2007

We introduce a new method of sign language subtitling aimed at young deaf children who have not acquired reading skills yet, and can communicate only via signs. The method is based on: 1) the recently developed concept of “semantroid™” (an animated 3D avatar limited to head and hands); 2) the design, development, and psychophysical evaluation of a highly comprehensible model of the semantroid; and 3) the implementation of a new multi-window, scrolling captioning technique. Based on “semantic intensity” estimates, we have enhanced the comprehensibility of the semantroid by: i) the use of non-photorealistic rendering (NPR); and ii) the creation of a 3D face model with distinctive features. We have then validated the comprehensibility of the semantroid through a series of tests on human subjects which assessed accuracy and speed of recognition of facial stimuli and hand gestures as a function of mode of representation and facial geometry. Test results show that, in the context of sign language subtitling (i.e., in limited space), the most comprehensible semantroid model is a toon-rendered model with distinctive facial features. Because of its enhanced comprehensibility, this type of semantroid can be scaled to fit in a very small area, and thus it is possible to display multiple captioning windows simultaneously. The concurrent display of several progressive animated signed sentences allows for review of information, a feature not present in any sign language subtitling method presented so far. As an example of application, we have applied the multi-window, scrolling captioning technique to a children's video of a chemistry experiment.
Aesthetic Communication through Posters
Authors: Tan Ed S. , Tollenaar Anja
Published: February 2007

Posters for cultural products such as theater performances aim at communicating aesthetic features of the product by their own aesthetic features. Successful communication entails a correct decoding of the aesthetic attributes of performances by poster viewers. An aesthetic communication effect was investigated in two studies, in which three attributes were rated, namely complexity, unconventionality and quality, of 37 posters and related performances. Three expectations were put to test, using multilevel modelling. First, poster judgments should correspond to an external criterion, that is, performance judgments obtained in an earlier study. Both studies showed associations between criterion judgments of complexity and unconventionality, but not of quality. Second, performance ratings produced immediately after the rating of posters should correspond to poster ratings. Results of Study 2 were entirely in line with the expectation, whereas Study 1 supported it for complexity and unconventionality but not for quality. Third, theater expertise of raters should enhance the two correspondences just mentioned. Study 2 only tested the expectation, and it failed to produce expertise differences. Some explorations of the determinants of poster quality were carried out. Taken together, the studies provide some evidence for successful communication of some “collative” properties of theater posters, but further research is needed to shed light on the communication of quality. In further research aesthetic communication may be understood as an only partially intentional form of emotional communication.
Cigarette Smoking, Friendship Factors, and Social Norm Perceptions among Central and Eastern European High School Students
Authors: Page Randy M. , Ihasz Ferenc , Simonek Jaromir , Klarova Renata , Hantiu Iacob
Published: February 2007

Studies investigating smoking behavior among adolescents living in post-communistic Central-European countries are sparse. This study focused on the relationship between cigarette smoking, certain friendship factors, and social norm perceptions among 1,886 Central-Eastern European adolescents from high schools in Hungary, Slovakia, Czech Republic, and Romania. Smoking behavior was related to having friends who smoke, ease or difficulty making new friends, time spent with friends after school and during evenings, and estimations of the prevalence of smoking by schoolmates. Because these youth appear to overestimate the prevalence of smoking by schoolmates, the use of a norms-correction strategy may have potential merit in smoking prevention efforts targeting these adolescents. Smoking prevention and reduction are critical issues for Central-Eastern European youth because they appear to smoke cigarettes at a high rate.
Supporting Group Cognition in an Online Math Community: A Cognitive Tool for Small-Group Referencing in Text Chat
Authors: Stahl Gerry
Published: February 2007

The Virtual Math Teams Project is exploring how to create, structure, support, and assess an online chat-based collaborative community devoted to mathematics discourse. It is analyzing the forms of group cognition that emerge from the use of shared cognitive tools with specific functionalities. Centered on a case study of a synchronous online interchange, this article discusses the use of a graphical referencing tool in coordination with text chat to achieve a group orientation to a particular mathematical object in a shared whiteboard. Deictic referencing is seen to be a critical foundation of intersubjective cognitive processes that index objects of shared attention. The case study suggests that cognitive tools to support group referencing can be important to supporting group alignment, intentionality, and cognition in online communities such as this one for collaborative mathematics.
Non-Rule Environmental Policy: A Case Study of a Foundry Sand Land Disposal NPD
Authors: Griggs Karen
Published: February 2007

This historical case study of a non-rule policy document (NPD) adopted by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management describes an emerging genre in environmental discourse. The NPD standardizes environmental public policy for land disposal of foundry sand, a solid waste. The collaborative writing process took six months with industry input, and the NPD was presented to two environmental boards. Two contrasts, in process and format, distinguish NPDs from rules. The NPD is an entirely new kind of writing which includes guidance for implementing statutes. The writing process in the case involves government writers and industry representatives, although it does not include other public input such as public hearings. Instead, the staff of the pollution control agency simply presents the NPD to the appropriate environmental policy boards and arranges for its publication. This article adds to the body of knowledge about technical writing in government, specifically environmental policy and non-academic genres.
Achieving Objectivity through Genred Activity: A Case Study
Authors: Little Joseph
Published: February 2007

Finding itself at the center of highly publicized legal and political deliberations over fairness in testing, personnel credibility, and legal liability, the training department at a North American transit authority adopted a genre system that enabled the production of objective evidence of job competence, which was then used to make objective decisions about who passed and failed various training programs. The ongoing genre-structured activity of the department involved not only the regularization of organizational texts but also the regularization of social interaction mediated by those texts, which, while producing the types of interpretively stable documents required for successful public deliberation, led to a shift in authority and social relations within the department that instigated considerable resentment and loss of morale among many veteran instructors.
College Students, Internet Use, and Protection from Online Identity Theft
Authors: Norum Pamela S. , Weagley Robert O.
Published: February 2007

The Internet has experienced phenomenal growth in higher education. In addition to many pedagogical benefits, there are potential risks to the student users, including identity theft. This study examined the extent to which selected online practices that could minimize the risk of financial identity theft are used by college students. Data were collected from over 7,000 students at one Midwestern university. Multivariate analysis was used to analyze students' ability to identify a secure Internet site, and to buy from a secure site. Gender, age, and race were among the significant variables. The results have implications for educating students about Internet related risks.
Positioning Bias in Portraits and Self-Portraits: Do Female Artists Make Different Choices?
Authors: Suitner Caterina , Maass Anne
Published: February 2007

Three studies analyzed spatial orientation of portraits (Study 1, N = 359 and Study 2, N = 961) and self-portraits (Study 3, N = 362). Besides replicating a number of previous findings (a general left-ward orientation in portraits but right-ward orientation in self-portraits), we report a number of new results: (1) compared to men, women painters show no gender bias in portraits, and show no rightward orientation in self-portraits; (2) gender differences decline over time and disappear entirely after the 1848 social movements in Europe; and, (3) old and young sitters are portrayed with a stronger leftward orientation than sitters of the intermediate age group (supported only in Study 1). Results are interpreted as supporting Chatterjee's (2002) agency hypothesis.
Authoritative Parenting and Sensation Seeking as Predictors of Adolescent Cigarette and Marijuana Use
Authors: Stephenson Michael T. , Helme Donald W.
Published: February 2007

Adolescents with high sensation-seeking tendencies often seek out thrill seeking experiences to satisfy their need for stimulation and sensation. In many cases, sensation-seeking adolescents fulfill their need for stimulation and sensation by using illicit substances. However, not all high sensation seekers use drugs, although the factors that prevent or buffer sensation seeking remain unexplored. This study fills this gap in extant research by examining the role of authoritative parenting as a protective factor that prevents or buffers cigarette and marijuana use by adolescents with high sensation-seeking tendencies. Data from 1,461 adolescents attending 6th through 8th grades in central Colorado were gathered during a semester-long classroom-based intervention to prevent the onset or further use of cigarettes. Results indicate that authoritative parenting moderated the effect of sensation seeking on adolescent marijuana attitudes, intentions, and peer influence but not behaviors. Further, authoritative parenting was a stronger influence than sensation seeking on cigarette-related outcomes with just the opposite effect observed for marijuana-related outcomes.
Why Shouldn't Teachers and Teacher Educators Conduct Research on Their Own Practices? An Epistemological Exploration
Authors: Lunenberg Mieke , Ponte Petra , Van De Ven Piet-Hein
Published: February 2007

The idea of teachers and teacher educators engaging in research is not, in itself, new, but in recent years the propagation of this idea seems to have become really popular. This growing popularity brings the risk that practitioner research will degenerate into an increasingly vague and obscure ‘container concept’. The aim of this article is to pause to allow time to reflect on the concept of practitioner research from a perspective that sees knowledge, knowledge-constitutive interests and knowledge construction as interrelated.
The ‘Response’ of the Greek State to Global Trends of Educational Policy Making
Authors: Gouvias Dionyssios S.
Published: February 2007

Many academics in the past have attempted to provide an overview of the general and common elements and ‘trends' in contemporary, international education policy, focusing mainly on the most advanced — economically and technologically — countries of the ‘West’: from the increasing adoption of market ideologies in (public) education, to the introduction of modern management techniques into the organisation of state schools; and from a rising support for ‘public choice’ theories to the prevalence of the ‘perfomativity’ criterion. The main aim of this article is to examine the degree of ‘adaptation’ of the contemporary Greek educational system to the above trends. Using Ball's analytic model (1998), this will be done through a comparison between the specificities of the Greek social — and consequently, educational — formation and those of other advanced countries of the ‘West’, drawing examples mainly from the European experience.
The Social Organisation of Education Research in England
Authors: Lawn Martin , Furlong John
Published: February 2007

The field of education research has grown enormously in England over the last 25 years — in size, complexity, forms of production and purpose. It has been shaped by governmental, market and production changes, and it appears to be moving outside the university sector as well. The British Educational Research Association is trying to map the field and to make sense of its development. This article begins with a search for relevant data about the key elements in the field — personnel, institutions, output, etc. — and tries to draw conclusions about the next steps in the inquiry.
Educational Research and the Restructuring of the State: The Impacts of Parliamentary Devolution in Wales
Authors: Rees Gareth , Power Sally
Published: February 2007

This article explores the relationships between educational research and the state. However, the aim is not to construct idealised versions of what the relationship between research and educational policy ought to be, but rather to examine the ways in which the state is able to influence the priorities of educational research through its role as the key funder of such research and as a principal consumer of its results. Empirically, the analysis is located in a particular historical context: the restructuring of the United Kingdom (UK) through the devolution of powers from the UK central government to a Parliament in Scotland and an Assembly in Wales, each with its devolved executive. In particular, the effects of this devolution on educational research are analysed through an examination of the transformation of educational research in universities; and of the ways in which the Welsh Assembly Government has used research in the processes through which educational policies are developed. Processes of globalisation have created complex interactions between civil society and different levels of government in many societies, which have had important consequences for the ways in which education policies are produced and the roles played by different forms of ‘expert’ knowledge (including educational research). Accordingly, the significance of the analysis extends beyond the specific, historical context in which it is located.
Endoscopic Bony and Soft-Tissue Decompression of the Retrocalcaneal Space for the Treatment of Haglund Deformity and Retrocalcaneal Bursitis
Authors: Ortmann Fred W. , McBryde Angus M.
Published: February 2007

Background: The traditional operative management of Haglund deformity and retrocalcaneal bursitis consists of an open excision of the inflamed bursa, resection of the posterosuperior calcaneal tuberosity, and debridement of the Achilles tendinopathy. In an effort to reduce morbidity and recovery time, an endoscopic technique was used for the management of this condition. Methods: Thirty consecutive patients (32 heels) who had retrocalcaneal bursitis unrelieved by nonoperative measures were treated with the endoscopic technique. Two portals were created, one laterally and one medially, over the posterosuperior portion of the calcaneus to gain access to the retrocalcaneal space. The inflamed bursal tissue was removed, and the prominent bone was resected. Patients were evaluated preoperatively and postoperatively with the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) Ankle-Hindfoot Scale. Results: The mean followup was 35 months. Twenty-eight patients (30 heels) were available for followup. The AOFAS scores averaged 62 preoperatively and 97 postoperatively. There were 26 excellent results, three good results and one poor result. One major and one minor complication occurred: an Achilles tendon rupture three weeks after surgery and residual pain and swelling that required reoperation through an open procedure. There were no wound complications or postoperative infections. Conclusions: The endoscopic technique can be done outpatient and has a low morbidity and high patient satisfaction. The time to return to normal activity level is short. Sufficient exposure of the Achilles tendon and removal of the calcaneal prominence and retrocalcaneal bursa can be done effectively using an endoscopic technique.
Osteochondral Lesions of the Talus: Localization and Morphologic Data from 424 Patients Using a Novel Anatomical Grid Scheme
Authors: Raikin Steven M. , Elias Ilan , Zoga Adam C. , Morrison William B. , Besser Marcus P. , Schweitzer Mark E.
Published: February 2007

Background: The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the true incidence of osteochondral lesions on the talar dome by location and by morphologic characteristics on MRI. Because no universally accepted localization system for talar dome osteochondral lesions currently exists, we established a novel, nine-zone anatomical grid system on the talar dome for an accurate depiction of lesion location. Methods: We assigned nine zones to the talar dome articular surface in an equal 3 × 3 grid configuration. Zone 1 was the most anterior and medial, zone 3 was anterior and lateral, zone 7 was most posterior and medial, and zone 9 was the most posterior and lateral. The grid was designed with all nine zones being equal in surface area. Two observers reviewed MRI examinations of 428 ankles in 424 patients (211 males and 213 females; mean age 43 years; age range 6 to 85 years) with reported osteochondral talar lesions. We recorded the frequency of involvement and size of lesion for each zone. Statistical analyses were performed using ANOVA and Scheffe tests. Results: Four hundred and twenty-eight lesions were identified on MRI. The medial talar dome was more frequently involved ( n = 269, 62%) than the lateral talar dome ( n = 143, 34%). In the AP direction, the mid talar dome (equator) was much more frequently involved ( n = 345, 80%) than the anterior ( n = 25, 6%) or posterior ( n = 58, 14%) thirds of the talar dome. Zone 4 (medial and mid) was most frequently involved ( n = 227, 53%), and zone 6 (lateral and mid) was second most frequently involved (n = 110, 26%). Lesions in the medial third of the talar dome were significantly larger in surface area involvement and deeper than those at the lateral talar dome. Conclusions: Our established nine-grid scheme is a useful tool for localizing and characterizing osteochondral talar lesions, which are most frequently located in zone 4 at the medial talar dome, and second most in zone 6 at the lateral talar dome near its equator. Medial talar dome lesions are not only more common but are larger in surface area and in depth than lateral lesions. Posteromedial and anterolateral lesions rarely were found.
Proximity of the Lateral Talar Process to the Lateral Stabilizing Ligaments of the Ankle and Subtalar Joint
Authors: DiGiovanni Christopher W. , Langer Phillip R. , Nickisch Florian , Spenciner David
Published: February 2007

Background: Fractures of the lateral process of the talus have become more frequent as the sport of snowboarding has gained popularity. The anatomy of the ligamentous attachments to the process has been described, but ligament proximity to the lateral talar process has never been specified. The objective of this cadaver study was to measure the proximity of the lateral talar process to the various lateral stabilizing ligaments of the ankle and subtalar joint: the anterior talofibular ligament, lateral talocalcaneal ligament, posterior talofibular ligament, interosseous ligament, cervical ligament, and lateral root of the extensor retinaculum. Methods: After thawing, all musculotendinous structures from 10 fresh-frozen cadaver lower limbs were carefully removed and the distal fibula was reflected to enable adequate exposure of the lateral talar process and ligamentous attachments. The apex of the lateral process was defined. Subsequently, the distance from the apex to the nearest edge and center of these surrounding ligaments was independently measured by two examiners. Results: The average apex-edge distances were 9.3 mm (posterior talofibular); 8.7 mm (anterior talofibular), 3.4 mm (lateral talocalcaneal), 13.9 mm (interosseous), 19.1 mm (cervical), and 13.0 mm (lateral root of extensor retinaculum). The average apex-center distances for those ligaments found to actually insert on the lateral talar process were 18.0 mm (posterior talofibular), 15.7 mm (anterior talofibular), and 6.2 mm (lateral talocalcaneal). Conclusions: Contrary to previous reports, our cadaver dissections identified that only three ligaments attach to the lateral process of the talus: lateral talocalcaneal, anterior talofibular, and posterior talofibular. Clinical Relevance: Familiarity with these anatomic relationships may help guide the clinical treatment of lateral talar process fractures.
Angle Analysis of Haglund Syndrome and its Relationship with Osseous Variations and Achilles Tendon Calcification
Authors: Lu Cheng-Chang , Cheng Yu-Min , Fu Yin-Chih , Tien Yin-Chun , Chen Shen-Kai , Huang Peng-Ju
Published: February 2007

Background: Haglund syndrome is a cause of posterior heel pain. The prominent posterosuperior projection into the retrocalcaneal bursa is thought to be a major etiology. Many methods have been proposed to measure the posterosuperior projection of the tuberosity into this bursa. The Fowler angle and the parallel pitch lines are the most frequently used. However, the relation between symptomatic Haglund syndrome and the measuring methods, especially the Fowler angle and parallel pitch lines, is not clear. The purposes of this paper were to study the predictive value of the most frequently used measurement methods to evaluate bursal impingement and to determine if other osseous variations and Achilles tendon calcification are associated with the development of Haglund syndrome. Methods: From October, 1996, to March, 2003, we evaluated 37 heels in 31 patients with symptomatic Haglund syndrome, and 40 heels in 27 individuals without posterior heel pain. On a lateral view radiograph, the Fowler angle, and the parallel pitch lines were measured, in addition to Achilles tendon calcification and the osseous variations, such as a posterior calcaneal step spur or plantar osseous projection. Results: The average Fowler angles in the control group and study group were 62.31 ± 7.79 degrees and 60.14 ± 7.01 degrees, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference ( p = 0.490). The positive parallel pitch lines in the symptomatic group were 56.8% and in the control group 42.5%. There was no statistically significant difference ( p = 0.474) between the groups. Conclusions: No statistically significant differences were noted between the groups concerning the Fowler angle and parallel pitch lines. The posterior calcaneal step spur and Achilles tendon calcification were statistically significant between these two groups. The Fowler angle and parallel pitch lines were of little predictive value for the Haglund syndrome.
Distraction Osteogenesis for the Shortened Metatarsal After Hallux Valgus Surgery
Authors: Hurst Jason M. , II James A. Nunley
Published: February 2007

Background: Shortening of the first metatarsal is known to occur during hallux valgus surgeries. If the shortened first ray disrupts the normal weight transfer, then transfer metatarsalgia may result. After failed conservative treatment, a common operative option is an osteotomy of the lesser metatarsals. However, osteotomies of normal metatarsals further alter the normal anatomy and can significantly shorten the forefoot. Restoration of first metatarsal length using distraction osteogenesis may more closely restore normal foot anatomy and biomechanics and subsequently treat transfer metatarsalgia. Methods: Five patients had distraction osteogenesis for a shortened first metatarsal that resulted from a previous hallux valgus surgery. A four-pin single-plane external fixator was applied to the first metatarsal to lengthen the metatarsal under the principles of distraction osteogenesis. Lengthening was complete once the affected first metatarsal was equal to the length of the adjacent second metatarsal. Results: The mean consolidation period was 15.8 weeks. Preoperative and postoperative length of the first metatarsal was expressed as a percentage of the length of the ipsilateral second metatarsal. The preoperative mean was 77.1% and the postoperative mean was 93.8%. All osteotomies went on to consolidation, and no grafting or secondary procedures were needed. There were no postoperative infections, malrotation, or malalignment. All patients reported reduction in their forefoot pain and returned to a nonantalgic, full weightbearing gait. Conclusions: This small series depicts the potential success of distraction osteogenesis for the iatrogenically shortened first metatarsal and associated transfer metatarsalgia.
Periosteal Repair of the Dorsal Calcaneocuboid Ligament: A Comparative Biomechanical Study
Authors: Lohrer Heinz , Nauck Tanja , Dorn-Lange Nadja V. , Arentz Sabine , Konerding Moritz A.
Published: February 2007

Background: Isolated lateral calcaneocuboid joint instability rarely is described. Missed or delayed diagnosis resulting in inadequate treatment may lead to chronic instability, followed by sports inability and handicap in daily life. Besides arthrodesis, anatomic repair augmenting the elongated dorsal calcaneocuboid ligament with a local periosteal flap has recently been described for treatment. Methods: In a controlled laboratory study, eight isolated fresh-frozen human cadaver calcaneocuboid specimens were strained in a varus direction until failure of the dorsal calcaneocuboid ligaments. Then the dorsal calcaneocuboid ligaments were reconstructed with free periosteal flaps and tensile testing was repeated. Results: Compared to native dorsal calcaneocuboid ligaments, free single layer periosteal flap reconstructions were found to have inferior load to failure (−52%, p = 0,028), ultimate stress (−44%, p = 0.024), stiffness (−50%, p = 0.063), and strain energy density to failure (−37.5%, p = 0.111). Conclusions: In vitro data demonstrate that isolated single-layer periosteal flap replacement offers inferior stability as compared to native dorsal calcaneocuboid ligaments. To obtain sufficient initial stability, the elongated native ligament should, therefore, be reefed and a single-layer periosteal flap augmentation should be added. This combined procedure can be recommended for stabilization of isolated chronic dorsolateral calcaneocuboid joint instability.
Ultrasound Evaluation of Cartilage Damage in Osteochondral Lesions of the Talar Dome and Correlation with Clinical Etiology: A Preliminary Report
Authors: Hattori Koji , Kumai Tsukasa , Takakura Yoshinori , Tanaka Yasuhito , Ikeuchi Ken
Published: February 2007

Background: The current study aimed to determine whether the acoustic properties of living human cartilage during arthroscopy differ between damage from trauma and that from pigmented villonodular synovitis (PVNS). Methods: Nine patients were evaluated with ultrasound during arthroscopy. As a quantitative index of cartilage quality, the percentage maximal magnitude (maximal magnitude of the measurement area divided by that of the intact cartilage; %MM) was selected. After ultrasound evaluation, the measurement points were divided into two groups on the basis of the etiologic findings (group T: cartilage damage from trauma and group P: cartilage damage from PVNS) and analyzed for the presence of significant differences in ultrasound analysis. Results: In the ultrasound findings, the %MM values ranged from 34.4% to 92.3%. According to the etiologic differences, the mean %MM was 81.0% in group T and 39.3% in group P, and significantly higher in group T than in group P ( p < 0.01). Conclusions: This study showed a correlation between the ultrasound results and the cartilage lesion etiology. Ultrasound evaluation may be useful for elucidating the process of articular cartilage degeneration with trauma and PVNS.
Anterior Plate Supplementation Increases Ankle Arthrodesis Construct Rigidity
Authors: Tarkin Ivan S. , Mormino Matthew A. , Clare Michael P. , Haider Hani , Walling Arthur K. , Sanders Roy W.
Published: February 2007

Background: The success of ankle arthrodesis for the treatment of post-traumatic ankle arthritis depends on achieving and maintaining rigid fixation of the prepared tibiotalar interface. The purpose of this study was to examine the biomechanical effect of anterior plate supplementation of a popular three-screw fusion construct. Methods: Six fresh-frozen cadaver ankles were prepared and instrumented with three partially threaded screws compressing the tibiotalar interface. Testing was done with and without supplementary anterior plate fixation under three different decoupled loading conditions: plantarflexion/dorsiflexion, inversion/eversion, and rotation. Motion at the tibiotalar interface was recorded. Results: Anterior plating increased construct stiffness by a factor of 3.5, 1.9, and 1.4 for the sagittal, coronal, and torsion modes, respectively. Less motion occurred at the tibiotalar interface in all to the three different loading conditions ( p = 0.031) with plate supplementation. Conclusions: Compared to screws alone, anterior plate supplementation increases construct rigidity and decreases micromotion at the ankle fusion interface.
Biomechanical Evaluation of Primary Stiffness of Tibiotalocalcaneal Fusion with Intramedullary Nails
Authors: Mückley Thomas , Eichorn Stephan , Hoffmeier Konrad , Oldenburg Geert von , Speitling Andreas , Hoffmann Gunther O. , Bühren Volker
Published: February 2007

Background: Intramedullary implants are being used with increasing frequency for tibiotalocalcaneal fusion (TTCF). Clinically, the question arises whether intramedullary (IM) nails should have a compression mode to enhance biomechanical stiffness and fusion-site compression. This biomechanical study compared the primary stability of TTCF constructs using compressed and uncompressed retrograde IM nails and a screw technique in a bone model. Methods: For each technique, three composite bone models were used. The implants were a Biomet nail (static locking mode and compressed mode), a T2™ femoral nail (compressed mode); a prototype IM nail 1 (PT1, compressed mode), a prototype IM nail 2 (PT2, dynamic locking mode and compressed mode), and a three-screw construct. The compressed contact surface of each construct was measured with pressure-sensitive film and expressed as percent of the available fusion-site area. Stiffness was tested in dorsiflexion and plantarflexion (D/P), varus and valgus (V/V), and internal rotation and external rotation (I/E) (20 load cycles per loading mode). Results: Mean contact surfaces were 84.0 ± 6.0% for the Biomet nail, 84.0 ± 13.0% for the T2 nail, 70.0 ± 7.2% for the PTI nail, and 83.5 ± 5.5% for the compressed PT2 nail. The greatest primary stiffness in D/P was obtained with the compressed PT2, followed by the compressed Biomet nail. The dynamically locked PT2 produced the least primary stiffness. In V/V, PT1 had the (significantly) greatest primary stiffness, followed by the compressed PT2. The statically locked Biomet nail and the dynamically locked PT2 had the least primary stiffness in V/V. In I/E, the compressed PT2 had the greatest primary stiffness, followed by the PT1 and the T2™ nails, which did not differ significantly from each other. The dynamically locked PT2 produced the least primary stiffness. The screw construct's contact surface and stiffness were intermediate. Conclusions: The IM nails with compression used for TTCF produced good contact surfaces and primary stiffness. They were significantly superior in these respects to the uncompressed nails and the screw construct. The large contact surfaces and great primary stiffness provided by the IM nails in a bone model may translate into improved union rates in patients who have TTCF.