Brain Injury Law Blog : Head Injury : Coma : Personal Injury : Las Vegas Nevada Lawyer & Attorney Tim Titolo

 A common legal defense in cases of traumatic injury is that pain complaints, like low back pain, are the source of brain injury symptoms and reported cognitive impairments.  For instance, depression.  And while it is true that chronic or lasting pain can have symptoms that mimic those found with cognitive impairments, those symptoms are often not caused by pain or are at least exacerbated by pain components.

The Journal of Neuroscience recently published a study that supports relief of chronic pain as a precursor to the relief of brain injury symptoms and cognitive impairments.   Those with chronic pain also experience cognitive impairments and reduced gray matter in parts of the brain associated with pain processing and the emotional components of pain, like depression and anxiety.

Traumatic Brain Injury Attorneys must be able to distinguish cognitive impairments caused by organic brain injury from those associated with chronic pain.  A competent Traumatic Brain Injury Attorney works closely with neuropsychologists, neurodiagnosticians, and neurologists.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments (1)
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

According to Medilexicon's medical dictionary scoliosis is:

Abnormal lateral and rotational curvature of the vertebral column. Depending on the etiology, there may be one curve, or primary and secondary compensatory curves; scoliosis may be "fixed" as a result of muscle and/or bone deformity or "mobile" as a result of unequal muscle contraction.

Scoliosis is a condition in which the spine bends to the side abnormally; either to the right or left. The curvature can be moderate to severe. Any part of the spine can be bent in scoliosis; but the most common regions are the chest area (thoracic scoliosis) or the lower part of the back (lumbar scoliosis).

Scoliosis is thought to be caused by heredity but some other reasons are different leg lengths.  Scoliosis affects 2-3% of the population, or an estimated 6 million people in the United States, and there is no cure.

Signs and symptoms of scoliosis may include:

■Uneven shoulders
■One shoulder blade that appears more prominent than the other
■Uneven waist
■One hip higher than the other

The National Scoliosis Foundation can be contacted at  NSF@scoliosis.org  to help answer questions you may have or seek care.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

Young people who exercise are building not only muscles and strength now, but stronger bones in the future.  Although exercising becomes more of a chore as we age some of us can take some small comfort in knowing we are still benefiting from out younger years.

The positive effects of exercise while growing up seem to last longer than previously believed. New findings suggest that physical activity when young increases bone density and size, which may mean a reduced risk of osteoporosis later in life.  All men and women face the risk and dangers of osteoporosis in their lifetime. These pages help make osteoporosis understandable.
http://www.endocrineweb.com/osteoporosis/index.html.

The researchers also looked at bone density and structure in the lower leg in around 360 19-year-old men who had previously done sports but had now stopped training. They found that men who had stopped training more than six years ago still had larger and thicker bones in the lower leg than those who had never done sports.  Running was also found to benefit middle aged men.

Bones tend to adapt to the muscles around them; puny muscles can mean puny bones.   Scientists in Minnesota, using a new machine that examines bone in three dimensions and measuring the runners’ leg muscles, found that, surprisingly,  injured runners’ bones were as strong, in relation to their muscle size as the bones in the uninjured runners. But the injured runners had significantly smaller calf muscles and therefore also slighter bones.

Thicker bones are good since they are more resistant to fractures.  Since falling becomes more prevalent in older people, so do fracture causing events.  Hence the benefit.  If you are young, be SURE to exercise.  Play a sport, lift weights, and do cardiovascular work outs.   If you are not "young," you are not off the hook.  Exercising at all stages of life is beneficial.  And as we age, the circulatory system depends on cardiovascular exercise.

The researchers have established that there is a positive link between exercise while young and bone density and size. The connection is even stronger if account is taken of the type of sports done.    Running appears to be the sport of choice when it comes to fewer injuries and arthritis. 

 

• Email This
• Print
• Comments (1)
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

The radius is the larger of the two bones of the forearm. The end toward the wrist is called the distal end. A fracture of the distal radius occurs when the area of the radius near the wrist breaks.

Risk factors include Osteoporosis (decreased density of the bones) which can make a relatively minor fall result in a broken wrist. Many distal radius fractures in people older than 60 years of age are caused by a fall from a standing position or walking.

Interestingly, exercise, as we know, reduces the risk due to higher bone density in woman over 65.  The Archives of Internal Medicine released a study identifying the reduction in falls among those woman engaged in physical activity.

A broken wrist can happen even in healthy bones, if the force of the trauma is severe enough. For example, a car accident or a fall off a bike may generate enough force to break a wrist.  In 2007, more than 261,000 people visited the emergency room due to a distal radius fracture.

 The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) recently approved and released an evidence-based clinical practice guideline on the Treatment of Distal Radius Fractures.

The final patient-oriented guidelines for treating distal radius fractures contain 29 evidence-based recommendations overall, some of which are included below:

1.  The research suggests that a rigid cast is better than a splint if the fracture was displaced.

2.  If a fracture was not displaced - as in a hairline crack - a removable splint can be worn.

3.  If a fracture has a tendency to fall back the way it was before the physician fixed it, research suggests that these fractures heal better if the surgeon operates on them, rather than treating them with a cast. 

More than 4,000 journal articles from around the world were analyzed over the course of a year and every article was graded on a five-point scale depending on the strength and quality of the evidence. Only prospective, randomly controlled clinical trials with enough patients to establish clinical and statistical significance could earn the highest grade, ranking as strong evidence.

Being aware of fractures in general, and especially in the population aged 65 and older, makes considering treatments important.  Being informed is the best place to be if and when the need to know becomes immediate as when an unexpected fall lands us in the hospital.

 

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

Whiplash, or WAD (whiplash-associated disorders) refers to a series of neck injuries caused by or related to a sudden distortion of the neck - hyperextension (over-extension) injury to the neck. In many cases whiplash is the result of being struck from behind, for example, by a fast moving vehicle in an automobile accident.
 

Most people associate whiplash with one vehicle being hit in the rear by another vehicle - the driver in front sustains the whiplash. However, the impact can come from any direction and the head may move backwards or sideways, not only forwards initially. Whiplash injury may also be sustained in various ways, such as from falling off a bicycle or a horse.

 What are the symptoms of a whiplash injury?

A symptom is something the patient feels and reports, while a sign is something other people, such as the doctor detect. For example, pain may be a symptom while a rash may be a sign.

A whiplash injury typically takes from 12 to 24 hours after the accident or blow to develop. At the time of the incident any swelling or bruising to the neck muscles will not be apparent straight away. In most cases the discomfort, pain and stiffness is much worse on the following day, and may continue to worsen as each day goes by. A person with a whiplash injury may experience:

• A loss (or reduction) of movement in the neck
• Headaches
• Neck pain
• Neck stiffness
• The back of the neck feels tender
   
• The following signs and symptoms are also possible: 
   
• Lower back pain
• Pain in the arms and hands
• Numbness or pins and needles in the arms and hands
• Muscle spasms
• Dizziness
• Fatigue
• Swallowing difficulties
• Vision problems (vision may be blurred)
• A feeling that you are moving or spinning (vertigo)
• Ringing in the ears (tinnitus)
• Sleep disturbances
   
• The following less common signs and symptoms are also possible: 
   
• Irritability
• Memory loss
• Poor concentration

Headaches, dizziness, problems swallowing and vision problems should not last long. If they do, tell your doctor.  These could be signs, symtoms and consequences of other injury.

Be aware that certain symptoms of whiplash are also symptoms of Brain injury. A severe whiplash injury, think of shaken baby syndrome, can result in damage to the brain.  Shaken baby syndrome  is a form of child abuse. It refers to brain injury that happens to the child. It occurs when someone shakes a baby or slams or throws a baby against an object. A child could be shaken by the arms, legs, chest, or shoulders.

A coup-contrecoup injury, for example, is common in the hyperflexion/hyperextension process. 

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

Researchers working with NASA have developed a non-synthetic substance made of bone cells that replicates actual bone.  They intend to study how growth occurs in living bone.

We all have, or know someone who has, broken a bone.  Interestingly, there are numerous types of broken bones.  Not only is the probability of developing arthritis increased in the area of fracture, but additional complications result near joints.

The best way to prevent a fracture is to stop bones from reaching the point where they are prone to breaking, but understanding the process of how bones form and mature has been challenging.  A fracture, also referred to as a bone fracture, is a medical condition where the continuity of the bone is broke. A significant percentage of bone fractures occur because of high force impact or stress; however, a fracture may also be the result of some medical conditions which weaken the bones, for example osteoporosis. A fracture caused by a medical condition is known as a pathological fracture.

The word break is commonly used by lay (non-professional) people. Among health care professionals, especially bone specialists, such as orthopedic surgeons, break is a much less common term when talking about bones.

A crack (not only a break) in the bone is also known as a fracture. Fractures can occur in any bone in the body. There are several different ways in which a bone can fracture; for example a clean break to the bone that does not damage surrounding tissue or tear through the skin is known as a closed fracture or a simple fracture. On the other hand, one that damages surrounding skin or tissue is known as a compound fracture or an open fracture. Compound or open fractures are generally more serious than simple fractures, with a much higher risk of infection.

Most human bones are surprisingly strong and can generally stand up to fairly strong impacts or forces. However, if that force is too powerful, or there is something wrong with the bone, it can fracture.  With travel speeds and related sudden stop velocity (crash) in cars, trains and planes far exceeding the old fashioned modes of walking, horseback riding (or elephant riding if you are from India), forces have greatly varied in modern times.

The older we get the less force our bones can withstand. Approximately 50% of women and about 20% of men have a fracture after they are 50 years old (Source: National Health Service, UK).

Because children's bones are more elastic, when they do have fractures they tend to be different. Children also have growth plates at the end of their bones - areas of growing bone - which may sometimes be damaged.

Some different types of fracture:

• Avulsion fracture - a muscle or ligament pulls on the bone, fracturing it.
   
• Comminuted fracture - the bone is shattered into many pieces.
   
• Compression (crush) fracture - generally occurs in the spongy bone in the spine. For example, the front portion of a vertebra in the spine may collapse due to osteoporosis.
   
• Fracture dislocation - a joint becomes dislocated, and one of the bones of the joint has a fracture.
    
• Hairline fracture - a partial fracture of the bone. Often this type of fracture is harder to detect. 
   
• Impacted fracture - when the bone is fractured, one fragment of bone goes into another.
   
• Longitudinal fracture - the break is along the length of the bone.
   
• Oblique fracture - A fracture that is diagonal to a bone's long axis.
   
• Pathological fracture - when an underlying disease or condition has already weakened the bone, resulting in a fracture (bone fracture caused by an underlying disease/condition that weakened the bone).
   
• Spiral fracture - A fracture where at least one part of the bone has been twisted.
   
• Stress fracture - more common among athletes. A bone breaks because of repeated stresses and strains.
   
• Torus (buckle) fracture - bone deforms but does not crack. More common in children. It is painful but stable.
   
• Transverse fracture - a straight break right across a bone.

 Now researchers at the University of Houston department of health and human performance have created a process that grows real human bone in tissue culture, which can be used to investigate how bones form and grow. 

The research is ready to market and hopefully will help in the prevention of broken bones and advance our ability to heal them.

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link

The cells, tissues, and organs that compose the skeletal system provide a supportive yet flexible framework that allows vertebrates to withstand earth's gravity yet remain mobile. Current knowledge about the vertebrate skeleton, especially recent research on skeletal development from embryo to adult, is summarized in a new monograph, The Skeletal System. Recently released by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, this book will serve as a reference for both scientists and clinicians.
The editor, Olivier Pourquié, states in the preface. "The goal of this book is to provide a comprehensive and up-to-date summary of the field." Each of the 13 chapters in the book was written by an expert on a specific topic. 

The Skeletal System (Cold Spring Harbor Monograph Series 53) was edited by Olivier Pourquié (Stowers Institute for Medical Research) and published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press (ISBN 978-0-87969-825-6; © 2009). It is available in hardcover and is 365 pp. in length (illus., index). For a complete table of contents and additional information about the book, please see http://www.cshlpress.com/link/skelsys.htm. 

 

• Email This
• Print
• Comments
• Trackbacks
• Share Link