Search

This article brings a philosophical perspective to bear on issues of research ethics governance as it is practiced and organized in Canada. Insofar as the processes and procedures that constitute research oversight are meant to ensure the ethical conduct of research, they are based on ideas or beliefs about what ethical research entails and about which processes will ensure the ethical conduct of research. These ideas and beliefs make up an epistemic infrastructure underlying Canada's system of research ethics governance, but, we argue, extensive efforts by community members to fill gaps in that system suggest that these ideas may be deficient. Our aim is to make these deficiencies explicit through critical analysis by briefly introducing the philosophical literature on epistemic injustice and ignorance, and by drawing on this literature and empirical evidence to examine how injustice and ignorance show up across three levels of research ethics governance: research ethics boards, regulations, and training. Following this critique, and drawing on insights from the same philosophical tradition, we highlight the work that communities across Canada have done to rewrite and rework how research ethics as a site of epistemic resistance is practiced., (© 2024 The Author(s). Ethics & Human Research published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of The Hastings Center.)

Purpose: To characterize the fracture patterns of acetabular fractures and create fracture maps and comminution zones based on three-dimensional (3D) computed tomography (CT) images., Methods: Sixty-eight computed tomography images of 67 patients (47 male [70.1%] and 20 female [29.9%], mean age: 45.2 ± 17.2 [range, 18-85 years] with the diagnosis of intra-articular acetabulum fracture were analyzed. Individual fracture lines were drawn and superimposed to a healthy acetabular template according to Judet-Letournel and simplified fracture classification systems. Fracture line, comminution zone, and heat maps were created using the computed tomography mapping technique., Results: Fracture lines were distributed mainly in a horizontal and oblique orientation, which concentrated in the anteroinferior part of the joint in anterior fractures. Posterior fractures mostly had an oblique orientation, which lied between the acetabular dome and middle part of the posterior wall. In complex fractures, fracture lines were concentrated just above the cotyloid fossa, acetabular dome, and posterosuperior part of the acetabulum. The most common comminuted zones were around the central area of the articular surface and the anterior wall in anterior fractures, between the cotyloid fossa and dome in complex fractures, and the upper half posterior wall., Conclusion: Fracture patterns and comminution zones of acetabular fractures displayed certain characteristics. Some areas had higher comminution zones, and some areas remained intact in repeatable fracture patterns. These results may help surgeons in fixing acetabular fractures, designing new implants, and placement of acetabular component while performing THA after acetabular fractures., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag France SAS, part of Springer Nature.)

Objectives: This study aims to investigate the impact of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury and its reconstruction on men's sexual functions., Patients and Methods: Between February 2016 and November 2019, a total of 27 sexually active male patients (mean age: 33.7±4.3 years; range, 26 to 40 years) who were operated for ACL injury at least six months after trauma were retrospectively analyzed. Erectile function was assessed using the International Index of Erectile Function questionnaire (IIEF) and knee function was evaluated by using the International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) Scoring System, Lysholm Knee Scoring Scale, and Tegner Activity Score. Sexual and functional questionnaires were applied to evaluate three different periods retrospectively. These periods were as follows: the period before an ACL injury (Period I); the period in which the patient suffered from an ACL injury, but not operated (Period II), and the period after the ACL reconstruction (Period III)., Results: There was a statistically significant difference in the comparison of knee function scores according to three different periods. Sexual function scores were significantly different between Periods I and II, and between Periods I and III. However, although the IIEF value was higher in Period III than in Period II, no statistically significant difference was observed. A moderate correlation was found between the sexual functional scores of IIEF and IKDC scores., Conclusion: Our study results suggest that ACL injury affects sexual functions adversely. The change in sexual functions after ACL surgery depends on the success of surgery. While deciding on the treatment of ACL injury, the patient's sexual life should be questioned along with his expectations.

Objective: There are limited data on bone dimension and cartilage thickness of the distal humeral articular surface. This study aimed to evaluate sex- and age-related bone dimension and cartilage thickness differences and assess the effect of cartilage thickness on distal humeral shape., Design: Elbow magnetic resonance images of 180 healthy participants were evaluated. Cartilage thicknesses of the trochlea and capitellum were measured at 19 points using coronal and axial images. In addition, bone diameters were measured from the flexion-extension axis to the 19 points on the coronal and axial magnetic resonance images. Sex differences were evaluated, and the correlation between age and measurement parameters was assessed., Results: Significant sex differences regarding the diameters of the axial trochlear bone, coronal lateral trochlear bone, and medial capitellar bone, cartilage thickness at the apex of the lateral trochlear ridge in the axial and coronal plane and at the most lateral point of the capitellar articular surface in the axial plane were observed. A negative correlation was observed between age and axial plane trochlear bone dimensions and between age and coronal plane lateral trochlear and medial capitellar bone dimensions. No significant correlation was found between cartilage thickness and bone dimensions., Conclusions: Bone dimension and cartilage thickness at the distal humerus vary according to sex and age. The data could be used in the donor site selection and graft preparation while osteochondral autograft transfer and allograft transplantation, and in the development of gender-compatible hemiarthroplasty implants.

Background: The study aimed to assess the effects of serum YKL-40 level on patency at the repair site in patients who underwent arterial repair at the level of the forearm., Methods: The study included 58 subjects, including 29 patients (aged 18-50 years) who had ulnar or radial artery injury secondary to cut injury to wrist between June 2015 and November 2019 and no comorbid disease and 29 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. The vascular patency was assessed using Doppler sonography in patients who underwent arterial repair at the level of the forearm. The patients were defined as flow failure if the blood flow was ≤50%, and sufficient flow if the blood flow was >50% of those in the synonymous artery on the intact extremity. The YKL-40 level differences in the patient and control groups were compared to those in the sufficient and insufficient flow groups., Results: The patients were stratified into 2 groups based on the presence of sufficient flow. The mean YKL level was 11.96 ± 8.87 in the sufficient flow groups, whereas it was 32.22 ± 15.43 in the insufficient flow groups (p= 0.038). Besides, it was found that each unit of increase in the YKL-40 level increased the likelihood of having flow failure by 1.128., Conclusion: Based on our results, it was observed that over-expression of the YKL-40 level has adverse effects on patency following arterial repair., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: The purpose of the study was to evaluate lateral and patellofemoral osteoarthritis (OA) progression after medial unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) and identify factors affecting the progression that were not identified previously., Methods: We evaluated 146 patients who underwent medial UKA between 2009 and 2014. Kellgren-Lawrence grading of lateral and patellofemoral OA was performed on preoperative and final follow-up knee radiographs. Radiographic and clinical characteristics, SF-36, and Oxford knee scores were compared between the OA progressed and non-progressed groups. Risk factors for lateral and patellofemoral OA progression were evaluated., Results: The lateral OA progressed and non-progressed groups significantly differed in side, preoperative flexion contracture, preoperative joint line convergence angle, postoperative tibiofemoral angle, insert size, revision status (P < 0.05), and the patellofemoral OA progressed and non-progressed groups significantly differed in age, pre- and postoperative flexion contracture, postoperative tibiofemoral angle and pre- and postoperative patellofemoral OA grade (P < 0.05). At the final follow-up, Visual Analogue Scale, Oxford Knee Scores, and SF-36 sub-scores were significantly better in the lateral OA non-progressed group (P < 0.001). Dominant leg (odds ratio (OR): 2.759), insert size (>4, OR: 2.219), revision status (+, OR: 6.692), and postoperative tibiofemoral angle (>5.5°, OR: 1.177) were independent risk factors for lateral OA progression, whereas age (>60 years, OR: 3.222), preoperative patellofemoral OA grade (>1, OR: 2.085), and postoperative flexion contracture (>10°, OR: 1.919) were those for patellofemoral OA progression., Conclusions: Mild radiographic progression of 1 KL grade is frequently seen five to 10 years after medial UKA. Postoperative outcomes are significantly affected by lateral compartment OA progression but not by patellofemoral OA progression., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: To evaluate and compare the clinical and radiological outcomes of patients subjected to medial unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA)., Methods: The study included 146 knees of 115 consecutive medial UKAs patients with a minimum five-year follow-up. Pre- and postoperative functional and clinical outcomes were measured using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), Oxford Knee Score (OKS), American Knee Society Score (AKSS-O), knee range of motion (ROM), and Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36). The Kellgren-Lawrence osteoarthritis (OA) grading system was used for the evaluation of the OA status. The joint line convergence angle (JLCA) of the operated and contralateral knee, the tibiofemoral coronal angle (TFCA), and the tibial slope angle were used in the radiological evaluation., Results: The mean age of patients was 58.8 ± 7.0 years. The mean follow-up period was 7.41 ± 1.54 years. Good to excellent functional outcomes were obtained according to VAS, WOMAC, OKS, AKSS-O, and SF-36 scores. Insert dislocation was the main reason for revision surgery (nine patients, 90%). Preoperative body mass index (BMI), postoperative BMI, American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Score, postoperative knee flexion contracture, mean increase in postoperative medial joint space (PMJS) height, and OA progression were found to affect the revision status., Conclusions: Good to excellent functional, clinical, and radiological outcomes were obtained with medial UKA at a minimum follow-up of five years. Differences in preoperative and postoperative radiological parameters except an increase in PMJS height had no impact on revision status., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare. This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Aims: This study aimed to examine the correlation between DTI, clinical assessment, and electromyography results in patients who underwent primary median nerve repair., Methods: Ten patients who underwent primary repair of the complete median nerve transection were included. Study assessments were performed on both the traumatized and non-traumatized extremities and patients were followed up for a minimum duration of 11 months. Clinical assessments, (Tinnel test, static 2-point discrimination test, motor and quality of life assessments), electromyography and DTI were performed., Results: None of the clinical or electromyographic parameters correlated significantly with any of the diffusion tensor imaging parameters, i.e. fractional anisotropy (FA) or apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) (p>0.05 for all). In addition, The Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) scores did not correlate with either FA (r=0.55, p=0.098) or ADC (r=0.40, p=0.260) values. However, Tinnel positive cases (n=3) had lower relative FA when compared to Tinnel negative cases (n=7) (-0.11±0.19 vs. 0.05±0.04, p=0.033)., Conclusion: Our findings do not support the presence of relations between DTI parameters and electromyographic or most of the clinical parameters. Further MRI studies with larger numbers of patients with complete transection of the median nerve using the novel imaging parameters are warranted., Key Words: Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI), Electromyography (EMG), Median nerve, Nerve injury, Nerve repair.