Wrist Size Research Articles

Complications during and following radial artery cannulation: a prospective study.

One hundred and eighteen 20-g radial artery catheters were prospectively evaluated in 109 cardiovascular surgical patients. 0.024% papaverine in saline was used as a continuous flushing solution. Using the Doppler method, obstruction of the radial artery with the catheter in situ was found in 11 (9.8%) patients. Decannulation was performed at the end of the monitoring in 93 (78.9%) cases while 25 (21.1%) catheters had to be removed earlier. According to Allen's radial flush and Doppler evaluation after decannulation, three (2.5%) radial artery occlusions and one stenosis persisted. However, no vascular insufficiency occurred during the study period. Female patients developed more complications with the catheter in situ but not after catheter removal. Wrist size did not predict the complications. Age, concomitant diseases, traumatic cannulation, type of the surgery, longer cannulation time and perioperative complications did not influence the incidence of abnormal radial blood flow after decannulation. Our results confirm the low incidence of significant complications following radial artery cannulation.

Some biomechanical aspects of the carpal tunnel

Previously presented evidence indicates that carpal tunnel syndrome is related to compression of the median nerve inside the carpal tunnel. Biomechanical arguments in which the extrinsic finger flexor tendons inside the carpal tunnel are characterized as a frictionless pulley-belt mechanism are presented to show quantitatively how wrist size, wrist position and hand position affect forces on the tendons and their adjacent structures.

Carpal length in children--a useful measurement in the diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis and some concenital malformation syndromes.

The distance between the midpoint of the distal radial epiphyseal growth plate and the proximal end of the third metacarpal offers a useful measure for determining wrist size. Standards of this distance as compared to intermetacarpal width and second metacarpal length are presented. These measures (or ratios) should be useful in evaluating patients with juvenile rheumatoid arthritis and a number of congenital malformation syndromes, particularly when the carpals are still not fully ossified. Shortening of the carpus occurs in multiple epiphyseal dysplasia, the otopalatodigital syndromes, Turner syndrome, arthrogryposis, and in juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. A relatively large carpus is present in achondroplasia.