Articles

The Medicolegal Aspects of Nerve, Muscle and Tendon Injury

Muscles and tendons (collectively known as musculotendinous units), and nerves are soft tissues that are found throughout the body (see figure 1). Nerves electrically stimulate the muscles, which pull on tendons which move bones – this…
Categories : Articles, Plastic Surgery
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A medicolegal perspective on osteoradionecrosis

Osteoradionecrosis (ORN) of the jaws is a well-known complication of radiation therapy to the head and neck. ORN is defined as an area of exposed necrotic bone in an area previously irradiated that fails to…
Categories : Articles, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
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The challenges of airways management in the Intensive Care Unit

Airway management techniques were first developed in the field of anaesthesia, and advanced airway management is still an extremely important factor in the care of the critically ill patient. For this reason, intensive care medicine…
Categories : Articles, Intensive care
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The Medicolegal Implications of Phantom Limb Pain and its Prevention

The term ‘phantom limb pain (PLP)’ describes the painful sensations experienced in a part of the body that has been amputated, which persist after complete healing of the associated surgical wound. It is an extremely…
Categories : Articles, Pain
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Facial trauma in a medicolegal context

Facial trauma can be a major cause of morbidity, particularly in young adults. This is because the head and neck region contains the major sensory and functional organs. A major component of the morbidity is…
Categories : Articles, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
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Somatoform Pain Disorder: Pre-accident psychological history and vulnerability and the BUT FOR test in the absence of a trigger

Somatoform disorder (SD) is defined as physical symptoms suggestive of a medical condition which are unexplained by an underlying disease or mental disorder. Somatoform symptoms are common, and mild ones, such as stress as a…
Categories : Articles, Ivan Ramos-Galvez, Pain
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Potential Medicolegal Pitfalls Arising from the Unpredictable Progression of Premalignant Conditions to Oral Cancer

It is well established that oral cavity cancer, commonly squamous cell carcinomas, develops in a two-step process involving molecular and biochemical cellular alterations. This pathological evolution can be associated with clinical changes of the affected…
Categories : Articles, Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
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Future Prospects for Patients with a History of Chronic Pain

Pain is defined as chronic when it lasts for more than three months. At this point, it stops being just a symptom and becomes a condition in its own right, although it is also associated…
Categories : Articles, Defence, Pain
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A Medicolegal Perspective on Burns and Scar Management

Burns occur when the body is injured by contact with a number of different agents, including heat, chemicals, electricity or radiation. A scald is also essentially a burn, but specifically one caused by hot liquids…
Categories : Articles, Plastic Surgery
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Unusual patterns of spread of the mechanical symptoms of chronic back pain and their medicolegal implications

Back pain is one of the commonest reasons for a patient to visit their doctor, and it is estimated that around 80% of adults will suffer from it at least once during their lifetime. Back…
Categories : Articles, Pain
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