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Principles of Physics in Surgery: The Laws of Mechanics and Vectors Physics for Surgeons—Part 2

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Abstract

In this sequel, to an earlier article, we discuss the laws of Mechanics, Thermodynamics and Vectors as they apply to soft and bony tissues. These include the Laplace’s Law as applied to colonic perforation, compression therapy, parturition, variceal rupture, disc herniations etc. The Pascal’s Law finds use in hernia repair and the Heimlich maneuver. Trigonometrically derived components of forces, acting after suturing, show ways to reduce cut-through; the thickness and the bite of suture determines the extent of tissue reaction. The heating effect of current explains the optimum gap between the prongs of a bipolar cautery and the use of law of transfer of heat in determining relation between healthy wound healing and ambient temperature.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery, # C/o Prof. Anurag Srivastava, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Ansari Nagar, New Delhi, India

    Anurag Srivastava, Akshay Sood, Shubhyan Mandal, Rajesh Panwar, Suresh Ravichandran & Sasmit Sarangi

  2. Drexel University College of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Parijat S. Joy

  3. Department of Medical Physics and Bioengineering, University of Wales College of Medicine, Cardiff, UK

    John Woodcock

Authors
  1. Anurag Srivastava
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  2. Akshay Sood
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  3. Parijat S. Joy
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  4. Shubhyan Mandal
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  5. Rajesh Panwar
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  6. Suresh Ravichandran
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  7. Sasmit Sarangi
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  8. John Woodcock
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Correspondence to Akshay Sood.

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Srivastava, A., Sood, A., Joy, P.S. et al. Principles of Physics in Surgery: The Laws of Mechanics and Vectors Physics for Surgeons—Part 2. Indian J Surg 72, 355–361 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12262-010-0155-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12262-010-0155-8

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