The influence of stem length and fixation on initial femoral component stability in revision total knee replacement.

Objectives: Orthopaedic surgeons use stems in revision knee surgery to obtain stability when metaphyseal bone is missing. No consensus exists regarding stem size or method of fixation. This in vitro study investigated the influence of stem length and method of fixation on the pattern and level of relative motion at the bone-implant interface at a range of functional flexion angles.

Laparoscopic hepatectomy for hepatic colorectal metastases -- a retrospective comparative cohort analysis and literature review.

Background: Laparoscopic hepatectomy (LH) for management of hepatic colorectal metastases (HCRM) is commonly being performed; however, there are limited reports comparing LH outcomes with those of open hepatectomy (OH) procedure. The aim of the present study was to compare perioperative outcomes between the LH and OH procedures performed at a single medical center.

Methods: From Jan 2008 to May 2012, 30 patients with pathologically confirmed HCRM underwent LH, and 140 patients underwent OH at our hospital.

Merkel cell carcinoma--a rare cause of non-healing skin ulcer: a case report.

Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare tumour of skin which needs to be differentiated from other small cell tumours like small-cell carcinoma of lung, melanoma, and lymphoma. Definitive diagnosis is made by immunohistochemistry and staining positively with cytokeratin. There is very little data regarding treatment of metastatic MCC and many questions remain unanswered.

Laparoscopy versus open distal gastrectomy for advanced gastric cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Laparoscopy-assisted distal gastrectomy (LADG) is one of the most accepted laparoscopic procedures in the field of gastric surgery. However, currently this procedure for the advanced gastric cancer (AGC) has still not reached the area of the popularization. The aim of this study was to compare laparoscopy with open distal gastrectomy in AGC patients using the meta-analytical techniques.

Algorithms for a strain-based plasticity criterion for bone.

A range of stress-based plasticity criteria have been employed in the finite element analysis of the post-elastic behaviour of bone. There is some recognition now that strain-based criteria are more suitable for this material because they better represent its behaviour. Moreover, because bone yields at relatively isotropic strains, a strain-based criterion requires fewer material parameters unlike those required for a stress-based criterion.

Patient-specific modelling of bone and bone-implant systems: the challenges.

In the past three decades, finite element (FE) modelling has provided considerable understanding to the area of musculoskeletal biomechanics. However, most of this understanding has been generated using generic, standardised or idealised models. Patient-specific modelling (PSM) is almost never used for making clinical decisions.

Hoffa fracture associated with femoral shaft and proximal tibial fractures: report of two cases.

Solitary coronal shear fractures of femoral condyle, such as Hoffa's fracture, are usually associated with supracondylar or intercondylar fractures of the femur. These fractures are rare and seen in the context of high energy mechanism leading to multiple injuries; therefore a thorough workup of the patient is required to rule out other significant injuries. Hoffa's fracture associated with femoral shaft and proximal tibial fractures is extremely rare and no such injury has been reported previously.

The importance of lag screw position for the stabilization of trochanteric fractures with a sliding hip screw: a subject-specific finite element study.

Using finite element analysis, we compared the biomechanical performance of a CT scan-based three-part trochanteric fracture model (31-A2 in the AO classification) stabilized with a sliding hip screw for nine different positions of the lag screw (3 × 3 arrangement, from anterior to posterior and from inferior to superior). Our results showed that the volume of bone susceptible to yielding in the head and neck region is the lowest for inferior positions and increases as the lag screw is moved superiorly. Overall, for this specific subject, the models less likely to lead to cut-out are the ones corresponding to inferior middle and inferior posterior positions of the lag screw.

The Arabidopsis F-box/Kelch-repeat protein At2g44130 is upregulated in giant cells and promotes nematode susceptibility.

We report that the F-box/Kelch-repeat protein At2g44130 is specifically induced by the root-knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita during the initial stages of the initiation and maintenance of the feeding site. In addition, we show that the expression of this gene promotes susceptibility of infection because knocking down the F-box gene (At2g44130) drastically reduces nematode attraction to and infection of roots. In contrast, F-box overexpressing (OE) lines had a hypersusceptible phenotype, with an increase of 34% in nematode attraction and 67% in nematode infection when grown in soil.

Discovery of novel glitazones incorporated with phenylalanine and tyrosine: synthesis, antidiabetic activity and structure-activity relationships.

We report a series of new glitazones incorporated with phenylalanine and tyrosine. All the compounds were tested for their in vitro glucose uptake activity using rat-hemidiaphragm, both in presence and absence of insulin. Six of the most active compounds from the in vitro screening were taken forward for their in vivo triglyceride and glucose lowering activity against dexamethazone induced hyperlipidemia and insulin resistance in Wistar rats.

Bone properties affect loosening of half-pin external fixators at the pin-bone interface.

Introduction: Local bone yielding at the pin-bone interface of external fixation half-pins has been known to initiate fixator loosening. Deterioration of bone properties due to ageing and disease can lead to an increase in the risk of pin loosening. This study determines the extent, locations and mechanics of bone yielding for unilateral external fixation systems at the tibial midshaft with changes in age-related bone structure and properties.

Laparoscopic and open splenectomy for splenomegaly secondary to liver cirrhosis: an evaluation of immunity.

Objective: We sought to investigate the perioperative inflammatory response and immunological function of patients with portal hypertension-induced splenomegaly who underwent laparoscopic (LS) or open splenectomy (OS).

Methods: This prospective study investigated a total of 34 patients with splenomegaly due to portal hypertension who underwent either LS (n = 18) or OS (n = 16) between May 2009 and September 2010. Peripheral venous blood samples were taken from these patients prior to surgery and on postoperative days (POD) 1, 3, and 7.

Long-term postoperative outcomes of hypersplenism: laparoscopic versus open splenectomy secondary to liver cirrhosis.

Background: Hypersplenism is a common clinical manifestation in patients with liver cirrhosis. For treatment, surgeons can choose between two options: open splenectomy (OS) or laparoscopic splenectomy (LS). Although splenectomy has wide exposure and acceptance as a remedy for the patients with hypersplenism secondary to liver cirrhosis, the data are sparse with regard to its long-term outcomes, including hematologic response and liver function after the surgery.

Comparative treatment and literature review for laparoscopic splenectomy alone versus preoperative splenic artery embolization splenectomy.

Background: Although laparoscopic splenectomy has been gradually regarded as an acceptable therapeutic approach for patients with massive splenomegaly, intraoperative blood loss remains an important complication. In an effort to evaluate the most effective and safe treatment of splenomegaly, we compared three methods of surgery for treating splenomegaly, including open splenectomy, laparoscopic splenectomy, and a combination of preoperative splenic artery embolization plus laparoscopic splenectomy.

Methods: From January 2006 to August 2011, 79 patients underwent splenectomy in our hospital.

Does screw-bone interface modelling matter in finite element analyses?

The effect of screw-bone interface modelling strategies was evaluated in the setting of a tibial mid-shaft fracture stabilised using locking plates. Three interface models were examined: fully bonded interface; screw with sliding contact with bone; and screw with sliding contact with bone in an undersized pilot hole. For the simulation of the last interface condition we used a novel thermal expansion approach to generate the pre-stress that the bone would be exposed to during screw insertion.

Bioefficacy evaluation of controlled release formulations based on amphiphilic nano-polymer of carbofuran against Meloidogyne incognita infecting tomato.

In the present investigation, the bioefficacy of developed carbofuran formulations, with PEG-600 (7a, CP1) & PEG-900 (7b, CP2) @ 5, 10 and 20 ppm, along with commercial formulation of carbofuran 3G (CP0) were evaluated against the root-knot nematode, Meloidogyne incognita infecting tomato (cv. Pusa Ruby) in pot and field conditions. The bioefficacy data indicated that the formulations developed by utilizing polymers having PEG - 900 (7b) as hydrophilic segment were effective even at 14 days post inoculation (dpi) as evident from shoot and root length.

Displaced osteochondral fracture of the lateral femoral condyle associated with an acute anterior cruciate ligament avulsion fracture: a corollary of "the lateral femoral notch sign".

Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture is usually accompanied by bone contusions resulting from impact of tibia on femur. The injury sometimes becomes manifest as a depression on the lateral femoral condyle giving rise to "lateral femoral notch" sign. The authors describe a rare case of impaction of the tibia and femur resulting in an osteochondral fracture rather than the usual bone contusion, which frequently occurs with ACL rupture.

Laparoscopic splenectomy for immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) patients with platelet counts lower than 1 × 109/L.

Laparoscopic splenectomy (LS) has become the gold-standard surgical intervention for the treatment of immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) and the patients who experienced medical relapse to steroid. Fewer series are available regarding LS for patients with an extremely low platelet count. The aim of this study is to investigate the feasibility and safety of laparoscopic splenectomy in the treatment of patients with a preoperative platelet count of less than 1 × 109/L.

Investigation of factors affecting loosening of Ilizarov ring-wire external fixator systems at the bone-wire interface.

The potential for peri-implant bone yielding and subsequent loosening of Ilizarov ring-wire external fixation systems was investigated using non-linear finite element (FE) analyses. A strain-based plasticity model was employed to simulate bone yielding. FE models also incorporated contact behavior at the wire-bone interface, orthotropic elasticity, and periosteal-endosteal variation of bone properties.

Relating age and micro-architecture with apparent-level elastic constants: a micro-finite element study of female cortical bone from the anterior femoral midshaft.

Homogenized elastic properties are often assumed for macro-finite element (FE) models used in orthopaedic biomechanics. The accuracy of material property assignments may have a strong effect on the ability of these models to make accurate predictions. For cortical bone, most macro-scale FE models assume isotropic elastic material behaviour and do not include variation of material properties due to bone micro-architecture.

Laparoscopic fenestration vs open fenestration in patients with congenital hepatic cysts: a meta-analysis.

Aim: To determine whether the outcomes of laparoscopic fenestration (LF) were superior to open fenestration (OF) for congenital liver cysts.

Methods: Comparative studies published between January 1991 and May 2010 on Medline (Ovid), Emsco, PubMed, Science Direct; Cochrane Reviews; CNKI; Chinese Biomedical Database, VIP and other electronic databases were searched. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and retrospective case-control studies on the management of congenital hepatic cysts were collected according to the pre-determined eligibility criteria to establish a literature database.

The use of pathological and histopathological techniques in the diagnosis of peste des petits ruminants in India.

The authors report on an outbreak of peste des petits ruminants (PPR) among sheep and goats in the Province of Gujarat, India. Clinical signs observed during outbreaks were typical of PPR. Predominant signs were severe diarrhoea, dyspnoea, mucopurulent discharge from the eyes and nose, erosive rhinitis, necrotic ulcers in the mouth, on the dental pad, tongue, upper and lower lips, fever and depression.

Haematolohical profile of subacute oral toxicity of molybdenum and ameliorative efficacy of copper salt in goats.

Molybdenum toxicity produces a state of secondary hypocuprosis, resulting into alterations in normal hematological profile. In the present study, ammonium molybdate alone and with copper sulfate (II) pentahydrate (ameliorative agent) was administered orally for 30 consecutive days in healthy goats of group 1 and 2, respectively, to access the effect on the hematological profile on different predetermined days of dosing. Administration of ammonium molybdate alone produced significant decline in the mean values of hemoglobin (Hb), packed cell volume (PCV), total leukocyte count (TLC), total erythrocyte count (TEC), and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC), with a significant increase in neutrophil level and mean corpuscular volume (MCV).

Confined dynamics and crystallization in self-assembled alkyl nanodomains.

Long alkyl groups are used in many functional polymers to improve their performance. The methylene sequences usually show a strong tendency to aggregate to form small alkyl nanodomains which can be either completely amorphous or partly crystalline. The influence of main chain packing, domain size, and density on the properties of self-assembled alkyl nanodomains is studied on the basis of a comparison of regiorandom and regioregular poly(3-alkylthiophenes) (P3ATs) with different side-chain length as model systems.