Metastatic prostate carcinoma to the orbit as the first presentation of disease.

Prostate carcinoma is a common tumor of the older adult male. It is associated with bony metastases, particularly to the axial skeleton. We present two case histories; in both cases, the patients had no prior history of prostate carcinoma.

Dilute brimonidine to improve patient comfort and subconjunctival hemorrhage after LASIK.

Purpose: To investigate whether dilute brimonidine (0.025%) reduces patient discomfort, subconjunctival hemorrhage, and injection after LASIK without a significant increase in the rate of flap complications or surgical enhancements.

Methods: This randomized, double-blind, prospective study enrolled 180 patients (360 eyes) in a contralateral eye comparison of topical dilute brimonidine, naphazoline/pheniramine, or Systane Ultra (Alcon Laboratories, Inc.

Assessment of a bovine co-culture, scaffold-free method for growing meniscus-shaped constructs.

Using a self-assembly (SA), scaffoldless method, five high-density co-cultures with varied ratios of meniscal fibrochondrocytes (MFCs) and articular chondrocytes (ACs) were seeded into novel meniscus-specific, ring-shaped agarose wells. The following ratios of MFCs to ACs were used: 0% MFC, 25% MFC, 50% MFC, 75% MFC, and 100% MFC. Over 4 weeks, all ratios of cells self-assembled into three-dimensional constructs with varying mechanobiological and morphological properties.

A direct compression stimulator for articular cartilage and meniscal explants.

This paper describes the development and use of a direct compression stimulator for culturing explants from the meniscus of the knee and articular cartilage. Following design and fabrication of the instrument along with its data acquisition system, the function of the machine was verified by both mechanical means and tissue effect. The loading chamber can hold up to 45 5 mm diameter samples.

Comparison of scaffolds and culture conditions for tissue engineering of the knee meniscus.

The menisci of the knee are semilunar fibrocartilaginous structures critical in load bearing, shock absorption, stability, and lubrication. In this study, two commonly used biomaterials, a hydrogel (agarose) and a nonwoven mesh polymer [poly(glycolic acid); PGA], were compared for suitability as scaffold materials for tissue engineering the knee meniscus. In addition, a rotating wall bioreactor culture of both scaffold materials was compared with static cultures.

Mechanical stimulation toward tissue engineering of the knee meniscus.

Current clinical practices do not adequately regenerate the meniscus of the knee secondary to a tear. Complete or partial meniscus removal leads to degenerative changes within the joint. Tissue engineering of the meniscus promises a potent solution.