Two-year (mid-term) results for unprotected left main coronary artery percutaneous interventions with drug-eluting stents.

Objective: Bypass surgery remains the revascularization strategy of choice for left main trunk coronary artery disease in an unselected group of patients. Drug eluting stents have been proposed as a viable alternative to bypass surgery for left main trunk lesions but their intermediate and long term outcomes are still under scrutiny.

Methods: A series of 50 patients with significant unprotected left main trunk stenosis (>50%) underwent revascularization with drug eluting stents (sirolimus and paclitaxel stents) and were enrolled in a registry.

Quantitative assessment of regional left ventricular function with cardiac MRI: three-dimensional centersurface method.

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to provide the first in vivo validation of a three-dimensional (3D) method to quantify regional left ventricular (LV) function with cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging after myocardial infarction (MI).

Background: Current cardiac methods to analyze LV function are limited by geometric assumptions and observer biases.

Methods: MI was induced percutaneously by 90-min proximal left circumflex artery balloon occlusion in 25 Yucatan minipigs.

Granulocyte-colony stimulating factor administration after myocardial infarction in a porcine ischemia-reperfusion model: functional and pathological effects of dose timing.

Background: Acute MI results in cardiomyocyte death, left ventricular (LV) dysfunction and adverse remodeling. The use of growth factors may prevent this. The aim of this study was to assess early and delayed administration of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) in a porcine model of myocardial infarction (MI) and reperfusion.

Outcomes after standardized screw fixation technique of ankle arthrodesis.

Several methods of obtaining ankle fusion have been described, with numerous studies reporting on patient populations with varied diagnoses and various methods of fixation. This has led to outcome analyses that are difficult to interpret. Our hypothesis is that using a standard method of fusion, without the aid of allograft, a solid ankle fusion can be achieved in patients with end-stage ankle arthritis, and that this outcome can be reflected in standardized outcome tools.

Fixation of posterior malleolar fractures provides greater syndesmotic stability.

Syndesmotic injuries are common in ankle fractures. Traditional syndesmosis fixation may be associated with a secondary procedure. When the posterior malleolus is fractured, the posterior syndesmotic ligaments may remain intact and attached to the fragment.

An analysis of talar surface area occupied by screw fixation in ankle fusions.

Background: Ankle arthrodesis remains the benchmark of treatment for end-stage arthrosis of the ankle joint. Despite that, the incidence of nonunion can be as high as 15%. Various strategies have been used to reduce the incidence of nonunion, including multiple compression screws and larger diameter screws to improve mechanical stability and compression.

An analysis of outcome measures following the Broström-Gould procedure for chronic lateral ankle instability.

Background: The Broström-Gould procedure is a commonly recommended operative treatment for chronic ankle instability. Using standardized physician-based outcome scores, the results of this procedure have been uniformly excellent. Current scoring systems, however, do not adequately evaluate mechanical or functional instability.