Preoperative evaluation of red blood cell distribution width as a promising biomarker for discriminating between benign and malignant breast tumors and assessing breast cancer activity.

Background: The red cell distribution width (RDW) has been recognized as a new prognostic factor in various pathophysiological states including breast cancers. The aim of this study was to compare the RDW values between patients diagnosed with benign and malignant breast tumors and to evaluate the potential of elevated RDW as a biomarker for breast cancer activity.

Materials And Methods: A cross-sectional study compared RDW values in age-matched cohorts diagnosed with benign and malignant breast lesions and correlated them with prognostic factors for malignant breast tumors.

Analysis of clinical and radiological outcomes of long tibial stemmed total knee arthroplasty in knee osteoarthritis complicated by tibial stress fracture.

Objective: Knee arthritis associated with tibial stress fractures represents an uncommon and difficult clinical scenario to treat. The use of long, fluted tibial extension rods has been vital in the management of such cases owing to immediate fracture stability and single-stage surgery without the need to open the fracture site. This study investigates clinical and radiological outcomes following total knee arthroplasty using a tibial extension stem in cases of knee osteoarthritis with tibial stress fracture.

The application of low-dose dexamethasone in total knee arthroplasty: finding out the best route and dosage schedule.

Background: The use of dexamethasone as additive to multimodal analgesic regimen in total knee arthroplasty has been well established, but the most suitable route, effectiveness, safety and dose schedule of low-dose dexamethasone is not known.

Methods: We conducted a prospective, randomized, double-blinded trial to investigate and compare the analgesic and antiemetic effects and safety of low-dose (8 mg) dexamethasone introduced as periarticular injection or intravenous (as a single dose or in two divided doses of 4 mg separated by 24 h) in unilateral total knee arthroplasty patients.

Results: The single dose intravenous administration as well as the periarticular administration of dexamethasone had similar mean visual analogue scores which were significantly lower than divided dose group at 24 and 48 h postoperatively.

The pelvic digit "eleventh finger".

Described as asymptomatic and an incidental finding on a plain x-ray film, the "pelvic digit" is a rare congenital anomaly. A 35-year-old man is of a rare symptomatic pelvic digit that warranted surgical excision. Its importance lies in its differentiation from acquired abnormalities due to trauma such as myositis ossificans and avulsion injuries of pelvis.