The Influence of an Occult Infection on the Outcome of Autologous Bone Grafting During Surgical Bone Reconstruction: A Large Single-Center Case-Control Study.

Background: Occult infections (OI) lack typical inflammatory signs, making them challenging to diagnose. Uncertainty remains regarding OI's influence on the outcome of autologous bone grafting (ABG), and evidence-based recommendations regarding an appropriate course of action are missing. Thus, we sought to determine the incidence of an OI in patients receiving ABG, evaluate whether it influences the outcome of ABG and whether associated risk factors have a further negative influence.

Non-Union Treatment Based on the "Diamond Concept" Is a Clinically Effective and Safe Treatment Option in Older Adults.

Background: Patients >60 years suffering from non-unions are often unable to perform activities of daily living and often become dependent on nursing care. Evidence regarding treatment options and outcome is nonexistent. This study sought to determine the clinical effectiveness and safety of one- or two-step non-union therapy in elderly patients.

Start Selective and Rigidify: The Discovery Path toward a Next Generation of EGFR Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors.

The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), when carrying an activating mutation like del19 or L858R, acts as an oncogenic driver in a subset of lung tumors. While tumor responses to tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are accompanied by marked tumor shrinkage, the response is usually not durable. Most patients relapse within two years of therapy often due to acquisition of an additional mutation in EGFR kinase domain that confers resistance to TKIs.

Room temperature direct band gap emission characteristics of surfactant mediated grown compressively strained Ge films.

Compressively strained Ge films have been grown on relaxed SiGe virtual substrates using molecular beam epitaxy in the presence of Sb as a surfactant. Structural characterization has shown that films grown in the presence of surfactant exhibit very smooth surfaces with a relatively higher strain value in comparison to those grown without any surfactant. The variation of strain with increasing Ge layer thickness was analyzed using Raman spectroscopy.

Coverage of exposed bones and joints in critically ill patients: lower extremity salvage with topical negative pressure therapy.

Background: Soft tissue defects of the limb with exposure of tendons and bones in critically ill patients usually lead to extremity amputation. A potential treatment with topical negative pressure may allow split-thickness skin grafting to the bone, which leads to limb salvage.

Materials And Methods: We report on 21 multimorbid patients, 46 to 80 years of age, with severe lower limb soft tissue loss and infection with exposed bone following débridement with critical limb ischemia.

Expression of HIF-1 alpha in irradiated tissue is altered by topical negative-pressure therapy.

Background And Purpose: Despite the enormous therapeutic potential of modern radiotherapy, common side effects such as radiation-induced wound healing disorders remain a well-known clinical phenomenon. Topical negative pressure therapy (TNP) is a novel tool to alleviate intraoperative, percutaneous irradiation or brachytherapy. Since TNP has been shown to positively influence the perfusion of chronic, poorly vascularized wounds, the authors applied this therapeutic method to irradiated wounds and investigated the effect on tissue oxygenation in irradiated tissue in five patients.