The Use of Thoracoscopic Release in the Surgical Correction of Thoracic Scoliosis in Children.

Introduction: Recently, the use of thoracoscopic methods in spinal deformity surgery has increased, however, the issue of the effectiveness of combining anterior release with posterior spinal fusion compared to single-stage posterior instrumentation remains controversial, which raises the issue of the effectiveness and feasibility of their use.

Purpose: To evaluate the effectiveness of endoscopic anterior release for thoracic scoliosis in children.

Material And Method: A retrospective analysis of the results of surgical treatment of 48 patients with idiopathic scoliosis of the thoracic spine aged 12-17 years, with a thoracic curve of more than 60°, was carried out.

Brain Biomarkers in Children After Mild and Severe Traumatic Brain Injury.

Brain biomarkers (protein S100b and neuron-specific enolase (NSE)), antibodies (aAb) to the NR2 subunit of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NR2(NMDA)) and to the GluR1 subunit of the α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid (GluR1(AMPA)) subtype of glutamate receptors (GluR), NR2 and AMPA peptides, nitrogen oxides (NOx; "nitrites and nitrates"), and 3-nitrotyrosine (NT) were measured in blood from 159 children after mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), moderate traumatic brain injury (mdTBI), or severe traumatic brain injury (sTBI) within 1-2 days and at intervals during the first 15 days after brain trauma. S100b and NSE levels on the first day were not a strict criterion for injury outcomes. Children with mTBI had the most significant elevations in antibodies to NR2(NMDA) and AMPA peptides, a slight increase in NOx, and, in 25% of cases, appearance of NT in the blood right after TBI.

Signatures of Dermal Fibroblasts from RDEB Pediatric Patients.

The recessive form of dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB) is a debilitating disease caused by impairments in the junctions of the dermis and the basement membrane of the epidermis. Mutations in the COL7A1 gene induce multiple abnormalities, including chronic inflammation and profibrotic changes in the skin. However, the correlations between the specific mutations in COL7A1 and their phenotypic output remain largely unexplored.