The treatment of irreparable massive rotator cuff tears with inspace balloon: rational and medium-term results.

Background And Aim: The treatment of irreparable massive rotator cuff tears (MIRCTs) represents a challenge for the orthopedic surgeon both for the affected population and for the intrinsic characteristics of the injury. There are different types of treatment ranging from bursectomy to reverse shoulder prosthesis and subacromial spacers. The aim of the work is to establish the clinical and functional improvement of patients treated with subacromial spacer.

Risk factors for endocrine complications in transfusion-dependent thalassemia patients on chelation therapy with deferasirox: a risk assessment study from a multi-center nation-wide cohort.

Transfusion-dependent patients typically develop iron-induced cardiomyopathy, liver disease, and endocrine complications. We aimed to estimate the incidence of endocrine disorders in transfusiondependent thalassemia (TDT) patients during long-term iron-chelation therapy with deferasirox (DFX). We developed a multi-center follow-up study of 426 TDT patients treated with once-daily DFX for a median duration of 8 years, up to 18.

The Close Link of Pancreatic Iron With Glucose Metabolism and With Cardiac Complications in Thalassemia Major: A Large, Multicenter Observational Study.

Objective: We systematically explored the link of pancreatic iron with glucose metabolism and with cardiac complications in a cohort of 1,079 patients with thalassemia major (TM) enrolled in the Extension-Myocardial Iron Overload in Thalassemia (E-MIOT) project.

Research Design And Methods: MRI was used to quantify iron overload (T2* technique) and cardiac function (cine images) and to detect macroscopic myocardial fibrosis (late gadolinium enhancement technique). Glucose metabolism was assessed by the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT).

Multicenter validation of the magnetic resonance T2* technique for quantification of pancreatic iron.

Objectives: To assess the transferability of the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) multislice multiecho T2* technique for pancreatic iron overload assessment.

Methods: Multiecho T2* sequences were installed on ten 1.5-T MRI scanners of the three main vendors.

The effect of desferrioxamine chelation versus no therapy in patients with non transfusion-dependent thalassaemia: a multicenter prospective comparison from the MIOT network.

We prospectively assessed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) the advantages of desferrioxamine (DFO) with respect to the absence of chelation therapy in non transfusion-dependent thalassaemia (NTDT) patients. We considered 18 patients non-chelated and 33 patients who received DFO alone between the two MRI scans. Iron overload was assessed by the T2* technique.

Prediction of cardiac complications for thalassemia major in the widespread cardiac magnetic resonance era: a prospective multicentre study by a multi-parametric approach.

Aims: Cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) has dramatically changed the clinical practice in thalassemia major (TM), lowering cardiac complications. We prospectively reassessed the predictive value of CMR parameters for heart failure (HF) and arrhythmias in TM.

Methods And Results: We considered 481 white TM patients (29.

Myocardial fibrosis by late gadolinium enhancement cardiac magnetic resonance and hepatitis C virus infection in thalassemia major patients.

Aims: Our aim was to evaluate the correlation between myocardial fibrosis detected using the late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) technique and chronic hepatitis C (CHC) in a large, retrospective, multicentre cohort of thalassemia major patients.

Methods: LGE images were acquired in 434 thalassemia major patients (233 men, 31 ± 9 years) enrolled in the MIOT (Myocardial Iron Overload in Thalassemia) study. Hepatitis C virus (HCV)-RNA tests were sensitive to detect more than 50  copies/ml.

Improvement of heart iron with preserved patterns of iron store by CMR-guided chelation therapy.

Aims: [Formula: see text] multislice multiecho cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) allows quantification of the segmental distribution of myocardial iron overload (MIO). We evaluated whether a preferential pattern MIO was preserved between two CMR scans in regularly chelated thalassaemia major (TM) patients.

Methods And Results: We evaluated prospectively 259 TM patients enrolled in the MIO in Thalassaemia (MIOT) network with a CMR follow-up (FU) study at 18 ± 3 months and significant MIO at baseline.

The ability of lumbar spine DXA and phalanx QUS to detect previous fractures in young thalassemic patients with hypogonadism, hypothyroidism, diabetes, and hepatitis-B: A 2-year subgroup analysis from the Taranto Area of Apulia Region.

Background: Osteoporosis is a leading cause of morbidity in patients affected by β-thalassemia major or intermediate; we aimed to assess the association between demineralization observed in young thalassemic patients.

Methods: A total of 88 patients with β-thalassemia were recruited at Microcitemia Center of Taranto Hospital under the Prevention Osteoporosis and Fractures research project from 2008 to 2010. All the patients were screened with both dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and quantitative ultrasound (QUS).

Cardiac and hepatic iron and ejection fraction in thalassemia major: multicentre prospective comparison of combined deferiprone and deferoxamine therapy against deferiprone or deferoxamine monotherapy.

Background: Due to the limited data available in literature, the aim of this multi-centre study was to prospectively compare in thalassemia major (TM) patients the efficacy of combined deferiprone (DFP) and deferoxamine (DFO) regimen versus either DFP and DFO in monotherapy by cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) over a follow up of 18 months.

Methods: Among the first 1135 TM patients in the MIOT (Myocardial Iron Overload in Thalassemia) network, we evaluated those who had received either combined regimen (DFO + DFP, N=51) or DFP (N=39) and DFO (N=74) monotherapies between the two CMR scans. Iron overload was measured by T2* multiecho technique.

Myocardial iron overload assessed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)T2* in multi-transfused patients with thalassemia and acquired anemias.

Background: Cardiac complications secondary to iron overload remain a significant matter in patients with transfusion dependent anemias.

Patients And Methods: To evaluate cardiac siderosis, Magnetic resonance imaging T2* (MRI T2*) was performed in 3 cohorts of transfusion dependent patients: 99 with thalassemia major (TM), 20 with thalassemia intermedia (TI), and 10 with acquired anemias (AA). Serum ferritin was measured and all patients underwent echocardiographic evaluation.