[The distally based dorsal metacarpal artery flap (DMCA)].

Objective: Regional flap for the reconstruction of combined skin and soft-tissue defects of the fingers or the distal parts of the palm.

Indications: Full-thickness soft-tissue defects of the fingers dorsally up to the distal interphalangeal joint, of the fingers palmarly up to the middle phalanx, or of the distal parts of the palm.

Contraindications: Damage of the dorsal metacarpal artery or of the distal anastomosis by trauma or previous operation.

"Cat and dog bite injuries of the hand: early versus late treatment".

Introduction: Animal bites of the hand are common injuries in the emergency department. Serious complications may occur if those injuries are not treated adequately. The purpose of the study was to examine if there is a difference between the treatment of animal bite injuries at an early stage (first treatment within the first 24 h after injury, group I) versus a later stage (first treatment more than 24 h after injury, group II) retrospectively.

Impact of microbial findings on plastic reconstructive surgery outcomes in patients with deep sternal wound infection after cardiac surgery.

Deep sternal wound infection (DSWI) is a life threatening complication after cardiac surgery. In severe cases, flaps are needed to cover the wound. However, it is controversial if an aseptic environment is necessary at the time of wound closure.

[Plastic surgery in the German second medical licensing examination].

Background:  There are 230 defined objectives in the national competency-based catalogue of learning goals in surgery (NKLC) for undergraduate surgical education in Germany. These teaching objectives should be met by the students at the end of their undergraduate education, regardless of their career choice afterward. Assessment drives learning, and thus, alignment of the second state examination and the learning objectives of the NKLC seems reasonable.

Impact of Soong grading on flexor tendon ruptures following palmar plating for distal radial fractures.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate flexor tendon injuries following palmar plating of distal radial fractures relative to the Soong grade. This retrospective cohort study included 113 patients who underwent palmar plate removal after a distal radial fracture between 2010 and 2016. In 13 patients, a greater than 50% injury of the flexor pollicis longus tendon was observed.

[The importance of hand surgery in the German Medical Licensing Examination].

Background: The national competency-based catalogue of learning objectives in surgery (NKLC) for undergraduate surgical education in Germany consists of 230 objectives and defines competence levels for each objective. These levels range from "competence level 1: factual knowledge" to "competence level 3: independent action". The German second state examination is not based on these objectives, although it is known that assessment drives learning.

Long-term outcome of fingertip reconstruction with the homodigital neurovascular island flap.

Introduction: Fingertip injuries are frequent and several surgical strategies exist to reconstruct the amputated part and restore function and appearance. Yet, long-term results are rarely published. The purpose of this study was to examine the long-term clinical outcome of neurovascular island flaps for traumatic fingertip amputation of Allen type III/IV injuries.

[The revenue from finger replantation and revision amputation: Is it cost-covering?].

Background: Finger amputation injuries are frequently treated conditions in occupational accident hospitals. They are either treated by replantation or revision amputation. The costs of these two treatment options differ significantly.

TAVI risk scoring using established versus new scoring systems: role of the new STS/ACC model.

Aims: The aim of this study was to validate the recently developed STS/ACC TAVR in-hospital mortality risk score for predicting in-hospital mortality after transcatheter aotic valve implantation (TAVI) and to compare its ability to predict 30-day mortality with that of four other established risk models (EuroSCORE I, EuroSCORE II, STS-PROM, and German AV Score).

Methods And Results: The study cohort included 946 consecutive patients who underwent TAVI between 2013 and 2015. Each of the five scores was fitted as a continuous linear variable into a logistic regression model estimating 30-day mortality.

Prognostic value of body mass index and body surface area on clinical outcomes after transcatheter aortic valve implantation.

Background: Inverse associations between Body Mass Index (BMI) and Body Surface Area (BSA) with mortality in patients after Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI) have been reported. This "obesity paradox" is controversial, and it remains unclear which parameter, BMI or BSA, is of greater prognostic value. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of BMI and BSA on short- and mid-term outcomes after TAVI.

Hook proteins: association with Alzheimer pathology and regulatory role of hook3 in amyloid beta generation.

Defects in intracellular transport are implicated in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Hook proteins are a family of cytoplasmic linker proteins that participate in endosomal transport. In this study we show that Hook1 and Hook3 are expressed in neurons while Hook2 is predominantly expressed in astrocytes.

Evidence-based flexor tendon repair.

The goal of flexor tendon repair is to achieve normal range of motion of the finger or thumb. The surgical approach depends on the level of injury. Multistrand core suture repairs are recommended for primary flexor tendon repair.

Axotrophin/MARCH7 acts as an E3 ubiquitin ligase and ubiquitinates tau protein in vitro impairing microtubule binding.

Tau is the major microtubule-associated protein in neurons involved in microtubule stabilization in the axonal compartment. Changes in tau gene expression, alternative splicing and posttranslational modification regulate tau function and in tauopathies can result in tau mislocalization and dysfunction, causing tau aggregation and cell death. To uncover proteins involved in the development of tauopathies, a yeast two-hybrid system was used to screen for tau-interacting proteins.

Ulnar head replacement and related biomechanics.

A stable distal radioulnar joint (DRUJ) is mandatory for the function and load transmission in the wrist and forearm. Resectional salvage procedures such as the Darrach procedure, Bowers arthroplasty, and Sauvé-Kapandji procedure include the potential risk of radioulnar instability and impingement, which can lead to pain and weakness. Soft tissue stabilizing techniques have only limited success rates in solving these problems.