A demographic analysis of cubital tunnel syndrome.

Cubital tunnel syndrome (CUTS) is usually considered one entity. We suggest that CUTS is not homogeneous, and that patient presentation depends on age.A retrospective review of patients with CUTS was performed.

Long-term durability of tendon arthroplasty with excision of the trapezium in stage 1 osteoarthritis of the thumb CMC joint.

Basal joint arthritis of the thumb is commonly treated surgically. Although the results are good, there is still controversy regarding the treatment of young people with low radiographic stages of disease. Our purpose was to evaluate the durability of a tendon arthroplasty procedure in this population.

FGF-2 enhances vascularization for adipose tissue engineering.

Background: Current therapies for soft-tissue reconstruction include autologous tissue flaps and alloplastic implants. Although autologous fat transplantation using a minimally invasive cannula harvest has less donor-site morbidity than tissue flaps, there is a variable degree of fat resorption over time. Preadipocytes isolated from harvested fat are better able to withstand the mechanical trauma from the suction cannula and subsequently may result in improved cell survival and generation of new fat tissue after transfer to another anatomic site.

Mycobacterium monacense: a mycobacterial pathogen that causes infection of the hand.

We present a report of a diabetic patient with an infection of his left thumb and thenar eminence. Standard cultures of drainage and tissue biopsy were unrevealing. The infection progressed despite empiric antibacterial agent therapy and multiple debridements.

Prolongation of composite tissue allograft survival by immature recipient dendritic cells pulsed with donor antigen and transient low-dose immunosuppression.

Background: Composite tissue allograft transplantation is limited by risks of long-term immunosuppression. The authors investigated whether short-term immunosuppression combined with recipient immature dendritic cells pulsed with donor antigens promotes composite tissue allograft survival.

Methods: Orthotopic hind-limb transplants were performed (day 0) from Wistar-Furth (RT1) to Lewis (RT1(u)) rats.

Immunologic approaches to composite tissue allograft.

This article discusses the immunologic principles and the most promising immunologic approaches for composite tissue allograft tolerance. We have previously reviewed some of the pharmacologic approaches for composite tissue allo-transplantation. In this review, we will summarize the range of options that may address the challenge of transplantation in reconstructive surgery.

Allopeptide-pulsed dendritic cells and composite tissue allograft survival.

Composite tissue allografts (CTAs) contain their own reservoir of vascularized bone marrow, offering novel aspects for the induction of donor-specific tolerance. Additionally, the manipulation of recipient dendritic cells, pulsed with donor allopeptide, has been shown to engender solid organ allograft survival. To exploit these modalities, we have developed a protocol utilizing injection of recipient bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDCs) pulsed with a donor-derived peptide for use in CTA transplantation.

Intrinsic ability of GM+IL-4 but not Flt3L-induced rat dendritic cells to promote allogeneic T cell hyporesponsiveness.

The influence of GM+IL-4 and Flt3 ligand (FL) on phenotype and function of BM-derived DC from Lewis rats was investigated. GM+IL-4-induced DC, despite expression of CD80/CD86, were less stimulatory than FL-induced DC that expressed low CD80/CD86 and were efficient stimulators of allogeneic T cells. GM+IL-4 DC were CD11b+ OX62lo, whereas FL DC were CD11blo OX62+.

Pharmacologic approaches to composite tissue allograft.

This article discusses the pharmacologic approaches and the most promising new compounds for composite tissue allograft tolerance. Although some approaches rely on a combination of immunosuppressive agents that act synergistically against rejection, other strategies use immunologic manipulation, including major histocompatibility complex matching, induction of chimerism, and use of monoclonal antibodies to abrogate the immune response. There is still a need, however, to reproduce these findings in species phylogenetically closer to humans.