Surgical treatment of patients with penetrating chest injuries sustained in war.

Aim: To show our experience in treatment of patients with penetrating chest injuries sustained during the Homeland War in Croatia

Methods: It was a retrospective study based on the records of the Department of Surgery of the University Hospital of Osijek (Croatia). All patients surgically treated during the wartime period (1991.-1995.

The main biomechanical risk factors for the prevalence of the left hip joint traumatic and degenerative changes.

The aim of this paper is to examine characteristic biomechanical features leading to the acetabular fracture and hip joint arthrosis, and to explain the prevalence of the left side traumatic and degenerative pelvic pathology that is usually seen in diverse groups of patients. A total of 253 patients were analyzed in a retrospective case-control study during a six-year period. The patients were divided into the case group of 103 patients suffering traumatic acetabular fractures and into the control group of 150 patients with hip joint arthrosis, where operative aloarthroplasty was not yet performed.

Tumor growth fraction, expression of estrogen and progesterone receptors, p53, bcl-2 and cathepsin D activity in primary ductal invasive breast carcinoma and their axillary lymph node metastases.

The aim of this paper is to determine similarities and differences between tumor cell subclones in cases of ductal invasive breast carcinoma, and which occupy primary tumor and local axillary lymph metastases. The tumor growth fraction evaluated by Ki-67 was analyzed along with the expression level of estrogen and progesterone receptors, protein p53, proto-oncogene protein bcl-2 and cathepsin D in 60 patients. Metastatic lymph node in axilla has a higher growth fraction of the tumor cells than the primary tumor (p = 0.

The analysis of the unstable tibia fracture treatment applying internal stabilization method.

The study included 51 patients with tibia fractures, who underwent percutaneous bone reposition and stabilization with unrimed tibial locking nail. The results obtained using this method were compared with those obtained by standard fracture treatment where flat and anatomic plates were applied (n = 64). In patients who had osteosynthetic material implanted percutaneously (using unrimed tibial locking nail) there was no incidence of post surgical osteitis or any pseudarthrosis.

Intercostal catheter analgesia is more efficient vs. intercostal nerve blockade for post-thoracotomy pain relief.

A pain after thoracotomy may result in a postoperative hypoventilation and lead to atelectases and pneumonia. This study was aimed to compare two analgesic regimens after posterolateral thoracotomy. 80 patients (40-70 years) undergoing thoracotomy were randomized to intercostal catheter analgesia (group A, n = 40) and intercostal nerve block (group B, n = 40).

Influence of instability and muscular weakness in ethiopathogenesis of hip fractures.

The aim of our study was to, in accordance with the presented theoretical presumptions, analyze the possible reasons for hip fractures of the older population in the north-eastern part of Croatia. A group of 2,696 persons (1,936 women and 760 men) with hip fractures has been analyzed during a 12 year period (from 1993. until 2005.

Assessment of intra-cranial pressure after severe traumatic brain injury by transcranial Doppler ultrasonography.

Primary Objective: To investigate the potential of transcranial Doppler ultrasonography in estimating post-traumatic intra-cranial pressure early after severe traumatic brain injury.

Research Design: The group of 24 patients was analysed for the observation of an early post-traumatic cerebral haemodynamic by middle cerebral artery blood velocity measuring.

Methods And Procedures: The standard method of measuring the mean blood middle cerebral artery velocity by transcranial Doppler ultrasonic device was performed.

Intact radial and median nerve after open third degree distal fracture of the humerus.

A 54 year old man sustained a third degree open fracture at the distal part of the right humerus with massive soft tissue defect involving most of the upper arm. The radial and median nerves were completely bared and exposed by 6 cm for radial and 3 cm for median nerve. The nerves were in continuity, but there was complete rupture of surrounding muscles: biceps, triceps and brachialis.

External fixation and infection of soft tissues close to fracture localization.

We evaluated the method of external fixation for stabilization of unstable closed and open first-degree diaphyseal fractures of long bones of lower extremities in 19 patients with infections of soft tissues close to the fracture location. The results are compared with those of another group (n = 392) of patients, with similar fractures without infections close to the fracture site, treated with inner stabilization methods. In the first group of patients, we noticed postoperative osteitis of the tibia in two cases (10%), but no pseudarthrosis or lesions of important blood vessels.