Prevalence of large-joint osteoarthritis in Asian and Caucasian skeletal populations.

Objective: To determine ethnic variations of large-joint osteoarthritis (OA) in past populations.

Methods: One thousand two hundred and nine adult skeletons, excavated from archaeological sites in Japan, China and France were assessed for OA as defined by the presence of eburnation.

Results: Within Asian skeletal populations, elbow OA and patellofemoral joint OA were more common in hunter-gatherers than in agriculturalists.

[Rehabilitation of the rheumatoid dorsal wrist by the Sauve-Kapandji operation combined with a realignment-stabilization synovectomy].

The authors present a series of 25 cases of rheumatoid wrists, operated by tendon and intra-carpal synovectomy, accompanied by an arthrodesis of the lower ulnar articulation following a metaphyseal resection of the lower extremity of the ulnar according to Sauve and Kapandji. This series is "young", as the mean follow-up is 2 years. It involves 25 patients, including 4 operated on both wrists.

[Achromic ungual melanoma. Apropos of a case].

A 55-year-old woman presented with suppurative paronychia that became chronic. In fact, this was an exceptional case of amelanotic subungual melanoma. This case is compared with a general review of subungual melanomas.

[Fracture of the base of the first metacarpus].

The authors report a group of 73 cases of fractures of the base of the first metacarpal treated between 1974 and 1989. Fifty-three articular fractures (73%) and 20 non-articular fractures are described. Sixty-eight patients were treated surgically: 49 diverging pin insertions were used, 15 Lars Thoren technique, 5 rigid osteosyntheses with AO miniaturized material.

[Experimental study of an axial vascularized pedicle flap induced in rats].

The authors report an experimental study about induced flaps in rats. The aim of this study is to determine that neoangiogenesis can be formed from surgically introduced pedicle. Two main groups were studied: in the first one the arteriovenous pedicle was be anastomased at its distal end, in the other, an arteriovenous loop was created microsurgically.