Open reduction or epiphysiodesis for slipped upper femoral epiphysis. A comparison of Dunn's operation and the Heyman-Herndon procedure.

Forty-eight consecutive patients (53 hips) were treated for moderate or severe slips of the upper femoral epiphysis between 1974 and 1984; 46 patients (96%) returned for clinical and radiological assessment at a mean of five years after operation. Twenty-three patients (23 hips) underwent a Dunn's open reduction and 25 patients (30 hips) were treated by epiphysiodesis and surgical osteoplasty as advocated by Heyman and Herndon. The results of the two methods of treatment are compared.

Trigeminal responses to thermal stimulation of the oral cavity in rattlesnakes (Crotalus viridis) before and after bilateral anesthetization of the facial pit organs.

Multiunit neural responses from the superficial maxillary branch of the trigeminal nerve in prairie rattlesnakes were elicited by intraoral thermal stimulation. The responses to oral stimulation were shown to be independent of responses obtained by thermal stimulation of the loreal pits. Histological examination of the dorsal lip, palate, and fang sheath regions revealed dense ramifying neurons in the epidermal layers of the fang sheaths that were morphologically similar to suspected infrared sensitive neurons in the pit membranes.

Severely displaced supracondylar fractures of the humerus in children: a simple method of treatment.

A simple form of overhead olecranon traction has been used to treat 27 children with severely displaced supracondylar fractures, in whom a satisfactory reduction could not be obtained by closed means. All the children were assessed clinically and radiologically at an average of 54 weeks after injury. Twenty-two children (81%) had an excellent result, with preservation of the normal carrying angle and no significant loss of movement; the other five children had a good result.

Endothelial cell perturbation and low-density lipoprotein. Quantitative autoradiography.

The focal entry and accumulation of LDL within the arterial wall of the normal animal may represent an early stage in the development of the atherosclerotic plaque. Concentrations of LDL 10 to 100 times normal medial concentrations might be difficult to clear from the arterial wall, permitting accumulation of lipid. Elevated LDL concentrations, in proximity to smooth muscle cells, appear to stimulate SMC proliferation.

Analysis of membrane processes for blood purification.

Physical phenomena play an important role in membrane processes for blood purification. They largely determine the separation performance of these devices and they interact with chemical and biological phenomena to determine their biocompatibility, or lack thereof, in the clinical setting. In the first part of this paper, analyses of physical phenomena which determine the separation and purification characteristics are reviewed for several processes, including hemodialysis, hemofiltration, combined hemodialysis and ultrafiltration, and membrane plasmapheresis with cross-flow microfiltration.

An improved technique of intra-operative bone scanning.

Radiopharmaceuticals have been successfully used to detect occult neoplasms and infective lesions. Bone scans using 99mTc-labelled methylene diphosphonate located osteoid osteomas accurately in a series of 30 symptomatic patients. A portable radiation detector system has been designed to help intra-operative localisation and facilitate complete excision of the lesions with minimal damage to normal tissue.

Overgrowth of the femur after fracture in childhood. An increased effect in boys.

Forty-four children, treated conservatively for fracture of the shaft of a femur, were studied radiographically to assess the consequent increase in longitudinal growth of the bone. Overgrowth averaged 8.1 mm and was shown to be significantly greater in boys than in girls.

The action of oxygen and oxygen at high pressure on inhibitory transmission.

The effect of 100% oxygen at ambient pressure, 100% oxygen at 1.7 Atmospheres Absolute (ATA), 100% oxygen at 5.1 ATA, helium at 1.

Local variation in arterial wall permeability to low density lipoprotein in normal rabbit aorta.

Normal rabbits were injected intravenously with horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and 125I-labeled human low density lipoprotein (LDL), and the aortas were perfusion-fixed. Subsequent visualization of HRP in the aortas was produced by reaction of the tissue with diaminobenzidine and hydrogen peroxide. The luminal surface of the aortas showed many small punctate foci of brown reaction product to the HRP, which represented penetration of the HRP into the vessel wall.

Scaphoid fractures in children.

Fracture of the carpal scaphoid before skeletal maturity represents 0.34% of all fractures in children and 0.45% of children's upper limb fractures.

Changes in synaptic transmission produced by hydrogen peroxide.

The effect of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) on excitatory and inhibitory synaptic transmission was studied at the lobster neuromuscular junction. H2O2 produced a dose dependent decrease in the amplitude of the junction potential (Vejp). This decrease was due to changes in both presynaptic transmitter release and the postsynaptic response to the neurotransmitter.

Somatostatin analogs with improved oral bioavailability.

Cyclic hexapeptide analogs of somatostatin with insulin, glucagon, and growth hormone (GH) release inhibitory potencies of 50-200 times those of somatostatin have been synthesized. Replacement of the Phe-7 residue with histidine has resulted in increased oral bioavailability and duration of action. Metabolic degradation of L-Trp containing analogs upon oral administration has also been overcome by incorporation of histidine.

Conformationally constrained tachykinin analogs which are selective ligands for the eledoisin binding site.

We have prepared a series of conformationally constrained hexapeptide analogs of substance P which are 500-1500-fold more potent as inhibitors of 125I-labeled Bolton Hunter-conjugated eledoisin binding to rat brain cortex membranes than as inhibitors of 125I-labeled Bolton Hunter-conjugated substance P binding. These analogs stimulate guinea pig ileum contraction (ED50 1-16 nM) and stimulate rat vas deferens contraction (ED50 2-4 microM). However, these peptides are poor stimulators of rat salivation (greater than 40 nmol/100 g body weight).

Blockade of hyperbaric oxygen induced seizures by excitatory amino acid antagonists.

The effectiveness of several excitatory amino acid antagonists to delay or block seizures induced by oxygen at high pressure was examined in mice. Of the antagonists tested, namely, L-proline, DL-alpha-aminoadipate, DL-2-amino-5-phosphonovalerate, and L-glutamic acid diethyl ester, DL-2-amino-5-phosphonovalerate was the most effective in delaying or preventing seizures. L-Glutamic acid diethylester was also effective but at significantly higher doses, which were also associated with marked sedation.

Transport of 125I-albumin across normal and deendothelialized rabbit thoracic aorta in vivo.

Transmural concentration profiles of 125I-albumin in vivo were measured across the normal and balloon catheter-deendothelialized rabbit descending thoracic aorta as a function of time following intravenous injection. A tracer was injected 5 or 60 minutes after deendothelialization, and the animals were sacrificed after circulation times of 10, 30 or 60 minutes. The aorta was immediately excised and frozen flat between glass slides.

A super active cyclic hexapeptide analog of somatostatin.

The cyclic hexapeptide, cyclo (Pro-Phe-D-Trp-Lys-Thr-Phe), I, has been shown to have the biological properties of somatostatin. We now report structure-activity studies which optimize the potency of this cyclic hexapeptide series with the synthesis of cyclo (N-Me-Ala-Tyr-D-Trp-Lys-Val-Phe), II, which is 50-100 times more potent than somatostatin for the inhibition of insulin, glucagon and growth hormone release. The hydroxyl group of tyrosine is seen to lend a 10-fold enhancement to the potency.

Displaced supracondylar fractures of the humerus in children treated by overhead olecranon traction.

A simple method is described of treating severely displaced, supracondylar fractures of the humerus in children, and the results are reviewed. Treatment involves the use of overhead traction via an olecranon screw and a traction clip. Of 12 children treated in this way, 11 had excellent results with preservation of the normal carrying angle, and no significant loss of movement in any plane.

Popliteal masses masquerading as popliteal cysts.

Two popliteal swellings, thought initially to be synovial cysts associated with arthritic knees, were found to be unrelated tumours of serious significance. In the presence of neurological signs or a large cyst in association with a noninflammed knee joint a disease other than a simple synovial cyst should be considered.

Rabbit aortic medial thickness under relaxed and specified simulated in vivo conditions.

A method is presented for measuring the thickness of the intima-media layer of the normal rabbit descending thoracic aortic wall under both relaxed (excised) and specified simulated in vivo conditions. The in vivo conditions were simulated by maintaining the aorta in situ at its normal longitudinal extension while perfusing its lumen at the normal mean arterial pressure with a mixture of liquid silicone polymer and a catalyst, thus providing physiological radial distension. After the rubber cured, both relaxed and extended-distended tissue segments were obtained from adjacent sites on the same aorta.