Trial of alginates in throat symptoms: protocol for a pragmatic, multicentre, placebo controlled, double blind, parallel, randomised controlled trial of liquid alginate (Gaviscon Advance) for the treatment of persistent throat symptoms.

Introduction: Persistent throat symptoms (PTS) are indicators for over 60 000 new patient referrals to NHS secondary care annually. PTS have been attributed to manifestation of gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GORD) with the hypothesis that gastric refluxate damages and irritates the mucosa of the upper aerodigestive tract. Symptoms of PTS and GORD are commonly treated with proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) or alginates are often, incorrectly, advocated.

Systematic Review of Sarcopenia Biomarkers in Hip Fracture Patients as a Potential Tool in Clinical Evaluation.

Hip fractures are associated with high morbidity and mortality. Sarcopenia is a significant factor contributing to poor prognosis; however, the clinical diagnosis of sarcopenia remains difficult in surgical patients. This systematic review aims to identify the biomarkers of sarcopenia as diagnostic and predictive tools in patients admitted for hip fracture surgery.

Comparative Analysis of Outcomes in Adult Spinal Deformity Patients with Proximal Junctional Kyphosis or Failure Initially Fused to Upper Versus Lower Thoracic Spine.

Patients with proximal junctional kyphosis (PJK) or failure (PJF) may demonstrate disparate outcomes and recovery when fused to the upper (UT) versus lower (LT) thoracic spine. Few studies have distinguished the reoperation and recovery abilities of patients with PJK or PJF when fused to the upper (UT) versus lower (LT) thoracic spine. Adult spine deformity patients ≥ 18 yrs with preoperative and 5-year (5Y) data fused to the sacrum/pelvis were included.

Use of Supplemental Rod Constructs in Adult Spinal Deformity Surgery: A Review.

Adult spinal deformity comprises a heterogeneous group of disorders that primarily affects older patients and can have a significant negative affect on health-related quality of life. Operative treatment for adult spinal deformity typically entails posterior instrumented fusions that have demonstrated the potential to significantly improve health-related quality of life outcomes. However, until fusion is achieved, the instrumentation providing structural support is subject to repetitive cyclical loading that disproportionately fatigues high-stress areas and can result in instrumentation failure.

FGF and TGF-β Growth Factor Isoform Modulation of Human Gingival and Periodontal Ligament Fibroblast Wound Healing Phenotype.

Release of growth factors in the tissue microenvironment is a critical process in the repair and regeneration of periodontal tissues, regulating fibroblast behavior and phenotype. As a result of the complex architecture of the periodontium, distinct fibroblast populations in the periodontal ligament and gingival connective tissue exist in close proximity. Growth factor therapies for periodontal regeneration have gained traction, but quantification of their effects on multiple different fibroblast populations that are required for repair has been poorly investigated.