Static indentation test for neocartilage surface hardness in repair of periosteal articular cartilage defects.

The objective of this study was to determine whether hardness of the superficial layer is a useful parameter to characterise cartilage produced by periosteal neochondrogenesis, using rabbit knee lesions as a model. A cartilage defect was created in the right hind knee of anesthetised young adult rabbits, and the defect was then covered with an autologous periosteal graft. At one and eight months postsurgery, rabbits were euthanised, and the articular cartilage lesion sites were evaluated for the histological parameters in a modified O'Driscoll scale, which is the current 'gold standard' for new cartilage properties.

Knee osteonecrosis due to lead poisoning: case report and review of the literature.

Background: Though rare, a relationship between toxic heavy-metal accumulation and bone necrosis exists.

Case Report: A 28-year-old man suffered from chronic bilateral knee pain accompanied by muscle fibrillations and night cramps. On examiniation he presented tenderness and mild quadriceps muscle atrophy, but unaffected range of movement, sensation, and tendon reflexes and no effuision.

External fixation of femoral fractures in multiply injured intensive care unit patients.

We report the results of a prospective study of 42 patients with multiple injuries, including femoral fractures, who required intensive care unit (ICU) admission and whose fractures were treated by means of external fixation. The Injury Severity Score (ISS) ranged from 18 to 41 and the average Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) on admission was 12. Seventeen fractures were open.

Polymerase chain reaction for the detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in synovial fluid, tissue samples, bone marrow aspirate and peripheral blood.

Extrapulmonary tuberculosis accounts for approximately 10% of tuberculous infections; the musculoskeletal system is involved in a small number of these (10%). Skeletal tuberculosis is an indolent disease, and diagnosis may be delayed. Conventional methods are time consuming and have a low sensitivity rate.