[Overview of selected tests used to assess the functional status of elderly].

Physical activity is one of the most important element of a healthy lifestyle and determinant of the physical and mental health. According to the WHO, limited physical activity is the fourth most common premature deaths risk factor in the world. Regular sport and active recreation is very important for our health.

[Peripheral nerves phenolisation in spasticity management - forgotten art or interesting perspective?].

Introduction: Spasticity is one of the most common obstacles in the process of rehabilitation after permanent central nervous system injury. Statistics show that the problem affects more than 12 billion people all over the world. Treatment of spasticity is necessary for proper rehabilitation, prevention of secondary disability, pain management and also strongly influences quality of life.

A comparison of effectiveness of fascial relaxation and classic model of patients rehabilitation after hip joint endoprosthetics.

Background: Degenerative joint disease usually leads to functional failure and pain in the affected parts of the musculoskeletal system. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of fascial relaxation for tense muscles in the affected hip joint by comparing this method and classic physiotherapeutic rehabilitation in patients after hip arthroplasty with regard to the range of motion, presence of pain and quality of life.

Material And Methods: The study involved 35 females qualified for hip arthroplasty.

Postoperative limb lengthening following Total Hip Arthroplasty (THA) through a posterior approach--a challenge for the orthopaedist or physiotherapist?

Background: As coxarthrosis progresses, pain and mobility limitation exacerbate, usually presenting as a progressive flexion-abduction contracture. This, combined with the degradation of articular ends of bones, is responsible for anatomical and functional shortening of the limb. The sensation of postoperative leg length difference is a significant problem both for the patient and the operator.

Metacarpal fractures.

Background. The purpose of our study was to evaluate bone union in metacarpal fractures, in terms of the pathomorphic nature of the damage and the use of surgical treatment. Severe multi-tissue damage and fracture with Bennett's dislocation were excluded.

Treatment outcome after patellar re-alignment by one-stage correction of the axis of the knee extensor and mosaicplasty of the patellofemoral joint.

Background. Patellar misalignment is often accompanied by damage to the chondral surface of the patello-femoral joint. The goal of surgical treatment is to address the primary cause by correcting the axis of knee flexion.

Posterior interbody fusion in the treatment of diseases and injuries of the thoraco-lumbar spine.

Background. The aim of our study was to evaluate the effectiveness of posterior interbody spondylodesis with autogenous bone grafts in the treatment of diseases and injuries of the thoraco-lumbar spine. Material and methods.

[Clinical signs and methods of treatment of enchondromas located outside the hand].

160 patients (72 men and 88 women) in the age from 12 to 71 were admitted to Orthopaedic and Traumatology Department Skubiszewski Medical University in Lublin because of enchondromas. In 126 patients chondromas were located in hand, and in 34 remaining patients (21,3%) in: humerus, forearm, femur, tibia, fibula and foot. The typical signs of enchondroma were: pain, little limitation of movement, thickening of tissues or pathological fracture.

Early results of one-stage knee extensor realignment and autologous osteochondral grafting.

We treated 49 patients with recurrent patellar dislocations or persistent patellar subluxations. Chondral defects were graded according to the International Cartilage Repair Society (ICRS). Thirty patients (group I) had chondral defects grade I or II, and 19 patients (group II) had chondral defects grade III or IV.

[Postero-medial release in surgical treatment of congenital clubfeet: a comment to Turco's method based on personal experience].

Complete correction of congenital clubfeet by conservative treatment is often impossible. Surgical treatment plays a major role in treatment of this deformity. At the Department of Pediatric Orthopedics in Lublin between 1970 and 1999 1041 children (1253 feet) were treated surgically with Turco's method, in the authors' own modification.

Primate antibodies to components of the human immune system.

The feasibility to raise nonhuman primate antibodies against selected components of the human immune system was tested. The immunogens were whole cells (human T lymphocytes) or purified, recombinant human proteins (cytokines: TNF alpha or GM-CSF; soluble forms of cell surface antigens: sCD4 or sCD25). Significant immunizations, yielding functionally relevant antibodies, were readily achieved in rhesus monkeys, but, not surprisingly, may be less frequent in chimpanzees.

Conserved residues Pro-109 and Asp-116 are required for interaction of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 integrase protein with its viral DNA substrate.

The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 integrase protein can be specifically cross-linked to viral long terminal repeat substrate oligonucleotides in vitro by using UV light. Site-directed mutagenesis and deletion analyses were used to define the domains involved in the interaction of integrase with the viral DNA substrate. Our results showed that mutation of conserved residues Pro-109 and Asp-116, which are found to be critical for the endonuclease and integration activities of IN protein, abolished the ability of the protein to cross-link to its DNA substrate.

Identification of amino acid residues critical for endonuclease and integration activities of HIV-1 IN protein in vitro.

HIV-IN protein, tagged with a hexahistidine tail was expressed in Escherichia coli and purified by a one-step nickel chelate affinity chromatography procedure. The purified IN protein was characterized in terms of its endonuclease and integrase properties in vitro. Specific cleavage and integration of HIV U5 LTR ends were observed in the presence of 2-5 mM Mg2+ or Ca2+.