Anatomical assessment of the Hoffa fat pad during insertion of a tibial intramedullary nail--comparison of three surgical approaches.

Background: Interlocking nailing is a standard procedure in the surgical treatment of tibial fractures. Despite it has been described to be a safe technique with excellent functional results compared with conservative treatment, a common problem is the development of anterior knee pain. The anatomic relation of Hoffa's fat pad with its nociceptors to the nail entry point has not been investigated, yet.

A new device for cricothyroidotomy.

A new instrument for coniotomy was developed and tested with cadaver experiments. The instrument should be simple, easy to handle, and should not have the various drawbacks of the existing devices. The new instrument was tested by 17 medical students and medical doctors on fresh human cadavers.

Effect of body armor on simulated landmine blasts to cadaveric legs.

Background: Antipersonnel landmine protective footwear relies on blast deflection or on exaggerated standoff between the foot and the explosive. Neither design has been tested for clinical effectiveness.

Methods: 4 cadaveric lower extremities--3 fitted with a Koflach boot incorporating TABRE (Technology for Attenuating Blast Related Energy) were subjected to controlled blast with charges of up to 100 g trinitrotoluene (TNT).

[Collateral circulation of the left colon: historic considerations and actual clinical significance].

Introduction: The arterial communication between the superior and inferior mesenteric arteries is important in surgery of the colon and aorta.

Methods: The anastomosis between the median colic artery (ACM) and the superior colic artery (AMS) was studied on 52 cadavers (32 female, 20 male). The length of the artery was measured using a flexible scale, and its diameter was determined at three different locations (origin, middle, end).

Applying circular posterior-hinged craniotomy to malignant cerebral edemas.

Malignant brain edemas are often fatal, regardless of whether they are treated conservatively with sedation, blood pressure management, mannitol-therapy, hyperventilation and hypothermia, or non-conservatively with routine trepanation. Unfortunately, temporal trepanation may result in significant brain damage through herniation of the cerebrum at the edges of the trepanation openings. In one case of a 26-year-old male with severe head injury, a circular posterior-hinged craniotomy (CPHC) was performed after an ineffective unitemporal trepanation for evacuation of an acute subdural hematoma.

The treatment of subcapital humerus fracture with dynamic helix wire and the risk of concommitant lesion of the axillary nerve.

Displaced subcapital fractures of the humerus represent a therapeutic challenge for the surgeon, all the more so because of their high incidence among osteoporotic patients. Open surgical repair involves increased risk of avascular necrosis of the humeral head, while percutaneous reduction and fixation often fails as a result of loosening pins. As a possible solution, a minimally invasive technique was developed in which a dynamic titanium wire helix is inserted into the medullary space of the diaphysis of the humerus and then rotated proximally into the head fragment.

Rare variant of the brachial artery: superficial lateral inferior type VII EAB.

This study concerns a variant of the brachial artery with a modified origin and course. The artery was studied in 418 upper limbs removed from cadavers. In one upper limb the left brachial artery bifurcated into: (1) a superficial brachial a.

Arterial blood supply of the maxillary sinus.

Knowledge of the arterial supply of the maxillary sinus region is essential for surgical treatment in this area (e.g., implantation of grafting materials, repair of injuries, sinus floor elevation).

Morphology and histochemistry of myogelosis.

Myogelosis is a common diagnosis in the case of chronic pain conditions, especially in the region of the pectoral girdle musculature, the glutei muscles, and the erector spinae muscle. Although such indurative areas continue to be palpable even on the cadaver, few studies concerning the morphological substrate of these areas have been undertaken. Selected biopsies as well as larger tissue samples were taken from 11 corpses and prepared for histological study.

Arterial supply of the gracilis muscle and its relevance for the dynamic graciloplasty.

The various methods of transposition of the gracilis muscle in order to serve as an anal neo-sphincter have progressed in recent years. Tetanic contraction can be achieved by converting Type II muscle fibers into Type I by use of chronic, low frequency electrical stimulation. In order to guarantee a good function the muscle's vascularization has to have at least one nutritive vessel.

Auditory ossicle abnormalities and hearing loss in the toothless (osteopetrotic) mutation in the rat and their improvement after treatment with colony-stimulating factor-1.

Osteopetrosis describes a group of skeletal metabolic diseases of heterogeneous etiology and varied severity that produces a generalized accumulation of skeletal mass, the result of reduced bone resorption. Inherited in a variety of species including humans, the most severe forms are lethal. Among common features are progressive blindness and deafness of controversial etiologies for which there are no universally effective treatments.

Sphincters of canine hepatic sublobular veins respond to endothelin-1 and 3.

The dog has been used repeatedly as a model in liver transplantation research. The microcirculation and its regulatory mechanisms play a crucial role during ischemia and reperfusion. Little is known about the role of venous sphincters in regulating blood flow in the dog liver.

Epicardial branches of the coronary arteries and their distribution in the rabbit heart: the rabbit heart as a model of regional ischemia.

Background: The rabbit heart has been frequently used to study regional ischemia, but there is hardly any detailed information on the epicardial branching of the coronary arteries. Therefore, we wanted to determine whether there is a constant branching pattern and how comparable this pattern is with the human heart.

Methods: We investigated epicardial branching of the coronary arteries in 30 adult rabbit hearts.

The microvenous valvular anatomy of the human dorsal thoracic fascia.

The use of free scapular fasciocutaneous flaps for reconstruction of recalcitrant grade 6 venous stasis ulcers has shown excellent early success rates. Venous refilling times measured postoperatively over the flaps by photoplethysmography have noted improvements to normal levels. Preliminary anatomic studies have demonstrated valves in the circumflex scapular veins of flaps used in reconstruction.

Modifications of the paraspinous muscle flap: anatomy and clinical application.

Soft-tissue defects of the back, particularly involving the paravertebral tissues, are generally covered with myocutaneous, muscle, or fasciocutaneous flaps. The case of a 64-year-old man with a paravertebral malignant fibrous histiocytoma is reported. To ensure adequately radical margins, the ipsilateral trapezius and latissimus dorsi muscles as well as the costal periosteum and the spinous processes were resected between T9 and T12.

Pulmonary lymphatics and their spatial relationship to venous sphincters.

Background: Pulmonary lymphatics are critical to clearing lung fluid. Although their structure can be shown with light and transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy of their casts can better show their number, size, shape, distribution, and degree of filling. This technique has identified four forms of lung lymphatics, but these forms have not been fully evaluated by tissue microscopy.

Microvascular pattern in the metaphysis during bone growth.

Background: Little is known about the three-dimensional micromorphology of vessels in the growth zone of long bones, where significant vasculogenesis occurs. Therefore, we examined the microvascular pattern of the femoral metaphysis.

Methods: Six-week-old normal rats of either sex were used.

Microangioarchitecture of the guinea pig common bile duct and duodenal papilla: a scanning electron and light microscopic study.

Background: The microvascular pattern of the duodenal papilla is unknown. Since the duodenal papilla is located in the transition zone between the stomach and duodenum, and because it regulates bile transfer into the duodenum, a particular microangioarchitecture can be expected. Therefore, we examined the microvasculature of the papilla using guinea pigs as a model.

Superficial branch of the radial nerve emerging between two slips of a split brachioradialis muscle tendon: a variation of possible clinical relevance.

One hundred and fifty upper extremities of 75 nonrandomized human cadavers were dissected to study the topographical relationship between the brachioradialis muscle tendon (BRMT) and the superficial branch of the radial nerve (SBRN). A split BRMT was found in nine arms, while in five of those nine arms the SBRN emerged from under the brachioradialis muscle between the two slips of a divided BRMT to become superficial. This topographical relationship is mentioned sparsely in very old literature, yet its frequency has not been studied before.

Fine structure of the tendon of the human stapedius muscle: comparison of normals and clinically otosclerotic patients.

The tendon of the human stapedius muscle was studied in normal post mortem material and in clinical otosclerotic patients, using light and electron microscopy. Cross section profiles of collagen fibrils were measured in various regions of the tendon and the amount of elastin was estimated. The normal stapedius tendon consisted of three concentrically arranged portions: A cylindrical central part, a tube-like mid-portion, and a cortical layer.

The cochlear glomeruli in the modiolus of the guinea pig.

The cochlear glomeruli were studied in guinea pigs using scanning electron microscopy of vascular corrosion casts and transmission electron microscopy of tissue sections. Two types of coiled vessels forming the cochlear glomeruli were found in the bony wall of the modiolus. First, upper glomeruli were seen situated in the bony wall next to the scala vestibuli; second, lower glomeruli were located in the osseous spiral lamina just above the spiral ganglion.

Prostaglandin synthesis by the lateral cochlear wall under streptomycin influence.

The synthesis of 4 prostaglandins (PGs), PGD2, PGE2, PGF2 alpha and PGI2, detected as 6keto PGF1 alpha in the guinea pig lateral cochlear wall (LW) was investigated under streptomycin treatment. Animals underwent daily injections of the antibiotic at dosages of 20, 100 and 200 mg/kg body weight. Prostaglandins were detected 1, 5 and 10 days after drug administration using radioimmunoassay.