Measuring T cell immunity to influenza vaccination in children after haemopoietic stem cell transplantation.

Quantitative assessment of immunogen-specific T cell responses may provide a meaningful surrogate marker of functional immunity in patients following haemopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). We developed a flow-cytometric assay to quantify antigen-specific T cell immunity to influenza-A and studied the T cell response to influenza vaccination in five children, 3-21 months post-HSCT. All patients showed an increase in influenza-A-specific CD4(+) immunity following vaccination while none had a detectable IgG response to the vaccine.

Revision shoulder stabilization: 2- to 10-year results.

We evaluated 43 patients who underwent revision shoulder stabilization between 1978 and 1992. Twenty-three shoulders in 23 patients had unidirectional anterior shoulder instability (group A), whereas 21 shoulders in 20 patients exhibited multiple directions of shoulder instability (group B). Within group A recurrent instability developed at a mean of 35.

Biomechanical evaluation of the medial collateral ligament of the elbow.

Unlabelled: Anatomical dissection and biomechanical testing were used to study twenty-eight cadaveric elbows in order to determine the role of the medial collateral ligament under valgus loading. The medial collateral ligament was composed of anterior, posterior, and occasionally transverse bundles. The anterior bundle was, in turn, composed of anterior and posterior bands that tightened in reciprocal fashion as the elbow was flexed and extended.

Chiari I malformation and spinal cord injury: cause for concern in contact athletes?

We present a case of transient quadriparesis in an 8-yr-old football player with a normal cervical spinal canal but Chiari I malformation of the hindbrain. Chiari I consists of herniation of the cerebellar tonsils through the foramen magnum, which reduces space available for the spinal cord. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain or cervical spine can identify asymptomatic Chiari I, whereas previously myelography was necessary.