Augmented short undersized hamstring tendon graft with LARS® artificial ligament versus four-strand hamstring tendon in anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: preliminary results.

Background: This retrospective study compares the results of reconstruction of isolated chronic anterior cruciate ligament rupture using augmented short undersized sized hamstring tendon graft with ligament advanced artificial reinforcement system (LARS) versus a four-strand hamstring tendon graft (4-SHG). Our hypothesis was that postoperative knee stability after using augmented short length or small diameter hamstring tendon graft with LARS artificial ligament could be significant and satisfactory more than 4-strand hamstring tendon graft group.

Materials And Methods: Between June 2007-July 2008, 72 patients were divided into a (LARS) augmented group (n=27) and a (4-SHG) group (n=45).

The use of the LARS artificial ligament to augment a short or undersized ACL hamstrings tendon graft.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the midterm results of using Ligament Advanced Reinforcement System (LARS) artificial ligament for augmentation of the short (<15 cm length) and small-sized (3-4 mm) diameter for the gracilis and (4-5 mm) for the semitendinosus harvested hamstring tendons in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction, and to assess the knee stability, patient satisfaction and early- and midterm complications following surgery. A total of 112 patients were included in this study and were operated with arthroscopic ACL reconstruction using (augmented hamstring tendon graft with LARS) between January 2004 and December 2006. Assessment before and after the surgery include the history, clinical examination, modified international knee documentation committee score (IKDC), KT1000 measurements for clinical knee stability and osteoarthritis outcome score (KOOS) for patient satisfaction.

Nonbridging external fixation for fractures of the distal radius.

Objective: To assess the feasibility of using standard components from the small AO external fixator set to support fractures of the distal radius with a construct incorporating distal fixation in the periarticular radius fragment that would allow for primary mobilization of the wrist joint during fracture healing.

Methods: In a prospective pilot study of a nonbridging external fixator in early 2001, 6 consecutive cases of fracture in the distal radius presenting at a tertiary care centre, the Hamilton General Division of Hamilton Health Sciences, were compared with 6 historical controls treated with a standard bridging construct immobilizing the wrist. Both groups were or had been treated with closed reduction and external fixation of the distal radius under fluoroscopic control.

Tissue levels of histamine, PAF-acether and lysopaf-acether in carrageenan-induced granuloma in rats.

The tissue concentrations of several inflammatory mediators were determined from day 0 to day 60 in granuloma induced in rats (n = 105) by injection of carrageenan in the fascia of the latissimus dorsi muscle. Noncollagen proteins (NCP) and the number of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) and mast cells were also assessed. In comparison with the tissue at time 0, we noted in the inflamed tissue (at 4 h) an increase in total proteins (4.