Is prophylactic acyclovir treatment warranted for prevention of herpes simplex virus infections in facial burns? A review of the literature.

Both cosmetic facial resurfacing and facial burns cause an injury to the dermal layer of the skin. This injury renders the patient susceptible to primary herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection or, more commonly, to HSV reactivation. This in turn can lead to bacterial superinfection, possibly resulting in scarring and systemic dissemination in the immunosuppressed burn patient.

Alendronate preserves femoral head shape and height/length ratios in an experimental rat model: A computer-assisted analysis.

Background: Surgical osteonecrosis of the rat femoral head was induced by detaching the ligamentum teres and stripping the femoral neck periosteum. Bone and marrow necrosis were found from the fifth postoperative day and replaced by creeping substitution. Osteonecrosis of the femoral head results in the flattening to various degrees of roundness and osteoarthritic changes of the hip joint.