Utility of customized 3D compression mask with pressure sensors on facial burn scars: A single-blinded, randomized controlled trial.

Purpose: A pressure of approximately 15-25 mmHg is used for effective compression therapy to prevent and treat hypertrophic scar formation in patients with burns. However, conventional facial compression garments present challenges owing to inadequate pressure distribution in curved areas such as the cheeks, around the mouth, and the slope of the nose. This study aimed to evaluate the utility of a custom-made 3D compression mask equipped with pressure sensors to treat facial burn scars.

Determination of Gait Events and Temporal Gait Parameters for Persons with a Knee-Ankle-Foot Orthosis.

Gait event detection is essential for controlling an orthosis and assessing the patient's gait. In this study, patients wearing an electromechanical (EM) knee-ankle-foot orthosis (KAFO) with a single IMU embedded in the thigh were subjected to gait event detection. The algorithm detected four essential gait events (initial contact (IC), toe off (TO), opposite initial contact (OIC), and opposite toe off (OTO)) and determined important temporal gait parameters such as stance/swing time, symmetry, and single/double limb support.

Promotion of Myogenic Maturation by Timely Application of Electric Field Along the Topographical Alignment.

Engineered muscular substitutes can restore the impaired muscle functions when integrated properly into the host tissue. To generate functional muscles with sufficient contractility at the site of transplant, the in vitro construction of fully differentiated muscle fibers would be desired. Many previous reports have identified either topographical alignment or electrical stimulation as an effective tool to promote myogenic differentiation.

Focal Adhesion Assembly Induces Phenotypic Changes and Dedifferentiation in Chondrocytes.

The expansion of autologous chondrocytes in vitro is used to generate sufficient populations for cell-based therapies. However, during monolayer culture, chondrocytes lose inherent characteristics and shift to fibroblast-like cells as passage number increase. Here, we investigated passage-dependent changes in cellular physiology, including cellular morphology, motility, and gene and protein expression, as well as the role of focal adhesion and cytoskeletal regulation in the dedifferentiation process.

Tensile stimuli increase nerve growth factor in human dermal fibroblasts independent of tension-induced TGFβ production.

Human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs) regulate wound-healing processes in human skin, including the regeneration of skin sensory fibres, in response to various mechanical stimuli. Because nerve growth factor (NGF) has an essential role in sensory regeneration, we evaluated the possible association of NGF with mechanical stimulus-dependent cellular responses in HDFs. A cyclic tensile stimulus increased both NGF and transforming growth factor (TGF) β2 production, yet with different gene transcription and signal desensitization profiles.