Publications by authors named "Irene Pien"

Article Synopsis
  • - Digital mucous cysts are harmless fluid-filled sacs that usually appear on the sides or tops of finger joints, often linked to joint degeneration and are most common in people aged 50 to 70.
  • - Various treatment methods exist, from non-invasive options to complete surgical removal, but there's no agreed-upon best practice among medical professionals.
  • - The article discusses a specific surgical technique that effectively targets the cyst and any related bone issues while protecting the skin, demonstrating reliable and favorable results even in challenging skin conditions.
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 The distal radius fracture is the most common fracture in the United States. Achieving stable reduction and fixation of complex fracture patterns can be challenging. In order to help maintain reduction of comminuted fracture to simplify plating, the calcium phosphate-based bone putty Montage has been developed.

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Osteonecrosis affecting the carpal bones is rare and is mostly seen in the lunate (Kienböck's disease). Osteonecrosis of the scaphoid (Preiser disease) is even rarer. There are only four individual case reports published on patients presenting with trapezium necrosis, none with previous history of corticosteroid injection.

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Cranial fasciitis is a rare, rapidly growing, but benign fibroblastic tumor of the skull that generally presents in childhood. Local resection or curettage of the affected bone is generally curative and the tumor is thought not to recur. Cranial fasciitis is distinguished by positive cytoplasmic and nuclear beta-catenin staining.

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Background: Clefts of the lip and/or palate (CL/P) carry a social stigma that often causes psychosocial stress. The purpose of this study was to consider the association of cleft phenotype and age with self-reported aspects of psychosocial stress.

Methods: Children with nonsyndromic CL/P and unaffected children born between 1997 and 2003 were identified through the North Carolina Birth Defects Monitoring Program and North Carolina birth records, respectively.

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Background: The aesthetic aspects of the cleft lip nasal deformity have been appreciated for over a century, but the functional implications have remained largely underappreciated or misunderstood. This study describes the frequency and severity of nasal obstructive symptoms among children with cleft lip and/or cleft palate, addressing the hypotheses that age, cleft type, and severity are associated with the development of nasal obstructive symptoms.

Methods: Children with nonsyndromic cleft lip and/or cleft palate and a comparison group of unaffected children born from 1997 to 2003 were identified through the North Carolina Birth Defects Monitoring Program and birth certificates.

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Background: Nipple-areola complex (NAC) and skin flap ischemia and necrosis can occur after nipple-sparing mastectomy (NSM). The purpose of this study was to correlate vascular findings on MRI with outcomes in patients who underwent NSM.

Study Design: Female patients at a single institution who underwent NSM and had a preoperative breast MRI between 2010 and 2014 were identified.

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Objective: Successful foot and ankle soft tissue reconstruction is dependent on a clear understanding of the vascular supply to the foot. The aim of this study was to identify risk factors for reconstructive failure following foot and ankle free tissue transfer.

Methods: The authors retrospectively reviewed their 17-year institutional experience with 231 foot and ankle free flaps performed in 225 patients to determine predictors of postoperative foot ischemia and flap failure.

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Background: Two commonly used breast reconstruction techniques are (1) implant-based and (2) abdominal tissue-based procedures. When the two modalities are combined, the result is a unique construct that shares advantages and disadvantages of both approaches. Combining breast flaps and implants has been reported, yet the specific techniques associated with a reliable outcome remain unclear.

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Background: Enthusiasm for the deep inferior epigastric artery perforator (DIEP) flap for autologous breast reconstruction has grown in recent years. However, this flap is not performed at all centers or by all plastic surgeons for breast reconstruction, and it is unclear whether practice patterns have measurably changed. This study aimed to (1) evaluate changing trends in breast flap use in the United States in recent years and (2) identify how these trends have affected charges and costs associated with autologous breast reconstruction.

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Background: Wound breakdown after orthopaedic foot and ankle surgery may necessitate secondary soft tissue coverage. The foot and ankle region is challenging to reconstruct for orthopaedic and plastic surgeons owing to its complex bony anatomy and unique functional demands. Therefore, identifying strategies for plastic surgery of these wounds may help guide surgeons in defining the best treatment plan.

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The subcellular compartmentalization of kinase activity allows for regulation of distinct cellular processes involved in cell differentiation or survival. The PTEN-induced kinase 1 (PINK1), which is linked to Parkinson's disease, is a neuroprotective kinase localized to cytosolic and mitochondrial compartments. While mitochondrial targeting of PINK1 is important for its activities regulating mitochondrial homeostasis, the physiological role of the cytosolic pool of PINK1 remains unknown.

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