Effects of Handrail and Cane Support on Energy Cost of Walking in People With Different Levels and Causes of Lower Limb Amputation.

Objective: The energy cost of walking with a lower limb prosthesis is higher than able-bodied walking and depends on both cause and level of amputation. This increase might partly be related to problems with balance control. In this study we investigated to what extent energy cost can be reduced by providing support through a handrail or cane and how this depends on level and cause of amputation.

In vivo imaging of radiation-induced apoptosis in follicular lymphoma patients.

Purpose: To evaluate (99m)Tc-Annexin-V (TAV) scintigraphy in monitoring radiation-induced apoptotic cell death in follicular lymphoma (FL) patients.

Patients And Methods: Eleven FL patients (7 female and 4 male; median age, 58 years; range, 42-80 years) with recurrent disease underwent TAV imaging before and 24 hours after the last fraction of the 2 x 2 Gy involved field radiotherapy regimen. Fine-needle aspiration cytology was performed on 5 consecutive days to determine the optimal time window for apoptosis detection and to confirm the apoptotic nature of the response.