Use of the SIGN IM nail system to stabilize tibiotalocalcaneal arthrodesis in two African hospital settings.

Objectives: To determine the effectiveness and describe the technique of using the Surgical Implant Generation Network (SIGN) nail to augment tibiotalocalcaneal (TTC) arthrodesis in the developing world.

Design: Retrospective review of the SIGN database and description of surgical technique.

Setting: Two centers in rural Kenya, East Africa.

Risk Factors for Infection After Intramedullary Nailing of Open Tibial Shaft Fractures in Low- and Middle-Income Countries.

Objectives: (1) To determine the infection rate after fixation of open tibial shaft fractures using the Surgical Implant Generation Network (SIGN) intramedullary nail in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and (2) to identify risk factors for infection.

Design: Prospective cohort study using an international online database.

Setting: Multiple hospitals in LMICs worldwide.

Use of coronary Palmaz-Schatz stent in the percutaneous treatment of an intracranial carotid artery stenosis.

A 69-yr-old man had chronic transient ischemia attacks due to severe stenosis of the intracranial portion of the right carotid artery. After failure of both antiplatelet and anticoagulant therapy, treatment was successful with percutaneous transluminal angioplasty and a coronary Palmaz-Schatz stent. Use of the stent led to a better angiographic result than angioplasty alone.

Differences in treatment and survival rates of non-small-cell lung cancer in three regions of France.

Treatment and survival rates of patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) were compared between three French Cancer Registries (Calvados, Doubs, Tarn). The methodological issues in such comparisons are discussed. The treatments for NSCLC differed between the regions: radiotherapy tended to be preferred in Calvados (73% vs 21.

The impact of a resident-directed survey on the education curriculum of a university surgical training program.

Surgical training programs use various objective and subjective means to evaluate housestaff performance. However it is less clear how to assess the quality of the educational experience the program itself provides. This study examines the use of a resident-directed survey as a means of identifying and rectifying weakness in a surgical training curriculum.