Chronic Rupture of the Pectoralis Major: Current Concepts and Various Surgical Repair Techniques - A Mini Review.

Introduction: Various surgical repair techniques, including autograft and allograft reconstructions, have been reported for the management of chronic pectoralis major ruptures, but outcome reporting remains highly heterogeneous. This narrative review aimed to provide a deeper understanding of these techniques, emphasizing the need for larger-scale prospective trials to support evidence-based recommendations for surgeons.

Materials And Methods: We conducted a search of PubMed/Medline, Cochrane Library, Embase, and Google Scholar for English-language articles published between 1822 and 2023, using the following keywords: "chronic pectoralis major ruptures," "chronic pectoralis major tears," and "patient outcomes.

Assessment of Hypercoagulability in Splanchnic Vein Thrombosis by Measurement of the Hemostasis Enzymes Thrombin and Activated Protein C.

Splanchnic vein thrombosis (SVT), which is particularly prevalent in myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs), has a multifactorial pathomechanism involving the anticoagulant protein C (PC) pathway. To better characterize the hypercoagulable state in SVT we assessed its key enzymes thrombin and activated PC (APC). The study population included 73 patients with SVT, thereof 36 MPN+, confirmed by bone marrow biopsy, 37 MPN-, and 30 healthy controls.

Interplay between circulating von Willebrand factor and neutrophils: implications for inflammation, neutrophil function, and von Willebrand factor clearance.

Von Willebrand factor (VWF) plays a critical role in hemostasis, and emerging evidence suggests its involvement in inflammation. Our study aimed to investigate the interaction between circulating plasma VWF and neutrophils (polymorphonuclear cells, PMNs), elucidate the fate of VWF after binding, and explore its impact on neutrophil behavior. Neutrophils were isolated from the whole blood of healthy volunteers, and their interaction with plasma VWF was examined ex vivo.

Rehabilitation of human hearing with a totally implantable cochlear implant: a feasibility study.

Background: Cochlear implants (CIs) are neuroprosthetic devices which restore hearing in severe-to-profound hearing loss through electrical stimulation of the auditory nerve. Current CIs use an externally worn audio processor. A long-term goal in the field has been to develop a device in which all components are contained within a single implant.