How does a novel monoplanar pedicle screw perform biomechanically relative to monoaxial and polyaxial designs?

Background: Minimally invasive spinal fusions frequently require placement of pedicle screws through small incisions with limited visualization. Polyaxial pedicle screws are favored due to the difficulty of rod insertion with fixed monoaxial screws. Recently, a novel monoplanar screw became available that is mobile in the coronal plane to ease rod insertion but fixed in the sagittal plane to eliminate head slippage during flexion loads; however, the strength of this screw has not been established relative to other available screw designs.

Boutonnière and pulley rupture in elite athletes.

This article discusses injuries to the central slip (boutonnière) and to the annular pulleys in the digit, with an emphasis on the elite athlete. Pertinent anatomy, mechanism of injury, diagnosis, treatment, and a discussion emphasizing the elite athlete and return to play form the basis of the article.

Update of the physiology and biomechanics of tendon transfer surgery.

Tendon transfer surgery has evolved over the past decade. Unique muscle properties have been elucidated in terms of potential force generation, excursion, and metabolic properties. The choice of an appropriate donor muscle is becoming more of a science than an art.

Use of solid and cancellous autologous bone graft for fractures and nonunions.

Bone is the second most commonly implanted material in the human body, after blood transfusion, with an estimated 600,000 grafts performed annually. Although the market for bone graft substitutes is more than $1 billion, that of bone graft itself is still more than half that amount. Reports of autologous bone grafting date back to the ancient Egyptians, yet the modern scientific study of grafting began in the early 19th century.

Comparison of the SurePath liquid-based Papanicolaou smear with the conventional Papanicolaou smear in a multisite direct-to-vial study.

Background: Split-sample clinical trials for liquid-based Papanicolaou (Pap) smears demonstrated that the liquid-based Pap smear was a safe and effective replacement for the conventional Pap smear. However, clinical intended use of liquid-based technology employs direct-to-vial collection methods. The current study compared the cytologic detection rates of the liquid-based Pap smear with conventional Pap smears in a direct-to-vial study performed at three clinical sites.