Dosimetric feasibility of hippocampal avoidance whole brain radiotherapy with an MRI-guided linear accelerator.

Purpose/objective(s): Whole brain radiotherapy with hippocampal avoidance (HA-WBRT) is a technique utilized to treat metastatic brain disease while preserving memory and neurocognitive function. We hypothesized that the treatment planning and delivery of HA-WBRT plans is feasible with an MRI-guided linear accelerator (linac) and compared plan results with clinical non-MRI-guided C-Arm linac plans.

Materials/methods: Twelve HA-WBRT patients treated on a non-MRI-guided C-Arm linac were selected for retrospective analysis.

MR-guided stereotactic body radiation therapy for intracardiac and pericardial metastases.

Aims: To assess the safety and efficacy of MR-guided stereotactic body radiation therapy (MRgSBRT) for cardiac metastases.

Materials/methods: This single institution retrospective analysis evaluated our experience with MRgSBRT for cardiac metastases. Response rate was compared between pre-RT and post-RT imaging.

Impact of recurrent laryngeal nerve lesion on oropharyngeal muscle activity and sensorimotor integration in an infant pig model.

The successful performance of a swallow requires dynamic integration between a wide range of sensory inputs and muscle activities to produce the coordinated kinematics of oropharyngeal structures. Damage to the recurrent laryngeal nerve (RLN) produces dysphagia in infants, with food or liquid entering the airway despite this nerve having minimal direct sensory or motor connections to the act of swallowing, apart from vocal fold closure. Previous results have demonstrated that a complete RLN lesion disrupts both performance and kinematics before initiation of the pharyngeal swallow in infants.

Maturation of the Coordination Between Respiration and Deglutition with and Without Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve Lesion in an Animal Model.

The timing of the occurrence of a swallow in a respiratory cycle is critical for safe swallowing, and changes with infant development. Infants with damage to the recurrent laryngeal nerve, which receives sensory information from the larynx and supplies the intrinsic muscles of the larynx, experience a significant incidence of dysphagia. Using our validated infant pig model, we determined the interaction between this nerve damage and the coordination between respiration and swallowing during postnatal development.

Bone Graft Substitute Provides Metaphyseal Fixation for a Stemless Humeral Implant.

Stemless humeral fixation has become an alternative to traditional total shoulder arthroplasty, but metaphyseal fixation may be compromised by the quality of the trabecular bone that diminishes with age and disease, and augmentation of the fixation may be desirable. The authors hypothesized that a bone graft substitute (BGS) could achieve initial fixation comparable to polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) bone cement. Fifteen fresh-frozen human male humerii were randomly implanted using a stemless humeral prosthesis, and metaphyseal fixation was augmented with either high-viscosity PMMA bone cement (PMMA group) or a magnesium-based injectable BGS (OsteoCrete; Bone Solutions Inc, Dallas, Texas) (OC group).