Osseointegration and fixation opportunities of sacroiliac instrumentation: a preclinical evaluation in a large animal model.

Background: Implant fixation is often the cornerstone of musculoskeletal surgical procedures performed to provide bony fixation and/or fusion. The aim of this study was to evaluate how different design features and manufacturing methods influence implant osseointegration and mechanical properties associated with fixation in a standardized model in cancellous bone of adult sheep.

Methods: We evaluated the performance of three titanium alloy implants: (A) iFuse-TORQ implant; (B) Fenestrated Sacroiliac Device; and (C) Standard Cancellous Bone Screw in the cancellous bone of the distal femur and proximal tibia in 8 sheep.

Randomized study of temporary diaphragm pacing for enhanced recovery after surgery in cardiac surgery patients at risk of prolonged mechanical ventilation.

Objective: Prolonged mechanical ventilation after cardiac surgery significantly increases morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study is to establish the role of diaphragmatic pacing to decrease mechanical ventilation burden in high-risk patients undergoing cardiac surgery.

Methods: This is a prospective, randomized trial of temporary diaphragmatic pacing electrode use in patients undergoing cardiac surgery (NCT04899856).

Impact of Endocrine Disruptors on the Genitourinary Tract.

Over the last decades, the human species has seen an increase in the incidence of pathologies linked to the genitourinary tract. Observations in animals have allowed us to link these increases, at least in part, to changes in the environment and, in particular, to an increasing presence of endocrine disruptors. These can be physical agents, such as light or heat; natural products, such as phytoestrogens; or chemicals produced by humans.

Monitoring data compilations can be leveraged to highlight relationships between estuarine and watershed factors influencing eutrophication in estuaries.

Estuaries have been adversely impacted by increased nutrient loads. Eutrophication impacts from these loads include excess algal blooms and low oxygen conditions. In this study, we leveraged data from 28 monitoring programs in the northeastern US to explore the relationships between eutrophication response variables and watershed and estuarine variables.

Optimization of 3D-printed titanium interbody cage design. Part 2: An in vivo study of spinal fusion in sheep.

Background Context: 3D-printed titanium cage designs can incorporate complex, porous features for bone ingrowth and a greater surface area for minimizing subsidence. In a companion study (Part 1), we determined that increased surface area leads to decreased subsidence; however, it remains unclear how increasing the cage surface area, resulting in a smaller graft aperture, influences fusion.

Purpose: We evaluated the effects of surface area of 3D-printed titanium cages and the use of autologous bone grafts on spinal fusion in sheep.