Publications by authors named "Macchi V"

Objectives: The purposes of this study were to (1) prospectively evaluate clinical and functional outcomes of athletes following anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction up to 12 months after surgery, (2) to identify the correlations between functional and subjective tests, and (3) to determine which factors influence patients' capability to resume sports at pre-injury level.

Methods: Patients who underwent ACL reconstruction using doubled autologous hamstring graft were prospectively assessed pre-operatively, 6, and 12 months after surgery using International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) Subjective Knee Form, Tegner activity level, and ACL-Return to Sport after Injury (ACL-RSI) scale. Jumping ability was instrumentally assessed using a test battery including bipodalic squat jump (SJ), bipodalic countermovement jump (CMJ), monopodalic CMJ, and monopodalic side-hop test.

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Background: COVID-19 pandemic caused by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) represents the biggest global health emergency in recent decades. The host immune response to SARS-CoV-2 seems to play a key role in disease pathogenesis and clinical manifestations, with Natural Killer (NK) lymphocytes being among the targets of virus-induced regulation.

Methods: This study performed a single-cell multi-omics analysis of transcripts and proteins of NK lymphocytes in COVID-19 patients, for the characterization of the innate immunological response to infection.

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Article Synopsis
  • Researchers have focused on fascias in recent years, particularly their anatomy and related diseases, using advanced imaging techniques like ultrasound (US) and MRI for better insights.
  • This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of using US-guided core needle biopsy to sample fascial tissues from various regions in cadavers, assessing visibility, accuracy, and the reliability of needle placements.
  • Results showed that US-guided biopsies are consistent and reliable, successfully capturing high-quality tissue samples, which could aid in diagnosing conditions like eosinophilic fasciitis.
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We report a 55-year-old men patient with a primitive central nervous system non-Hodgkin lymphoma B cell (LNH PNSLC), treated with chemotherapy rituximab, methotrexate, and ibrutinib (first treatment) who developed a refractory ventricular arrhythmic storm two hours after the ibrutinib intake. Indeed, ibrutinib could be associated with severe and occasionally fatal cardiac events. The swift emergence of a ventricular electrical storm with cardiac arrest demanded the prompt initiation of veno-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation to effectively navigate this critically ill patient toward recovery.

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The retinacula of the ankle are specialized anatomical structures characterized by localized thickenings of the crural fascia that envelop the deep components of the lower leg, ankle and foot. The ankle retinacula include the extensor retinacula, the peroneal retinacula and flexor retinaculum. Despite their potential to explain persistent and unexplained pain following an injury, these structures are often overlooked or incorrectly diagnosed.

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Dopamine and histamine receptors DR and HR are G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) which can establish physical receptor-receptor interactions (RRIs), leading to homo/hetero-complexes in a dynamic equilibrium. Although DR and HR expression has been detected within the carotid body (CB), their possible heterodimerization has never been demonstrated. The aim of this work was to verify DR and HR colocalization in the CB, thus suggesting a possible interplay that, in turn, may be responsible of specific DR-HR antagonistic functional implications.

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Over the past decade, there has been a notable increase in research focused on ultrasound imaging of thoracolumbar fascia (TLF). Nevertheless, published papers' results about the application of US imaging in TLF examination are still sparse. : Hence, this systematic review was performed aiming to firstly investigate the use and the methodology of ultrasound imaging to assess pathologic and healthy TLF.

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Background: Gastrointestinal dysfunction has emerged as a prominent early feature of Parkinson's Disease, shedding new light on the pivotal role of the enteric nervous system in its pathophysiology. However, the role of immune-cell clusters and inflammatory and glial markers in the gut pathogenetic process needs further elucidation.

Objectives: We aimed to study duodenum tissue samples to characterize PD's enteric nervous system pathology further.

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In the context of long-distance space travel, managing medical conditions presents unique challenges due to communication delays. Consequently, onboard physicians must possess proficiency in diagnostic tools such as ultrasound, which has demonstrated its efficacy in the Space. However, there is a notable lack of comprehensive discussion regarding its effectiveness in handling medical scenarios in the Space.

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The superior extensor ankle retinaculum (SEAR), a transversely fascial thickening positioned above the tibia-talar joint, serves as a crucial anatomical structure in ankle stability. The purpose of this study was to measure and compare by ultrasound (US) imaging the bilateral thickness and echogenicity of SEAR in football players with previous multiple ankle sprains (group 1) and healthy volunteers (group 2). A cross-sectional study was performed using ultrasound imaging to measure longitudinal and transversal axes using a new protocol in a sample of 50 subjects: 25 football players with previous multiple ankle sprains and 25 healthy subjects.

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Muscles and fasciae are mutually connected and are influenced by force transmission. However, the anatomical connectivity and histological features of these structures remain unclear. The aim of this study was to assess the evidence for connection between muscles and deep/muscular fasciae.

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Objectives: Test batteries used to assess a patient's return-to-sports (RTS) following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) are currently undergoing continual development, although no consensus exist on tests to be administered to athletes before allowing return to play. A simple standardized jump test battery was developed to objectively evaluate knee function following ACLR, thereby aiding in RTS decision-making.

Methods: Thirty-three patients who underwent ACLR were prospectively assessed pre-operatively, 6, and 12 months after surgery.

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Introduction: There is controversy about the management of unicompartmental knee osteoarthritis (OA) in young, active patients with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) insufficiency. This study compares the subjective, radiological, and functional results of total knee replacement (TKR) vs. combined medial unicompartmental knee replacement (UKR) with ACL reconstruction.

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Article Synopsis
  • Plantar adipose tissue, located in different regions of the foot, adapts its structure and mechanical properties to absorb impact and support body weight.
  • The study involved experiments on human tissue samples that measured the elastic properties and non-linear behavior of plantar adipose tissue in various foot regions.
  • Results demonstrated significant differences in elastic moduli across regions, leading to the development of a visco-hyperelastic model that may be useful for future computational models of foot biomechanics.
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The suprapatellar fat pad is an adipose tissue located in the anterior knee whose role in osteoarthritis is still debated. Considering that anatomy drives function, the aim of this histotopographic study was to investigate the specific morphological features of the suprapatellar fat pad versus the infrapatellar fat pad in the absence of osteoarthritis, for a broad comparative analysis. Suprapatellar fat pad and infrapatellar fat pad tissue samples (n = 10/group) underwent microscopical/immunohistochemical staining and transmission electron microscopy analysis; thus, tissue-specific characteristics (i.

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Background: The brainstem contains grey matter nuclei and white matter tracts to be identified in clinical practice. The small size and the low contrast among them make their in vivo visualisation challenging using conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) sequences at high magnetic field strengths. Combining higher spatial resolution, signal- and contrast-to-noise ratio and sensitivity to magnetic susceptibility (χ), susceptibility-weighted 7-T imaging could improve the assessment of brainstem anatomy.

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Oxidative stress and fibrosis are important stress responses that characterize bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), a disease for which only a therapy but not a cure has been developed. In this work, we investigated the effects of mesenchymal stromal cells-derived extracellular vesicles (MSC-EVs) on lung and brain compartment in an animal model of hyperoxia-induced BPD. Rat pups were intratracheally injected with MSC-EVs produced by human umbilical cord-derived MSC, following the Good Manufacturing Practice-grade (GMP-grade).

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Introduction: Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) revision surgery after failed double-bundle (DB) reconstruction is a challenging procedure. This study aimed to systematically review the research on ACL revision surgery following failed DB reconstruction, providing an overview on indications, surgical techniques, clinical outcomes and potential pitfalls occurring while performing this therapeutic approach.

Materials And Methods: Literature published from exception to February 2023 was searched in the Pubmed/MEDLINE, Embase and CINAHL databases.

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In severe peripheral nerve injuries, nerve conduits (NCs) are good alternatives to autografts/allografts; however, the results the available devices guarantee for are still not fully satisfactory. Herein, differently bioactivated NCs based on the new polymer oxidized polyvinyl alcohol (OxPVA) are compared in a rat model of sciatic nerve neurotmesis (gap: 5 mm; end point: 6 weeks). Thirty Sprague Dawley rats are randomized to 6 groups: Reverse Autograft (RA); Reaxon®; OxPVA; OxPVA + EAK (self-assembling peptide, mechanical incorporation); OxPVA + EAK-YIGSR (mechanical incorporation); OxPVA + Nerve Growth Factor (NGF) (adsorption).

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Nerve/tendon snapping can occur due to their sudden displacement during the movement of an adjacent joint, and the clinical condition can really be painful. It can actually be challenging to determine the specific anatomic structure causing the snapping in various body regions. In this sense, ultrasound examination, with all its advantages (especially providing dynamic imaging), appears to be quite promising.

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Despite the identification of several innovative targets for avoiding cognitive decline, there has yet to be a widely accepted approach that deals with minimising the deterioration of cognitive function. In this light, recent studies suggest that regulating the gut-brain axis with probiotics is a potential therapeutic strategy to support brain health. For this reason, in vitro models were used to examine the efficacy of different probiotic combinations to enhance intestinal homeostasis and positively affect the brain.

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Crural fascia (CF) and plantar fascia (PF) are biomechanically crucial in the gait and in the proprioception, particularly in the propulsion phase of the foot during the gait cycle and in the dissipation of forces during weight-bearing activities. Recent studies have revealed an association between increases in PF thickness and diabetes. The purpose of this study was to measure and compare by ultrasound (US) imaging the thickness of the CF and PF at different regions/levels in chronic Charcot diabetic foot patients (group 1) and in healthy volunteers (group 2).

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