Improved osteogenesis in rat femur segmental defects treated with human allograft and zinc adjuvants.

Bone allograft is widely used to treat large bone defects or complex fractures. However, processing methods can significantly compromise allograft osteogenic activity. Adjuvants that can restore the osteogenic activity of processed allograft should improve clinical outcomes.

Naproxen treatment inhibits articular cartilage loss in a rat model of osteoarthritis.

The effects of naproxen, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), on articular cartilage degeneration in female Sprague-Dawley rats was examined. Osteoarthritis (OA) was induced by destabilization of the medial meniscus (DMM) in each knee. Rats were treated with acetaminophen (60 mg/kg), naproxen (8 mg/kg), or 1% carboxymethylcellulose (placebo) by oral gavage twice daily for 3 weeks, beginning 2 weeks after surgery.

Intracompartmental Versus Extracompartmental Transposition of the Extensor Pollicis Longus for Treating Thumb-in-Palm Deformity: A Biomechanical Comparison.

Purpose: Transecting the extensor pollicis longus (EPL) tendon and rerouting it through the first extensor compartment is an established technique for treating thumb-in-palm deformity (TIPD). An alternative technique that approximates the trajectory of the first extensor compartment without violating the compartment or transecting the EPL tendon can be accomplished by creating an artificial sheath from the extensor retinaculum to radialize the tendon glide path. This study compares this extracompartmental (EC) EPL transposition to the established, intracompartmental (IC) transposition by evaluating, in a cadaver model, the extent of thumb extension in both techniques.

The Role of BMI in Hip Fracture Surgery.

Introduction: Obesity is an oft-cited cause of surgical morbidity and many institutions require extensive supplementary screening for obese patients prior to surgical intervention. However, in the elderly patients, obesity has been described as a protective factor. This article set out to examine the effect of body mass index (BMI) on outcomes and morbidity after hip fracture surgery.

Readability of the Most Commonly Accessed Arthroscopy-Related Online Patient Education Materials.

Purpose: To assess the readability and comprehension of written text by the most commonly visited websites containing patient education materials on common conditions that can be treated arthroscopically.

Methods: We examined 50 websites, assessed independently by 2 orthopaedic surgery residents (S.A.

Iatrogenic Injuries in Percutaneous Pinning Techniques for Fifth Metacarpal Neck Fractures.

Background: There is little information regarding anatomic structures at risk during closed percutaneous treatment of fifth metacarpal neck fractures. This study evaluates a variety of common percutaneous techniques with the hypothesis that each approach presents unique risks to tendons and neurovascular structures.

Methods: Seven cadaveric hands were used for this study.

The Relative Contribution to Small Finger Abduction of the Ulnar Versus Radial Slip of the EDM: Implications for Tendon Transfers.

Background: The extensor digiti minimi (EDM) tendon is commonly divided into a radial slip (EDM-R) and an ulnar slip (EDM-U). To our knowledge, the degree to which each EDM slip concomitantly abducts the small finger with active extension has not been formally tested. This study sought to characterize the comparative contributions of finger abduction inherent to each slip of the EDM to observe the sequelae of active small finger extension following transfer of the contralateral slip.

Readability of the Most Commonly Accessed Online Patient Education Materials Pertaining to Pathology of the Hand.

Background: The American Medical Association (AMA) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) recommend that patient education materials be written at no higher than a sixth-grade reading level.

Methods: We examined 100 online educational materials for the 10 hand conditions most commonly treated by hand surgeons, as reported by the American Society for Surgery of the Hand. The listed conditions were carpal tunnel syndrome, basal joint arthritis of the thumb, de Quervain syndrome, Dupuytren's contracture, ganglion cysts, hand fractures, trigger finger, extensor tendon injuries, flexor tendon injuries, and mallet finger.

Atypical Tumoral Presentation of Calcium Pyrophosphate Deposition Disease: A Case Report.

Case: A 55-year-old man presented with a history of forefoot pain and swelling. Radiographs revealed a mass with internal calcifications and osseous erosion of the fifth metatarsophalangeal bone. The mass was isointense to muscle on T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and hyperintense on T2-weighted MRI.

The Need for Clinical Hand Education in Emergency Medicine Residency Programs.

Background: Complaints related to the hands, wrists, and fingers comprise approximately 3.7 million emergency department visits annually. The complexity of this subject can confound timely diagnosis and treatment, particularly if the treating physician has not received specialized training.

The Epidemiology of Finger Dislocations Presenting for Emergency Care Within the United States.

Background: There are little demographic data on finger dislocation injuries. This study examines the epidemiological characteristics of patients presenting for emergency care of finger dislocations within the United States.

Methods: The National Electronic Injury Surveillance System was queried for finger dislocation injuries treated in US emergency departments between 2004 and 2008.

Importance of the posterior bundle of the medial ulnar collateral ligament.

Background: There has been a renewed interest in the pathomechanics of elbow dislocation, with recent literature having suggested that the medial ulnar collateral ligament is more often disrupted in dislocations than the lateral ligamentous complex. The purpose of this serial sectioning study was to determine the influence of the posterior bundle of the medial ulnar collateral ligament (pMUCL) as a stabilizer against elbow dislocation.

Methods: An elbow dislocation was simulated in 5 cadaveric elbows by mechanically applying an external rotation moment and valgus force.

Kremen1 restricts Dkk activity during posterior lateral line development in zebrafish.

Canonical Wnt signaling plays crucial roles during development and disease. How Wnt signaling is modulated in different in vivo contexts is currently not well understood. Here, we investigate the modulation of Wnt signaling in the posterior lateral line primordium (pLLP), a cohort of ~100 cells that collectively migrate along the trunk of the zebrafish embryo.

The negative effect of carpal tunnel syndrome on sleep quality.

Objective. Sleep disturbances are common in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). This study investigates the impact of CTS on sleep quality and clarifies the magnitude of this relationship.

Improving accuracy and confidence in distal radius volar plate screw placement through supplemental radiography: examining specialty, education, and experience levels.

Background: The purpose of this study was to assess the extent to which a supplemental radiographic view increases accuracy and confidence ratings when determining screw placement in volar plating of distal radius fractures for evaluators of different specialties and experience levels.

Methods: Thirty-four distal radius fractures treated with volar plate fixation were imaged using standard AP and lateral, and supplemental lateral tilt views. Each case was then evaluated for penetration of distal screw tips into the articular space.

Graded levels of Pax2a and Pax8 regulate cell differentiation during sensory placode formation.

Pax gene haploinsufficiency causes a variety of congenital defects. Renal-coloboma syndrome, resulting from mutations in Pax2, is characterized by kidney hypoplasia, optic nerve malformation, and hearing loss. Although this underscores the importance of Pax gene dosage in normal development, how differential levels of these transcriptional regulators affect cell differentiation and tissue morphogenesis is still poorly understood.

Chondrogenic and gliogenic subpopulations of neural crest play distinct roles during the assembly of epibranchial ganglia.

In vertebrates, the sensory neurons of the epibranchial (EB) ganglia transmit somatosensory signals from the periphery to the CNS. These ganglia are formed during embryogenesis by the convergence and condensation of two distinct populations of precursors: placode-derived neuroblasts and neural crest- (NC) derived glial precursors. In addition to the gliogenic crest, chondrogenic NC migrates into the pharyngeal arches, which lie in close proximity to the EB placodes and ganglia.

Lef1 is required for progenitor cell identity in the zebrafish lateral line primordium.

The zebrafish posterior lateral line (pLL) is a sensory system that comprises clusters of mechanosensory organs called neuromasts (NMs) that are stereotypically positioned along the surface of the trunk. The NMs are deposited by a migrating pLL primordium, which is organized into polarized rosettes (proto-NMs). During migration, mature proto-NMs are deposited from the trailing part of the primordium, while progenitor cells in the leading part give rise to new proto-NMs.

Extensive spinal decussation and bilateral termination of cervical corticospinal projections in rhesus monkeys.

To examine neuroanatomical mechanisms underlying fine motor control of the primate hand, adult rhesus monkeys underwent injections of biotinylated dextran amine (BDA) into the right motor cortex. Spinal axonal anatomy was examined using detailed serial-section reconstruction and modified stereological quantification. Eighty-seven percent of corticospinal tract (CST) axons decussated in the medullary pyramids and descended through the contralateral dorsolateral tract of the spinal cord.

Netrin-1 is a novel myelin-associated inhibitor to axon growth.

We investigated the influence of the bifunctional guidance molecule netrin-1 on axonal growth in the injured adult spinal cord. In the adult, netrin-1 is expressed on mature oligodendrocytes, cells of the central canal, and the meninges. Netrin-1 protein in white matter is selectively enriched adjacent to paranodal loops of myelin in nodes of Ranvier.

Olfactory ensheathing cells do not exhibit unique migratory or axonal growth-promoting properties after spinal cord injury.

Olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs) have been reported to migrate long distances and to bridge lesion sites, guiding axonal regeneration after spinal cord injury (SCI). To understand mechanisms of OEC migration and axonal guidance, we injected lamina propria OECs 1 mm rostral and caudal to C4 SCI sites. One month later, OECs formed an apparent migrating cell tract continuously extending from the injection site through the lesion, physically bridging the lesion.