Comparison of Lesser Toe Proximal Interphalangeal Joint Arthrodesis Versus Resection Arthroplasty: A Randomized Controlled Study.

The goal of this study was to compare operative outcomes after lesser toe deformity correction with either proximal interphalangeal (PIP) joint arthrodesis or PIP joint resection arthroplasty. A prospective randomized controlled trial was performed with 37 patients (48 toes) operated on with one of these two procedures. Evaluation of the numeric rating scale score, the American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society score, osseous consolidation, and clinical outcome was performed preoperatively and at 6 weeks and 6 months postoperatively.

Predictability of the effects of epidural injection in lumbar spinal stenosis by assessment of lumbar MRI scans.

Background: Numerous classification systems have been proposed to interpret lumbar MRI scans. The clinical impact of the measured parameters remains unclear. To evaluate the clinical significance of imaging results in patients with multisegmental degenerative pathologies, treating specialists can perform image-guided local injections to target defined areas such as the epidural space.

Interobserver Reliability When Classifying MR Imaging of the Lumbar Spine: Written Instructions Alone Do Not Suffice.

Purpose: Numerous classification systems have been proposed to analyze lumbar spine MRI scans. When evaluating these systems, most studies draw their conclusions from measurements of experienced clinicians. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of specific measurement training on interobserver reliability in MRI classification of the lumbar spine.

Transfer of plantar pressure from the medial to the central forefoot in patients with hallux valgus.

Background: The aim of the study was to evaluate changes in plantar pressure distribution in feet affected by hallux valgus compared with their contralateral non-affected feet and with the feet of healthy control subjects.

Methods: Thirty-six patients with unilateral hallux valgus who were indicated for surgery and 30 healthy subjects were assessed on a pedobarographic instrumented treadmill for step length and width, mean stance phase, and plantar foot pressure distribution. Plantar pressure distribution was divided into eight regions.

Evaluation of Patients' Posture and Gait Profile After Lumbar Fusion Surgery by Video Rasterstereography and Treadmill Gait Analysis.

This protocol provides guidance on how to perform high resolution video rasterstereography and treadmill gait analysis on patients after lumbar fusion surgery to obtain results about altered variables of gait and posture. These observed changes can then be correlated with the patient-reported outcome measure of pain relief. The rasterstereographic device projects lines of parallel light onto the surface of the tested subject's back.

PREOPERATIVE ANALYSIS OF RADIOGRAPHIC FINDINGS IN 516 PATIENTS WITH HALLUX VALGUS DEFORMITY.

Objective: This is a descriptive study to report our method of operative correction for patients with hallux valgus deformities.

Methods: From 2006 to 2012, 516 consecutive patients (601 feet) with hallux valgus deformities were treated surgically in our department after conservative treatments were exhausted. The hallux valgus angle, intermetatarsal angle, distal metatarsal articular angle, and degree of osteoarthritis in the first metatarsophalangeal joint were measured on preoperative plain radiographs of the weight-bearing forefoot.

Expanding the clinical phenotype of IARS2-related mitochondrial disease.

Background: IARS2 encodes a mitochondrial isoleucyl-tRNA synthetase, a highly conserved nuclear-encoded enzyme required for the charging of tRNAs with their cognate amino acid for translation. Recently, pathogenic IARS2 variants have been identified in a number of patients presenting broad clinical phenotypes with autosomal recessive inheritance. These phenotypes range from Leigh and West syndrome to a new syndrome abbreviated CAGSSS that is characterised by cataracts, growth hormone deficiency, sensory neuropathy, sensorineural hearing loss, and skeletal dysplasia, as well as cataract with no additional anomalies.

Predictability of the effects of facet joint infiltration in the degenerate lumbar spine when assessing MRI scans.

Background: Imaging results are frequently considered as hallmarks of disease by spine surgeons to plan their future treatment strategy. Numerous classification systems have been proposed to quantify or grade lumbar magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans and thus objectify imaging findings. The clinical impact of the measured parameters remains, however, unclear.

INFLUENCE OF AGE ON PARAMETERS FOR FEMOROACETABULAR IMPINGEMENT AND HIP DYSPLASIA IN X-RAYS.

Objective: While several radiographic parameters have been established to describe the geometry and pathology of the hip, their reference values and clinical significance remain a matter of dispute. The present study tests the hypothesis that age has a relevant impact on radiographic hip parameters.

Method: Pelvic antero-posterior views were measured for CE angle, Sharp's angle, acetabular depth-to-width ratio, femoral head extrusion index, roof obliquity, caput-collum-diaphyseal (CCD) angle, and Murray's femoral head ratio, and the values obtained were correlated with age.

Influence of spine surgery on the ability to perform an emergency stop while driving a car.

Background: Spinal surgeries have strongly increased in number over the past decade. The question of when it is safe to resume driving is thereby one the most frequently asked questions that patients ask of their treating physician.

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess braking performance before and after spine surgery.

Inpatient gradual diagnostics and its relevance for determining treatment strategies in lumbar back pain.

Background: Identifying patients who will benefit from spine surgery is still a challenge. This is especially the case when patients' complaints and medical history, together with clinical observations, do not correspond to structural pathological changes. With inpatient gradual diagnostics (IGD)-the administration of analgesic and anti-inflammatory agents to a special area of interest-the effect of surgery can be temporarily simulated.

CLINICAL OUTCOME AFTER INFECTED TOTAL KNEE AND TOTAL HIP ARTHROPLASTY.

Objective: Infection after total hip (THA) and knee arthroplasty (TKA) is a serious complication which typically leads to a long lasting and intensive surgical and medicamentous treatment. The aim of this study was to identify factors that influence outcome after revision surgery caused by prosthetic infection.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 64 patients who had revision surgery between 1989 and 2009 due to periprosthetic infection.

How do ankle braces affect braking performance? An experimental driving simulation study with healthy volunteers.

Background: Fitness to drive a car has been investigated increasingly over recent years. However, most research has focussed on perioperative driving performance, and few data are available on how orthoses influence the ability to perform an emergency stop. This study investigated the effect of 4 common ankle braces (Kallassy, CaligaLoc, Air-Stirrup, ASO) on reaction time, foot transfer time (together: brake response time) and brake force.

Influence of Feature Encoding and Choice of Classifier on Disease Risk Prediction in Genome-Wide Association Studies.

Various attempts have been made to predict the individual disease risk based on genotype data from genome-wide association studies (GWAS). However, most studies only investigated one or two classification algorithms and feature encoding schemes. In this study, we applied seven different classification algorithms on GWAS case-control data sets for seven different diseases to create models for disease risk prediction.

JSBML 1.0: providing a smorgasbord of options to encode systems biology models.

Unlabelled: JSBML, the official pure Java programming library for the Systems Biology Markup Language (SBML) format, has evolved with the advent of different modeling formalisms in systems biology and their ability to be exchanged and represented via extensions of SBML. JSBML has matured into a major, active open-source project with contributions from a growing, international team of developers who not only maintain compatibility with SBML, but also drive steady improvements to the Java interface and promote ease-of-use with end users.

Availability And Implementation: Source code, binaries and documentation for JSBML can be freely obtained under the terms of the LGPL 2.

Radiographic signs for detection of femoroacetabular impingement and hip dysplasia should be carefully used in patients with osteoarthritis of the hip.

Background: During the last years, terms like acetabular retroversion, excessive overcoverage, and abnormal head-neck-junction with the so called "pistol-grip-deformity" has been added to the classical description of hip dysplasia. These anatomical changes could lead to a femoroacetabular impingement (FAI). Both kinds of FAI has been indentified as a main reason for hip pain and progressive degenerative changes leading to early osteoarthritis of the hip.

Integrative pathway-based approach for genome-wide association studies: identification of new pathways for rheumatoid arthritis and type 1 diabetes.

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) led to the identification of numerous novel loci for a number of complex diseases. Pathway-based approaches using genotypic data provide tangible leads which cannot be identified by single marker approaches as implemented in GWAS. The available pathway analysis approaches mainly differ in the employed databases and in the applied statistics for determining the significance of the associated disease markers.

Path2Models: large-scale generation of computational models from biochemical pathway maps.

Background: Systems biology projects and omics technologies have led to a growing number of biochemical pathway models and reconstructions. However, the majority of these models are still created de novo, based on literature mining and the manual processing of pathway data.

Results: To increase the efficiency of model creation, the Path2Models project has automatically generated mathematical models from pathway representations using a suite of freely available software.

Cytotoxic effect and tissue penetration of phenol for adjuvant treatment of giant cell tumours.

Local adjuvant treatment of giant cell tumours (GCTs) of the bone with phenol has led to a significant reduction in recurrence rates. In the current study, the optimal phenol concentration and duration of intralesional exposure were evaluated. Specimens of GCTs were exposed to various concentrations of phenol solution (6, 60 and 80%) for either 1 or 3 min.

Proximal metatarsal osteotomy for hallux valgus: an audit of radiologic outcome after single screw fixation and full postoperative weightbearing.

Background: Proximal metatarsal osteotomy combined with a distal soft-tissue procedure is a common treatment for moderate to severe hallux valgus. Secure stabilisation of the metatarsal osteotomy is necessary to avoid complications such as delayed union, nonunion or malunion as well as loss of correction. The aim of this study was to report our results using a single screw for stabilisation of the osteotomy.

Laminin-5 and type I collagen promote adhesion and osteogenic differentiation of animal serum-free expanded human mesenchymal stromal cells.

Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) are differentiation competent cells and may generate, among others, mature osteoblasts or chondrocytes in vitro and in vivo. Laminin-5 and type I collagen are important components of the extracellular matrix. They are involved in a variety of cellular and extracellular activities including cell attachment and osteogenic differentiation of MSC.

Fusion following failed total ankle replacement.

Although mid- to long-term results after total ankle replacement have improved because of available second- and third-generation devices, failure of total ankle replacement is still more common compared with total hip replacement and total knee replacement. The portfolio of available total ankle replacement revision component options is small. Furthermore, the bone stock of the tibiotalar region is scarce making it difficult and in some situations impossible to perform revision total ankle replacement.

Dissipated energy as a method to characterize the cartilage damage in large animal joints: an in vitro testing model.

Several quantitative methods for the in vitro characterization of cartilage quality are available. However, only a few of these methods allow surgical cartilage manipulations and the subsequent analysis of the friction properties of complete joints. This study introduces an alternative approach to the characterization of the friction properties of entire joint surfaces using the dissipated energy during motion of the joint surfaces.

The treatment of hallux valgus.

Background: Hallux valgus is the commonest forefoot deformity, with an estimated prevalence of 23% to 35%. It causes symptoms on the medial edge of the foot, the sole, and the small toes. Non-operative treatment may alleviate symptoms but does not correct the deformity of the big toe.

The prevalence of acetabular anomalies associated with pistol-grip-deformity in osteoarthritic hips.

Background: Acetabular retroversion, excessive acetabular coverage and abnormal head-neck-junction with a so-called "pistol-grip-deformity" were added to the classical description of hip dysplasia to describe pathological hip morphology. The aim of the current study was the detection of pathological acetabular geometry in patients with an abnormal head-neck-junction.

Hypothesis: Femoroacetabular impingement and hip dysplasia features are frequent in patients with end-stage osteoarthritis before 60 years of age.