Early clinical results of the BOX ankle replacement are satisfactory: a multicenter feasibility study of 158 ankles.

A new design for a 3-part ankle replacement was developed in an effort to achieve compatibility with the naturally occurring ligaments of the ankle by allowing certain fibers to remain isometric during passive motion. In order to test the design concept clinically, 158 prostheses were implanted in 156 patients within a 9-center trial and were followed up for a mean of 17 (range 6 to 48) months. The mean age at the time of surgery was 60.

Percutaneous drilling for chronic heel pain.

The authors report a retrospective study involving 25 feet in 21 patients who underwent percutaneous drilling for chronic heel pain. Patients with increased activity of the heel were considered for surgical treatment if there was increased uptake on the delayed bone scans. The average follow-up was 21 months (range, 6 to 30 months).

Repair of the achilles tendon rupture: a functional comparison of three surgical techniques.

A retrospective comparison of three surgical procedures for the acute treatment of closed ruptures of the Achilles tendon is presented: 1) open repair, 2) a percutaneous technique, and 3) a combined mini-open and percutaneous technique. The authors compared the results of 52 tendon ruptures, including 15 open repairs, 15 percutaneous repairs, and 22 combined repairs, with minimal follow-up of 12 months. The authors evaluated the parameters of strength, performance, use of shoes, time of returning to work, range of ankle motion, calf circumference, pain, ability to perform 20 toe-raises on each side, and MRI findings.

Role of oral versus IV iron supplementation in the erythropoietic response to rHuEPO: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial.

Background: Preoperative treatment with rHuEPO (epoetin alfa: EPREX, Janssen-Cilag; or PROCRIT, Ortho Biotech) in conjunction with iron supplementation increases the erythropoietic response in elective orthopedic surgery patients, but it is not known whether the magnitude of this response is dependent on the route of iron administration.

Study Design And Methods: Non-iron-deficient patients undergoing elective orthopedic surgery (N = 110) with baseline Hb > or =10 to < or =13 g per dL were randomly assigned to receive either epoetin alfa (600 IU/kg) plus IV iron (n = 29) or oral iron (n = 29) or placebo plus IV iron (n = 25) or oral iron (n = 27) in this 14-day study. RBC production, Hb, Hct, reticulocytes, iron status, and adverse events were monitored throughout the study.

The surgical correction of metatarsal dysmetria.

The authors report the results of surgical correction in 5 cases of metatarsal dysmetria; lengthening in 3 cases and shortening in 2 cases. Lengthening was achieved by gradual distraction without using grafts. External mini-fixators were used which could be either lengthened by a sliding mechanism for distraction or used in compression in the case of shortening.

[Prevalence, characteristics and clinical correlates of left ventricular hypertrophy in stable hypertension. Echocardiographic study].

251 in stable hypertensives were studied with M-Mode and two-dimensional echocardiography, in order to evaluate the prevalence of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH), its patterns and clinical correlates. 54 subjects (21%) had been treated previously with antihypertensive drugs while the remaining 197 (79%) had not. A normal left ventricle was found in 69 subjects (27.

Use of ceftazidime in the treatment of osteomyelitis and osteoarthritis.

The authors report the results obtained with the use of ceftazidime, administered by various methods, in 18 cases of orthopedic infections (osteomyelitis, arthritis). The results, which are regarded as good, are stable over time. The antibiotic therapy proves particularly efficacious in those cases subjected to appropriate surgical treatment.

[Profile of a new calcitonin: carbocalcitonin-(Asu1,7) E-CT].

(Asu1,7) E-CT (carbocalcitonin-elcatonin) is the aminoasuberic analogue of eel calcitonin differing from the natural hormone in that an ethylene bridge replaces the disulphide bridge in position 1-7. This modification preserves the conformation of natural calcitonin but enhances the physical, chemical and biological stability of the molecule. This in its turn facilitates maximum purification of the product as well as enhancing its resistance to degradation both in vitro and in vivo.

[Clinical experience with human calcitonin].

The Authors report the results of treatment with synthetic human calcitonin in patients suffering from Paget's disease, osteoporosis, Sudeck's disease, osteolytic metastases and in one case adults Cooley's anaemia. They summarize the characteristic blood chemistry changes due to calcitonin in some cases and report a marked clinical improvement in the majority of the patients.

[Treatment of algodystrophic syndromes with calcitonin].

A general account of algodystrophic syndromes is followed by the presentation of results obtained with 160 MRC U/day extracted pig or 100 MRC U/day synthetic salmon calcitonin in 95 patients with the most common form (Sudeck's syndrome). Clinical, biohumoral and radiographic data are reported. There was no difference in the response to the two products.

Pig calcitonin in the treatment of localised osteoporosis.

On the basis of positive results obtained in the treatment of Sudeck's atrophy with calcitonin, the authors extended their investigation to other forms of localised osteoporosis. Six patients were examined affected by osteoporosis secondary to immobilisation, three patients with osteoporosis of the lower limbs from paralysis of the sciatic nerve and six patients with migrant osteoporosis. Treatment was as follows: pig calcitonin (Calcitar) in doses of 160 u MRC/daily + calcium gluconate in doses of 3 gr/daily.

Effect of calcitonin on carrageenan foot oedema.

The effect of salmon calcitonin (SCT) on acute inflammation was tested in carrageenan induced foot oedema of the rat. A considerable inhibition of the oedema was obtained with 20 MRC U/kg of SCT. The injection of SCT is followed by decrease of calcemia.

[Calcitonin, calcium lactate-gluconate + potassium phosphate, calcium phosphate: changes induced in the biology of the patient with multiple fractures].

The effects of multiple injuries on the principle aspects of bone physiology are reviewed from the literature. In a clinical trial involving 14 patients with multiple fractures excluding cranial injuries, 5 were given porcine Calcitonin, two calcium gluconate-lactate with added potassium phosphate, and two calcium phosphate. Five patients acted as controls.