Mesenchymal stem cell implantation provides short-term clinical improvement and satisfactory cartilage restoration in patients with knee osteoarthritis but the evidence is limited: a systematic review performed by the early-osteoarthritis group of ESSKA-European knee associates section.

Purpose: Implantation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) is a potential cell-based modality for cartilage repair. Currently, its clinical use largely surrounds focal cartilage defect repair and intra-articular injections in knee osteoarthritis. The MSCs' implantation efficacy as a treatment option for osteoarthritis remains contentious.

Risk analysis of periprosthetic knee joint infection (PJI) in total knee arthroplasty after preoperative corticosteroid injection: a systematic review : A study performed by the Early-Osteoarthritis group of ESSKA-European Knee Associates section.

Purpose: Intra-articular corticosteroid injection is widely used for symptomatic relief of knee osteoarthritis. However, if pain is not improved which consequences a total knee arthroplasty (TKA), there is a potential risk of post-operative periprosthetic joint infection (PJI). The aim of this study is to investigate whether the use of preoperative intra-articular corticosteroid injection increases the risk of PJI and to investigate a time frame in which the risk of subsequent infection is significantly increased.

The incidence and the characteristics of heart failure patients at a large medical department.

Introduction: Chronic heart failure (HF) has a prevalence of 6-10 % in patients above the age of 65 years, leading to high mortality, morbidity and re-hospitalization.

Aim: To analyse the incidence and the characteristics of patients with HF in a medical department.

Patients And Methods: 941 patients (males 424, females 517 with an average age of 64 years and 67 years respectively), hospitalized from 1.

Is left ventricular hypertrophy a risk factor in hypertensive patients?

Background: Left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) is supposed to be a risk factor of cardiovascular (CV) complications in hypertensive patients.

Aim: To compare clinical events in hypertensives with and without LVH.

Patients And Methods: 319 hypertensives with LVH (mean age 64.

Relation of left ventricular hypertrophy to cardiovascular complications in diabetic hypertensives.

The presence of diabetes mellitus and other risk factors of atherosclerosis, such as obesity, smoking and hyperlipidemia, in hypertensive patients makes the prognosis worse. Authors compared the clinical findings in diabetic hypertensive patients with and without left ventricular hypertrophy, the presence of which was diagnosed and defined by echocardiography. The study is based on the analysis of hospital records of 115 hypertensive patients treated at our department during the period 1998-1999.