External fixation versus titanium endomedullary nail in the treatment of diaphyseal fractures of the lower limb in pediatric age: our experience.

In the past, the use of external fixation technique (FE) in children was limited, as the patient's compliance to the treatment was scarce due to an important visual impact for the little patient. With the evolution of the surgical approach and the technology of fixators, we have been able to considerably implement the treatment possibilities, thus allowing for an immediate load bearing of the operated limb and for the early mobilization of the joints. The FE technique does not represent an overcoming of classical synthesis techniques by internal fixation with elastic intramedullary nails, but it simply offers a valid treatment alternative to selected cases.

Animal models for cartilage repair.

Cartilage lesions still represent an unsolved problem: despite the efforts of the basic and translational research, the regeneration of this tissue is far from being reached (1-3). Articular cartilage lesions can be divided in two main groups: superficial or partial defects and full-thickness defects (4, 5). Partial lesions are not able to self-heal because multipotent cells from the bone marrow cannot reach the area leading to a progressive degeneration of the tissue (6).

Characterization of different culture conditions to induce a fibro-chondrogenic differentiation of swine adipose-derived stem cells.

Meniscus repair is still a challenge for orthopaedic surgeons as this tissue has a scarce healing potential due to the limited vascularization and to the lack of progenitor cells. Lately, several tissue engineering strategies combining cells and scaffolds have been developed. Adipose-derived stem cells (ASCs) represent a novel cell source for meniscus repair as they are easy to harvest, and they possess an intrinsic chondrogenic potential.

Comparison of early functional outcomes between two different surgical approaches for total hip arthroplasty.

Total Hip Arthroplasty (THA) is considered the most successful treatment for advanced hip osteoarthritis. Different surgical approaches for THA are available and they have shown excellent outcomes in the long-term follow-ups. However, few studies have analyzed the functional outcomes in the first days after a THA surgery.

The supraclavicular artery island flap (SCAIF) in head and neck reconstruction: an Italian multi-institutional experience.

The supraclavicular artery island flap (SCAIF) is a thin and pliable pedicled flap that is easy and quick to harvest. Thanks to its particular features and high reliability, it is best indicated for the elderly or most fragile patients. SCAIF is very versatile, as it can be used for reconstruction of oral cavity, oropharynx, hypopharynx, facial and cervical skin and tracheostomal defects.

Predictors of recurrence after surgical treatment of idiopathic progressive subglottic stenosis.

Idiopathic progressive subglottic stenosis is a rare cause of tracheal narrowing. Partial cricotracheal resection and anastomosis can cure idiopathic stenosis, even if some patients may require multiple interventions and experience voice and swallowing deterioration. We investigated risk factors for retreatment and assessed the impact of crico-tracheal resection on functional parameters.

Design and Study of a Next-Generation Computer-Assisted System for Transoral Laser Microsurgery.

Objective: To present a new computer-assisted system for improved usability, intuitiveness, efficiency, and controllability in transoral laser microsurgery (TLM).

Study Design: Pilot technology feasibility study.

Setting: A dedicated room with a simulated TLM surgical setup: surgical microscope, surgical laser system, instruments, ex vivo pig larynxes, and computer-assisted system.

Glottic exposure for transoral laser microsurgery: Proposal of a mini-version of the laryngoscore.

Objectives: Good laryngeal exposure (GLE) is typically regarded as an essential prerequisite for transoral laser microsurgery (TLM). The Laryngoscore is a preoperative scoring system aimed at predicting glottic visualization through the laryngoscope using easy patient-derived parameters. However, the presence of subjective variables may hamper its reliability and reproducibility.

Rationale and pre-clinical evidences for the use of autologous cartilage micrografts in cartilage repair.

Background: The management of cartilage lesions is an open issue in clinical practice, and regenerative medicine represents a promising approach, including the use of autologous micrografts whose efficacy was already tested in different clinical settings. The aim of this study was to characterize in vitro the effect of autologous cartilage micrografts on chondrocyte viability and differentiation and perform an evaluation of their application in racehorses affected by joint diseases.

Materials And Methods: Matched human chondrocytes and micrografts were obtained from articular cartilage using Rigenera® procedure.

Swine Meniscus: Are Femoral-Tibial Surfaces Properly Tuned to Bear the Forces Exerted on the Tissue?

The importance of the present study is linked to how the contact forces act on the knee meniscus in particular, considering the femoral condyles and tibial plateau: this can be useful as a base for the ultimate creation of tissue-engineered biphasic scaffolds, which can mimic the native tissue complex, for meniscal repair or regeneration.

Current trends in tendinopathy: consensus of the ESSKA basic science committee. Part II: treatment options.

The treatment of painful chronic tendinopathy is challenging. Multiple non-invasive and tendon-invasive methods are used. When traditional non-invasive treatments fail, the injections of platelet-rich plasma autologous blood or cortisone have become increasingly favored.

Pulsed Electromagnetic Fields Improve Tenogenic Commitment of Umbilical Cord-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells: A Potential Strategy for Tendon Repair-An In Vitro Study.

Tendon repair is a challenging procedure in orthopaedics. The use of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMF) in tendon regeneration is still investigational. In this perspective, MSCs isolated from the human umbilical cord (UC) may represent a possible candidate for tendon tissue engineering.

Three-Dimensional Map of Isoprognostic Zones in Glottic Cancer Treated by Transoral Laser Microsurgery as a Unimodal Treatment Strategy.

Introduction: The Union for International Cancer Control-American Joint Committee on Cancer TNM staging system for glottic squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) includes different types of lesions defined by the involvement of specific subsites in each T category. Our study aims to identify different subcategories according to tumor local extension and determine oncologic outcomes after treatment by transoral laser microsurgery (TLM) alone.

Methods: We retrospectively evaluated 410 patients affected by previously untreated pT1-pT3 glottic SCC treated by TLM alone from January 2005 to December 2015 at the Departments of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Universities of Genoa and Brescia, Italy.

Transoral glossoepiglottopexy in the treatment of adult obstructive sleep apnoea: a surgical approach.

The treatment of obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS) is still a matter of debate; among the different therapeutic alternatives, both surgical and conservative, treatment with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is considered the "gold standard". The recent scientific literature reports that even if CPAP represents an effective solution for sleep apnoeas, 12% of patients do not benefit from its use. In most cases, primary collapse of the epiglottis is responsible for failure.

Treatment for T3 to T4a laryngeal cancer by open partial horizontal laryngectomies: Prognostic impact of different pathologic tumor subcategories.

Background: The purpose of this retrospective study was to identify subcategories in cT3 to cT4a supraglottic/glottic cancers, describing their different spreading patterns, and local and locoregional recurrence modes.

Methods: Four hundred eighty-nine patients who underwent open partial horizontal laryngectomies (OPHLs) were retrospectively classified as: subcategory I (anterior pT3 with normal arytenoid mobility); subcategory II (posterior pT3 with impaired/absent mobility); subcategory III (anterior pT4 with normal mobility); and subcategory IV (posterior pT4 with impaired/absent mobility).

Results: Five-year overall survival (OS), disease-specific survival (DSS), disease-free survival (DFS), locoregional, local control, freedom from laryngectomy, and laryngectomy-free survival were significantly better in anterior tumors (subcategories I and III) when compared with the corresponding posterior ones (subcategories II and IV).

Learning-based classification of informative laryngoscopic frames.

Background And Objective: Early-stage diagnosis of laryngeal cancer is of primary importance to reduce patient morbidity. Narrow-band imaging (NBI) endoscopy is commonly used for screening purposes, reducing the risks linked to a biopsy but at the cost of some drawbacks, such as large amount of data to review to make the diagnosis. The purpose of this paper is to present a strategy to perform automatic selection of informative endoscopic video frames, which can reduce the amount of data to process and potentially increase diagnosis performance.

Role of narrow-band imaging in detection of head and neck unknown primary squamous cell carcinoma.

Objectives/hypothesis: There is no general consensus on what kind of examination to include in an optimal detection strategy for head and neck squamous cell carcinomas of unknown primary (SCCUPs). This study investigates the role of narrow-band imaging (NBI) in their identification.

Study Design: Case series.

The Application of Stem Cells from Different Tissues to Cartilage Repair.

The degeneration of articular cartilage represents an ongoing challenge at the clinical and basic level. Tissue engineering and regenerative medicine using stem/progenitor cells have emerged as valid alternatives to classical reparative techniques. This review offers a brief introduction and overview of the field, highlighting a number of tissue sources for stem/progenitor cell populations.

Allogeneic Umbilical Cord-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells as a Potential Source for Cartilage and Bone Regeneration: An Study.

Umbilical cord (UC) may represent an attractive cell source for allogeneic mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapy. The aim of this study is to investigate the chondrogenic and osteogenic potential of UC-MSCs grown onto tridimensional scaffolds, to identify a possible clinical relevance for an allogeneic use in cartilage and bone reconstructive surgery. Chondrogenic differentiation on scaffolds was confirmed at 4 weeks by the expression of sox-9 and type II collagen; low oxygen tension improved the expression of these chondrogenic markers.

Mortality and long-term quality of life after percutaneous tracheotomy in Intensive Care Unit: a prospective observational study.

Background: Quality of life and mortality after percutaneous dilatational tracheotomy (PDT) has been poorly investigated. The aims of this study were to evaluate the independent risk factors for Intensive Care Unit (ICU) mortality and investigate quality of life over the first year after PDT in critically ill patients.

Methods: This was a prospective, single-center, cohort study performed in a tertiary care University Hospital, enrolling consecutive ICU patients requiring elective PDT, collecting data during the tracheotomy procedure and the ICU stay.

Correction to: Laser-assisted surgery of the upper aero-digestive tract: a clarification of nomenclature. A consensus statement of the European Laryngological Society.

The article 'Laser-assisted surgery of the upper aero-digestive tract: a clarification of nomenclature. A consensus statement of the European Laryngological Society,' written by Marc Remacle, Christoph Arens, Mostafa Badr Eldin, Guillermo Campos, Carlos Chiesa Estomba, Pavel Dulguerov, Ivana Fiz, Anastasios Hantzakos, Jerôme Keghian, Francesco Mora, Nayla Matar, Giorgio Peretti, Cesare Piazza, Gregory N. Postma, Vyas Prasad, Elisabeth Sjogren, Frederik G.