Age-Related Variations in Volar Cortical Angle of the Distal Radius.

The ideal volar locking plate for the treatment of distal radius fracture should anatomically fit the volar surface of the distal radius. The purpose of this study was to measure the volar cortical angle (VCA) of uninjured adult distal radii to determine how well the VCA matches that of modern volar locking plates and whether variations in the VCA are related to demographic factors. A retrospective radiographic analysis of 273 uninjured adult distal radii was performed.

Diagnosing Infection in Patients Undergoing Conversion of Prior Internal Fixation to Total Hip Arthroplasty.

Background: Criteria for diagnosis of infected internal fixation implants at the time of conversion to total hip arthroplasty (THA) are not clear. The purpose of this study is to identify risk factors for infection in patients undergoing conversion to THA.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed patients at a single institution who underwent conversion to THA from 2009 to 2014.

Combined RT-qPCR of mRNA and microRNA Targets within One Fluidigm Integrated Fluidic Circuit.

The ability to profile expression levels of a large number of mRNAs and microRNAs (miRNAs) within the same sample, using a single assay method, would facilitate investigations of miRNA effects on mRNA abundance and streamline biomarker screening across multiple RNA classes. A protocol is described for reverse transcription of long RNA and miRNA targets, followed by preassay amplification of the pooled cDNAs and quantitative PCR (qPCR) detection for a mixed panel of candidate RNA biomarkers. The method provides flexibility for designing custom target panels, is robust over a range of input RNA amounts, and demonstrated a high assay success rate.