Postoperative pain management with transdermal fentanyl after forefoot surgery: a randomized, placebo-controlled study.

Background: Quality of life is decreased in patients with hallux valgus deformity, mainly because of pain. Significant improvement is usually achieved by surgery. However, postoperative pain can be moderate to severe for 2-3 days.

Postoperative fentanyl patch versus subacromial bupivacaine infusion in arthroscopic shoulder surgery.

Purpose: The purpose of our study was to compare the effectiveness of subacromial bupivacaine infusion and a transdermal fentanyl patch in the treatment of postoperative pain after arthroscopic shoulder surgery.

Methods: Sixty patients with rotator cuff disease scheduled for elective arthroscopic shoulder surgery were enrolled in the study. For the treatment of postoperative pain, 30 patients constituted group F and received a 12.

Circulating microparticles generate and transport monomeric C-reactive protein in patients with myocardial infarction.

Aims: Elevated serum C-reactive protein (CRP) following myocardial infarction (MI) is associated with poor outcomes. Although animal studies have indicated a direct pathogenic role of CRP, the mechanism underlying this remains elusive. Dissociation of pentameric CRP (pCRP) into pro-inflammatory monomers (mCRP) may directly link CRP to inflammation.

The analgesic effect of continuous subacromial bupivacaine infusion after arthroscopic shoulder surgery: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: The benefits of subacromial local anesthetic infusion are controversial. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of subacromial bupivacaine infusion after arthroscopic acromionplasty and rotator cuff procedures.

Methods: Ninety patients with subacromial impingement disease scheduled for elective shoulder arthroscopy were enrolled in this randomized, prospective and placebo-controlled study.

Successful in vitro expansion and differentiation of cord blood derived CD34+ cells into early endothelial progenitor cells reveals highly differential gene expression.

Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) can be purified from peripheral blood, bone marrow or cord blood and are typically defined by a limited number of cell surface markers and a few functional tests. A detailed in vitro characterization is often restricted by the low cell numbers of circulating EPCs. Therefore in vitro culturing and expansion methods are applied, which allow at least distinguishing two different types of EPCs, early and late EPCs.