Arthroscopic insertion of a biologic rotator cuff tissue augmentation after rotator cuff repair.

Tissue augmentation has been used to reinforce repairs of massive chronic rotator cuff tears. This report describes a new technique for arthroscopic insertion of a biologic rotator cuff tissue augmentation. Double-loaded suture anchors are needed for the technique.

Liquid gentamicin in bone cement: a laboratory study of a potentially more cost-effective cement spacer.

Background: Liquid gentamicin is approved by the Food and Drug Administration, is readily available, and is much less costly than tobramycin, the more commonly used antibiotic in cement spacers. The purpose of the present study was to test the mechanical properties, elution characteristics, and antibacterial activity of liquid gentamicin in an acrylic bone cement spacer.

Methods: Standardized specimens consisting of Palacos cement combined with liquid gentamicin, powdered tobramycin, or no antibiotic were fashioned, and the three groups were tested with regard to compressive and tensile strength, elution characteristics (with use of radioimmunoassays), and antibacterial activity (with use of bioassays).

Contribution of acetabular labrum to articulating surface area and femoral head coverage in adult hip joints: an anatomic study in cadavera.

The purpose of our study was to describe the gross anatomy of the adult acetabular labrum and to determine its contribution to the depth, surface area, and volume of the acetabulum. Fifty-five embalmed hips were studied. Each hip was disarticulated, and standardized measurements were taken.

Postoperative ileus in the lower extremity arthroplasty patient.

Postoperative ileus is a recognized complication of lower extremity surgery. In a review of 21,589 patients who underwent either total hip or total knee arthroplasty between 1988 and 1997, 0.32% developed postoperative ileus.

Signal transduction in electrically stimulated bone cells.

Background: Electrical stimulation is used to treat nonunions and to augment spinal fusions. We studied the biochemical pathways that are activated in signal transduction when various types of electrical stimulation are applied to bone cells.

Methods: Cultured MC3T3-E1 bone cells were exposed to capacitive coupling, inductive coupling, or combined electromagnetic fields at appropriate field strengths for thirty minutes and for two, six, and twenty-four hours.