Publications by authors named "Raptou P"

Introduction: Platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) is a relatively new developed platelet concentrate with several benefits over platelet-rich plasma. The aim of this study was to compare healing properties of PRF and its combination with a ceramic synthetic material (graft) composed of hydroxyapatite and b-tricalcium phosphate in an animal model.

Methods: A bone deficit was surgically created in each femoral condyle of 15 New Zealand white rabbits.

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Context And Objective: Weight-bearing exercise during growth exerts positive effects on the skeleton. Our objective was to test the hypothesis that long-term elite rhythmic gymnastics exerts positive effects on volumetric bone mineral density and geometry and to determine whether exercise-induced bone adaptation is associated with increased periosteal bone formation or medullary contraction using tibial peripheral quantitative computed tomography and bone turnover markers.

Design And Setting: We conducted a cross-sectional study at a tertiary center.

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Distraction osteogenesis is an established method of treatment of non-unions and limb length discrepancies. Despite improvements in surgical techniques and fixation devices there is still a considerable possibility of failure of the regenerate bone after frame removal. The hypothesis of the present experimental study was that a noninvasive bone strength marker, the strength-strain index (SSI) measured by peripheral quantitative computerized tomography (pQCT), could be significantly correlated with a biomechanical bone strength index, the maximum load at bone failure (F(max)), assessed in a three-point bending test.

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Background: Bone changes are a prominent symptom of beta-thalassemias, related to expansion of bone marrow and reduction of bone density. Conventional treatment ameliorates bone changes and improves survival, thus increasing the morbidity of bone diseases in adulthood. Peripheral quantitative computer tomography (pQCT) was used recently to assess the changes in volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD) in various bone compartments.

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Aim: The effects of Spinal Cord Injury (SCI) on bone in paralyzed areas are well documented but there are few data for the importance of the level of injury in the decrease of mechanical strength in paralyzed legs. The aim of the present study was to describe bone loss of the separate compartments of trabecular and cortical bone in spinal cord injured men and to compare possible changes in mechanical properties of tibia with the neurological level of injury.

Materials And Methods: Fifty men were included in this study: 39 had complete SCI in chronic stage.

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This is a prospective study with the purpose of assessing patient radiation dose and stochastic risk (risk for fatal cancer) in a patient population undergoing interventional radiological (IR) procedures. Measurements were performed on 36 consecutive patients undergoing percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA, n=18), transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS, n=3), diagnostic angiography (DA, n=6), arterial embolization (AE, n=3), and hepatic neoplasm chemoembolization (HCE, n=6). Kerma area product (KAP) was used as a measure of x-ray exposure to the patient.

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Context: Primary hyperparathyroidism (PH) is characterized by inappropriate PTH elevation with or without hypercalcemia. Bone disease involves catabolic action at cortical sites, whereas cancellous sites and geometry might be relatively preserved.

Objective: Our objective was to examine the effect of PH on quantitative and qualitative bone characteristics using peripheral quantitative computed tomography at the tibia in postmenopausal women with PH and healthy controls.

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In recent years guidelines for the testing and treatment of osteoporotic patients have been published by recognised organisations, including the World Health Organisation (WHO), the National Osteoporosis Foundation (NOF) and the International Osteoporosis Foundation (IOF). Dual Energy X-ray Absorptiometry (DXA) has been considered the technique of choice because of its excellent precision and ability to predict osteoporotic fractures. Last December, based on the Appraisal of the Guidelines for Research and Evaluation (AGREE), the Hellenic Foundation of Osteoporosis, in collaboration with other scientific societies, provided guidelines for the use of DXA for the diagnosis, monitoring and treatment of osteoporosis and Quality Assurance (QA) of these systems.

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The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of oral contraceptive (OC) treatment on bone mass accrual in skeletally immature young female rats. Animals in the baseline group were killed at the beginning of the experiment and were subjected to bone density assessment by peripheral quantitative computerized tomography (pQCT). The control group was fed a base diet free of phytoestrogens, while animals in the contraceptive group received the same base diet mixed with 2.

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Percutaneous coronary interventions are associated with increased radiation exposure compared to most radiological examinations. This prospective study aimed at (1) measuring entrance doses for all in-room personnel, (2) performing an assessment of patient effective dose and intracoronary doses, (3) investigating the contribution of each projection to kerma-area product (KAP) and irradiation time, (4) comparing results with established DRL values in this clinical setting and (5) estimating the risk for fatal cancer to patients and operators. Measurements were performed during 40 consecutive procedures of coronary angiography (CA), half of which were followed by ad hoc coronary angioplasty (PTCA).

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Hip geometry and bone mineral density (BMD) have previously been shown to relate independently to hip fracture risk. Our objective was to determine by how much hip geometric data improved the identification of hip fracture. Lunar pencil beam scans of the proximal femur were obtained.

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In a 12-month randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, we have studied the effects of intranasal salmon calcitonin (SCT) on bone mineral density (BMD) and biochemical markers of bone turnover. Twenty-eight men with idiopathic osteoporosis aged 27-74 years (mean, 52.4 years) were randomized to receive either nasal SCT (200 IU) or a nasal placebo daily for a period of 1 year.

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The biological and mechanical behavior of loaded cortical autografts were evaluated in an experimental study using 40 adult male New Zealand rabbits divided into 4 groups. A double osteotomy was performed on all animals at the mid-diaphysis of the right ulna. The bone segment (5 mm) in between the osteotomies was considered a cortical autograft and fixed with an intramedullary Kirschner wire.

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Hip geometry and bone mineral density (BMD) have been shown previously to relate, independently of each other, to risk of hip fracture. We used Lunar DPX "beta" versions of hip strength analysis (HSA) and hip axis length (HAL) software to analyze scans from ten representative age-stratified population samples in the European Prospective Osteoporosis Study (EPOS). All 1617 subjects were >50 years of age, and 1033 were women.

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We studied the relationships between weight variables and spine bone mineral density (BMD) in 183 postmenopausal women aged 34-76 years. There was a significant positive correlation of current body mass index (cBMI) and % of ideal body weight (IBW) with BMD. Moreover, the increase in BMI and % IBW was also positively and significantly associated with a higher age-adjusted lumbar BMD.

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Physical exercise is recommended for the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis. However, its exact role and effectiveness in adulthood is unclear. While vigorous exercise of long duration enhances bone density, few adult individuals comply with such training programs.

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Image persistence, as a characteristic of video imaging systems affecting the quality of fast moving fluoroscopic images, is shown to vary considerably. A simple quantitative method for measuring image persistence in a digital angiography system is presented, together with a series of image intensifier exposure-response curves. For the Saticon tube, used with the Siemens 3VA Digitron, it was found that persistence increased for low exposure rates and may increase to 31% at a 120 ms interval.

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