Outcome in primary cemented total knee arthroplasty with or without drain: A prospective comparative study.

Background: Suction drain insertion is a common practice in orthopedic surgery, especially after joint arthroplasty to prevent the formation of a hematoma. Theoretically the use of a drain should diminish the volume of hematoma; however the literature has conflicting data. Some authors state that drainage evacuates fluid from a limited area only and can be a cause of infection due to retrograde migration of bacteria.

Five-year results of a randomised controlled multi-centre study comparing heavy-weight knitted versus low-weight, non-woven polypropylene implants in Lichtenstein hernioplasty.

Background: This prospective randomised study evaluated whether non-knitted and non-woven lightweight implants can influence postoperative pain and time of return to normal activity, without increasing the recurrence rate in Lichtenstein inguinal hernioplasty.

Methods: Patients were operated on in four centres, randomised blindly into two groups with respect to the mesh used: Surgimesh WN (non-woven polypropylene microfibre sheet) and heavy weight polypropylene mesh. The operation was performed according to the Lichtenstein technique.

Biochemical conservation of recombinant Drosophila tyrosine hydroxylase with its mammalian cognates.

Dopamine modulates several behavioral and developmental events; in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, dopamine is a neurotransmitter, a neuromodulator, and a developmental signal. Studies in mammals suggest that these diverse roles for dopamine have been evolutionarily conserved. Fundamental regulation of dopamine occurs via tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), the first and rate-limiting enzyme in the catecholamine biosynthetic pathway.

Neoplastic or nonneoplastic ovarian cyst? The role of cytology.

Objective: To improve the discrimination between neoplastic and functional cysts of the ovary in order to avoid superfluous surgery.

Study Design: Clinical examination, including ultrasound and laparoscopy, was performed on 347 women admitted to the hospital with ovarian cysts. In addition, we evaluated the contents of the cysts cytologically as well as by determining the estradiol level in the fluid via radioimmunoassay.