Publications by authors named "Wen-Chih Liu"

Article Synopsis
  • * Data from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database was analyzed, showing that 18.1% of 7287 amputees experienced PAP needing medical interventions, with several significant risk factors identified.
  • * Key risk factors for PAP included medical conditions like cancer, diabetes, and infections, along with pre-existing nerve issues; these findings underscore the need for improved clinical strategies and further research.
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Article Synopsis
  • The study examines the relationship between the physical traits (morphology) of neuromas and the symptoms they cause, aiming to create a classification system to help understand their clinical implications.
  • A total of 45 neuroma specimens from 27 patients were analyzed, revealing that atypical neuromas were linked to higher pain levels and were more common in patients with conditions like diabetes and peripheral vascular disease.
  • The proposed classification system shows strong reliability and may help surgeons and researchers improve their understanding of neuroma development and its connections to patient health factors, though further research is needed in this area.
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Introduction: Targeted muscle reinnervation (TMR) is an established modality for the surgical management of neuropathic pain. Although the preventive effect of primary (acute) TMR at the time of amputation has been demonstrated previously, it remains unclear how many and which patients benefit most. Therefore, this study investigated the proportion of patients achieving sustained pain prophylaxis following amputation, as well as factors associated with its efficacy.

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Introduction: The biology of symptomatic neuromas is poorly understood, particularly the factors causing pain in human neuromas. Pain presence varies among and within individuals, with some having painful and nonpainful neuromas. To bridge these knowledge gaps, our group developed a protocol for assessing neuroma pain and collecting tissue for molecular analysis.

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Disposable handheld nerve stimulators are widely used in peripheral nerve surgery. Such devices stimulate a motor nerve or the motor component of a mixed nerve by applying electrical current to the proximal region, targeting the main nerve trunk. This stimulation then travels along the motor nerve, reaching the distal end to control the corresponding muscle(s).

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Metal nanoparticles (M-NPs) have garnered significant attention due to their unique properties, driving diverse applications across packaging, biomedicine, electronics, and environmental remediation. However, the potential health risks associated with M-NPs must not be disregarded. M-NPs' ability to accumulate in organs and traverse the blood-brain barrier poses potential health threats to animals, humans, and the environment.

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Plastic waste accumulation and its degradation into microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs) pose environmental concerns. Previous studies have indicated that polystyrene (PS)-MPs harm living animals. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are associated with metabolic reprogramming and mitochondrial dysfunction in various kidney diseases.

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Background: This study evaluates the association between ICUC trauma and short-form Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand Questionnaire (Quick DASH) scores among patients who underwent surgery for distal radius fractures.

Methods: This research gathered patient-reported outcomes (PROs) from patients registered in the ICUC database at a single trauma center. The study involved 76 adult patients who underwent surgical treatment for distal radius fractures before 2023.

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The main complications after digital replantation are discussed in this review article. These complications include vascular compromise, infection, partial necrosis, delayed union or nonunion, atrophy and so on. The countermeasures for these complications are reviewed and the authors' methods are also introduced and discussed.

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Kidney diseases with kidney failure or damage, such as chronic kidney disease (CKD) and acute kidney injury (AKI), are common clinical problems worldwide and have rapidly increased in prevalence, affecting millions of people in recent decades. A series of novel diagnostic or predictive biomarkers have been discovered over the past decade, enhancing the investigation of renal dysfunction in preclinical studies and clinical risk assessment for humans. Since multiple causes lead to renal failure, animal studies have been extensively used to identify specific disease biomarkers for understanding the potential targets and nephropathy events in therapeutic insights into disease progression.

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Evidence-based medicine integrates results from randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and meta-analyses, combining the best external evidence with individual clinical expertise and patients' preferences. However, RCTs of surgery differ from those of medicine in that surgical performance is often assumed to be consistent. Yet, evaluating whether each surgery is performed to the same standard is quite challenging.

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Background: Distal radius fractures (DRF) are frequently treated with internal fixation under general anesthesia or a brachial plexus block. Recently, the wide-awake local anesthesia with no tourniquet (WALANT) technique has been suggested as a method that results in higher patient satisfaction. This study aimed to evaluate the functional outcomes, complications, and patient-reported outcomes of DRF plating surgery under both the WALANT and balanced anesthesia (BA).

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This is a retrospective study to evaluate the outcome of volar plate interposition arthroplasty for proximal interphalangeal joint post-traumatic osteoarthritis with a minimum 5-year follow-up. We identified patients receiving volar plate interposition arthroplasty for post-traumatic osteoarthritis in proximal interphalangeal joints. The measurements included the numeric pain scale (on a scale of 0-10), the proximal interphalangeal joint active range of motion, the Michigan Hand Outcomes Questionnaire, the perioperative radiograph of the involved digit, proximal interphalangeal joint stability, and pinch strength.

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Background: Statin use before hospitalization or after discharge increased the survival rates of patients with dialysis-requiring acute kidney injury. This study aimed to investigate whether statin use during hospitalization period after renal replacement therapy is associated with reduced mortality in patients with dialysis-requiring acute kidney injury.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study was conducted using the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care IV database between 2008 and 2019.

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Aim: This network meta-analysis aims to compare functional outcomes and complications between conservative treatment and surgery for distal radius fractures in patients aged 60 years and over.

Methods: We searched the PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science databases for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) assessing the effect of conservative treatment and surgery for distal radius fractures in patients aged 60 years and over. Primary outcomes included grip strength and overall complications.

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Good clinical practice guidelines are based on randomized controlled trials or clinical series; however, technical performance bias among surgical trials is under-assessed. The heterogeneity of technical performance within different treatment groups diminishes the level of evidence. Surgeon variability with different levels of experience-technical performance levels even after certification-influences surgical outcomes, especially in complex procedures.

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Background And Aims: Sarcopenia has a higher occurrence rate in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) than in the general population. Low handgrip strength-and not sarcopenia -is associated with clinical outcomes in patients with CKD, including cardiovascular mortality and hospitalization. The factors contributing to low handgrip strength are still unknown.

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Several epidemiological studies regarding the adverse effect of air pollution have notably accelerated in recent years. Urban particulate matter (PM) gains access to the respiratory system and translocates into the circulation to affect several tissues, such as the liver and kidneys. Lactoferrin is a substance belonging to the non-heme iron-binding glycoprotein which is present in breast milk and other exocrine fluids.

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Intra-operative 3D X-rays have been confirmed to decrease revision rates and improve optimal screw placement in complex fractures of the distal radius. Compared with traditional surgical publications, another advantage of whole intraoperative clinical imaging can be presented in electronic databases, e.g.

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