Rare Colonic Dieulafoy Lesions: A Case Series.

Dieulafoy lesions (DLs) are infrequent causes of gastrointestinal bleeding (GIB) but can cause hemorrhage with a high risk of re-bleeds. They are most noted in the stomach, but this case series of three colonic DLs highlights even more rare causes of lower GIB. Three patients presented with blood loss and were found to have colonic DLs.

Albumin and the fibrinogen-to-albumin ratio: Biomarkers for the acute phase response following total knee arthroplasty.

Purpose: Complications following total knee arthroplasty (TKA) lead to patient morbidity and cost. While acute phase reactants, such as c-reactive protein (CRP) and fibrinogen, have been used to predict complications following TKA, the extent and duration of changes in albumin levels following TKA are unknown. It is hypothesized that like CRP and fibrinogen, albumin, and the fibrinogen/albumin ratio (FAR) represent useful measures of the acute phase response (APR) following TKA.

Novel preclinical murine model of trauma-induced elbow stiffness.

Background: Peri-articular injury may result in functional deficits and pain. In particular, post-traumatic elbow stiffness is a debilitating condition, precluding patients from performing activities of daily living. As such, clinicians and basic scientists alike, aim to develop novel therapeutic interventions to prevent and treat elbow stiffness; thereby reducing patient morbidity.

Characterizing the Acute Phase Response in Healthy Patients Following Total Joint Arthroplasty: Predictable and Consistent.

Background: During surgery, trauma to musculoskeletal tissue induces a systemic reaction known as the acute phase response (APR). When excessive or prolonged, the APR has been implicated as an underlying cause of surgical complications. The purpose of this study was to determine the typical APR following total joint arthroplasty in a healthy population defined by the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI).

Plasmin Prevents Dystrophic Calcification After Muscle Injury.

Extensive or persistent calcium phosphate deposition within soft tissues after severe traumatic injury or major orthopedic surgery can result in pain and loss of joint function. The pathophysiology of soft tissue calcification, including dystrophic calcification and heterotopic ossification (HO), is poorly understood; consequently, current treatments are suboptimal. Here, we show that plasmin protease activity prevents dystrophic calcification within injured skeletal muscle independent of its canonical fibrinolytic function.

Elevated d-Dimer Is Not Predictive of Symptomatic Deep Venous Thrombosis After Total Joint Arthroplasty.

Background: Serum d-dimer is a common screening test for symptomatic deep venous thrombosis (DVT) after total joint arthroplasty. This study characterized the longitudinal resolution of d-dimer measurements after total hip and knee arthroplasty (THA/TKA) over a 6-week period. The authors hypothesized that serum d-dimer would not return to baseline or be below the institutional threshold for a positive test at 6 weeks after uncomplicated total joint arthroplasty, suggesting that quantitative d-dimer has limited clinical utility for postoperative DVT screening.