Man versus machine: Automatic pedicle screw planning using registration-based techniques compared with manual screw planning for thoracolumbar fusion surgeries.

Objective: This study evaluates the precision of a commercially available spine planning software in automatic spine labelling and screw-trajectory proposal.

Methods: The software uses automatic segmentation and registration of the vertebra to generate screw proposals. 877 trajectories were compared.

[Simulated illnesses. Especially Munchausen syndrome].

Factitious disorders pose considerable problems for doctors with respect to diagnosis and therapy. Simulation, the conversion syndrome and the Muenchausen syndrome should be distinguished as individual aspects of the disease. The Muenchausen syndroms has a unfavourable prognosis, as it is difficult to diagnose, in addition to which the patients in question are not approachable for necessary psychiatric treatment.

[Abnormalities in positioning and shape of the intestines in children].

Volvulus, ileus, and internal herniation may be consequences of intestinal malposition in childhood. Bacterial overgrowth, obstipation, diarrhoea, and malabsorption may additionally develop over time in the absence of adequate treatment. One in three positional abnormalities is diagnosed only intraoperatively.

Therapeutic regimen of septic vascular complications in kidney grafting.

In spite of highly sophisticated tissue matching reducing immunogenicity of a graft a high degree of immunosuppression is mandatory to achieve good graft survival. Septic complications such as a rupture of an anastomosis threaten the recipients life. Thorough donor selection, strict asepsis, as well as repeated bacteriologic examination gives the chance to decrease morbidity and mortality of kidney grafting.

How to detect bacterial contamination prior to transplantation.

The mortality of kidney transplantation generally amounts to 10% due to infections and GIT complications. Once grafting a Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus contaminated kidney the recipient had to undergo emergency surgery four times. Hence it has become our routine to sample the perfusate on blood culture media.

[The perfusate culture--bacteriologic monitoring of kidney grafts].

Since the kidney recipient's immune system is entirely suppressed, any bacterial contamination from a graft might be hazardous. Major statistics [1,3,4,5] reveal a mortality as high as 10% due to infectious and gastrointestinal complications. From July 1979 to December 1983 114 kidney grafts have been done in our center.

[Isolation of islet cell transplants and their efficiency in various host organs].

Pancreatic islets were isolated and transplanted in various forms into the spleen, kidney or liver of totally pancreatectomized dogs. After proving viability the endocrine efficiency was documented. According to the histological findings the best results can be obtained by grafting intrahepatically .

[Development and future of islet cell transplantation (author's transl)].

With islet cell transplantation it would be possible to achieve a generally improved treatment of diabetes mellitus and avoid late complications. Since the problems of preparation, conservation and implantation of the islet cells have been satisfactorily solved, it ought to be possible to master the immune reaction in the future. The successful progressive development of islet cell transplantation in recent years justifies this optimism.

[Positional anomalies of the intestine in adults].

Anomalous intestine positions arise during embryologic development. They are rare in adults and cause uncharacteristic but chronic discomforts. They can produce life-threatening complications at any time.