Talc sclerodhesis of persistent Morel-Lavallée lesions (posttraumatic pseudocysts): case report of 4 patients.

Large posttraumatic pseudocysts are infamous for their tendency to recur despite repeated aspiration. The standard practice has been repeated extensive surgical debridement. To avoid the need for such treatment, talc was used to sclerose the lesion in 4 patients treated between 2000 and 2003.

Distal femoral stem tip resection for thigh pain complicating uncemented total hip arthroplasty. Five patients followed up for 6-10 years.

Thigh pain after total hip arthroplasty can be a significant management problem both to patient and surgeon. In many cases, the pain is caused by femoral stem impingement due to its varus position. We present the technique of resection of a segment of distal femoral stem through a minimal incision as treatment of this problem.

Navigation-assisted minimally invasive two-incision total hip arthoplasty.

Flouroscopy-based navigation can increase accuracy in two-incision minimally invasive THA, a novel technique develop for promoting fast recovery.

Arthrodesis of the shoulder.

Shoulder arthrodesis is an end-stage salvage option for the failing, painful joint that cannot undergo or has failed reconstruction. It is indicated for irreversible and nonreconstructible massive rotator cuff tears and deltoid muscle denervation as well as for detachment of the deltoid from its origin. Rarely, arthrodesis is done to stabilize the glenohumeral joint after many failed attempts at shoulder reconstruction.

Cardiac function in children post-orthotopic liver transplantation: echocardiographic parameters and biochemical markers of subclinical cardiovascular damage.

Tacrolimus and cyclosporin A (CsA), the mainstay of preventive therapy for solid organ rejection, may cause various side-effects, such as hypertension and nephrotoxicity. Furthermore, tacrolimus is associated with cardiac hypertrophy. In the immediate post-transplant period, both drugs raise the levels of Endothelin-1 (ET), a potent vasoconstrictor; and of B-type Natriuretic Peptide (BNP), a sensitive marker of left ventricular volume overload, which may precede echocardiographic changes of cardiac dysfunction.

Guided bone regeneration in the treatment of segmental diaphyseal defects: a comparison between resorbable and non-resorbable membranes.

This study compares non-absorbable, ethyl cellulose (EC) membranes and absorbable, chitosan (CH) membranes in a rabbit model. Bone regeneration, evaluated by radiological and pathological parameters, was seen in both groups. In the EC group the process was faster but was followed by a sharp decrease, whereas in the CH group it was slower and continuous.

Endocannabinoids and liver disease--review.

Aims: Endocannabinoids are endogenous compounds that bind to the same receptors as tetrahydrocannabinol, the active component in marijuana and hashish. They have been found to have many physiological and patho-physiological functions, including mood alteration, control of feeding and appetite, motor and co-ordination activities, analgesia, immune modulation and gut motility. In this review we aim to elucidate current knowledge as to their role in liver physiology and disease.

Endocannabinoids affect neurological and cognitive function in thioacetamide-induced hepatic encephalopathy in mice.

Endocannabinoids function as neurotransmitters and neuromodulators in the central nervous system via specific receptors and apparently have a neuroprotective role. We assumed that the endocannabinoid system could be involved in the pathogenesis of hepatic encephalopathy (HE), a neuropsychiatric syndrome due to liver disease. We used a mouse model of a thioacetamide induced fulminant hepatic failure.

Percutaneous compression plating for intertrochanteric fractures. Surgical technique, tips for surgery, and results.

Objective: Fixation of intertrochanteric fractures by a minimally invasive technique using the Percutaneous Compression Plate (PCCP) allowing anatomic reduction and immediate postoperative weight bearing.

Indications: Intertrochanteric fractures.

Contraindications: Intertrochanteric fractures that cannot be reduced by closed manipulation, subtrochanteric and reverse oblique fractures (AO/OTA 31-A3).

Early diagnosis of occult hip fractures MRI versus CT scan.

Objective: We compared Computerised Tomography (CT) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) in diagnosis of a painful hip in elderly patients after trauma. We report on accuracy, efficiency and benefits.

Design: We assessed 13 patients, average age 73 years, after fall with plain X-rays showing no evidence of fracture.

[Opsoclonus myoclonus with ataxia].

Opsoclonus myoclonus with ataxia (OMA) is a rare neurological disorder. The syndrome is characterized by involuntary, conjugate, multidirectional eye movements accompanied by involuntary movements of limb or face, and sometimes ataxia, dysarthria, irritability, dementia, altered level of consciousness and even death. OMA is associated with various etiologies including infectious, toxic, drug-related, vascular and paraneoplastic conditions.

IL-6 increases primed cell expansion and survival.

Cytochrome c-specific CD4 T cells from transgenic donors transferred to syngeneic B10.A mice expand more vigorously upon immunization if exogenous IL-6 is provided during the initial phase of immunization. The resultant increase in the frequency and number of Ag-specific cells is observed in the blood, lymph nodes, spleen, liver, and lung and persists for at least 3 mo.

Adjuvant prednisone therapy in pharyngitis: a randomised controlled trial from general practice.

Background: Acute pharyngitis is a frequent and well-documented complaint in general practice but the associated suffering has remained largely unaddressed in the literature. Evidence, however, from five randomised controlled trials suggests that corticosteroids may be useful in relieving pain and discomfort arising from the condition.

Aim: To determine if short-acting oral therapy with prednisone was more effective than placebo in alleviating the suffering from acute pharyngitis in adults in a general practice setting.

The use of computerized navigation in the treatment of gunshot and shrapnel injury.

Objective: Trauma surgeons encounter numerous penetrating injuries nowadays. In some cases, missiles causing infection, pain and discomfort, or those retained within joints, bursae and other strategic sites, must be removed. This paper describes an innovative high-tech modality for use in the immediate removal of shrapnel and bullets from strategic anatomical sites.

p57Kip2 (cdkn1c): sequence, splice variants and unique temporal and spatial expression pattern in the rat pancreas.

The cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitor p57Kip2 (CDKN1C) is a negative regulator of cell proliferation, binding to a variety of cyclin-CDK complexes and inhibiting their kinase activities in vitro. The p57Kip2 gene is imprinted and the maternal allele is expressed in terminally differentiated cells, including human beta-cells. Somatic loss of p57Kip2 expression is associated with increased beta-cell proliferation in the focal form of Hyperinsulinism of Infancy.

Delayed reaction to shrapnel retained in soft tissue.

Background: Treatment of penetrating injuries to soft tissues does not require surgical excision of shrapnel. Metals usually remain inert and do not cause damage and are therefore left in soft tissue.

Objective: Characterization of delayed reaction to shrapnel retained for many years in soft tissue.

Progressive subluxation of the hip joint in a child with hereditary multiple exostosis.

We describe the treatment and follow-up of a case of hereditary multiple exostosis in a 16-year-old girl, who had intraarticular and extraarticular osteochondromas in the right hip joint which caused hip subluxation. These osteochondromas were excised, the femoral head was located concentrically, and the patient was put in a spica cast for 6 weeks. Six months later, hip magnetic resonance imaging showed no evidence of avascular necrosis.

Application of free-hand three-dimensional echocardiography in the evaluation of fetal cardiac ejection fraction: a preliminary study.

Objective: To investigate the feasibility of using free-hand three-dimensional (3D) echocardiography to evaluate fetal cardiac function.

Methods: 3D cardiac data were collected during screening examinations for 37 normal fetuses with gestational ages of between 16 and 26 weeks. Processing of the 3D volumes included separation of the end-diastolic and end-systolic slices, segmentation of right and left ventricles, measurement of end-diastolic and end-systolic volumes, and calculation of the ejection fraction (EF) for each ventricle.

Risk factors for cranial ischemic complications in giant cell arteritis.

Cranial ischemic complications (CICs) are among the presenting manifestations of giant cell arteritis (GCA). Yet patients with GCA may develop CICs at a later stage, despite steroid therapy. In the current report we delineate risk factors for CICs, both at presentation and during follow-up, and review the relevant literature.

First generation computerized fluoroscopic navigation in percutaneous pelvic surgery.

Percutaneous internal fixation of pelvic fractures has gained popularity allowing rapid mobilization with reduced surgical related morbidity; however, this method depends on conventional fluoroscopy, which exposes the patient and the surgeon to a significant amount of radiation. The use of computerized fluoroscopic navigation systems enables the simultaneous use of several radiographic projections. These preliminary fluoroscopic views are taken when the operating team stands at a distance from the radiation source.

Surgery for tremor.

Tremor is extremely common and often functionally disabling. When tremor becomes medically intractable, surgery is a good and safe option for appropriate candidates. Both stereotactic thalamotomy and thalamic deep brain stimulation by means of an implanted electrode offer very high rates of success with an acceptably low complication rate.