Compensatory muscle activation and spinal curve changes in response to fatigue among adolescent male athletes.

Background: The prone plank test has been often used to assess the strength and endurance of trunk muscles. We aimed to develop a new measurement protocol to objectively monitor the changes in spinal curves and muscle activity simultaneously.

Methods: Eleven adolescent male basketball athletes (13-17 years) performed a one-minute plank test.

Comparison of spinal curvature parameters as determined by the ZEBRIS spine examination method and the Cobb method in children with scoliosis.

Background And Purpose: The most common and gold standard method to diagnose and follow-up on scoliosis treatment is to capture biplanar X-ray images and then use these to determine the sagittal frontal spinal curvature angles by the Cobb method. Reducing exposure to radiation is an important aspect for consideration, especially regarding children. The ZEBRIS spinal examination method is an external, non-invasive measurement method that uses an ultrasound-based motion analysis system.

Randomized clinical trial of dexketoprofen/tramadol 25 mg/75 mg in moderate-to-severe pain after total hip arthroplasty.

Background: The aim was to evaluate the analgesic efficacy and safety of the dexketoprofen/tramadol 25 mg/75 mg fixed-dose combination vs dexketoprofen (25 mg) and tramadol (100 mg) in moderate-to-severe acute pain after total hip arthroplasty.

Methods: This was a randomized, double-blind, parallel-group study in patients experiencing pain of at least moderate intensity on the day after surgery, compared with placebo at first administration to validate the pain model. The study drug was administered orally every 8 h throughout a 5 day period.

The assessment of the spinal curvatures in the sagittal plane of children using an ultrasound-based motion analysing system.

In children's posture examinations the question often arises whether an X-ray examination is necessary or appropriate. On screening and in other cases when X-ray is contraindicated, alternative-non-invasive-examinations are available. To measure the shapes of the children's spines beside the Spinal Mouse also the Zebris ultrasound-based spine measuring instrument is accessible and nowadays commonly used.

Water dissection technique of Toth for opening neurosurgical cleavage planes.

Background: The low-pressure water dissection technique of Toth, first reported in 1987, is a method to cautiously open neurosurgical cleavage planes such as the sylvian fissure or the interhemispheric space, and the interfaces between extraparenchymal masses and the adjacent brain. The aim of this technical report is to present our long-term experience with this simple and elegant asset of microneurosurgery and to promote its widespread use.

Method: Water is injected under microscopic control by a hand-held syringe with a blunt needle or by an irrigating balloon applying repeated injections of physiological saline into the cleavage plane to open it.

Effect of enterally administered n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in acute pancreatitis--a prospective randomized clinical trial.

Background: In acute pancreatitis (AP) administration of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) might change the course of the disease through modulation of eicosanoid synthesis.

Patients And Methods: In a prospective, randomized clinical trial from 28 patients with moderate-severe AP, 14 received n-3 PUFAs (fish oil) enterally (3.3g/day for 5-7 days).

Association of plasma lipid levels with apolipoprotein E polymorphism in Type 2 diabetes.

Objective: To evaluate the distribution of apolipoprotein E polymorphism in patients with Type 2 diabetes and their impact on plasma lipid levels.

Subjects: Unrelated Type 2 diabetic patients (n = 298) treated by diet and sulfonylurea and not receiving lipid-lowering regimens, elderly (n = 98) and young (n = 101)unrelated healthy control subjects in Hungary.

Methods: Apolipoprotein E genotypes were identified by PCR amplification and subsequent restriction endonuclease digestion.

Jejunal feeding in chronic pancreatitis with severe necrosis.

Context: Necrotizing pancreatitis is the most serious form of pancreatic inflammatory disease leading to multiorgan failure and a high (15-20%) mortality rate. The poor nutritional and metabolic conditions and secondary bacterial translocation raise the mortality rate even more.

Objective: The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of jejunal feeding in cases of chronic pancreatitis with extended necrosis.

Decade-long experience with surgical therapy of myasthenia gravis: early complications of 324 transsternal thymectomies.

Background: We studied the incidences and evaluated the management of early postoperative complications after thymectomy for myasthenia gravis.

Methods: During the period between 1987 and 1996, 324 thymectomies were performed through median sternotomy access under general anesthesia. Postoperative management was administered according to a standardized protocol of anticholinesterase medication, which was withdrawn for the 48 hours of obligatory postoperative mechanical ventilation.

The association of serum lipoprotein(a) levels, apolipoprotein(a) size and (TTTTA)(n) polymorphism with coronary heart disease.

Background: The association between lipoprotein(a) levels, apolipoprotein(a) size and the (TTTTA)(n) polymorphism which is located in the 5' non-coding region of the apo(a) gene was studied in 263 patients with severe coronary heart disease and 97 healthy subjects.

Methods: Lp(a) levels were measured by ELISA, apo(a) isoform size was determined by SDS-agarose gel electrophoresis, and analysis of the (TTTTA)(n) was carried out by PCR. For statistical calculation, both groups were divided into low (at least one apo(a) isoform with < or = 22 Kringle IV) and high (both isoforms with >22 KIV) apo(a) isoform sizes, and into low number (<10 in both alleles) and high number of (> or =10 at least one allele) TTTTA repeats.

Antiproliferative efficacy of the somatostatin analogue TT-232 in human melanoma cells and tumours.

Background: TT-232, a somatostatin analogue, induces apoptosis in various tumours. The aim of our study was to characterise its effect on human melanoma cells and tumours.

Materials And Methods: Proliferation of seven melanoma cell lines was tested in vitro with the methylene blue test.

Frequency of the R3500Q mutation of the apolipoprotein B-100 gene in a sample screened clinically for familial hypercholesterolemia in Hungary.

Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) and familial defective apolipoprotein B-100 (FDB) cause early onset of coronary heart diseases (CHD). According to the recommendations of the international MEDPED program, we tried to find FH cases. We analyzed 73 FH probands and their 304 first-degree relatives.

Jejunal feeding in necrotising acute pancreatitis--a retrospective study.

The acute necrotising pancreatitis is the most serious form of pancreatic inflammatory disease leading to multiorgan failure and high (15-20%) mortality. The poor nutritional and metabolic condition and secondary bacterial translocation rise the mortality further on. A newly introduced clinical method of continuous nasojejunal feeding-based on experimental works--resulted in lower mortality rate (less than 4%) by perfusing adequate nutrients into the second loop of jejunum via a feeding tube.

Sequential treatment of the common bile duct stones and cholecystolithiasis.

The orthodox method of the treatment of gallstone disease is laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) days or weeks after endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography + endoscopic spincterotomy (ERCP+ES). It can be advantageous from the point of financing, that is double reimbursement (2 x DRG). On the other hand there are some disadvantages of this procedure: longer hospital stay, further suffering of the patient, difficulties at operation because of inflammation provoked by ERCP (11% 14/120 in 3 month).

Central neurocytoma with malignant course. Neuronal and glial differentiation and craniospinal dissemination.

Central neurocytoma is a benign neuronal tumor of young adults in the lateral cerebral ventricles with characteristic X ray and light microscopic findings. In many respects typical central neurocytoma is reported below, with recurrence in the third month requiring reoperation. Death ensued in the fifth postoperative month.

Osteochondral resurfacing of the knee joint with allograft. Clinical analysis of 33 cases.

This retrospective clinical study describes three years of experience with cryoprotected-cryopreserved allograft transplantation. During this period 33 knee joints were operated on for different reasons including osteoarthritis, osteochondritis dissecans and post-traumatic surface irregularity. The mean follow-up was nearly two years and the mean age of the patients was 48 years.

10 years experience in performing Shouldice operation.

206 male patients were operated for primary direct and indirect inguinal hernia, or both, by Shouldice technique at general surgical departments of Madadeni Hospital, Newcastle, South Africa, Pásztó Hospital and Szolnok MAV Hospital, Hungary between 1986 and 1996. Mean age was 51 yrs +/- 15 yrs (17-91 yrs). The operations were performed by the original way of Shouldice described that type of hernia repair in 1945.

The Lichtenstein open tension-free hernioplasty.

In the department of general surgery, in Szolnok MAV General Hospital the authors performed 51 open tension-free herniorrhaphies by Lichtenstein method between 1st July 1995 and 31st December 1996. According to this method the rings are closed anteriorly with Dacron mesh. The method is simple and rapid, less painful than any other technique.

The part of MR cholangiography in biliary surgery.

The magnetic resonance cholangiography (MRC) is a new none invasive examination procedure which demonstrates well the extrahepatic ducts. The examination can reveal all the anatomical or pathological anomalies of the biliary tracts. The authors performed this examination on 12 patients between 1st December 1996 and 31st December 1996.

Changes in lipid, peroxide, and anti-oxidant blood levels during piroxicam (Hotemin) treatment.

The authors examined the lipid-peroxide (malondialdehyde) blood concentration of patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis of osteoarthrosis. Of the anti-oxidant compounds, they examined the vitamin E concentration of blood plasma and catalase as well as glutathione-peroxidase enzyme activities. They also measured the oxidation capacity of blood plasma.