An approach to the milestones of spine surgery in Persian traditional medicine.

BACKGROUND: The diagnosis and treatment of spine disorders have been challenging for thousands of years in different nations and medical schools. Despite this long history, there are many information gaps in this regard. The current research deals with the milestones and progress of spine surgery from ancient times until now, emphasizing the innovations of sages in the Persian traditional medicine era. METHODS: The present study is based on searching original and library documents, data from databases such as PubMed, Scopus, and Science Direct, and search engines such as Google Scholar. RESULTS: In Persian traditional medicine, Rhazes (865-925 AD) was the first sage who applied spine surgery based on the innovative knowledge of Galen (second century AD) and Paulus Aegineta (seventh century AD). Hally Abbas (tenth century AD), by suturing two separated bones during spine surgery, and Albucasis (936-1013 AD), by inventing, describing, and drawing the surgical instruments involved in surgeries in this area, and also using cauterization in the treatment of children's hunchback, were the innovators of new methods. CONCLUSION: The modern knowledge of spine surgery is based on intelligent experiences and prominent thoughts from thousands of years worldwide. However, sometimes, these key points have remained hidden. This issue necessitates investigating this science in different schools and territories for comparative studies, identifying the firsts in the prominent points of this field, preserving the identity of sages and nations, and preventing scientific plagiarism.

The historical course of varicose vein surgery in the Persian medicine.

INTRODUCTION: Dawali (varicose veins) is the disease of chronic dilation of veins. The veins of the legs become dilated and blue due to excessive accumulation of blood. This disease and the effort to identify and treat it has a very long history. The condition may have first been described in the Ebers Papyrus more than 3500 years ago. The present study deals with the turning points and progress of varicose vein surgery since ancient times, emphasizing the innovations of the scholars of the Islamic period. METHODS: The present study is based on searching library documents and database data such as PubMed, Scopus, Science Direct, and search engines such as Google Scholar. In the end, the Prisma flow chart was drawn. RESULTS: Besides diagnosing different varicose veins (legs, thighs, abdomen, uterus, and testes), the scholars of the Islamic period were well-versed in their prevention, etiology, and treatment. In treating varicose veins, these physicians used methods such as cleansing, phlebotomy, compression, leech therapy, and surgery, and some of them were the founders of new treatments. CONCLUSION: The surgical treatment of varicose veins in the past was similar to modern surgical therapies. What distinguishes yesterday's varicose vein surgery from today's surgery is a more advanced tool. There is no denying the remarkable progress in using health principles, treatment techniques, and surgical instruments to facilitate surgery and reduce the disease's complications and recurrence. However, the treatment framework and foundation, such as phlebectomy and compression, were all invented and introduced in the distant past.

Cauterization's history in the Persian medicine school.

BACKGROUND: Cauterization has been used in various medical schools to prevent and treat diseases. Its application dates back to shortly after the invention of fire. Despite its long history, different aspects and the importance of cauterization in various medical schools have remained elusive. The present study addressed the milestones and progress of cauterization from ancient times to the present, emphasizing the innovations of the Persian medicine school. METHODS: The present study is based on searching in the library documents of famous Persian medicine scholars and data from databases such as Ovid, PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, ProQuest, and Google Scholar search engines. RESULTS: Persian Medicine scholars used various cauterization methods such as hot metals and corrosive drugs to stop bleeding, prevent the development and spread of infection, and treat hydrocephalus and rabies. Cauterization has been associated with considerations to prevent irreversible tissue damage and whether or not it is internal or external. CONCLUSION: Cauterization has been associated with different practical purposes. With evolutionary progress and the use of different techniques and tools throughout history, the tools such as Electrocautery or Galvanocautery are some manifestations of new applications of cauterization. Numerous studies have indicated the continuation of newer applications, indicating the inexhaustible human interest in this ancient technique.

Abu Al Qasim Al Zahrawi (Albucasis) and types of his used surgical knives.

BACKGROUND: Surgical incisions require surgical knives. Different surgical knives have been used for surgical practice since its first appearance in surgical science, and evolved according to its progress. Albucasis, Spanish physician (936-1013 AD), is one of the surgical science pioneers whose initiatives in therapeutic and surgical methods are appreciable, as are his surgical instruments including numerous surgical knives. This study aims at thoroughly investigating the appearance, specifications, innovations, and applications of knives in specific surgical techniques. METHODS: Volume 30 of the Al-Tasrif li-man ajaza'an al-ta'lif (Al-Tasrif) of Albucasis was complemented with findings in Google Scholar, Ovid, PubMed, Science Direct, and Scopus databases to assess the types of surgical knives used by Albucasis and individualized for different diseases. RESULTS: The majority of the knives in Al-Tasrif have special names such as Mesbar, Maghdah, and Meshel. He chose a special knife dependent on the type of surgery and the incision needed, and adapted the shape of each knife to its use. CONCLUSIONS: Albucasis, more than previous physicians, such as Paulus Aegineta (625-690 AD), has invented surgical knives on basis of his own experiences and observations. His accurate knowledge of surgical techniques has resulted in appropriate designing and making functional knives.

A novel heteroplasmic mutation in mitochondrial tRNAArg gene associated with non-dystrophic myotonias.

Non-dystrophic myotonias (NDM) are rare diseases caused by defects in skeletal muscle chloride and sodium ion channels. It is well established that high-energy consuming tissues such as muscular and nervous systems are exclusively dependent on the ATP generation by mitochondria. The mitochondrial dysfunction, which is caused by mitochondrial DNA mutations, played an important role in the pathogenesis of non-dystrophic myotonias. The purpose of this study is to identify mitochondrial tRNA mutations in non-dystrophic myotonias patients. In this study, 45 Iranian patients with non-dystrophic myotonia were investigated for intracellular ATP content and the mutation screening in all the mitochondrial tRNA genes by DNA sequencing. Our findings showed that lymphocyte intracellular ATP is significantly decreased in NDM patients compared with control subjects (p = 0.001). We found nine mutations in mitochondrial tRNA genes, including m.4454 T > C (in the TψC loop of tRNAMet), m.5568 A > G (tRNATrp), m.5794 T > C (in the anticodon loop of tRNACys), novel m.10438 A > T, and m.10462 T > C (in anticodon loop and ACC stem of tRNAArg), m.12308 A > G (tRNALeu(CUN)) and m.15907 A > G, m.15924 A > G, and m.15928 G > A (in the anticodon stem of tRNAThr) in 31 NDM patients. These results suggest that novel m.10438 A > T mutation is involved in NDM patients and reinforces the significant association between this mutation in mitochondrial tRNAArg Gene and NDM patients (p = 0.008).