Surgical treatment of bipolar segmental clavicle fracture: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Shoulder injuries caused by trauma are common, including clavicle fractures. Even so, bipolar segmental fracture of the clavicle is extremely rare and seldom reported. Therefore, there is still a controversial issue about how to treat these bipolar segmental clavicle fractures. CASE SUMMARY: A 56-year-old security guard arrived at our emergency room after falling on his electric bicycle. There was no loss of consciousness or other pain. He had no numbness in his fingers. X-rays and 3D computed tomography revealed that the patient's right shoulder had a bipolar segmental clavicle fracture. The surgical procedure included both open reduction and internal fixation. At the 1-year follow-up, he had a full range of motion and minimal discomfort in the injured shoulder. CONCLUSION: We provide a rare case of bipolar clavicle facture in the right clavicle. We hold the opinion that such patients would get better clinical and radiological outcomes by early and correct operation.

Effects of different modified starches and gums on the physicochemical, functional, and microstructural properties of tapioca pearls.

The effects of different modified starch and gums on the physicochemical, functional, and microstructural properties of tapioca pearls were investigated. The addition of starch acetate (SA) and carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) improved the springiness, hardness, cooking properties, and overall acceptability of pearls. Samples added with CMC presented higher peak viscosities, breakdown viscosities, onset gelatinization temperature, and lower enthalpy of gelatinization values compared to control pearls. Furthermore, Rheology and LF-NMR results indicated that all five kinds of modifiers promoted the formation of tighter network structures in products. SEM showed that the addition of SA and hydroxypropyl distarch phosphate (HDP) could fill the voids in the internal gel network of the pearls, thus promoting the formation of a continuous phase network. This study proved SA, HDP, and CMC as modifiers could have tremendous potential to improve the quality of pearls before and after cooking.

Data of ant community compositions and functional traits responding to land-use change at the local scale.

Aim: Off-reserve conservation is a major contributor to China biodiversity conservation efforts, biodiversity conservation being achieved within afforestation and low-intensity agriculture in fragmented landscapes. Functional trait is more strongly related to ecological processes than taxonomic diversity and reflects ecosystem functioning and species responses to environmental changes. In this study, we selected five habitats that differ in degree of disturbance to explore the effects of land use on ant community compositions, traits distributions and functional diversity change. We assessed how habitat disturbance affects the ant community compositions and traits distributions and asked if ant functional diversity respond to disturbance at the local scale? Location: Lüchun County, Yunnan Province, southwest China. Methods: Pitfall traps were used to survey ant communities. Additionally, we measured four ant morphological traits (eyes diameter, distance between eyes, femur length of the hind-leg and Weber's length) to assess the functional traits distributions and functional diversity. Shade plot of ant relative abundance was used to explore species distribution amongst different habitats. Kernel density plot was used to explore ant traits distribution patterns amongst different habitats. Non-metric multi-dimensional scaling ordination, based on ant Weber's length, was used to explore the ant traits compositions amongst different habitats. The fourth corner model was used to evaluate the association between ant traits and environmental variables. The FRic, RaoQ and FEve indices were selected as three complementary measures of the multivariate functional traits space and functional redundancy of different habitats. Results: We collected 14258 ants, representing 89 species, 40 genera and seven subfamilies. Aphaenogasterschurri and Tetramoriumciliatum were the common species of secondary forest; P.sagei, P.pieli, Cardiocondylawroughtonii, Recurvidrisnuwa, Tapinnomamelanocephalum, Monomoriumpharaonis and M.orientale were the common species in plantations; and Iridomyrmexanceps and Cardiocondylanuda were the common species in managed farms. Ants had medium eye diameters, narrow distances between eyes, medium leg lengths and smaller body sizes in greatly-disturbed habitats; and ants had an increasing eye diameter and narrowing of the space between eyes, while the leg length and Weber's length became shorter in moderately-disturbed habitats. Ant trait composition, based on Weber's length, showed significantly differences amongst five habitats. The fourth corner analysis indicated that ant species traits were significantly correlated with environmental variables. The functional diversity of secondary forest, lac plantation and lac plantation-corn agroforest were higher than those in dryland farm and rice paddy. Functional diversities were significantly negatively correlated with bare ground cover and significantly positively correlated with leaf-litter cover, leaf-litter thickness and plant cover. Main conclusion: Our results indicated that ant traits distribution patterns were affected by land-use changes, followed by anthropogenic disturbance pressures at the local scale. Ant traits compositions in greatly-disturbed habitats also differed from the habitats with less disturbance. It is unfavourable for the survival of the large body-size ants in more open habitats with more anthropogenic disturbance. Compared with secondary forest, dryland farm and rice paddies were less resistant and more vulnerable and lac plantations had approximately functional diversity of ant communities, suggesting that lac plantations might be resistant as secondary forest to species loss.

The complete mitogenome of Curculiochinensis (Chevrolat, 1878) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Curculioninae).

The mitogenome of Curculiochinensis (Chevrolat, 1878) was sequenced and annotated to better identify C.chinensis and related species. The mitogenome is 18,680 bp in length, includes the 37 typical mitochondrial genes (13 protein-coding genes, two ribosomal RNA genes and 22 transfer RNA genes) and two control regions (total length: 3,879 bp). Mitogenome organisation, nucleotide composition and codon usage are similar to the previously sequenced Curculio mitogenomes. All 13 protein-coding genes use ATN or TTG as start codon and end with TAA/G or incomplete stop codons (single T-). Twenty-one transfer RNA genes have the typical clover-leaf structure, while the dihydrouridine (DHU) arm of trnS1 is missing. In Curculio mitogenomes, the size of the control region is highly variable. Both ML and BI analyses, based on the 13 PCGs and two rRNAs from six species of Curculioninae, strongly supported the monophyly of Curculio. In Curculio, the relationships amongst included species were inferred as ((C.chinensis + Curculio. sp.) + (Curculiodavidi + Curculioelephas)), with C.chinensis and C. sp. forming a clade (BS = 100; PP = 1).

[Interlocking intramedullary nailling and micro-invasive internal fixation with plate for multiple segmental tibiofibular fractures: a case-control study].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the clinical effects of interlocking intramedullary nail and micro-invasive internal fixation with plate for the treatment of multiple segmental tibiofibular fractures. METHODS: The clinical data of 39 patients with multiple segmental tibiofibular fractures received treatment from January 2010 to June 2013 were retrospectively analyzed. In the 39 patients, 18 cases were treated by the interlocking intramedullary nail (intramedullary nail group), there were 12 males and 6 females with the mean age of (40.6 ± 9.7) years old (ranged, 24 to 60 years);7 cases were type C2.1, 11 were type C2.2 according to the AO classification. The other 21 cases were treated by micro-invasive internal fixation with plate(plate group), there were 13 males and 8 females with the mean age of (41.7 ± 8.1) years old (ranged, 22 to 52 years), 7 cases were type C2.1, 13 were type C2.2, 1 was type C2.3. Preoperative preparation time, operation time, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative complications, fracture healing time were compared between two groups. Johner-Wruhs evaluation criteria was used to evaluate the clinical effect at last follow-up. RESULTS: All the patients were followed up from 10 to 28 months with an average of 15.2 months. Operative time, intraoperative blood loss in intramedullary nail group were (62.1 ± 5.8) min, (70.9 ± 7.1) ml, respectively; in plate group were (64.3 ± 7.7) min, (74.1 ± 8.5) ml,respectively. There was no significant difference in operation time and intraoperative blood loss between two groups (P > 0.05). However, preoperative preparation time, fracture healing time in intramedullary nail group were (5.3 ± 0.7) days, (11.1 ± 1.9) months, in plate group were (7.1 ± 0.8) days, (14.1 ± 2.2) months, respectively. No postoperative complications were found in intramedullary nail group, and five cases developed with complications in plate group. There was significant difference in preoperative preparation time, postoperative complications and fracture healing time between two groups (P < 0.05). According to Johner-Wruhs criteria at last follow-up, 11 cases got excellent results, 4 good, 3 fair in intramedullary nail group; 11 excellent, 5 good, 2 poor in plate group. CONCLUSION: Interlocking intramedullary nail has advantages of shorter preoperative preparation time, less postoperative complications and faster fracture healing time in treating multiple segmental tibiofibular fractures. But the application scope of interlocking intramedullary nail was inferior to micro-invasive internal fixation with plate , and its indications should be strictly controlled.

[Case-control study on double screws system and compressed three canulated screws in treating femoral neck fractures].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the clinical effects of double screws system and compressed three canulated screws in treating femoral neck fractures. METHODS: From January 2007 to June 2009, the clinical data of 67 patients with femoral neck fractures underwent operation were retrospectively analyzed. There were 38 males and 29 females,aged from 31 to 71 years with an average of 50.6 years, left was in 41 cases and right was in 26 cases. The patients were divided into two groups (group A and B) based on the different fixation method. Of them, 30 cases (group A,19 males and 11 females) were treated with double screws system and 37 cases (group B, 19 males and 18 females) with compressed three canulated screws. In group A, Pauwells angle was more than or equal 50 degrees in 16 cases and Pauwells angle less 50 degrees in 14 cases; in group B, Pauwells angle was more than or equal 50 degrees in 22 cases and Pauwells angle less 50 degrees in 15 cases. Duration of hospitalization, operative time, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative time in bed, infection of incision, postoperative complication, quality of fracture reduction, position of internal fixation, incidence of non-union and femoral head necrosis, incidence of failure fixation, joint function (Harris score) were compared between two groups. RESULTS: All patients were followed up from 30 to 59 months with an average of 42 months. There was no significant differences in aspect of duration of hospitalization, infection of incision, intraoperative blood loss, walking time, postoperative complications between two groups(P>0.05). Operative time of group A [(31.1 +/- 9.7) min]was less than that of group B [(40.4 +/- 12.7) min] (P<0.05). There was no significant differences in quality of fracture reduction, position of internal fixation, incidence of non-union and femoral head necrosis between two groups (P>0.05). In the patients with Pauwells angle more than or equal 50 degrees in group A, there was no retreated screws, broken screws, screw cut-off from the femoral head;a head;and in group B, retreated screws occurred in 2 cases, screw cut-off from the femoral head occurred in 2 cases, screws not completely getting in femoral head occurred in 2 cases; there was significant differences between two groups (P<0.05). The patients with Pauwells angle less 50 degrees in group A, screw loosening occurred in one case; and in group B, screw retreating occurred in one cases; there was no significant differences between two groups (P>0.05). All patients who suffered from screw loosening, retreating or cut-off from the femoral head were more than 65 years old. There was no significant differences in the joint function between two groups at 6 and 30 months after operations (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: Double screws system has advantages of minimal invasion, easy operation, reliable fixation in treatment of femoral neck fractures. Compared with the traditional compressed three canulated screws,double screws system has less fixation failure rate and higher hip function scoring. It has a good clinical effect especially for the patients with Pauwells angle more than or equal 50 degrees.

[Medial plus anterolateral approaches for the treatment of tibial plateau fractures involving three columns].

OBJECTIVE: To study surgical outcomes of medial plus anterolateral approaches for the treatment of tibial plateau fractures involving three columns. METHODS: From March 2010 to March 2012,20 patients with tibial plateau fractures involving three columns were treated with internal fixation by using T-shape, L-shape plate, or distal radius T-plate through medial plus anterolateral approaches. Among the patients, 13 patietns were male and 7 patients were female,ranging in age from 29 to 52 years old with an average of 39.4 years old. The intervals between injury and operation ranged from 8 to 12 days, with a mean of 9 days. At the latest follow-up,the American Hospital for Special Surgery score (HSS) was used to evaluate clinical effect,and the average loateau angle,posterior slope angle and femorotibial angle of tibia were measured on the X-ray films. RESULTS: The average operation time was 2.11 hours; average intraoperative blood loss was 452 ml and average hospital stay was 22.3 days. All the patients were followed up,and the duration ranged from 12 to 20 months,averaged 14.6 months. The fracture healing time ranged from 3 to 8 months, with a mean of 6.1 months. The average loateau angle, posterior slope angle and femorotibial angle of tibia at 3 days after operation were (86.1 +/- 2.7) degrees, (10.7 +/- 1.6) degrees and (168.0 +/- 4.7) degrees respectively; and (84.1 +/- 3.2) degrees, (13.7 +/- 1.9) degrees, (170.0 +/- 5.8) degrees respectively at 1 year after operation (P > 0.05). According to HSS, 11 patietns got an excellent result, 6 good, 2 poor and 1 bad. There were no postoperaive neural and vascular injuries, no plate lossening or broken. One patient had local infection. One patient had skin flap partial necrosis and was cured by conservative treatment. Four patients had postoperative numbness below the inside leg. CONCLUSION: Medial plus anterolateral approaches for the treatment of fractures involving three columns are effective to get good anatomic reduction and stable fixation without changing body position, which is helpful to early functional rehabilition of knee joint.