Patient interest in and familiarity with anti-aging therapies: A survey of the general dermatology clinic population.

BACKGROUND: The appearance of aging skin is a common complaint among dermatology patients. There is an expanding market for anti-aging therapies, but little information is available regarding which patients utilize these treatments and patient preferences regarding treatment. AIMS: To describe the patient population utilizing anti-aging therapies, assess patient familiarity with treatment options, and learn where treatment information is most often obtained. PATIENTS/METHODS: Three hundred patients were surveyed in the University of Michigan General Dermatology Clinic. RESULTS: Fifty-three percent of the general dermatology patient population has used an anti-aging treatment in the past; 66% reported interest in the future use. Interest is high among all genders, ages, and incomes. Most subjects obtained treatment information from magazines, but subjects were more likely to pursue treatment if information was obtained from a dermatologist. CONCLUSION: Demographics of anti-aging therapy are changing, and a wide variety of patients pursue treatment. Patients are largely unfamiliar with most treatment options and are more likely to pursue treatment after receiving treatment information from a dermatologist. The information presented in this study is helpful to both dermatologists and marketers of anti-aging products.

Branching patterns of the superficial peroneal nerve: implications for ankle arthroscopy and for anterolateral surgical approaches to the ankle.

Ankle arthroscopic procedures offer less postoperative morbidity with faster healing times than open surgical procedures but still have associated risks. Complication rates as high as 17% have been reported. One of the most commonly reported complications is iatrogenic damage to the superficial peroneal nerve, which can result in numbness, tingling, or painful neuralgia. In the present study, we attempted to better assess the location of the superficial peroneal nerve at the ankle to improve preoperative planning and reduce complication rates. Fifty ankle specimens were dissected. A concerted effort was made to classify the location of the superficial peroneal nerve according to the Takao branching pattern, zones of the ankle, and distance to anatomic landmarks. Through our dissections, we found that most ankles have 2 nerve branches at the level of the ankle joint (Takao type II) and that the location of the superficial peroneal nerve branches at the ankle correlated directly with the ankle width. Additionally, 68% of specimens contained a nerve branch located in zone 1, where the anterolateral portal is placed, and 12% had a branch in zone 5, the location of the anteromedial portal site. The results of the present study have confirmed the wide variation in nerve location at the level of the ankle joint and serve to highlight the need for extreme caution during surgical procedures at the ankle.