41 Cases of Treatment of Cranial Cruciate Ligament Rupture with Porous TTA: Three Years of Follow Up.

Tibial Tuberosity Advancement (TTA) is a surgical technique based on a linear osteotomy that determines a cranial advancement of the tibial tuberosity in patients suffering from cranial cruciate ligament rupture (CCL). The aim is to neutralize the cranial tibial thrust (CTT) and to reach a 90° angle between the patellar tendon and the tibial plateau with a physiological knee extension of 135°. In our study, a Ti6AI4V ELI (Titanium Aluminium Vanadium) titanium scaffold for the Porous TTA, with excellent properties of osteointegration and osteoconduction when subjected to cyclic loading has been adopted. Based on the previous scientific work on an ovine model, the use of this type of porous scaffolds has subverted the previous models. Scaffold production technology is based on direct mechanical manufacturing called Electron Beam Melting (EBM). For this study, 41 dogs, different breeds, medium-large size, weighing between 10 and 80 kg, aged between 1 and 13 years, were enrolled. The inclusion criteria were based on clinical evaluations (different gaits), drawer test and tibial compression, LOAD score (Liverpool Osteoarthritis in Dogs questionnaire), radiographic diagnosis in sedation with a 135° positioning of the joint and baropodometric investigations (Stance Analyzer). The results show that Porous TTA is an excellent method for functional recovery of the knee joint following the partial and total rupture of the CCL.

The development and testing of a module on child functioning for identifying children with disabilities on surveys. I: Background.

This is the first of three papers that will document the development of a survey module on child functioning developed by UNICEF in collaboration with the Washington Group on Disability Statistics (WG), and demonstrate - both conceptually and through test results - the strengths of that module compared with alternative tools for identifying children with disabilities in household surveys. This first paper in the series sets the background and reviews the literature leading to the development of the UNICEF/WG Child Functioning Module (CFM) and presents the WG Short Set of questions (WG-SS) and the Ten Question Screening Instrument (TQSI) as precursors, outlining some of their shortcomings and how the UNICEF/WG CFM was designed to meet those challenges. Subsequent articles will summarize results from the cognitive and field testing of the CFM including comparisons with results derived from the TQSI and the WG-SS.

Revision of Italian disability statistics according to the ICF conceptual and semantic framework.

The new approach suggested by the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) provides an opportunity to address the policies and actions in favour of people with a disability. From a statistics point of view, the ICF represents also a new tool to improve the harmonisation and the comparison between international data across populations and sectors. The Disability Information System (SID) Project started in 2000 following a convention between the current Ministry of Social Solidarity and Istat in implementation of article 41-bis of Law 162/98. The system provides statistical information on disability by integrating and coordinating data sources available on this matter in Italy and establishing new sources that are suitable for making up for the current information gaps. This System has made some steps forward to promote greater integration of the sources, but further efforts must be made in terms of the quality of the data gathered and on the reorganisation and integration of currently available informative flows. The purpose of this article is to analyse the work done in the last decade by the Italian National Institute of Statistics, at national and international level, to adapt the information produced to the developing information needs.