The area of the tidemark in osteoarthritis--a three-dimensional stereological study in 21 patients.

We investigated the area of the tidemark in osteoarthritic and normal cartilage by stereology as well as the number of vessels penetrating the tidemark. The area of the tidemark was significantly increased in osteoarthritis, as was the number of vessels penetrating the tidemark. These three-dimensional findings are new compared to previous two-dimensional findings where it has been discussed whether there were any differences between osteoarthritic cartilage and normal cartilage with respect to duplications of the tidemark and vascularisation. The present findings using stereology may erase the uncertainty of previous findings, and support the hypothesis that primary osteoarthritis is partly of vascular origin.

Residual urine in 75-year-old men and women. A normative population study.

The prevalence of residual urine in elderly people in the community is poorly documented. The aim of the present study was to assess the prevalence and range of residual urine in elderly people in the community. As part of a major epidemiologic study (The Glostrup Population Study), 140 75-year-old men and women were included in this study (92 men, 48 women). All were selected at random from the Central Person Register by age and residence. All had a single sonographic measurement of residual urine with a prevoid volume of 150 ml or more. More than 10 ml of residual urine was found in 91 of the 92 men (median 90 ml; range 10-1502 ml), and in 44 of the 48 women (median 45 ml; range 0-180 ml). Our figures correspond to those previously reported in selected patient populations. It must be emphasized, however, that our findings are merely descriptive, as the clinical significance of a single residual urine determination is questionable.

Nocturnal enuresis: change of nocturnal voiding pattern during alarm treatment.

In a prospective clinical study of the outcome of alarm treatment in nocturnal enuretics, 60 children were included: 40 boys and 20 girls, mean age 8.2 years (range 5.1-14.4). All were treated with enuresis alarms and had 2 or more enuretic events during the initial 14 days of treatment. None had diurnal enuresis. In each child, the enuretic and voluntary voiding frequencies during the initial 14 and last 14 days of treatment were compared. We found that 43 children had a 75% reduction or more of the enuretic events. 28 children substituted the former enuretic events by sleep, 15 changed the enuresis by voluntary voidings. Only 17 children had no effect of the alarm treatment. No parameters were found to predict the outcome. In conclusion, the outcome of successful alarm treatment occurs in two distinct forms. Either the child is left asleep without wetting his bed; or the child wakes up spontaneously from sleep and goes to the bathroom.