Low Educational Status and Childhood Obesity Associated with Insufficient Mid-Term Weight Loss After Sleeve Gastrectomy: a Retrospective Observational Cohort Study.

PURPOSE: Successful weight loss after bariatric surgery has been associated with a variety of factors. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of educational status on surgical weight loss for patients undergoing sleeve gastrectomy (SG). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective cohort study was carried out on patients undergoing SG between September 2013 and July 2015. Six months after surgery, the patients were classified into two groups according to their success in the percentage of excess weight loss (%EWL). Group 1: <%50EWL (insufficient WL) and group 2: ≥%50EWL (successful WL) in the sixth month. The independent predictors for insufficient weight loss six months after SG were analyzed. RESULTS: In the sixth post-operative month, their mean %EWL and percentage of excess body mass index loss (%EBMIL) were 50 ± 15.4 and 58.2 ± 19.3, respectively. In univariate analysis, group 1 patients were found to be significantly older when compared to group 2 patients while the education level of group 2 patients was significantly higher when compared to group 1. A tertiary educational level at a university or higher was associated with a nearly fourfold increased success in weight loss (AOR 3.772, p = 0.03) 6 months after SG. Multivariate analysis showed that patients with a history of childhood obesity were more likely to have insufficient weight loss (AOR 0.390, p = 0.045). CONCLUSION: Childhood obesity and a lower level of education are associated with insufficient weight loss 6 months after SG. However, prospective external validation is warranted, with a long-term follow-up of a large bariatric surgery population.

Effect of cable cerclage on regional blood circulation in rabbits: a scintigraphic study.

PURPOSE: To evaluate changes in blood circulation of the femoral cortex in rabbits using scintigraphy before and after cable cerclage alone or combined with an intramedullary Kirschner wire. METHOD: Ten New Zealand rabbits were used. For the right femur, a 2-mm-thick cable was placed around the mid-diaphyseal region and squeezed with a 400-N force and locked with a clip. For the left femur, a 1.8-mm Kirschner wire was inserted retrogradely into the medullary canal, and a 2-mm-thick cable was applied using the same technique. The blood perfusion ratio of the region of interest (ROI) before and after surgery was evaluated using scintigraphy. RESULTS: For the right femurs, the mean ROI perfusion ratio decreased by 45% from 2.51 to 1.37 after intervention (p=0.001). For the left femurs, the mean ROI perfusion ratio decreased by 56% from 2.12 to 0.92 after intervention (p<0.001). The mean ROI perfusion ratio post-intervention was higher in the right than left femurs (p=0.017). CONCLUSION: Cable cerclage around the femoral cortex significantly decreased blood circulation in the area.

Use of a magnetic bone nail for lengthening of the femur and tibia.

PURPOSE: To report our experience with the PRECICE nail for limb lengthening in 23 patients. METHODS: Records of 15 female and 8 male patients aged 14 to 38 (mean, 23.6) years who underwent lengthening of the tibia (n=6) or femur (n=21) using the PRECICE nail were reviewed. The reasons for lengthening included trauma (n=7), hemihypertrophy (n=2), focal femoral deficiency (n=2), Ellis-van Creveld syndrome (n=1), hip septic arthritis sequelae (n=1), hereditary multiple exostosis (n=1), club foot sequela (n=1), congenital tibial pseudoarthrosis (n=1), fibrous dysplasia (n=1), idiopathic limb length discrepancy (n=7), and cosmetic (n=1). RESULTS: The mean follow-up duration was 20.72 months. The mean lengthening was 48.20 mm, and the mean acute angular correction was 15.5º. The mean time to full weight-bearing was 5.15 months, and the mean consolidation index was 1.12 months/cm. The mean maturation index was 0.78 months/cm. One patient had nail breakage during the consolidation phase. The nail was replaced by an intramedullary nail until consolidation, after which another PRECICE nail was used to treat the residual shortening. Eight patients had over-lengthening and the nails were driven back to the desired length. No patient had infection. CONCLUSION: The PRECICE nail is a viable option for lengthening of the femur and tibia.

A new point of view for mosaicplasty in the treatment of focal cartilage defects of knee joint: honeycomb pattern.

BACKGROUND: A focal full thickness cartilage lesion of knee joint is one of the commonly seen intraarticular pathologies among the joint cartilage problems. Osteochondral autograft transfer mosaicplasty is a method which has satisfactory outcomes among the treatment preferences of cartilage defects. In spite of the favorable clinical results there are some pitfalls of mosaicplasty treatment especially in cases of large defects. One of the major problems of the classical OAT mosaicplasty is the gap spaces between the plugs. The objective of the present study is to report the early clinical and radiological outcomes and to evaluate the clinical application of a new hexagonal osteochondral graft system (HOGS) with the hypothesis of improvement of the OAT mosaicplasty method with the use of hexagonally shaped plugs. The study has intended to answer two questions. (1) Does mosaicplasty with the new HOGS has favorable early clinical outcomes? (2) Is it possible to arrange the osteochondral autografts without leaving gap spaces by using hexagonal pattern in OAT mosaicplasty? PATIENTS AND METHODS: We designed a retrospective study to report analysis of early outcomes of the initial case series of OAT mosaicplasty by using a new HOGS. Six male individuals with the diagnosis of osteochondral defect and treated with HOGS and reached sixth month follow-up formed the basis of the study. The clinical status of the patients were evaluated with IKDC score. The radiological evaluations were carried out with direct X-rays and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies. The mosaicplasty procedures were carried out via standard surgical method of classical OAT mosaicplasty by using the HOGS following a diagnostic arthroscopy in the same session. The inclusion criteria was a full thickness osteochondral lesion of femoral condyle between 1.5 and 6 cm(2) and completion of 6 month follow-ups. The patients having deformities around the knee or major ligament lesions were excluded. MOCART scoring system was used for the evaluation of follow-up MRI findings. The clinical status of the patients were evaluated with IKDC scores. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 40.8 (±5.2) years and the mean duration of the symptoms on presentation was 16 (±4.3) months. On the initial MRI studies mean defect area was measured 3.7 cm(2) (±0.9) which was compatible with arthroscopic findings. During the surgical procedures it was possible to fill the defect area completely. The mean number of plugs in this series was 4.8 (±1.1). We did not faced with insufficient donor reserve problem in any of the cases. On the sixth month follow-up physical examination there was no limitation of the knee joint range of motion in the cases. All patients were able to bear weight on to their operated extremities without pain. The mean postoperative IKDC score improvement was 70.2 (±3.5) which shows significant improvement compared to preoperative scores. On the control MRI studies the bone integration of the hexagonal plugs were complete the cartilage continuity of the articular surfaces were intact and the grafts were well incorporated in all cases. The mean MOCART score on the 6th month MRI studies was 65.8 (±4.1). CONCLUSION: The early outcomes of OAT mosaicplasty with HOGS are comparable to studies on the classical mosaicplasty. According to our observations in this study we can say that the gap space left between the cylindrical plugs can be solved by using hexagonal prism shaped plugs.

The role of neutrophil lymphocyte ratio to leverage the differential diagnosis of familial Mediterranean fever attack and acute appendicitis.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by attacks of fever and diffuse abdominal pain. The primary concern with this presentation is to distinguish it from acute appendicitis promptly. Thus, we aimed to evaluate the role of neutrophil lymphocyte ratio (NLR) to leverage the differential diagnosis of acute FMF attack with histologically proven appendicitis. METHODS: Twenty-three patients with histologically confirmed acute appendicitis and 88 patients with acute attack of FMF were included in the study. NLR, C-reactive protein and other hematologic parameters were compared between the groups. RESULTS: Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio was significantly higher in patients with acute appendicitis compared to the FMF attack group (8.24 ± 6.31 vs. 4.16 ± 2.44, p = 0.007). The performance of NLR in diagnosing acute appendicitis with receiver operating characteristic analysis with a cut-off value of 4.03 were; 78% sensitivity, 62% specificity, and area under the curve 0.760 (95% confidence interval, 0.655 to 0.8655; p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that NLR, the simple and readily available inflammatory marker may have a useful role in distinguishing acute FMF attack from acute appendicitis.

The importance of reaming the posterior femoral cortex before inserting lengthening nails and calculation of the amount of reaming.

BACKGROUND: Lengthening nails have been used to correct limb length discrepancy caused by different etiologies, as well as for post-traumatic reasons. Two important lengthening nail-related complications are damage to the distraction mechanism and femoral fractures around the nail tip. As a result of the curved anatomy of the femur, straight nails impinge on the anterior cortex. Therefore, proper reshaping of the medullary canal to accommodate straight lengthening nails is crucial for the prevention of this problem. Reaming the dense posterior cortex is important when aiming to insert a lengthening nail without incurring anterior cortex nail tip impingement-related complications. Posterior femoral cortex over-reaming is a solution to this situation. METHODS: Sixty patients received lengthening nails during 2008-2013, (ISKD, Fitbone, Precice). Posterior cortex rigid-reaming technique was used successfully in 45 retrograde femoral lengthening cases. The preoperatively planned posterior cortex amount was reamed until the impingement was overcome during the operation under fluoroscopic control for each case. Since the preoperative determination of posterior cortex reaming amount is time consuming and operator dependent, we evaluated the X-rays of the patients with computer software and conventional paper-based measurements. The effect of reaming the posterior cortical wall on the inclination of the nail tip to the anterior femoral cortex was detected with measurements on the preoperative and postoperative lateral femoral X-rays by using the CorelDRAW® Graphic Suite X6 software package (Corel, Inc., Ottawa, Ontario, Canada) software. On the same software, X-rays and the posterior reaming amount were also calculated. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 27 years (11-42), while the mean lengthening was 5.9 cm (2-14). The mean consolidation index was 1.05 (0.75-1.62), and the mean follow-up period was 31 months (range, 18-45 months). The mean distance of the osteotomy site to the intercondylar notch of the femur was 81.2 mm (± 16.92). The mean displacement of the nail tip position was 15.42 mm (± 4.77) on the measurements on the postoperative X-rays after nail insertion compared to the preoperative simulations on the templates. The mean posterior cortex reaming thickness was 3.68 mm (± 1.02). CONCLUSIONS: We derived a formula that allows the required amount of optimal posterior cortex reaming to be determined. No impingement-related complications or nail damage were observed.

Early clinical and radiological results of minimally invasive total hip replacement.

INTRODUCTION: It is critical to achieve both proper component positioning and intact muscle balance if satisfactory results are to be attained after total hip replacement (THR). There have been fewer studies on minimally invasive (MI) THR than standard approaches. The objective of this paper is to present the early clinical and radiological results of posterolateral MI THR. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The retrospective analysis of the records of patients undergoing posterolateral MI THR surgery between 2011 and 2014 was the basis of this study. 73 hips of 68 patients were included in the study. The acetabular component and femoral stem positions were measured on plane X-rays. Data on preoperative and postoperative hemoglobin and hematocrit values, as well as transfusion amounts, were also studied. The clinical evaluations were carried out with Harris Hip Scores. RESULTS: The mean HHS at the 3rd postoperative month was 87.60 (±7.70). Of the 73 cases, 61 were within the Lewinnek safe zone. The mean PMFA was 88.12 (±7.63°), which is within the normal ranges. The mean postoperative hemoglobin value was 9.7 g/dl (±1.3) and the mean postoperative hematocrit value was 29.8% (±3.8). A nondisplaced proximal femoral fracture line was evident on the early postoperative X-ray of one patient. One patient experienced early dislocation caused by acetabular component malpositioning and an early acetabular cup revision was necessary. CONCLUSION: MI posterior approach for THR is a method in which the prosthetic components can be properly placed. Posterolateral MI approaches are safe when THR is performed, and afford satisfactory results.

Does lengthening after acute correction negatively affect bone healing during distraction osteogenesis?

OBJECTIVE: Lengthening after acute correction has a negative effect on bone healing during distraction osteogenesis. In this study, we investigated whether correcting an acute deformity prior to lengthening resulted in a negative effect on bone healing. METHODS: Patients with shortened femora were assigned to 3 matched groups. Retrograde femoral nailing after distal metaphyseal-diaphyseal osteotomy was used in all cases. Group 1 (9 femora) included cases of lengthening >4 cm using intramedullary distraction devices after acute correction. Group 2 (16 femora) included pure lengthening cases of ≥4 cm using intramedullary distraction devices. Group 3 (13 femora) included cases of lengthening ≥4 cm with lengthening and the retrograde nailing method (LORN) following acute correction. RESULTS: Healing indices and full weight-bearing times of patients were evaluated. Mean lengthening values were 6.6 (range: 4-14 cm), 5.7 (range: 4-8 cm), and 5.2 cm (range: 4-6.5 cm) in Groups 1-3, respectively, and mean radiographic consolidation index and full weight-bearing times were 31.0±8.2, 30.2±5.5, and 39.0±5.0 day/cm in Groups 1-3, respectively. The consolidation index was significantly better in the Groups 1 and 2 compared to that in Group 3, but no difference was detected between Groups 1 and 2. CONCLUSION: Acute correction had no negative effect on bone healing after distraction osteogenesis using new-generation intramedullary distraction devices. We suggest that the negative impact on healing and the prolonged consolidation index in patients undergoing LORN may be due to impaired periosteal blood supply due to fixator pins.

Is familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) common in patients with negative appendectomy?

OBJECTIVES: Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is an autosomal-recessive disease characterized by recurrent attacks of fever with serositis. Differential diagnosis of a FMF abdominal attack with acute abdomen is difficult. Acute appendicitis is the most common cause of acute abdominal pain that requires surgical treatment. The aim of this study was to investigate frequency of FMF in patients with negative appendectomy. METHODS: We assessed 278 patients (female/male 127/151) who were operated with preoperative diagnosis of acute appendicitis. In 250 of the patients, definitive diagnosis of acute appendicitis was established by histo-pathological examination. Patients with negative appendectomy were assessed for FMF by rheumatologist. RESULTS: Negative appendectomy was detected in 28 patients (M/F 5/23, mean age 25.3 ± 8.4 years). Negative appendectomy ratio was 10.1 %. Among 28 patients two had FMF (7.7 %). CONCLUSIONS: FMF were established in 7.7 % of patients with negative appendectomy. Our study suggests patients having negative appendectomy should be evaluated for FMF. Further large sample studies are needed to define the real prevalence of FMF among negative appendectomy patients.

Resistin and visfatin: are they valuable enough to be the differential diagnosis in familial Mediterranean fever with acute appendicitis?

Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is an autosomal recessive disease which predominantly affects certain ethnic groups mainly Sephardic Jews, Turks, Arabs, and Armenians. Differential diagnosis of an attack of FMF with appendicitis could be difficult in patients presenting with acute abdomen. Circulating levels of resistin and visfatin have been shown to increase in several inflammatory conditions. In this study we aimed to investigate the role of resistin and visfatin in diseases activity by monitoring these adipokines' levels in patients with FMF (attacks and attack-free period) and acute appendicitis. The study involves four groups: group 1-31 FMF patients at attack (M/F, 14/17), group 2-27 FMF patients at attack-free period (M/F, 9/18), group 3-29 acute appendicitis patients (M/F, 16/13), and group 4-20 healthy controls (M/F, 10/10). Erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, white blood cell count, fibrinogen, resistin, visfatin, interleukin-1ß, interleukin-6, interleukin-10, TNF-α, and IFN-γ were evaluated concurrently. Resistin level could be a useful test in diagnosis of FMF patients in attacks period but not in acute appendicitis as differential diagnosis. Measuring visfatin levels would not give additional information neither for attacks and attack-free period nor FMF attack and appendicitis.

Nitric oxide, lipid peroxidation and total thiol levels in acute appendicitis.

BACKGROUND: The mechanisms involved in the pathology of acute appendicitis (AA) and the factors affecting the progression have still been investigated. Oxidative stress is one of the factors of interest. Nitric oxide (NO) and its role in AA has not been studied previously. METHODS: Thirty-four patients who underwent operation with a perioperative diagnosis of AA and 16 age and sex-matched controls were included in the study. Serum thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), thiol groups (SH), NO metabolites (NO(x)), and conventional inflammation markers were determined. RESULTS: NO(x), TBARS, C-reactive protein (CRP) levels, white blood cell (WBC) count, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) were significantly higher, and total SH was significantly lower in AA than in control group. NO(x), TBARS, and SH levels were comparable in acute phlegmonous appendicitis and advanced appendicitis. There was a significant positive correlation between NO(x) and TBARS, CRP, ESR, WBC and a significant negative correlation between NO(x) and SH. CONCLUSIONS: Serum NO(x) levels and oxidative stress elevate in AA independent from the extent of the lesion. Increased NO may play a role in the increased oxidative stress in AA.

Mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue lymphoma of the ileum as the cause of an intestinal invagination.

We herein report a case of a 14-year-old male with mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma of the ileum as the cause of an intestinal intussusception. The patient was referred to the hospital with abdominal pain and dyspeptic complaints and was operated on with a prediagnosis of acute abdomen. Abdominal exploration revealed an ileoileal intussusception induced by a 2-cm tumor. A segmental ileal resection was done at the operation. The histopathologic examination of the specimen revealed atypical lymphocytes starting from the mucosae infiltrating the muscular layer and the serosae. Based on these findings, the tumor was diagnosed as a high-grade MALT lymphoma. The patient recovered uneventfully after the surgery, and chemotherapy was started.