The role of focused ultrasound for pediatric brain tumors: current insights and future implications on treatment strategies.

INTRODUCTION: Focused ultrasound (FUS) is an innovative and emerging technology for the treatment of adult and pediatric brain tumors and illustrates the intersection of various specialized fields, including neurosurgery, neuro-oncology, radiation oncology, and biomedical engineering. OBJECTIVE: The authors provide a comprehensive overview of the application and implications of FUS in treating pediatric brain tumors, with a special focus on pediatric low-grade gliomas (pLGGs) and the evolving landscape of this technology and its clinical utility. METHODS: The fundamental principles of FUS include its ability to induce thermal ablation or enhance drug delivery through transient blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption, emphasizing the adaptability of high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) and low-intensity focused ultrasound (LIFU) applications. RESULTS: Several ongoing clinical trials explore the potential of FUS in offering alternative therapeutic strategies for pathologies where conventional treatments fall short, specifically centrally-located benign CNS tumors and diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG). A case illustration involving the use of HIFU for pilocytic astrocytoma is presented. CONCLUSION: Discussions regarding future applications of FUS for the treatment of gliomas include improved drug delivery, immunomodulation, radiosensitization, and other technological advancements.

Evolution of surgical management of pineal region tumors in the pediatric population: a 17-year experience at a single institution.

INTRODUCTION: Pineal-region tumors have historically been challenging to treat. Advances in surgical techniques have led to significant changes in care and outcomes for these patients and this is well demonstrated by our single institution's experience over a 17-year-period in which the evolution of diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes of pineal tumors in pediatric patients will be outlined. METHODS: We retrospectively collected data on all pediatric patients with pineal region lesions treated with surgery at Children's National Hospital (CNH) from 2005-2021. Variables analyzed included presenting symptoms, presence of hydrocephalus, diagnostic and surgical approach, pathology, and adverse events, among others. IRB approval was obtained (IRB: STUDY00000009), and consent was waived due to minimal risk to patients included. RESULTS: A total of 43 pediatric patients with pineal region tumors were treated during a 17-year period. Most tumors in our series were germinomas (n=13, 29.5%) followed by pineoblastomas (n=10, 22.7%). 27 of the 43 patients (62.8%) in our series received a biopsy to establish diagnosis, and 44.4% went on to have surgery for resection. The most common open approach was posterior-interhemispheric (PIH, transcallosal) - used for 59.3% of the patients. Gross total resection was achieved in 50%; recurrence occurred in 20.9% and mortality in 11% over a median follow-up of 47 months. Endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) was employed to treat hydrocephalus in 26 of the 38 patients (68.4%) and was significantly more likely to be performed from 2011-2021. Most (73%) of the patients who received an ETV also underwent a concurrent endoscopic biopsy. No difference was found in recurrence rate or mortality in patients who underwent resection compared to those who did not, but complications were more frequent with resection. There was disagreement between frozen and final pathology in 18.4% of biopsies. CONCLUSION: This series describes the evolution of surgical approaches and outcomes over a 17-year-period at a single institution. Complication rates were higher with open resection, reinforcing the safety of pursuing endoscopic biopsy as an initial approach. The most significant changes occurred in the preferential use of ETVs over ventriculoperitoneal shunts. Though there has been a significant evolution in our understanding of and treatment for these tumors, in our series, the outcomes for these patients have not significantly changed over that time.

Early radiological outcomes of a fully porous bridging collar in lower-limb endoprosthetic reconstructions: a case-matched retrospective series to assess osseointegration.

BACKGROUND: Limb-salvage surgery involving the utilization of endoprosthetic replacements is commonly employed following segmental bone resection for primary and secondary bone tumors. This study aimed to evaluate whether a fully porous bridging collar promotes early osseous integration in endoprosthetic replacements. METHODS: We undertook a retrospective review of all lower-limb endoprostheses utilizing a fully porous endosteal bridging collar design. We matched this cohort with a conventional extra-osteal non-porous fully hydroxyapatite-coated grooved collar cohort according to surgical indication, implant type, resection length, age, and follow-up time. At 6, 12, and 24 months post-implantation, radiographs were assessed for the number of cortices with or without osseointegration on orthogonal radiographs. Each radiograph was scored on a scale of -4 to + 4 for the number of cortices bridging the ongrowth between the bone and the collar of the prosthesis. Implant survival was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method, and the mean number of osseointegrated cortices at each time point between the collar designs was compared using a paired t-test. RESULTS: Ninety patients were retrospectively identified and analyzed. After exclusion, 40 patients with porous bridging collars matched with 40 patients with conventional extra-osteal non-porous collars were included in the study (n = 80). The mean age was 63.4 years (range 16-91 years); there were 37 males and 43 females. The groups showed no difference in implant survival (P = 0.54). The mean number of cortices with radiographic ongrowth for the porous bridging collar and non-porous collar groups was 2.1 and 0.3, respectively, at 6-month (P < 0.0001), 2.4 and 0.5, respectively, at 12-month (P = 0.044), and 3.2 and -0.2, respectively, at 24-month (P = 0.18) radiological follow-up. CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that fully porous bridging collars increased the number of cortices, with evidence of bone ongrowth between 6 and 24 months post-implantation. By contrast, extra-osteal collars exhibited reduced evidence of ongrowth between 6 and 24 months post-implantation. In the medium term, the use of a fully porous bridging collar may translate to a reduced incidence of aseptic loosening.

Focused ultrasound-mediated blood-brain barrier opening is safe and feasible with moderately hypofractionated radiotherapy for brainstem diffuse midline glioma.

BACKGROUND: Diffuse midline glioma (DMG) is a pediatric tumor with dismal prognosis. Systemic strategies have been unsuccessful and radiotherapy (RT) remains the standard-of-care. A central impediment to treatment is the blood-brain barrier (BBB), which precludes drug delivery to the central nervous system (CNS). Focused ultrasound (FUS) with microbubbles can transiently and non-invasively disrupt the BBB to enhance drug delivery. This study aimed to determine the feasibility of brainstem FUS in combination with clinical doses of RT. We hypothesized that FUS-mediated BBB-opening (BBBO) is safe and feasible with 39 Gy RT. METHODS: To establish a safety timeline, we administered FUS to the brainstem of non-tumor bearing mice concurrent with or adjuvant to RT; our findings were validated in a syngeneic brainstem murine model of DMG receiving repeated sonication concurrent with RT. The brainstems of male B6 (Cg)-Tyrc-2J/J albino mice were intracranially injected with mouse DMG cells (PDGFB+, H3.3K27M, p53-/-). A clinical RT dose of 39 Gy in 13 fractions (39 Gy/13fx) was delivered using the Small Animal Radiation Research Platform (SARRP) or XRAD-320 irradiator. FUS was administered via a 0.5 MHz transducer, with BBBO and tumor volume monitored by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). RESULTS: FUS-mediated BBBO did not affect cardiorespiratory rate, motor function, or tissue integrity in non-tumor bearing mice receiving RT. Tumor-bearing mice tolerated repeated brainstem BBBO concurrent with RT. 39 Gy/13fx offered local control, though disease progression occurred 3-4 weeks post-RT. CONCLUSION: Repeated FUS-mediated BBBO is safe and feasible concurrent with RT. In our syngeneic DMG murine model, progression occurs, serving as an ideal model for future combination testing with RT and FUS-mediated drug delivery.

A Comparison of the Periprosthetic Fracture Rate of Cemented and Cementless Mobile Bearing Unicompartmental Knee Arthroplasties: An Analysis of Data From the National Joint Registry for England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and the Isle of Man.

BACKGROUND: Periprosthetic fractures are rare but serious complications of unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA). Although cementless UKA has a lower risk of loosening than cemented, there are concerns that tibial fracture risk may be higher given the reliance on interference fit for primary stability. The risk of fracture and the effect of surgical fixation are currently unknown. We compared the periprosthetic fracture rate following cemented and cementless UKA surgery. METHODS: A total of 14,122 medial mobile-bearing UKAs (7,061 cemented and 7,061 cementless) from the National Joint Registry and Hospital Episodes Statistics database were propensity score-matched. Cumulative fracture rates were calculated and Cox regressions were used to compare fixation groups. RESULTS: The three-month periprosthetic fracture rates were similar (P = .80), being 0.10% in the cemented group and 0.11% in the cementless group. The fracture rates were highest during the first three months postoperatively, but then decreased and remained constant between one and 10 years after surgery. The one-year cumulative fracture rates were 0.2% (confidence interval [CI]: 0.1 to 0.3) for cemented and 0.2% (CI: 0.1 to 0.3) for cementless cases. The 10-year cumulative fracture rates were 0.8% (CI: 0.2 to 1.3) and 0.8% (CI: 0.3 to 1.3), respectively. The hazard ratio during the whole study period was 1.06 (CI: 0.64 to 1.77; P = .79). CONCLUSIONS: The periprosthetic fracture rate following mobile bearing UKA surgery is low, being about 1% at 10 years. There were no significant differences in fracture rates between cemented and cementless implants after matching. We surmise that surgeons are aware of the higher theoretical risk of early fracture with cementless components and take care with tibial preparation. LEVELS OF EVIDENCE: III.

Polyethylene bearing wear is comparable for cemented and cementless Oxford unicompartmental knee replacements: Ten-year results of a randomized controlled trial.

PURPOSE: There is concern that using cementless components may increase polyethylene wear of the Oxford unicompartmental knee replacement (OUKR). Therefore, this study aimed to measure bearing wear at 10 years in patients from a randomized trial comparing Phase 3 cemented and cementless OUKRs and to investigate factors that may affect wear. It was hypothesized that there would be no difference in wear rate between cemented and cementless OUKRs. METHODS: Bearing thickness was determined using radiostereometric analysis at postoperative, 3-month, 6-month, 1-year, 2-year, 5-year and 10-year timepoints. As creep occurs early, wear rate was calculated using linear regression between 6 months and 10 years for 39 knees (20 cemented, 19 cementless). Associations between wear and implant, surgical and patient factors were analysed. RESULTS: The linear wear rate of the Phase 3 OUKR was 0.06 mm/year with no significant difference (p = 0.18) between cemented (0.054 mm/year) and cementless (0.063 mm/year) implants. Age, Oxford Knee Score, component size and bearing thickness had no correlation with wear. A body mass index ≥ 30 was associated with a significantly lower wear rate (p = 0.007) as was having ≥80% femoral component contact area on the bearing (p = 0.003). Bearings positioned ≥1.5 mm from the tibial wall had a significantly higher wear rate (p = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: At 10 years, the Phase 3 OUKR linear wear rate is low and not associated with the fixation method. To minimize the risk of wear-related bearing fracture in the very long-term surgeons should consider using 4 mm bearings in very young active patients and ensure that components are appropriately positioned, which is facilitated by the current instrumentation. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III, retrospective comparative study.

Knowledge and attitude towards children's oral health: findings from a sample of first-time mothers in Malaysia.

INTRODUCTION: Women's important roles within families which include modelling appropriate oral health behaviours require them to have good knowledge and positive attitude in oral health. This study determined knowledge and attitude towards children's oral health among first-time mothers and factors associated with the attributes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 154 first-time mothers in the third trimester of pregnancy who attended two health clinics in the state of Sarawak, Malaysia for antenatal care participated in this cross-sectional study. A structured selfadministered questionnaire was used to measure the variables of interest. RESULTS: Most mothers could correctly identify the aetiological factors of dental caries and strategies for preventing the disease in children. However, a substantial portion could not identify certain cariogenic and noncariogenic foods or drinks. Most pregnant women have appropriate attitudes towards children's oral health although some showed unfavourable attitude about care of primary teeth. Women who were older and had attended a talk on children's oral health were more likely to have higher mean knowledge score than their respective counterparts, and higher mean knowledge score was associated with higher mean attitude score. CONCLUSION: Most first-time mothers in this study had correct knowledge and favourable attitude about children's oral health, although misunderstandings and misperceptions in several issues were also common. Significant association found between experience of attending oral health talk and oral health knowledge, and between oral health knowledge and attitude, substantiate the importance of an educational intervention program to optimise the mothers' roles in caries prevention in children.

Socioeconomic Disparities Affecting the Presentation and Outcomes in Pediatric Subdural Empyema Patients.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Pediatric subdural empyemas (SDE) carry significant morbidity and mortality, and prompt diagnosis and treatment are essential to ensure optimal outcomes. Nonclinical factors affect presentation, time to diagnosis, and outcomes in several neurosurgical conditions and are potential causes of delay in presentation and treatment for patients with SDE. To evaluate whether socioeconomic status, race, and insurance status affect presentation, time to diagnosis, and outcomes for children with subdural empyema. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective cohort study with patients diagnosed with SDE between 2005 and 2020 at our institution. Information regarding demographics (age, sex, zip code, insurance status, race/ethnicity) and presentation (symptoms, number of prior visits, duration of symptoms) was collected. Outcome measures included mortality, postoperative complications, length of stay, and discharge disposition. RESULTS: 42 patients were diagnosed with SDE with a mean age of 9.5 years. Most (85.7%) (n = 36) were male ( P = .0004), and a majority, 28/42 (66.7%), were African American ( P < .0001). There was no significant difference in socioeconomic status based on zip codes, although a significantly higher number of patients were on public insurance ( P = .015). African American patients had a significantly longer duration of symptoms than their Caucasian counterparts (8.4 days vs 1.8 days P = .0316). In total, 41/42 underwent surgery for the SDE, most within 24 hours of initial neurosurgical evaluation. There were no significant differences in the average length of stay. The average length of antibiotic duration was 57.2 days and was similar for all patients. There were no significant differences in discharge disposition based on any of the factors identified with most of the patients (52.4%) being discharged to home. There was 1 mortality (2.4%). CONCLUSION: Although there were no differences in outcomes based on nonclinical factors, African American men on public insurance bear a disproportionately high burden of SDE. Further investigation into the causes of this is warranted.

A Comparison of the Periprosthetic Fracture Rate of Cemented and Cementless Total Knee Arthroplasties: An Analysis of Data From the National Joint Registry.

BACKGROUND: Periprosthetic fractures are serious complications of knee arthroplasty often requiring complex surgery. There is concern of increased periprosthetic fracture risk with cementless components given the reliance on interference fit for primary stability. It is unknown how the periprosthetic fracture risk compares between cemented and cementless total knee arthroplasties (TKAs). METHODS: A total of 22,477 cemented and 22,477 cementless TKAs from the National Joint Registry and Hospital Episodes Statistics database were propensity score matched on patient and surgical factors. Cumulative periprosthetic fracture rates were calculated using Kaplan-Meier analyses and compared with Cox regressions. Subgroup analyses were performed in different age, body mass index, and sex groups. RESULTS: The 3-month fracture rate in the cemented and cementless TKA groups were 0.02% and 0.04%, respectively. At 10 years, the cumulative fracture rate after cemented TKA was 1.2%, and after cementless was 1.4%. During the study period, there were no significant differences in fracture rates between cemented and cementless TKAs with a hazards ratio 1.14 (confidence interval 0.94 to 1.37, P = .20) at 10 years postoperatively. There were no significant differences in fracture rates between fixation types on subgroup analyses of sex, body mass index, and age groups. Female sex was a risk factor for fracture in both cemented (odds ratio 2.35, P < .001) and cementless TKAs (odds ratio 2.97, P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: The periprosthetic fracture rates following cemented and cementless TKA surgery are low being approximately 1.2% and 1.4%, respectively at 10 years. There were no significant differences in periprosthetic fracture rates requiring readmission between cemented and cementless TKAs. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III.

Primary cerebral angiosarcoma: a case report.

Introduction and importance: Central nervous system sarcomas are rare tumors of mesenchymal origin. Angiosarcomas are an even rarer subtype with poor prognosis and no consensus regarding therapeutic approach. Case presentation: This article presents the case of a 50-year-old Palestinian female patient with a history of treated breast cancer who presented to the emergency room with a tonic-clonic seizure. Brain computed tomography showed a cerebral space-occupying lesion managed with craniotomy and gross tumor resection. Histopathology revealed an epithelioid cerebral angiosarcoma. The patient was treated with concurrent chemoradiotherapy with temozolomide resulting in the resolution of the tumor as well as symptoms and complaints. Clinical discussion: Primary cerebral epithelioid angiosarcoma is a highly malignant tumor of an unknown etiology. The patient history of breast created an additional challenge, as recurrence with metastasis had to be excluded. Signs of blood product degradation are an important radiological feature. According to existing literature, gross tumor resection followed by concurrent chemoradiotherapy offers the best approach and outcome. Conclusion: Cerebral angiosarcoma is a rare disease with a challenging therapeutic approach due to the scarcity of available literature. It should be included in the differential diagnosis of space-occupying lesions, especially in those with a history of exposure to radiotherapy. Immunohistochemistry is key for diagnosis. Surgical resection followed by concurrent chemoradiotherapy is associated with a longer disease-free survival when compared to either option alone.

A Comparison of the Periprosthetic Fracture Rate of Unicompartmental and Total Knee Replacements: An Analysis of Data of >100,000 Knee Replacements from the National Joint Registry for England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man and Hospital Episode Statistics.

BACKGROUND: Periprosthetic fractures are rare but devastating complications of knee replacement, often requiring complex surgery with substantial morbidity and mortality. It is not known how the fracture rates after total knee replacement (TKR) and unicompartmental knee replacement (UKR) compare. We performed the first matched study comparing TKR and UKR periprosthetic fracture rates. METHODS: This study involved 54,215 UKRs and 54,215 TKRs, identified in the National Joint Registry and Hospital Episodes Statistics database, which were propensity score-matched on patient and surgical factors. The International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, (ICD-10) code M96.6 was used to identify periprosthetic fractures at ≤3 and >3 months postoperatively, as well as estimate rates at up to 10 years. Subgroup analyses were performed in different age groups (<55, 55 to 64, 65 to 74, and ≥75 years), body mass index (BMI) categories (normal, 18.5 to <25 kg/m 2 ; overweight, 25 to <30 kg/m 2 ; obese, 30 to <40 kg/m 2 ; and morbidly obese, ≥40 kg/m 2 ), and sexes. RESULTS: The 3-month fracture rate was 0.09% (n = 50) in the UKR group and 0.05% (n = 25) in the TKR group, with this difference being significant (odds ratio [OR], 2.0; p = 0.004). The rate of fractures occurring at >3 months was 0.32% (n = 171) in the UKR group and 0.61% (n = 329) in the TKR group (OR, 0.51; p < 0.001). At 10 years, the cumulative incidence of fractures was 0.6% after UKR versus 1% after TKR (OR, 0.68; p < 0.001). Fracture rates increased with increasing age, decreasing BMI, and female sex for both UKRs and TKRs. CONCLUSIONS: The fracture risk was small after both UKR and TKR, with small absolute differences between implant types. During the first 3 postoperative months, the fracture rate after UKR was 0.1% and was about twice as high as that after TKR. However, over the first 10 years, the cumulative fracture rate after TKR was 1% and was almost twice as high as that after UKR. Fracture rates after both UKR and TKR were higher in women, patients ≥75 years of age, and patients with normal weight. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic Level III . See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Medulloblastomas, CNS embryonal tumors, and cerebellar mutism syndrome: advances in care and future directions.

Central nervous system (CNS) embryonal tumors, commonly found in pediatric patients, represent a heterogeneous mix of lesions with an overall poor (though improving) prognosis. Medulloblastomas are by far the most frequently encountered and most widely studied subtype, though others include atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumors (AT/RTs), embryonal tumor with multilayered rosettes (ETMRs), and CNS neuroblastomas, FOX-R2 activated. The classification, diagnosis, and treatment of these lesions have evolved drastically over the years as their molecular underpinnings have been elucidated. We describe the most recent 2021 WHO Classification system, discuss current understanding of the genetic basis, and demonstrate current thinking in treatment for these highly complex tumors. Since surgical resection continues to remain a mainstay of treatment, preventing and managing surgical complications, especially cerebellar mutism syndrome (CMS), is paramount. We describe the current theories for the etiology of CMS and two centers' experience in mitigating its risks. As our surgical toolbox continues to evolve along with our understanding of these tumors, we hope future patients can benefit from both improved overall survival and quality of life.

Phlebectomy versus Sclerotherapy in Varicose Vein Patients: A Comparative Study.

Varicose veins are part of the spectrum of chronic venous disease and include spider telangiectasias, reticular veins, and true varicosities. It may present without advanced signs of chronic venous insufficiency. Sclerotherapy is a treatment choice for patients with varicose veins of lower extremity; it uses the intravenous injection of chemical drugs to achieve the goal of inflammatory occlusion. Phlebectomy, a minimally invasive procedure usually used for higher diameter of varicose veins at the surface of the skin. Objective of the study was to compare the outcome of Phlebectomy and Sclerotherapy in varicose vein patients. It was a quasi experimental study was conducted in the Department of Vascular Surgery in Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), Dhaka during the period of June 2019 to May 2020. Patients admitted with varicose vein and varicosity of the lower limbs with valves and perforator incompetence in the Department of Vascular Surgery, BSMMU, Dhaka, Bangladesh. During this period 60 patients were selected purposive randomly. Patients were divided to 30 patients were treated with Phlebectomy (Group I) 30 patients were treated with Sclerotherapy (Group II). Data were collected according to the pre-designed semi-structured data collection sheet. After editing data analysis were carried out by using the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 22.0 Windows software. This study shows average age 40.73±15.50 years in Phlebectomy (Group I) and 38.43±11.08 years in Sclerotherapy (Group II). Males are more commonly involved than females between two groups which was 76.7% in Phlebectomy (Group I) and 70.0% in Sclerotherapy (Group II). The change CEAP improved to 93.3% in patients who underwent phlebectomy when compared to 83.3% in patients who underwent sclerotherapy. During the follow-up with duplex at treated veins showed 93.3% complete occlusion of treated veins in the phlebectomy group, while only 70.0% of the patients in the sclerotherapy group showed evidence of complete occlusion. In phlebectomy group recurrence of leg varicosities were found 6.7% of the patients, while 26.7% of the patients in the sclerotherapy group. The difference was statistically significant between two groups (p=0.038). This study shows phlebectomy to be much better option than sclerotherapy for the treatment of varicose veins and hence can be used routinely. Both phlebectomy and sclerotherapy not only revealed minimal time taken for return to normal activity but also proved to be safer with regard to complications.

Evaluation of intermittent tamsulosin in treating symptomatic patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to evaluate and assess the effect of intermittent tamsulosin treatment as a trial to increase the drug safety (in terms of reducing the drug side effects, particularly retrograde ejaculation) while maintaining the effect in reducing the symptoms and assess its impact on the patients' quality of life. Materials and Methods: Patients who enrolled in this study were suffering from lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) due to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and were using 0.4 mg tamsulosin daily to relieve their symptoms but complained of ejaculatory problems. A baseline assessment involves medical history and evaluation of ejaculatory function abdominopelvic ultrasound, postvoid residual volume (PVR) estimation, the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), quality of life assessed using global satisfaction, vital signs, physical examination including digital rectal examination, and renal function. During the study, patients consented to take 0.4 mg tamsulosin intermittently every other day and to proceed with their sexual activities on the days they did not take the drug in. Baseline assessment was repeated and recorded after 3 months from starting the treatment. The adverse effects and compliance were analyzed in all patients. Results: Twenty-five patients had a mean baseline IPSS of 6.6 ± 1 and baseline PVR of 87.6 ± 15.1 ml. At the 3rd month, the mean PVR was 100.4 ± 15.1 ml and the mean IPSS was 7.3 ± 1.1. Moreover, 20 out of the total number of 25 patients (80%) reported improvement in their ejaculation. All our 20 patients who showed improvement in their ejaculatory function are either satisfied or very satisfied (4 or 5), in regard to the global satisfaction rate. Conclusion: Intermittent tamsulosin therapy (0.4 mg/every other day) is well-tolerated and shows a potential advantage in recovery in patients who suffer from LUTS/BPH and complaining from abnormal ejaculation, especially absent ejaculate. Although there was a significant change in PVR and IPSS after using intermittent tamsulosin therapy. Most patients show a higher overall satisfaction with the treatment compared to the standard dose (0.4 mg/daily). A study on a larger scale is still needed to confirm our results.

Elucidation of the role of α-lipoic acid and vitamin C in methotrexate-induced hepatoxicity in mice.

OBJECTIVE: Although methotrexate (MTX) is used to treat several malignancies and chronic inflammatory diseases, its clinical use is constrained because of its negative side effects, the most prevalent of which are hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity. So, this study aims to determine whether α-lipoic acid (ALA) and vitamin C can protect mice against the liver damage that methotrexate causes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 49 male mice were divided into seven groups at random. Group I received sodium bicarbonate, while groups II to VII received an intraperitoneal injection of MTX (20 mg/kg) on the tenth day, following ten days of pretreatment with ALA (60 mg/Kg), ALA (120 mg/Kg), vitamin C (100 mg/Kg), vitamin C (200 mg/Kg), ALA (60 mg/Kg), and vitamin C (100 mg/kg). RESULTS: When compared to mice in group I, mice in group II (the control group) had significantly higher levels of the enzymes malondialdehyde (MDA), alanine transaminase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and significantly lower (p <0.05) levels of the enzymes superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione (GSH). As compared to the control group, pretreatment groups with ALA and vitamin C showed a dose-dependent substantial rise (p <0.05) in GSH and SOD levels, a dose-dependent notable decrease (p <0.05) in MDA, ALT, ALP, and LDH levels, and better liver histological architecture. In order to increase the antioxidant capacity, pretreatment with ALA and vitamin C may be able to prevent MTX-induced hepatotoxicity. CONCLUSIONS: These results imply that ALA and vitamin C are useful in the treatment of MTX-induced liver damage.

The Effect of Body Mass Index on the Relative Revision Rates of Cemented and Cementless Unicompartmental Knee Replacements: An Analysis of Over 10,000 Knee Replacements from National Databases.

BACKGROUND: Unicompartmental knee replacements (UKRs) are being performed in an increasingly overweight population. There are concerns that cemented fixation will not last. Cementless fixation may offer a solution, but the relative performance in different body mass index (BMI) groups remains unknown. METHODS: Ten thousand, four hundred and forty cemented and cementless UKRs were propensity matched. Patients were stratified into 4 BMI groups: underweight (<18.5 kg/m 2 ), normal weight (18.5 to <25 kg/m 2 ), overweight (25 to <30 kg/m 2 ), and obese (≥30 kg/m 2 ). The effect of BMI on the relative performance of UKR fixation groups was studied. Cox regression was used to compare revision and reoperation rates. RESULTS: The revision rate per 100 component-years significantly increased (p < 0.001) with BMI for the cemented UKRs. Revision rates per 100 component-years for the normal, overweight, and obese groups were 0.92 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.91 to 0.93), 1.15 (95% CI, 1.14 to 1.16), and 1.31 (95% CI, 1.30 to 1.33), respectively. This was not observed for the cementless UKR, with revision rates of 1.09 (95% CI, 1.08 to 1.11), 0.70 (95% CI, 0.68 to 0.71), and 0.96 (95% CI, 0.95 to 0.97), respectively. The 10-year implant survival rates for the matched cemented and cementless UKRs in the normal, overweight, and obese groups were 93.8% (95% CI, 89.1% to 96.5%) and 94.3% (95% CI, 90.9% to 96.5%) (hazard ratio [HR], 1.17; p = 0.63), 88.5% (95% CI, 84.2% to 91.7%) and 93.8% (95% CI, 90.2% to 96.2%) (HR, 0.61; p = 0.005), and 90.7% (95% CI, 88.2% to 92.6%) and 91.8% (95% CI, 88.9% to 94.0%) (HR, 0.74; p = 0.02), respectively. There were insufficient numbers in the underweight group for analysis (n = 13). Obese patients had less than half the rates of aseptic loosening (0.46% vs. 1.31%; p = 0.001) and pain (0.60% vs. 1.20%; p = 0.02) in the cementless group as compared with the cemented group. CONCLUSIONS: Higher-BMI groups had higher revision rates for the cemented UKRs but not for the cementless UKRs. Cementless fixation was associated with reduced long-term revision rates compared with cement fixation in the overweight and obese groups. In the obese group, the rates of aseptic loosening and pain were at least 50% lower in the cementless UKR group. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Prognostic Level III . See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

The Effect of Age on the Relative Outcomes of Cemented and Cementless Mobile-Bearing Unicompartmental Knee Arthroplasty, Based on Data From National Databases.

BACKGROUND: Unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) is an effective treatment for medial compartment arthritis. A challenge is that patients requiring knee arthroplasty are becoming younger. It is currently unknown what the relative performances of cemented and cementless UKAs are, in different age groups. METHODS: A total of 12,882 cemented and cementless UKAs from the National Joint Registry and Hospital Episodes Statistics databases were matched on patient and surgical factors. Patients were stratified into 3 groups: (1) <60 years; (2) 60-69 years; and (3) ≥70 years. Revision and reoperation rates were compared using Cox regression analyses. RESULTS: The 10-year implant survival for the matched cemented and cementless UKAs for (1) <60 years were 81.4% (CI 73.6-87.0) and 86.7% (CI 80.7-90.9) (hazard ratio [HR] 0.73, CI 0.56-0.94, P = .02); (2) for 60-69 years were 91.8% (CI 88.9-94.0) and 94.5% (CI 92.9-95.7) (HR 0.90, CI 0.67-1.22, P = .51); and (3) ≥70 years were 93.5% (CI 91.1-95.3) and 94.2% (CI 92.0-95.8) (HR 1.0, CI 0.71-1.40, P = .99). The same trend was observed for reoperations. In the <60 years and 60-69 years groups there were significantly fewer revisions for aseptic loosening in the cementless group (0.5% versus 1.6% [P < .001] and 0.4% versus 1.3% [P = .002], respectively). CONCLUSION: Younger ages were associated with higher revision rates in both cemented and cementless UKA groups. Cementless fixation has reduced long-term revision rates compared to cemented fixation in the <60 years group with aseptic loosening rates 3 times lower. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III.

The Influence of Surgeon Caseload and Usage on the Long-Term Outcomes of Mobile-Bearing Unicompartmental Knee Arthroplasty: An Analysis of Data From the National Joint Registry for England, Wales, Northern Ireland, and the Isle of Man.

BACKGROUND: Unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) revision rates are variable and known to be influenced by a surgeon's caseload (number of UKAs performed annually) and usage (UKA as a proportion of overall knee arthroplasty practice). It is not known which is more important. We explored the influence of caseload and usage on cemented and cementless UKA. METHODS: A total of 34,277 medial Oxford UKAs (23,707 cemented and 10,570 cementless) from the National Joint Registry were analyzed. UKAs were subdivided by the following: (1) surgeon caseload, into low (<10 UKAs/y) and high (≥10 UKAs/y) categories; and (2) usage, into low (<20%) and high (≥20%) categories. The 10-year revision rates were compared. RESULTS: The 10-year survival of the low-caseload/low-usage cemented and cementless UKA was 82.8% (CI 81.6-83.9) and 86.2% (CI 72.1-93.4), respectively. The 10-year survival of the high-caseload/high-usage cemented and cementless UKA was 90.0% (CI 89.2-90.6) and 93.3% (CI 91.3-94.8), respectively. For cemented UKA, the high-caseload/high-usage group had lower revision rates (hazard ratio [HR] 0.57, CI 0.52-0.63, P < .001) compared to the low-caseload/low-usage group. The high-caseload/low-usage (HR 0.74, CI 0.66-0.83, P < .001) and the low-caseload/high-usage (HR 0.86, CI 0.74-0.99, P = .04) groups also had lower revision rates than the low-caseload/low-usage group. CONCLUSION: Mobile-bearing UKA revision rates improve with both increasing surgeon UKA caseload and usage. Surgeons using cemented UKA who have usage ≥20% and caseload ≥10/year had a 10-year survival of 90%. Higher survivorship was associated with higher caseload, higher usage, and cementless fixation. LEVELS OF EVIDENCE: III.