Computer-Aided Ankle Ligament Injury Diagnosis from Magnetic Resonance Images Using Machine Learning Techniques.

Ankle injuries caused by the Anterior Talofibular Ligament (ATFL) are the most common type of injury. Thus, finding new ways to analyze these injuries through novel technologies is critical for assisting medical diagnosis and, as a result, reducing the subjectivity of this process. As a result, the purpose of this study is to compare the ability of specialists to diagnose lateral tibial tuberosity advancement (LTTA) injury using computer vision analysis on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The experiments were carried out on a database obtained from the Vue PACS-Carestream software, which contained 132 images of ATFL and normal (healthy) ankles. Because there were only a few images, image augmentation techniques was used to increase the number of images in the database. Following that, various feature extraction algorithms (GLCM, LBP, and HU invariant moments) and classifiers such as Multi-Layer Perceptron (MLP), Support Vector Machine (SVM), k-Nearest Neighbors (kNN), and Random Forest (RF) were used. Based on the results from this analysis, for cases that lack clear morphologies, the method delivers a hit rate of 85.03% with an increase of 22% over the human expert-based analysis.

Structural characteristics are crucial to the benefits of guar gum in experimental osteoarthritis.

Protein-free guar gum (DGG) was oxidized (DGGOX) or sulfated (DGGSU) by insertion of new groups in C-6 (manose) and C-6 (galactose), for DGGOX and DGGSU, respectively. Rats were subjected to anterior cruciate ligament transection (ACLT) of the knee, joint pain recorded using the articular incapacitation test, and the analgesic effect of intraarticular 100µg DGG, DGGOX or DGGSU solutions at days 4-7 was evaluated. Other groups received DGG or saline weekly, from days 7 to 70 and joint damage assessed using histology and biochemistry as the chondroitin sulfate (CS) content of cartilage. The molar mass of CS samples was obtained by comparing their relative electrophoretic mobility to standard CS. DGG but not DGGOX or DGGSU significantly inhibited joint pain. DGG significantly reversed the increase in CS, its reduced electrophoretic mobility, and histological changes following ACLT, as compared to vehicle. Structural integrity accounts for DGG benefits in experimental osteoarthritis.

Histomorphometric evaluation of mechanoreceptors and free nerve endings in human lateral ankle ligaments.

INTRODUCTION: Joint mechanoreceptors have been studied and most of investigators recognize the potential role of mechanoreceptors in the proprioceptive function of joint. The aim of this study was to analyze the general innervation and the possible existence of sensory receptors in the lateral ankle ligament. METHODS: Lateral ankle ligaments including anterior talofibular, posterior talofibular and calcaneofibular were obtained from 24 ankles of 13 male cadavers with ages ranging from 18 to 65 (mean 41.6) years. Each ligament was divided into three parts according to the bony attachments (proximal, central, and distal segments). Histologically mechanoreceptors (Ruffini, Pacini and Golgi) and free nerve endings were identified, and classified. Histomorphometric determination and evaluation of the density of the area of the receptor was performed by the point-counting methods. RESULTS: The anterior talofibular, posterior talofibular, and calcaneofibular ligaments were endowed with mechanoreceptor and free nerve endings. There was a significant prevalence of Pacini (p<0.001) compared with Ruffini and Golgi. However, there was no significant difference in the mechanoreceptors density in the different ligaments analyzed (p>0.05) CONCLUSION: Innervation of the lateral ankle ligaments was confirmed in this study, suggesting that the presence of mechanoreceptors could have clinical implication as well as relevance in the proprioceptive function. Future electrophysiological studies will be required to define the role in the proprioceptive and nociceptive system of the ankle.

Síndrome unha-patela (onicoosteoartrodisplasia hereditária): relato de duas famílias afetadas / Nail-patella syndrome (hereditary arthro-onychodisplasia): report on two affected families

Este trabalho apresenta cinco casos de síndrome unha-patela em duas famílias distintas, envolvendo membros de até três gerações. Os cinco acometidos foram submetidos a exames clínicos e radiológicos. Em tais casos, há concordância com a literatura mundial: tétrade de sinais (distrofia ungueal, displasias do cotovelo, da pélvis e do joelho), transmissão autossômica dominante, apresentando completa penetrância com expressividade variável e ligação com o sistema sanguíneo ABO.