Recovery of whisking function promoted by manual stimulation of the vibrissal muscles after facial nerve injury requires insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1).

Recently, we showed that manual stimulation (MS) of denervated vibrissal muscles enhanced functional recovery following facial nerve cut and suture (FFA) by reducing poly-innervation at the neuro-muscular junctions (NMJ). Although the cellular correlates of poly-innervation are established, with terminal Schwann cells (TSC) processes attracting axon sprouts to "bridge" adjacent NMJ, molecular correlates are poorly understood. Since quantitative RT-PCR revealed a rapid increase of IGF-1 mRNA in denervated muscles, we examined the effect of daily MS for 2 months after FFA in IGF-1(+/-) heterozygous mice; controls were wild-type (WT) littermates including intact animals. We quantified vibrissal motor performance and the percentage of NMJ bridged by S100-positive TSC. There were no differences between intact WT and IGF-1(+/-) mice for vibrissal whisking amplitude (48 degrees and 49 degrees ) or the percentage of bridged NMJ (0%). After FFA and handling alone (i.e. no MS) in WT animals, vibrissal whisking amplitude was reduced (60% lower than intact) and the percentage of bridged NMJ increased (42% more than intact). MS improved both the amplitude of vibrissal whisking (not significantly different from intact) and the percentage of bridged NMJ (12% more than intact). After FFA and handling in IGF-1(+/-) mice, the pattern was similar (whisking amplitude 57% lower than intact; proportion of bridged NMJ 42% more than intact). However, MS did not improve outcome (whisking amplitude 47% lower than intact; proportion of bridged NMJ 40% more than intact). We conclude that IGF-I is required to mediate the effects of MS on target muscle reinnervation and recovery of whisking function.

The migration of femoral components after total hip replacement surgery: accuracy and precision of software-aided measurements.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the accuracy and precision of a software-aided system to measure migration of femoral components after total hip replacement (THR) on digitised radiographs. DESIGN AND PATIENTS: Subsidence and varus-valgus tilt of THR stems within the femur were measured on digitised anteroposterior pelvic radiographs. The measuring software (UMA, GEMED, Germany) relies on bony landmarks and comparability parameters of two consecutive radiographs. Its accuracy and precision were calculated by comparing it with the gold standard in migration measurements, radiostereometric analysis (RSA). Radiographs and corresponding RSA measurements were performed in 60 patients (38-69 years) following cementless THR surgery. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The UMA software measured the subsidence of the stems with an accuracy of +/-2.5 mm and varus-valgus tilt with an accuracy of +/-1.8 degrees (95% confidence interval). A good interobserver and intraobserver reliability was calculated with Cronbach's alpha ranging from 0.86 to 0.97. Measuring the subsidence of THR stems within the femur is an important parameter in the diagnosis of implant loosening. Software systems such as UMA improve the accuracy of migration measurements and are easy to use on routinely performed radiographs of operated hip joints.