Assessment of the tolerance angle for pedicle screw insertion.

Cannulation process intervenes before implantation of pedicle screw and depends on the surgeon's experience. A reliable experimental protocol has been developed for the characterization of the slipping behavior of the surgical tool on the cortical shell simulated by synthetic materials. Three types of synthetic foam samples with three different densities were tested using an MTS Acumen 3 A/T electrodynamic device with a tri-axis 3 kN Kistler load cell mounted on a surgical tool, moving at a constant rotational speed of 10° mm-1 and performing a three-step cannulation test. Cannulation angle varied between 10° and 30°. Synthetic samples were scanned after each tests, and cannulation coefficient associated to each perforation section was computed. Reproducibility tests resulted in an ICC for Sawbone samples of 0.979 (p < 0.001) and of 0.909 (p < 0.001) for Creaplast and Sawbone samples. Cannulation coefficient and maximum force in Z-axis are found the best descriptors of the perforation. Angular threshold for perforation prediction was found to be 17.5° with an area under the curve of the Receiver Operating Characteristic of 89.5%. This protocol characterizes the cannulation process before pedicle screw insertion and identifies the perforation tool angle until which the surgical tool slips on the cortical shell depending on bone quality.

Survey regarding the use of endodontic posts among dentists of twin cities, Rawalpindi and Islamabad, Pakistan.

The purpose of the study was to assess the knowledge, attitude, and practices of dentists of twin cities regarding the use of endodontic posts in root canal treated tooth. A questionnaire was created and distributed among dentists of Rawalpindi and Islamabad via social media platforms regarding the use of posts. The results revealed that majority (60%) of the participants used endodontic posts for teeth with adequate ferrule, and believed that the function of endodontic posts is to retain the core material (50.5%). Glass fibre posts were preferred for anterior teeth (87%), whereas metal posts were favoured in posterior teeth (63%). It was concluded that the main function of the endodontic post is to retain the core material. The commonest indication is when there is at least 2mm of ferrule present and the optimal post length is 2/3rd of the root canal.

Sliding on cortical shell: Biomechanical characterization of the vertebral cannulation for pedicle screw insertion.

BACKGROUND: Pedicular screws pull-out has been well studied unlike their insertion. A need for characterizing cannulation before pedicle screw implantation is highlighted in literature and offers promising prospects for future intra-operation instrumentation. A reliable cannulation protocol for ex-vivo testing in swine and cadaver vertebrae is presented in this work to predict extra pedicular perforation. METHODS: An MTS Acumen 3 A/T electrodynamic device, with a tri-axis 3 kN Kistler load cell mounted on a surgical tool was used to reproduce surgeon's gesture by moving at a constant rotational speed of 10°/mm and performing a three-section test. Perforation of the pedicle's cortical shell was planned through a design of experiment on the surgical tool angle at the entry point. Samples were scanned before and after mechanical tests and reproducibility of the protocol was tested on synthetic foam. Computation of the angle between cannulation tool and pedicle cortical shell was performed as well as cannulation coefficient of each perforation section. FINDINGS: A total of 68 pedicles were tested: 19 perforated and 21 non-perforated human pedicles, 17 perforated and 16 non-perforated swine pedicles. The reproducibility of the protocol for cannulation coefficient computation resulted in an intraclass correlation coefficient of 0.979. Cannulation coefficients results presented variability within spinal levels as well as between swine and human model. Correlation between bone density and cannulation coefficient was found significant (p < 0.005). Torque measurement was found to be the best predictor of perforation. Threshold of angle for prediction of perforation was found to be 21.7°. INTERPRETATION: Characterizing pedicle cannulation enables to predict extra pedicular perforation. Influence of bone mineral density and patient-specific morphology on pedicle cannulation has been highlighted together with a comparison of swine and cadaver models.

Activity concentration and distribution of 40K in the soil profile of the Rostov agglomeration.

The activity concentration of 40K in soils of Rostov agglomeration was studied. Natural and anthropogenically modified soils of Rostov agglomeration were studied: Haplic Chernozems, Haplic Chernozems (Technic), Urbic Technosols. Activity concentration 40K in soils was measured by gamma-spectrometric method of radionuclide analysis. The total mass fraction of K2O was determined by X-ray fluorescence method on a Spectroscan MAKS-GV instrument. Knowing the total mass fraction of K2O, we calculated its potential radioactivity based on the fact that one gram of natural potassium has an activity concentration of 28.5 Bq. Comparison of the two methods allows estimating the involvement of 40K in biogenic cycles. No significant differences between the actual and calculated activity concentration of 40K in the soil-forming rock were revealed, while in horizons A and B the calculated activity is significantly higher. At the same time, there are no reliable differences between native and their buried analogs. The direct influence of the granulometric composition on the activity concentration of 40K was not established, but in the urban horizons with lightened granulometric composition the average activity of 40K is the lowest by reliably significant values when comparing this index with native, buried horizons and the group of heavy urban horizons. This implies that 40K is more actively involved in biogenic cycles than its stable isotopes. The burial under urban deposits is accompanied by a weak change in the activity concentration of 40K in the profile, while the difference between genetic horizons is leveled out.

Tibial tubercule osteotomy during the revision of total knee arthroplasty: The technique of a referral center with 10 years of experience.

INTRODUCTION: The Tibial Tubercle Osteotomy (TTO) technique, by lifting the distal bony attachment of the extensor mechanism, allows efficient knee exposure while preserving soft tissues and tendinous attachments. The surgical technique seems essential to obtain satisfying outcomes with a low rate of specific complications. Several tip sand tricks can be used to improve this procedure during the revision of total knee arthroplasty (RTKA). TECHNIQUE: The osteotomy should be at least: 60 mm in length and 20 mm in width to allow fixation with 2 screws; and 10-15 mm thick to resist to screw compression. The proximal cut of the osteotomy must keep a proximal buttress spur of 10 mm to get primary stability and avoid the tubercle ascension. A smooth end of the TTO distally reduces the risk of a tibial shaft fracture. The strongest fixation is obtained using two bicortical 4.5 mm screws slightly ascendant. RESULTS: From January 2010 to September 2020, 135 patients received an RTKA with concomitant TTO and a mean follow-up of 51 ± 26 months [24-121]. The osteotomy was healed in 95% of patients (n = 128) with a mean delay of 3.4 ± 2.7 months [1.5-24]. However, there are some specific and significant complications related to the TTO. Twenty complications (15%) related to the TTO were recorded, with 8 (6%) requiring surgery. CONCLUSION: Tibial tubercle osteotomy in RTKA is an efficient procedure to improve knee exposure. To avoid tibial tubercle fracture or non-union, a rigorous surgical technique is primordial with a sufficient length and thickness of the tibial tubercle, a smooth end, a proximal step, a final good bone contact, and a strong fixation.

Application of blood purification technology in children with acute and critical diseases / 中国小儿急救医学

Objective:To explore the scope, mode, anticoagulation mode and complications of blood purification in children with acute and critical illness.Methods:A total of 377 times of treatment of 102 children treated with blood purification in PICU at the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinxiang Medical College from January 2018 to December 2020 were retrospectively analyzed.Results:Among 102 critically ill children treated with blood purification, acute and chronic renal failure ranked the first in terms of disease distribution, with 23 cases in total, followed by 16 cases of severe viral encephalitis (meningoencephalitis), 11 cases of septic shock, seven cases of acute poisoning, five cases of severe allergic purpura, five cases of necrotic encephalopathy.In terms of clinical prognosis, 51(50.0%) cases were cured, 29(28.4%) cases were improved, 10(9.8%) cases died, and 12 cases abandoned treatment.In 2019, the blood purification application frequency was the highest, with a total of 47 cases, which was higher than those in 2018 and 2020( P<0.05). Continuous veno-venous hemofiltration was used in the largest number of children, with a total of 56 cases.There was a statistically significant difference in the application ratio of this mode during 3 years ( P<0.05), while there was no statistically significant difference in the application ratio of other modes.In terms of the selection of anticoagulation methods, the proportions of systemic anticoagulation and extracorporeal anticoagulation had significantly difference among different years( P<0.05), and the application of extracorporeal anticoagulation had increased year by year.There was no statistically significant difference in the proportion of patients without anticoagulants.The incidence of complications of blood purification was the highest in 2019, with catheter related thrombus in the majority (30 person-times), followed by hypothermia, catheter filter coagulation, hematoma formation, catheter related infection, hypotension, heparin-induced thrombocytopenia, etc.There was statistically significant difference in the total complications among different years( P<0.05). Conclusion:Blood purification is widely used in children with acute and critical illness, with a variety of diseases.The most commonly used mode is continuous veno-venous hemofiltration and in vitro anticoagulation.Catheter-related thrombosis is the most common complication.

Locally acquired lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus infections in South-East Queensland: an outbreak of a pathogen rarely described in Australia.

Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) is a zoonotic virus that can cause clinically significant illnesses in humans. Although cases of LCMV infection are well described globally, and there is evidence that the virus is present in Australian rodent populations, there has been only one case of domestically acquired LCMV infection published previously. Here, we describe a cluster of LCMV infections in South-East Queensland identified in early 2021, and the diagnostic testing processes implemented. This identifies LCMV as an under-recognised human pathogen in Australia.

Brassinosteroid-lipid membrane interaction under low and high temperature stress in model systems.

BACKGROUND: In earlier studies [1], we indicated that applying brassinosteroids (BRs) to lipids that had been isolated from plants altered the physicochemical properties of the monolayers. A continuation of these dependencies using the defined model lipid systems is presented in this paper. The influence of homocastasterone (HCS) and castasterone (CS) (BRs for which the increase in concentration were characteristic of plants grown at low temperatures) on the membrane properties of their polar and the hydrophobic parts were studied. RESULTS: Changes in the electrokinetic potential indicate that both BRs decreased the negative charge of the surface, which is an important factor in modifying the contacts with the polar substances. This property of BRs has not yet been described. The studies of the interactions that occur in the hydrophobic part of the membrane were investigated using the EPR methods and Langmuir techniques. The physicochemical parameters of the lipid structure were determined, and the excess of Gibbs free energy was calculated. CONCLUSION: We conclude that examined BRs modify both the hydrophilic and hydrophobic properties of the membranes, but to a greater extent HCS. The consequence of these changes may be the attempt to maintain the stability of the membranes in stressful temperature conditions and / or to the possibility of adsorption of other substances on membranes surfaces. The change of plant metabolism towards increasing the amount of BR, mainly HCS (under cooling) may by an important factor for maintaining optimal structural properties of membranes and their functionality despite temperature changes.

Patterns of Post-Endodontic Restoration: A Nationwide Survey of Dentists in Turkey.

Developments in materials and techniques, geographical locations, age, specialty, and affiliations of dental practitioners affect the preference of post-endodontic restoration. Thus, this survey aimed to evaluate the trends of dentists in Turkey in terms of post-endodontic restorations. An anonymous survey containing 10 questions regarding demographics, post-endodontic restoration patterns, and factors affecting restoration selection was electronically delivered to the dentists registered in the database of the Turkish Dental Association. The data were analyzed using by a chi-square test and ordinal logistic regression analysis. A total of 1093 surveys from 20,564 participants were collected with a response rate of 5.3%. Half of the participants (52%) preferred composite resins for post-endodontic restorations. Usage of posts was less prevalent amongst prosthodontists and dentists with clinical experience of more than 20 years compared to endodontists (p < 0.001) and dentists with clinical experience of less than 5 years (p = 0.004). More than half of the participants (56%) utilized fiber posts. Composite resins and fiber posts were the most common preferences in post-endodontic restoration. Endodontists had a higher tendency to use posts than prosthodontists and general dental practitioners.

Antiphospholipid antibodies in the obstetric antiphospholipid syndrome: Detection and antibodies profile at the Maternity and Neonatal Medicine Center of Monastir, Tunisia.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to implement lupus anticoagulant (LAC) detection techniques according to the International Society on Thrombosis and Hemostasis (ISTH) recommendations, in the Biological Laboratory of the Maternity and Neonatal Medicine Center (Monastir, Tunisia) and to evaluate the profile and the prevalence of antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) in the obstetric antiphospholipid syndrome (OAPS). METHODS: We collected two groups: a "case group" (53 women who presented one or more obstetrical criteria of APS) and a "control group." LAC was detected following the four steps recommended by ISTH 2009. Anticardiolipin (aCL) and antibeta-2-glycoprotein I (aß2GPI) antibodies testing were performed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). RESULTS: aPL were found in five patients: three patients with isolated LAC, one patient with isolated IgG aCL, and one patient with triple positivity (LAC, aCL IgM, aß2GPI IgM). Concerning LAC, 13 (24.52%) of 53 patients had a screening step with at least one positive test. The mixing step was positive in four patients and then confirmed in the confirmatory test. Thus, the prevalence of LAC in our study group is 7.54%. Surprisingly, among these positive patients, one patient had an associated combined factor V (FV) and factor VIII (FVIII) deficiency. CONCLUSION: There is no single test and no algorithm that can detect all types of LAC. It seems that the recent 2020 ISTH algorithm allows a better detection of low activity LAC than the 2009 algorithm. In our study, the most frequently identified antiphospholipid antibodies were LAC more than aCL and aß2GPI.

Construção e validação de um instrumento sobre manejo de ferida neoplásica para capacitação de enfermeiros / Construction and validation of an instrument on neoplastic wound management for training nurses

Introdução: Cerca de 5% a 10% dos pacientes com câncer avançado irão desenvolver feridas neoplásicas durante os seis últimos meses de vida. O tratamento das feridas neoplásica é complexo, pois exige avaliação de etiologia oncológica, características e estadiamento da lesão, estado físico, emocional, social e espiritual do paciente, bem como produtos e coberturas específicos para o controle dos sinais e sintomas. O conhecimento de enfermeiros sobre avaliação e tratamento de feridas neoplásicas, apresenta limitações, bem como déficit de capacitação para a assistência à pessoa com esse tipo de lesão. Objetivo: Propor um instrumento para capacitação de enfermeiros no manejo de ferida neoplásica. Métodos: Pesquisa metodológica. O estudo compreendeu a construção do instrumento por meio de revisão de escopo da literatura; validação do conteúdo e aparência por juízes especialistas. A coleta de dados ocorreu entre outubro/2021 e fevereiro/2022, a análise foi feita pelo Índice de Validação de Conteúdo e Fleiss generalized Kappa. Este projeto de pesquisa, foi aprovado pelo Comitê de Ética em Pesquisa da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade Federal Fluminense (FMUFF) com o registro CAAE: 50525121.0.0000.5243, atendendo à Resolução nº 466/12, das Diretrizes e Normas de Pesquisa Envolvendo Seres Humanos do Conselho Nacional de Saúde. Resultados: Os juízes especialistas recrutados validaram o conteúdo e aparência do instrumento relacionado a exatidão científica, conteúdo, apresentação textual e diagramação, ilustração e compreensão do instrumento, atingindo um IVC > 0.80, kappa satisfatório e nível de concordância entre os juízes > 75%. Conclusões: As categorias de validação atingiram o índice de validação de conteúdo e de aparência adequados, além de reunir as evidências para o manejo adequado da ferida neoplásica e contribuir para a capacitação dos enfermeiros na aérea, gerando um produto ­ material didático - a ser utilizado na assistência de enfermagem. Como limitação o estudo apresenta a ausência de validação clínica do instrumento. Como perspectivas futuras, esta pesquisa proporciona a oportunidade de expandir as informações contidas no instrumento, englobando os aspectos sociais e emocionais que envolvem o cuidado da pessoa com ferida neoplásica. Também há a implementação do instrumento como material didático de programas de educação permanente que abordem esta temática.

Introduction: About 5% to 10% of patients with advanced cancer will develop malignant fungating wounds during the last six months of life. The treatment of malignant fungating wounds is complex, as it requires evaluation of oncological etiology, characteristics, and staging of the lesion, physical, emotional, social, and spiritual state of the patient, as well as specific products and dressings for the control of signs and symptoms. The knowledge of nurses about the assessment and treatment of malignant fungating wounds presents limiting factors, as well as lower training to take care of people with this type of injury. Objective: Propose an instrument for training nurses in malignant fungating wound management. Methods: Methodological research. The study comprised the construction of the instrument through a literature scoping review; content and appearance validation by expert judges. Data collection occurred between October/2021 and February/2022, analysis was done by the Content Validation Index and Fleiss generalized Kappa. This research project was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the Faculdade de Medicina of Universidade Federal Fluminense (FMUFF) with CAAE registration: 50525121.0.0000.5243, meeting Resolution No. 466/12, of the Guidelines and Standards for Research Involving Human Beings of the National Health Council. Results: The expert judges recruited validated the content and appearance of the instrument related to scientific accuracy, content, textual presentation and layout, illustration, and understanding of the instrument, reaching the CVI > 0.80, a satisfactory kappa, and agreement level among the expert judges > 75%. Conclusions: The validation categories reached the appropriate content and appearance validation index, in addition to gathering evidence for the proper management of the neoplastic wound and contributing to the training of nurses in the field, also developed a product -courseware- to help out at nursing care.

EpicPCR 2.0: Technical and Methodological Improvement of a Cutting-Edge Single-Cell Genomic Approach.

EpicPCR (Emulsion, Paired Isolation and Concatenation PCR) is a recent single-cell genomic method based on a fusion-PCR allowing us to link a functional sequence of interest to a 16S rRNA gene fragment and use the mass sequencing of the resulting amplicons for taxonomic assignment of the functional sequence-carrying bacteria. Although it is interesting because it presents the highest efficiency for assigning a bacterial host to a marker, epicPCR remains a complex multistage procedure with technical difficulties that may easily impair the approach depth and quality. Here, we described how to adapt epicPCR to new gene targets and environmental matrices while identifying the natural host range of SXT/R391 integrative and conjugative elements in water microbial communities from the Meurthe River (France). We notably show that adding a supplementary PCR step allowed us to increase the amplicon yield and thus the number of reads obtained after sequencing. A comparison of operational taxonomic unit (OTU) identification approaches when using biological and technical replicates demonstrated that, although OTUs can be validated when obtained from three out of three technical replicates, up to now, results obtained from two or three biological replicates give a similar and even a better confidence level in OTU identification, while allowing us to detect poorly represented SXT/R391 hosts in microbial communities.

Navigability of a long sheath in the lateral dural sinuses facilitated by the pilot balloon technique: technical note.

Dural sinus stenting is an increasingly recognized intervention for the treatment of lateral sinus stenosis. This procedure can be challenging in tortuous anatomy and in the presence of intraluminal septa because of poor trackability and crossability of long sheath commonly used for stenting. We report a technique using a pilot angioplasty balloon positioned at the distal end of the long sheath that improves its navigability in dural sinuses and facilitated the intervention.

Regressões em análise: contribuições de Ferenczi e Balint para a técnica psicanalítica / Regressions in psychoanalysis: Ferenczi's and Balint's contributions to the psychoanalytic technique / Regresiones en análisis: contribuciones de Ferenczi y Balint a la técnica psicoanalítica

Na clínica psicanalítica contemporânea temos nos defrontado, cada vez mais, com impasses técnicos que nos exigem repensar a teoria sobre a técnica psicanalítica. Essa revisão teórica se justifica a partir de uma maior incidência de quadros clínicos cujo dinamismo psíquico não se encontra balizado hegemonicamente pela lógica do recalque, mas pela predominância de outros mecanismos defensivos, como a clivagem/splitting do eu, e formas de expressão não verbais como passagens ao ato e acting outs. Diante da necessidade de reconfigurar alguns parâmetros da técnica psicanalítica, delimitamos como objetivo deste artigo a investigação do tema do manejo clínico das regressões em análise a partir das contribuições teórico-clínicas de Sándor Ferenczi e de seus desdobramentos e avanços propostos Michael Balint. Assim, pretendemos extrair das modificações no dispositivo analítico propostas por esses autores, elementos que nos ajudem a pensar o manejo clínico com pacientes cujo sofrimento remete às falhas traumáticas dos primórdios da constituição subjetiva.

In contemporary psychoanalytic clinic we have faced increasingly technical deadlocks that require to rethink the psychoanalytic technique theory. This situation requires a revision of psychoanalysis technical theory. This theoretical revision is justified by a higher incidence of clinical conditions whose psychic dynamic is not hegemonic marked by the logic of repression, but the predominance of other defensive mechanisms, e.g. splitting, and non-verbal forms of expression such as acting out. Given the need to reconfigure some parameters of the psychoanalytic technique, we set as the objective of this article the investigation of clinical management of regressions under analysis from the theoretical and clinical contributions of Sándor Ferenczi and from developments and advances by Michael Balint. Therefore, from the changes proposed by these authors, we will attempt to extract elements that will help us think different clinical management of patients whose suffering refers to traumatic failures in the early stages of development, in an analytical setting.

En la clínica psicoanalítica contemporánea nos hemos enfrentado, cada vez más, con impases técnicos que nos obligan a repensar la teoría sobre la técnica psicoanalítica. Esta revisión teórica se justifica por una mayor incidencia de cuadros clínicos cuyo dinamismo psíquico no responde a la lógica de la represión, sino por el predominio de otros mecanismos defensivos, como el clivaje / escisión del yo, y formas de expresión no verbal como pasajes al acto y "acting outs". Ante la necesidad de reconfigurar algunos parámetros de la técnica psicoanalítica, el objetivo de este artículo es delinear la investigación del tema del manejo clínico de las regresiones en análisis, a partir de las contribuciones teórico-clínicas de Sándor Ferenczi y sus desdoblamientos y avances en la teoría de Michael Balint. Así, pretendemos extraer, de las modificaciones en el dispositivo analítico propuestas por esos autores, elementos que nos ayuden a pensar sobre el manejo clínico con pacientes cuyo sufrimiento remite a los fracasos traumáticas de los primordios de la constitución subjetiva.

Evaluation of the suture ossification level according to age and sex in children, adolescents, and adults. A cross-sectional and observational 3D study.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the ossification level of the midpalatal suture (MPS) in children, adolescents and adults from a Peruvian sample; according to the method proposed by Angelieri et al. with cone-beam computed tomographies (CBCTs). MATERIAL AND METHODS: The sample consisted of 315 CBCTs of 168 females and 147 males. The total sample was divided into 3 groups according to age and sex: children (n=77), adolescents (n=113) and adults (n=125). The images were mainly assessed in the axial plane using the Real Scan 2.0 software. The different periods of ossification of the MPS at the level of the vertical half of the palate was defined according to the five stages of Angieleri method (from A to E). The Student t-Test, Chi-square test, Kruskal-Wallis test and Spearman's Rho test were applied. RESULTS: Chi2 test results showed that the stages of MPS ossification depended on the age of the patient by age ranges (P<0.005). Multiple comparison tests affirmed that male and female subjects in the children group had fewer ossification stages than the adolescent and adult groups (P<0.001). Meanwhile, there were no statistically significant differences between the two older age groups. Finally, there was a moderate positive correlation between the stages of ossification of the MPS and the age in the male group (Rho=0.511). CONCLUSIONS: The onset of MPS ossification was significantly related to subjects up to 12 years of age and more frequently in stages B and C in both sexes. There was no difference in MPS ossification in adolescents and adult subjects.

Attitudes of Undergraduate Nursing Students towards Patient Safety: A Quasi-Experimental Study.

Improving nursing students' attitudes towards patient safety is a current and relevant topic. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of an educational intervention based on critical incident and root cause analysis (RCA) techniques regarding attitudes towards patient safety in nursing students. A quasi-experimental before and after study was developed between January 2018 and December 2019 in a sample of 100 nursing students at Universitat Jaume I (Spain). The intervention was developed in two phases. Phase I was at university, where students applied the RCA technique in a real case. Phase II took place during clinical practice. Students used critical incidents to identify a risk situation for the patients and applied RCA to detect its root causes. The measurement of attitudes was performed with the Attitudes to Patient Safety Questionnaire (APSQ-III). The global score of the questionnaire in the baseline measurement was 3.911 (±0.335), in the intermediate measurement it was 4.031 (±0.337) and in the final measurement it was 4.052 (±0.335), with significant differences (p = 0.03). However, intra-group differences were observed in the final measurement (p = 0.021). The teamwork dimension had the highest mean score on all three measures and the notification dimension had the lowest mean scores. An educational intervention combining critical incident and RCA techniques can improves nursing students' attitudes toward patient safety.

[Diagnosis of periprosthetic joint infection : Development of an evidence-based algorithm by the work group of implant-associated infection of the AE-(German Society for Arthroplasty)]. / Diagnostik der periprothetischen Infektion : Entwicklung eines evidenzbasierten Algorithmus der Arbeitsgruppe implantatassoziierte Infektion der Arbeitsgemeinschaft Endoprothetik.

BACKGROUND: Prosthetic joint infections (PPI) will challenge orthopaedic surgeons and the health care system in the coming years. Evidence-based and reliable preoperative diagnostics are necessary for success in the field of revision arthroplasty. Especially the preoperative detection of PPI is important with respect to the treatment strategy. AIM: The aim of this study was to develop a detailed and structured standard operating procedure (SOP) to detect PPI preoperatively. METHODS: A systematic literature research was performed and relevant articles identified. After extracting the data, statistical calculations of sensitivity, specificity, positive/negative predictive value and positive/negative likelihood ratio were performed. The results were discussed and evaluated in four meetings analogously to standard Delphi rounds by the workgroup of implant-associated infections of the German AE (Arbeitsgemeinschaft Endoprothetik). An algorithm for the diagnostic approach according to ISO 5807 was made. RESULTS: The standardized algorithm combines a sequence of evidence-based procedures with detailed and structured main and additional criteria to every critical step in the diagnostic approach. CONCLUSION: The detection of PPI is of tremendous importance prior to revision arthroplasty and determines its success or failure. The diagnosis "prosthetic joint infection" requires a substantial change with respect to treatment concepts. The algorithm summarizes current literature and specialized expert opinions in a modern standardized format for a transparent diagnostic approach.

Functional Molecular Network Analysis Enables Prediction of Response to Vedolizumab Therapy in Anti-TNF Refractory IBD Patients.

BACKGROUND: We applied for the first time 2 label-free technologies, physiological intermolecular modulation spectroscopy (PIMS) and nematic protein organization technic (NPOT) in anti-tumor necrosis factor (TNF) refractory inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) patients to identify clinical responders to vedolizumab therapy and elucidate their underlying functional molecular network. METHODS: PIMS analysis was performed in peripheral blood taken prior to the first vedolizumab application in 20 IBD patients (Crohn disease n = 13; ulcerative colitis n = 7) refractory to at least 1 previous anti-TNF agent therapy. Peripheral blood taken from clinical responders and nonresponders at week 14 of vedolizumab therapy were additionally subjected to NPOT analysis. Response to therapy was assessed by respective clinical disease activity scores (partial Mayo Score and Harvey-Bradshaw Index). RESULTS: Clinical response to vedolizumab treatment was observed in 7 of 13 Crohn disease and 4 of 7 ulcerative colitis patients at week 14. Response to therapy was accurately predicted by PIMS blood analysis in 100% of ulcerative colitis and 77% of Crohn disease patients. Overall prediction of clinical response with PIMS blood analysis was achieved with a 89% positive predictive value and a 82% negative predictive value. NPOT analysis revealed the heightened expression of the proteins ITGB7, ITGAV, ITG3, PF4, and ASGH in the peripheral blood of vedolizumab responders compared to nonresponders. CONCLUSIONS: PIMS analysis of the blood of anti-TNF refractory IBD patients was able to stratify responders to vedolizumab therapy with high accuracy and specificity. NPOT technology could decipher underling molecular networks in the blood of responders, enabling subsequent personalized therapeutic approaches in IBD.

Influence of ridge preservation procedures on extraction socket healing under antiresorptive therapy: An experimental study in rabbits.

BACKGROUND: To assess the influence of ridge preservation procedures on the healing of extraction sockets under antiresorptive therapy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 10 Dutch Belted rabbits were randomly allocated to either the intravenous administration of amino-bisphosphonate (zoledronic acid) (Za) (n = 5) or a negative control group (no Za [nZa]) (n = 5). At 6 months, the mandibular and maxillary molars were extracted and the four experimental sites randomly allocated to the following subgroups: (a) socket grafting using a collagen-coated natural bone mineral (BOC) + primary wound closure, (b) coronectomy (CO), or (c) spontaneous healing + primary wound closure (SP). Za medication was continued for another 4 months. Histomorphometrical analyses considered, for example, crestal hard tissue closure of the extraction site (C) and mineralized tissue (MT) formation. RESULTS: Za-SP was associated with an incomplete median C (31.76% vs 100% in nZa-SP) and signs of bone arrosion along the confines of the socket. BOC had no major effects on increases in C and MT values in the Za group. CO commonly resulted in an encapsulation and partial replacement resorption of residual roots by MT without any histological signs of osteonecrosis. CONCLUSIONS: (a) Za-SP was commonly associated with a compromised socket healing and signs of osteonecrosis, (b) BOC had no major effect on socket healing in the Za group, and (c) CO at noninfected teeth might be a feasible measure for the prevention of a Za-related osteonecrosis of the jaw.