The role of non-invasive imaging modalities in cardiac allograft vasculopathy: an updated focus on current evidences.

Cardiac allograft vasculopathy (CAV) is an obliterative and diffuse form of vasculopathy affecting almost 50% of patients after 10 years from heart transplant and represents the most common cause of long-term cardiovascular mortality among heart transplant recipients. The gold standard diagnostic technique is still invasive coronary angiography, which however holds potential for complications, especially contrast-related kidney injury and procedure-related vascular lesions. Non-invasive and contrast-sparing imaging techniques have been advocated and investigated over the past decades, in order to identify those that could replace coronary angiography or at least reach comparable accuracy in CAV detection. In addition, they could help the clinician in defining optimal timing for invasive testing. This review attempts to examine the currently available non-invasive imaging techniques that may be used in the follow-up of heart transplant patients, spanning from echocardiography to nuclear imaging, cardiac magnetic resonance and cardiac computed tomography angiography, weighting their advantages and disadvantages.

Risk stratification in cardiogenic shock: a focus on the available evidence.

Cardiogenic shock is a clinical syndrome which is defined as the presence of primary cardiac disorder that results in hypotension together with signs of organ hypoperfusion in the state of normovolaemia or hypervolaemia. It represents a complex life-threatening condition, characterized by a high mortality rate, that requires urgent diagnostic assessment as well as treatment; therefore, it is of paramount important to advocate for a thorough risk stratification. In fact, the early identification of patients that could benefit the most from more aggressive and invasive approaches could facilitate a more efficient resource allocation. This review attempts to critically analyse the current evidence on prognosis in cardiogenic shock, focusing in particular on clinical, laboratoristic and echocardiographic prognostic parameters. Furthermore, it focuses also on the available prognostic scores, highlighting the strengths and the possible pitfalls. Finally, it provides insights into future direction that could be followed in order to ameliorate risk stratification in this delicate subset of patients.

Oregano Oil and Its Principal Component, Carvacrol, Inhibit HIV-1 Fusion into Target Cells.

Oregano essential oil has long been known for its health-promoting benefits. Here, we report its activity against viral replication. Oregano oil was found to specifically inhibit lentiviruses, such as human and simian immunodeficiency viruses (HIV and SIV), irrespective of virus tropism, but not hepatitis C virus, adenovirus 5 (ADV5), Zika virus, and influenza (H1N1) virus. Oregano oil's most abundant components, carvacrol and its isomer, thymol, were shown to block virus-target cell fusion while not perturbing other stages of the virus life cycle. We detected changes in virus particle density, suggesting that cholesterol depletion from the HIV-1 envelope membrane reduces virus entry. Furthermore, infection was rescued by adding exogenous cholesterol. The evolution of viral resistance to carvacrol supported this mechanism of action with the identification of mutations in the viral gp41 fusion protein that counteracted cholesterol depletion. In addition, resistance to carvacrol emerged later than typically observed for other clinically used drugs, strengthening its antiviral potential. Structure-activity relationship studies revealed key motifs of carvacrol and thymol required for HIV neutralization and identified previously unknown active analogs. Carvacrol was also shown to additively cooperate with antiretroviral therapy. In sum, oregano oil and improved carvacrol and thymol analogs could be considered to supplement current HIV therapeutics.IMPORTANCE Oregano essential oil has multiple benefits in traditional medicine, cosmetics, and food industries. Carvacrol and its analog, thymol, are well-described components of oregano oil. Here, we show that these compounds inhibit HIV-target cell fusion independently of viral tropism. Our results suggest that carvacrol and thymol alter the cholesterol content of the viral membrane, blocking HIV-1 entry into the target cell. Resistance to carvacrol has selected for viruses with mutations in the viral envelope glycoprotein, gp41. This protein is known for its interaction with cholesterol present in membrane lipid rafts. Together, these results demonstrate the potential of therapies targeting the viral envelope membrane, and oregano oil is a safe supplement to antiretrovirals, potentially delaying disease progression and resistance development.

Cardiogenic shock and acute kidney injury: the rule rather than the exception.

Cardiogenic shock (CS) is a life-threatening condition of poor end-organ perfusion, caused by any cardiovascular disease resulting in a severe depression of cardiac output. Despite recent advances in replacement therapies, the outcome of CS is still poor, and its management depends more on empirical decisions rather than on evidence-based strategies. By its side, acute kidney injury (AKI) is a frequent complication of CS, resulting in the onset of a cardiorenal syndrome. The combination of CS with AKI depicts a worse clinical scenario and holds a worse prognosis. Many factors can lead to acute renal impairment in the setting of CS, either for natural disease progression or for iatrogenic causes. This review aims at collecting the current evidence-based acknowledgments in epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical features, diagnosis, and management of CS with AKI. We also attempted to highlight the major gaps in evidence as well as to point out possible strategies to improve the outcome.

Prognostic bioindicators in severe COVID-19 patients.

BACKGROUND: Severe acute respiratory syndrome caused by novel coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) emerged in Wuhan (China) in December 2019. Here we evaluated a panel of biomarkers to phenotype patients and to define the role of immuno-inflammatory mediators as biomarkers of severity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Serum samples were obtained from 24 COVID-19 patients on admission to hospital, before any treatment or infusion of intravenous steroids or invasive ventilation. KL-6 IL-6 and C-peptide were measured by chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay. IL-6 assay was validated for accuracy and precision. The validity of variables used to distinguish severe from mild-to-moderate patients was assessed by areas under curves (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) and logistic regression was performed to combine parameters of the two groups. RESULTS: In the severe group, IL-6, CRP and KL-6 concentrations were significantly higher than in mild-to-moderate patients. KL-6, IL-6 and CRP concentrations were directly correlated with each other. ROC curve analysis of the logistic regression model including IL-6, KL-6 and CRP showed the best performance with an AUC of 0.95. CONCLUSIONS: Besides corroborating previous reports of over-expression of IL-6 in severe COVID-19 patients requiring mechanical ventilation, analytical determination of other mediators showed that IL-6 concentrations were correlated with those of KL-6 and CRP. The combination of these three prognostic bioindicators made it possible to distinguish severe COVID-19 patients with poor prognosis from mild-to-moderate patients.

Opinions of patients with persistent asthma regarding the use of mobile applications for disease monitoring.

SUMMARY: Background.We assessed adherence to treatment and management needs of adults with persistent asthma and their interest in using apps for asthma management. Secondarily, we explored opinions of patients about an app to assess and improve adherence to treatment. Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 40 adults with persistent asthma (49.9 ± 15.8 years) recruited at outpatient clinics from a district hospital. Participants answered a survey on sociodemographic, asthma control, treatment adherence and use of mobile devices, social networks and apps. Four patients participated in a prospective extension of the study, in which they were invited to use the InspirerMundi app. Results. 48 percent of the participants had at least greater-equal than 1 exacerbation in the previous year and 85 percent had uncontrolled asthma. Self-reported adherence to treatment showed that one in four participants had low adherence. At least daily, 55 percent of participants navigated on the internet with their smartphone-tablet, 35 percent used apps and 93 percent social networks. Nine (22 percent) participants had previously used health-fitness apps and 65 percent would like to use apps to improve inhaler adherence. Conclusions. Most participants had uncontrolled asthma, reported high adherence to treatment and were daily users of social networks and the internet. Only 1/4 used apps but 2/3 would like to use apps to support asthma management.

Potent suppression of HIV-1 cell attachment by Kudzu root extract.

There is a constant need to improve antiretrovirals against HIV since therapy is limited by cost, side effects and the emergence of drug resistance. Kudzu is a climbing vine from which the root extract (Pueraria lobata), rich in isoflavones and saponins, has long been used in traditional Chinese medicine for a variety of purposes, from weight loss to alcoholism prevention. Here we show that Kudzu root extract significantly inhibits HIV-1 entry into cell lines, primary human CD4+T lymphocytes and macrophages, without cell-associated toxicity. Specifically, Kudzu inhibits the initial attachment of the viral particle to the cell surface, a mechanism that depends on the envelope glycoprotein gp120 but is independent from the HIV-1 cell receptor CD4 and co-receptors CXCR4/CCR5. This activity seems selective to lentiviruses since Kudzu inhibits HIV-2 and simian immunodeficiency virus, but does not interfere with Hepatitis C, Influenza, Zika Brazil and adenovirus infection. Importantly, depending on the dose, Kudzu can act synergistically or additively with the current antiretroviral cocktails against HIV-1 and can block   viruses resistant to the fusion inhibitor Enfuvirtide. Together our results highlight Kudzu's root extract value as a supplement to current antiretroviral therapy against HIV.

Neurophysiological prediction of neurological good and poor outcome in post-anoxic coma.

OBJECTIVE: Investigation of the utility of association between electroencephalogram (EEG) and somatosensory-evoked potentials (SEPs) for the prediction of neurological outcome in comatose patients resuscitated after cardiac arrest (CA) treated with therapeutic hypothermia, according to different recording times after CA. METHODS: Glasgow Coma Scale, EEG and SEPs performed at 12, 24 and 48-72 h after CA were assessed in 200 patients. Outcome was evaluated by Cerebral Performance Category 6 months after CA. RESULTS: Within 12 h after CA, grade 1 EEG predicted good outcome and bilaterally absent (BA) SEPs predicted poor outcome. Because grade 1 EEG and BA-SEPs were never found in the same patient, the recording of both EEG and SEPs allows us to correctly prognosticate a greater number of patients with respect to the use of a single test within 12 h after CA. At 48-72 h after CA, both grade 2 EEG and BA-SEPs predicted poor outcome with FPR=0.0%. When these neurophysiological patterns are both present in the same patient, they confirm and strengthen their prognostic value, but because they also occurred independently in eight patients, poor outcome is predictable in a greater number of patients. SIGNIFICANCE: The combination of EEG/SEP findings allows prediction of good and poor outcome (within 12 h after CA) and of poor outcome (after 48-72 h). Recording of EEG and SEPs in the same patients allows always an increase in the number of cases correctly classified, and an increase of the reliability of prognostication in a single patient due to concordance of patterns.

Chloroplast diversity of Casearia grandiflora in the Cerrado of Piauí State.

Casearia grandiflora (Salicaceae) is a typical Cerrado species adapted to disturbed environments, making it useful for restoration projects. Knowledge of genetic diversity is important for establishing conservation strategies for this species. This study aimed to compare chloroplast haplotype diversity and structure of C. grandiflora, under the assumption that protected areas hold greater genetic diversity than disturbed areas. The populations studied are from Parque Nacional de Sete Cidades Conservation Unit and from the surroundings of the city of Cocal de Telha, both located in the State of Piauí. Molecular analyses were performed with seven chloroplast microsatellite loci. The number of private haplotypes and haplotype diversity were higher in the conservation unit, which reinforces the importance of these areas in maintaining biodiversity. Analysis of molecular variance showed that most of the genetic variation is found within populations, with a moderate divergence between them (FST = 0.14). The Bayesian analysis and discriminant analysis of principal components suggested that populations are not structured, revealing that a set of individuals from Parque Nacional de Sete Cidades were more divergent within populations than between them. Since literature has little information on C. grandiflora, the results of this study provide important contribution to a better understanding of the specie's genetic diversity.

Pulmonary vascular dysfunction in refractory acute respiratory distress syndrome before veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary vascular dysfunction has been described in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). Veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (VV-ECMO) is a well-established treatment for these patients. We hypothesized that severe pulmonary vascular dysfunction and cor pulmonale identified by echocardiography before cannulation in these patients were associated with worse survival. METHODS: Echocardiography was used to identify pulmonary hypertension in 21 patients with refractory ARDS just before ECMO implantation. Survival was compared for those with and without cor pulmonale. RESULTS: In our series, the overall mortality rate was 57.1% (12/21). Echocardiographic exams were transthoracic in 5 patients (23.8%), transesophageal in 4 patients (19%), and both (transthoracic and transesophageal) in the remaining 12 patients (57.1%). In our series, six patients (28.5%) showed LV dysfunction. Acute cor pulmonale was detectable in 2 patients (9.5%), while the remaining 19 patients showed moderate pulmonary dysfunction. Survivors had a higher pre-cannulation LV ejection fraction (EF) (P = 0.02) and tricuspid annular plane excursion (P = 0.04), and lower peak systolic pulmonary artery pressures (P = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: In patients with refractory ARDS immediately before ECMO implantation, the prevalence of acute cor pulmonale is low (9.5%). Survival is associated with higher LVEF and lower systolic pulmonary arterial pressure. These findings support the idea that echocardiographic assessment of pulmonary artery pressure in patients with refractory ARDS before VV-ECMO implantation may have value for risk-stratification.

Cerebral microemboli detected by transcranial doppler in patients treated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation.

INTRODUCTION: Cerebrovascular complications rate in patients treated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) is about 7%. Ischemic stroke may be caused by solid or gaseous microemboli due to thrombosis within the circuit or cannula. Transcranial Doppler (TCD) is the only method able to detect microembolic signals (MES) in real time. The objective of this study was to detect possible MES by TCD in patients treated with veno-venous (VV) and veno-arterial (VA) ECMO and to test for a relation between the number of MES and the 6-month clinical outcome of these patients. METHODS: This is a monocentric observational prospective study in patients consecutively admitted and treated with ECMO at our regional ECMO referral center in 18 months. TCD detection of MES was performed in patients upon initiation of treatment and then repeated during treatment. RESULTS: Two hundred and forty-eight TCD monitoring were performed in 42 VV and 11 VA ECMO patients. MES were detected in 26.2% of VV ECMO patients and in 81.8% of VA ECMO patients (P < 0.001). In both subgroups of patients, no correlation was found between MES detection and extracorporeal flow velocities or aPTT values. In VA ECMO patients, an inverse correlation between left ventricular ejection fraction and MES grading was found (P = 0.037). In both groups, no clinical neurological impairments correlated to MES detection were found at 6 months follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: MES were found in both ECMO configurations; independently from their pathophysiology, MES do not seem to influence clinical outcome. Multicenter studies are still required with more extensive cases to confirm these results.

Investigating genetic diversity in sapucaia using inter simple sequence repeat markers.

Sapucaia is a tree species originating from the Brazilian Amazon and is widely distributed in Brazil, especially in the mid-north region (Piauí and Maranhão states). Its seeds are rich in calories and proteins, and possess great potential for commercialization. Little is known about the genetic variability in the germplasm of most Lecythis species. Here, 11 inter-simple sequence repeat primers were used to estimate the genetic variability among 17 accessions, and to determine the levels of genetic variation and the standards of population structure in sapucaia. The accessions were obtained from the active germplasm bank (AGB) of Embrapa Meio-Norte, Teresina, PI, Brazil, and corresponded to four occurrence areas. Ninety-six loci were analyzed among the studied individuals. High variation was found at the species level, where the percentage of polymorphic bands was 94.79%, Nei's genetic diversity (h) was 0.3110, and Shannon's index (I) was 0.4732. In the analyzed populations, the percentage polymorphism ranged from 20.83 to 94.79%, Nei's genetic diversity ranged from 0.0863 to 0.2969, and Shannon's index ranged from 0.1260 to 0.4457. Significant genetic differentiation was detected among the populations (ΦST = 10.66%); however, the greatest genetic differentiation was found within the populations (89.34%), between which there was an intermediate level of gene flow (Nm = 1.10). Accessions BGS 2 and BGS 4 were the most divergent, whereas accessions BGS 14 and BGS 15 were the most similar. Therefore, sapucaia analyzed from the AGB present an elevated level of genetic diversity and may have potential use in genetic breeding programs.

DNase concentration assay to obtain DNA-free RNA from sugarcane leaves.

The success of gene expression studies, protein synthesis, and construction of cDNA libraries directly depends on the purity and integrity of the RNA used in these tests, as even minor amounts of contaminant DNA (<1%) can produce a false positive amplification signal in quantitative real-time PCR. For RNA contaminated with genomic DNA, an essential step in the studies on gene expression is the treatment of the RNA samples with DNase. This study was conducted to test three different concentrations of DNase I (0.02, 0.04, and 0.06 µL/​​ng of RNA), which were chosen based on the results of the RNA sample quantifications and as indicated by the manufacturer, to digest genomic DNA present in the RNA samples extracted from sugarcane leaves with the Concert™ Plant RNA Reagent. The results showed that all three concentrations of DNase significantly reduced DNA concentrations. However, RNA was also degraded on DNase I treatment. In addition, the amount of DNA present in the RNA samples after purification with DNase I was sufficient for its amplification in the tests conducted with conventional PCR. Furthermore, the condition of RNA samples obtained after the treatments allowed for real-time PCR. Therefore, we concluded that 0.02 µL DNase I was the ideal concentration for sugarcane RNA purification, as higher concentrations do not increase the efficiency of the genomic DNA digestion in RNA samples and only make the purification process more expensive. This study provides important information on the effect of high concentrations of DNase I and complements previous studies that have so far tested only the DNase concentration recommended by the manufacturer.

Comparison of eight methods of genomic DNA extraction from babassu.

Babassu (Orbignya phalerata Martius) is one of the most important palms in Brazil because of the largest morphological variation, wide geographic distribution, and high socio-economic importance. The diversity present in babassu germplasm should be protected against loss to ensure their use with high productivity. Study of the available variability in populations of babassu is necessary to develop conservation strategies. The study of genetic variability can be conducted using molecular markers and many of these studies require significant quantity of high-quality DNA. The present study aimed to effect comparison among eight DNA extraction methods in case of O. phalerata. The quality and concentration of nucleic acids were analyzed by spectrophotometry and integrity of DNA was ascertained by agarose gel electrophoresis. The spectrophotometry revealed that some methods resulted in high levels of concentration of nucleic acids, in which values of the ratio A260/280 and A260/230 were outside the range of purity. The agarose gel electrophoresis established the concentration and integrity of DNA. The methods of Murray and Thompson (1980) and Ferreira and Grattapaglia (1998) did not result in satisfactory quantities of DNA. Conversely, the method proposed by Khanuja et al. (1999) resulted in DNA of adequate quality and quantity that could be satisfactorily used for amplification reactions performed with two ISSR primers.

Comparison of methods to isolate DNA from Caesalpinia ferrea.

Molecular markers are important for characterizing the genetic diversity of plants and can provide the basis for strategies to protect and conserve endangered populations. However, numerous molecular techniques are used, requiring an evaluation of fast and efficient methods to extract DNA. Since molecular studies of Caesalpinia ferrea are rare, it is important to develop and/or adapt a DNA extraction protocol that produces quality DNA samples to enable the design of strategies for the conservation of this threatened species. This study aimed to compare five methods for DNA extraction and to determine the most efficient protocol for C. ferrea. Sufficient genomic DNA was obtained from the leaves of C. ferrea using all the tested protocols to perform techniques involving molecular markers. Two protocols based on the detergent cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide, as well as a commercial kit, yielded high concentrations of pure DNA. However, when polymerase chain reaction amplifications were performed, DNA was only successfully amplified from extractions performed with the commercial kit, which produced sufficient genomic DNA of good quality from the leaves of C. ferrea to perform techniques involving molecular markers.

Impact of age on the prognostic value of body mass index in ST-Elevation myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: No data are so far available on the impact of age and obesity in ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) submitted to percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). METHODS AND RESULTS: We assessed the impact of age on the prognostic value of body mass index (BMI) in 1268 consecutive STEMI patients admitted to our Intensive Cardiac Care Unit (ICCU). BMI categories were as follows: 37 "lean" patients (37/1268, 2.9%), 403 "normal" patients (403/1268, 31.8%), 656 "overweight" patients (656/1268, 51.7%), 172 "obese" patients (172/1268, 13.6%). Among patients aged <75 years, as BMI increased, the number of males and diabetic patients significantly increased (p < 0.001 and p = 0.004, respectively). Among STEMI patients aged ≥75 years, lean patients showed a higher in-ICCU mortality in respect to the other BMI categories but this did not reach statistical significance. BMI was an independent predictor of In-ICCU mortality in the whole population (lean vs. "normal": OR 3.47, 95%CI 1.08-11.14, p = 0.036) and it was associated with long term mortality only in patients <75 years since lean and overweight patients showed lower survival rate (lean vs. "normal": HR 9.25, 95%CI 3.09-27.63, p < 0.001; overweight vs. "normal": OR 2.10; 95%CI 1.04-4.23, p = 0.039). CONCLUSIONS: In our series, underweight is associated with the highest mortality across all age subgroups, while only in patients <75 years, overweight patients showed increased in-hospital mortality rate and a poorer long term survival rate. According to our data, the "so called obesity paradox" should be probably age-contextualized.

Left ventricular assist device and transcatheter edge-to-edge mitral valve repair in advanced heart failure: allies or enemies?

The implantation of left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) has been increasing, with good long-term results, in parallel with a growing population with advanced heart failure (HF). However, in some European countries, LVADs are still underused, with one of the main issues being the patient's late referral. On the contrary, the use of transcatheter edge-to-edge mitral valve repair (TEER) has exponentially increased over the past decade, expanding its potential use even in patients on the heart transplantation waiting list. Even though the study populations of the main trials that investigated the prognostic impact of LVAD and TEER are different, in clinical practice a clear distinction might not be so clear. Therefore, patients with refractory HF symptoms and significant mitral regurgitation should be thoroughly evaluated through a multidisciplinary Heart Team meeting with both an advanced HF specialist and interventional cardiologist, to avoid futile procedures and to define the optimal timing for advanced HF therapies, when they are indicated. We analyzed the main available studies and registries on both TEERs and LVADs and we compared their populations and outcomes, to provide the current evidence on the use of LVAD and TEER in the HF population, especially in the light of the recently released 5-year follow-up results, giving some insights on the Italian situation, and finally to stress the importance of a solid HF network between hospitals, aiming for advanced HF patients' timely referral for LVAD or heart transplants.

Peripheral nerve regeneration in rats using nerve graft in a vein conduit pre-filled with platelet-rich fibrin (PRF).

Treatment of peripheral nerve injury is not always satisfactory. To improve results, specific adjuvant methods have been used, such as platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) and vein conduits. The goal of this study was to assess whether use of PRF and vein conduits after nerve suture improves nerve regeneration as measured by a functional score and histomorphometry analysis. Ten isogenic spontaneously hypertensive rats were randomly assigned to 4 experimental procedures: 1) Sham group (n = 10); 2) Nerve graft (NG) group (n = 10); 3) Nerve graft covered with a vein conduit (NGVC) (n = 10); and 4) Nerve graft covered with a vein conduit pre-filled with PRF (NGVCP) (n = 10). Nerve repair results were evaluated on: sciatic functional index (SFI) at 0, 30, 60 and 90 days; morphometric and morphologic analysis of the distal nerve; and histological analysis of Fluoro-Gold® stained motor neurons in the anterior horn of the spinal cord. Compared to the Sham control group, the NGVC and NGVCP groups exhibited lower SFI on all measures. The NGVC group showed improvement in SFI at day 90, which was significant compared to the NG group. Fiber and axon diameters were comparable in the NGVC and NGVCP groups, which were both significantly lower than in the Sham and NG groups. Significant improvement was expected with PRF, but in fact the release of factors from this substance was not as effective as hoped.

The emerging issue of human resident arterial progenitors: the contribution of organ culture.

Human femoral arteries were cultured up to 56 days. Samples were processed for light, immunohistochemical, and transmission electron microscopy. Arteries became rapidly depopulated; at day 42, an endothelial lining (CD31(+), Weibel-Palade bodies) developed on the intima; endothelium was in continuity with mesenchymal stromal cells (CD44(+), CD90(low), CD105(low)) placed on adventitia. The media-adventitia area showed heterogeneous cell populations. In long-term organ culture, femoral artery develops a continuous cell coverage that differentiates to endothelium on the intima exclusively. This suggests that distinct topographical factors, such as resident progenitors and/or matrix signals, are able to regulate vascular homeostasis in adult life.

[Use of preoperative planning and 3D printing in orthopedics and traumatology: entering a new era]. / Uso de planificación preoperatoria e impresión 3D en ortopedia y traumatología: ingresando en una nueva era.

Three-dimensional (3D) printing includes a group of technologies by means of which it is possible to generate three-dimensional objects from binary information. Orthopedics and traumatology are fields of medicine in which 3D planning has had the greatest impact, especially in trauma and oncological orthopedics. Applications of this technique include diagnosis, surgical planning, intraoperative guide creation, custom implants, surgical training, orthotic and prosthetic impression, and bioprinting. Advantages have been demonstrated in its use, such as greater technical precision, shorter surgical times, decreased blood loss and less exposure to X-rays. Although the process is increasingly optimized and accessible due to advances in software and automation, it is a technique that requires adequate training. The objective of this review is to offer an approach to this technology and its basic principles.

La impresión en tres dimensiones (3D) incluye un grupo de tecnologías por medio de las cuales es posible generar objetos tridimensionales a partir de información binaria. La ortopedia y traumatología es uno de los campos de la medicina en los que mayor impacto ha tenido la planificación 3D, en especial en trauma y ortopedia oncológica. Las aplicaciones de esta técnica incluyen el diagnóstico, planificación quirúrgica, creación de guías intraoperatorias, implantes personalizados, entrenamiento quirúrgico, impresión de ortesis y prótesis y la bioimpresión. Se han demostrado ventajas en su uso como la mayor precisión técnica, el acortamiento de tiempos quirúrgicos, disminución de pérdida sanguínea y menor exposición a rayos. Si bien el proceso está cada vez más optimizado y accesible por los avances en software y automatización, es una técnica que requiere un entrenamiento adecuado. El objetivo de esta revisión es ofrecer un acercamiento a esta tecnología y sus principios básicos.