The Role of Surgical Masks during the COVID-19 Pandemic. A Mini-Review.

Introduction - The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is considered to be highly contagious and restriction of transmission requires the utilization of protective equipment like surgical masks from both healthcare workers and public. The aim of this review is to investigate the role of surgical masks during the COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and Methods - A literature research was conducted via PubMed to detect articles featuring the potential protective role of surgical masks when they were worn by healthcare workers or by the general public. Results - Among 114 articles, only 31 met the inclusion criteria. Thirteen additional articles provided useful information according to the aim of this review. Existing literature supports the positive effect of surgical masks on COVID-19 con-lamination. Debate on the efficacy of surgical masks compared with other forms of facial protective devices exists. There seems to be a tendency to favor the use of particulate-filtering facepiece respirators in healthcare professionals who face higher risk of infection. However, surgical masks primarily and cloth masks secondarily seem to be adequate means of protection for the general public and for healthcare workers during procedures where respiratory droplets are not generated. Rational use of surgical masks is imperative; however, reuse after decontamination is not ideal. Conclusions - For optimum protection from COVID-19, the use of surgical masks should be combined with other infection control measures like hand hygiene and social distancing, since the level of their effectiveness is still being investigated. Shortage of surgical masks should be prevented; therefore, rational use plays a crucial role in this direction.

Three-Dimensional (3D) Printing in Orthopedics Education.

Three-dimensional (3D) printing is a newly established concept in orthopedics compared with other industries. Surgical applications of 3D printing and tissue engineering have been investigated since the early 2000s, almost two decades after Charles Hull had patented the first device currently in use for additive manufacturing, also known as rapid prototyping or more commonly 3D printing, and whose initial formal appellation was stereolithography (SLA). Despite technological progress, substantial principles have largely remained unaltered. Training directly on patients and on cadavers is considered the "gold standard" for learning and developing suitable surgical qualifications. However, restrictions concerning patient safety, ethical dilemmas, lack of availability, etc., have to be taken into account. Thus, 3D representations can be utilized as an educational tool both for patients to improve their understanding of their condition and also medical students, residents, and surgeons to comprehend complex anatomical structures and practice their surgical maneuvers to be prepared and more confident in theater.