The use of coaxially aligned freeze-thawed skeletal muscle autografts in the repair of the cauda equina — in the sheep

Summary The aim was to develop a model for study of nerve regeneration in nerve roots above the level of the dorsal root ganglion and to investigate the use of freeze-thawed muscle autografts for repair of nerve roots at this level.Four adult sheep were used for the experiment. A laminectomy was performed at the lumbosacral junction and the S2 root identified. Both the dorsal and ventral S2 roots were divided unilaterally within the dura and a freeze-thawed muscle graft was inserted into the nerve gap.When assessed at 6 months an action potential was recordable from the ventral root in one sheep. Histological examination of the nerve roots showed evidence of regeneration across the graft in the ventral roots of all the sheep and the dorsal roots of some.This preliminary work indicates a capacity for regeneration of the cauda equina and that freeze-thawed muscle can support this. It provides a useful model for further study of nerve root repair.     

肩肱皮瓣修复颈部瘢痕挛缩畸形疗效分析

目的:探讨颈部瘢痕挛缩畸形的有效外科治疗手段。方法:采用瘢痕广泛松解、双侧或单侧肩肱皮瓣转移,同时用全厚皮片移植修复供瓣区创面。结果:本组21例中,17例手术一次性完成,4例分两次完成。不但改善了患者的上肢功能,还可进一步改善患者颈部的活动度。结论:瘢痕广泛松解、双侧或单侧肩肱皮瓣转移,同时用全厚皮片移植修复供瓣区创面是颈部瘢痕挛缩畸形的有效外科治疗手段。     

Pseudoachalasia occurring after laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication and crural mesh repair

Background Benign esophageal pseudoachalasia is a rare condition. Discussion We report the case of a 70-year-old man who complained of severe dysphagia after laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication and crural mesh repair performed for long-standing gastroesophageal reflux disease. Severe dysphagia and nocturnal aspiration developed soon after the operation. A marked dilatation of the esophageal body and a manometric pattern resembling achalasia was documented. Results Endoscopic balloon dilatation was ineffective. Five months after the initial operation, the patient underwent revisional laparoscopic surgery that consisted of Nissen’s wrap takedown, enlargement of the hiatus with partial resection of the mesh, Heller myotomy, and Dor fundoplication. After a 2-year follow-up, the patient is doing well and is free of symptoms.     

Laparoscopic flip-flap technique versus conventional inguinal hernia repair in children.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Inguinal hernia repair is one of the most frequently performed pediatric surgical operations. Several pediatric laparoscopic inguinal hernia repair techniques have been introduced. But debate is unresolved regarding the feasibility of laparoscopy for treating pediatric inguinal hernias. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study enrolled 33 patients who underwent congenital inguinal hernia repair by either the new laparoscopic flip-flap technique or conventional open repair. Patients were divided into 2 groups according to the type of surgery: Group A included those who underwent the new laparoscopic technique, and Group B included those who underwent conventional open repair. RESULTS: Group A comprised 15 patients (mean age, 39 months), and group B comprised 18 (mean age, 44 months). Mean operative time was 47.5 minutes for Group A versus 27.5 minutes for Group B. Intraoperative complications for Group A included 1 case (7%) of vas deferens injury, and 3 cases (20%) in which the flaps were torn during suturing. In Group B, no intraoperative complications were encountered. In both groups, the mean postoperative hospital stay was 5.5 hours. Postoperative follow-up of 3 months revealed recurrence in 4 patients in Group A (27%), while there were no recurrences in Group B. CONCLUSION: Our preliminary experience shows unsatisfactory outcomes with laparoscopic flip-flap hernia repair in children. In spite of advancement in the application of laparoscopy in pediatric surgery, conventional open hernia repair is still the gold standard for children, in our experience. Future studies with more numbers and longterm follow-up should be conducted.     

The <Emphasis Type="Italic">Arg</Emphasis>194<Emphasis Type="Italic">Trp</Emphasis> polymorphism in DNA repair gene XRCC1 and the risk for sporadic late-onset Alzheimer's disease

Abstract Alzheimer's disease (AD) is defined pathologically by the presence of β-amyloid plaques, neurofibrillary tangles and extensive neuronal loss. Evidence indicates that increased DNA damage may contribute to neuronal loss in AD. Recently, it has been shown that in AD neurons have a reduced capacity for some types of DNA repair. Polymorphisms in DNA repair genes may be associated with differences in repair efficiency of DNA damage. Variants of several DNA repair genes, including the base excision repair gene XRCC1, have been described previously. We hypothesised that Arg194Trp polymorphism of XRCC1 gene may contribute to genetic susceptibility for AD. In order to test this hypothesis, we investigated Arg194Trp polymorphism at the XRCC1 gene in the DNA samples of 98 patients with AD and 95 healthy subjects. The frequency of the Trp allele was more pronounced among cases (11.2%) compared with controls (5.8%). On combining the homozygous and heterozygous variants of each codon, the variants seemed to be at twofold risk of AD, although the risk estimates were not statistically significant (OR=1.95, 95% CI 0.88–4.34, p=0.09). In addition, the 194Trp allele revealed a borderline significance (OR=2.05, 95% CI 0.96–4.37, p=0.056). According to our results, it may be speculated that the polymorphic variants of XRCC1 codon 194 have a role in the development of AD.     

吻合血管的胸脐皮瓣移植修复足踝部大面积软组织缺损

目的 探讨吻合血管的胸脐皮瓣移植修复足踝部大面积软组织缺损的临床效果.方法 对18例足踝部大面积软组织缺损(其中11例伴胫前或胫后血管节段损害)采用胸脐皮瓣游离移植修复创面.创面面积12cm×6cm～32cm×12cm.结果 移植皮瓣全部成活,3例足跟部缺损的病人术后因长期磨擦形成足跟部慢性溃疡;3例皮瓣臃肿,需再次手术整形.其余病例外观和足踝部功能恢复满意.结论 胸脐皮瓣为腹壁下动脉供血,血运丰富,血管解剖恒定,血管蒂长,可切取面积大且易于切取,适宜修复足踝部软组织缺损,尤其适用于缺损面积大、胫前或胫后血管之一长节段损害者.     

指背血管蒂逆行岛状皮瓣的临床应用

目的：探讨一种新的方法修复手指部皮肤软组织缺损。方法：以手指背血管为蒂，于近节指背、指蹊及掌背远端区域设计逆行岛状皮瓣转移至手指皮肤软组织缺损处，皮瓣及蒂部包涵指背动脉及指背浅静脉，皮瓣供区可直接拉拢缝合或皮片移植修复。结果：1999年10月～2002年8月，临床应用12例13个皮瓣，11个皮瓣完全成活，2个皮瓣发生表皮层坏死，经换药后自愈。结论：指背血管蒂逆行岛状皮瓣邻近手指皮肤软组织缺损区，血运可靠，可以安全、简便地修复手指创面。     

关节镜下可吸收半月板箭修复膝关节半月板损伤106例疗效观察

目的:观察总结关节镜下可吸收半月板箭修复损伤半月板的术后疗效及术后并发症。对象与方法:采用镜下可吸收半月板箭复位固定法,对106例患者的108个损伤半月板进行修复。通过症状、体征、Tegner和Lysholm评分对半月板缝合修复的临床效果及术后并发症进行了观察,对术后有明显症状、体征的患者进行了关节镜探查。结果:术后随访106例、1~9·5年(平均26±12·3个月)。Tegner评分术后(7·65±2·54)较术前(3·55±1·59)有显著性差异(P<0·001)。Lysholm评分术后(88·55±25·64)较术前(35·46±14·62)有显著性差异(P<0·001)。疗效优61只半月板,占56·5%;良35只半月板,占32·4%;可8只半月板,占7·4%;差4只半月板,占3·7%。总优良率为88·9%。对术后有症状和体征的14例患者进行关节镜再探查,发现4例未愈合,5例部分愈合。术后并发症包括半月板箭固定处的后关节囊刺痛5例。无严重的血管神经损伤,106例患者术后并发症总发生率4·72%。结论:关节镜下可吸收半月板箭修复半月板损伤手术成功率较高,术中和术后风险较小。     

Spiral-shaped Metallic Implant in the Treatment of Achilles Tendon Ruptures: An Experimental Study on the Achilles Tendon of Sheep

There are 2 main factors contributing to the strength of tendon repair: the tensile strength of the material used in repair and the tendon-holding capacity of the suture configuration. In the current study, we aimed to find a technique with high repair strength by increasing both the tensile strength of the material and the tendon-holding capacity of the configuration. We developed metal implants (models 1 and 2) made from stainless-steel wire with 2 different spiral-shaped configurations. We measured tendon-holding capacities of these alternative implants biomechanically and compared them with frequently used suture techniques, the Bunnell and locking loop, which were achieved with 5 Ticron sutures. Sixty-four sheep Achilles' tendons were used in the study as 16 tendons in each group. Model 2 was more resistant to deformation under loading when compared with model 1. The results demonstrated that model 2 was superior to model 1 and both suture techniques. This study could be accepted as a step for reaching a strong tendon repair technique. It should be emphasized that the technique needs to be improved technically to make it convenient for clinical use.     

Combined aortic and mitral valve repair in active infective endocarditis

We describe a case of successful combined repair of the aortic and mitral valves for an indication of active infective endocarditis involving both valves. Mitral valve repair was achieved by vegetation debridement, fixation of the anterior mitral commissure, resection and suturing of the posterior mitral leaflet, and posterior annuloplasty with autologous pericardium. Aortic valve repair was achieved by vegetectomy and commissural plication. Postoperative clinical course was without signs of recurrent infection, and echocardiogram demonstrated mitral valve competence with trivial aortic regurgitation. We concluded that simultaneous valve repair is a viable option in the context of active endocarditis.