A home‐based progressive resistance exercise programme for patients with venous leg ulcers: a feasibility study

This study aimed to assess the feasibility of a home‐based exercise programme and examine the effects on the healing rates of venous leg ulcers. A 12‐week randomised controlled trial was conducted investigating the effects of an exercise intervention compared to a usual care group. Participants in both groups (n = 13) had active venous ulceration and were treated in a metropolitan hospital outpatients clinic in Australia. Data were collected on recruitment from medical records, clinical assessment and questionnaires. Follow‐up data on progress in healing and treatments were collected fortnightly for 12 weeks. Calf muscle pump function data were collected at baseline and 12 weeks from recruitment. Range of ankle motion data were collected at baseline, 6 and 12 weeks from recruitment. This pilot study indicated that the intervention was feasible. Clinical significance was observed in the intervention group with a 32% greater decrease in ulcer size (P = 0·34) than the usual care group, and a 10% (P = 0·74) improvement in the number of participants healed in the intervention group compared to the usual care group. Significant differences between groups over time were observed in calf muscle pump function parameters [ejection fraction (P = 0·05), residual volume fraction (P = 0·04)] and range of ankle motion (P = 0·01). This pilot study is one of the first to examine and measure clinical healing rates for participants involved in a home‐based progressive resistance exercise programme. Further research is warranted with a larger multi‐site study.     

Clinician perceptions of wound biofilm

In wound care today, biofilm is a subject area of great interest and debate. There is an increasing awareness that biofilm exists in the majority of non‐healing wounds, and that it is implicated in both recalcitrance and infection. Together with the presence of devitalised host tissue, biofilm is recognised as a component of the wound environment that requires removal to enable wound progression. However, uncertainty exists among wound care practitioners regarding confirmation of the presence of biofilm, and how best to remove biofilm from a non‐healing wound. While recent efforts have been taken to assist practitioners in signs and symptoms of wound biofilm, continuing research is required to characterise and confirm wound biofilm. This research was conducted as part of a market research process to better understand the knowledge levels, experiences, clinical awareness and impact of biofilm in wound care, which was undertaken across the USA and Europe. While knowledge levels and experiences vary from country to country, certain wound characteristics were consistently associated with the presence of biofilm.     

Early Regenerative Response in the Intrathoracic Porcine Esophagus—The Impact of the Inflammation

In order to improve the treatment of children born with long‐gap esophageal atresia, a porcine model was developed for studying esophageal regrowth using a bridging graft composed of a silicone stented Biodesign mesh. The aim of the study was to investigate how leakage and contact between the native muscle and Biodesign mesh affected the early healing response. Resection of 3 cm of intrathoracic esophagus was performed in 10 newly weaned piglets. They were fed through a gastrostomy 8–10 days prior to sacrifice. In order to achieve nonleaking anastomoses, the silicone stent and suturing technique had to be adjusted between the first four and second six piglets. The technical adjustment decreased leakage. A nonleaking anastomosis could not be achieved when the native muscle layers were sewn less central on the bridging graft compared with the mucosa. If there was leakage, the inflammatory response increased, with islets of perivascular T‐lymphocytes and infiltration of macrophages in the native muscle layers. In the bridging area, new vessels were seen in the submucosa in 9 of 10 piglets between 4 and 10 days after surgery. Smooth muscle cells also appeared to move from the cut muscle edges of both the muscularis mucosa and the lamina muscularis and were seen as a layer of several cells under newly formed mucosa. Double staining of the basal membrane of the ingrowing vessels and the pericytes showed that the basal membrane was thinner over some of the pericytes, but there was no accumulation of immature‐looking cells in the submucosa of the bridging area. In this porcine model, where esophageal regrowth was studied by using a bridging graft composed of a silicone stented Biodesign mesh, we can conclude that leakage increased the inflammatory response in early healing. Ingrowth of new vessels was seen in the bridging area and movement of smooth muscle cells was found under newly formed mucosa.     

Fracture healing following high energy tibial trauma: Ilizarov versus Taylor Spatial Frame

Introduction

The optimal treatment of high energy tibial fractures remains controversial and a challenging orthopaedic problem. The role of external fixators for all these tibial fractures has been shown to be crucial.

Methods

A five-year consecutive series was reviewed retrospectively, identifying two treatment groups: Ilizarov and Taylor Spatial Frame (TSF; Smith & Nephew, Memphis, TN, US). Fracture healing time was the primary outcome measure.

Results

A total of 112 patients (85 Ilizarov, 37 TSF) were identified for the review with a mean age of 45 years. This was higher in women (57 years) than in men (41 years). There was no significant difference between frame types (p=0.83). The median healing time was 163 days in both groups. There was no significant difference in healing time between smokers and non-smokers (180 vs 165 days respectively, p=0.07), open or closed fractures (p=0.13) or age and healing time (Spearman''s r=0.12, p=0.18). There was no incidence of non-union or re-fracture following frame removal in either group.

Conclusions

Despite the assumption of the rigid construct of the TSF, the median time to union was similar to that of the Ilizarov frame and the TSF therefore can play a significant role in complex tibial fractures.     

首次根管治疗后患牙疗效状况的影响因素分析

目的：评估首次根管治疗两年后患牙愈合率情况及影响因素。方法：便利取样法取接受初次根管治疗的132颗患牙,以手用ProTaper联合冠向下技术进行治疗。2年末随访,据临床检查和X线片评判疗效,并分析相关因素对疗效的影响。结果：88例患者（104颗患牙）完成了回访,脱落21例（28颗患牙）。随访病例中有87颗患牙治愈,17颗无效。治愈率比较：1单根牙高于多根牙,差异有统计学意义（P〈0.05）;2活髓牙高于死髓牙、根尖周无病变患牙高于有病变患牙,差异均有统计学意义（P〈0.01）。结论：牙根数目、牙髓和根尖周状况对首次根管治疗治愈率有显著影响。     

水胶体敷料对腹膜透析患者手术切口的愈合护理效果

目的 探讨水胶体敷料的换药方法替代传统敷料的换药方法对腹膜透析患者手术切口的愈合护理效果.方法 回顾性分析了88例腹膜透析患者手术切口的护理效果,其中使用水胶体敷料换药的患者为实验组,共44例,使用传统敷料换药的患者为对照组,共44例.比较两组手术切口的愈合天数.结果 实验组的伤口愈合时间为（9.0±6.3）d,对照组愈合时间为（14.0±9.8）d,两组比较有显著性差异（P＜0.05）.结论 水胶体敷料能促进腹膜透析患者手术切口的愈合,减轻患者的痛苦,提高舒适度.     

Identifying wound prevalence using the Mobile Wound Care program

Measuring the prevalence of wounds within health care systems is a challenging and complex undertaking. This is often compounded by the clinicians' training, the availability of the required data to collect, incomplete documentation and lack of reporting of this type of data across the various health care settings. To date, there is little published data on wound prevalence across regions or states. This study aims to identify the number and types of wounds treated in the Gippsland area using the Mobile Wound Care (MWC?) program. The MWC program has enabled clinicians in Gippsland to collect data on wounds managed by district nurses from four health services. The main outcomes measured were patient characteristics, wound characteristics and treatment characteristics of wounds in Gippsland. These data create several clinical and research opportunities. The identification of predominant wound aetiologies in Gippsland provides a basis on which to determine a regional wound prospective and the impact of the regional epidemiology. Training that incorporates best practice guidelines can be tailored to the most prevalent wound types. Clinical pathways that encompass the Australian and New Zealand clinical practice guidelines for the management of venous leg ulcers can be introduced and the clinical and economical outcomes can be quantitatively measured. The MWC allows healing times (days) to be benchmarked both regionally and against established literature, for example, venous leg ulcers.     

A comparative in vivo ultrasonometric evaluation of normal and delayed fracture healing in sheep tibiae

OBJECTIVE:

To compare normal and delayed bone healing by measuring ultrasound conduction velocity across the bone callus.

METHODS:

A model of transverse linear and 5 mm resection osteotomies of sheep tibiae was used. Fourteen sheep were operated on and were divided into two groups of seven according to osteotomy type. The procedure was performed on the right tibiae and the intact left tibiae were used as controls. The transverse and axial ultrasound velocities were measured at 30-day intervals for 90 days, after which the animals were killed and both the right and left tibiae were resected for in vitro biomechanical analysis.

RESULTS:

Both the transverse and axial ultrasound velocities progressively increased, but the increase was smaller for the delayed union that resulted from the resection osteotomy. The mechanical resistance was higher for the normally healed tibiae that resulted from a linear osteotomy; this result closely correlated with the ultrasound velocity results. Significant differences were found for the comparisons between the intact and operated tibiae in both groups and between the groups for both the transverse and axial ultrasound velocities, but the differences were greater for the latter.

CONCLUSION:

We conclude that in vivo transverse and axial ultrasound velocities provide highly precise information about the healing state of both linear and resection diaphyseal osteotomies, but the axial ultrasound velocity most likely has greater discriminatory power. This method has the potential for clinical application in humans.     

改良小儿烧伤救护床的设计与临床应用

目的探讨小儿烧伤改良烧伤救护床的设计与临床应用。方法选取2018年3月至2019年3月本院烧伤外科收治的烧伤患儿86例为研究对象,根据随机数字表将其等分为观察组和对照组,对照组采用传统人字床实施护理,观察组采用改良人字床实施护理,比较两组患儿皮肤愈合率、感染发生率、压力性损伤发生率、家属满意率、皮肤愈合时间、舒适度评分。结果观察组皮肤愈合率、家属满意率高于对照组(P<0.05),而感染、压力性损伤发生率低于对照组(P<0.05)。观察组皮肤愈合时间短于对照组(P<0.05),舒适度评分高于对照组(P<0.05)。结论改良烧伤救护床能有效提高烧伤舒适度,促进皮肤愈合,降低感染及压力性损伤发生率,改善预后,提高家属治疗满意率。     

Stimulated infrared thermography applied to differentiate scar tissue from peri-scar tissue: a preliminary study

Every human injury leads to a scar formation. The healing process leads to the formation of new tissue: the scar, which is different from the original tissue. This process is influenced by mechanical strength and the local vasculature is modified. The purpose of this study is to show that there are various temperatures between the scar and the peri-scar area associated with the healing process that can be estimated using the thermal infrared camera. In the study, 12 scars were stimulated by cold. Several changes of temperature were observed between scar and peri-scar area for 10?min. Scars appeared significantly colder with a Wilcoxon test (p?=?0.01). Results showed that stimulated infrared thermography can be used to monitor the temperature difference between the scar and peri-scar tissue.