Treatment of calcaneal fractures: the available evidence

Abstract Calcaneal fracture is the most common of the tarsal fractures and represents 1%–2% of all fractures. The fractures may be divided into extra-articular (not affecting the joint) and intra-articular (involving the talo-calcaneal and calcaneal cuboid joints) types. The management of heel fractures includes nonoperative and operative treatments, but no clear consensus has been reached. The choice of operative treatment is still controversial with many factors influencing the final clinical outcome. Many studies have assessed the outcome of treatment of calcaneal fractures, but there is a general disagreement on their management. The objective of this study was to collect and evaluate the scientific evidence reported in the literature supporting the different treatments for calcaneal fractures.     

妊娠期糖耐量受损与妊娠结局的关系

①目的　探讨妊娠期糖耐量受损 (GIGT)对妊娠结局的影响。②方法　以妊娠期GIGT孕妇 1 31例(GIGT组 ) ,妊娠期糖尿病 (GDM)孕妇 1 6 6例 (GDM组 ) ,糖耐量正常孕妇 1 6 0例 (正常对照组 )为研究对象 ,对孕妇及其围生儿结局进行对比研究。③结果　GIGT组及GDM组妊娠高血压综合征、巨大儿、羊水过多、胎膜早破、剖宫产及新生儿疾病发生情况均高于对照组 (χ2 =4 .0 2～ 81 .31 ,P <0 .0 5、0 .0 1 )。④结论　GIGT对妊娠可造成不同程度的危害 ,GIGT是影响孕妇及围生儿结局的重要因素。对妊娠期GIGT均应进行监测和处理     

腹腔镜在急性肠梗阻手术治疗中的应用

目的:评价腹腔镜在急性肠梗阻手术治疗中的价值。方法:对腹腔镜急性肠梗阻手术的适应证、禁忌证、手术方式、注意事项、手术并发症及优缺点等进行了总结与分析。结果:腹腔镜手术已成功地用于治疗由既往腹部手术后粘连、内疝(包括膈疝)、腹壁疝、肠扭转等所引起的急性肠梗阻。结论:腹腔镜急性肠梗阻手术仍是一种探索性的手术,可以代替开腹手术治疗选择性的急性肠梗阻。对于梗阻原因不明者,腹腔镜手术是一种即可以明确梗阻原因,又可以同时进行有效治疗的方法。     

关节镜下可吸收性半月板箭治疗半月板损伤的初步报告

目的关节镜下应用可吸收性半月板箭治疗半月板损伤并评价其近期疗效。方法2002年2～10月,关节镜下采用半月板箭缝合固定12例12侧半月板损伤,男5例,女7例;年龄18～58岁,平均33.2岁。左膝4例,右膝8例。内侧半月板损伤4例,外侧半月板损伤8例;前角损伤2例,体部损伤3例,后角损伤7例。红区损伤10例,红-白区损伤2例。病程3d～5个月,平均2.3个月,其中急性损伤(病程<1个月)9例。关节镜下采用新型全内半月板箭技术固定,共使用25枚半月板箭(平均每例2.1枚)。5例同时施行其它类型手术。结果所有病例术后均无早期并发症发生。全部患者均获得随访,随访时间7～13个月,平均10.2个月。随访时所有患者膝关节稳定,无疼痛、绞锁等症状,6周后关节活动度全面恢复。Lysholm评分由术前的平均(45.6±13.4)分增加到术后平均(82.4±16.3)分,差异有显著性(P< 0.05)。2例分别于术后8个月和9个月出现关节积液,考虑为滑膜炎,经治疗后消失。结论对于半月板损伤,如撕裂类型和部位适当,可选择可吸收性半月板箭治疗。半月板箭技术是一种简便快捷、安全有效的半月板缝合方法。     

17β-雌二醇对子宫内膜异位症患者在位子宫内膜间质细胞β-catenin mRNA和蛋白表达的影响

目的研究17β-雌二醇(17β-E2)对子宫内膜异位症(内异症)患者在位子宫内膜间质细胞β-catenin mRNA和蛋白表达的影响,探讨Wnt/β-catenin信号通路在介导雌激素促进内异症发生发展的作用。方法体外分离培养内异症患者在位子宫内膜间质细胞。用不同浓度17β-E2处理子宫内膜间质细胞48 h;此后选用10-10mol/L 17β-E2处理子宫内膜间质细胞12、24和48 h,逆转录聚合酶链反应(RT-PCR)和免疫印迹法(Western blotting)检测17β-E2处理前后子宫内膜间质细胞β-catenin mRNA和蛋白的表达水平。同法分析雌激素受体拮抗剂ICI182,780(10-6mol/L)对17β-E2促进β-catenin mRNA和蛋白表达的影响。免疫组织化学染色观察17β-E2作用后β-catenin在子宫内膜间质细胞中的定位。结果17β-E2能明显促进内异症患者在位子宫内膜间质细胞β-catenin mRNA和蛋白的表达,并呈剂量和时间依赖性,于10-10mol/L作用48 h最明显。雌激素受体拮抗剂ICI182,780能明显抑制17β-E2对子宫内膜间质细胞β-catenin mRNA和蛋白的表达。免疫组织化学染色发现17β-E2能促进β-catenin在子宫内膜间质细胞核内的表达。结论雌激素可能通过激活Wnt/β-catenin信号通路促进内异症在位子宫内膜的异位种植。     

32P colloid radiosynovectomy in treatment of chronic haemophilic synovitis: Iran experience

Repeated intra-articular bleeding with subsequent development of chronic synovitis and cartilage changes, leading to haemophilic arthropathy, is one the most debilitating problems in haemophilic patients. Radiosynovectomy is a familiar therapeutic choice in management of chronic synovitis in haemophilia. We report the treatments results of synoviorthesis with (32)P chromic phosphate with emphasis on clinical aspects. Between 2002 and 2006 we performed 66 procedures in 53 patients. Seven patients were excluded. The remaining 46 patients were followed for an average of 31 months. The mean age of patients at the time of injection was 15.9 years (range: 6-28). There were three repeat injections. According to Fernandez-pallazi and Cavilgia clinical classification (Table 1) [23], nine joints were Stage II and 46 were Stage III. In latest follow-up, 77% of patients reported at least a 50% decrease in bleeding frequency after treatment (P < 0.0001). The need for antihaemophilic factor consumption dropped by about 74% postradiosynovectomy (P < 0.0001). In most of the injected joints, the range of motion remained stable or improved. A trend was found for the number of haemarthrosis to increase after a period of considerable improvement. Synoviorthesis using (32)P effectively reduces the intra-articular bleeding rate and factor concentrate use. Durability of the response seems to be unpredictable, perhaps attributable to the late intervention. An early radiosynovectomy might be more helpful in terms of stability of response to treatment.     

Pediatric intracranial aneurysms—clinical characteristics and outcome of surgical treatment

Object Intracranial aneurysms are rare in children and have different epidemiological, clinical, and morphological characteristics and outcome from those in adults. Materials and methods We analyzed demographic, clinical, radiologic features, treatment, and outcome in 55 patients <18 years of age, treated from Jan 1995 through December 2005. Results Intracranial aneurysms in children below 18 years constituted 4% of all intracranial aneurysms. Internal Carotid artery (ICA) bifurcation was the commonest location. About half of the aneurysms were complex. Three-fourth of the patients required surgical treatment. Two patients died, constituting 5% mortality. Two patients (5%) had poor outcome, whereas the majority (90%) had a favorable outcome. Conclusions Pediatric aneurysms have male predominance, higher incidence of clinical features of mass effect or seizures, high incidence of large, traumatic/mycotic aneurysms, associated illnesses and ICH/IVH and hydrocephalus, better Hunt and Hess grades at presentation, ICA bifurcation as the commonest site, and better outcome than their adult counterparts.     

Is varicocelectomy indicated in subfertile men with clinical varicoceles who have asthenospermia or teratospermia and normal sperm density?

OBJECTIVE: Varicocele is the most common treatable cause of male infertility and is associated with progressive decline in testicular function. Varicocelectomy, a commonly performed operation, is indicated in infertile males with varicoceles who have oligospermia, asthenospermia, teratospermia or a combination of these factors. It is not clear if varicocelectomy is indicated if the patients have normal sperm density associated with asthenospermia or teratospermia. METHODS: We reviewed 167 patients with varicocele-associated male infertility over a 7-year period (December 1999-November 2005). Pre- and post-varicocelectomy seminal fluid analyses, assessed using the World Health Organization criteria, were obtained at intervals of 4-6 months. Wilcoxon signed rank tests were used to evaluate for statistical significance and P < or = 0.05 was considered significant. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients and their spouses were 35 and 28 years, respectively. The mean duration of infertility was 3.2 years (range, 1.5-7.5). Oligospermia, teratospermia, asthenospermia, oligospermia, asthenospermia and teratospermia (OAT) syndrome and azoospermia were found preoperatively in 106 (63.5%), 58 (34.7%), 154 (92%), 118 (71%) and 15 (9%) patients, respectively. Overall, significant improvements in semen volume (P < 0.001), sperm density (P < 0.001), sperm motility (P < 0.001) and sperm vitality (P < 0.001) were obtained after varicocelectomy. There was, however, no significant improvement in sperm morphology after varicocelectomy (P = 0.220). When patients with preoperative oligospermia (sperm density, <20 million/mL) were considered separately, varicocelectomy led to significant improvement in all the semen parameters except the sperm morphology (P = 0.183). Conversely, when varicocele patients with a sperm density of > or =20 million/mL (normospermia) associated with asthenospermia and/or teratospermia were considered separately, they did not show significant improvement in any of the semen parameters after varicocelectomy (P > 0.05). In addition, azoospermic patients did not show significant improvement in any of the semen parameters (P > 0.05) CONCLUSION: No significant improvement in semen parameters may be obtained in patients with clinical varicocele and preoperative normospermia. It is possible that only patients with preoperative oligospermia may benefit from varicocelectomy. Larger multi-institutional studies are needed to determine more definitively if asthenospermia or teratospermia in normospermic subfertile males with clinical varicoceles are in fact indications for varicocelectomy.     

Evaluation of clinical outcomes in anterior cruciate ligament surgery

Clinical outcomes data can be used to facilitate patient management decisions, assess clinician and organizational performance, and to provide evidence for the effectiveness of surgery and rehabilitation. The validity of the inferences made from outcomes data are dependent on the validity of the outcomes measures themselves and the circumstances under which the data were collected, analyzed, and interpreted. Clinical outcomes may include measures of impairment of body structure and function, activity limitation, and participation restriction. However, because the relationship between impairment and the resulting activity limitation and participation restriction is not direct, and because activity limitations and participation restrictions are of the utmost concern to the athlete, the primary clinical outcome should be measures of activity limitation and participation restriction. Activity limitation and participation restriction may be measured either through direct observation of performance or by general or specific measures of health related quality of life. Clinical outcomes data must be collected systematically to ensure valid inferences from the data.