Philip Syng Physick: Father of American Surgery

The exact reason for the development of inguinal hernia has not been completely determined. However, it is known that the fascia transversalis (FT) is one of the structures preventing development of hernias. In the etiology of the inguinal hernia, disorders in collagen metabolism have been proposed, and the role of metalloproteinases in remodeling the collagen has recently been of great importance. We could not encounter any study where the role of metalloproteinase inhibitors was evaluated in inguinal hernia. We obtained samples of FT from patients with direct and indirect hernia and used an immunohistochemical method to determine tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-2 (TIMP-2) expression. In the study group, samples of FT were taken during the operation from 45 patients, of which 35 were indirect and 10 were direct inguinal hernias. In the control group, samples of FT from various abdominal incisions were also taken from 45 patients with no hernia and operated upon for another pathology. TIMP-2 scores of a direct inguinal hernia were significantly less than those of the control group. However, no difference has been found between the TIMP-2 scores of an indirect inguinal hernia and those of the control group. Decreased TIMP-2 scores in patients with a direct inguinal hernia, compared with both the indirect inguinal hernia group and the control group, explain the reason for the increase in matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) that has been proposed in some studies. Therefore, it can be expressed that a decreased activity of TIMP-2 plays a role in inguinal hernia development.     

瞬时脉冲足底静脉泵在髋膝关节置换术后预防深静脉血栓形成的应用研究

目的 探讨瞬时脉冲足底静脉泵预防全髋/膝关节置换术后深静脉血栓形成（DVT）的效果,为临床医护人员选择最优的机械预防方式提供参考依据。方法 选取2019年11月至2020年8月在我院关节外科拟行全髋/膝关节置换术的病人210例,随机分为观察组（105例）和对照组（105例）;术后,观察组和对照组分别使用瞬时脉冲足底静脉泵和间歇性充气加压装置预防DVT。观察比较两组病人术后DVT的发生率、术后D-二聚体、C-反应蛋白、白细胞介素-6和患肢肿胀情况,住院时间和使用机械设备预防DVT的舒适度。结果 术后2周,观察组DVT总发生率为6.67%,对照组为9.52%,两组比较,差异无统计学意义（P＞0.05）;观察组病人机械设备使用的舒适度高于对照组,差异有统计学意义（P＜0.05）。结论 瞬时脉冲足底静脉泵可有效预防全髋/膝关节置换术后DVT,且舒适度高于间歇充气加压装置,预防DVT的时间成本低,值得临床推广。     

Ocular anatomy and physiology relevant to anaesthesia

An understanding of the anatomy of the orbit is essential for performing regional anaesthesia for ophthalmic surgery. This article will discuss ocular anatomy in terms of the orbit and its contents, its associated muscles, nerves and blood supply, as well as basic ocular physiological principles.     

Lower-leg Kinesio tape reduces rate of loading in participants with medial tibial stress syndrome

ContextMedial tibial stress syndrome (MTSS) is an overuse injury occurring among the physically active. Linked to increased strain on the medial tendons of the ankle, studies emphasize controlling medial foot loading in the management of this condition. Kinesio taping (KT) has gained popularity for treating musculoskeletal pathologies; however, its effect on MTSS remains uninvestigated. This study aimed to determine if healthy participants and patients with current or previous history of MTSS differ in the rate of loading, and if KT affects plantar pressures in these participants.MethodsTwenty healthy participants and 20 participants with current or previous history of MTSS were recruited and walked across a plantar pressure mat prior to KT application, immediately after application, and after 24-h of continued use. Time-to-peak force was measured in 6 foot areas and compared across groups and conditions.ResultsANOVA revealed a significant interaction between group, condition, and foot area (F = 1.990, p = 0.033). MTSS participants presented with lower medial midfoot time-to-peak force before tape application (95%CI: 0.014–0.160%, p = 0.021) that significantly increased following tape application (p < 0.05).ConclusionsThese results suggest that KT decreases the rate of medial loading in MTSS patients. Future research might assess mechanisms by which this effect is achieved.     

Plantar loading changes with alterations in foot strike patterns during a single session in habitual rear foot strike female runners

ObjectivesCharacterize plantar loading parameters when habitually rear foot strike (RFS) runners change their pattern to a non-rear foot strike (NRFS).DesignExperimental.SettingUniversity biomechanics laboratory.ParticipantsTwenty three healthy female runners (Age: 22.17 ± 1.64 yrs; Height: 168.91 ± 5.46 cm; Mass: 64.29 ± 7.11 kg).Main outcome measuresPlantar loading was measured using an in-sole pressure sensor while running down a 20-m runway restricted to a range of 3.52–3.89 m/s under two conditions, using the runner's typical RFS, and an adapted NRFS pattern. Repeated measures multivariate analysis of variance was performed to detect differences in loading between these two conditions.ResultsForce and pressure variables were greater in the forefoot and phalanx in NRFS and greater in the heel and mid foot in RFS pattern, but the total force imposed upon the whole foot and contact time remained similar between conditions. Total peak pressure was higher and contact area was lower during NRFS running.ConclusionsThe primary finding of this investigation is that there are distinctly different plantar loads when changing from a RFS to NRFS during running. So, during a transition from RFS to a NRFS pattern; a period of acclimation should be considered to allow for adaptations to these novel loads incurred on plantar regions of the foot.     

高分辨率MRI显示直肠周围筋膜结构

目的观察直肠周围筋膜高分辨率MRI成像表现。方法对50名正常志愿者行盆腔MRI常规T1WI、T2WI及高分辨率T2WI扫描,观察直肠周围筋膜结构,比较各序列对直肠周围筋膜的显示情况。结果高分辨率T2WI序列对前、后、左、右方直肠系膜筋膜显示率分别98%、100%、94%、90%;对Denonvilliers筋膜、骶前筋膜及腹膜返折显示率分别为58%、54%、70%。高分辨率T2WI对前、左、右方筋膜、Denonvilliers筋膜及腹膜返折的显示率明显高于盆腔常规T1WI、T2WI(P均0.05);对后方直肠系膜筋膜、骶前筋膜显示率略高于常规T1WI、T2WI,但差异无统计学意义(P均0.05)。结论高分辨率T2WI显示直肠周围筋膜结构优于盆腔常规MRI序列。     

盆底筋膜保护与重建对腹腔镜下前列腺癌根治术后早期控尿的影响

目的：了解采用盆底筋膜保护与重建法对腹腔镜下前列腺癌根治术后患者早期控尿的影响.方法回顾性分析自同一术者2013年1月至2015年12月在广东省中医院泌尿外科行腹腔镜下前列腺癌根治术的40例患者资料,其中采用盆底筋膜保护与重建技术的前列腺癌患者17例(治疗组),采用常规腹腔镜下治疗的前列腺癌患者23例(对照组),对两组患者的年龄、术前BMI、术前前列腺体积、术前临床分期、术前 Gleason 评分、手术时间、术中出血量、术后吻合口漏尿率、术后病理切缘阳性率、术后病理分期、术后 Gleason 评分及早期尿控功能恢复的情况等临床指标进行统计学分析.结果40例腹腔镜下前列腺癌根治术均经腹膜外完成,术中无中转开放,无术中输血病例,术后吻合口无漏尿,两组均有1例术后病理切缘阳性.两组在年龄、术前 BMI、术前前列腺体积、术前临床分期、术前 Gleason 评分、手术时间、术中出血量、术后病理分期及术后 Gleason评分方面差异均无统计学意义(P ＞0．05);40例患者均在术后12~16 d 拔除尿管,治疗组拔除尿管后3 d 内、1个月内和3个月内的累积完全控尿比例分别为52．9％、64．7％和82．4％,显著高于对照组(分别为8．7％、26．1％和34．8％),两组差异有统计学意义(P ＜0．05).结论在腹腔镜前列腺癌根治术中使用盆底筋膜保护与重建技术可显著提高患者术后早期的控尿能力.     

Controlling posture using a plantar pressure-based,tongue-placed tactile biofeedback system

The present paper introduces an original biofeedback system for improving human balance control, whose underlying principle consists in providing additional sensory information related to foot sole pressure distribution to the user through a tongue-placed tactile output device. To assess the effect of this biofeedback system on postural control during quiet standing, ten young healthy adults were asked to stand as immobile as possible with their eyes closed in two conditions of No-biofeedback and Biofeedback. Centre of foot pressure (CoP) displacements were recorded using a force platform. Results showed reduced CoP displacements in the Biofeedback relative to the No-biofeedback condition. The present findings evidenced the ability of the central nervous system to efficiently integrate an artificial plantar-based, tongue-placed tactile biofeedback for controlling control posture during quiet standing.     

Inter-individual variability in sensory weighting of a plantar pressure-based, tongue-placed tactile biofeedback for controlling posture

The purpose of the present experiment was to investigate whether the sensory weighting of a plantar pressure-based, tongue-placed tactile biofeedback for controlling posture could be subject to inter-individual variability. To achieve this goal, 60 young healthy adults were asked to stand as immobile as possible with their eyes closed in two conditions of No-biofeedback and Biofeedback. Centre of foot pressure (CoP) displacements were recorded using a force platform. Overall, results showed reduced CoP displacements in the Biofeedback relative to the No-biofeedback condition, evidencing the ability of the central nervous system to efficiently integrate an artificial plantar-based, tongue-placed tactile biofeedback for controlling posture during quiet standing. Results further showed a significant positive correlation between the CoP displacements measured in the No-biofeedback condition and the decrease in the CoP displacements induced by the use of the biofeedback. In other words, the degree of postural stabilization appeared to depend on each subject's balance control capabilities, the biofeedback yielding a greater stabilizing effect in subjects exhibiting the largest CoP displacements when standing in the No-biofeedback condition. On the whole, by evidencing a significant inter-individual variability in sensory weighting of an additional tactile information related to foot sole pressure distribution for controlling posture, the present findings underscore the need and the necessity to address the issue of inter-individual variability in the field of neuroscience.     

How a plantar pressure-based,tongue-placed tactile biofeedback modifies postural control mechanisms during quiet standing

The purpose of the present study was to determine the effects of a plantar pressure-based, tongue-placed tactile biofeedback on postural control mechanisms during quiet standing. To this aim, 16 young healthy adults were asked to stand as immobile as possible with their eyes closed in two conditions of No-biofeedback and Biofeedback. Centre of foot pressure (CoP) displacements, recorded using a force platform, were used to compute the horizontal displacements of the vertical projection of the centre of gravity (CoG _v ) and those of the difference between the CoP and the vertical projection of the CoG (CoP-CoG _v ). Analysis of the CoP-CoG _v displacements showed larger root mean square (RMS) and mean power frequencies (MPF) in the Biofeedback than in the No-biofeedback condition. Stabilogram-diffusion analysis further showed a concomitant increased spatial and reduced temporal transition point co-ordinates at which the corrective processes were initiated and an increased persistent behaviour of the CoP-CoG _v displacements over the short-term region. Analysis of the CoG _v displacements showed decreased RMS and increased MPF in the Biofeedback relative to the No-biofeedback condition. Stabilogram-diffusion analysis further indicated that these effects mainly stem from reduced spatio-temporal transition point co-ordinates at which the corrective process involving CoG _v displacements is initiated and an increased anti-persistent behaviour of the CoG _v displacements over the long-term region. Altogether, the present findings suggest that the main way the plantar pressure-based, tongue-placed tactile biofeedback improves postural control during quiet standing is via both a reduction of the correction thresholds and an increased efficiency of the corrective mechanism involving the CoG _v displacements.