A Pelvic Ring Fracture Complicated by Acute Traumatic Obstructed Direct Inguinal Hernia

Abstract A young male motorcyclist presented to the Pelvic Unit with an open-book fracture of his pelvis and an acute obstructed direct inguinal hernia. He was managed operatively and made an excellent recovery. Traumatic abdominal wall hernias are rare. This is a unique combination of injuries that the trauma surgeon should be aware of.     

空心钉经皮微创内固定技术治疗骨盆环损伤的疗效评价

目的：评价经皮微创空心钉固定骨盆环损伤的安全性及可靠性。方法：对48例不稳定骨盆环损伤患者，分别行闭合复位、经皮微创空心钉内固定术。按Tile分型：B1型4例，B2．1型8例，B2．2型10例，B3型4例，C1型11例，C2型7例，C3型4例。39例前后环损伤均固定，4例仅固定前环损伤，5例仅固定后环损伤。以术前骨盆的三位x线片（前后位、入口位及出口位）及CT片判断骨盆的稳定性及移位情况，术后以x线片及CT片评估复位情况及螺钉位置准确性。结果：手术时间15～95min，平均55min。术中出血量15～150ml，平均60ml，术中及术后无输血。48例患者共植入空心钉157枚，每人2～8枚，平均3．3枚。术后行骨盆CT检查42例（共植入135枚空心钉），发现123枚空心钉位置准确，占91．11％；7枚空心钉因偏向或超长而侵入盆腔或髋臼（但均〈0．5em）；5枚位置偏差干扰骶管或骶孔，但均未引起任何症状。随访8～49个月，平均13个月，45例患者骨盆环移位复位满意，所有骨折均Ⅰ期愈合。40例恢复原工作，4例末次随访时尚处康复期，其余4例因坐骨神经损伤或下肢截肢而不再工作。参照Lindahl改良的骨盆损伤后功能评定标准，优35例，良10例，可3例，平均得分78.7分。结论：在对骨盆环及其毗邻血管神经的解剖结构熟练掌握的基础上，结合良好的透视引导，闭合复位经皮微创空心钉内固定治疗不稳定骨盆环损伤安全可行，疗效满意。     

Role of laparoscopy in identifying the clinical significance and cause of adhesions and chronic pelvic pain: a retrospective review at the Kiel School of Gynecological Endoscopy.

OBJECTIVES: We sought to define the role of laparoscopy in identifying the clinical significance, cause, and association between adhesions and chronic pelvic pain. METHODS: A retrospective chart review was conducted from October 2004 to July 2005, at the Kiel School of Gynecological Endoscopy, University Hospitals Schleswig-Holstein, Campus Kiel, Germany. Included in the study was the analysis of 462 laparoscopic procedures; 275 (59.5%) of the patients undergoing these procedures had pelvic or abdominal adhesions. Of these, 84 (30.5%) patients were admitted with the main complaint of chronic pelvic pain. Further evaluation and assessment of this group was carried out. RESULTS: Among those patients with adhesions, the second most frequent reason for admission was chronic pelvic pain (30.5%) (P<0.0005). In our study, adhesions were found in 79.2% (n=84) of patients (n=106) with chronic pelvic pain. These adhesions were thin-filmy (19.0%) or thick-fibrous (81.0%) adhesions containing blood vessels. Thick-fibrous adhesions were present in 50.0% of patients at multiple abdominopelvic sites (P<0.005). CONCLUSIONS: Thick-fibrous adhesions that extend beyond the pelvic sidewall can cause significant chronic abdominopelvic pain.     

Pelvic pain and recurrent urinary incontinence after laparoscopic colposuspension with the endo-stapler

Laparoscopic colposuspension is one of many new operations for treating female urinary stress incontinence. With initially reported success rates similar to those of the traditional open procedure, it appears to combine the advantages of laparoscopy (such as minimal invasiveness and quicker return to normal activities) with the effectiveness of the standard procedure. Different methods and approaches are used, but endoscopic suture techniques remain difficult and time-consuming. The use of endostapling devices for fixation of alloplastic material has been a tempting alternative. We present a case during which laparoscopic colposuspension was performed using staples and mesh. Incontinence did not improve, and the patient suffered severe chronic pain for 18 months postoperatively. Removal of the alloplastic material and traditional abdominal resuspension led to complete cure.     

A nonrandom interneuronal pattern in the developing frog spinal cord

In the developing spinal cord of the frog, Xenopus laevis, a population of interneurons assumes a pattern that represents a previously undescribed level of organization. Glyoxylic acid treatment and immunocytochemistry show that the neurons contain catecholamines and their synthetic enzyme, tyrosine hydroxylase. Cells are located within the ependymal layer of the floor plate region of the larval spinal cord. The cells have several processes including a long one that projects toward the brain without fasciculating with other labeled processes. In addition, the cytoplasm of the catecholaminergic cells extends into the central canal, showing that they are a population of cerebrospinal fluid-contacting neurons. The spatial domain of catecholaminergic neurons starts abruptly at the boundary between the hindbrain and spinal cord and continues to the tip of the tail. The neurons occupy two longitudinal columns within the sheet of floor plate cells, which includes cells that do not exhibit the catecholaminergic phenotype. Unlabeled cells are intercalated between catecholaminergic cells in each column, giving the labeled cells the appearance of being spaced along the length of the spinal cord. This general arrangement is evident at the time of hatching. Spatial analysis showed that the position of cells along a column is not random. The nonrandom behavior is due to cells being excluded from the area immediately surrounding other catecholaminergic cells. Further analysis showed that the cellular pattern lacks segmental or other periodic repeats. Ultimately, the location of a cell within a column depends upon the position of its closest catecholaminergic neighbor. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

System for inducible expression of cre-recombinase from the Foxa2 locus in endoderm, notochord, and floor plate.

We targeted the reverse tetracycline controlled transactivator (rtTA) to the Foxa2 locus (Foxa2(ITA)) to generate a system for regulating Cre-recombinase activity within Foxa2 expression domains, including the endoderm, notochord, and floor plate of early mouse embryos. The use of an internal ribosomal entry site to obtain rtTA expression preserves Foxa2 function of the targeted allele. Cre activity with this system reflects the level of endogenous Foxa2 activity and is also tightly controlled by doxycycline. The location of Cre activity within the broader Foxa2 expression domain can be restricted by altering the timing of doxycycline administration. Isolated floor plate expression can be obtained in this manner. This system will provide a useful tool for manipulating gene expression in endoderm, notochord, and floor plate, all of which are tissues with important structural and patterning functions during embryogenesis.     

Multivariate Genetic Analysis of Chronic Pelvic Pain and Associated Phenotypes

Chronic pelvic pain (CPP) is a common condition in women that is difficult to diagnose. Although heritability estimates have been published for some conditions potentially underlying pelvic pain, the heritability of CPP itself has never been investigated. Using data from 623 MZ and 377 DZ female twin pairs aged 29–50 from an Australian twin cohort, we found an increased CPP concordance among MZs compared to DZs, with tetrachoric correlations of 0.43 (95% CI: 0.26–0.58) and 0.11 (95% CI: –0.16–0.38), respectively. This corresponded to a heritability of 0.41 (95% CI: 0.25–0.56). Lack of correlations with environmental indicators suggested that violation of the equal environments assumption was not responsible for this effect. Multivariate Cholesky decomposition models incorporating CPP and significantly correlated phenotypes showed that the entire CPP heritability could be explained by genetic variance underlying endometriosis (38%), dysmenorrhoea (23%), fibroids (24%), and somatic distress (15%), the latter a possible indicator of increased nociception. CPP itself is unlikely to be a useful independent phenotype to conduct genetic aetiological studies; contributing conditions such as endometriosis and variation in nociception are likely to provide more useful phenotypes.     

Responses of sacral visceral afferents from the lower urinary tract,colon and anus to mechanical stimulation

The discharge characteristics of sacral visceral afferents supplying the urinary bladder, urethra, colon and anus to mechanical stimuli were analyzed in the anaesthetized cat. The stimuli used were passive distension (urinary bladder, colon), isovolumetric contraction (urinary bladder), movements of the urethral catheter and mechanical shearing stimuli (mucosal skin of the anal canal). (1) In total 245 afferent units which projected in the pelvic nerve were isolated from the sacral dorsal roots. From one of the following organs, urinary bladder, colon, urethra and anus 117 afferent units were activated. By these stimuli from the bladder, urethra and anus 122 afferent units could not be activated, and as far as tested also not from the colon; in 6 afferent units the classification was unclear. (2) Afferent units from the urinary bladder and the colon responded consistently to passive distension of the respective organ. The units from the urinary bladder showed graded responses at intraluminal pressures of about 10–70 mm Hg and responded also to isovolumetric contractions of the organ. The thresholds of the units from the bladder to passive distension and contraction varied from about 5 to 20 mm Hg intravesical pressure. (3) The afferent units from the urethra and the anus did not react or showed some weak phasic and irregular responses to distension and contraction applied to the urinary bladder or to distension of the colon. They were consistently excited by low threshold mechanical stimulation of the urethra and anus, respectively. (4) The axons from the bladder, urethra and anus were presumably myelinated (conduction velocity above 2 m/s) and conducted at 10.3±6.1 m/s (n=34, mean±SD), 26.3±9.3 m/s (n=13) and 9.5±5.1 m/s (n=37), respectively. The axons from the colon conducted at about 0.5 to 16 m/s (n=20), 13 of them conducting at less than 2 m/s. About 75% of the axons which could not be activated by mechanical stimulation of the visceral organs were presumably unmyelinated (conduction velocity below 2 m/s). (5) Some ongoing activity was found in 9 out of 26 afferent units from the anus but, with one exception, the afferent units from the bladder, urethra and colon were silent. (6) It is concluded that the pelvic afferent units from the urinary bladder, urethra, colon and anus consist of distinct populations with characteristic response patterns. There is no indication from this investigation that the urinary bladder is supplied by sacral afferents which are only recruited at high intravesical pressures during passive distension and isovolumetric contractions and which are possibly associated with pain.Supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft     

骨髓间充质干细胞与自体腹膜联合修复盆腔自主神经损伤的实验研究

目的观察骨髓间充质干细胞(BMSC)与自体腹膜桥接管联合移植修复盆腔自主神经损伤的效果.方法建立比格犬盆腔自主神经损伤模型,实验组以自体腹膜管填充胶原蛋白海绵+BMSC桥接于缺损神经两端;对照组改BMSC为生理盐水.正常对照组为自体神经移植.术后12周取材,标本切片行HE染色和神经纤维(NF)免疫组化染色.应用图像分析系统对选定数据进行测量.透射电镜观察实验组再生神经纤维超微结构.结果实验组与对照组比较再生神经纤维总数[(1742±185)根比(1131±262)根,P<0.01]、密度[(168±14)根/104μm2比(124±17)根/104μm2,P<0.01]、直径[3.83±0.22)μm比(3.28±0.41)μm,P<0.05]、面积百分比(0.32±0.07比0.21±0.08,P<0.05)差异均有统计学意义,与正常对照组比较差异均无统计学意义(P>0.05).实验组再生神经纤维结构清晰,形态接近正常.结论 BMSC与自体腹膜桥接管联合移植修复盆腔自主神经缺损再生神经纤维生长好,方法可行,与自体神经移植修复效果相当.     

Effects of floor textures on open-field behavior in selected lines of mice

Mice representing the twenty-second generation of selection for high and low open-field activity were tested on four different floor textures: soil, bedding, metal, and astroturf. Members of both groups were most active on soil and least active on the metal floor surface. Although floor texture significantly affected activity level, rank order of the high and low selected groups was maintained. In general, defecation scores were negatively correlated with activity.