A comparison of double single suture-button fixation,suture-button fixation,and screw fixation for ankle syndesmosis injury: A retrospective cohort study

Different methods have been used throughout the years for syndesmotic injury but there is no consensus on the ideal treatment. Some methods are expensive and some have more complications. The aim of this study is to compare single suture endobutton with double suture endobutton and screw fixation for syndesmotic injury.Sixty nine patients with syndesmotic injury with fibular fractures whom were treated with a single interosseous suture endobutton system (ZipTight^TM, Zimmer Biomet), a double interosseous suture endobutton system (ZipTight^TM, Zimmer Biomet) and 1 syndesmotic screw (TST, Istanbul, Turkey) were included in this study. Functional and radiological results from patient records between 2015 and 2018 were retrospectively evaluated.Twenty patients were treated with the double interosseous suture endobutton, 23 were treated with the single interosseous suture endobutton, and 26 were treated with traditional AO screw fixation. Three patients from the screw fixation group (11.5%) required revision surgery (P < .05). All the radiologic and clinical outcomes were statistical similar in all 3 groups.Our findings showed that the interosseous suture endobutton system is at least as safe as the screw fixation technique for treatment of syndesmosis joint injuries and can be used as an alternative to the screw method. The interosseous suture endobutton system eliminates the need for a second surgery to remove the hardware, which minimizes the probability of re-diastasis. Since our results showed no statistical difference between single and double interosseous suture endobutton systems, the less costly single endobutton system may be the better alternative.     

Experimental and Computational Investigation of Guided Waves in a Human Skull

We investigate guided (Lamb) waves in a human cadaver skull through experiments and computational simulations. Ultrasonic wedge transducers and scanning laser Doppler vibrometry are used respectively to excite and measure Lamb waves propagating in the cranial bone of a degassed skull. Measurements are performed over a section of the parietal bone and temporal bone spanning the squamous suture. The experimental data are analyzed for the identification of wave modes and the characterization of dispersion properties. In the parietal bone, for instance, the A₀ wave mode is excited between 200 and 600 kHz, and higher-order Lamb waves are excited from 1 to 1.8 MHz. From the experimental dispersion curves and average thickness extracted from the skull computed tomography scan, we estimate average isotropic material properties that capture the essential dispersion characteristics using a semi-analytical finite-element model. We also explore the leaky and non-leaky wave behavior of the degassed skull with water loading in the cranial cavity. Successful excitation of leaky Lamb waves is confirmed (for higher-order wave modes with phase velocity faster than the speed of sound in water) from 500 kHz to 1.5 MHz, which may find applications in imaging and therapeutics at the brain periphery or skull–brain interface (e.g., for metastases). The non-leaky A₀ Lamb wave mode propagates between 200 and 600 kHz, with or without fluid loading, for potential use in skull-related diagnostics and imaging (e.g., for sutures).     

Results of Surgery in General Surgical Patients Receiving Warfarin: Retrospective Analysis of 61 Patients

The aim of this study is to investigate postoperative complications, mortality rates, and to determine the factors affecting mortality on the patients receiving warfarin therapy preoperatively, as well as comparing the results obtained from emergency and elective surgeries. Surgical outcomes of 61 patients on long-term oral anticoagulation with warfarin who underwent surgery in our center were retrospectively reviewed over an 8-year period. Thirty-three (54.1%) patients were female, with a mean age of 53 years. Mitral valve replacement (62.3%) was the most frequent indication for chronic anticoagulation therapy. Twelve out of 61 (19.2%) patients underwent emergency surgery; 59 (96.7%) operations were classified as major surgery. We did not observe any thromboembolic events on patients receiving our bridging therapy protocol. Cardiopulmonary dysfunction (CPD; 19.7%) and hemorrhage (16.4%) were the most encountered postoperative complications. Presence of CPD, bleeding, endocarditis, and mortality were statistically significant for emergency surgeries when compared with the results obtained from elective surgeries. There were 5 (8.2%) deaths observed during follow-up. It was found that advanced age, prolonged duration of operations, and presence of CPD had a statistically significant effect on mortality (P < 0.05). The patients receiving oral anticoagulant had high postoperative complication and mortality rates. This case was more evident in emergency surgeries. It is recommendable that as mortality is more apparent in the patients who undergo emergency surgeries—being older, having long duration of operations as well as CPD. Therefore during the postoperative follow-up process, the patients should be closely monitored.Key words: Emergency, Postoperative complications, Morbidity, Mortality, WarfarinThromboembolism is a major global health concern contributing to more than 0.5 million deaths in Europe and up to 300,000 deaths in the United States each year.¹ Versatile arrays of anticoagulant and/or anti-aggregant agents are available. They are used to treat and prevent thrombosis occurring as a result of venous stasis, valvular heart disease, prosthetic valves, atrial fibrillation, or myocardial infarction. After using these medications, patients who require elective or emergency surgery represent a specific population; moreover, they are prone to developing either excessive bleeding or thrombosis.The annual incidence of major bleeding as a result of oral anticoagulant (OAC) use is reported between 2 and 5%.² Patients on OAC may require elective or sometimes emergency surgical or invasive procedures. There is no consensus on standard protocol to follow for those who require perioperative management.³In the current literature, there are limited numbers of studies regarding the discussions about the operations in general surgery patient population receiving warfarin treatments. In this retrospective study, our aim was to document the complications and outcomes of general surgical procedures implemented on patients receiving warfarin. Along with the comparison of the emergency and elective surgeries performed, we also aimed to determine the factors affecting mortality.     

Evaluation of Cardiac Functions and Atrial Electromechanical Delay in Children With Adenotonsillar Hypertrophy

Deterioration of the right ventricular (RV) functions and the increase in the pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP) of children with moderate to severe adenotonsillar hypertrophy (ATH) have been well described. In addition to these complications, this study aimed to investigate the influence of ATH on the conduction system. The study investigated 46 patients with a diagnosis of ATH and 46 healthy control subjects. Conventional echocardiography, P-wave dispersion (Pd), tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) findings, and atrial electromechanical delay (AED) were compared between the patients and the control subjects before and after adenotonsillectomy. The maximum P-wave duration and Pd were significantly higher in the patients than in the control subjects (p < 0.001). The patient group showed significantly greater RV end-diastolic dimension (p = 0.01), right atrial area (p < 0.001), and mean PAP (p = 0.03) but lower E/A ratios for the mitral (p = 0.04) and tricuspid (p = 0.01) valves and a shorter pulmonary flow trace acceleration time (p = 0.03). The tricuspid annular-plane systolic excursion was similar between these groups (p = 0.21). In the patient group, TDI studies showed significantly lower E′/A′ ratios for the tricuspid lateral (p = 0.006) and mitral septal (p = 0.003) segments than in the control group. The myocardial performance index was lower for the mitral lateral, mitral septal, and tricuspid lateral segments in patient group (p < 0.001). Similarly, AED was prolonged in the patient group at all three segments (p < 0.001). Also, the patient group showed a significantly longer interatrial (p = 0.03) and intraatrial (p = 0.04) electromechanical delay. However, all the electro- and echocardiographic parameters were similar between the patients and the control subjects after adenotonsillectomy (p > 0.05). The prolongations in P-wave duration, Pd, and inter- and intraatrial electromechanical delays were first shown in this population. The cardiac changes induced by ATH-associated hypoxia may facilitate arrhythmias during the long term.     

Maxillary sinus floor augmentation in patients with maxillary sinus pseudocyst: case report

The maxillary sinus floor elevation procedure has gained popularity with predictable results, and is a safe, acceptable technique for bone augmentation, providing a base for dental implant treatment. Faint radiopaque lesions at the base of the maxillary sinus are frequent diagnoses on radiographs and must be identified during dental implant planning. Pseudocysts classically appear hemispheric, homogeneously opaque, and well delineated in panoramic and periapical radiographs. The great majority of these lesions are asymptomatic and do not require surgical treatment. In this case report, we present 4 patients who had a maxillary sinus floor elevation procedure using either crestal or lateral approaches in the presence of antral pseudocysts. No complications were encountered during follow-up periods in these patients and all implants are functioning successfully.