Effects of Kinesio tape application to trunk isokinetic strength in female participants

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study is to analyse the effects of KT on trunk strength with respect to different angular speeds when applied to the trunks of healthy women. Forty healthy female participants were randomly distributed into two groups: the placebo group (PG) in which placebo KT was applied and the experimental group (EG). Participants’ trunk concentric flexion and extension muscle strength were measured using an isokinetic dynamometer in two different angular speeds (60°/s ? 180°/s). In both PG and EG groups, there was no significant difference measured immediately after taping at the two angular speed values. In the measurements taken 48 h later, as regards PG trunk flexion, extension muscle strength increased significantly (p = 0.0001) at 60°/sc. angular speed while, for the EG only, the strength of trunk extension muscle increased significantly (p = 0.002). It was observed, that to ensure an increase in strength, waiting for a certain length of time was required. Lower angular speeds and short-term applied KT improved the strength of the trunk extension muscle.     

Kimura disease in the parotid gland

Kimura disease (KD) is a rare entity that occurs primarily in Asian people characterized histopathologically by a lymph-folliculoid granuloma with infiltration of the mass and the surrounding tissues by eosinophils, often with concomitant peripheral blood eosinophilia and elevated serum immunoglobulin E, generally seen in the head and neck region, especially preauricular area. In this article, we present the case of a 14-year-old male patient with KD on his left parotid area. The clinical, radiologic, surgical, and pathologic findings of KD are discussed in this article.     

Use of Cortoss as an alternative material in calvarial defects: the first clinical results in cranioplasty

A clinical series of 13 patients who underwent cranioplasty using a new quick setting material, namely Cortoss, was done over 3-year period. Thus, the primary objective of this study is to evaluate the role of Cortoss in the treatment calvarial defects which were mainly due to trauma (4 patients), tumor or tumor-like lesions (5 patients), middle cerebral infarction (3 patients), and gun shot wound (1 patient). The surgical technique was found to be simple and effective. Long-term follow-up (mean 24.3 months) demonstrated satisfactory results in terms of surgical (functional) and cosmetic outcomes.None of the patients developed complications including infections, foreign body reactions or material leakage. The results led us to suggest that the use of Cortoss in the case of calvarial defects seems to be safe, effective, quick, and a feasible method for cranioplasty. We conclude that the mechanical, immunologic, and technical-grafting properties of Cortoss, together with its superior esthetic and psychological effects, probably will make it the best material for cranioplasty.     

Causes of dental fractures in the early permanent dentition: a retrospective study

Two hundred eight patients, who applied to the Department of Pedodontics, Dental School, Dicle University between 1995 and 1998, were evaluated in terms of permanent teeth fracture. The aim of this retrospective study was to investigate the probable causes of the trauma, the effects of age and gender on dental trauma, prevalence of fracture types, and distribution of fracture type according to arch. It was observed that the falls or collisions were the main causes. It was also determined that the age group most frequently suffering fractures was ages 9 to 11 years. The majority of the patients were male. The enamel-dentin-pulp-type fracture and those causing the tooth to become nonvital were the most prevalent, and the majority of the fractures were observed in maxillary central teeth.     

An experimental model of traumatic nasoethmoidal cerebrospinal fluid fistula

Cerebrospinal fluid fistula secondary to head trauma is a potentially dangerous problem and precise localization and radical treatment is mandatory. The diagnostic technique is either computed tomography cisternography or MR cisternography. For evaluating the safety of diagnostic modalities and efficacy of treatment especially in terms of surgery, animal studies demonstrating traumatic cerebrospinal fistula model are indispensable not only for neurosurgeons but also for neuroradiologists. The authors in this paper describe a traumatic cerebrospinal fistula in an animal model using rabbits. The cerebrospinal fluid leakage was demonstrated successfully in all eight rabbits and was verified by computed tomography cisternography. The results led us to conclude that rabbit model of traumatic cerebrospinal fluid fistula is safe and has low mortality and morbidity rates. Further studies including larger number of animals should be considered in order to verify safety more accurately.     

The comparison of various oral hygiene strategies in neuromuscularly disabled individuals

BACKGROUND: This study aims to investigate the effect of various oral hygiene strategies on the symptoms of inflammation in neuromuscularly disabled patients and to define the optimum hygiene method. METHODS: Fifty-nine neuromuscularly disabled participants, suffering from cerebral palsy, were randomly divided into five groups as follows: Group M: manual toothbrush (n=14), Group E: electrically powered toothbrush (n=9), Group MC: manual toothbrush and chlorhexidine gluconate (CHX) spray (n=13), Group EC: electrically powered toothbrush and CHX spray (n=9), and Group C: CHX spray (n=14). The oral hygiene applications were provided by the parents and staff. At baseline and after 21 days the plaque index (PI), the gingival index (GI), and bleeding on probing (BOP) were recorded. RESULTS: In intra-group comparisons of the pre- and post-application scores, in all groups the PI and GI scores and BOP percentages, except in Group C, were found significantly different (p<0.05). There were significant differences among the post-application scores, between Group M and Group E and between Group C and Group E in PI scores; between Group C and Group E the difference in GI scores were found statistically significant (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Although all oral hygiene strategies reduced plaque and gingival inflammation, the results of our study suggested the electrically powered toothbrush could be more recommendable to neuromuscularly disabled people in these strategies, while the combined procedures appeared to be neither beneficial nor favorable.     

Effect of body mass index percentile on skeletal maturation of cervical vertebrae and hand-wrist and dental maturation

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between age- and gender-specific body mass index (BMI) percentile and skeletal and dental maturation in Turkish adolescents.

Materials and methods: A sample of 429 patients (171 males, 258 females aged between 7 and 17 years) was selected. Skeletal maturation was identified in the hand-wrist radiography by Björk, Grave and Brown (BGB), and the cervical vertebrae maturation (CVM) method defined by Hassel and Farman in lateral cephalometric radiography. Dental maturation was determined by the Demirjian method. BMI was calculated by reference curves used for Turkish children. A regression model was used for the relationship between BMI percentile and skeletal and dental maturation.

Results: There was no significant correlation between BMI and skeletal maturation of cervical vertebrae and dental maturation. A one-percentile increase in BMI percentile accelerates the increase of period (likelihood of being post-pubertal period) to 1.016 times (p?<?.05). Skeletal maturation of hand-wrist and cervical vertebrae and dental maturation were more prominent in females compared to males (p?<?.05). Males and females were not statistically significantly different in BMI percentile (p?=?.52).

Conclusions: BMI may be considered before deciding to estimate the skeletal and dental maturation in an individual by the relevant methods.     

Bleeding and non-bleeding phenotypes in patients with GGCX gene mutations

Functional limitations for the vitamin K cycle, caused either by mutations in gamma-glutamyl carboxylase or vitamin K epoxide reductase genes, result in hereditary deficiency of vitamin K-dependent coagulation factors (VKCFD1 and VKCFD2, respectively). Patients suffering from VKCFD often share several other anatomical irregularities which are not related to haemostasis. Here we report on nine patients, eight of them previously unreported, who presented with VKCFD1. All were examined with special attention to vitamin K-dependent coagulation factors as well as to bone and heart development and to other anatomical signs of embryonal vitamin K deficiency. In total, we detected ten mutations in the gamma-glutamyl carboxylase gene of which seven have not been previously reported. Most interestingly, additional non-bleeding phenotypes were observed in all patients including midfacial hypoplasia, premature osteoporosis, cochlear hearing loss, heart valve defects, pulmonary stenosis, or pseudoxanthoma elasticum-like phenotype. Undercarboxylated matrix Gla protein, osteocalcin, and periostin appear to be responsible for these defects which are also observed in cases of fetal warfarin syndrome.