Synovectomy and total joint arthroplasty for recurrent hemarthroses in the arthropathic joint in hemophilia

Severe hemophiliacs with intractable bleeding into one or more joints despite adequate clotting factor replacement therapy are difficult management problems. Synovectomy has controlled bleeding only in joints without significant arthritic destruction. Total joint replacements have been performed in arthropathic joints, but not when uncontrolled bleeding was a concurrent problem. This report describes a hemophiliac with uncontrolled bleeding into an arthritic knee who was successfully managed by combining synovectomy with total knee replacement.     

A Clinical Interpretation of the “Colicky” Infant

Acridine-orange fluorescence microscopy for cytodiagnosis of cancer introduces new cytochemical criteria based on the increase of nucleic acids in malignant cells.

Application of this technic results in a highly polychromatic picture which conspicuously reveals the presence of suspicious or malignant cells. Morphologic diagnostic criteria are clearly presented for cytologic evaluation.

The procedure may be performed quickly and by relatively untrained personnel. The results achieved equal those obtained with conventional cytodiagnostic methods.     

Full-field digital mammography compared to screen film mammography in the prevalent round of a population-based screening programme: the Vestfold County Study

The purpose of the study was to compare the performance of full-field digital mammography (FFDM) with soft-copy reading to screen film mammography (SFM) used during the first prevalent 2-year round of population-based screening. A total of 18,239 women aged 50–69 years were screened with FFDM as part of the Norwegian Breast Cancer Screening Programme (NBCSP). Process indicators were compared to data from 324,763 women screened with SFM using the common national database of the NBCSP. The cancer detection rates were 0.77% (140/18,239) for FFDM and 0.65% (2,105/324,763) for SFM (p = 0.058). For ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) alone, the results were: FFDM 0.21% (38/18,239) compared to SFM 0.11% (343/324,763) (p < 0.001). Recall rates due to positive mammography were for FFDM 4.09% (746/18,239), while for SFM 4.16% (13,520/324,764) (p = 0.645), due to technically insufficient imaging: FFDM 0.22% (40/18,239) versus SFM 0.61% (1,993/324,763) (p < 0.001). The positive predictive value (PPV) in the FFDM group was 16.6% (140/843), while 13.5% (2,105/15,537) for SFM (p = 0.014). No statistically significant differences were recorded concerning histological morphology, tumour size, or lymph node involvement. In conclusion FFDM had a significantly higher detection rate for DCIS than SFM. For invasive cancers no difference was seen. FFDM also had a significantly higher PPV and a significantly lower technical recall rate.     

Fractures of the lateral humeral condyle: role of the cartilage hinge in fracture stability.

This study investigates the hypothesis that the integrity of the cartilage hinge at the distal humeral epiphysis determines the stability of fractures of the lateral humeral condyle. Sixteen patients with lateral humeral condyle fractures were studied with radiographs and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The clinical course of each patient was compared using these imaging studies to determine whether initial fracture displacement and the integrity of the cartilage hinge correlated with fracture stability. Radiographically, 4 fractures were considered unstable (with initial fracture displacement >3 mm) and 12 were stable (initial displacement < or =3 mm). On MRI, 6 fractures were complete (with disruption of the lateral cartilage hinge) and 10 were incomplete. All unstable fractures had complete fractures on MRI. Ten of the 12 patients with radiographically stable injuries had incomplete fractures on MRI. None of these displaced during treatment. Two patients had radiographically stable fractures and complete fractures on MRI. One of these fractures displaced, confirming the hypothesis that the stability of lateral humeral condyle fractures is related to the integrity of the cartilage hinge.     

Altered swelling behavior of femoral cartilage following joint immobilization in a canine model.

Periods of reduced joint loading have been shown to induce changes in the biochemical composition. metabolism and mechanics of articular cartilage. In this study, changes in cartilage swelling behavior were studied following a 4-week period of joint immobilization, using a recently developed osmotic loading technique [J. Biomech, 32 (1999) 401-408]. The magnitude and distribution of swelling strains were measured in cartilage-bone samples equilibrated in physiological and hypotonic saline, relative to a hypertonic reference NaCl solution. Physicochemical parameters (glycosaminoglycan fixed charge density and water volume fraction) were determined in site-matched cartilage samples. The experimental data for swelling strains, fixed charge density and water volume fraction were used with a triphasic mechano-chemical theory [J. Biomech. Eng. 113 (1991) 245-258] to determine the effect of joint immobilization on the tensile modulus of the cartilage solid matrix. Four weeks of immobilization resulted in a significant increase in the magnitude of swelling-induced strains, and a significant decrease in fixed charge density in cartilage, as compared with the contralateral controls. Joint immobilization also resulted in decreases in values for the modulus of cartilage, as compared with the contralateral controls. Our results suggest that 4 weeks of joint immobilization had a significant effect on cartilage mechanical function that may be linked to collagen changes in the cartilage extracellular matrix.