Magnetic resonance imaging of the knee

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is gaining acceptance as the diagnostic imaging procedure of choice for the disorders of the knee. MRI can reliably display tears of the menisci and ligaments. It also has an unmatched capability of detecting and assessing a wide spectrum of knee disorders that may be present as nonspecific knee pain: osteonecrosis, osteochondritis dissecans, stress fracture, bone and soft-tissue tumors, and vascular abnormalities. Practicing orthopedists should become better acquainted with this powerful diagnostic tool that can be an invaluable asset to their clinical practices.     

Adverse events reported following live, cold-adapted, intranasal influenza vaccine

Context  In June 2003, the US Food and Drug Administration licensed a trivalent live, attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV-T) for intranasal administration to healthy persons 5 to 49 years of age. Although prelicensure testing involved 20 228 vaccinees, clinical trials were not of sufficient size to detect rare adverse events reliably. Objective  To identify adverse events reported following LAIV-T administration after licensure. Design, Setting, and Participants  All adverse events reported to the US Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) during the 2003-2004 and the 2004-2005 influenza seasons. Main Outcome Measures  Numbers and proportions of reported adverse events and reporting rates of adverse events per 100 000 vaccinees. Results  Approximately 2 500 000 persons received LAIV-T during the first 2 postlicensure seasons. As of August 16, 2005, VAERS received 460 adverse event reports for vaccinations received from August 2003 through July 2005. No fatalities were reported. There were 7 reports of possible anaphylaxis, 2 reports of Guillain-Barré syndrome, 1 report of Bell palsy, and 8 reports of asthma exacerbation among individuals with a prior asthma history. Events in individuals for whom the vaccine was not indicated accounted for 73 reports (16%). Conclusions  Reports to VAERS in the first 2 seasons of LAIV-T use did not identify any unexpected serious risks with this vaccine when used according to approved indications. Like many vaccines and other medical products, LAIV-T may rarely cause anaphylaxis. Secondary transmission of the vaccine virus merits further investigation. Reports of asthma exacerbations in vaccinees with prior asthma history highlight the risks of vaccine use inconsistent with approved labeling.      

Acrylic artificial fingernail embedded in the palate of an 11-month-old: a case report

Foreign bodies found embedded in the oral cavity have been reported in the literature. The purpose of this case report was to document embedding of an acrylic artificial fingernail in the palate of an 11-month-old. As the use of artificial acrylic nails increases, this case report is also meant to alert oral health professionals as to what may become a more common occurrence.     

Taxonomy of family life styles: II. Homes with slow-learning children

A battery of instruments dealing with family social environment and family and child characteristics and behavior was administered to 218 families with slow-learning children in EMR and educably handicapped programs. Cluster analysis was performed on family environment variables. Seven unique family clusters, each with distinctive patterns of characteristics, were identified: child-oriented, cohesive; learning-oriented, high residential quality; low disclosure, unharmonious; disadvantaged, noncohesive; achievement-oriented, low residential quality; expression-oriented with few sociocultural interests; and outerdirected with little achievement-orientation. Comparisons among the clusters and ethnographic/interviewer observations revealed significant differences in other family and child characteristics and behavior. Development of a classification system for families with retarded children was discussed.     

A simple method for increased recovery of purified paramyxovirus virions

A simple method involving vigorous agitation of infected cell monolayers prior to collection of culture medium is described to greatly increase the recovery of purified virions of measles virus, respiratory syncytial virus and human parainfluenza virus. Vigorous agitation of the flasks containing monolayers of infected cells increased the recovery of purified virions by at least 3- to 10-fold as judged by the intensity of [35S]methionine labeled viral proteins on sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). These protein profiles also indicated that these virions were as clean as those purified from gently collected medium. Analysis of titers of infectious virus recovered from medium of agitated and non-agitated flasks showed similar increases. These results suggest that the cell associated nature of these viruses may be at least partly due to either partially budded virions or mature virions sticking to the cell membrane, since these both might be expected to be freed from the cell by mechanical shearing.