A new method for the measurement of anteversion of the acetabular cup after total hip arthroplasty

Objective

Many methods of determining the anteversion of the acetabular cup have been described in the literature. The advantages and disadvantages of each of these methods are discussed in this paper. We present a new method of measuring the acetabular anteversion at the anteroposterior hip.

Materials and methods

The formula designed by the authors was anteversion angle (α) = arc sin |PK|/√ |AK| ×  |BK|. The formula was tested using the AutoCAD software, and an experimental study was conducted to evaluate the accuracy. Three groups were created, and 16 X-ray images were taken and coded. Ten orthopaedic surgeons measured the acetabular anteversion from these X-rays using our formula.

Results

The results in Group 1 were closer to the actual value; in contrast, the results in Group 2 differed from the actual values. The results in Group 3 were as close to the actual anteversion values as were those in Group 1.

Conclusion

Developments in technology often bring an increase in complications. Despite newly developed surgical methods and technology, the position of the acetabular cup is still used to determine the results of a total hip arthroplasty. Our method is simple, cost-effective and achieves almost 100 % accuracy.     

β-Glucan and Dark Chocolate: A Randomized Crossover Study on Short-Term Satiety and Energy Intake

Aim: The aims of this study were to adapt a traditional recipe into a healthier form by adding 3 g of oat β-glucan, substituting milk chocolate to dark chocolate with 70% cocoa, and to examine the effect of these alterations on short-term satiety and energy intake. Materials and Methods: Study subjects (n = 25) were tested in a randomized, crossover design with four products closely matched for energy content. Four different versions of a traditional recipe including milk chocolate-control (CON), oat β-glucan (B-GLU), dark chocolate (DARK) or oat β-glucan and dark chocolate (B-GLU + DARK) were given to subjects on different test days. After subjects were asked to report visual analog scale (VAS) scores on sensory outcomes and related satiety for four hours ad libitum, lunch was served and energy intake of individuals was measured. Results: VAS scores indicated that none of the test foods exerted an improved effect on satiety feelings. However, energy intake of individuals during ad libitum lunch was significantly lower in dark chocolate groups (CON: 849.46 ± 47.45 kcal versus DARK: 677.69 ± 48.45 kcal and B-GLU + DARK: 691.08 ± 47.45 kcal, p = 0.014). Conclusion: The study demonstrated that substituting dark chocolate for milk chocolate is more effective in inducing satiety during subsequent food intake in healthy subjects.     

Relation of insulin resistance and left ventricular function and structure in non-diabetic patients with essential hypertension

OBJECTIVE: Both left ventricular hypertrophy and insulin resistance (IR) have often been demonstrated in patients with essential hypertension (EH). Insulin may exert a direct growth-promoting effect on cardiomyocytes. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between left ventricular structure, function and IR in patients with EH. METHODS: We enrolled 73 patients (21 men, mean age 51.7 +/- 9.2 years) with untreated hypertension (BP > 140 and/or 90 mm Hg, fasting glycaemia < 110 mg/dl) and 64 healthy subjects without diabetes mellitus and hypertension (21 men, mean age 48.9 +/- 10.6 years) constituted the control group. In all subjects, transthoracic echocardiography was performed and blood samples were taken. Homeostasis model assessment (HOMA) was calculated by the formula: HOMA-index = fasting blood glucose (mg/dl) * immunoreactive insulin (microU/ml)/405 for the assessment of IR. Hypertensive patients were divided in two groups by mean HOMA index values. Each subject was examined for LV end-diastolic diameter, septal and posterior wall thickness, LV mass index (LVMI), fractional shortening (FS), mitral inflow velocity pattern, atrial filling fraction (AFF), left ventricular outflow velocity pattern and the total ejection isovolume index (TEI index). RESULTS: The HOMA index (p < 0.001), LVMI (p < 0.001), AFF (p < 0.0001), peak A velocity (p < 0.028), septal (p < 0.0001) and posterior (p < 0.0001) wall thickness were significantly higher and FS (p < 0.001), E/A ratio (p < 0.0001) were significantly lower in hypertensive patients than healthy controls. LVMI (p < 0.01) and septal wall thickness (p < 0.001) were significantly higher in those hypertensive patients with a higher HOMA index. The HOMA-index was univariately related to the TEI index (r = 0.27, p = 0.01) and septal wall thickness (IVS) (r = 0.29, p = 0.01) by Pearson correlation analysis in hypertensive patients. LVMI, FS and mitral inflow velocity pattern were not related to the HOMA index. The TEI index (R2 = 0.20, p = 0.0001) and IVS (R2 = 0.12, p = 0.002) were significantly related to the HOMA-index as an independent variable by stepwise regression analysis. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrated that hypertensive patients had both abnormal cardiac structure and function and higher IR index. In our study group, the effect of hypertension on cardiac structure and function was correlated with IR. Our results suggested that IR might be an important factor causing left ventricular dysfunction and wall thickness in non-diabetic patients with EH.     

Contribution of 5th minute and 2nd hour images to standard imaging in (68Ga)PSMA 11 PET/CT

Annals of Nuclear Medicine - To investigate the superiority or contribution of 5th minute pelvic and 2nd hour whole body Gallium68-prostate-specific membrane antigen—HBED-CC [(68Ga)PSMA 11]...     

A new method for computer-assisted detection,definition and differentiation of the urinary calculi

Purpose: Urinary stones are common and can be diagnosed with computed tomography (CT) easily. In this study, we aimed to specify the opacity characteristics of various types of calcified foci that develop through the urinary system by using an image analysis program. With this method, we try to differentiate the calculi from the non-calculous opacities and also we aimed to present how to identify the characteristic features of renal and ureteral calcules. Materials and methods: We obtained the CT studies of the subjects (n?=?48, mean age?=?41 years) by using a dual source CT imaging system. We grouped the calculi detected in the dual-energy CT sections as renal (n?=?40) or ureteric (n?=?45) based on their locations. Other radio-opaque structures that were identified outside but within close proximity of the urinary tract were recorded as calculi “mimickers”. We used ImageJ program for morphological analysis. All the acquired data were analyzed statistically. Results: According to thorough morphological parameters, there were statistically significant differences in the angle and Feret angle values between calculi and mimickers (p?p?=?0.003) and kidney (p?=?0.001) stones. Conclusions: Computer-based morphologic parameters can be used simply to differentiate between calcular and noncalcular densities on CT and also between renal and ureteric stones.     

Does concomitant vaginal prolapse repair affect the outcomes of the transobturator tape procedure in the long term?

Introduction and hypothesis

Little information is available on the effects of concomitant vaginal prolapse repair on the outcomes of the transobturator tape (TOT) procedure. The purpose of this study is to assess the results and complications of TOT when combined with vaginal prolapse repair with a long-term follow-up.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 232 female patients who underwent the TOT procedure at two institutions. There were two groups: group 1 consisted of patients who had undergone TOT alone and group 2 consisted of patients who had undergone concomitant vaginal prolapse repair. The outcomes were analyzed considering four postoperative parameters: objective cure, subjective cure, resolution of urgency urinary incontinence (UUI), and patient satisfaction. The mean follow-up was 66.3 months (range 60–85).

Results

A total of 117 patients in group 1 and 104 patients in group 2 were documented in this study. The subjective and objective cure rates were 87.17 %, 64.95 % in group 1 and 89.42 %, 68.26 % in group 2. Patient satisfaction rates (visual analog scale [VAS] score ≥80) were 71.79 and 83.65 % in groups 1 and 2 respectively (p?=?0.035). Complications were reported according to the Clavien–Dindo classification with grade I 7.7 %, grade II 69.2 %, grade IIIa 7.7 %, and grade IIIb 15.4 %, and grade I 9.5 %, grade II 47.6 %, grade IIIa 42.8 %, and grade IIIb 0 % in groups 1 and 2 respectively.

Conclusions

Concomitant vaginal prolapse repair with TOT does not have any negative effects on continence outcomes; on the contrary, it increases patient satisfaction.     

Nasopharyngeal carriage of Streptococcus pneumoniae in healthy Turkish children after the addition of PCV7 to the national vaccine schedule

The aim of this study was to determine serotype distribution and investigate antimicrobial resistance patterns of Streptococcus pneumoniae in healthy Turkish children in the era of community-wide pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7). The study was conducted on 1,101 healthy children less than 18 years of age. Specimens were collected with nasopharyngeal swabs between April 2011 and June 2011. Penicillin and ceftriaxone susceptibilities were determined by E-test according to the 2008 Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute, and serotypes of the isolates were determined by Quellung reaction. The nasopharyngeal pneumococcal carriage rate was 21.9 % (241/1,101). Using the meningitis criteria of minimum inhibitory concentration values, 73 % of the isolates were resistant to penicillin and 47.7 % of them were resistant to ceftriaxone. Half of all pneumococcal isolates were serotyped as 19F (15.2 %), 6A (15.2 %), 23F (10.3 %), and 6B (9.3 %) and surprisingly, no serotype 19A was isolated. Serotype coverage rates of PCV7 and non-PCV7 were 46.2 and 53.8 %, respectively. The most common penicillin- and ceftriaxone-resistant serotypes were 6A, 6B, 14, 19F, and 23F. Penicillin- and ceftriaxone-resistant isolates were more prevalent in serotypes covered by PCV7 than the non-PCV7 serotypes. Conclusion: After the community-wide PCV7 vaccination, more non-PCV7 serotypes were isolated from the carriers compared to the time before PCV7 was used especially the serotype 6A, and the antimicrobial resistance of pneumococci was significantly increased.     

Effects of metal surface grinding at the porcelain try-in stage of fixed dental prostheses

PURPOSE

This study was to evaluate the effect of grinding of the inner metal surface during the porcelain try-in stage on metal-porcelain bonding considering the maximum temperature and the vibration of samples.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Ninety-one square prism-shaped (1 × 1 × 1.5 mm) nickel-chrome cast frameworks 0.3 mm thick were prepared. Porcelain was applied on two opposite outer axial surfaces of the frameworks. The grinding was performed from the opposite axial sides of the inner metal surfaces with a low-speed handpiece with two types of burs (diamond, tungsten-carbide) under three grinding forces (3.5 N, 7 N, 14 N) and at two durations (5 seconds, 10 seconds). The shear bond strength (SBS) test was performed with universal testing machine. Statistical analyzes were performed at 5% significance level.

RESULTS

The samples subjected to grinding under 3.5 N showed higher SBS values than those exposed to grinding under 7 N and 14 N (P<.05). SBS values of none of the groups differed from those of the control group (P>.05). The types of bur (P=.965) and the duration (P=.679) did not affect the SBS values. On the other hand, type of bur, force applied, and duration of the grinding affected the maximum temperatures of the samples, whereas the maximum vibration was affected only by the type of bur (P<.05).

CONCLUSION

Grinding the inner metal surface did not affect the metal-porcelain bond strength. Although the grinding affected the maximum temperature and the vibration values of the samples, these did not influence the bonding strength.