Strategy for prevention of hip fractures in patients with Parkinson’s disease

Hypovitaminosis D and K due to malnutrition or sunlight deprivation,increased bone resorption due to immobilization,low bone mineral density(BMD)and an increased risk of falls may contribute to an increased risk of hip fractures in patients with Parkinson’s disease.The purpose of the present study was to clarify the efficacy of interventions intended to prevent hip fractures in elderly patients with Parkinson’s disease.Pub Med was used to search the literature for randomized controlled trials(RCTs)regarding Parkinson’s disease and hip fractures.The inclusion criteria were 50 or more subjects per group and a study period of 1 year or longer.Five RCTs were identified and the relative risk and95%confidence interval were calculated for individual RCTs.Sunlight exposure increased serum hydroxyvitamin D[25(OH)D]concentration,improved motor function,decreased bone resorption and increased BMD.Alendronate or risedronate with vitamin D supplementation increased serum 25(OH)D concentration,strongly decreased bone resorption and increased BMD.Menatetrenone(vitamin K2)decreased serum undercarboxylated osteocalcin concentration,decreased bone resorption and increased BMD.Sunlight exposure(men and women),menatetrenone(women),alendronate and risedronate with vitamin D supplementation(women)significantly reduced the incidence of hip fractures.The respective RRs(95%confidence intervals)according to the intention-to-treat analysis were 0.27(0.08,0.96),0.13(0.02,0.97),0.29(0.10,0.85)and 0.20(0.06,0.68).Interventions,including sunlight exposure,menatetrenone and oral bisphosphonates with vitamin D supplementation,have a protective effect against hip fractures elderly patients with Parkinson’s disease.     

Mechanisms of Tolerance Induced by Donor-Specific Transfusion and ICOS-B7h Blockade in a Model of CD4+ T-Cell-Mediated Allograft Rejection

The inducible co-stimulatory molecule (ICOS) has been shown to play a critical role in T-cell activation and differentiation, and the regulation of alloimmune responses in vivo. Using an MHC class II mismatched model of CD4(+) T-cell-mediated rejection, we found that treatment of mice with DST and ICOS-B7h blockade induced long-term skin allograft survival and donor-specific transplantation tolerance. ICOS blockade, either during antigen priming or during the effector phase, previously shown to alter the outcome of the immune response, had a similar effect on graft survival. DST and anti-B7h mAb reduced the frequency of IFN-gamma-producing allospecific cells but did not produce deviation to a T(H)2 phenotype. In an adoptive transfer model using ABM TCR transgenic mice directly reactive to I-A(bm12), DST and anti-B7h mAb reduced the number of allospecific CD4(+) T cells and increased CD4(+) T-cell apoptosis. These data demonstrate that DST and anti-B7h mAb induces transplantation tolerance to MHC class II mismatched skin grafts by a reduction of the alloreactive clone size that is, at least in part, dependent on apoptosis of host alloantigen-specific CD4(+) T cells.     

Efficient one-pair experimental system for spatial resolution demonstration of prototype PET detectors

In the development of depth-of-interaction (DOI)-positron emission tomography (PET) detectors, one of the important steps toward their practical use is an evaluation of their imaging performance, such as the spatial resolution as measured by use of a point source and a one-pair experimental system which simulates actual PET geometries. The DOI-PET detectors have a broad field of view providing good imaging performance compared with conventional detectors. Therefore, evaluation including the region from the center to the periphery close to the detector ring is required in an effort to show their advanced performance regarding uniform spatial resolution. In this study, we aimed to develop and evaluate an efficient one-pair experimental system for demonstration of the DOI-PET detector performance. For this purpose, we propose a one-pair experimental system that can simulate an arbitrary ring diameter and acquire projection data efficiently by skipping unnecessary combinations according to the position of the point source. As a result, the proposed system and our measuring scheme could significantly reduce the total measurement time, especially for a large ring size such as that used in brain PET scanners and whole-body PET scanners. We used the system to evaluate the X’tal cube PET detector with a 2-mm cubic crystal array arranged in simulated PET geometries with ring diameters of 8.2 and 14.6 cm for 12 and 18 detector blocks, respectively. The results showed that a uniform spatial resolution was achieved even in the peripheral region, and measurements were obtained semi-automatically in a short time.     

Treatment strategy for malignant solid tumors in childhood

The prognosis for children with malignant solid tumors has improved dramatically in Japan. During the last two decades, various groups have conducted sequential studies of the treatment of children with neuroblastoma, Wilms' tumor, and hepatoblastoma. Most institutes participated in nonrandomized trials designed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of combination chemotherapy, surgery, and radiotherapy in each group study and treated children with these tumors The results are reviewed and areas for future investigation are identified.     

Surgical Apgar Score Predicted Postoperative Morbidity After Esophagectomy for Esophageal Cancer

Background

Recently, a simple and easy complication prediction system, the Surgical Apgar Sore (SAS) calculated by three intraoperative parameters (estimated blood loss, lowest mean arterial pressure, and lowest heart rate), has been proposed for general surgery. This study aimed to determine if the SAS could accurately predict perioperative morbidity in patients undergoing esophagectomy for esophageal cancer.

Methods

We investigated 399 patients who underwent esophagectomy at the Kumamoto University Hospital between April 2007 and March 2015. Clinical data, including intraoperative parameters, were collected retrospectively. Patients had postoperative morbidities classified as Clavien–Dindo grade III or more. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to elucidate factors that affected the development of complications.

Results

The mean age of the study population was 65.7 years, 357 patients (89.5 %) were male. The frequency of any morbidity was 32.3 %. Univariate analyses showed that the SAS as well as preoperative chemotherapy, volume of bleeding, and reconstruction of organs were associated with morbidities. Multivariate analysis showed that a SAS < 5 was found to be an independent risk factor for morbidities.

Conclusion

The SAS is considered to be useful for predicting the development of postoperative morbidities after esophagectomy for esophageal cancer.

     

Changes in the three-dimensional load-bearing axis after mobile-bearing total knee arthroplasty

Background

The purpose of this study was to assess changes in the three-dimensional (3D) load-bearing mechanical axis (LBMA) preoperatively and at 3 weeks and more than 1-year follow-up after total knee arthroplasty (TKA), and effects of the degree of constraint in the anteroposterior (AP) direction because of the retention of the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) and the implant design on the changes in LBMA.

Methods

We evaluated 157 knees from 131 patients, including 79 knees that received meniscal-bearing-type (PCL-retaining) and 78 knees that received rotating-platform-type (PCL-substituting) prostheses. Quantitative 3D computed tomography was used to assess changes in the location of the pre- and postoperative LBMA at the tibial plateau level.

Results

Changes in the 3D axis were mainly found from medial to lateral and posterior to anterior in both implant designs with no significant differences. Change in the mediolateral (ML) direction was improved soon after TKA, but change in the AP direction improved more gradually over time. The different constraints in the AP direction because of the retention of the PCL and different implant designs did not affect the changes in the LBMA.

Conclusions

The LBMA in the AP direction more than 1 year postoperatively, as well as the LBMA in the ML direction at 3 weeks, appears to shift toward the location found in normal knees after TKA, regardless of the type of prosthetic constraint. These changes may be an important factor that influences the periarticular knee bone mineral density which load bearing may be related to.

Level of evidence

Level II, Prognostic study.

     

Graft size and donor age are independent factors for graft loss in adult-to-adult living-donor liver transplantation using the left liver

Background/purpose  Graft survival is affected by various factors, such as preoperative state and the ages of the recipient and donor, as well as graft size. The objective of this study was to analyze the risk factors for graft survival. Methods  From September 1997 to July 2005, 24 patients who had undergone living-donor liver transplantation (LDLT) were retrospectively analyzed. Sixteen patients survived and the eight graft-loss cases were classified into two groups according to the cause of graft loss: graft dysfunction without major post-transplantation complications (graft dysfunction group; n = 3), and graft dysfunction with such complications (secondary graft dysfunction group; n = 5). Various factors were compared between these groups and the survival group. Results  Mean donor age was 31.9 years in the survival group and 49.2 years in the secondary graft dysfunction group (P = 0.024). Graft weight/recipient standard liver volume ratios (G/SLVs) were 36.7% in the survival group, and 26.2% in the graft dysfunction group (P = 0.037). The postoperative mean PT% for 1 week was 48.6% in the survival group and 38.1% in the secondary graft dysfunction group (P = 0.05). Conclusions  Our surgical results demonstrated that G/SLV and donor age were independent factors that affected graft survival rates.     

Prevalence of Adenomas and Carcinomas in the Ileal Pouch After Proctocolectomy in Patients with Familial Adenomatous Polyposis

Purpose  Restorative proctocolectomy has become the most common surgical option for patients with familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP). However, adenomas may develop in the ileal pouch mucosa over time, and even carcinoma in the pouch has been reported. Our aim was to evaluate the prevalence, nature, and etiology of ileal pouch and nonpouch adenomas and carcinoma in patients with FAP. Patients and methods  This was a retrospective study of 31 FAP patients with Kock’s continent ileostomy (Kock; n = 8), ileorectal anastomosis (IRA; n = 7), and ileal pouch–anal anastomosis (IPAA) (n = 16). All patients were followed with a standardized protocol including chromoendoscopy and biopsies of visible polyps in the ileal pouch and nonpouch mucosa. Results  Sixteen of 24 pouch patients (Kock and IPAA) developed adenomas in the ileal pouch mucosa, and all patients with IRA developed adenomas in the rectal mucosa. The prevalence of ileal adenomas was significantly higher in pouch patients than in IRA patients (P = 0.002). Only one patient with Kock showed adenoma in the prepouch area. Two cases of adenocarcinomas and one case of advanced adenoma were found in the ileal pouch mucosa. Conclusion  Our results show a high frequency of adenomas in the ileal pouch mucosa, with evolution into carcinoma in some patients. Regular endoscopic surveillance of the pouch is recommended at a frequency similar to that for the rectal mucosa after IRA in pouch patients with FAP.     

Two-level posterior lumbar interbody fusion for degenerative disc disease: improved clinical outcome with restoration of lumbar lordosis

BACKGROUND CONTEXT: Although posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) for degenerative lumbar diseases is routine, there are few reports on double-level PLIF. PURPOSE: To evaluate the clinical outcomes of double-level PLIF. STUDY DESIGN/SETTING: A retrospective study of operated cases in Gifu, Japan. PATIENT SAMPLE: Nineteen patients (8 men and 11 women, 59.5+/-10.2 years) who underwent double-level PLIF between 1996 and 2001. OUTCOME MEASURES: Operation time, blood loss, complications, the Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score for back pain and lumbar sagittal alignment were evaluated. METHODS: Patients were examined retrospectively at follow-ups of 3.6+/-1.7 years. Primary diseases were spondylolisthesis, spinal canal stenosis, degenerative scoliosis and herniated intervertebral disc. Fusion areas were L3 to L5 in 15 cases and L4 to S1 in 4 cases. RESULTS: The mean JOA score increased from an initial score of 12.9+/-3.5 to 21.3+/-4.9 at the final follow-up. There was a positive correlation (R=0.718, p<.001) between the increase in lordotic angle and the increase in the JOA score. Several parameters suggested that the surgical invasiveness was not minimal. CONCLUSION: Double-level PLIF provided satisfactory results and preserved lumbar spine lordosis.     

Combined spinal epidural anesthesia for emergency cesarean section

BACKGROUND: We performed a retrospective analysis to evaluate the usefulness of combined spinal epidural anesthesia (CSEA) in emergency cesarean section compared with conventional spinal anesthesia. METHODS: A retrospective chart analysis of patients who had undergone emergency cesarean section over a 7 year period was performed. We extracted at random 150 patients planned by spinal anesthesia, and 150 patients planned by separate-needle CSEA. Patient's data were gathered and analyzed according to the anesthetic technique used. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between the two groups in age, weight, and BMI. Although the time to incision and the time to delivery were significantly faster in spinal anesthesia group than in CSEA group, there was no significant difference in Apgar score between the groups. Moreover, failure of anesthesia and post-dural puncture headache were higher in spinal group than in CSEA group. CONCLUSIONS: CSEA is useful as anesthesia for an emergency cesarean section.