Ridge number density: A new parameter for in vivo bone structure analysis

An advanced analysis of the mechanical properties of bone should include information about the microarchitecture of cancellous bone in addition to its density. It has recently been shown that high-resolution quantitative computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging have the potential to assess such information in a noninvasive way in patients. Both techniques, however, lack sufficient spatial resolution to image the individual trabeculae with true precision. In this work, a new parameter, Ridge number density (RND), is introduced. RND is a measure for the trabecular number, which can be extracted directly from high-resolution three-dimensional (3D) images of patients. We applied the RND technique to a test group of nine healthy, postmenopausal women measured repetitively with a high-resolution 3D peripheral quantitative computed tomography (3D-pQCT) system with 165 × 165 × 165 μm³ voxel size. Simultaneously with the RND determination, the trabecular bone density (TBD) was also assessed in the same volume of interest. The examination site was the distal radius. The intersubject variability of the measured test group was 10.5% for RND and 26.3% for TBD. The root mean square error between first and second examinations (midterm reproducibility) was 1.6% and 1.1%, respectively. RND is determined independently from TBD and pertains to the structure of the cancellous bone. As such, it might add crucial information in cases where bone mass or bone density measurements alone give ambigous results.     

颞耳岩锥长轴方向的确定和应用

用头颅表面两个标志点确定岩锥长轴方向，指导梅氏（Ｍａｙｅｒ）位和斯氏（Ｓｔｅｎｖｅｒｓ）位摄影操作。对１２０例正常头颅ＣＴ图像进行测量，进行统计学处理，确定正常人岩锥长轴前延长线与头颅表面交点的大概位置。结果为：岩锥长轴前延长线交于对侧听眦线外眦后０．８２～２．９０ｃｍ区间，平均值左为１．６６ｃｍ，右为１．８２ｃｍ。结论，以平均值的邻值２ｃｍ为常数，即对侧听眦线外眦后２ｃｍ为岩锥长轴前延长线的前端体表定位标志，与其后端的乳突最突点共同确定岩锥长轴方向。     

胎骨移植治疗骨肿瘤缺损：附10例报告

近3年来，用制备的胎骨充填良性骨肿瘤及病样病变术后骨缺损，经观察10例效果良好。胎骨因其自身组织学和生理学特点，具有抗原性小、诱导成骨活性高，利于“爬行各代”等优点。而且来源丰富、采制简单、储存容易、费用低度，是一种良好的植骨材料，特别适于儿童及年老体弱患者自身取骨困难的骨缺损植骨需要。但其为异体骨，有一定免疫原性，抗支撑强度略差，应注意严格无菌操作、消除免疫原性、配合使用内、外固定等措施。     

CT and MRI of the middle ear

Summary High-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) provides excellent contrast between osseous structures, air and soft tissue in conjunction with high spatial resolution. Therefore, thin-section HRCT with bone window setting is the method of choice for the examination of the middle ear structures. The indications are acute and chronic inflammatory changes, cholesteatoma and tumor, the “postoperative middle ear”, and malformations. In most cases, HRCT enables differentiation between inflammatory changes, cholesteatoma, and tumor. The excellent depiction of subtle osseous details enables the identification of erosions of the ossicles or of the bony walls of the mastoid cells, of osseous defects of the tegmen, of the bony labyrinth, and of the tympanic course of the facial canal. In addition, HRCT enables excellent depiction of reconstructions of the ossicles or prosthesis of the ossicles. Although HRCT is the first method of choice, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may provide additional information and lead to a more accurate diagnosis in some cases. This is explained by the excellent soft tissue contrast provided by MRI. In addition, MRI offers the possibility of using various pulse sequences and the administration of IV contrast material. Therefore, MRI may allow the differentiation between inflammatory changes, cholesteatoma, and tumor in those cases in which accurate diagnosis cannot be made by HRCT. The differentiation between a meningocele or meningoencephalocele and other entities such as tumors or cholesteatoma can be established by MRI. Furthermore, MRI can accurately depict cases of labyrinthitis or of neuritis of the facial nerve or of intracranial disease caused by middle ear processes, while this is not always possible by HRCT. In summary, HRCT of the middle ear is the method of choice, but MRI may provide supplementary information in those cases in which accurate diagnosis cannot be established by HRCT.      

Volume of tarsal bones in congenital clubfoot

To elucidate the growth of the tarsal bones in congenital clubfoot, relative to the growth of these bones in the unaffected feet and compared to growth in the feet of normal volunteers, we used a computed tomography (CT) scanner to measure the volume of all tarsal bones. The subjects of the study were 10 adults (7 men and 3 women) with unilateral congenital clubfoot (average age 20 years and 1 month). As controls, we examined 11 healthy volunteers. We calculated the ratio of the volume of each tarsal bone to the total bone volume and the ratio of the volume of each tarsal bone in clubfoot to the corresponding bone in the unaffected foot. The volume ratio of each tarsal bone was compared between clubfeet and unaffected feet because the differences of each tarsal bone ratio between the normal foot group and unaffected foot group were not significant. In the clubfeet (n=10), the talus and the medial cuneiform bones were smaller than those in the unaffected feet (n=10) but the cuboid bone was larger. The growth of the navicular did not differ from as that in unaffected feet. Our results suggested hypoplasia on the medial side of the foot in adult patients with congenital clubfoot. The 3 patients who had undergone medial release showed particularly marked hypoplasia of the medial side. In congenital clubfoot cases with severe deformities who had undergone wide soft-tissue release operations, there were clear growth suppressions in the talus and the medial cuneiform. We could not determine whether the cause of the growth suppression was the hypoplastic nature of tarsal bones themselves or the surgical obstacles to tarsal bone growth.     

Treatment of labial fenestration of maxillary central incisor

Abstract A case of external inflammatory root resorption and labial fenestration in a maxillary central incisor is presented. The root canal was dressed with pure calcium hydroxide mixed with normal saline for 1 month before it was obturated with gutta percha and apicoectomy surgery undertaken to attempt primary closure of the fenestration. The PDL and the fenestration healed uneventfully.     

自体骨髓移植治疗股骨头无菌性坏死

Objective To investigate the effectiveness and mechanism of transplantation of autol-ogous bone marrow in treating femoral head necrosis. Methods Sixty New Zealand rabbits were randomly divided into groups A,B,and C after establishment of the models of femoral head necrosis. The left femoral head served as the control one,and the right as the experimental group. The mitoxantrone (0.1 mg/kg) with the help of DSA was injected into the femoral head of group A. One ml autologous bone marrow was injected into the femoral head of group B. In group C,mitoxantrone (0. 1 mg/kg) was injected,and 72 h later,1 ml autologous bone marrow was injected. Four months later,all rabbits were killed,and the femoral heads were removed and observed histologically and electron microscopically. Results The number of necrotic osteoclasts in groups A and B showed no significant difference ( P > 0.05 ), ande in group C, the number of necrotic femoral heads at the left and fight sides was 40. 60±4.11 and 21.33±2.16 respec-tively ( P < 0.05 ). At the experimental side of group C, the structure of majority bone cells was clear and intact,and necrosis was occasionally seen. Conclusion At the cellular level, local chemotherapy and au-tologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation had certain effectiveness for aseptic necrosis of the femoral head.     

Relationship Among MRTA, DXA, and QUS

Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) and quantitative ultrasound (QUS) are the accepted modalities for the evaluation of fracture risk in the clinical setting. However, neither method provides a direct measurement of bone mechanics. In this study, we investigated a prototype device, known as a mechanical response tissue analyzer (MRTA), which provides direct mechanical measurements of mechanical properties of bone. A total of 56 healthy volunteers (20 men and 36 women) between the ages of 18 and 83 were recruited. The MRTA was used to measure the cross-sectional bending stiffness (EI) of the ulna bone. Axial speed of sound (SOS) at the ulna bone was determined by QUS; bone mineral content (BMC) and bone mineral density (BMD) were determined by DXA. Correlations, regression analysis, and analyses of variance (ANOVAs) were used to compare the three modalities. These analyses revealed that although there are strong linear relationships among the data collected by the various technologies, the bone properties reflected by MRTA are not fully explained by DXA and QUS. We conclude that the total information conveyed by MRTA measurements is unique. Further research is needed to delineate the different qualities of bone strength that are captured by MRTA, but not by DXA or QUS.     

新生儿窒息124例临床分析

目的探讨预防新生儿窒息的措施，以降低新生儿窒息的发生率。方法收集我院124例新生儿窒息的临床资料，分析发病的相关高危因素。结果窒息的相关因素依次为：早产因素34例居首位，占27．4％；羊水过少占14．5％；胎位异常占10．5％；产程异常占9．7％；脐带因素（缠绕、脱垂及过短）占8．9％；巨大儿占8．9％；胎盘早剥及前置胎盘占6．5％；妊娠高血压综合征占5．6％；宫内生长迟缓（IUGR）占3．2％。结论加大孕产妇分级管理的力度，加强孕期保健和产前检查，适时纠正臀位，尽量减少早产，及早发现和正确处理胎儿宫内窘迫，是降低新生儿重度窒息的有效措施。     

Value of digital volume tomography in patients with conductive hearing loss

Digital volume tomography (DVT) is an extension of panoramic tomography. With this diagnostic technique, characterized by high resolution, a narrow section width (0.125 mm) and three-dimensional display, small pathological processes can be well visualized. Twenty-five patients with the history of a progressive hearing loss were examined with DVT (Accu-I-tomo, Morita, Japan). The results were compared with pre- and intraoperative findings to evaluate the diagnostic value of DVT in cases of erosion of the ossicular chain. With high resolution and artifact-free demonstration of the middle ear and the ossicular chain, it was possible to define its continuity preoperatively by DVT in all 25 cases. An intact ossicular chain was found by DVT in 13 cases and was later confirmed by surgery. The predicted erosion of the ossicles was verified in 12 patients, and a tympanoplasty type III was performed. Digital volume tomography is an excellent technique to examine the middle ear cleft and inner ear, and expands the application of diagnostic possibilities in the lateral skull base. Therefore, improvement in preoperative diagnosis is achieved along with more accurate planning of the surgical procedure. Digital volume tomography delivers a small radiation dose with a high resolution and a low purchase price for the equipment.