Flow Cytometry and Sizing for Routine Andrological Analysis

Summary: Flow fluorometry and Coulter type sizing analysis of sperm have been applied separately in order to improve human semen analysis. Different methods of sample preparation were evaluated and a protocol involving prestaining pepsin treatment of sperm samples is proposed for fluorometric analysis. The data obtained with fluorometry and sizing analysis result in different kinds of information: Coulter counting allows to automate sperm counting and fluorometry yields more datailled information about normozoospermia and oligozoospermia by determining the proportion of mature spermatozoa and immature germ-cells. These two methods, together with light microscopy, may help to explore the correlation of fertility and pathology of spermatozoa. The aim of these investigations is to yield the preconditions for simultaneous two-parameter analysis of DNA content and cellular size distributions. Zusammenfassung: Durchflußcytophotometrie und Größenmessung für andrologische Routineuntersuchungen von Spermatozoen Durchflußanalyse und Größenanalyse nach dem Coulter-Prinzip wurden angewandt, um die Begutachtung menschlichen Spermas zu verbessern. Unterschiedliche Methoden der Probenaufbereitung wurden ausprobiert, und ein Protokoll mit Pepsinbehandlung der Spermatozoenproben für fluorometrische Analysen wird vorgeschlagen. Die mit der Cytofluorometrie und Größenanalyse erhaltenen Daten ergeben unterschiedliche Informationen: Das Coulter-Prinzip erlaubt die Automatisierung der Spermatozoenzählung, und die Fluorometrie ergibt detailliertere Erkenntnisse über Normozoo-spermie und Oligozoospermie, da die Unterscheidung von reifen Spermatozoen und unreifen Keimzellen ermöglicht wird. Diese beiden Methoden können in Kombination mit der Lichtmikroskopie helfen, die Korrelation zwischen Fertilität und Pathologie von Spermatozoen zu erkunden. Das Ziel dieser Untersuchungen ist es, die Voraussetzungen für gleich-zeitige Zweiparameteranalysen des DNA-Gehaltes und der zellulären Größenverteilungen zu liefern.     

Magnetic resonance imaging of meniscal degeneration in asymptomatic knees

Histopathological studies have suggested that spontaneous degeneration of knee menisci predisposes to symptomatic tears. We used magnetic resonance (MR) imaging to study noninvasively 20 patients with documented meniscal tears in one knee but asymptomatic contralateral knees, 18 normal controls, and 15 patients with symptomatic nonmeniscal knee disorders. A scoring system for MR signal changes was developed, and differences between the three groups were tested for significance by a multivariate analysis of covariance. MR signal changes in the menisci begin at around 30 years of age, progress with age, occur in both men and women, and occur in subjects who are inactive as well as those who undergo habitual knee stress exercises. Most subjects with documented meniscal tears in one knee have MR signals in the asymptomatic contralateral knee that reflect a more advanced degree of meniscal degeneration than in age-comparable normal controls or patients with nonmeniscal knee disorders. After adjustment for potential confounding variables, weight, and sex, the mean scores in the asymptomatic knee of patients with meniscal disease are significantly higher than those of normal controls (p = 0.021) and nonmeniscal disease patients (p = 0.019). These results document the occurrence of age-dependent degeneration within knee menisci, and support the hypothesis that a segment of the population has pre-existing meniscal degeneration predisposing them to traumatic or spontaneous meniscal tears.     

半月板损伤的磁共振成像特点及其临床意义

本文对４０例半月板损伤的ＭＲＩ作了回顾性分析，并根据ＤｒＣｒｕｅｓａｎｄＭｉｌｋ＇ｓ的分类标准进行分类。发现半月板损伤以内侧半月板后角为多见（２２例，其中Ⅰ°３例，Ⅱ°４例，Ⅲ°１５例），其次为外侧半月板后角（７例，其中Ⅰ°２例，Ⅱ°３例，Ⅲ°２例），并可见＂水桶把手＂样（ｂｕｃｋｅｔｈａｎｄｌｅ）撕裂等特殊类型。作者对ＭＲＩ检查技术、成像特点及临床意义进行了讨论。提出：（１）以ＰＤＩ矢状位显示膝关节正常解剖及半月板异常信号为佳；以Ｔ２ＷＩ显示韧带损伤、关节积液为佳。（２）膝关节ＭＲＩ对半月板损伤的正确诊断为制订治疗方案提供客观依据，是判断膝关节病变的最佳方法。     

Pericruciate intra-articular lateral meniscal cyst without meniscal tear

A case of intra-articular pericruciate type of meniscal cyst from anterior horn of lateral meniscus without associated meniscal tear is reported with review of literature. To our knowledge such association has not been reported earlier.     

大雅600型双浆槽浆纱机浆纱张力与伸长控制的理论和实践

从现代浆纱工艺理论和纱线弹性理论出发，结合生产实际，对大雅６００型浆纱机浆纱张力与伸长系统作了分析、测试和讨论，提出了控制该机浆纱张力和伸长的办法。     

Intra-articular knee injuries in racquet sports

Summary Within the last decade, there has been a significant increase in racquet sport participation. The authors report that in a 5-year period, 17% of the injuries seen in a busy sports injuries clinic were associated with raquet sports, and over half of these were injuries to the knee. The findings are reported of those patients requiring knee arthroscopy, and the patterns of injury sustained are identified. Injuries to the knee in racquet sports are largely unavoidable and are inherent to the nature of the game.     

A Direct Compression Stimulator for Articular Cartilage and Meniscal Explants

This paper describes the development and use of a direct compression stimulator for culturing explants from the meniscus of the knee and articular cartilage. Following design and fabrication of the instrument along with its data acquisition system, the function of the machine was verified by both mechanical means and tissue effect. The loading chamber can hold up to 45 5 mm diameter samples. While designed to stimulate samples up to 4 mm thick, axial displacements as little as 0.127 μm are within the theoretical capacity of the stimulator. In gene expression studies, collagen II and aggrecan expression were examined in explants from articular cartilage as well as medial and lateral menisci subjected to dynamic stimulation and static compression. These results were then compared to free swelling samples. It was found that static compression to cut thickness down-regulated aggrecan and collagen II expression in articular cartilage explants compared to free swelling controls by 94% and 90%, respectively. The application of a dynamic, intermittent, 2% oscillation around the cut thickness returned expression levels to those of free swelling controls at 4 h but not at 76 h. In medial meniscus samples, dynamic compression up-regulated aggrecan expression by 108%, but not collagen II expression, at 4 and 76 h compared to static controls. No difference in gene expression was observed for lateral meniscal explants. Thus, effects of direct compression seen in articular cartilage may not necessarily translate to the knee meniscus. The design of this stimulator will allow a variety of tissues and loading regimens to be examined. It is hoped that regimens can be found that not only return samples to the production levels of free swelling controls, but also surpass them in terms of gene expression, protein synthesis, and functional properties.     

Innovative treatment of clinically diagnosed meniscal tears: a randomized sham-controlled trial of the Mulligan concept ‘squeeze’ technique

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the validity and test–retest reliability of the ScreenAssist Lumbar Questionnaire (SALQ). If a high degree of reliability and validity could be determined, the questionnaire could provide physical therapists with a formal instrument to assist with the identification of patients with nonmusculoskeletal back pain or emergent musculoskeletal causes of back pain requiring referral to an alternate medical provider.

Methods: Participants were patients presenting to an internal medicine physician's office with the main complaint of low back pain over a 6 months period. ScreenAssist Lumbar Questionnaire was performed twice on each patient within 48 hours of the appointment. A 4-month post-visit chart review was performed to compare scores and recommendations made by the questionnaire with the assessment and diagnosis made by the physician.

Results: The SALQ demonstrated a sensitivity of 0·100 (95% CI: 0·689–0·100) and specificity of 0·786 (95%CI: 0·492–0·951) compared to the assessment and diagnosis performed by the primary care physician. Overall, regarding the recommendation for referral, there was agreement on 20 of the 21 patients with a Kappa of 0·798.

Discussion: The overall test–retest reliability and validity for referral recommendation were high, which indicates that the SALQ may serve as an alternative to the use of red flags in isolation to assist the physical therapist in determining the need for medical referral as the practice continues to progress toward direct access. The positive outcome of this study supports the possible future benefit of the SALQ.     

MR visualization of the popliteomeniscal fascicles

Objective. Although the popliteomeniscal fascicles are important stabilizers of the lateral meniscus, there have been few studies of their MR appearance. We wished to determine: (1) whether the fascicles are normally seen on MR imaging, and (2) whether certain imaging factors influenced their visualization. Design and patients. We reviewed the sagittal MR images of 66 consecutive patients who had no evidence of injury to the lateral compartment. We determined the frequencies of MR visualization of the superior and inferior popliteomeniscal fascicles, and whether visualization was affected by the weighting of spin echo sequences, the presence of a joint effusion, slice placement relative to the fascicles, and windowing of the images. Results and conclusions. Both popliteomeniscal fascicles were seen in 64 of the 66 patients. The fascicles were better seen on T2-weighted images than on proton-density weighted images (P<0.01). On the T2-weighted images, fascicle visualization was not significantly affected by the presence or absence of an effusion, slice placement or image windowing (P=0.2 to 1.0). On proton-density weighted images, fascicle visualization was significantly improved when high-contrast windowing was used (P=0.04). In conclusion, we found that the popliteomeniscal fascicles are normally seen on MR imaging of the knee when there are no lateral compartment injuries. The fascicles are significantly better visualized on T2-weighted than on proton-density weighted images. Visualization is not significantly affected by the presence of an effusion or slice placement. Received: 3 May 1999 Revision requested: 17 June 1999 Revision received: 19 July 1999 Accepted: 29 July 1999