Locking plates for distal fibula fractures in young and elderly patients:A retrospective study

BACKGROUND Ankle fractures are common injuries in the young and elderly populations.To prevent post-traumatic arthritis,an anatomic reconstruction of the ankle structure is mandatory.Open reduction and internal fixation is the treatment of choice among orthopaedics.Conventional plates allow stability of the fracture if bone quality is present.Locking plates might offer an advantage for the treatment of lateral malleolar fracture in patients with comminution,severe instability,distal fractures,or osteoporotic bone.Our hospital introduced a new locking plate for fracture of the distal fibula.AIM To evaluate locking plates in terms of outcomes and complications in young and elderly patients.METHODS We retrospectively reviewed a total of 67 patients treated for displaced distal fibula fractures.Demographic data,number of comorbidities,use of inter fragmentary screw,complication,time of fracture healing,partial or full weight bearing,and reoperation were recorded for all patients.Clinical outcome was assessed by the American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society clinical scoring system.Radiographs were obtained at 4,8,12,16,20,and 24 wk until radiographic union was obtained.RESULTS All patients displayed complete bony union on radiographic assessment,and no patients developed any serious complications.We observed two superficial infections,one delayed wound healing,and two plate intolerances.Significant differences were observed between the two age groups in terms of radiographic healing(11.9 wk in younger patients vs 13.7 wk in older patients;P=0.011)and in the American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society score at 6 mo after surgery(88.2 in younger patients vs 86.0 in older patients;P=0.001)and at 12 mo after surgery(92.6 in younger patients vs 90.0 in older patients;P=0.000).CONCLUSION Locking plates provide a stable and rigid fixation in multifragmentary and comminuted fractures or in the presence of poor bone quality.

Anticancer activity of Salvia officinalis essential oil and its principal constituents against hormone-dependent tumour cells

Objective: To investigate the in vitro antiproliferative action of essential oil from Salvia officinalis L.(S. officinalis) grown in Sicily(Italy), and its main components on hormone-dependent cancer cell lines. Methods: S. officinalis essential oil was prepared by hydrodistillation. The actions of the S. officinalis essential oil and its three principal components(毩-thujone, 1,8-cineole and camphor) were evaluated in LNCaP cells(prostate carcinoma), MCF7 cells(breast carcinoma) and He La cells(cervical carcinoma) at various dosages and diverse time points. Cell viability and proliferation were estimated using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay. Results: S. officinalis essential oil at doses of 100 μg/m L and 200 μg/m L induced a significant reduction of cell viability in MCF7, LNCa P and He La cell lines after a 48-hour incubation. The same cell lines also showed decreased cell viability when they were treated with a mixture of three major components of the essential oil, at doses of 100 μg/mL and 200 μg/mL, after a 48-hour incubation. Conclusions: These preliminary results could shed light on the formulation of new therapeutic agents with antiproliferative activity. Thus supplementary investigations are fundamental to examine the molecular mechanisms of the anticancer effects of this species of Salvia in cancer cells and to achieve confirmation of its in vivo anticancer activity.

Obesity and bariatric surgery in kidney transplantation:A clinical review

Obesity is increasing worldwide,and this has major implications in the setting of kidney transplantation.Patients with obesity may have limited access to transplantation and increased posttransplant morbidity and mortality.Most transplant centers incorporate interventions aiming to target obesity in kidney transplant candidates,including dietary education and lifestyle modifications.For those failing nutritional restriction and medical therapy,the use of bariatric surgery may increase the transplant candidacy of patients with obesity and endstage renal disease(ESRD)and may potentially improve the immediate and late outcomes.Bariatric surgery in ESRD patients is associated with weight loss ranging from 29.8% to 72.8% excess weight loss,with reported mortality and morbidity rates of 2% and 7%,respectively.The most commonly performed bariatric surgical procedures in patients with ESRD and in transplant patients are laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy(LSG)and laparoscopic Roux-en-Y gastric bypass.However,the correct timing of bariatric surgery and the ideal type of surgery have yet to be determined,although pretransplant LSG seems to be associated with an acceptable risk-benefit profile.We review the impact of obesity on kidney transplant candidates and recipients and in potential living kidney donors,exploring the potential impact of bariatric surgery in addressing obesity in these populations,thereby potentially improving posttransplant outcomes.

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation for post-traumatic stress disorder:Lights and shadows

We have read with interest the publication that describes the available data related to the use of neuromodulation strategies for the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder(PTSD).Despite treatment advances,however,a substantial proportion of PTSD patients receiving psychological and/or pharmacological treatment do not reach an adequate clinical response.In their paper,the authors draw attention to the current understanding of the use of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation(rTMS)as a potential treatment for PTSD.Most of the previous studies indeed applied both inhibitory(1 Hz)and excitatory(>1 Hz,up to 20 Hz)rTMS to the right and/or left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex.Despite larger therapeutic effects observed when high-frequency stimulation was applied,the question of which side and frequency of stimulation is the most successful is still debated.The authors also reported on the after-effect of rTMS related to neuroplasticity and identified the intermittent theta burst stimulation as a technique of particular interest because of it showed the most effective improvement on PTSD symptoms.However,although numerous studies have highlighted the possible beneficial use of rTMS protocols for PTSD,the exact mechanism of action remains unclear.In their conclusions,the authors stated that rTMS has been demonstrated to be effective for the treatment of PTSD symptoms.Nevertheless,we believe that further research with homogeneous samples,standardized protocols,and objective outcome measures is needed to identify specific therapeutic targets and to better define significant changes when active and sham stimulation procedures are compared.

Utility of fluorescent cholangiography during laparoscopic cholecystectomy: A systematic review

AIM: To verify the utility of fluorescent cholangiography for more rigorous identification of the extrahepatic biliary system.METHODS: MEDLINE and Pub Med searches were performed using the key words "fluorescent cholangiography", "fluorescent angiography", "intraoperative fluorescent imaging", and "laparoscopic cholecystectomy" in order to identify relevant articles published in English, French, German, and Italian during the years of 2009 to 2014. Reference lists from the articles were reviewed to identify additional pertinent articles. For studies published in languages other than those mentioned above, all available information was collected from their English abstracts. Retrieved manuscripts(case reports, reviews, and abstracts) concerning the application of fluorescent cholangiography were reviewed by the authors, and the data were extracted using a standardized collection tool. Data were subsequently analyzed with descriptive statistics. In contrast to classic meta-analyses, statistical analysis was performed where the outcome was calculated as the percentages of an event(without comparison) in pseudo-cohorts of observed patients.RESULTS: A total of 16 studies were found that involved fluorescent cholangiography during standard laparoscopic cholecystectomies(n = 11), singleincision robotic cholecystectomies(n = 3), multiport robotic cholecystectomy(n = 1), and single-incision laparoscopic cholecystectomy(n = 1). Overall, these preliminary studies indicated that this novel technique was highly sensitive for the detection of important biliary anatomy and could facilitate the prevention of bile duct injuries. The structures effectively identified before dissection of Calot's triangle included the cystic duct(CD), the common hepatic duct(CHD), the common bile duct(CBD), and the CD-CHD junction. A review of the literature revealed that the frequenciesof detection of the extrahepatic biliary system ranged from 71.4% to 100% for the CD, 33.3% to 100% for the CHD, 50% to 100% for the CBD, and 25% to 100% for the CD-CHD junction. However, the frequency of visualization of the CD and the CBD were reduced in patients with a body mass index > 35 kg/m2 relative to those with a body mass index < 35 kg/m2(91.0% and 64.0% vs 92.3% and 71.8%, respectively).CONCLUSION: Fluorescent cholangiography is a safe procedure enabling real-time visualization of bile duct anatomy and may become standard practice to prevent bile duct injury during laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Rare cause of odynophagia: Giant esophageal ulcer

Gastrointestinal complications are a frequent cause of morbidity after transplantation and may affect up to 40% of kidney transplant recipients. Here we report a rare case of idiopathic giant esophageal ulcer in a kidney transplant recipient. A 37-year-old female presented with a one-week history of odynophagia and weight loss. Upon admission, the patient presented cold sores, and a quantitative cytomegalovirus polymerase chain reaction was positive(105 copies/ml). An upper endoscopy demonstrated the presence of a giant ulcer. Serological test and tissue biopsies were unable to demonstrate an infectious origin of the ulcer. Immunosuppression was reduced and everolimus was introduced. An empirical i.v. therapy with acyclovir was started, resulting in a dramatic improvement in symptoms and complete healing of the ulcer. Only two cases of idiopathic giant esophageal ulcer in kidney transplant recipients have been reported in the literature; in both cases, steroid therapy was successful without recurrence of symptoms or endoscopic findings. However, this report suggests that correction of immune imbalance is mandatory to treat such a rare complication.

Gastrointestinal complications after kidney transplantation

Gastrointestinal complications are common after renal transplantation,and they have a wide clinical spectrum,varying from diarrhoea to post-transplant inflammatory bowel disease(IBD).Chronic immunosuppression may increase the risk of post-transplant infection and medication-related injury and may also be responsible for IBD in kidney transplant re-cipients despite immunosuppression.Differentiating the various forms of post-transplant colitis is challenging,since most have similar clinical and histological features.Drug-related colitis are the most frequently encountered colitis after kidney transplantation,particularly those related to the chronic use of mycophenolate mofetil,while de novo IBDs are quite rare.This review will explore colitis after kidney transplantation,with a particular focus on different clinical and histological features,attempting to clearly identify the right treatment,thereby improving the final outcome of patients.

Acetabular revisions using porous tantalum components: A retrospective study with 5-10 years follow-up

AIM To evaluate the clinical and X-ray results of acetabular components and tantalum augments in prosthetic hip revisions.METHODS Fifty-eight hip prostheses with primary failure of the acetabular component were reviewed with tantalum implants. The clinical records and X-rays of these cases were retrospectively reviewed. Bone defect evaluations were based on preoperative CT scans and classified according to Paprosky criteria of Radiolucent lines and periprosthetic gaps; implant mobilization and osteolysis were evaluated by X-ray. An ad hoc database was created and statistical analyses were performed with SPSS software(IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, version 23.0). Statistical analyses were carried out using the Student's t test for independent and paired samples. A P value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant and cumulative survival was calculated by the KaplanMeier method.RESULTS The mean follow-up was 87.6 ± 25.6 mo(range 3-120 mo). 25 cases(43.1%) were classified as minor defects, and 33 cases(56.9%) as major defects. The preoperative HHS rating improved significantly from a mean of 40.7 ± 6.1(range: 29-53) before revision, to a mean of 85.8 ± 6.1(range: 70-94) at the end of the follow-up(Student's t test for paired samples: P < 0.001). Considering HHS only at the end of follow-up, no statistically significant difference was observed between patients with a major or minor defect(Student's t test for independent samples: P > 0.05). Radiolucent lines were found in 4 implants(6.9%). Postoperative acetabular gaps were observed in 5 hips(8.6%). No signs of implant mobilization or areas of periprosthetic osteolysis were found in the x-rays at the final follow-up. Only 3 implants failed: 1 case of infection and 2 cases of instability. Defined as the end-point, cumulative survival at 10 years was 95%(for all reasons) and 100% for aseptic loosening of the acetabular component.CONCLUSION The medium-term use of prosthetic tantalum components in prosthetic hip revisions is safe and effective in a wide variety of acetabular bone defects.

Microsurgical tunica albuginea transplantation in an animal model

Several andrological diseases require surgical repair or reconstruction of tunica albuginea, which envelops the corpora cavernosa penis. Despite intense research efforts involving a variety of biological materials, such as skin, muscle aponeurosis, human dura mater, tunica vaginalis, and pericardium, engineered tunica albuginea suitable for graft use is yet to be obtained. The study investigates microsurgical tunica albuginea allotransplantation in an animal model with the purpose of creation of an organ-specific tissue bank to store penile tissue, from cadaveric donors and male-to-female trans-sexual surgery, for allogeneic transplantation. Materials were tunica albuginea tissue explanted from 15 donor rats, cryopreserved at -80~C, gamma-irradiated, and implanted in 15 recipient rats, of which three rats were used as controls. Penile grafts were explanted at different time intervals; after macroscopic evaluation of the organ, the grafts were processed to morphological, histochemical, and immunohistochemical examinations by light microscopy. Detection of pro-inflammatory cytokines was also performed. Examination of the tunica albuginea allografts collected 1, 3, or 6 months after surgery and of control tunica albuginea fragments showed that tunica albuginea implants achieved biointegration with adjacent tissue at all-time points. The integration of cryopreserved rat tunica albuginea allografts, documented by our study, encourages the exploration of tunica albuginea allotransplantation in humans. In conclusion, the effectiveness and reliability of the tunica albuginea conditioning protocol described here suggest the feasibility of setting up a tunica albuginea bank as a further tissue bank.