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Zygomycosis is an aggressive fungal infection occurred in immunocompromised patients commonly involving sinuses and lungs. zygomycosis has been reported in road traffic accidents and in farmland injuries. The mortality rate of zygomycosis is 40% to 80% due to angioinvasion. We report a case of immunocompetent young girl developing zygomycosis after road traffic accident in a urban area. The extensive infection patient survived after above knee amputation and antifungal therapy.

Synthesis of low molecular weight poly(dl-lactic-co-glycolic acid), homopolymer poly lactic acid (PLA), and formulation of a hydrophilic blend with polycaprolactam and polyvinyl alcohol is reported. The surface properties and the morphology of the blends were characterized with a goniometer and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The mechanical property was analyzed with a tensile strength analyzer. The composition of these blends was verified by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), 1H, and 13C NMR spectroscopy. The biocompatibility and hemocompatibility and the extent of salt encrustation and adhesion of virulent bacterial strains on the blends were also investigated. All the blends were biocompatible and hemocompatible. Adhesion of virulent E. coli was high with blood plasma protein pretreated blends than P. mirabilis. The pattern of encrustation of Ca, Mg, and P was similar on all the blends with calcium being the predominant encrustant. After 3 weeks, 3-10% weight loss was observed with maximum weight loss observed in the poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) 10:90 based blend. The PLA based blend dominates all the other blends in all the aspects tested. � 2012 American Chemical Society.

Articular cartilage defects have a poor capacity for repair. Most of the current treatment options result in the formation of fibro-cartilage, which is functionally inferior to normal hyaline articular cartilage. We studied the effectiveness of allogenic chondrocyte transplantation for focal articular cartilage defects in rabbits. Chondrocytes were cultured in vitro from cartilage harvested from the knee joints of a New Zealand White rabbit. A 3 mm defect was created in the articular cartilage of both knees in other rabbits. The cultured allogenic chondrocytes were transplanted into the defect in the right knees and closed with a periosteal flap, while the defects in the left knees served as controls and were closed with a periosteal flap alone, without chondrocytes. Healing of the defects was assessed at 12 weeks by histological studies. Allogenic chondrocyte transplantation significantly increased the amount of newly formed repair tissue (P=0.04) compared with that found in the control knees. The histological quality score of the repair tissue was significantly better (P=0.05), with more hyaline characteristics in the knees treated with allogenic chondrocytes than in the control knees. Articular cartilage defects treated with allogenic chondrocyte transplantation result in better repair tissue formation with hyaline characteristics than those in control knees.