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Solid-phase extraction (SPE) methods are easy, rapid, and reliable. Their growing popularity is in part due to their operational simplicity and cost reduction in solvents, and partly because they are easier to automate. Sphingolipids are implicated in various cellular events such as growth, differentiation, and apoptosis. However, their separation by small SPE cartridges has attracted limited attention. Here we describe an SPE procedure on aminopropyl cartridges that by sequential elution allows the separation of a lipid mixture into free ceramides, neutral glycosphingolipids, neutral phospholipids (sphingomyelin), and a fraction containing the acidic phospholipids and phosphorylated sphingoid bases, phosphoceramides and sulfatides. Individual components are obtained in high yield and purity. We applied the procedure to obtain data on separation of [3H]myristic acid-labeled sphingolipids from fish gills, and from human melanoma tumor tissue. Individual lipids in the SPE fractions were identified by chromatography on several high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) systems. The chromatographic behavior of free sphingoid bases is also reported. —Bodennec, J., O. Koul, I. Aguado, G. Brichon, G. Zwingelstein, and J. Portoukalian. A procedure for fractionation of sphingolipid classes by solid-phase extraction on aminopropyl cartridges. J. Lipid Res. 2000. 41: 1524–1531.

Introduction: In-hospital 3D printing is being implemented in orthopaedic departments worldwide, being used for additive manufacturing of fracture models (or even surgical guides) which are sterilized and used in the operating room. However, to save time and material, prints are nearly hollow, while 3D printers are placed in non-sterile rooms. The aim of our study is to evaluate whether common sterilization methods can sterilize the inside of the pieces, which would be of utmost importance in case a model breaks during a surgical intervention., Material and Method: A total of 24 cylinders were designed and printed with a 3D printer in Polylactic Acid (PLA) with an infill density of 12%. Manufacturing was paused when 60% of the print was reached and 20 of the cylinders were inoculated with 0.4 mL of a suspension of S epidermidis ATTCC 1228 in saline solution at turbidity 1 McFarland. Printing was resumed, being all the pieces completely sealed with the inoculum inside. Posteriorly, 4 groups were made according to the chosen sterilization method: Ethylene Oxide (EtO), Gas Plasma, Steam Heat or non-sterilized (positive control). Each group included 5 contaminated cylinders and 1 non-contaminated cylinder as a negative control. After sterilization, the inside of the cylinders was cultured during 7 days., Results: We observed bacterial growth of just a few Forming Colony Units (FCU) in 4 out of 5 positive controls and in 2 out of 5 contaminated cylinders sterilized with Gas Plasma. We could not assess any bacterial growth in any of the EtO or Steam Heat samples or in any of the negative controls. Pieces sterilized under Steam Heat resulted completely deformed., Conclusions: High temperatures reached during the procedure of additive manufacturing can decrease the bacterial load of the biomodels. However, there is a potential risk of contamination during the procedure. We recommend sterilization with EtO for in-hospital 3D-printed PLA hollow biomodels or guides. Otherwise, in case of using Gas Plasma, an infill of 100% should be applied., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: Distal radius fracture (DRF) is the most common upper extremity fracture. The incidence of complications after surgical treatment still remains high. The objective of our study was to assess functional and radiological results of DRF treated with volar locking plate., Methods: We conducted a retrospective study including DRF treated by open reduction and internal fixation with a volar locking plate during a period of 8 years (2010-2018). Data were collected from clinical records and included patient demographics, fracture characteristics, radiological parameters (radial inclination, palmar tilt, ulnar variance, articular step-off), range of motion (ROM), complications and reinterventions., Results: A total of 170 patients (63.5% female) met the inclusion criteria with a mean age of 55.9 years [24.1-83.7; 13.76]. High energy injuries were more frequent in younger patients (25.56% vs 3.95%; p < 0.0001). AO classification was: 2R3A: 23.5%, 2R3B: 24.1% and 2R3C: 52.4%. Time until surgery was 8.5 days, longer in extraarticular fractures (AO-2R3A: 12.22 days, AO-2R3B: 7.97 days, AO-2R3C: 7.04 days, p = 0.018). Younger patients had better radial inclination (excellent in 85.1% vs 59.21%, p = 0.001) and radial shortening (excellent in 100% vs 88.15%, p = 0.001). ROM was: flexion 63° [0-90°; 19.73], extension 57.67° [5-90°; 21.61], pronation 78.94° [40-90°] and supination 81.76° [38-90°; 8.87]. We found a weak correlation between ROM in flexion-extension and radial shortening (r = 0.218; p = 0.001) and articular step-off (r = -0.269; p = 0.002). We had 39 complications (21.18% of patients). 10.6% of patients needed a re-operation, being the most frequent hardware removal (6.5%) and tendinous disruptions repairs (2.4%). Reintervention rate was higher in younger patients (14.9% vs 5.3%; p = 0.042), complete articular fractures (AO-2R3A: 2.5%; AO-2R3B: 7.3%; AO-2R3C: 15.7%; p = 0.037) and high energy injuries (8.4% vs 22.2%; p = 0.044). Patients undergoing reintervention had a decreased flexion-extension (94.44° vs 123.83°, p = 0.007)., Conclusion: Radial shortening and articular step-off seem the most important predictors for postoperative range of motion. Worse radiological outcomes are observed in complete articular fractures and those affecting elder population. Although radiological and functional results are good or excellent in most of cases, the incidence of complications and need for reintervention still remains noticeable. Re-operations were more frequent in younger patients, complete articular fractures and high energy injuries, and it worsened functional outcomes., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest None., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Several authors have suggested a correlation between the fracture patterns of proximal femur fractures and the degree of hip osteoarthritis (HOA), but the current evidence to support this are insufficient. The aim of our study was to demonstrate whether there is an association between the grade of HOA and fracture pattern observed, in patients presenting with a fragility fracture of the proximal femur., Materials and Methods: We contacted a retrospective review of all patients presenting to our institution with fragility fractures involving the proximal femur, between March 2012 and October 2013. Pathological fractures, high-energy injuries and patients with less than one year of follow-up were excluded from further analysis. Admission radiographs and severity of HOA were assessed according to Kellgren and Lawrence scale (minimal: Grades 1-2; severe: Grades 3-4). Fractures were classified according to AO/OTA classification., Results: A total of 1003 patients (725 females; 1003 fractures) met the inclusion criteria, having a mean age of 81.5 (46-106 years). With regards to fracture classification, 417 (41.6%) fractures were classified as extracapsular and 586 (58.4%) as intracapsular. A total of 939 (93.9%) patients presented with minimal HOA, whilst 61 (6.1%) of the patients presented with severe HOA. Of the 61 patients presenting with severe HOA, 42 patients (68.9%) sustained a 31A-interthrocanteric fracture and 19 patients (31.1%) sustained a 31B-intracapsular fracture. Regarding the patients presenting with minimal HOA (832 patients in total), 323 patients (38.8%) sustained 31A-intertrochanteric fracture and 509 patients (61.2%) sustained a 31B-intracapsular fracture. Patients presenting with severe HOA were found to have a statistically significant chance to present with an extracapsular fracture (p<0.01)., Conclusions: The degree of HOA is related to the fracture pattern in patients presenting following simple mechanical falls. More specifically, higher grades of HOA are associated with extracapsular fracture patterns, whereas lower grades of HOA are associated with intracapsular fracture patterns., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: Our aim was to investigate whether patients presenting with fragility fractures of the proximal femur are receiving osteoporosis treatment and to assess the number of other fragility fractures they have sustained prior to admission., Methods: All patients presenting to our institution with fragility fractures of the proximal femur within an 18-month period (January 2012-August 2013) were included. Patient demographics; fracture classification (AO/OTA); American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) grade; Abbreviated Mental Test Score (AMTS) on admission; type of operation; time to operation; peri-operative complications; length of hospital stay (LOS); walking status; osteoporotic medication; Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) results; additional fragility fractures; and mortality were collected and analysed., Results: A total of 1004 patients (278 male) met the inclusion criteria and were included into the study. The mean age was 82.01 years and mean LOS was 19.54days. Fifty-four per cent of the patients were admitted from their own homes whereas 43% were capable to walk indoors without any aids before their injury. Mean time to surgery was 2.06days (Median: 1.31, range: 0-26days). Three hundred and six patients (30.5%) had at least another fragility fracture before the index episode (mean 1.40 fractures; SD: 0.71 fractures; range: 1-6 fractures). Only 16.4% were under complete osteoporosis treatment on admission, defined as receiving calcium with vitamin D and a bisphosphonate or an alternative agent. When we compared patients without a history of a previous fragility fracture (Group A) and patients with at least another previous fragility fracture (Group B), we found that patients in Group B had a significantly lower AMTS score, lower bone mineral density (BMD) as evident on the DEXA scan, an inferior mobility before admission and a higher incidence of extracapsular fractures (p<0.05). On discharge, patients in Group B had a higher chance of receiving complete bone protection compared to group A (27.9% versus 41.7%; p<0.01). Following discharge, 11.2% of the patients sustained an additional fragility fracture. The mean time from the index episode to the additional fracture was 0.65 years, whilst these injuries were more frequent in Group B (RR=1.638; p<0.05)., Conclusion: Patients presenting with a hip fracture are generally under-treated for osteoporosis. Post-operative assessment by a designated geriatrician and use of a standardised protocol is of paramount importance for reducing the risk of additional fragility fractures. Additionally, screening of the elderly population for identifying the patients who suffer from osteoporosis can potentially reduce the risk of sustaining a further fragility fracture., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: It is known that infants with viral respiratory infections severe enough to require hospital admission have a high risk of developing recurrent wheezing. Few data have been published on unselected populations. The main aim of this study was to analyse symptomatic and asymptomatic respiratory viral infections during the first year of life in a cohort of infants, recruited at birth, and the development of recurrent wheezing., Patients and Methods: A total of 302 newborns were recruited. A nasopharyngeal aspirate was taken when the patients had a respiratory infection, as well as in the visits for vaccination at 2, 4, 6, and 12 months. RT-nested PCR assays were performed to detect 16 viruses., Results: A total of 1293 samples were analysed (1005 healthy controls and 288 respiratory infections). Samples taken during routine check-ups were positive in 30.8% of cases, while those with respiratory infection were positive in 77.8%, P  < .001 (OR: 3, 95% CI: 2.4-3.8). A total of 239 (79%) infants had at least 1 positive respiratory viral infection detected. The most frequent virus (71%) was rhinovirus (RV). Recurrent wheezing was found in 27 (11%) children during their first year of life (1.2 episodes, SD 2.9). Recurrent wheezing was present in 58.3% of patients admitted to hospital during their first viral infection, vs. 8.6% of infants when the first infection was mild or who had asymptomatic viral detection, P  < .001 (OR: 2.18; 95% CI: 1.05-4.5)., Conclusions: In our series, severe respiratory infections leading to hospitalisation in the first months of life are risk factors for developing wheezing, but not in the case of mild RV infections., (© 2016 Asociación Española de Pediatría. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Solid-phase extraction (SPE) methods are easy, rapid, and reliable. Their growing popularity is in part due to their operational simplicity and cost reduction in solvents, and partly because they are easier to automate. Sphingolipids are implicated in various cellular events such as growth, differentiation, and apoptosis. However, their separation by small SPE cartridges has attracted limited attention. Here we describe an SPE procedure on aminopropyl cartridges that by sequential elution allows the separation of a lipid mixture into free ceramides, neutral glycosphingolipids, neutral phospholipids (sphingomyelin), and a fraction containing the acidic phospholipids and phosphorylated sphingoid bases, phosphoceramides and sulfatides. Individual components are obtained in high yield and purity. We applied the procedure to obtain data on separation of [(3)H]myristic acid-labeled sphingolipids from fish gills, and from human melanoma tumor tissue. Individual lipids in the SPE fractions were identified by chromatography on several high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) systems. The chromatographic behavior of free sphingoid bases is also reported.