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A (toy) model for cold and luke-warm strongly-coupled nuclear matter at finite baryon density, is used to study neutrino transport. The complete charged current two-point correlators are computed in the strongly-coupled medium and their impact on neutrino transport is analyzed. The full result is compared with various approximations for the current correlators and the distributions, including the degenerate approximation, the hydrodynamic approximation as well as the diffusive approximation and we comment on their successes. Further improvements are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The single baryon solution of V-QCD is numerically computed. The spectrum of spin and isospin modes is also computed by quantizing the light fluctuations around the baryon. It is shown that there is a partial restoration of chiral symmetry at the baryon center. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The structure of the five-dimensional Tachyon-Chern-Simons action and its relevance to single-baryon states in the context of the V-QCD models for holographic QCD with backreacting flavor are analyzed. The most general form of the Tachyon-Chern-Simons 5-form, compatible with symmetries and flavor anomalies is determined. It is the sum of a non-trivial gauge-invariant 5-dimensional form and a non-invariant closed 5-form that reproduces the flavor anomalies. Single-baryon solutions of the gravity theory, arising from the DBI plus Tachyon-Chern-Simons actions are considered. The baryon is realised as a bulk axial instanton. The baryon ansatz and the field equations are derived and the boundary conditions are determined, which ensure that the solution has finite boundary energy and unit baryon charge. The boundary baryon number, which is computed from the universal (closed) part of the Tachyon-Chern-Simons action, is shown to coincide with the bulk axial instanton number. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of International Orthopaedics is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The objectives of this study were to learn how hip fracture patients fall, and to compare the mechanics of their falls with those falls that did not result in hip fracture. In this way we sought to obtain reliable insight into the etiology and pathogenesis of hip fracture and fracture prevention. A total of 206 consecutive patients with fresh hip fracture and 100 controls were interviewed and examined between October 1994 and May 1996. The only inclusion criterion was that the fracture had occurred within 24 hours of hospital admittance. The control subjects were admitted from the same community after an accidental fall that did not result in hip fracture. The characteristics of the accident were determined by personal interview and examination of the patients within 24 hours of the event. In 98% of the hip fracture patients, the fracture was a result of a fall. The majority of the patients (76%) reported that they had fallen directly to the side. Forty-eight fracture cases had one or more eyewitnesses and their reports supported this observation. In 56% of the hip fracture patients, a fresh subcutaneous hematoma was seen on the greater trochanter of the proximal femur; such a hematoma was rare in the controls (6%) (P < 0. 001), and this gave evidence for the direct impact of the greater trochanter during the fall of the hip fracture subjects. Most of the elderly fallers who fractured a hip did not manage to break the fall, e.g., with an outstretched arm. In conclusion, our results suggest that a typical hip fracture is the result of a fall and a subsequent impact on the greater trochanter of the proximal femur. The clinical implication of this finding is that effective prevention of hip fractures could be achieved by the diminution of the number and severity of falls of the elderly. We suggest that the severity of the falls (impacts on the greater trochanter) could be decreased by an external hip protector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this 1-year prospective follow-up study was to assess, with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), the effect of an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury of the knee on areal bone mineral density (BMD) of the injured extremity and lumbar spine in two separate patient groups: 21 surgically treated patients (group A) and 12 conservatively treated patients (group B). Clinical and functional status of the patients and BMD of the spine (L2-L4), dominant distal radius, femoral neck, trochanter area of the femur, distal femur, patella, proximal tibia, and calcaneus of both lower extremities were determined at the time of the injury and after 4, 8, and 12 months. A surgically treated, complete ACL rupture (group A) resulted in considerable and statistically significant bone loss to the affected knee (distal femur 21%, patella 17%, proximal tibia 14%; P < 0.001 in each), whereas the other sites were clearly less affected. Patients with a conservatively treated, complete or partial ACL injury (group B) had only a small but statistically significant bone loss at the patella (-3%; P = 0.005) and proximal tibia (-2%; P = 0.022) of the injured knee, and the other sites remained unchanged. The obvious differences between the groups A and B in the severity of the injury itself (complete or partial tear), its treatment (surgical or conservative), and subsequent rehabilitation (longer nonweight-bearing times in group A) explain these different BMD results, and the forthcoming years will show whether the considerable posttraumatic osteoporosis in the affected knee of group A patients will finally recover, and if so, to what extent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of International Orthopaedics is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In the years 1980-1989, 78 patients with an acute anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture sustained during downhill or cross-country skiing were treated at the University Hospital of Tampere, Finland. In every case, the ACL rupture was verified at arthroscopy or open surgery. The injury mechanism could be clarified for 51 patients using a collection of pictures of the most typical injury mechanisms in skiing. Thirty-nine of them (76%) were women and 12 men (24%). In 32 cases (63%) the injury occurred during downhill skiing and in 19 cases (37%) during cross-country skiing. In 24 cases (47%) the injury mechanism was valgus-external rotation, in 21 cases (41%) flexion-internal rotation, in two cases hyperextension-internal rotation, while in four cases the exact mechanism remained unclear. The great majority of the patients with an injury mechanism of flexion-internal rotation were women (90%), and they were significantly older than the patients with an injury mechanism of valgus-external rotation (mean ages 44 and 34 years, respectively; P < 0.05). According to the patients' subjective evaluation, the main reasons for the injury were poor ski area conditions (such as slippery slopes and trails) and deficient equipment, especially poorly functioning bindings. Many of them had had little skiing experience before the accident. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Achilles paratenonitis and medial tibial syndrome are the most common specific overuse injuries among athletes in Finland, and they are a problem especially in endurance sports, such as long-distance running and jogging. Conservative treatment is often successful, but if it fails operative treatment is necessary. The surgical methods developed in Finland, which are widely used in the treatment of Achilles paratenonitis and medial tibial syndrome, are presented with clinical follow-up results in this paper. The patients operated on for Achilles paratenonitis were some years older than the patients operated on for retrocalcaneal bursitis (mean 38.4 versus 32.3 years). Results after operation were excellent or good in 92.4% of 291 patients operated on for Achilles paratenonitis, 84.2% of the 63 operated on for retrocalcaneal bursitis and 79% of the 47 operated on for medial tibial syndrome. All the patients treated operatively were patients in whom conservative treatment had failed. In conclusion, operative treatment of Achilles paratenonitis or medial tibial syndrome in athletes is indicated when these complaints do not respond to any type of conservative treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Between September 1987 and November 1989, we treated 90 consecutive patients with an acute anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture with the multiple suture technique and iliotibial band augmentation. Seventy of these patients were re-examined 2 to 5 years after the operation (mean 3.5 years), the examination consisting of a questionnaire, clinical examination, laxity tests with the KSS machine (Acufex), radiological examination and isokinetic muscle strength testing (Cybex 6000). There were 32 men and 38 women (mean age 34 years). The injury was sustained in sports in 44 (63%) cases, and the sports most frequently involved were downhill skiing (18 cases), soccer (9 cases) and volleyball (5 cases). Of the injuries, 38 were isolated ACL ruptures and 31, ACL ruptures combined with a medial CL rupture. In 9 cases, an additional meniscus injury and in one case an additional posterior CL - lateral CL rupture was found. At the follow-up, 55 patients (79%) were satisfied with the end result, and according to our objective functional criteria 55 (79%) had an excellent or good outcome. According to the Lysholm score, 53 (76%) patients were excellent or good (> or = 82 points). In the Lachman test, 29 knees (41%) were completely stable. The Lachman test was mildy positive in 40 knees (57%) (36 had 1+ laxity and 4, 2+ laxity), and one patient had 3+ laxity with a hard end-point. Similarly, the anterior drawer test was negative in 53 knees (76%), and the other 17 (24%) had mild laxity (16 had 1+ laxity and 1, 2+ laxity). The total anterior-posterior laxity measured with the KSS averaged 9.7 +/- 3.5 mm in the injured knee and 7.3 + 3.0 mm in the uninjured knee (the laxity measured at a knee angle of 20 degrees of flexion). Corresponding values at a knee angle of 90 degrees of flexion were 6.1 +/- 2.4 mm and 4.7 +/- 1.9 mm, respectively. The pivot shift test was negative in 62 patients (89%) and 1+ positive in the remaining 8 patients (11%). Fifty-eight patients (83%) had full knee extension and 40 patients (57%), full knee flexion. Compared with the uninjured knee, the operated knees showed an average 14% strength deficit in isokinetic knee extension and 6% deficit in flexion at the speed of 60 degrees/s. At the speed of 180 degrees/s, the corresponding deficits were 8% and 4%, respectively. Of the 44 patients who were active in sport before the injury, 40 (91%) were able to return to sports. A flexion deficit of 5 degrees or more was associated with thigh muscle atrophy (P < 0.05) and quadriceps weakness, both at the slow speed (P < 0.05) and high speed (P < 0.001) of the isokinetic movement. In conclusion, in an acute rupture of the ACL, primary repair of the ligament with intraarticular iliotibial band augmentation seems to be a good method to restore the functional capacity of the injured knee. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bone mineral density (BMD) and clinical status of 40 patients with a chronic, unilateral patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS) were determinated. The mean duration of the disease at the time of the follow-up was 7.6 ± 1.8 (SD) years. The BMD was measured at the spine (L2–L4), and the femoral neck, trochanter area of the femur, distal femur, patella, proximal tibia, and calcaneus of both lower extremities using a dual-energy X-ray absorptiometric (DXA) scanner. The mean BMD of the affected limb (compared with the unaffected side) was significantly lower in the distal femur (−3.3%; P= 0.002), patella (−2.5%; P= 0.016), and proximal tibia (−1.9%; P= 0.008). The femoral neck, trochanter area of the femur, and calcaneus showed no significant side-to-side differences, and the spinal BMDs of men and women with the PFPS were comparable with the manufacturer's age-adjusted reference values for Western European men and women. The relative BMDs of the affected knee showed strongest correlation with the muscle strength of the same knee: the better the muscle strength compared with the healthy knee, the higher the relative BMD (r = 0.56–0.58 with P < 0.001 in each anatomic site of the knee). In the stepwise regression analysis, low body weight or low body mass index, high level of physical activity, the patient's good subjective overall assessment of his/her affected knee, and short duration of the symptoms were also independent predictors of the high relative BMD in the affected knee so that along with the muscle strength these variables could account for 51% of the variation seen in the relative BMD of the femur, 61% in the patella, and 54% in the proximal tibia. In conclusion, chronic patellofemoral pain syndrome results in a significantly decreased BMD in the knee region of the affected limb. The spine, proximal femur, and calcaneus are not affected. Recovery of normal muscle strength and knee function seems to be of great importance for good BMD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this prospective controlled study was to determine whether the osteogenic response of bone to mechanical loading is dependent on the vitamin D receptor (VDR) polymorphism. Thirty-five healthy premenopausal women took part in a progressive, high-impact exercise three times a week for a period of 18 months and 45 women served as nonexercising controls. The trainees were divided into three groups: bb (n = 12, 34%); Bb (n = 16, 46%); BB (n = 7, 20%) according to polymorphism at the gene encoding the VDR (BB representing subjects without the restriction enzyme BsmI sites on the two VDR gene alleles). Bone mineral content (BMC) and areal bone mineral density (BMD) were measured at the lumber spine, proximal femur, knee, calcaneus, and dominant distal radius before the beginning of the exercise regimen and at 12 and 18 months of training using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA). As an indicator of the total osteogenic effect of the training, SigmaBMC was derived by summing up the BMC values of the loaded sites (i.e., the lower limb sites and the lumbar spine). The mean SigmaBMC increased 2.0% in the bb group, 3.0% in the Bb group, and 2.8% in the BB group (P = 0.184 for the intergroup difference), but only 0. 8% in the controls (exercisers versus controls, P < 0.001). Individuals with the BB genotype of the VDR gene, subjects with whom the BMC can be lower than normal and whose bones can be less responsive to pharmacological therapies than bones of the other individuals, seem to have as good osteogenic response to mechanical loading as subjects with other VDR genotypes. Thus, irrespective of the VDR genotype, physical activity seems to be beneficial for bones of premenopausal women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve the knowledge of the current trends in the number and incidence of osteoporosis-related pelvic fractures, patients who were admitted to Finnish hospitals in 1970, 1975, 1980, 1985, 1988, and 1991 for primary treatment of first osteoporotic pelvic fracture were selected from the National Hospital Discharge Register. The overall incidence (per 100,000 inhabitants) of osteoporosis-related pelvic fractures (high energy traumas were excluded) in a population aged 60 years or more was 20 in 1970 and 63 in 1991. The increase was most pronounced in the older age groups (patients aged 80 years or more) and was observed in both sexes. The proportion of these osteoporotic pelvic fractures of all pelvic fractures increased from 18% in 1970 to 52% in 1991. Similarly, the proportion of patients over 60 years of age increased from 28% in 1970 to 62% in 1991. In 1991, 78% of the patients with an osteoporotic pelvic fracture were women. Across the study period, the age-adjusted total incidence of osteoporotic pelvic fractures also increased in both women and men 60 years of age and over. The proportional increase was more pronounced in men. We conclude that the number of osteoporotic pelvic fractures in Finland is increasing more rapidly than can be accounted for by the demographic changes only and that effective preventive measures are urgently needed to control the increasing number of these age-related fractures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hip fractures in the elderly are a worldwide epidemic, and aging of the populations is increasing the burden of these fractures on the health care systems. To improve the knowledge of whether the number of hip fractures is increasing even more rapidly than can be accounted for by the demographic changes only, all patients who were admitted to Finnish hospitals in 1970, 1975, 1980, 1985, 1988, and 1991 for primary treatment of first hip fracture were selected from the National Hospital Discharge Register. There was a steady, average 7.7% annual increase in the total number of hip fractures in Finland during this period so that the number of fractures was 2239 in 1970 and 6071 in 1991. The proportion of patients aged 60 years or more increased steadily from 75% in 1970 to 91% in 1991. In 1991, 74% of the patients were women. Across the study period, the age-adjusted total incidence of hip fractures also increased in both women and men 50 years of age and over. This increase was more pronounced in men. Thus, the increasing incidence of hip fractures in Finland was not only due to the fact that the population was aging but also due to the increasing age-adjusted incidence. We conclude that the number of hip fractures in Finland is increasing more rapidly than can be accounted for by the demographic changes only and this will seriously challenge the Finnish health care system in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of International Orthopaedics is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of International Orthopaedics is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of International Orthopaedics is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of International Orthopaedics is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of International Orthopaedics is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of International Orthopaedics is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of International Orthopaedics is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

A holographic model of QCD in the limit of large number of colors, N, and massless fermion flavors, N , but constant ratio x = N /N is analyzed at finite temperature and chemical potential. The five dimensional gravity model contains three bulk fields: a scalar dilaton sourcing Tr F, a scalar tachyon dual to $ \overline{q}q $ and a 4-vector dual to the baryon current $ \overline{q} $γ q. The main result is the μ, T phase diagram of the holographic theory. A first order deconfining transition along T( μ) and a chiral transition at T( μ) > T( μ) are found. The chiral transition is of second order for small μ and becomes of first order at larger μ. The two regimes are separated by a tricritical point. The dependence of thermodynamical quantities including the speed of sound and susceptibilities on the chemical potential and temperature is computed. A new quantum critical regime is found at zero temperature and finite chemical potential. It is controlled by an AdS × R geometry and displays semi-local criticality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phytoplankton constitutes a diverse array of short-lived organisms which derive their nutrients from the water column of lakes. These features make this community the most direct and earliest indicator of the impacts of changing nutrient conditions on lake ecosystems. It also makes them particularly suitable for measuring the success of restoration measures following reductions in nutrient loads. This paper integrates a large volume of work on a number of measures, or metrics, developed for using phytoplankton to assess the ecological status of European lakes, as required for the Water Framework Directive. It assesses the indicator strength of these metrics, specifically in relation to representing the impacts of eutrophication. It also examines how these measures vary naturally at different locations within a lake, as well as between lakes, and how much variability is associated with different replicate samples, different months within a year and between years. On the basis of this analysis, three of the strongest metrics (chlorophyll- a, phytoplankton trophic index (PTI), and cyanobacterial biovolume) are recommended for use as robust measures for assessing the ecological quality of lakes in relation to nutrient-enrichment pressures and a minimum recommended sampling frequency is provided for these three metrics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Der Radiologe is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of International Orthopaedics is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

: The risk factors for falls in older adults are well known but knowledge on the direct injury mechanisms that result in various osteoporotic fractures has been very sparse. The purpose of this study was therefore to clarify the injury mechanisms of osteoporotic upper extremity fractures of older adults and to compare these mechanisms with those of the control fallers, and in this way to obtain reliable insight into the etiology and pathogenesis of upper extremity fractures and thus to enable fracture prevention. One hundred and twelve patients with a fresh fracture of the proximal humerus, 65 patients with an elbow fracture, 110 patients with a wrist fracture and 108 controls (no fracture, or a fracture other than the case fracture) were interviewed and examined between September 1995 and December 1997. The inclusion criteria of the subjects were that the patient was 50 years of age or older at the time of the accident, and that the fracture/injury had occurred as a result of low-energy trauma (typically a fall from standing height or less) within a week before the interview and examination. In 97% of patients with a proximal humerus or elbow fracture, and in all patients (100%) with a wrist fracture, the fracture was a result of a fall. In the control group this figure was 93%. In a polychotomous logistic regression analysis the intergroup differences in the fall directions (adjusted by gender, age and functional capacity) were statistically highly significant (χ2= 43.6, d.f. = 15, p<0.001). Most of the patients with a proximal humerus fracture or elbow fracture reported that they had fallen “obliquely forward” (43% and 38%) or “to the side” (29% and 26%), whereas in the wrist fracture group the main fall direction was also “obliquely forward” (34%) but the other fall directions (i.e., “forward”, “to the side”, “obliquely backward” and “backward”) were quite equally represented (13–19%). The odds ratio (OR) for an obliquely forward fall resulting in a proximal humerus fracture was 3.5 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.4–9.2), as compared with the fall directions of the controls and the “obliquely backward” fall direction. In a logistic regression analysis the patients with a wrist fracture managed to break their fall (e.g., with an outstretched arm) more frequently than the patients in the other groups (OR 3.9; 95% CI 2.0–7.3). The patients with a proximal humerus fracture, in turn, managed to break their fall less frequently than the controls (OR 0.33; 95% CI 0.14–0.80). The same was true of the patients with an elbow fracture, although the difference was not significant (OR 0.49%; 95% CI 0.19–1.3). As objective evidence for a direct fall-induced impact on the fracture site, 68% of patients with a proximal humerus fracture revealed a fresh subcutaneous hematoma on the shoulder/upper arm, while such a hematoma was rare in the controls (2%) (p<0.001). Correspondingly, 62% of patients with an elbow fracture showed a similar hematoma on the elbow area, while this was seen in none of the controls (p<0.001). In patients with a wrist fracture a hand/wrist hematoma was seen in 58% of the victims, as compared with 18% of the controls (p<0.001). The study shows that the most typical osteoporotic upper extremity fractures of older adults have their specific injury mechanisms. A great majority of these fractures occur as a result of a fall and a subsequent direct impact of the fractured site. Effective fracture prevention could be achieved by minimizing the obvious risk factors of falling and reducing the fall-induced impact force with injury site protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

:The purpose of our epidemiologic study was to determine the current trend in the number and incidence of osteoporotic pelvic fractures in Finland, a country with a Caucasian population of 5 million. Thus, all Finns 60 years of age or older who were admitted to hospitals in 1970–1997 for primary treatment of a first osteoporotic pelvic fracture were selected from The National Hospital Discharge Register. In each year of the study, the number and the age-specific and age-adjusted incidences of fractures were expressed as the number of patients per 100 000 individuals. The total number of osteoporotic pelvic fractures increased considerably in Finland during the study period, from 128 in 1970 to 913 in 1997, an average increase of 23% a year. The corresponding fracture incidence (per 100 000 persons 60 years of age or older) was 20 in 1970 and 92 in 1997. The mean age of the patients also increased, from 74 years (1970) to 80 years (1997). Despite this, the age-adjusted incidence of osteoporotic pelvic fractures also showed a steady increase from 1970 to 1997: in women, from 31 to 103, and in men, from 13 to 38 (relative increases were 232% and 192%, respectively). If this trend continues, the current number of osteoporotic pelvic fractures in this country (about 900 fractures per year) may treble by the year 2030 (about 2700 fractures per year). We conclude that the number of osteoporotic pelvic fractures in elderly Finns is increasing at a rate that cannot be explained simply by demographic changes and therefore effective preventive measures should be urgently initiated to control the increasing burden of these age-related fractures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High peak bone mass and density in early adulthood is an important protective factor against osteoporotic fractures in later life, but it is not known whether injuries to growing bones adversely affect the attainment of peak bone mass and density. The purpose of this study was therefore to examine with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry the areal bone mineral density (BMD) of the injured and uninjured extremity (the femoral neck, trochanter area of the femur, distal femur, patella, proximal tibia and distal tibia), lumbar spine and distal radius of young adults with a history of an early-life femoral shaft fracture and to find out whether the fracture had affected the attainment of peak bone density of these patients. Thus, the BMD and clinical status of 41 patients (28 men, 13 women) who had sustained a femoral shaft fracture in childhood or adolescence (between 7 and 15 years of age, average 13 years before the study) were examined. The fracture had led to a statistically significant difference in BMD between the injured and uninjured side distal to the fracture site (men/women: distal femur, −3.7%/−3.9%; patella, −3.1%/−5.9%; proximal tibia, −2.0%/−4.6%; distal tibia, −3.4%/−5.2%), whereas the proximal femur did not show such differences. The male patients’ spinal BMD was significantly lower (−7.9%) than that in their age-, height- and weight-matched healthy controls. The female patients’ spinal BMD tended to be fairly comparable (−1.6%) to that of the controls (NS). In summary, this study indicates that early-life femoral shaft fracture results in a moderate (−2% to −6%) long-term side-to-side BMD difference distal to the fracture site. Patients’ spinal BMD values also tend to be lower than that of controls. Thus, a femoral shaft fracture sustained in childhood or adolescence seems to disturb somewhat the attainment of peak bone density, the important predictor of osteoporotic fractures in later life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the present investigation was to examine and describe the osteoarthritic changes that chronic, partial or complete anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) insufficiency causes to the knee joint. The most characteristic findings in 77 patients with average follow-up of eight years were osteophytes and subchondral sclerosis of femoral and tibial medial condyles, tibial eminence and patella, as well as narrowing of medial or lateral joint space. Only five patients (14%) in the group with partial, but 28 (70%) of those with complete insufficiency of the ACL suffered from a clear posttraumatic osteoarthritis of the injured knee. In complete tears, the total extent of these pathological changes per patient was fourfold compared to the patients with partial tear. It was concluded that chronic, posttraumatic insufficiency of the ACL causes characteristic osteoarthritic changes to the injured knee and that the amount of these changes seems to depend on the amount of the insufficiency. Therefore, a quick restoration of the static and dynamic stability of the injured knee must be the privilege of every knee injury patient in order to prevent the development of premature osteoarthritis [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the present study was to examine and describe the osteoarthrotic changes that chronic, partial or complete medial collateral ligament (MCL) insufficiency causes to the knee joint. Forty-eight patients with partial and 25 with complete, isolated rupture of the MCL had a clinical and radiological reexamination of the knee on an average of nine years after the injury. In both groups the posttraumatic osteoarthrotic changes caused by the MCL insufficiency occurred very frequently on the medial side of the knee. The most characteristic findings were osteophytes and subchondral sclerosis of femoral and tibial medial condyles, tibial eminence and patella, ligament calcification of femoral medial condyle as well as narrowing of medial joint space. In patients with a partial tear 91% and in patients with complete tear 88% of all arthrotic changes caused by the insufficiency were one of these mentioned above, and other findings were only occasional. According to the radiological criteria of the authors none of the patients in the group with partial, but 17 (68%) of those with complete insufficiency of the MCL suffered from a clear posttraumatic osteoarthrosis of the injured knee. In complete tears the total extent of these pathological changes per patient was sixfold compared to the patients with a partial tear. It was concluded that chronic, posttraumatic insufficiency of the MCL causes characteristic medial side osteoarthrotic changes to the injured knee and that the amount of these changes seems to depend on the amount of the instability. Therefore, a quick restoration of the static and dynamic stability of the injured knee must be the privilege of every knee injury patient in order to prevent the development of premature osteoarthrosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forty-nine patients with Achilles peritendinitis (APT) (11 bilateral) and 31 patients with retrocalcanear bursitis (RCB) (5 bilateral) were treated surgically (altogether 96 heels). There were 37 men and 12 women in the APT group, with a mean age of 38.4 years, and 26 men and 5 women in the RCB group, with a mean age of 32.3 years. Forty-five patients in the APT group and 30 patients in the RCB group were active in sports. All patients had been treated conservatively for at least 6 months (range 6 months to 13 years) without relief of symptoms. The operative method was bilateral longitudinal incision of fascia cruris and trimming of the adhesions to fascia and base of Kager's triangle in APT group, and ablation of the posterior upper corner of os calcaneus in RCB group. In order to assess the ability to return to sports, the healing results were evaluated by questionnaire in 42 patients (47 operations) in the APT group and 25 patients (28 operations) in the RCB group 2-11 years postoperatively. The results were excellent in 27, good in 11, fair in 7 and poor in 2 in the APT group, and excellent in 13, good in 10, fair in 2 and poor in 3 in the RCB group, respecitvely. Operative treatment of APT and RCB in patients whose symptoms persist after conservative treatment seems to give favourable results in the majority of cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of dexamethasone on protein synthesis were studied in human fibrosarcoma (HT-1080) cells. Dexamethasone induced a new protein of 46 kD which was rapidly secreted into the medium, while neither progesterone nor estradiol would induce the synthesis of this protein and only a small increase in its amount could be seen in the presence of testosterone. The 46 kD protein was partially purified by ammonium sulfate precipitation and gel filtration and mouse monoclonal antibodies to it were produced in mouse hybrid cells. Altogether 13 positive clones were found, of which six reacted only with native and seven reacted with the unreduced 46 kD protein in Western blotting. It was possible by using polyclonal antibodies to plasminogen activator inhibitor type I (PAI-1) and purified plasminogen activator inhibitor type I to confirm that the 46 kD protein purified and characterized here was PAI-1. In addition, the 46 kD protein clearly inhibited plasminogen activation, thus further confirming that protein isolated was an inhibitor of plasminogen activator. Since the induction of PAI-1 by dexamethasone was very extensive, it is possible that glucocorticoids regulate proteolysis and fibrinolysis in vivo by increasing the amount of the inhibitor of plasminogen activator and thus preventing the activation of plasminogen to plasmin. The reduction of activation of plasminogen to plasmin by glucocorticoid-induced inhibitor could be of great importance, e.g., in various blistering diseases, in metastases from malignant cells, and in the migration of inflammatory cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epidermis-derived cells (NCTC 2544) were cultured and the proteins of the culture medium, as well as of the cells, were fractionated by gel-chromatography. The fractions were analyzed for their papain-inhibitory capacity and for the presence of socalled 43-kDa papain inhibitor. A papain inhibitor was identified with molecular weight and immunological characteristics similar to the original 43-kDa inhibitor that was isolated from psoriatic scales. The result proves that NCTC-2544 cells can produce the so-called psoriasis inhibitor under culture conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human skin epithelial-like cells (NCTC-strain 2544) were grown in RPMI-1640 medium supplemented with foetal calf serum for up to 2 weeks. The culture medium and extracts made from the cells were subjected to gel-filtration chromatography in a Sephacryl S-200 column for fractionation of the proteins. The fractions were assayed for acid and neutral cysteine-proteinase inhibitor (ACPI, NCPI) using time-resolved fluoroimmunoassay and radioimmunoassay, and the cysteine-proteinase-inhibiting activities were assayed using papain. Free NCPI, i.e. a molecule with isoelectric variants at pHs 6.0 and 6.5, which has an M of around 12,000 and is capable of inhibiting papain, was detected both in the culture medium and in the cells. Immunodiffusion studies revealed its immunological identity with human spleen-derived NCPI. The amount of NCPI increased during the incubation period. ACPI - characterized as a molecule having an isoelectric point of 4.9, an M of about 12,000, papain-inhibiting capacity and antigenic reactivity with spleen-derived ACPI - was not detected in the culture medium. It was, however, detected in the cells after 2 weeks in culture. These data prove that ACPI and NCPI are synthesized by the NCTC-2544 cells under the present culture conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rat-skin-derived cysteine proteinase, so-called BANA-hydrolase, which is capable of hydrolysing benzoylarginine naphthylamide and leucine naphthylamide was shown to be immunologically identical to cathepsin H purified from rat liver. The enzyme was immunocytochemically localized in the basal cell layer of rat epidermis. A natural inhibitor of cathepsin H with a molecular weight of about 13,000 was mainly localized in the keratinizing cell layers and showed only a weak reaction in the basal cells. Thus, cathepsin H appears to be a characteristic feature of the proliferating cell layer, whereas the cysteine-proteinase inhibitor is a characteristic feature of keratinizing cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human psoriatic epidermis and scales were demostrated to contain two antigenically separate cysteine proteinase inhibitors, one acidic with an isoelectric point of 4.7-5.0 (ACPI) and one neutral with an isoelectric point of 6.0-6.5 (NCPI), while normal epidermis contains only ACPI. The total papain (cysteine proteinase) inhibiting activity of the psoriatic epidermis as calculated per mg protein was higher than that in normal epidermis. Both ACPI and NCPI were localized immunocytochemically, mainly in the highest spinous cell layers with less activity in the parakeratotic cells and lower layers of spinous cells. Basal cells were essentially negative. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve knowledge of the current trends in the number and incidence of age-related minor trauma knee fractures, we selected from the National Hospital Discharge Register all patients 60 years old or older who were admitted to Finnish hospitals in 1970–1972, 1974–1975, 1978–1980, 1983–1985, 1988–1989 and 1991–1994 for primary treatment of first knee fracture. The knee fracture was defined to be a “minor trauma” fracture if it had occurred as a result of a fall from standing height or less. We also predicted fracture development until the year 2020 by a regression model, which took into account the predicted changes in fracture incidences and population at risk. The number and incidence (per 100 000 persons) of minor trauma knee fractures in Finnish women aged 60 years or more clearly increased during the study period, from 219 (number) and 55 (incidence) in 1970 to 579 and 100 in 1994. Women's age-adjusted incidence of these fractures also showed an increase, from 58/100000 in 1970 to 93/100000 in 1994. If this trend continues, there will be about 2 times more minor trauma knee fractures in Finnish women in the year 2020 than there were in 1994. In Finnish men aged 60 years or more the absolute numbers and incidences of these fractures did not show consistent trend changes over time. We conclude that the number of minor trauma knee fractures in elderly Finnish women is increasing more rapidly than can be accounted for by the demographic changes alone and therefore effective preventive measures should urgently be adopted to control the increasing burden of these age-related fractures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Archives of Orthopaedic & Traumatic Surgery / Archiv für Orthopädie, Mechanotherapie und Unfallchirurgie is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Archives of Orthopaedic & Traumatic Surgery / Archiv für Orthopädie, Mechanotherapie und Unfallchirurgie is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Seven human lymph nodes showing different types of reactive change, were examined for the presence of acid cysteine-proteinase inhibitor (ACPI) by the peroxidase-antiperoxidase method. A clear positive reaction was found in the germinal centres. The staining pattern indicated immunoreactivity of the dendritic reticulum cells, but the possibility that other cells, particularly histiocytic reticulum cells, may also react with antiserum raised against ACPI cannot be excluded. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A long auditory stimulus elicits a magnetic evoked response in the human brain, consisting of transient deflections followed by a sustained response. The distributions of the magnetic fields indicate that the auditory evoked transient response at a latency of 100 ms as well as the auditory sustained response are generated at and around the primary auditory cortex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Physik der Kondensierten Materie is the property of Springer Nature and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)