Search

Purpose: To establish if 3D MR imaging could be used for measurements of acetabular inclination and anteversion in infants specimens.Material and Methods: 3D MR data of 3 pelvic preparations of 6-week- to 10-month-old infant specimens was gathered. MR imaging in transaxial and frontal planes was carried out to measure the acetabular inclination and anteversion: a method to determine the MR planes for measurements is described. It was oriented on anatomical landmarks of the pelvis and therefore allowed adjustment of the frontal and transaxial planes, independent of the pelvis position.Results: The mean acetabular inclination angle was 48 degrees, and the mean acetabular anteversion was 23 degrees. Because of the low number of cases the results can only be assessed as a tendency, but MR imaging seems to be suitable for measurements of acetabular inclination and anteversion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate the influence of hyperthermia up to 45 degrees C on fibrinolysis with recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator (rt-PA).Methods: Standardized fibrin clots were incubated in a water bath for 5 hr with either rt-PA (test group) or 0.9% sodium chloride (control group) and blood plasma at temperatures of 30-45 degrees C. Concentrations of D-dimer and time to complete clot lysis were measured.Results: The activity of fibrinolysis with rt-PA rose with increasing temperature: time to lysis approximately halved from 30 degrees C to 40 degrees C and the concentration of D-dimer tripled. In the control group clot size did not change.Conclusions: Activity of rt-PA-induced fibrinolysis rises distinctly with higher temperatures. Since even healthy subjects show a physiologic decline in body temperature in the extremities, in patients with occlusive arterial disease decreased activity of fibrinolysis with rt-PA can be expected. Controlled hyperthermia may improve fibrinolysis with rt-PA and should be investigated in vivo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To assess the effectiveness and patency rates of high-speed rotational atherectomy (HSRA) for the treatment of infrapopliteal arterial occlusive disease., Material and Methods: During an 18-month period, a total of 19 infrapopliteal lesions in 15 consecutive patients were treated primarily by HSRA with use of the Rotablator device. Patients were followed up with documentation of clinical symptoms, standardized treadmill exercise, and Doppler sonography at 1, 3, and 6 months. Control angiography was performed 6 months after primary treatment., Results: HSRA was initially successful in 14 of 15 patients, yielding an initial technical success rate of 94%. Percutaneous treatment induced an improvement of the ankle-brachial index (ABI) from 0.6 +/- 0.09 to 0.86 +/- 0.2 after intervention (P < .0001). Doppler analysis showed a mean ABI of 0.85 +/- 0.2 (P < .001) at 1 month, 0.72 +/- 0.2 (P = .012) at 3 months, and 0.7 +/- 0.2 (P = .08) at 6 months after initial therapy. Although six patients were lost to follow-up at various times, control angiography at 6 months was carried out in nine of 15 patients, allowing direct assessment of 12 of 19 treated lesions. Among six high-grade restenoses and five total occlusions in the treated vascular segments, only one arterial lumen (of 12) remained patent without presenting a hemodynamically relevant restenosis. These results led to termination of the study., Conclusion: Although HSRA for the treatment of infrapopliteal occlusive disease yields a very high initial technical success rate, mid-term results are extremely poor. Therefore, HSRA cannot be recommended for primary treatment of this type of lesion.

Objective: To investigate the correlation between ligamentous ossification or osteophytes of the cervical spine and ossification of the styloid process and stylohyoid ligament, and to determine any relation between diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) of the thoracic spine and ossification of the styloid process and stylohyoid ligament., Methods: Four patients having cervical spine DISH, an elongated styloid process and/or variable patterns of stylohyoid ligament ossification, and clinical findings compatible with Eagle's syndrome are described. Cervical computed tomography scans of 100 patients who also had lateral radiographs of the thoracic spine were reviewed. Point biserial and Spearman rank correlation analysis, McNemar test, chi-squared test, and Fisher's exact test were used to determine correlation between elongation of the styloid process and/or ossification of the stylohyoid ligament and (1) ligamentous ossification or osteophytes of the cervical spine (the characteristic spinal manifestation of DISH), and/or (2) DISH of the thoracic spine., Results: (1) Elongation of the styloid process and variable patterns of ossification of the proximal, middle, and distal parts of the stylohyoid ligament, and (2) enlargement of this ligament were significantly correlated with transverse and anteroposterior dimensions of ligamentous ossification or osteophytes of the cervical spine at various levels. The prevalence of such abnormalities of this process and ligament was not significantly different between the patients with and without thoracic spine DISH., Conclusion: Variable types of styloid process-stylohyoid ligament complex abnormalities have significant correlation with ligamentous ossification and osteophytes of the cervical spine.