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The Young's modulus degradation of a biodegradable composite based on the exposure time to phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) solution was simulated by estimating the material's effective diffusion coefficient. The relationship between PBS uptake rate and material removal was investigated by comparing the finite element analysis and experimental results, and a criterion for the material removal of finite elements was proposed for an accurate material degradation simulation. The diffusion coefficient was calibrated to determine the best fit for the PBS uptake rate based on exposure time. The degradation behavior of a bone plate made of a fully biodegradable composite was analyzed using a calibrated diffusion coefficient; it was found that the screw hole parts were severely damaged owing to PBS uptake, which induced premature structural failure. To address this drawback, a hybrid bone plate composed of a nondegradable composite and a Mg wire/Polylactic acid (PLA) composite was introduced; its serviceability was verified using finite element analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Objectives: The objective of this study was to develop a novel quantitative disability assessment tool for patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease (IPD). Methods: A total of 47 patients with IPD were recruited from two hospitals. A specialist in Rehabilitation Medicine utilized the modified Schwab and England Activities of Daily Living Scale (mSEADL) as a reference, conducting a comprehensive medical chart review and an in-depth interview. The novel-developed disability measurement was calculated as ((mSEADL during the on-state) × (time of on-state)) + ((mSEADL during the off-state) × (time of off-state))/(waking time). Additionally, the degree of disability was assessed using the Korean version of the Modified Barthel Index during the on-state. Results: Twenty-four participants (51.1%) exhibited the off-state during waking hours. In patients exhibiting an off-state, the mSEADL score was significantly lower during the off-state than during the on-state (p < 0.05). The novel-developed disability measurement demonstrated a higher correlation coefficient with the reference mSEADL (0.960) than with the K-MBI (0.808), with statistical significance (p < 0.05). Conclusions: The results demonstrated that larger IPD patients exhibited an on–off phenomenon with greater dependency during the off-state. Therefore, the on–off phenomenon should be considered when evaluating disability in patients with IPD, with methods such as the novel-developed disability measurement tool in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to investigate the additional effects of cerebellar rTMS on the motor recovery of facilitatory rTMS over affected primary motor cortex (M1) in subacute stroke patients. Twenty-eight subacute stroke patients were recruited in this single-blind, randomized, controlled trial. The Cr-Cbll group received Cr-Cbll rTMS stimulation consisting of high-frequency rTMS over affected M1 (10 min), motor training (10 min), and high-frequency rTMS over contralesional Cbll (10 min). The Cr-sham group received sham rTMS instead of high-frequency rTMS over the cerebellum. Ten daily sessions were performed for 2 weeks. A Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA) was measured before (T0), immediately after (T1), and 2 months after the intervention (T2). A total of 20 participants (10 in the Cr-Cbll group and 10 in the Cr-sham group) completed the intervention. There was no significant difference in clinical characteristics between the two groups at T0. FMA was significantly improved after the intervention in both Cr-Cbll and Cr-sham groups (p < 0.05). However, there was no significant interaction in FMA between time and group. In conclusion, these results could not demonstrate that rTMS over the contralesional cerebellum has additional effects to facilitatory rTMS over the affected M1 for improving motor function in subacute stroke patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: The aim of the report is to report the outcomes of the medial rectus (MR) disinsertion procedure for the management of large-angle esotropia (ET) patients. Materials and Methods: This is a retrospective case series of patients with large-angle ET who underwent an MR disinsertion procedure between March 2012 to April 2022. The procedure happened accidentally during muscle surgery. The demographic and clinical data, including sex, age, visual acuity, pre- and postoperative angle of strabismus, duction limitations, results of intraoperative forced duction tests, and follow-up duration were collected from medical records. Results: Five patients were enrolled in this study. The mean age was 62.2 ± 9.8 years, and the mean follow-up was 24.8 ± 8.7 months. The ET at the primary position of gaze was 92.0 ± 17.9 prism diopters (PD) before MR disinsertion and 38.0 ± 29.5 PD after MR disinsertion only. Abduction deficiency was −4 before after MR disinsertion, which improved to −1 at the last follow-up. Conclusions: The results of MR disinsertion were not as frustrating as anticipated. MR disinsertion may be considered in patients with large-angle sensory ET who refuse surgery on the opposite eye. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We evaluated the endotracheal tube cuff pressure (Pcuff) changes during pneumoperitoneum for laparoscopic cholecystectomy and the correlations between body mass index (BMI), pneumoperitoneum time, and Pcuff changes.

To evaluate the usefulness of a newly generated monofocal intraocular lens (IOL) in patients who underwent combined cataract and pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) surgery for idiopathic macular hole (MH). A prospective study was conducted on 89 eyes of 89 patients who underwent combined cataract and PPV surgery for MH. The patients were divided into two groups: Eyhance ICB00 and Tecnis ZCB00. Pre-operative characteristics, post-operative visual outcomes, contrast sensitivity, and complications were compared between the two groups. A univariate regression analysis was performed to identify the factors that may affect the postoperative visual outcomes. Both groups showed significant improvement in mean corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA) six months post-operation (p < 0.001). There was no significant difference in pre-operative characteristics or complications between the two groups. However, the Eyhance ICB00 group showed a significantly higher uncorrected intermediate visual acuity (UCIVA) value at 6 months after surgery than the Tecnis ZCB00 group (p = 0.014). Contrast sensitivity values were not significantly different between the two groups. The univariate regression analysis revealed a significant correlation between preoperative CDVA and minimum linear diameter of MH with postoperative UCIVA in the Eyhance ICB00 group. The newly generated Eyhance ICB00 IOL showed promising results in terms of post-operative UCIVA, with no significant difference in complications or contrast sensitivity values compared to the Tecnis ZCB00 IOL. These findings suggest that the Eyhance ICB00 IOL may be a useful option for patients who undergo combined cataract and PPV surgery for idiopathic MH, particularly for those who require intermediate visual acuity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]