Search

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a group of movement disorders that impair posture and mobility, often leading to spasticity and joint contractures. Interventions like serial casting are commonly used to improve joint mobility and manage spasticity in children with CP. However, its effects on the autonomic nervous system (ANS) remain unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of serial casting and ankle–foot orthoses (AFOs) on ANS responses during a virtual reality (VR) standing task, comparing these interventions with a barefoot condition. Thirty children with CP were randomized into three groups (n = 10 per group): serial casting, AFOs, and barefoot. Heart rate variability (HRV) was used to assess ANS responses across three phases: seated rest, VR task, and recovery. The results showed that the serial casting group exhibited higher sympathetic activity during rest compared to the other groups, but had a reduced sympathetic response during the VR task. Additionally, the serial casting group displayed a more pronounced parasympathetic rebound during recovery, similar to the orthoses and barefoot groups. While serial casting provides essential joint stability, it alters ANS response patterns, leading to heightened sympathetic activation at rest, without providing significant improvements in ANS behavior during physical activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Die Orthopädie 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.)

Aims: The primary aim of this study was to report the radiological outcomes of patients with a dorsally displaced distal radius fracture who were randomized to a moulded cast or surgical fixation with wires following manipulation and closed reduction of their fracture. The secondary aim was to correlate radiological outcomes with patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) in the year following injury. Methods: Participants were recruited as part of DRAFFT2, a UK multicentre clinical trial. Participants were aged 16 years or over with a dorsally displaced distal radius fracture, and were eligible for the trial if they needed a manipulation of their fracture, as recommended by their treating surgeon. Participants were randomly allocated on a 1:1 ratio to moulded cast or Kirschner wires after manipulation of the fracture in the operating theatre. Standard posteroanterior and lateral radiographs were performed in the radiology department of participating centres at the time of the patient’s initial assessment in the emergency department and six weeks postoperatively. Intraoperative fluoroscopic images taken at the time of fracture reduction were also assessed. Results: Patients treated with surgical fixation with wires had less dorsal angulation of the radius versus those treated in a moulded cast at six weeks after manipulation of the fracture; the mean difference of -4.13° was statistically significant (95% confidence interval 5.82 to -2.45). There was no evidence of a difference in radial shortening. However, there was no correlation between these radiological measurements and PROMs at any timepoint in the 12 months post-injury. Conclusion: For patients with a dorsally displaced distal radius fracture treated with a closed manipulation, surgical fixation with wires leads to less dorsal angulation on radiographs at six weeks compared with patients treated in a moulded plaster cast alone. However, the difference in dorsal angulation was small and did not correlate with patient-reported pain and function. Cite this article: Bone Jt Open 2024;5(2):132–138.

Purpose: To describe a conservative treatment algorithm to manage Congenital Metatarsus Varus. Backgrounds: Congenital Metatarsus Varus is a congenital disorder with an estimated incidence of 1/1000 newborns. Despite the deformity being mostly an aesthetic problem, residual and incorrect forms may be responsible for abnormal in-toe gait and shoe-wearing issues. No consensus has still been gathered regarding its correct treatment algorithm. Methods: Between May 2019 and September 2020, 2156 newborn patients underwent an orthopedic examination at birth. Patients affected by Congenital Metatarsus Varus were classified according to Bleck's classification as flexible, semi-flexible or non-flexible deformity. A conservative treatment algorithm was followed, based on the application of manipulations, Bebax-type braces or plaster cast. All patient were followed until the clinical resolution of the deformity. Complications were also recorded. Results: One-hundred twenty-four patients were diagnosed Congenital Metatarsus Varus, with an overall prevalence of 5/1000. One-hundred twenty-two patients presented with a flexible or semi-flexible foot deformity and were firstly treated with manipulations: 52 patients reported good results, while 70 required additional treatment with Bebax-type braces for achieving correction. Two patients presented a non-flexible deformity at birth: one required plaster cast due to a non-flexible deformity, and one patient was firstly managed with Bebax-type braces due to a severe semi-flexible deformity. Only two patients presented superficial skin ulcerations, healed within a week. Two patients were lost during the follow-up. Conclusion: An early diagnosis allowed by an orthopedic examination in all newborns may be a valid instrument to avoid Congenital Metatarsus Varus misdiagnosis. Early treatment with manipulation and orthosis resulted in good clinical outcome, with only few complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the seventeenth century, plaster casts, which were essential sources of inspiration and instruction, became a recurring motif in images of Dutch painters’ workspaces, a marker of both intellectual and manual labor. Painters used plaster casts to proclaim their erudite knowledge of antiquity and of Renaissance sculpture that emulated ancient models. Plaster casts also provided a means for ambitious painters to communicate their personal and aspirational ties to other masters. The presence of plaster casts in archival records along with painted depictions of the studio provide insights into the impact of these objects on Dutch artists’ practice and the distinguished lineages they claimed.

The object of study is a three-layer model of a damaged human body. In the course of the study, it was found that the generally accepted threelayer model of a damaged human body is built, in particular, on the assumption that the characteristics of dressings remain unchanged over time. Therefore, the vast majority of modern research in the field of passive radiometry requires the removal of such materials from the human body during the measurement or considers their characteristics to be unchanged and insignificant. Questions of a possible change in the results of measuring the radiation of the human body due to the use of plaster casts of varying degrees of humidity remain almost unexplored. As a result of the study, the mathematical three-layer model of the damaged human body was refined. An element was introduced into the model that describes the dependence of the attenuation of radio wave energy on the relative humidity of the plaster cast. The refined model makes it possible to increase the accuracy of measuring the temperature of the human body, taking into account the time of applying a plaster cast to it. Unlike the existing ones, the proposed model is based on an experimental study that simulates the measurement of the radiation of a human body with a plaster cast of different degrees of humidity. To refine the model, the obtained experimental data were processed by regression analysis methods. The results of processing the experimental data made it possible to establish the specific type and value of the coefficients of the desired dependence. The use of the obtained results of the study proves the possibility of remote non-invasive express diagnostics of the state of the human body in the presence of plaster-gauze bandages. Providing such an opportunity allows disaster medicine workers to increase the ability to fulfill the so-called “golden hour rule”, as well as to clarify the requirements for a medical radiothermal mapping system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AimsTo explore individuals’ experience of a scaphoid waist fracture and its subsequent treatment.MethodsA purposive sample was created, consisting of 49 participants in the Scaphoid Waist Internal Fixation for Fractures Trial of initial surgery compared with plaster cast treatment for fractures of the scaphoid waist. The majority of participants were male (35/49) and more younger participants (28/49 aged under 30 years) were included. Participants were interviewed six weeks or 52 weeks post-recruitment to the trial, or at both timepoints. Interviews were semistructured and analyzed inductively to generate cross-cutting themes that typify experience of the injury and views upon the treatment options.ResultsData show that individual circumstances might exaggerate or mitigate the limitations associated with a scaphoid fracture, and that an individual’s sense of recovery is subjective and more closely aligned with perceived functional abilities than it is with bone union. Misconceptions that surgery promises a speedier and more secure form of recovery means that some individuals, whose circumstances prescribe a need for quick return to function, express a preference for this treatment modality. Clinical consultations need to negotiate the imperfect relationship between bone union, normal function, and an individual’s sense of recovery. Enhancing patients’ perceptions of regaining function, with removable splints and encouraging home exercise, will support satisfaction with care and discourage premature risk-taking.ConclusionClinical decision-making in the management of scaphoid fractures should recognize that personal circumstances will influence how functional limitations are experienced. It should also recognize that function overrides a concern for bone union, and that the consequences of fractures are poorly understood. Where possible, clinicians should reinforce in individuals a sense that they are making progress in their recovery.Cite this article: Bone Jt Open 2022;3(8):641–647.

Copyright of Ge-Conservación is the property of Instituto del Patrimonio Cultural 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.)

Abstract The clinical use of 3D printed patient specific orthopaedic cast is of wide interest. However, design and production have problems such as production time, which can take up to 35 h, and standardized procedure considering that there are medical devices that must comply mandatory and/or voluntary standards. Moreover, the proposed procedures do not fully consider the traceability of this innovative medical device design to comply with standards and industrial proposes. The aim of this work is to propose a semi-automatic workflow for the production of the 3D printed orthopaedic casts. The procedure is oriented towards a reduction time in different phases (as scan setting, designing technique, printing orientation) of the production flow. The workflow is compliant with recognized quality standards for the production of additive manufactured medical devices. This approach offers the possibility to introduce new 3D printed medical devices in clinical practice as well as to design an optimized industrial workflow.

The essay reconstructs the initiatives promoted in the field of art copies from the Fine Arts Academy “Pietro Vannucci” of Perugia: an artistic cenacle founded in 1573 that, even today, boasts a plaster cast gallery in which hundreds of plaster casts of author statues are exhibited –from Michelangelo Buonarroti to Antonio Canova. In recent years these initiatives were sealed by the idea of designing the concept of a multimedia replica of its own plaster cast gallery and, moreover, by the idea of placing at the entrance to the headquarters, between the façade of the Oratory of San Bernardino and the façade of the church of San Francesco al Prato, a one-to-one scale copy of the plaster cast of the Ercole Farnese –one of the most famous statues of antiquity– made by 3D printing with polylactic acid filaments: a bold hypothesis, not only from an environmental point of view, because it has an undoubted visual impact, but also and above all from a cultural perspective, because mistrust of the artistic value of copies continues to persist even in an era, such as the present, characterised by maximum technical reproducibility.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the accur acy of full-arch scans using 11 different cast scanners. Method and Materials: Dental arch length (AL), intermolar width (IMW), and intercanine width (ICW) of the reference plaster casts were measured using a coordinate measuring machine (Zeiss O-Inspect 422). The master cast was subsequently scanned 37 times using 11 desktop scanners (3Shape R500, 3Shape R700, 3Shape R1000, 3Shape R2000, Medianetx grande, Medianetx colori, DentaCore CS ULTRA, Dentaurum OrthoX, Maestro 3D, Imetric IScan D104i, GC Aadva Lab Scan). Using the software Convince Premium 2012 (3Shape), AL, IMW, and ICW were measured on the digital models and compared to the reference plaster cast. Results: The accuracy of the cast scanners differed significantly. The most accurate measurements were given by the cast scanners 3Shape R700 (ICW: 7.4 ± 5.9 μm) and Imetric IScan D104i (ICW: 9.1 ± 4.9 μm). The cast scanners 3Shape R1000 (ICW: 11.2 ± 3.4 μm) and GC Aadva Lab Scan (ICW: 13.8 ± 8.1 μm) yielded comparable measurements. DentaCore (ICW: 26.6 ± 7.5 μm) and Dentaurum OrthoX (ICW: 31.1 ± 24 μm) were significantly less accurate. Conclusion: Almost all scanners demonstrated a level of accuracy so high that further improvement would not provide additional benefit for use in orthodontics. Advancement of the scanners should focus primarily on reducing time and cost. For prosthodontic use, the scanners with the highest accuracy are recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A multidisciplinary approach embedded with sustainability represents a pathway to design strategies applicable in different cultural contexts. Considering the emissions attributed to building processes, the design of conservation measures is evolving to create high performance both in terms of healthiness and safety. On this, heritage buildings in earthquake-prone cities proved their vulnerability during the recent seismic events. However, the most important aspect of restoration interventions is that the design process must respect the architectural peculiarities of the building. In this regard, the contribution presents the reuse of a heritage building, currently disused, in the novel role of University of Perugia's plaster cast gallery, in line with the aims declared by the University with the adoption of the "Action Plan for University Sustainability 2021–2023". Such architecture is part of Palazzo Murena, University of Perugia headquarters, a former monastery designed by Luigi Vanvitelli and completed in 1762 by Carlo Murena. A historical-iconographical investigation, together with a survey, revealed the building origin: a pre-existing architecture, anciently a hospice, included by Vanvitelli in their project. The purpose was the masonries' reinforcement conceiving, at once, a flexible space according to the adaptive architecture principle: give to buildings configurations new, whole or in part, from the original ones in response to emerging threats. An integrated project was designed to restore the building in order to realize a contemporary museum in which full-height exhibition spaces alternate with the pre-existing ones. In this way, the new Gypso|TechA showcases the academic plasters, actually without a seat matching their cultural value, and through a peculiar layout encodes the collection's message in a site-specific cognitive process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Introduction Although conservative treatment with circular plaster cast is the most commonly used method in distal radius fractures, the best method to apply it remains unclear. Material and methods Two frequently used configurations of circular plaster cast (with and without a splint) were selected to compare. Group C was applied only with circular bandages (three units) and group S with a splint (one unit) and over it, a circular bandage (two units). Both configurations had the same weight. Five prototypes of each group were built and mechanically tested. Three-point flexural tensile strength and maximum deflection were measured and compared. Results The previously splinted prototypes (group S) obtained higher tensile strength with the same weight (p < 0.05). Discussion No other study regarding strength and configuration of circular casts for distal radius fractures immobilization has been previously published, leading to a high variability in construction among orthopedic surgeons. Data confirms that applying a splint before circular bandage offers more mechanical resistance to the cast in flexion, with the same weight. Conclusion Applying a splint before circular bandage for plaster casts used for distal radius fractures make them more resistant to usual forces.

This review paper offers a summary of historical techniques and materials used to produce plaster casts and to treat their surfaces, as found in the historical literature. It reviews a selection of manuals, treatises, and recipe books on the art of the cast makers as well as a selection of patents related to the manufacturing of casts and the coating of their surfaces. The introduction to the review shows how relevant archival, historical, and technical investigation demonstrates that nineteenth century replicas are works of cultural significance in their own right, by means of a synthesis of background information. This paper also offers a brief introduction to plaster moulding and casting as well as a summary of historical recipes on how to treat the surfaces of plaster casts to change the surface properties or their appearance. This review aims therefore to provide a summary of materials used by the nineteenth-century plasterer, and technical information for the use of conservators, researchers, and curators who engage in the care and study of historical plaster casts. Examples from the Victoria and Albert Museum's collection support the information found in the historical literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to evaluate the validity and reliability of the TRIOS3 Color intraoral scanner (3Shape A/S, Copenhagen, Denmark) and its associated Ortho Analyzer™ software in measuring parameters of smile aesthetics compared with measurements on plaster casts. The study sample comprised plaster casts and digital models obtained from 30 subjects. Height (H), mesiodistal diameter (MDD) and connecting space (CS) of the anterior teeth were measured with a digital calliper on the plaster models and with the orthodontic software on the digital models. Validity was assessed using a 2-tailed paired t-test; the reliability of measurements for intra-examiner was evaluated with the Intra-class Correlation Coefficient (ICC). There were no statistically significant differences between the measurements made with the two methods. The ICC is 99% for height and MDD measurements, slightly lower in the evaluation of the CS. Linear measurements made on digital model have clinically acceptable accuracy and reliability. The TRIOS3 Color intraoral scanner represents a valuable tool for dental practice, particularly in evaluating parameters of smile aesthetics

Copyright of Muzealnictwo is the property of Index Copernicus International 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 2019, with the operation of Brittany’s high schools inventory, a section sought to measure the extent of educational collections, to study them, to build promotion tools and to raise awareness. This work resulted in the online publication of twenty-four study files and the publication of a brochure. Among the educational collections studied, those of the Lycée Émile-Zola, a high school in Rennes, bear witness to the history of teaching activity, over more than two centuries and in many disciplines: physics instruments, chemistry materials, natural science collections, plasters for the study of drawing, maps, wall charts... These collections come mainly from successive acquisitions since the creation of the school in 1802, but some date back to the presence of the Jesuits in the 18th century. The lycée Émile-Zola benefits from the assistance of an association, Amélycor, which has been responsible for the inventory, safeguard, restoration and enhancement of this educational heritage for 25 years. In collaboration with this association, the Brittany Region has created a virtual museum around these collections.

The School of Fine Arts of Nancy (now École nationale supérieure d’art et de design) bases its pedagogical practices on a collection of models that has been constantly evolving since 1793. Initially subordinate to the municipal museum, the teaching for drawing and modeling benefits from its proximity with important works from the Italian, Flemish and French schools. The collection of plaster casts built up at the same time was significantly enriched by loans from the Institut d’archéologie classique (université de Nancy) after 1918. The innovative principles of Art Nouveau also irrigate pedagogy, first by the purchase of Japanese works from 1891 and under the direction of Victor Prouvé, second president of the École de Nancy, during the inter-war period. The acquisition of some 6400 autochromes in the mid-1920s is the highlight of this period. In the aftermath of the Second World War, educational reforms relegated the ancient models in closets, basements and attics. The last two decades, on the contrary, are distinguished by the conservation, study and valorization of these collections (creation of an air-conditioned reserve, digitization programs, loans for exhibitions, new teaching uses).

Sculptures form an important part of the Galeries Historiques, conceived by Louis-Philippe at the Palace of Versailles as a monumental book of French history. They include a collection of plaster casts of praying and recumbent figures made between 1834 and 1848 in the casting workshop of the Louvre under the direction of François-Henri Jacquet. Made from tombs, these casts illustrate sculpture history from the tenth to the nineteenth centuries, but their specific types and funerary nature set them apart from the statues and busts in the museum. The present study questions their true place within the museum’s sculpture collection: is the scope of these casts, as for the rest of the works in the museum, only iconographic and historical? The establishment of a catalogue, bringing together the 120 plaster casts of praying and recumbent figures that were exhibited in the château’s galeries de pierre (stone galleries), has also given them an aesthetic and museographic role to play in the edification of the citizen-visitor.

Background: Scaphoid fractures account for 90% of carpal fractures and occur predominantly in young men. Immediate surgical fixation of this fracture has increased. Objective: To compare the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of surgical fixation with cast treatment and early fixation in adults with scaphoid waist fractures that fail to unite. Design: Multicentre, pragmatic, open-label, parallel two-arm randomised controlled trial with an economic evaluation and a nested qualitative study. Setting: Orthopaedic departments of 31 hospitals in England and Wales recruited from July 2013, with final follow-up in September 2017. Participants: Adults (aged ≥ 16 years) presenting within 2 weeks of injury with a clear, bicortical fracture of the scaphoid waist on plain radiographs. Interventions: Early surgical fixation using Conformité Européenne-marked headless compression screws. Below-elbow cast immobilisation for 6–10 weeks and urgent fixation of confirmed non-union. Main outcome measures: The primary outcome and end point was the Patient-Rated Wrist Evaluation total score at 52 weeks, with a clinically relevant difference of 6 points. Secondary outcomes included Patient-Rated Wrist Evaluation pain and function subscales, Short Form questionnaire 12-items, bone union, range of movement, grip strength, complications and return to work. Results: The mean age of 439 participants was 33 years; 363 participants were male (83%) and 269 participants had an undisplaced fracture (61%). The primary analysis was on 408 participants with valid Patient-Rated Wrist Evaluation outcome data for at least one post-randomisation time point (surgery, n = 203 of 219; cast, n = 205 of 220). There was no clinically relevant difference in the Patient-Rated Wrist Evaluation total score at 52 weeks: the mean score in the cast group was 14.0 (95% confidence interval 11.3 to 16.6) and in the surgery group was 11.9 (95% confidence interval 9.2 to 14.5), with an adjusted mean difference of –2.1 in favour of surgery (95% confidence interval –5.8 to 1.6; p = 0.27). The non-union rate was low (surgery group, n = 1; cast group, n = 4). Eight participants in the surgery group had a total of 11 reoperations and one participant in the cast group required a reoperation for non-union. The base-case economic analysis at 52 weeks found that surgery cost £1295 per patient more (95% confidence interval £1084 to £1504) than cast treatment. The base-case analysis of a lifetime-extrapolated model confirmed that the cast treatment pathway was more cost-effective. The nested qualitative study identified patients’ desire to have a ‘sense of recovering’, which surgeons should address at the outset. Limitation: There were 17 participants who had initial cast treatment and surgery for confirmed non-union, which in 14 cases was within 6 months from randomisation and in three cases was after 6 months. Three of the four participants in the cast group who had a non-union at 52 weeks were not offered surgery. Conclusions: Adult patients with an undisplaced or minimally displaced scaphoid waist fracture should have cast immobilisation and suspected non-unions immediately confirmed and urgently fixed. Patients should be followed up at 5 years to investigate the effect of partial union, degenerative arthritis, malunion and screw problems on their quality of life. Trial registration: Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN67901257. Funding: This project was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment programme and will be published in full in Health Technology Assessment; Vol. 24, No. 52. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information.

Introduction: Although conservative treatment with circular plaster cast is the most commonly used method in distal radius fractures, the best method to apply it remains unclear. Material and methods: Two frequently used configurations of circular plaster cast (with and without a splint) were selected to compare. Group C was applied only with circular bandages (three units) and group S with a splint (one unit) and over it, a circular bandage (two units). Both configurations had the same weight. Five prototypes of each group were built and mechanically tested. Three-point flexural tensile strength and maximum deflection were measured and compared. Results: The previously splinted prototypes (group S) obtained higher tensile strength with the same weight (p < 0.05). Discussion: No other study regarding strength and configuration of circular casts for distal radius fractures immobilization has been previously published, leading to a high variability in construction among orthopedic surgeons. Data confirms that applying a splint before circular bandage offers more mechanical resistance to the cast in flexion, with the same weight. Conclusion: Applying a splint before circular bandage for plaster casts used for distal radius fractures make them more resistant to usual forces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Displaced distal radius fractures involving the metaphysis are common childhood injuries requiring intervention. Patients frequently undergo operative treatment for these injuries. The aim of our study was to systematically review the literature comparing manipulation under anaesthesia (MUA) and Kirschner wire fixation(K wire). PRISMA guidelines were followed throughout. Medline and Cochrane databases were searched for comparative randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and cohort studies. Quality assessment was undertaken using the Jadad score, Cochrane assessment of bias tool and the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Data extraction was performed with customised forms. 2 RCTs and 4 cohort studies were included. There was significant variation in their methodologies, which included their inclusion criteria and threshold for remanipiulation. Re-operation rates for MUA varied from 14% to 91%. There were no recorded re-operations following K-wiring. There was a 2.2% infection rate and 4.5% rate of wire migration. There were no adverse long-term sequelae reported. All studies showed a higher re-operation rate with MUA alone. Further studies are required to identify which fracture subtypes are most susceptible to re-displacement. Current evidence suggests the use of a k-wire to stabIlise these fractures following manipulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to evaluate the validity and reliability of the TRIOS3 Color intraoral scanner (3Shape A/S, Copenhagen, Denmark) and its associated Ortho Analyzer™ software in measuring parameters of smile aesthetics compared with measurements on plaster casts. The study sample comprised plaster casts and digital models obtained from 30 subjects. Height (H), mesiodistal diameter (MDD) and connecting space (CS) of the anterior teeth were measured with a digital calliper on the plaster models and with the orthodontic software on the digital models. Validity was assessed using a 2-tailed paired t-test; the reliability of measurements for intra-examiner was evaluated with the Intra-class Correlation Coefficient (ICC). There were no statistically significant differences between the measurements made with the two methods. The ICC is 99% for height and MDD measurements, slightly lower in the evaluation of the CS. Linear measurements made on digital model have clinically acceptable accuracy and reliability. The TRIOS3 Color intraoral scanner represents a valuable tool for dental practice, particularly in evaluating parameters of smile aesthetics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Accurate laser scanning of plaster casts using validated, low-cost hardware represents a key issue in 3D orthodontics. Objectives. The aim of this study was to compare the accuracy of measurements taken from plaster casts (gold standard) with digital models of those casts created with a low-cost structural light DAVID laser scanner. Material and methods. Five different measurements were taken on each of 14 plaster casts by 2 independent observers with an electronic caliper. The measurements were repeated 10 times on all 14 plaster casts by each observer, with a 1-week interval between each set of measurements. All 14 plaster casts were digitized using a low-cost DAVID SLS 3 laser scanner. The same 5 measurements were performed on each of the 3D virtual surface models of the 14 plaster casts by 2 independent observers using Meshlab software in a manner similar to that used with the digital caliper. The measurements were repeated 10 times by the 2 observers with 1 week between each set of measurements. Results. The laser-scanned models were more accurate than the plaster cast models in defining measurements based on simple tooth fissures. The accuracy of measurements based on complex tooth fissures were equivalent for the 2 types of model. For measurements based on interproximal dental contacts, the 2 methods of measurement were similar and both were notably poor in terms of accuracy. Conclusions. Three-dimensional virtual models obtained from the low-cost DAVID laser scanner can be used clinically, but only for certain types of measurements and indications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The essay charts the shifting place of Laocoon as an exemplum of translation across the arts of word and image from Pliny to Clement Greenberg. It uncovers a rich history of artistic translation, reproduction, and imitation of Laocoon in Renaissance drawing, painting, prints, decorative arts, and sculpture of every size and material, from plaster casts to table-top porcelains. The paper subsequently follows the changing fate of Laocoon within artistic pedagogies as a study in word-image relations, from a Renaissance teaching model, to the trope of critical theory on the definition of 'art'. Thus, the term 'translation' is used advisedly, to signal acts of artistic transmission predicated on transfer not only between cultures, but across materials and media. The essay concludes by considering the continuing place of Laocoon within art criticism, albeit in radical antagonism to the ideals of art it was once held to embody, to address the contested formation of an art 'classic' through the cultural as well as material processes of artistic translation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Objective: Ankle fractures, even if treated surgically, usually take a long time to heal. For all patients with ankle fracture, immobilisation is a critical part of treatment. Short-leg walking boots (WBs) have been reported to be an effective alternative to plaster casts (PCs) that could shorten this postoperative recuperative period. The aim of this study was to compare the functional recovery of a conventional PC with that of a WB after surgery for ankle fractures. Methods: Forty-seven patients (mean age, 53.9±12 years) who had undergone surgical operation for an unstable ankle fracture from January 2008 to October 2014 were reviewed retrospectively. Either a PC or a WB was prescribed postoperatively, with 25 patients and 22 patients, respectively. The time that it took the patient to stand unipedal on the affected side after allowing full-weight bear and to walk without crutches were used for assessment of functional recovery. The prevalence of postoperative loss of reduction and nonunion was also reviewed. Results: Both the time of being able to stand unipedal on the injured side and to walk without crutches were significantly shorter in patients using WBs (WB, 2.6 weeks; PC, 4.5 weeks, p=0.01; WB, 1.4 weeks; PC, 3.1 weeks, p=0.03). There were no patients with loss of reduction or nonunion. Conclusion: Patients who used WBs showed a significantly faster recovery. WBs have an adjustable heel lift that allows users to change the ankle position slightly plantarflexed that helps walking in a postoperative swollen ankle. WBs are easy to slip on, and it is easy to adjust the ankle position in conformity with swelling so that the least painful position could be maintained during walking. WBs have good fixity to allow immediate weight-bearing postoperatively, and there were no cases with loss of reduction postoperatively. The Rocker bottom design minimises the sagittal plane motion in the specific joint of the foot, which also facilitates the course of recuperation. An ankle fracture fixed appropriately endures loading when a WB is used. The WB treatment results in faster functional recovery, allowing the patients to return to normal activity at a faster rate.

Background: Pediatric forearm fractures are still considered an enigma in view of their propensity to redisplace in cast. The redisplacement may be a potential cause for malalignment. We prospectively analyzed the role of risk factors and above casting indices in predicting significant redisplacement of pediatric forearm fractures treated by closed reduction and cast. Materials and Methods: 113 patients of age range 2–13 years with displaced forearm fractures, treated by closed reduction and cast were included in this prospective study. Prereduction and postreduction angulation, translation, and shortening were noted. In addition, for distal metaphyseal fractures, obliquity angle was noted. In postreduction X-ray, apart from fracture variables, casting indices were also noted (cast index [CI] for all patients with three-point index [TPI] and second metacarpal radius angle in addition for distal metaphyseal fractures). In 2nd week, X-rays were again obtained to check for significant redisplacement. These patients were managed with remanipulation and casting or were operated if remanipulation failed. Comparison of various risk factors was made between patients with significant redisplacement and those which were acceptably reduced. A subgroup analysis of patients with distal metaphyseal fractures was done. Results: Thirteen (11.5%) patients had significant redisplacement; all of them required remanipulation. No association with respect to age, sex, level of fracture, side of injury, surgeon’s experience, number of bones fractured, and injury to definitive cast interval was seen. The presence of complete displacement in any of the plane in either of the bones was seen to be highly significant predictor of redisplacement (P < 0.001). Postreduction angulation more than 10° in any plane in either of the bone and fracture obliquity angle in distal metaphyseal fracture also had a highly significant association with redisplacement. There was a significant difference in the mean values of all three casting indices assessed. TPI was the most sensitive casting index (87.5%). Conclusions: Conservative management with aim of anatomical reduction, especially in patients with complete displacement, should be the approach of choice in closed pediatric forearm fractures. Casting indices are good markers of quality of cast. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]