Imaging of the Unstable Shoulder

Unstable shoulder can occur in different clinical scenarios with a broad spectrum of symptoms and presentations: first-time (or recurrent) traumatic acute shoulder anterior dislocation or chronic anterior instability after repeated dislocations.Imaging in unstable shoulder is fundamental for choosing the right treatment preventing recurrence.The goal of imaging depends on clinical scenario and patient characteristics

Effect of Lactoferrin on Clinical Outcomes of Hospitalized Patients with COVID-19: The LAC Randomized Clinical Trial

: As lactoferrin is a nutritional supplement with proven antiviral and immunomodulatory abilities, it may be used to improve the clinical course of COVID-19. The clinical efficacy and safety of bovine lactoferrin were evaluated in the LAC randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial. A total of 218 hospitalized adult patients with moderate-to-severe COVID-19 were randomized to receive 800 mg/die oral bovine lactoferrin (n = 113) or placebo (n = 105), both given in combination with standard COVID-19 therapy. No differences in lactoferrin vs. placebo were observed in the primary outcomes: the proportion of death or intensive care unit admission (risk ratio of 1.06 (95% CI 0.63-1.79)) or proportion of discharge or National Early Warning Score 2 (NEWS2) ≤ 2 within 14 days from enrollment (RR of 0.85 (95% CI 0.70-1.04)). Lactoferrin showed an excellent safety and tolerability profile. Even though bovine lactoferrin is safe and tolerable, our results do not support its use in hospitalized patients with moderate-to-severe COVID-19

Assessment of bone defects in anterior shoulder instability

Glenohumeral bone defects are a common finding in shoulder instability and they are strongly correlated with recurrence of dislocation and failure following arthroscopic Bankart repair. Most authors agree that open surgery should be considered in the presence of certain conditions: glenoid bone loss > 25%, a lesion involving > 30% of the humeral head, an engaging Hill-Sachs lesion, bipolar bone lesions even without engagement. A careful imaging evaluation must therefore be performed in order to identify, quantify and characterize the bone defects. Even though magnetic resonance has important additional value in the assessment of the glenoid labrum and rotator cuff, computed tomography scan is the examination of choice for studying bone defects. Several methods have been proposed to quantify the extent of the glenoid bone defect; the most accurate ones utilize two-dimensional computed tomography images with multiplanar reconstructions (PICO method) or more sophisticated three-dimensional reconstruction software. Conversely, the literature lacks studies that accurately quantify humeral bone defects and, above all, that demonstrate definitively the clinical and prognostic significance of the lesion location and size

Causes and treatments of lag screw's cut out after intramedullary nailing osteosinthesis for trochanteric fractures

Background. Superior cut-out of a lag screw remains a serious complication in the treatment of trochanteric or subtrochanteric fractures and it is related to many factors: the type of fracture, osteoporosis and the stability of fracture reduction. Little is known about the outcome after revision surgery for complications of the gamma nail. We assessed the outcome in patients who had revision surgery because of lag screw's cut out after gamma nailing for a trochanteric fracture.Material and Method. We present a study of 20 consecutive patients who underwent treatment after 20 cut-out of the lag screw \ufb01xation of a trochanteric fracture with Gamma Locking Nail from September 2004 to November 2010. In 16 patients hip prothesis was performed, in 1 the removal of the implant and in 3 the reosteosynthesis. We reviewed 13 patients: 10 total hip arthroplasty, 2 endoprothesis and 1 reosteosynthesis of nail and lag screw (mean follow up: 26 months, mean age: 73 years old), 7 patients died. Patients were reviewed retrospectively by an independent observer. Clinical evaluation was performed, Oxford score and Harris Hip score were measured. X-Ray examination was performed after a minimum of 12 months of follow up.Results. Mean Harris Hip Score mean was 67 and mean Oxford score was 32 in hip prothesis group (12 patients). We had several complications, Implant-related complications were: 2 ipometria > 2cm, 2 recurrent hip arthroplasty dislocations (1 reoperated), 4 persistent thigh pain. In only 4 patients none complications were observed. Another patient,\ua0 who had been subjected to reosteosinthesis, obtained better results (HHS:95, Oxford score:45) but with a 2 cm ipometria and occasional pain in the thigh.Conclusion. Cut out after gamma nail is consequent to biological or mechanical causes. Treatment of this complication is hip prosthesis (parzial or total hip arthroplasty), reosteosynthesis of the lag screw and/or the nail and the removal of the implant. Conversion to total/parzial hip arthroplasty may be a demanding operation with a higher complication rate respect to the standard, while reosteosynthesis is possible in selected patients and early cutting out

Hemiarthroplasty versus reverse shoulder arthroplasty: Comparative study of functional and radiological outcomes in the treatment of acute proximal humerus fracture

Purpose: To compare functional and radiographic results of reverse prosthesis versus hemiarthroplasty after complex displaced proximal humeral fractures in elderly patients when adequate ORIF cannot be achieved and prosthetic shoulder replacement is required. Methods: From 2008 to 2012, 67 patients were treated with hemiarthroplasty or reverse arthroplasty. We evaluated 53 cases with an average follow-up of 27.5 months (range 12-64). Twenty-eight patients with an average age of 71.4 years were treated with a hemiarthroplasty and 25 patients with an average age of 77.3 years with a reverse prosthesis. All patients were assessed before and after surgery by Constant-ASES-DASH score, strength in abduction, ER1, ER2, and X-rays. Results: In hemiarthroplasty group, we observed a mean Constant score of 42.3 pt, ASES score 51.3 pt, and DASH score 46.1, with an average strength of 1.3 lb in abduction and of 3.7 lb in ER1 and 1.8 lb in ER2. In reverse arthroplasty group, we measured a mean Constant of 56.2 pt, ASES 69.3 pt, and DASH score 40.4, with an average strength of 4.3 lb in abduction and of 3.3 lb in ER1 and 3.2 lb in ER2. Radiographically, it is interesting to observe that greater tuberosity healing rate was 37 % in hemiarthroplasty group compared to 84 % in reverse arthroplasty group. About complications, the highest rate was recorded in the hemiarthroplasty group. Conclusion: Reverse shoulder arthroplasty indication is steadily increasing in acute displaced proximal humeral fracture. Pain and articular movement results appear better than those with hemiarthroplasty. Our data are similar to the international literature. © 2014 Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli

Cost-effective and multifunctional acquisition system for in vitro electrophysiological investigations with multi-electrode arrays.

In vitro multi-electrode array (MEA) technology is nowadays involved in a wide range of applications beyond neuroscience, such as cardiac electrophysiology and bio-interface studies. However, the cost of commercially available acquisition systems severely limits its adoption outside specialized laboratories with high budget capabilities. Thus, the availability of low-cost methods to acquire signals from MEAs is important to allow research labs worldwide to exploit this technology for an ever-expanding pool of experiments independently from their economic possibilities. Here, we provide a comprehensive toolset to assemble a multifunctional in vitro MEA acquisition system with a total cost 80% lower than standard commercial solutions. We demonstrate the capabilities of this acquisition system by employing it to i) characterize commercial MEA devices by means of electrical impedance measurements ii) record activity from cultures of HL-1 cells extracellularly, and iii) electroporate HL-1 cells through nanostructured MEAs and record intracellular signals

Consensus statements on vaccination in patients with haemophilia-Results from the Italian haemophilia and vaccinations (HEVA) project

Vaccination against communicable diseases is crucial for disease prevention, but this practice poses challenges to healthcare professionals in patients with haemophilia. Poor knowledge of the vaccination requirements for these patients and safety concerns often result in vaccination delay or avoidance. In order to address this issue, a panel of 11 Italian haemophilia and immunization experts conducted a Delphi consensus process to identify the main concerns regarding the safe use of vaccines in patients with haemophilia. The consensus was based on a literature search of the available evidence, which was used by the experts to design 27 consensus statements. A group of clinicians then rated these statements using the 5-point Likert-type scale (1\ua0=\ua0strongly disagree; 5\ua0=\ua0strongly agree). The main issues identified by the expert panel included vaccination schedule for haemophilic patients; protocol and optimal route of vaccine administration; vaccination of haemophilic patients with antibodies inhibiting coagulation factor VIII (inhibitors); and vaccination and risk of inhibitor development. This manuscript discusses these controversial areas in detail supported by the available literature evidence and provides evidence- and consensus-based recommendations. Overall, participants agreed on most statements, except those addressing the potential role of vaccination in inhibitor formation. Participants agreed that patients with haemophilia should receive vaccinations according to the institutional schedule for individuals without bleeding disorders; however, vaccination of patients with haemophilia requires comprehensive planning, taking into account disease severity, type and route of vaccination, and bleeding risk. Data also suggest vaccination timing does not need to take into consideration when the patient received factor VIII replacement

Urinary epidermal growth factor/monocyte chemotactic peptide 1 ratio as non-invasive predictor of Mayo clinic imaging classes in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease

Age- and height-adjusted total kidney volume is currently considered the best prognosticator in patients with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease. We tested the ratio of urinary epidermal growth factor and monocyte chemotactic peptide 1 for the prediction of the Mayo Clinic Imaging Classes

IDO1 suppresses inhibitor development in hemophilia A treated with factor VIII

The development of inhibitory antibodies to factor VIII (FVIII) is a major obstacle in using this clotting factor to treat individuals with hemophilia A. Patients with a congenital absence of FVIII do not develop central tolerance to FVIII, and therefore, any control of their FVIII-reactive lymphocytes relies upon peripheral tolerance mechanisms. Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) is a key regulatory enzyme that supports Treg function and peripheral tolerance in adult life. Here, we investigated the association between IDO1 competence and inhibitor status by evaluating hemophilia A patients harboring F8-null mutations that were either inhibitor negative (n = 50) or positive (n = 50). We analyzed IDO1 induction, expression, and function for any relationship with inhibitor occurrence by multivariable logistic regression and determined that defective TLR9-mediated activation of IDO1 induction is associated with an inhibitor-positive status. Evaluation of experimental hemophilic mouse models with or without functional IDO1 revealed that tryptophan metabolites, which result from IDO1 activity, prevent generation of anti-FVIII antibodies. Moreover, treatment of hemophilic animals with a TLR9 agonist suppressed FVIII-specific B cells by a mechanism that involves IDO1-dependent induction of Tregs. Together, these findings indicate that strategies aimed at improving IDO1 function should be further explored for preventing or eradicating inhibitors to therapeutically administered FVIII protein