Does ligament balancing technique affect kinematics in rotating platform, PCL retaining knee arthroplasties?: A prospective randomized study

The goal of this prospective, randomized, blinded trial was to determine if ligament balancing techniques for rotating platform TKA affect postoperative knee kinematics. Sixteen patients with unilateral rotating platform TKA consented to participate in this institutional review board approved study. Eight patients were randomly selected to receive ligament balancing with an instrumented joint spreader device and eight patients received ligament balancing using fixed thickness spacer blocks. A single plane shape matching technique was used for kinematic analysis of static deep knee flexion and dynamic stair activities. There were no differences in knee kinematics between groups during static deep flexion activities. The spreader group demonstrated kinematics more similar to the normal knee during the ascending phase of the dynamic stair activity. Knee kinematics in static knee flexion were unaffected by ligament balancing technique, while knees balanced with the spreader demonstrated a medial pivot motion pattern during stair ascent. This medial pivot motion pattern may improve long-term results by more closely replicating normal knee kinematics

The risks and benefits of long-term use of hydroxyurea in sickle cell anemia: A 17.5 year follow-up.

A randomized, controlled clinical trial established the efficacy and safety of short-term use of hydroxyurea in adult sickle cell anemia. To examine the risks and benefits of long-term hydroxyurea usage, patients in this trial were followed for 17.5 years during which they could start or stop hydroxyurea. The purpose of this follow-up was to search for adverse outcomes and estimate mortality. For each outcome and for mortality, exact 95% confidence intervals were calculated, or tests were conducted at alpha = 0.05 level (P-value \u3c0.05 for statistical significance). Although the death rate in the overall study cohort was high (43.1%; 4.4 per 100 person-years), mortality was reduced in individuals with long-term exposure to hydroxyurea. Survival curves demonstrated a significant reduction in deaths with long-term exposure. Twenty-four percent of deaths were due to pulmonary complications; 87.1% occurred in patients who never took hydroxyurea or took it for \u3c5 years. Stroke, organ dysfunction, infection, and malignancy were similar in all groups. Our results, while no longer the product of a randomized study because of the ethical concerns of withholding an efficacious treatment, suggest that long-term use of hydroxyurea is safe and might decrease mortality

sj-docx-2-phr-10.1177_00333549221119143 – Supplemental material for SARS-CoV-2 Seroprevalence Among First Responders in Northeastern Ohio, 2020

Supplemental material, sj-docx-2-phr-10.1177_00333549221119143 for SARS-CoV-2 Seroprevalence Among First Responders in Northeastern Ohio, 2020 by Xiaochun Zhang, Elie Saade, Jaime H. Noguez and Christine Schmotzer in Public Health Reports</p

sj-xlsx-3-phr-10.1177_00333549221119143 – Supplemental material for SARS-CoV-2 Seroprevalence Among First Responders in Northeastern Ohio, 2020

Supplemental material, sj-xlsx-3-phr-10.1177_00333549221119143 for SARS-CoV-2 Seroprevalence Among First Responders in Northeastern Ohio, 2020 by Xiaochun Zhang, Elie Saade, Jaime H. Noguez and Christine Schmotzer in Public Health Reports</p

sj-jpeg-1-phr-10.1177_00333549221119143 – Supplemental material for SARS-CoV-2 Seroprevalence Among First Responders in Northeastern Ohio, 2020

Supplemental material, sj-jpeg-1-phr-10.1177_00333549221119143 for SARS-CoV-2 Seroprevalence Among First Responders in Northeastern Ohio, 2020 by Xiaochun Zhang, Elie Saade, Jaime H. Noguez and Christine Schmotzer in Public Health Reports</p