High Himalayan Discontinuity: a key structure driving the earlier exhumation of the Greater Himalayan Sequence in Central Himalayas

Abstract HKT-ISTP 2013 A

Posterior wiring with sublaminar polyester bands, titanium-peek fixation system for C2 fracture management: a 4-patient case series with a maximum of 18 months’ follow-up

Background: C2 fractures can be classified differently when dens, pedicles or body are injured. With regards to the best management of Type-II Anderson-D’Alonzo fractures, Hangman’s fractures of pedicles and C2 body fractures are more debatable. However, vertebral pedicle and/or articular screw and dorsal wiring are the most common surgical posterior approaches opted for. Compared to the screw technique, dorsal wiring provides certain benefits such as a lower risk of vertebral artery injury, no need for navigation, less lateral dissection of the paraspinal muscles, shorter surgery time and lower medical costs. Case Description: Two patients with failed conservative treatment for Anderson-D’Alonzo Type-III fractures (Cases 1A and 1B), a patient suffering from a Type-II Hangman’s fracture (Case 2) and a patient with failed conservative treatment for a C2 transversal body fracture (Case 3) underwent surgery at the Neurosurgery Division of the University Hospital of Modena (Italy) between July 2020 and September 2021. All patients were treated with posterior wiring with 5 mm Polyester bands, titanium-peek fixation system (Jazz-Lock system MediNext®-Implanet) inserted through the C1 posterior arch and either the C2 or C3 laminae. A fracture diastasis reduction was observed ranging between 4.5 and 1 mm. No intraoperative and post-operative complications were encountered. The duration of the period of hospitalisation ranged between 5 and 12 days. All patients who had worked prior to the traumatic event were able to return to work 18 months following surgery. Conclusions: In reducing C2 fractures, a sublaminar fixation with polyester bands and a titanium-peek fixation system can be proposed for fragile and elderly patients

Apoptotic mechanisms in mutant LRRK2-mediated cell death.

Mutations in the gene coding for leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) cause autosomal-dominant Parkinson’s disease. The pathological mutations have been associated with an increase of LRRK2 kinase activity, although its physiological substrates have not been identified yet. The data we report here demonstrate that disease-associated mutant LRRK2 cell toxicity is due to mitochondria-dependent apoptosis. Transient transfection of mutant LRRK2 leads to neuronal death with clear apoptotic signs. Soluble caspase inhibitors or the genetic ablation of Apaf1 protects cells from apoptotic death. Moreover, we explored the function of two protein domains in LRRK2 (LRR and WD40) and demonstrate that the lack of these protein domains has a protective effect on mitochondria dysfunctions induced by mutant LRRK2

Post-COVID-19 arthritis: a case report and literature review

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV2) is the novel pathogen responsible for the coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) outbreak. Researchers and clinicians are exploring the pathogenetic mechanisms of the viral-induced damage and growing interest is focusing on the short-term and long-term immune-mediated consequences triggered by the infection. We will focus on post-SARS-CoV2 infection arthritis which may arise as a new pathological condition associated with COVID-19. In this article, we describe a case of acute oligoarthritis occurring 13 days after a SARS-CoV2 severe pneumonia in a middle-aged Caucasian man and we go over a brief review of the current available literature. We hypothesize that molecular mimicry might be the basic immunological mechanism responsible for the onset of COVID-19-related arthritis based on the current knowledge of SARS-CoV2 and on the known pathogenetic mechanism of viral-induced arthritis