Luxurious Surfaces: Chinese Decorative Arts from the 15th to the Early 20th Century

Luxurious Surfaces: Chinese Decorative Arts from the Fifteenth to the Early Twentieth Century is a highly anticipated exhibition that highlights student learning in the art history program. The curators, William Caterham ’20, Ashley Jeffords ’20, Merlyn Maldonado Lopez ’22, Sarah Paul ’22, James Raphaelson ’21, Megan Reimer ’22, Shannon Zeltmann ’21 and Tianrun Zhao ’20, are students enrolled in the Art History Method class in Fall 2019. The exhibition examines the quintessential characteristics and the meaning of Chinese decorative arts embedded in the luxurious surfaces of sixteen carefully selected works from Gettysburg College’s Asian Art Collection.https://cupola.gettysburg.edu/artcatalogs/1032/thumbnail.jp

Tailoring Material Properties of Cardiac Matrix Hydrogels To Induce Endothelial Differentiation of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells

Cardiac matrix hydrogel has shown great promise as an injectable biomaterial due to the possession of cardiac-specific extracellular matrix composition. A cardiac matrix hydrogel facilitating neovascularization will further improve its therapeutic outcomes in cardiac repair. In this study, we explored the feasibility of tailoring material properties of cardiac matrix hydrogels using a natural compound, genipin, to promote endothelial differentiation of stem cells. Our results demonstrated that the genipin cross-linking could increase the mechanical properties of the cardiac matrix hydrogel to a stiffness range promoting endothelial differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs). It also decreased the swelling ratio and prolonged degradation without altering gelation time. Human mesenchymal stem cells cultured on the genipin cross-linked cardiac matrix hydrogels showed great viability. After 1 day culture, hMSCs demonstrated down-regulation of early endothelial marker expression and up-regulation of mature endothelial marker expression. Especially for 1 mM genipin cross-linked cardiac matrix hydrogels, hMSCs showed particularly significant expression of mature endothelial cell marker vWF. These attractive results indicate the potential of using genipin cross-linked cardiac matrix hydrogels to promote rapid vascularization for cardiac infarction treatment through minimally invasive therapy

3D Characterization of Acetabular Deficiency in Children with Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip.

BackgroundThe purpose of this study is to determine if a quantitative method can be used to identify differences in 3D morphology between normal and developmentally dysplastic hips and to identify specific areas of undercoverage in children with DDH compared to age- and sex-matched controls.MethodsSubjects were included if they were typically developing children with no other underlying conditions affecting their musculoskeletal system and had an available pelvic CT scan (67 hips). Custom software was used to measure standard variables defining acetabular morphology (version, tilt, surface area). Acetabuli were divided into equal octants; coverage angles were measured for each octant of interest. Variables were compared with age- and sex-matched controls (128 hips) using analysis of variance or the Mann-Whitney test.ResultsHips with DDH were more anteverted compared to normal hips (DDH: 22.6˚, Control: 16.4˚, p < 0.001). The surface area was similar between groups. 28% of hips had a global deficiency, 24% were anteriorly deficient, 19% were laterally deficient, 10% were anteverted (under covered anteriorly and over covered posteriorly), 3% were posteriorly deficient, and 15% of hips had borderline undercoverage. None of the hips in this cohort were found to be retroverted.ConclusionsThis is the first study to quantify the 3D acetabular deficiency in children with DDH compared to age- and sex-matched controls. We found wide variability in coverage patterns among dysplastic hips. It is imperative to define the specific acetabular deficiency for each individual patient prior to surgical correction.Level of evidenceIII - Case-control study

Defining the three-dimensional deformity in slipped capital femoral epiphysis

The purpose of this study was to define a novel angle measure (theta) characterizing true slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE) deformity; use theta to differentiate between SCFE hips, contralateral unaffected hips, and normal hips; and to compare theta to the Southwick slip angle (SSA). 3DCT reconstructions of the pelvis and femurs were obtained and pelvic position was standardized. The center point and direction vector of the femoral epiphysis was determined. The femoral neck axis was defined. The angle between the femoral neck axis and epiphysis vector defined the 3D angle of deformity (theta). The 3D translation of the femoral epiphysis, measured as a percentage of femoral neck diameter, was measured in three planes. The average theta angle was significantly greater in SCFE hips (44.9±22.5°) compared to control (14.5±8.8°) or normal (14.0±6.5°) hips (p<0.001). There was no significant difference in theta angle between control and normal hips (p=0.83). Theta angle correlated strongly with SSA (rs=0.774, p<0.001). Its high but imperfect correlation with SSA may indicate theta as a better measure, implicating SSA as underestimating the true deformity in nearly 25% of cases

Defining the three-dimensional deformity in slipped capital femoral epiphysis

The purpose of this study was to define a novel angle measure (theta) characterizing true slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE) deformity; use theta to differentiate between SCFE hips, contralateral unaffected hips, and normal hips; and to compare theta to the Southwick slip angle (SSA). 3DCT reconstructions of the pelvis and femurs were obtained and pelvic position was standardized. The center point and direction vector of the femoral epiphysis was determined. The femoral neck axis was defined. The angle between the femoral neck axis and epiphysis vector defined the 3D angle of deformity (theta). The 3D translation of the femoral epiphysis, measured as a percentage of femoral neck diameter, was measured in three planes. The average theta angle was significantly greater in SCFE hips (44.9±22.5°) compared to control (14.5±8.8°) or normal (14.0±6.5°) hips (p<0.001). There was no significant difference in theta angle between control and normal hips (p=0.83). Theta angle correlated strongly with SSA (rs=0.774, p<0.001). Its high but imperfect correlation with SSA may indicate theta as a better measure, implicating SSA as underestimating the true deformity in nearly 25% of cases

Femoral derotational osteotomy level does not effect resulting torsion.

PURPOSE:The purpose of this study was to assess the effect on femoral torsion by rotational osteotomies at three different levels as measured in 3D using both the mechanical and the anatomic axes. METHODS:Ten cadaveric lower extremities underwent femoral osteotomies perpendicular to the anatomic axis (AA) at three levels: subtrochanteric, mid-diaphyseal and supracondylar. Parallel pins were placed, one in each femur segment. Computed tomography (CT) was acquired in post-osteotomies neutral position, then post-external rotation of the femur at each osteotomy level. Femurs were returned to neutral rotation between imaging exams. Using 3D CT reconstructions, custom software calculated femoral torsion (angle between the femoral neck axis and the posterior condylar axis in the transverse plane) and pin angle between segments, reoriented to both the mechanical axis (MA) and the AA. Pin angle and torsion change were compared for the three osteotomy locations (regression analysis and ANOVA performed). RESULTS:Two specimens were omitted (inadequate imaging); the remaining eight donors were 55-90 years old (mean: 64 ± 15 years), CT confirmed no bony defects. All three levels of osteotomy demonstrated significant correlations between the amount of rotation at the osteotomy (pin angle change) and the resulting change in femoral torsion (R square range 0.658-0.847). No significant differences were found between osteotomy level in torsion (MA:p = 0.285, AA:p = 0.156) or in pin angle (MA:p = 0.756, AA:p = 0.753). CONCLUSIONS:Performing a corrective rotational osteotomy orthogonal to the AA achieves the desired effect on MA regardless of location. This suggests that a surgeon's osteotomy level choice may be based on other risks/benefits of the various techniques