Morphometric study of nutrient foramen of tibia in Jharkhand population

Background: Nutrient foramen gives passage to the nutrient vessels which supply major portion of the bone even bone marrow. Many vascular foramina are present in all bones for the passage of blood vessels. In long bones many small vascular foramina are present at the ends through which epiphyseal and metaphyseal blood vessels passes. In the shaft of long bones one or two larger foramina are present through which nutrient vessels passes. Nutrient artery provides 70% to 80% blood supply of long bones in children and if blood supply is decreased, it may lead to ischemia of bone resulting into less vascularisation of metaphysis and growth plate. Thus precise topographical knowledge of nutrient foramen is necessary for the surgeons to save the nutrient vessels during surgical procedures i.e. fracture fixation, bone grafting etc. Damage to the nutrient artery causes avascular necrosis of bone.Methods: Total 70 dry bones of tibia were taken in the study, without knowledge of sex of the bone. Position, number and direction of the nutrient foramen were noted.Results: single nutrient foramina present in 91.43% of cases and double in 6% of cases. 97.14 % nutrient foramina are directed downward and 2.86% directed upward. 90% nutrient foramina present on posterior surface, 1.42% on lateral surface and 8.57% on lateral border. 75% of nutrient foramina present in upper 1/3 and 25% in middle 1/3. Primary nutrient foramina (>24 G) present in 89.47% and secondary nutrient foramina (<24 G) present in 10.53% of cases.Conclusions: A sound knowledge of nutrient foramen topography, prevent the injuries of vasculature of bone during surgeries

Haglund's syndrome: Radiographical evaluation and its clinical relevance

Background: Haglund's syndrome an important cause of posterior heel pain presents with a prominent bony contour, a retrocalcaneal bursitis or achillis tendinitis these can also occur in isolation hence for the diagnosis of etiology of Haglund's disease certain radiological parameters and soft tissue parameters have been created to evaluate the anatomical variations which will assist in its exact diagnosis. Study aims to distinguish between the bony and soft tissue causes of Haglund's disease radiologically. Methodology: After Institutional ethical committee clearance an observational cross-sectional study was conducted with subjects coming to radiology OPD for X-ray foot with complains of posterior heel pain fulfilling inclusion and exclusion criteria were examined for X-ray lateral view of foot. Parameters like calcaneal inclination angle (CIA), Fowler Philip angle (FPA), parallel pitch line (PPL), Steffenson & Evenson angle (SEA) measured, posterior/calcaneal spur and posterior calcaneal step were noted. The data obtained was analyzed for mean, Standard deviation, sensitivity % and false negative %. Result: Sensitivity of the parameters were analyzed to find CIA, SEA &PPL to be 63.3%, 55% and 55% sensitive respectively. CIA could be assigned most sensitive but regarding soft tissue parameters none were sensitive. Conclusion: CIA, SEA & PPL were found to be sensitive among bony parameters. But none of the soft tissue parameters were sensitive radiologically highlighting a need for its correlation with clinical symptom in peripheral health centers where MRI is not available. Sensitivity of bony and soft tissue parameters were analyzed to find CIA, SEA & PPL to be sensitive. CIA could be assigned most sensitive among bony parameter but with regards to soft tissue parameters none were sensitive

Biomed Res-India 2012; 23 (4): 547-550 Age wise distribution of high risk Human Papillomavirus in Northern In- dian women

Abstract Human papillomavirus (HPV) testing was introduced to compensate the poor sensitivity and specificity of the pap smear cytology often used as a diagnostic tool for borderline precancerous lesions. Digene Hybrid Capture Assay 2 (HCA-2) is the only approved test by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for evaluation and confirmation of the cytologically borderline suspected cases. 361 cervical specimens were collected for the high risk HPV analysis. Forty one cervical samples were positive. Age wise distribution showed highest prevalence in the 15-35 age groups which decreased in subsequent years. Present observations are in agreement with similar studies reported from other parts of the world including Southern India

Effect of Coolant Inventories and Parallel Loop Interconnections on the Natural Circulation in Various Heat Transport Systems of a Nuclear Power Plant during Station Blackout

Provision of passive means to reactor core decay heat removal enhances the nuclear power plant (NPP) safety and availability. In the earlier Indian pressurised heavy water reactors (IPHWRs), like the 220 MWe and the 540 MWe, crash cooldown from the steam generators (SGs) is resorted to mitigate consequences of station blackout (SBO). In the 700 MWe PHWR currently being designed an additional passive decay heat removal (PDHR) system is also incorporated to condense the steam generated in the boilers during a SBO. The sustainability of natural circulation in the various heat transport systems (i.e., primary heat transport (PHT), SGs, and PDHRs) under station blackout depends on the corresponding system's coolant inventories and the coolant circuit configurations (i.e., parallel paths and interconnections). On the primary side, the interconnection between the two primary loops plays an important role to sustain the natural circulation heat removal. On the secondary side, the steam lines interconnections and the initial inventory in the SGs prior to cooldown, that is, hooking up of the PDHRs are very important. This paper attempts to open up discussions on the concept and the core issues associated with passive systems which can provide continued heat sink during such accident scenarios. The discussions would include the criteria for design, and performance of such concepts already implemented and proposes schemes to be implemented in the proposed 700 MWe IPHWR. The designer feedbacks generated, and critical examination of performance analysis results for the added passive system to the existing generation II & III reactors will help ascertaining that these safety systems/inventories in fact perform in sustaining decay heat removal and augmenting safety