Effectiveness and satisfaction evaluation of patients submitted to TMJ arthrocenthesis: a case series

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness and level of satisfaction of patients who underwent TMJ arthrocentesis under local anesthesia by considering the following parameters: joint pain, mouth opening, mastication, and satisfaction. Fourteen patients (13 women and one man; mean age, 37.6 years with TMJ arthralgia were selected. The patients underwent arthrocentesis under local anesthesia, and pain intensity was measured before, during, and 1 year after treatment using a visual analog pain scale (VAS 0–100 mm). A Likert scale was used to assess patients’ opinion regarding the improvement of mouth opening and mastication. After treatment, patients were questioned on levels of satisfaction provided by arthrocentesis in regard to their quality of life. At the end of 1 year, patients showed a marked improvement in their pain clinical picture (p < 0.0001). Mouth opening and mastication, evaluated separately and then correlated (R2 = 0.925, p < 0.0001), also showed a marked improvement. When questioned, all patients reported being satisfied with the treatment outcome

Characterisation of microbial attack on archaeological bone

As part of an EU funded project to investigate the factors influencing bone preservation in the archaeological record, more than 250 bones from 41 archaeological sites in five countries spanning four climatic regions were studied for diagenetic alteration. Sites were selected to cover a range of environmental conditions and archaeological contexts. Microscopic and physical (mercury intrusion porosimetry) analyses of these bones revealed that the majority (68%) had suffered microbial attack. Furthermore, significant differences were found between animal and human bone in both the state of preservation and the type of microbial attack present. These differences in preservation might result from differences in early taphonomy of the bones. © 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved