Comparative analysis of percutaneous excision and radiofrequency ablation for osteoid osteoma

BACKGROUND This retrospective study aims to compare the efficacy of computed tomography-guided percutaneous excision and radiofrequency ablation in the treatment of osteoid osteoma. MATERIAL AND METHODS We evaluated 40 patients with osteoid osteoma who underwent either percutaneous excision or radiofrequency ablation between 2012 and 2015. The cohort consisted of 10 female and 30 male patients, with a mean age of 15.1 years (range: 4-27 years) and a mean follow-up time of 19.02 months (range: 11-39 months). Percutaneous excision was performed in 20 patients, while radiofrequency ablation was performed in the remaining 20 patients. RESULTS The success rates of percutaneous excision and radiofrequency ablation were comparable, with unsuccessful outcomes observed in 10% and 5% of patients, respectively. The reasons for failure in the percutaneous excision group were attributed to a marking error and incomplete excision of the wide-based nidus. Complications were limited to pathological fracture (n=1) and deep infection (n=1) in the percutaneous excision group, while no complications were encountered in the radiofrequency ablation group. CONCLUSIONS Both percutaneous excision and radiofrequency ablation demonstrate high success rates in treating osteoid osteoma. However, radiofrequency ablation offers the advantage of a quicker return to daily activities without the need for activity restrictions or splints. While being a more cost-effective option, percutaneous excision should be considered cautiously to minimize potential complications

Distributed plasticity analysis of steel building structural systems

Ph.D.Donald W. Whit

Knowledge Spillover, Transboundary Pollution, and Growth

This paper contributes to the recent literature exploring linkages between international trade, environmental degradation, and growth by bringing to the fore the dynamic gaming aspects of these issues. We use genetic algorithms (GA) to search for optimal policies in the presence of knowledge spillovers and transboundary pollution in a dynamic trade game between North and South. Knowledge accumulation and spillovers bring about additional growth/pollution tradeoffs and so help us to identify sources of inefficiencies that have been hitherto overlooked. In the GA search for optimal regional policies, noncooperative and cooperative modes of behavior are considered. Noncooperative trade compounds inefficiencies stemming from externalities. Cooperative trade policies are efficient but not credible. Short of a joint maximization of the global welfare, transfer of knowledge remains a viable route to improve world welfare.