Unusually low arcuate artery in a Kenyan cadaver

The arcuate artery is one of the two major branches of the dorsalis pedis artery that supply the dorsum of the foot including interdigital spaces. The artery’s origin varies but in almost all cases it branches in the proximal third of the dorsum of the foot. During routine dissection of the right foot in a black Kenyan, we encountered a case where the artery was located and branched in the distal third of the dorsum of the foot, at the level of the metatarsophalangeal joint. This is much more distal than previously reported in prevailing literature. This artery did not give off any dorsal metatarsal arteries but gave the digital arteries directly. The dorsalis pedis artery, lateral and medial tarsal arteries had normal course in this foot.Keywords: Translational research; Dorsalis pedis artery; Integration; Arcuate arter

A review of telocytes in cardiovascular tissue and their role in angiogenesis

Telocytes are interstitial cells characterized by small cell bodies with very long and slender processes extending from them. They are present in most tissues and are most commonly found in close association with nerves, smooth muscle and microvascular networks in tissue interstitial space. Telocytes maintain tissue homeostasis in various ways including modulation of electrical activity, regulation of stem cell proliferation and angiogenesis. The role of telocytes in blood vessels stems from a structural and functional coupling to vascular endothelial and smooth muscle cells. This review explores the distribution of telocytes in cardiovascular tissues, their mechanisms in angiogenesis and application of this property in tissue regeneration. The literature search was conducted on PubMedTM, Science directTM and African Journals Online databases as well as Google ScholarTM search engines. The keywords used in the literature search included ‘telocytes’, ‘cardiovascular telocytes’, ‘blood vessel’, ‘cardiac tissue’, ‘(neo-)angiogenesis’ and ‘tissue regeneration’. Articles which contained the keywords and relevant citations from their reference lists were included in the study. In conclusion, telocytes display close structural relationship with cardiovascular tissues. They play an angiogenesis inducing role which may be explored as a therapeutic target in tissue repair and regeneration. Keywords : cardiovascular telocytes, interstitial Cajal-like cell, regeneration, angiogenesi

Anatomical Variations of The Fifth Lumbar Artery in A Sample Kenyan Population

Background: The fifth lumbar arteries have a more variable presence and origin as compared to the first four arteries. Its anatomical variations may influence lower spine surgical and vascular interventions. Aim: Our objective was to determine the variations of the fifth lumbar artery in a cadaveric and contrast computed tomography (CT) study. Materials and methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study combined data from 90 cadaveric and 120 post-contrast abdomino-pelvic computed tomography (CT) from Human Anatomy Department, University–of-Nairobi and Radiology Department, Kenyatta-National-Hospital. Cadavers were dissected to expose the arteries. Their prevalence, patterns and position of origin on the 5th vertebral bodies were determined. Data were analyzed using SPSS. Results: The artery was present in 26.7% of the cadaveric group, and 16.7% of the CT group. It was only noted in males in both the cadaveric and CT groups. It originated bilaterally as a common stem in 50% and as paired single branches in 50%. It originated at a mean distance of 9.03mm ± 7.23mm from the top of the L5 vertebra, maintaining a consistent relation to the upper third (90%) and the middle third (10%) of the body. Conclusions: The arteries were only noted in males and portrayed population specific variations

Comparative Analysis of Endovascular Intervention and Endarterectomy in Patients with Femoral Artery Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Peripheral artery disease is a prevalent illness affecting more than 200 million people worldwide. A commonly used technique to manage the condition has been open endarterectomy. However, in recent times, a shift towards minimally invasive techniques has resulted in endovascular intervention as a popular alternative. This review aims to assess the safety and efficacy of endovascular intervention when compared with endarterectomy. A systematic review of the articles published in PubMed, Ovid, Embase, and Scopus within the last 10 years was conducted. The PRISMA guidelines were adhered to, and the Newcastle-Ottawa and NICE quality assessment scales were used. A meta-analysis of proportions was performed using the RStudio software (RStudio Team (2021). RStudio: Integrated Development Environment for R, PBC, Boston, MA, USA). Twenty-six studies were included, with a total of 7126 patients (endovascular, 2496; endarterectomy, 4630). Technical success was greater for endarterectomy than endovascular intervention with an odds ratio of 0.38; 95% CI [0.27–0.54]. In terms of safety as well endovascular intervention was better than endarterectomy with an odds ratio of 0.22; 95% CI [0.15 to 0.31] for wound infection. Endovascular intervention is a safe and effective procedure; however, it cannot be considered superior to endarterectomy