BAG S53P4 putty as bone graft substitute - a rabbit model

Bioactive glass (BAG) S53P4 granules represent a bone augmentation biomaterial for the surgical treatment of bony defects, even in challenging conditions such as osteomyelitis. The aim of this eight-week rabbit implantation study was to evaluate the biocompatibility and bone regeneration performance of a BAG S53P4 putty formulation following its implantation into the proximal tibia bone of twenty-eight New Zealand white rabbits. BAG S53P4 putty was compared to BAG S53P4 granules (0.5-0.8 mm) to evaluate whether the synthetic putty binder influences the bone regeneration of the osteostimulative granules. The putty formulation facilitates clinical use because of its mouldability, injectability and ease of mixing with autograft. Implantation of putty and granules into proximal tibia defects resulted in good osseointegration of the two groups. Both biomaterials were biocompatible, showed high new bone formation, high vascularization and periosteal growth. No signs of disturbed bone formation were observed due to the PEG-glycerol binder in the BAG S53P4 putty. Instead, intramedullary ossification and stromal cell reaction were more advanced in the putty group compared to the control group (p = 0.001 and p </p

Novel Bioactive Glass Putty (S53P4) as Bone Graft Expander in Minimally Invasive Lumbosacral Interbody Fusion

Objective This study aimed to evaluate the clinically achieved interbody fusion rate in minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (MI-TLIF) operations, when using a novel bioactive glass (BAG) S53P4 putty as bone graft expander together with local autologous bone (AB). A second purpose was to assess radiologically the subsidence of intervertebral cage into vertebral endplates. Methods We conducted a retrospective analysis of 20 patients operated on with MI-TLIF for 24 levels by a neurosurgeon in our clinic between 2014 and 2016. In addition to routine follow-up by static plain radiographs, the patients with special complaints were investigated with computed tomography (CT) and/or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). An independent neuroradiologist analysed the interbody fusion by bridging bone criteria in CT scans and subsidence either in CT scans or in static plain radiographs. The patients were followed up to 12-24 months postoperative. Results The interbody fusion rate of 95.8% could be defined based on CT analysis of the symptomatic patients. Of the eight symptomatic patients, one had interbody cage dislocation of 2-3 mm posteriorly, lucency around a sacral screw and breakage of the other sacral screw. No subsidence of cages was observed. No postoperative infections were detected. Conclusion As bone graft expander, the novel BAG S53P4 putty provides at least as good interbody fusion results as the presently used bone graft expanders and enhancers with no observed subsidence or postoperative infections

Glycans as Potential Diagnostic Markers of Traumatic Brain Injury

The diagnosis of mild traumatic brain injury (TBI) is challenging in the acute setting because the symptoms are nonspecific and often transient, or they develop with a delay. In these cases, the criteria for acute head imaging are frequently not fulfilled. This may lead to missed diagnoses in emergency care. There is a need for developing a rapid diagnostic test to verify the presence of TBI using body fluids. Blood, urine, and saliva samples from 11 adult patients (mean age 64 years, SD 24 years) with acute and clinically diagnosed TBI, and 12 healthy volunteers were collected at Turku University Hospital during a period of 5 months. The injuries necessitated hospitalization for at least one day. The TBIs were classified mild in nine cases and severe in two cases. The mean period between the trauma and the time for obtaining the samples was 27 h, SD 11 h. The samples were analyzed in an ISO-certified laboratory for the number of lectin-bound glycan molecules indicating destruction of nerve tissue. The screening was performed on several possible glycans for binding, and the measurement by degree of fluorescence. In the analysis, the group of patients with TBI was compared with healthy volunteers. The results showed a significant decrease (p < 0.05, Wilcoxon rank–sum two-sided test) in the level of two glycans in plasma, but no significant increase for any glycan; in saliva, one glycan showed a significant increase in the TBI group; in urine, three glycans were significantly different between the groups (one showed an increase, whereas two showed a decrease). The results support the idea of conducting more research on how diagnostic glycans could be detected in body fluids after TBI. As a proof-of-concept, significant changes in the concentration of five glycans were found in plasma, saliva, and urine between TBI patients and healthy controls. This may enable the development of a rapid body fluid-based point-of-care test to identify patients with TBI after a head injury.</p

BAG S53P4 putty as bone graft substitute - a rabbit model

bone augmentation biomaterial for the surgical treatment of bony defects, even in challenging conditions such as osteomyelitis. The aim of this eight-week rabbit implantation study was to evaluate the biocompatibility and bone regeneration performance of a BAG S53P4 putty formulation following its implantation into the proximal tibia bone of twenty-eight New Zealand white rabbits. BAG S53P4 putty was compared to BAG S53P4 granules (0.5-0.8 mm) to evaluate whether the synthetic putty binder influences the bone regeneration of the osteostimulative granules. The putty formulation facilitates clinical use because of its mouldability, injectability and ease of mixing with autograft. Implantation of putty and granules into proximal tibia defects resulted in good osseointegration of the two groups. Both biomaterials were biocompatible, showed high new bone formation, high vascularization and periosteal growth. No signs of disturbed bone formation were observed due to the PEG-glycerol binder in the BAG S53P4 putty. Instead, intramedullary ossification and stromal cell reaction were more advanced in the putty group compared to the control group (p = 0.001 and p <0.001). In conclusion, the novel mouldable BAG S53P4 putty showed reliable bone regeneration in bony defects without adverse tissue or cell reactions. © 2017 WDG. All rights reserved.Peer reviewe

The prioritization order of the pandemic influenza vaccinations in Finland during the A(H1N1) pandemic recommended by the National Advisory Committee on Vaccinations.

<p>The prioritization order of the pandemic influenza vaccinations in Finland during the A(H1N1) pandemic recommended by the National Advisory Committee on Vaccinations.</p

Effect of xenon on brain injury, neurological outcome, and survival in patients after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage—study protocol for a randomized clinical trial

Abstract Background Aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) is a neurological emergency, affecting a younger population than individuals experiencing an ischemic stroke; aSAH is associated with a high risk of mortality and permanent disability. The noble gas xenon has been shown to possess neuroprotective properties as demonstrated in numerous preclinical animal studies. In addition, a recent study demonstrated that xenon could attenuate a white matter injury after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. Methods The study is a prospective, multicenter phase II clinical drug trial. The study design is a single-blind, prospective superiority randomized two-armed parallel follow-up study. The primary objective of the study is to explore the potential neuroprotective effects of inhaled xenon, when administered within 6 h after the onset of symptoms of aSAH. The primary endpoint is the extent of the global white matter injury assessed with magnetic resonance diffusion tensor imaging of the brain. Discussion Despite improvements in medical technology and advancements in medical science, aSAH mortality and disability rates have remained nearly unchanged for the past 10 years. Therefore, new neuroprotective strategies to attenuate the early and delayed brain injuries after aSAH are needed to reduce morbidity and mortality. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04696523. Registered on 6 January 2021. EudraCT, EudraCT Number: 2019-001542-17. Registered on 8 July 2020