For Vol. 72, No.1 pp17-22 Total Hip Arthroplasty for Patients with Residual Poliomyelitis at a Mean Eight Years of Follow-up

In the article by Sonekatsu M et al. entitled “Total Hip Arthroplasty for Patients with Residual Poliomyelitis at a Mean Eight Years of Follow-up”, which appeared in the February 2018 issue, Vol.72, No.1, pp17-22, following corrections should be listed. Editorial Office sincerely apologizes for making mistakes in the previous galley proof, therefore republish a corrected version

Total Hip Arthroplasty for Patients with Residual Poliomyelitis at a Mean Eight Years of Follow-up

In patients with poliomyelitis, degenerative arthritis of the hip may be encountered in the paralytic or normal contralateral limb because of leg length discrepancy, pelvic obliquity, or severe deformities of the affected hip. Although total hip arthroplasty (THA) is one of the most common orthopedic procedures, there are few reports of THA in adult patients with residual poliomyelitis. From March 2001 to January 2011, 5 patients with residual poliomyelitis (6 hips) underwent THA using uncemented implants at our hospital. We retrospectively evaluated the Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) hip rating score, complications, and radiographs. All five patients’ follow-up information was available: 4.5 years minimum, 8.4 years average, range 4.5-15 years. Surgery was done at the same side of the paralytic limb in 2 hips and contralateral to the paralytic limb in four hips. All patients had pain relief and improvement in function; JOA hip rating score improved significantly from the mean of 45 preoperatively to 78 at the last follow-up (p=0.0313). There was no loosening or osteolysis in this series, and no cases of dislocation, infection or nerve palsy. These findings can contribute to decisions regarding treatment for arthritic hips in adults with residual poliomyelitis

Effects of norepinephrine and β2 receptor antagonist ICI 118,551 on whisker hair follicle mechanoreceptors dissatisfy Merkel discs being adrenergic synapses

Abstract Merkel discs, located in skin touch domes and whisker hair follicles, are tactile end organs essential for environmental exploration, social interaction, and tactile discrimination. Recent studies from our group and two others have shown that mechanical stimulation excites Merkel cells via Piezo2 channel activation to subsequently activate sensory neural pathways. We have further shown that mechanical stimulation leads to the release of 5-HT from Merkel cells to synaptically transmit tactile signals to whisker afferent nerves. However, a more recent study using skin touch domes has raised the possibility that Merkel discs are adrenergic synapses. It was proposed that norepinephrine is released from Merkel cells upon mechanical stimulation to subsequently activate β2 adrenergic receptors on Merkel disc nerve endings leading to nerve impulses. In the present study, we examined effects of norepinephrine and β2 adrenergic receptor antagonist ICI 118,551 on Merkel disc mechanoreceptors in mouse whisker hair follicles. We show that norepinephrine did not directly induce impulses from Merkel disc mechanoreceptors. Furthermore, we found that ICI 118,551 at 50 μM inhibited voltage-gated Na+ channels and suppressed impulses of Merkel disc mechanoreceptors, but ICI 118,551 at 1 μM had no effects on the impulse. These findings challenge the hypothesis of Merkel discs being adrenergic synapses

Ultrasonography is an effective tool for the evaluation of traumatic vertebral artery injuries distal to fourth cervical vertebra in the emergency room

Abstract Background This study aimed to determine the feasibility of ultrasonography in the assessment of cervical vertebral artery (VA) injury as an alternative to computed tomography angiography (CTA) in the emergency room. Methods We analyzed 50 VAs from 25 consecutive patients with cervical spine injury that had been admitted to our emergency room. Ultrasonography and CTA were performed to assess the VA in patients with cervical spine injury. We examined the sensitivity and specificity of ultrasonography compared with CTA. Results Among these VAs, six were occluded on CTA. The agreement between ultrasonography and CTA was 98% (49/50) with 0.92 Cohen's Kappa index. The sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of ultrasonography were 100%, 97.7%, 85.7%, and 100%, respectively. In one case with hypoplastic VA, the detection of flow in the VA by ultrasonography differed from detection by CTA. Meanwhile, there were two cases in which VAs entered at C5 transverse foramen rather than at C6 level. However, ultrasonography could detect the blood flow in these VAs. Conclusions Ultrasonography had a sensitivity of 100% compared with CTA in assessment of the VA. Ultrasonography can be used as an initial screening test for VA injury in the emergency room