The injuries of knee menisci: clinical, age and gender related peculiarities, and interface with the morphology of tibial plateau

The number of knee joint injuries is increasing because it is fashionable in modern society to participate in active and sometimes dangerous sports. Population is aging and therefore is increasing number of knee problems due to the age. That’s why it is important to know the dynamics of the knee joint injuries in Lithuanian population, the age and sex characteristics, relationship of meniscus injury with the other knee structures; clarify the relationship and importance of meniscus and the morphological characteristics of the tibial bearing surface. We analyzed 2004 patients, with knee problems or injury who underwent an arthroscopic knee surgery. We also examined 95 male and 40 female skeletons, long bone dimensions and 39 male and 28 female cadaver knee joint structures. We found that knee injuries twice more common in males than in females. The medial meniscus tears were three times more often than lateral. Both meniscus ruptures were more often in the knee with damaged ligaments. There was significantly decreased intact meniscus number with increasing time from injury of the anterior cruciate ligament to the ligament reconstruction time. We determined the rate of discoid meniscus among Lithuanian patients, the mean width of the hiatus popliteus of lateral meniscus for both sexes, calculated the load on the knee joint bearing surface area. Female's knee joints had significantly major load than males - that might be the cause of more common knee arthrosis in women

Fixed DNA Molecule Arrays for High-Throughput Single DNA-Protein Interaction Studies

The DNA Curtains assay is a recently developed experimental platform for protein-DNA interaction studies at the single-molecule level that is based on anchoring and alignment of DNA fragments. The DNA Curtains so far have been made by using chromium barriers and fluid lipid bilayer membranes, which makes such a specialized assay technically challenging and relatively unstable. Herein, we report on an alternative strategy for DNA arraying for analysis of individual DNA-protein interactions. It relies on stable DNA tethering onto nano-patterned protein templates via high affinity molecular recognition. We describe fabrication of streptavidin templates (line features as narrow as 200 nm) onto modified glass coverslips by combining surface chemistry, atomic force microscopy (AFM), and soft lithography techniques with affinity-driven assembly. We have employed such chips for arraying single- and double-tethered DNA strands, and we characterized the obtained molecular architecture: we evaluated the structural characteristics and specific versus nonspecific binding of fluorescence-labeled DNA using AFM and total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy. We demonstrate the feasibility of our DNA molecule arrays for short single-tethered as well as for lambda single- and double-tethered DNA. The latter type of arrays proved very suitable for localization of single DNA-protein interactions employing restriction endonucleases. The presented molecular architecture and facile method of fabrication of our nanoscale platform does not require clean room equipment, and it offers advanced functional studies of DNA machineries and the development of future nanodevices

Facial perception, self-esteem and psychosocial well-being in patients after nasal surgery due to trauma, cancer and aesthetic needs (cluster analysis of multiple interrelations)

Background: Facial anthropometric measurements in relation to self-esteem and self-perception have become a very popular topic, not only in anthropological and psychological research, but also in plastic reconstructive surgery. Aim: To compare the interrelations between facial perception, self-esteem and psychosocial well-being in patients after nasal surgery due to trauma, cancer and aesthetic needs. Subjects and methods: In total, ninety patients after nasal surgery (due to trauma, cancer and aesthetic reasons), and thirty control persons underwent facial anthropometry and answered questions related to facial perception (FP), self-esteem (SE) and psychosocial well-being (PW). Cluster analysis was performed. Results: Facial measurements were not related to the perception of the whole face in all investigated persons. The whole face and nasal perception were interrelated in the majority of male groups and in the control female group. SE in females from the control and cancer groups was not related to real facial parameters or FP, however, in females after aesthetic surgery it was related to nasal tip protrusion. SE in females after nasal surgery due to trauma was strongly related to FP. SE in almost all groups of males was related to real facial parameters, and in males after aesthetic surgery it was related to FP. PW was mostly linked to SE in males and females after aesthetic surgery, in other groups it was related to FP. Conclusions: FP was most frequently not related to real facial measurements; however, it was related to PW. Patients after aesthetic nasal surgery had specific relations between FP, SE and PW

Influence of preoperative patient factors on TKA outcomes

Background: Osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the most disabling diseases in developed countries. In later stages of the disease, surgical treatment becomes the main alternative. Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA) has proved a successful and cost-effective treatment for improving pain, function, mental health and overall quality of life in patients with severe knee arthritis. However up to 20% of patients are not satisfied with the outcome of the surgery. Being able to pre-operatively estimate which patient would have satisfactory results after the surgery is beneficial to guide further clinical decision. The aim of this study was to prospectively evaluate the influence of pre-operative patient factors on patient reported outcome after TKA. Methods: 314 patients who underwent TKA in Vilnius University Hospital between end of 2012 and middle of 2014 year were included in a study. The influence of preoperative patient factors on the TKA outcome according to Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) change score was analyzed. Results: The preoperative WOMAC pain score was the strongest determinant of the WOMAC pain change score one year after TKA. The preoperative WOMAC function and SF-12 mental health scores were the strongest determinants of the WOMAC function change score one year after TKA. Conclusion: Lower preoperative knee pain, function scores and better mental health function results in greater chang