Abnormalities of the Umbilical Cord

Abnormalities of the umbilical cord, related to morphology, placental insertion, number of vessels and primary tumors, can influence the perinatal outcome and may be associated with other fetal anomalies and aneuploidies. The chapter investigates the most important congenital anomalies of this structure. Single umbilical artery appears to be associated with ventricular septal defects and conotruncal anomalies, hydronephrosis, dysplastic kidneys, esophageal atresia, spina bifida, holoprosencephaly, diaphragmatic hernia, and cystic hygromas. Velamentous insertion of the cord can be associated with trisomy 21, spina bifida, ventricular septal defects, and esophageal atresia. A hypoplastic umbilical artery has an artery-to-artery diameter difference of more than 50%; described anomalies include trisomy 21, polyhydramnios, congenital heart disease, and fetal growth restriction. Pseudocysts are more common than true cysts, and they are strongly associated with chromosomal defects and other congenital anomalies, especially omphalocele, hydrops, and trisomy 18. Other benign masses are teratomas, angiomyxomas, and patent urachus. Alterations in morphology and ultrastructure of the umbilical cord should extend the investigation, since there are associations with chromosomal anomalies

Clinical Efficacy Analysis of the Personalization of Prosthetic Abutments in Implant Supported Restorations in Comparison to Available Standard Titanium Abutments

Personalized medicine has become an important direction to offer better solutions for health problems. In implantology, this trend was materialized through customizing dental abutments to each clinical situation. The demands for better esthetics and function of implant-supported restorations have imposed a more personalized variety of prosthetic abutments. This retrospective study compared clinical efficiency of personalized implant abutments with standard implant abutments in multiple implant restorations. Clinical data of patients who were admitted in a private clinic between 2011 and 2022 and received dental implant treatments were collected. All complications and undesired events from the patients’ medical record charts were statistically analyzed. The implants were loaded using either standard or customized abutments. For complete arch rehabilitations with the SKY Fast & Fixed protocol, standard titanium prosthetic abutments were used. Our results suggest that the abutments choice for patients has moved throughout the years more towards the use of customized abutments. The number of customized abutments (414) was higher compared with the number of standard abutments (293). In our database, the most used abutments for the anterior area implants were made of titanium and zirconia, whereas for the posterior area, the preferred abutments were mostly titanium. The standard abutments were used almost entirely for immediate loading and implantation in both anterior and posterior areas (Fast & Fixed protocol). Complications were encountered mainly in restorations with standard abutments (9.22%) compared to customized abutments (2.7%), with titanium abutments being the most reliable, having only 1.79% complications

Effect of Filler Types on Cellulose-Acetate-Based Composite Used as Coatings for Biodegradable Magnesium Implants for Trauma

Magnesium alloys are considered one of the most promising materials for biodegradable trauma implants because they promote bone healing and exhibit adequate mechanical strength during their biodegradation in relation to the bone healing process. Surface modification of biodegradable magnesium alloys is an important research field that is analyzed in many publications as the biodegradation due to the corrosion process and the interface with human tissue is improved. The aim of the current preliminary study is to develop a polymeric-based composite coating on biodegradable magnesium alloys by the solvent evaporation method to reduce the biodegradation rate much more than in the case of simple polymeric coatings by involving some bioactive filler in the form of particles consisting of hydroxyapatite and magnesium. Various techniques such as SEM coupled with EDS, FTIR, and RAMAN spectroscopy, and contact angle were used for the structural and morphological characterization of the coatings. In addition, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) was used to study the effect of filler particles on polymer thermostability. In vitro cytotoxicity assays were performed on MG-63 cells (human osteosarcomas). The experimental analysis highlights the positive effect of magnesium and hydroxyapatite particles as filler for cellulose acetate when they are used alone from biocompatibility and surface analysis points of view, and it is not recommended to use both types of particles (hydroxyapatite and magnesium) as hybrid filling. In future studies focused on implantation testing, we will use only CA-based composite coatings with one filler on magnesium alloys because these composite coatings have shown better results from the in vitro testing point of view for future potential orthopedic biodegradable implants for trauma

Ductus Venosus Agenesis and Portal System Anomalies—Association and Outcome

To evaluate the prenatal diagnosis of agenesis of ductus venosus (ADV) and portal venous system (PVS) anomalies and describe the outcome of these cases, either isolated or associated. We evaluated the intrahepatic vascular system regarding the presence of normal umbilical drainage and PVS characteristics in the second and third trimester of pregnancy. The associated anomalies and umbilical venous drainage were noted. Follow-up was performed at six months follow-up. Ultrasonography was performed in 3517 cases. A total of 19 cases were prenatally diagnosed: 18 ADV cases, seven abnormal PVS cases, and six associations of the two anomalies. We noted an incidence of 5.1‰ and 1.9‰ for ADV and PVS anomalies, respectively. Out of the 18 ADV cases, 27.7% were isolated. Five cases (26.3%) presented genetic anomalies. PVS anomalies were found in 33.3% of the ADV cases. ADV was present in 85.7% of the PVS anomalies. DV and PVS abnormalities were found with a higher than reported frequency. Normal DV is involved in the normal development of the PVS. Additional fetal anomalies are the best predictor for the outcome of ADV cases. Evaluation of PVS represents a powerful predictor for ADV cases and addresses the long-term prognosis