Application of iASSIST-assisted total knee arthroplasty in the treatment of genu varum or genu valgus / 中国组织工程研究

BACKGROUND: Compared with conventional total knee arthroplasty (TKA), for patients with genu varum or genu valgus, indications, prosthesis choice, surgical accuracy and perioperative management during TKA should be paid more attention. OBJECTIVE: To compare the clinical effectiveness of iASSIST-assisted TKA and traditional TKA in the treatment of genu varum or genu valgus. METHODS: Twenty-one patients with genu varum or genu valgus undergoing TKA were selected, and were then randomized into two groups: iASSIST-assisted TKA (group A) or traditional TKA (group B). The surgical accuracy was compared between two groups by measuring the knee valgus angle of patients, and the angle between prosthesis components on the coronal and sagittal planes. Besides, the intraoperative blood loss, operation time, postoperative drainage, restored alignment, postoperative complications, hospitalization time, as well as Visual Analogue Scale and American Knee Society scores were recorded to assess the clinical effectiveness. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) The deviation of hip-knee-ankle angle, frontal femoral component angle, frontal tibial component angle, lateral femoral component angle and lateral femoral component angle in the two groups was less than 3°, and the group A exhibited better corrective efficacy. (2) The operation time in the group A was significantly longer than that in the group B; the hospitalization time in the group was significantly shorter than that in the group B; the restored alignment in the group A was significantly superior to that in the group B;the postoperative drainage, as well as Visual Analogue Scale and American Knee Society scores at 1 day and 1 week postoperatively in the group B were significantly superior to those in the group A (all P < 0.05). There were no significant differences in the intraoperative blood loss, incidence of complications, as well as Visual Analogue Scale and American Knee Society scores at postoperative 2 weeks and 1 and 3 months between two groups (P > 0.05). (3) These results manifest that for the patients with genu varum or genu valgus, both iASSIST-assisted TKA and traditional TKA can obtain satisfactory surgical accuracy, and the former has advantage in restricting the alignment of lower limbs. However, the long-term efficacy needs to be explored in depth.

Role of MR imaging on the diagnosis of velopharyngeal insufficiency preoperatively / 中华整形外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To assess the feasibility and actuality of MR imaging on diagnosis and evaluation of velopharyngeal insufficiency preoperatively.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Since 2002, six patients with velopharyngeal insufficiency were examined with MRI using midsagittal, coronal, and axial images, contrast with radiography, to affirm configuration and movements of soft palate, posterior and lateral pharyngeal walls, and velopharyngeal opening for the choices of following surgeries.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>MRI visualizes directly and measures objectively the shorter soft palate, confined movements of soft palate, lateral or/and posterior pharyngeal wall, and deeper and enlarged velopharyngeal opening, which were coincided with clinical symptoms and affirmed by observations in the following operations, surpassing radiography.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>MRI is effective, actual, and uninvasive in imaging and measuring the velopharyngeal insufficiency, thus has a potential role in investigation and planning surgical repairs.</p>