ABSTRACT
Objective:To evaluate a new type of draw-bar skin stretcher in repair of full-thickness skin defects.Methods:From May 2015 to January 2019, 52 patients with full-thickness skin defects were repaired with a new type of draw-bar skin stretcher at Daping Hospital, Army Medical University. They were 40 males and 12 females, aged from 4 to 61 years (average, 37.1 years). Their skin was stretched for primary wound closure. When primary wound closure failed, skin stretching was performed again to close the wound depending on the wound condition. When the Pinch test was negative after skin stretching, the wound was sutured directly. In cases of positive Pinch test, a skin graft or flap was used to repair the remaining wound. At 12 months after surgery, scar contracture and size of skin graft or flap were observed and wound healing after skin stretching was evaluated in comparison with the original wound.Results:After skin stretching, one-stage wound closure was achieved in 36 cases and multi-stage wound closure in 8 cases; of the remaining 8 cases, 2 were repaired by skin graft and 6 by skin flap after their wounds were reduced by skin stretching. In one-stage closed wounds, infection occurred in 3 cases and marginal necrosis in 5 cases; in the wounds repaired by skin graft or flap, no infection or necrosis was observed. The 12-month follow-up for all the patients showed fine healing of all the wounds after one-stage or multi-stage closure, linear scar, absence of scar contracture, and smaller wound sizes than the original ones after skin graft or flap repair.Conclusions:Skin stretching using our new type of draw-bar skin stretcher is an effective treatment for skin wounds. It can replace traditional skin grafting and flap surgery in some cases, but its indications should be strictly followed to avoid related complications.
ABSTRACT
Bone homeostasis is a relative balance between bone formation and resorption. Signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3), which is closely related to bone homeostasis, takes part in multiple intracellular and extracellular signal pathways. STAT3 participates in the process of osteoblast differentiation regulated by several factors. It can also maintain bone homeostasis by regulating the recruitment, differentiation and activation of osteoclasts. In addition, STAT3 is involved in the interaction between osteoblasts and osteoclasts. Patients with STAT3 mutations can have several inherited bone metabolism diseases. Furthermore, STAT3 plays a critical role in load-driven bone remodeling. Mechanical stimulation promotes osteoblast differentiation and bone formation through activating or enhancing STAT3 expression during bone remodeling process. This review summarizes the participation of STAT3 in maintaining bone homeostasis together with its possible mechanisms and discusses the connection between STAT3 and mechanical stimulation in bone remodeling, so as to provide a potential pharmacological target for the treatment of bone diseases.
ABSTRACT
A novel coronavirus pneumonia (NCP) epidemic has occurred in Wuhan, Hubei Province since December 2019, caused by a novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) never been seen previously in human. China has imposed the strictest quarantine and closed management measures in history to control the spreading of the disease. However, severe trauma can still occur in the NCP patients. In order to standardize the emergency treatment and the infection prevention and control of severe trauma patients with hidden infection, suspected or confirmed infection of 2019-nCoV, Trauma Surgery Branch of Chinese Medical Doctors' Association organized this expert consensus. The consensus illustrated the classification of the NCP patients, severe trauma patients in need of emergency surgery, emergency surgery type, hierarchical protection for medical personnel and treatment places. Meanwhile, the consensus standardized the screening, injury severity evaluation, emergency surgical treatment strategy and postoperative management strategy of severe trauma patients during the epidemic period of NCP, providing a basis for the clinical treatment of such kind of patients.
ABSTRACT
Epidemic of corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has occurred in Wuhan, Hubei Province since December 2019, caused by a novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) never been seen previously in human. China has imposed the strictest quarantine and closed management measures in history to control the spreading of the disease. However, severe trauma can still occur in the COVID-19 patients. In order to standardize the emergency treatment and the infection prevention and control of severe trauma patients with hidden infection, suspected or confirmed infection of 2019-nCoV, Trauma Surgery Branch of Chinese Medical Doctors' Association organized this expert consensus. The consensus illustrated the classification of the COVID-19 patients, severe trauma patients in need of emergency surgery, emergency surgery type, hierarchical protection for medical personnel and treatment places. Meanwhile, the consensus standardized the screening, injury severity evaluation, emergency surgical treatment strategy and postoperative management strategy of severe trauma patients during the epidemic period of COVID-19, providing a basis for the clinical treatment of such kind of patients.
ABSTRACT
Orthodontic treatment is more complicated when both soft and hard tissues must be considered because an impacted maxillary canine has important effects on function and esthetics. Compared with extraction of impacted maxillary canines, exposure followed by orthodontic traction can improve esthetics and better protect the patient's teeth and alveolar bone. Therefore, in order to achieve desirable tooth movement with minimal unexpected complications, a precise diagnosis is indispensable to establish an effective and efficient force system. In this report, we describe the case of a 31-year-old patient who had a labio-palatal horizontally impacted maxillary left canine with a severe occlusal alveolar bone defect and a missing maxillary left first premolar. Herein, with the aid of three-dimensional imaging, sequential traction was performed with a three-directional force device that finally achieved acceptable occlusion by bringing the horizontally impacted maxillary left canine into alignment. The maxillary left canine had normal gingival contours and was surrounded by a substantial amount of regenerated alveolar bone. The 1-year follow-up stability assessment demonstrated that the esthetic and functional outcomes were successful.
ABSTRACT
Orthodontic tooth movement is a dynamic process,which includes bone resorption on the pressure side and osteogenesis on the tension side.Bone mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs),which are force-sensitive cells,have potentials for differentiation into cells with various types.Their biological characteristics can change functionally according to the appropriate stimulation in vitro,in order to reach the optimal demand of the stimulation.Many signal pathways are involved in osteogenesis.Signal transducers and activators of transcription 3 (STAT3) is a ubiquitously expressed transcription factor,mediating cell proliferation,differentiation,survival,apoptosis and cellular immunity.It has been reported that STAT3 can regulate the differentiation process of BMSCs into osteoblasts.This paper summarizes the recent progress about effect of STAT3 on bone differentiation of BMSCs and the possible mechanism.