ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate the use of titanium mesh reconstruction after sternal tumor resection.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>From January 2007 to January 2011, 14 patients with sternal tumors were admitted into Peking Union Medical Hospital. The clinical characteristics, surgical resection, and technique of reconstruction were reviewed.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Of the 14 patients, 3 had a metastatic sternal tumor, the primary sites of which were as follows: hepatic carcinoma in one case (metastasis 19 years after operation), breast carcinoma in another case (metastasis 5 years after operation), and renal carcinoma in the other case (found simultaneously). Two patients showed local involvement of the sternum: 1 had thymic carcinoma, and the other had myofibrosarcoma. The remaining 9 patients had primary tumors: 4 were osteochondroma, 3 chondrosarcoma, 1 eosinophilic granuloma, 1 non-Hodgekin's lymphoma. En bloc resection of the sternal tumor was performed in all the 14 patients. The defect was repaired with the titanium mesh adjusted to the shape of the defect and fixed with the stainless steel wire. Eleven patients were followed up for a period from 2 months to 4 years, during which no translocation or broken of the titanium mesh was observed.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Radical en bloc excision remains the treatment of choice for sternal tumors. Sternum defect reconstruction using titanium mesh as a rigid replacement proves appropriate and effective.</p>
Subject(s)
Adult , Aged , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Bone Neoplasms , General Surgery , Plastic Surgery Procedures , Methods , Sternum , General Surgery , Surgical Mesh , TitaniumABSTRACT
Objective: To investigate the protective effect of erythropoietin (EPO) on the acute renal injuries caused by abdomen open injury plus seawater immersion in rats. Methods: Sixty healthy male Wistar rats (clean grade) were evenly randomized into four groups,namely,EPO pre-treatment group,observation group,low-dose EPO treatment group and high-dose EPO treatment group. Acute renal injury was induced by abdomen open injury plus artificial seawater immersion (22°C). The serum creatine, BUN, creatine kinase, creatine kinase isoenzyme, TNF-α, IL-6, complement C3a, C-reactive protein, renal homogenate superoxide dismutase (SOD) , and the renal pathological changes were observed and compared between different groups. Results: Acute renal injury was observed in all groups 3 hours after abdomen open injury plus seawater immersion,with increased serum creatine and BUN,but the rats survived after treatment. The serum creatine,BUN,creatine kinase,and creatine kinase isoenzyme in EPO pre-treatment group were significantly lower than those of the other 3 groups; the levels of TNF-α,IL6, complement C3a ,and C-reactive protein were also obviously decreased; the renal homogenate SOD was obviously increased; and the score of renal proximal tubule necrosis was obviously decreased. However,no significant differences were found between the high- and low-dose EPO groups concerning all the parameters (P>0.05). Conclusion: EPO pre-treatment has a protective effect on the acute renal injury induced by abdomen open injury plus seawater immersion in rats.