[Experimental studies on the effect of thyrocalcitonin on secondary bone healing (author's transl)]. / Experimentelle Untersuchungen zum Einfluss von Calcitonin auf die sekundäre Knochenbruchheilung.

The effect of thyrocalcitonin on secondary bone healing was studied in 180 Sprague-Dawley-rats. The right tibia of all the rats was osteotomized. Half of the animals was treated with thyrocalcitonin. Until the 60th postoperative day, the increase in 99mTc-methylendiphosphonate activity was measured and significant differences in ratios were noted. Between the postoperative days 10 to 25, there was a significant difference in the impulse quotients between the thyrocalcitonin and untreated rats (P less than 0.05). These results indicate that thyrocalcitonin may aid in secondary bone healing.

[Serum results following experimental fracture alignment and thyrocalcitonin treatment (author's transl)]. / Klinisch-chemische Serumbefunde nach experimenteller Fraktursetzung und Calcitonin-Behandlung.

Serum alkaline phosphatase activity, serum calcium and phosphorus concentrations were determined during bone healing under treatment of thyrocalcitonin. The right tibiae of 160 albino rats were osteotomized. Of these, 80 were treated with thyrocalcitonin. During the 50-day observation period, the calcium level in the thyrocalcitonin-treated sample never differed significantly from that of the control group. However, the alkaline phosphatase activity and the serum phosphorus level significantly differed from the control levels (P less than 0.05) during 4 days of observation. The increased serum alkaline phoshatase activity--a sign of osteoblastic activity--suggests that thyrocalcitonin may aid in osteogenesis and bone healing.

[Spinal lesions following modified exercises in adolescent high performance gymnasts]. / Wirbelsäulenschäden bei jugendlichen Hochleistungsturnern.

20 high performance gymnasts between 14 and 22 years of age had an anamnestical, clinical and radiological checkup on the spine in order to assess news training-methods. Radiologically only 3 gymnasts were found to be without any pathological manifestation. 7 cases of M. Scheuermann were located. The other athletes showed degenerative findings of vertebral columns especially in the thoracic-lumbar transition. These degenerative signs, and the fact tht the gymnasts had no spondylosis, are the result of new exercises, which avoid extreme bending load in the lowest segment of the lumbar region. Anamnestical and radiological findings do not correlate. A critical medical screening is necessary before and during high performance training.

Comparison of two Papanicolaou staining procedures for automated prescreening.

A "regressive" (procedure I) and a "progressive" (procedure II) modification of the Papanicolaou stain were tested for their suitability for automated screening procedures. Intermediate squamous cells and carcinoma cells were scanned with a high-resolution system, and digitized data were statistically analyzed after feature extraction. The regressive modification accentuates the textural features of intermediate squamous cell nuclei as well as the contrast ratio of nucleus and cytoplasm. The progressive modification accentuates some criteria of malignancy, such as polychromasia, hyperchromasia and shifting of nuclear to cytoplasmic ratio. Grouping of data according to patients indicates that the differences found are due to the staining procedures and not to individual variability of parameters in different patients.