ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION: The PFMR® proximal femoral modular reconstruction implant (Protek, Sulzer Orthopedics, Switzerland) is a straight modular stem in sanded titanium with press-fit anchorage, intended to achieve spontaneous bone reconstruction following Wagner's principle. The aim of the present study was to analyze long-term clinical and radiological outcome. MATERIAL AND METHOD: A single-center retrospective study included 48 PFMR stems implanted in 47 patients between 1998 and 2002. Results in this series were previously reported at 7 years' follow-up. Clinical assessment used PMA and Harris scores. Radiologic assessment focused on stem stability and osseointegration, and bone stock following Le Béguec. RESULTS: Twenty-three patients were seen at a mean 14.5 years' follow-up (13 deceased, 11 lost to follow-up), including 1 with bilateral implants, i.e., 24 stems. PMA and Harris scores, stem stability and osseointegration and bone stock were stable with respect to the 7-year findings. Radiology found 7 stem fractures in the Morse taper, i.e., in 29% of implants. Two of these cases required femoral implant replacement; 5 were asymptomatic. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Long-term outcome for PFMR stems was clinically and radiologically satisfactory for the 16 patients free of mechanical complications. The Morse taper fracture rate was high, and higher than reported elsewhere. The usual risk factors for implant fracture were not found in the present series. The modular design of the press-fit revision implant is its weak point; monoblock implants should be used in patients with good life-expectancy. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV (retrospective study).
Subject(s)
Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip/instrumentation , Femur/diagnostic imaging , Hip Prosthesis , Osseointegration , Prosthesis Design , Prosthesis Failure , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Female , Hip Prosthesis/adverse effects , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Radiography , Reoperation , Retrospective StudiesABSTRACT
AIMS: To investigate the major aspects of mortality in patients with noninsulin-treated type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), from 1942 till 2000. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: We performed a retrospective study in 9698 noninsulin-treated T2DM patients, 5001 (51.6%) males and 4695 (48.4%) females, registered in Bucharest Diabetes Center and deceased between 1943 and 2000. For each patient the age at diabetes onset, disease duration, age at death, cause of death, sex, height and weight were recorded. RESULTS: The mean age at diabetes onset was 58.3 +/- 9.1 years in 1943-1960 period (no significant differences by sex) and 60.6 +/- 10.3 years in 1981-2000 (59.3 +/- 10.3 years in males and 61.8 +/- 10.1 years in females, p < 0.01 vs. males). The mean disease duration at death was 7.7 +/- 5.2 years in 1943-1960 period (no significant differences by sex) and 11.3 +/- 8.1 years in 1981-2000 (11.9 +/- 8.4 years in males and 10.7 +/- 7.6 years in females, p < 0.01 vs. males). The mean age at death was 66 +/- 9.8 years in 1943-1960 period (no significant differences by sex) and 71.9 +/- 9.7 years in 1981-2000 (71.2 +/- 9.9 years in males and 72.5 +/- 9.5 years in females, p < 0.01 vs. males). In the Cox regression analysis, an increase in mortality was associated with the masculine sex--9.6% (CI 95% 1-19%, p = 0.028) compared with feminine sex; 1 year increase in age at onset--4.8% (CI 95% 4.3-5.3%, p < 0.01); 1 kg/m2 increase in body mass index--2.9% (CI 95% 1.9-3.8%, p < 0.01); 1 mg/dl increase in mean fasting blood glucose--0.1% (CI 95% 0-0.2%, p = 0.025). The major causes of death in noninsulin-treated T2DM patients in the 1981-2000 period were: ischemic heart disease (53.8%), stroke (14.4%), cancer (9%), digestive diseases (6.3%), diabetes (5.3%), end stage renal disease (4.6%), infections (2.7%), diabetes coma (2.2%) and others (1.7%). CONCLUSIONS: There is a statistically significant increase in the proportion of death caused by ischemic heart disease, while infections significantly decreased in importance during the study period. The masculine sex, age at onset, mean fasting blood glucose and body mass index were all significant predictors of mortality in the Cox regression analysis, adjusted for the year of death.
Subject(s)
Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/mortality , Aged , Female , Humans , Kaplan-Meier Estimate , Male , Middle Aged , Registries , Romania/epidemiologyABSTRACT
We report here the development of a cell biological simulation systembased on ordinary differential equations and the results on the simulationof the heat pulses' effects on the circadian rhythm in Drosophila.The simulator implements intra-cellular processes: transcription,translation, transport, modification (association, disassociation),degradation. It simulates the temporal behavior of concentrations ofproteins and mRNA involved in various biological phenomena. Moreover, thesystem is able to determine the exact type of reaction for a givenregulatory pathway. In order to prove the usefulness of the simulator weconstruct a model of the circadian rhythm in Drosophilaand wesimulate the effect of the heat pulses applied in early afternoon on thecircadian clock proteins PER and TIM. Our simulation results show therobustness of the genetic network as well as the important role playedby dClk mRNA in the mechanism of phase-shift responses.
