Management and results of early-onset scoliosis with dual magnetically controlled growing rods: Additional preliminary results of spinal fusion surgery.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical and radiographic outcomes and complications of dual magnetically controlled growing rods (MCGRs) in the treatment of early-onset scoliosis (EOS) and to investigate the results of patients with definitive spinal fusion following MCGR. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 15 patients (7 males, 8 females; mean age: 8.7±1.7 years; range, 6 to 10 years) with EOS who underwent dual MCGR and were prospectively followed between February 2013 and March 2019 were included in this retrospective study. The Cobb angle, thoracic kyphosis, and the length of the spine between T1-T12 and T1-S1 were measured on preoperative, postoperative, and follow-up radiographs. The 24-Item Early-Onset Scoliosis Questionnaire (EOSQ-24) was used to assess the functional outcomes before and after the operation. All complications during the treatment were recorded. RESULTS: The mean follow-up was 27.8±10.4 (range, 12 to 60) months. The mean curve correction immediately after the index surgery and latest follow-up was 47.6% and 42.4%, respectively (p>0.05). At the last follow-up, there were no significant changes in mean Cobb and kyphosis angles. The mean T1-T12 length increase was 26.2±7.1 (range, 16 to 40) mm, while the mean T1-S1 length increase was 43.3±15.0 (range, 24 to 70) mm. Complications developed in four (26.6%) of 15 patients. Definitive spinal fusion surgery was performed in seven patients. Total mean Cobb angle difference between the final follow-up and fusion surgery was 9.3° (p=0.016) and kyphosis angle difference was -2.1° (p=0.349). After fusion surgery, total lengthening in T1-T12 and T1-S1 distance was 10.5 mm (p=0.036) and 15.0 mm (p=0.022), respectively. A significant increase in all subdomain scores of the EOSQ-24 (p<0.05), except for financial impact, was recorded in all patients. CONCLUSION: Dual MCGR technique is an effective, reliable, and robust treatment alternative for primary EOS. However, surgeons should be aware of the relatively high rate of complications. In addition, residual deformity can be corrected successfully with definitive surgery.

Prótese nasal implantorretida por magnetos ­ relato de caso com cinco anos de acompanhamento / Magnet-retained nasal prosthesis ­ case report with 5-year follow-up

O objetivo do presente estudo foi relatar, por meio de um caso clínico, a reabilitação de uma paciente com uma prótese nasal implantorretida. A mesma possuía 68 anos de idade e foi encaminhada para a reabilitação nasal pela equipe que realizou a cirurgia oncológica de um tumor de pele na região do seu nariz. A paciente reportou queixa com relação à estética da face e problemas no convívio social. Foi proposta reabilitação com prótese nasal, com implantes osseointegráveis associados ao sistema de retenção por magnetos. Após cinco anos e dez meses, três novas próteses foram fabricadas devido a queixas da paciente em relação à descoloração da peça. Na última consulta, a prótese foi removida e inspecionada, e se constatou problemas na higienização, motivo das pigmentações escurecidas na superfície interna da peça e do exsudato no tecido mole ao redor dos pilares protéticos. Foram realizadas a limpeza da barra e do tecido mole, e a confecção de novas próteses nasais implantorretidas à base de silicone elastomérico, além de instrução sobre a necessidade de higienização. Constatou-se que próteses nasais implantorretidas à base de silicone elastomérico são eficientes e seguras para a reabilitação de defeitos na região do nariz. Além disso, é extremamente necessário que o profissional transmita aos pacientes a necessidade de uma higienização satisfatória, solicitando retornos periódicos para obter o máximo do desempenho clínico de suas próteses e implantes.

The aim of present study was to report the rehabilitation of a patient with magnet-retained nasal prosthesis. A 68-year-old female patient was referred to nasal rehabilitation by the surgical team that performed the removal of a skin nose tumor. The patient complained about her facial aesthetics and also reported fearing social interactions. The rehabilitation with nasal prosthesis associated with osseointegrated implants, and retained by magnets was proposed to the patient. After 5 years and 10 months, 3 new prostheses have been fabricated because the patient complained about their discoloration. In the last check-up, the prosthesis was removed and visual inspection revealed lack of hygiene maintenance, which resulted in dark pigments in the intaglio surface as well as exudate in the peri-implant soft skin. The prosthetic components and soft tissue were cleaned, the fabrication of new magnet-retained nasal prosthesis was performed and instructions about the necessity of oral hygiene were also transmitted. The implant-retained nasal prosthesis is an effi cient and safe method for the rehabilitation of defects in the nasal area. Furthermore, it is extremely necessary that clinicians advise patients to perform satisfactory hygiene maintenance and periodic controls in order to obtain long-term success in such cases.

[A magnet application for the splinters take out in the mine-explosion woundings].

The methods of successful take out of metallic splinters from soft tissues with the help of magnet were depicted. Experience of the splinters take out, using small operative accesses or the wounding channell passage, was summarized. The method permits to determine precisely the splinter localization. The method application have promoted the reduction of the patient's stationary treatment duration and the comlications rate.

Non-inverse-square force-distance law for long thin magnets-revisited.

OBJECTIVE: It had previously been shown that the inverse-square law does not apply to the force-distance relationship in the case of a long, thin magnet with one end in close proximity to its image in a permeable plane when simple point-like poles are assumed. Treating the system instead as having a 'polar disc', arising from an assumed bundle of dipoles, led to a double integral that could only be evaluated numerically, and a relationship that still did not match observed behavior. Using an elaborate 'stretched' exponential polynomial to represent the position of an 'elastic' polar disc resulted in a fair representation of the physical response, but this was essentially merely the fitting of an arbitrary function. The present purpose was therefore to find an explicit formula for the force-distance relationship in the polar-disc problem and assess its fit to the previously obtained experimental data. METHODS: Starting from Coulomb's law a corrected integral formula for the force-distance relationship was derived. The integral in this formula was evaluated explicitly using rescaling, changes of order of integration, reduction by symmetry, and change of variables. The resulting formula was then fitted to data that had been obtained for the force exerted by eighty-five rod-shaped magnets (Alnico V, 3 mm diameter, 170 mm long) perpendicular to a large steel plate, as a function of distance, at small separations (<5 mm). Subsequently, the fit of alternative functions was explored. RESULTS: An explicit formula in terms of elliptic integrals was obtained for the polar-disc problem. Despite the greater fidelity, this too was found not to fit the observed physical behavior. Given that failure, nevertheless a simple formula that conforms closely and parsimoniously to the actual magnet data was found. A key feature remains the marked departure from inverse-square behavior. SIGNIFICANCE: The failure of the explicit formula to fit the data indicates an inadequate model of the physical system. Nonetheless it constitutes a useful tool for quantifying the force-distance relationship on the premise of polar discs. Given these insights, it may now be possible to address the original motivating problem of the behavior of real dental magnets.