Is the bone tissue of the femoral neck demineralised in patients with hip fracture?

The aim of this study is to establish the falsifiability of the "osteoporotic hypothesis" for hip fracture, according to which the bone density and mineral composition of bone tissue in patients with hip fracture is poorer than when no such fracture is present, and that this circumstance is relevant to the occurrence of a fracture. The study population consisted of forty patients treated with arthroplasty. Twenty patients with femoral neck fracture and another twenty with hip osteoarthritis received the same diagnostic protocol and the same antibiotic, anaesthetic, surgical and antithrombotic prophylaxis. Levels of calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P) and vitamin D in blood, amongst other values, were determined, and five samples of bone tissue from the proximal femoral metaphysis were obtained and characterised by optical microscopy and microanalytical analysis. No statistically significant differences were observed between the two groups with respect to the trabecular number, area or thickness, or inter-trabecular distance. However, there were differences in the length of the trabeculae, which was greater in the patients with hip osteoarthritis (p = 0.002), but not when the groups were compared by gender. When compared by age, a greater inter-trabecular distance was observed in the patients aged over 75 years (p = 0.036) but there were no differences in the remaining parameters. Serum levels of Ca (p = 0.03), P (p < 0.01) and vitamin D (p < 0.01) were lower in the fracture group. In the quantitative microanalytical analysis, no significant differences were observed in bone levels of Ca or P or in the Ca/P index, nor was there any correlation between serum and levels of bone Ca or P (Ca-0.197:p = 0.314;P-0.274:p = 0.158).Multiple linear regression revealed no correlation between the diagnoses, vitamin D and bone levels of Ca or P. Despite the reduced serum levels of Ca and P in the patients with hip fracture, no correlation was observed with bone levels of Ca and P,which were similar in both groups. There were differences in the organic bone structure, in terms of length and inter-trabecular distance. For patients with osteoporosis, treatment should be aimed at increasing the synthesis of bone trabeculae to reinforce their structure. Nevertheless, no such treatment can prevent falls, and therefore no reduction in hip fractures amongst this population can be assured.

Risk factors associated with prolonged postoperative ileus after elective colon resection.

BACKGROUND: There is a coordinated inhibition of motility of the colon after its surgical manipulation that contributes to the accumulation of fluids and gas, in turn characterized by nausea,vomiting, pain, abdominal distension, and constipation. Motility is recovered in the majority of patients within the first 72 hours. A delay in its resolution is known as prolonged postoperative ileus. AIMS: To study the preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative risk factors for developing prolonged ileus in patients that underwent elective colon resection.Materials and methods: The association between 25 perioperative variables and the presentation of prolonged ileus was analyzed in 85 patients that underwent colon resection at Hospital Christus Muguerza Alta Especialidad within the time frame of 2011 and 2014. RESULTS: Postoperative ileus occurred in 22.3% of the patients. The statistically significant predictors of ileus were obesity (OR 1.119, P=.048) and admission to the intensive care unit (OR3.571, P=.050). The use of peridural anesthesia during the surgical act was found to be a protective factor (OR 0.363, P=.050). CONCLUSIONS: The presence of these risk factors can alert the physician to the need for a closer follow-up in patients at high risk for postoperative ileus, and the use of peridural anesthesiacan possibly lower the incidence of ileus.

Fractures of the acetabulum in elderly patients: an update.

The incidence of acetabular fractures in elderly patients is increasing. Poor bone quality and concomitant diseases are the main features of these patients. Fracture patterns are marked by a high degree of variability in terms of patient and fracture characteristics. Preoperative planning with plain radiographs and computed tomography, including 3-dimensional reconstructions, is recommended. Treatment remains challenging because of precarious general health, severe osteopenia, comminution, and associated femoral head damage. Treatment options available include closed management, open reduction with internal fixation, percutaneous fixation in situ, and acute or staged total hip arthroplasty (THA) whether alone or combined with osteosynthesis. In the case of significant destruction of the articular cartilage, primary THA may provide the best solution. Whichever surgical method is chosen, the objective is rapid mobilisation of the patient on a walker or crutches. Late local complications that may occur after nonoperative or operative treatment include posttraumatic arthritis, nonunion, malunion, wound infection, dislocation, intrusive hardware, nerve palsy, and heterotopic bone formation. In this article an overview of the current trends in the management of acetabulum fractures in the elderly is presented.

Effects of deep hypothermic preservation on posttransplant viability of tracheal grafts.

OBJECTIVE: Using an animal model, we performed a study to assess the effects of rapid freezing in the absence of cryoprotectants on the viability of tracheal grafts after allotransplantation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Ten tracheal heterotopic transplantations were performed with fresh grafts just after harvesting donors, and 20, with cryopreserved specimens at 2 or 6 weeks after hypothermic storage. Cryopreservation consisted of rapid cooling in the absence of cryoadditives with storage for 2 weeks at -80°C. After rewarming, grafts were transplanted into the abdominal cavity of immunosuppressed rats by being embedded into the greater omentum. Fourteen days later, the implants were removed to examine chondrocyte viability, submucosal swelling, and epithelial patterns in comparison with fresh controls. RESULTS: All allografts retained their macroscopic structure after transplantation. Respiratory epithelium was substituted by planar epithelium only in the frozen transplanted specimens. Fresh transplanted grafts exhibited 100% chondral viability in contrast with 5% viability observed among cryopreserved tracheas after transplantation. CONCLUSIONS: The method of rapid freezing was effective to preserve airway grafts. However, the quality of cryopreserved cartilage was disappointing, similar to that obtained using conventional slow-freezing protocols.

Urgency-code lung transplantation for cystic fibrosis: experience and results.

Lung transplantation (LT) under urgency-code mechanical ventilation (UCMV) has been identified in the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation (ISHLT) Registry as a negative prognostic factor increasing the likelihood of mortality. The objective of this study was to review our experience of UCLT for with cystic fibrosis (CF) patients compared with elective LT (ELT). From October 1993 to October 2007, we performed 259 consecutive LTs in 250 patients, of whom 78 (31.20%) had CF. Our study group comprised CF patients who received UCLT (n = 23). The type of LT in the UCLT group was as follows: bipulmonary (18), left unipulmonary (2), and bilobar transplantation from cadavers (3). The UCLT group more often required cardiopulmonary bypass (CB) (P = .025), pulmonary tailoring (P = .030), and longer periods of pulmonary ischemia (P = .066) than the ELT group. We noticed a greater number of cases of pneumonia during the first postoperative month in the UCLT group. However, incidence of surgical complications, early and perioperative mortality, and episodes of acute and chronic rejection (bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome) did not differ between the groups. Survival rates at 1, 3, 5, and 10 years were 73.66%, 63.74%, 42.49%, and 42.49%, respectively, in the UCLT group (mean, 1927 [SE = 366] days) and 75.95%, 71.32%, 63.37%, and 63.37% in the ELT group (mean, 2946 [SE = 281] days; P = .3417). In our experience, UCLT in patients with CF is fully justified. Careful selection of such cases permits acceptable long-term survival rates to be achieved with no increase in early or perioperative mortality.

Prognostic factors influencing survival rates in children following lung transplantation.

OBJECTIVES: To assess the results of lung transplantation (LT) in children under 17 years of age and identify factors affecting long-term survival. METHODS: A retrospective review was performed of 37 patients (<17 years) who had received a lung transplant between 1996 and 2007. Morbidity, mortality, and survival were analyzed by the Kaplan-Meier method and the log-rank test. RESULTS: There were 37 LTs: 30 bilateral, four lobar, two liver-lung, one unilateral. Indications for transplantation were: cystic fibrosis (n = 30), pulmonary fibrosis (n = 1), bronchiectasis (n = 1), Kartagener's syndrome (n = 1), bronchiolitis obliterans (n = 3), and pulmonary fibrosis due to radiotherapy-chemotherapy (n = 1). The intubation time and oxygenation index of donors were 49 +/- 36 hours and 455 +/- 83.5 mm Hg, respectively. Seventeen patients needed extracorporeal circulation (ECC) and 13 were coded as priorities. High blood pressure and renal failure were the most frequent complications. Overall survival rates were 65.7%, 59.4%, 56.1%, 44.5%, and 39.6% at 1, 2, 3, 5, and 10 years, respectively. Need for ECC (P = .001), surgical complications (P = .037), oxygenation index <450 mm Hg (P = .005), OLT in priority code (P = .04), and age of donor >16 years (P = .005) were associated with poor survival. CONCLUSIONS: LT is an appropriate procedure for certain types of end-stage pediatric pulmonary pathologies, achieving acceptable long-term survival rates. When the procedure is carried out under a surgical priority code, it is associated with a high rate of perioperative morbidity and mortality and poorer long-term survival. Other factors that have a negative influence on survival include the need for ECC, surgical complications, an oxygenation index <450 mm Hg, and donor age >16 years.

Results of lung transplantation in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to evaluate the results and survival rates of patients who underwent lung transplantation (LT) to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). METHODOLOGY: We performed a retrospective analysis of 63 patients with COPD who underwent LT between 1996 and 2007. Our statistical analysis was based on descriptive statistics and survival analysis (Kaplan-Meier and log-rank test). RESULTS: Sixty-three LTs were performed in 53 male and 10 female patients with COPD. Twenty-eight LTs were unipulmonary and 35 were bipulmonary. Four cases required extracorporeal circulation. Surgical complications arose in 18 cases. There were 3 cases of intraoperative death as a result of cardiac failure. The most frequent long-term complications were hypertension (39.7%), renal failure (42.9%), and neoplasms (20.6%). Overall survival times (mean, 2553 days) were 75.9%, 74.15%, 65.67%, 55.87%, and 42.05% at 1, 2, 3, 5, and 10 years, respectively. No differences were observed in survival according to the following: donor age >30 years (P = 8), type of transplantation (unilateral vs bilateral; P = .57), donor intubation time >48 hours (P = .2), or donor oxygenation index <450 mm Hg (P = .3). CONCLUSIONS: No differences were observed in survival according to the type of transplantation (unilateral vs bilateral), which suggests that unipulmonary transplantation is a reasonable option, given that this procedure reduces both the ischemia time compared with bilateral transplantation and the surgery time, as well as offering more efficient use of donor organs.

Experience of the Reina Sofia Hospital in lung transplantation from donors older than forty years.

INTRODUCTION: The shortage of suitable donors for lung transplantation (LT) has led to liberalization of criteria for donor selection. This study evaluated the outcomes of LT among a subset of patients receiving organs from standard donors older than 40 years of age. METHODS: We distributed patients who underwent LTs performed between 1993 and 2007 into 2 groups: Group A, donors younger than 40 years; and Group B, donors 40 years of age or older. We compared donor and recipient preoperative, operative, and recipient postoperative factors by univariate analyses. RESULTS: We reviewed 255 consecutive LT patients: Group A, 198 patients (78%); and Group B, 57 patients (22%). Donors from Group A showed longer intubation times (43 hours vs 34 hours; P = .026) and a better PaO2/FiO2 ratio (477 vs 454 mm Hg; P = .020), with no differences in other donor variables. Among patients dying of primary graft failure, 20% were from Group B versus 5.6% from Group A (P = .04). There were no differences in mortality or other postoperative variables. Survival rates did not differ between groups (70%, 62%, 52%, and 45% in Group A vs 60%, 45%, 45%, and 20% in Group B at 1, 3, 5, and 10 years, respectively; P = .13). CONCLUSION: The use of ideal donors older than 40 years of age might be related to a higher incidence of primary graft failure. However, long-term survival is similar to that of recipients from younger donors.

Results of lung transplantation in patients with cystic fibrosis.

Lung transplantation (LT) is the only available option for patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) with end-stage lung disease. We reviewed our experience with LT in patients with end-stage CF (CFLT) to identify variables associated with survival and to compare the results with other indications for LT (OILT). Between October 1993 and October 2007, we performed 259 consecutive LTs in 250 patients for treatment of various end-stage pulmonary conditions. The indications for LT were CF in 78 patients idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis in 76, COPD in 64, bronchiectasis in 11, alfa-1-antitrypsin deficit in 5, primary pulmonary hypertension in 4, bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome in 4, and other indications in 11. Our study group comprised 78 patients with CF (30.11%) (CFLT). We observed significant differences in the actuarial survival between the CFLT and OILT groups. Perioperative mortality and the incidence of bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome were comparable in both groups. We found that in patients with CF, LT performed under urgency code (mechanical ventilation) showed no significant difference from LT performed electively insofar as long-term survival, early death, or perioperative death. The functional results in the CFLT group were excellent. We observed significant improvement in PaO(2), PaCO(2), forced vital capacity, and forced expiratory volume in the first second of expiration at 6, 12, and 36 months compared with the pretransplantation baseline values.

[Interictal basal brain SPECT versus interictal activated brain SPECT in temporal cryptogenic epilepsy]. / SPECT interictal basal frente a SPECT interictal activada en la epilepsia temporal criptogénica.

INTRODUCTION: Interictal epileptiform activity (IEA) is a common finding in temporal epileptic patients. The nature of the IEA is not entirely understood; it may be microseizures or just a negative phenomenon expressing brain inhibition mechanisms. In order to understand how brain metabolism is during interictal activity we studied a group of patients with SPECT HMPAO during basal condition no ictal activity - and when the same patients were having interictal activity. Temporal, thalamic and cerebellar perfusion were quantified by a digital method. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Two studies were performed in 24 epileptic patients: (9/15:M/F, 36,5 14,6 years). The MRI was normal or had minimal changes. Previous EEG had showed frontotemporal foci. The patients were studied by SPECT HMPAO performed with a STARCAM 3.200 equipment, the images being obtained by high resolution collimator with circular orbit 64 images, 30 s per image. The first study was performed when there was no anomaly in the EEG (basal study). In the second study (activated study) the radioligand was injected when the EEG showed at least 10 graphoelements (spike, polispikes, or sharp waves per EEG page). RESULTS: Thalamic, temporal and cerebellar perfusion decreased significantly in the activated state compared to the basal one (p < 0.001). The statistical relationship between these three locations was studied. There was a significant relationship (p < 0.001) between thalamic, temporal, and cerebellar perfusion, both in basal state and in the activated one. The correlation index was R2 > 0.9. CONCLUSIONS: For the cases studied, temporal epilepsy is associated to a significant decrease in thalamic, temporal and cerebellar perfusion in the basal state compared to the activated one. This finding may indicate that IEA expresses a post-ictal state.

SPECT interictal basal frente a SPECTinterictal activada en la epilepsiatemporal criptogénica / Interictal basal brain SPECT versus interictal activated brain SPECT in temporal cryptogenic epilepsy

Introducción: La actividad epileptiforme interictal (AEI) es un hallazgo frecuente en el EEG de pacientes epilépticos temporales. Su significado fisiopatológico no se halla enteramente aclarado, se duda entre que sea actividad propiamente ictal (microcrisis) o bien un fenómeno postictal inhibitorio. Con objeto de poder entender cómo es el metabolismo cerebral durante la AEI se han estudiado un grupo de pacientes con SPECT HMPAO, en una situación basal --no mostraban AEI-- y cuando esos mismos pacientes mostraban AEI en el EEG --estado activado--. Se cuantificó la perfusión cerebral, cerebelosa y talámica mediante un método digital. Pacientes y métodos: Se han realizado dos estudios SPECT HMPAO --con y sin AEI-- a 24 pacientes diagnosticados clínicamente de epilepsia temporal, 15 mujeres y 9 varones, con edad media de 36,5 ñ 14,6 años, sin lesiones en la RM, y un foco EEG a nivel frontotemporal previo. Las imágenes se obtuvieron mediante SPECT HMPAO realizado con un equipo STARCAM 3.200 a través de un colimador de alta resolución de órbita circular con 64 imágenes, a 30 seg por imagen. La primera SPECT se realizó en un período de registro del EEG que no mostraba AEI (estudio basal). En el segundo estudio (estudio activado) el radioligando se inyectó cuando el EEG mostraba más de 10 grafoelementos por página de registro. Resultados: La perfusión tálamica, de corteza temporal y de cerebelo, disminuyó significativamente del estado basal al estado activado (p > 0,001). Se estudió la relación entre corteza temporal, tálamo y cerebelo tanto en estado basal como en estado activado, hallándose un coeficiente de correlación R2 superior a 0,9.Conclusión: La epilepsia temporal se asocia, para los casos estudiados, a una disminución significativa de la perfusión tanto en la corteza cerebral temporal, como en el tálamo y en el cerebelo en el estado activado frente al basal: este hallazgo podría indicar que la AEI pone de manifiesto un estado postictal (AU)

Temblor ortostático primario: componente armónico lento como responsable de la inestabilidad / Primary orthostatic tremor: slow harmonic component as responsible of inestability

FUNDAMENTO: El temblor ortostático (TO) se define clínicamente como el temblor que aparece en las extremidades inferiores y el tronco durante la bipedestación y que habitualmente supone una importante incapacidad funcional. Aunque el término fue acuñado en 1984 por Heilman en la bibliografía inglesa como orthostatic tremor, previamente ya habían sido descritos los primeros casos por Pazzaglia et al en 1970. La fisiopatología del problema se sigue discutiendo, aunque se acepta la existencia de un oscilador central. La detección en los estudios neurofisiológicos de un temblor de alta frecuencia, entre 13 y 18 Hz, es casi patognomónica. Habitualmente el tratamiento con clonacepam mejora los síntomas. PACIENTE Y MÉTODO: Presentamos el caso de un paciente con calambres que le agarrotaban las piernas en relación con ortostatismo y cuyos síntomas se aliviaban con la marcha y el reposo. RESULTADOS: El registro neurofisiológico objetivó temblor con un componente armónico a menor frecuencia (8 Hz), coexistiendo con la frecuencia habitual a 16 Hz. El tratamiento con gabapentina mejoró los síntomas al desaparecer este componente lento. CONCLUSIONES: El componente lento del temblor es el factor fundamental que determina la clínica en este caso. La mejoría con gabapentina viene determinada por la desaparición de este componente lento (AU)

[Neuronopathy due to cisplatin]. / Neuronopatía por cisplatino.

INTRODUCTION: Cisplatinum is a cytotoxic agent used in the treatment of different types of cancer. It often has side-effects, including a pure sensory syndrome with conservation of pain and temperature sense which is very disabling. CLINICAL CASES: We present the case of a woman with cancer of the ovary and a man with oat cell carcinoma, who were treated with cisplatinum. After the course of chemotherapy was finished, with accumulated dosages of 500 mg/m2, they both developed paraesthesia of all four extremities, reduced control of fine movements and unstable gait. On physical examination there was distal hypoaesthesia with conservation of temperature and pain sensation, areflexia and sensory ataxia. The patient with ovarian cancer also had continuous pseudo athetotic movements. On neurophysiological studies, there was absence of peripheral and central sensory potentials and of H reflexes, normal electromyogram, normal motor conduction and normal mixed silent period. DISCUSSION: The target organ in cisplatinum neurotoxicity has been identified, in experimental and human studies, as the dorsal root ganglion. Our patients had a syndrome which clinically and neurophysiologically suggested diffuse involvement of the dorsal ganglion (neuropathy) in which absence of sensory and H reflex potentials showed that the larger cells had been damaged. However, the normal mixed silent period suggested that the small myelinic cells were not altered, in accordance with the preservation of pain and temperature sensation. CONCLUSIONS: We discuss the differential diagnosis between neuropathy due to cisplatinum and to paraneoplasia. We consider that there may be a tendency for certain heavy metals to damage posterior root ganglia.

[Section of the median nerve at the wrist]. / Sección del nervio mediano en la muñeca.

INTRODUCTION: The usefulness of neurophysiological studies of peripheral nerves depends basically on an understanding of the physiopathology, especially of the evolutionary aspects of the phenomena of reinnervation. CLINICAL CASE: We present the case of a girl with complete section and immediate anastomosis of the two cut ends of the median nerve, at the wrist. Sixty two days later she had unmistakable signs of reinnervation (response in the thenar eminence to an electrical stimulus of 300 uV in amplitude and 42 ms in latency, with denervation and reinnervation on the EMG of the abductor pollicis brevis muscle). DISCUSSION: The findings in our patient show a rather faster rate of nerve regeneration than is usually accepted in the literature. This may have been due to suitable selection of some of the parameters of the neurophysiological study, such as time of analysis and sensitivity, which when not satisfactory may lead to an impression of failure or delay in reinnervation.