Retained Surgical Drain After Total Knee Arthroplasty: An Eight-Year Follow-up: A Case Report.

CASE: This report describes a patient in whom the intra-articular portion of a suction drain broke during total knee arthroplasty. The broken portion of the drain could not be removed, but the patient experienced no major complications over an eight-year follow-up period. CONCLUSION: The presence of a retained surgical drain needs to be carefully assessed but is not an absolute indication for removal.

Psychological factors and personality traits associated with patients in chronic foot and ankle pain.

BACKGROUND: The impact of psychosocial factors and personality traits in chronic pain is well established. However, there has been limited literature analyzing the influence of psychological issues in chronic foot and ankle pain. The aim of our study was to identify the association of certain psychosocial factors and personality traits in individuals with chronic painful foot and ankle disorders. METHODS: Patients with chronic foot and ankle pain were recruited from the specialist foot and ankle clinic. The Eysenck Personality Questionnaire-Revised (EPQ-R), Dysfunctional Attitude Scale (DAS), and Hospital Anxiety Depression (HAD) scale were administered in the form of questionnaires. An age- and sex-matched cohort of healthy volunteers served as the control group. Sample size was determined after power calculation, and a total of 90 participants were recruited with informed consent with 45 participants in each arm. Results were analyzed and statistical analyses were performed using SPSS. RESULTS: Patients with chronic foot and ankle pain had significantly higher neuroticism scores than the control group (P < .05). The study also revealed greater prevalence of anxiety and depression in patients with chronic pain (P < .05). CONCLUSION: The study showed a significant association of anxiety, depression, and neuroticism in patients presenting with chronic foot and ankle pain. Clinicians should recognize the influence of these specific psychological issues to provide a more holistic approach to the clinical problem. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III, case control study.

Photovoice as community-based participatory research: a qualitative review.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the use of photovoice as a research methodology to identify and explore community health and disability priorities. METHODS: Published studies (n = 31) that applied photovoice as a research methodology to promote and enhance individual and community change were identified and reviewed. RESULTS: Findings are explored and organized by community concerns and priorities; participant recruitment, training, and camera instruction; identification of photo assignment; photo assignment discussion; data analysis; outcomes; and evaluation of program and policy changes. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the limitations of the studies and/or how they are reported, findings from this review support further application of photovoice to facilitate community change.

Survival factor-mediated BAD phosphorylation raises the mitochondrial threshold for apoptosis.

Growth factor suppression of apoptosis correlates with the phosphorylation and inactivation of multiple proapoptotic proteins, including the BCL-2 family member BAD. However, the physiological events required for growth factors to block cell death are not well characterized. To assess the contribution of BAD inactivation to cell survival, we generated mice with point mutations in the BAD gene that abolish BAD phosphorylation at specific sites. We show that BAD phosphorylation protects cells from the deleterious effects of apoptotic stimuli and attenuates death pathway signaling by raising the threshold at which mitochondria release cytochrome c to induce cell death. These findings establish a function for endogenous BAD phosphorylation, and elucidate a mechanism by which survival kinases block apoptosis in vivo.