Two compression rods to treat unstable lesions of the pelvic ring.

The authors report 7 cases involving the surgical treatment of unstable pelvic ring fractures (Malgaigne type) using two compression bars, as described by Tile. The method was used only in cases where x-ray examination and CT scan revealed that the posterior branch of the fracture was located at the very medial aspect of the sacrum (fracture through the sacral foramina or even medial to the sacral foramina), and therefore could not be stabilized by using other devices.

Reduction and osteosynthesis of subcapital fractures of the femoral neck: possible repercussions on post-fracture hemarthrosis of the hip.

Intracapsular hip pressure was measured in undisplace or less displaced subcapital fractures of the femoral neck before and after open reduction and internal fixation with three-flanged nails. After reduction and osteosynthesis, intracapsular pressure increased in three out of five cases. The result is discussed in relation to the possible role of intracapsular pressure sustained by hemarthrosis in the pathogenesis of post-traumatic vascularity of the femoral head.

High-pressure hemarthrosis: possible consequences to the vascularization of the femoral head.

The authors both detected hemarthrosis and calculated intraarticular pressure and blood supply to the femoral head using diagnostic tests (ultrasound, arthrography, manometric measurements, and bone scan tomography) in 18 patients with femoral neck fracture. The data obtained, in agreement with other reports in the literature, show a relationship between the condition of the joint capsule, the level of intraarticular pressure, and the arterial blood supply to the femoral head in cases of undisplaced or slightly displaced femoral neck fracture. The potential clinical implications are discussed.

Biocompatibility and osteogenetic characteristics of new biocompatible glasses.

A fibre-shaped glass with qualities of biocompatibility and biodegradation could be promising for reconstructive bone surgery in orthopaedics and neurosurgery. New highly biocompatible glasses, originally made by the Italian Group of Study on Biocompatible Glass, are obtained both in cylinder and fibre shapes due to their original chemical composition (Glassfiber). This is the only glass which is also available as a continuous filament. Hydrolytic in vitro and in vivo tests demonstrate that these glasses present both good biocompatibility and adjustable biodegradation in relation to their chemical composition. The advantages of bioactive glass also being available as a continuous filament are suggested.

[Post-traumatic deformities of the lower limbs. Pathogenetic and treatment considerations]. / Le deformità post-traumatiche degli arti inferiori. Considerazioni patogenetiche e trattamento.

The authors studied post-traumatic deformities of the lower limbs, outlining the main pathological features. Furthermore they describe the different progression of the pathology in adults and children, due to their different capability for adaptation. Finally, they report in detail on their two-years experience in using the Ilizarov external fixator.

An experimental study of retrograde axonal plasmatic flow in the peripheral nerves of rats.

Retrograde axonal flow (R.A.F.) in the sciatic nerve of Sprague Dowley rats was studied by injecting horseradish peroxidase (H.R.P.) peripherally and identifying its appearance in the related segment of the spinal cord. This called for a precise identification of the vertebro-medullary topography, the afferant root levels of the sciatic nerve, and the transport velocity of the H.R.P. Our study revealed a clear difference of neuromuscular end plate permeability as between new-born and adult animals. The vertebral column of the rat consists of 8 cervical metameres, 13 dorsal, 6 lumbar, 4 sacral, and 3 coccygeal. The sciatic nerve is derived principally from the roots L4, L5, L6 and in part from L3 and S1. The injection of H.R.P. in the sural triceps of the new-born rat produced granules in the anterior horn cells as early as 12 hours later. In similar experiments with adult rats H.R.P. in the motorneurons was never detected. In our experimental model the transport velocity of H.R.P. from the point of injection to the anterior horn cells was approximately 68 mm per day. These findings provide a foundation on which to base future studies of retrograde flows in conditions of induced pathology.