[Distal Humerus Fracture in the Elderly]. / Ellenbogenfraktur im Alter ­ Erhalt oder Ersatz?

Distal humerus fractures show increasing incidence with age. Due to preexisting osteoporosis, the surgeon is regularly confronted with complex comminuted intraarticular fractures. The maintenance of autonomy in daily life and avoidance of permanent care dependency is a dogma in the care of geriatric patients. Accordingly, a stable post-operative situation that allows early functional post-operative treatment is mandatory, especially in the elderly patient. Open reduction and stable internal fixation using double plate osteosynthesis are the current osteosynthetic standard of treatment. Modern precontoured systems with angular stability facilitate stable fixation and reduce surgery time. However, complication rates are high, despite the good functional outcomes in the few available studies which use modern plate systems in a geriatric patient population. Due to the high rate of primary stability, elbow arthroplasty has become an established treatment option for complex distal humerus fractures in elderly patients. Consequently arthroplasty registry data report a growing number of elbow replacements for fracture in recent decades. The standard implant design in the fractures in geriatric patients is the cemented "semi-constrained" total elbow arthroplasty. The disadvantages of total elbow replacement are the lifelong stringent weight restriction patients must adhere to, as well as potential long-term complications associated with arthroplasty, such as aseptic loosening and periprosthetic fractures. Comparative studies with short- and medium-term follow-up show overall comparable functional results for elbow arthroplasty and double plate osteosynthesis, with fewer complications and revisions as well as a shorter duration of surgery within the arthroplasty group. However, long-term outcome studies are necessary to identify potential long-term complications associated with arthroplasty and are pending. Therefore, in reconstruction of fractures of the distal humerus which allow stable fixation and early functional post-operative treatment, open reduction and double plate internal fixation with modern locking plate systems remains the gold standard even for geriatric patients.

Orthogeriatric Combined Management of Elderly Patients With Proximal Femoral Fracture: Results of a 1-Year Follow-Up.

INTRODUCTION: According to the expected demographical changes, the number of elderly trauma patients will increase exponentially over the next decades. Different models of an interdisciplinary orthogeriatric care have been developed. But there is only limited evaluation of their benefit without clear and evidence-based results. In 2011, we monitored the results of our orthogeriatric combined management by conducting a 1-year follow-up. METHODS: We treated 231 patients presenting a proximal femoral fracture on our orthogeriatric ward. We obtained the epidemiological data and the geriatric assessments from all these patients. One year after discharge, we sent them a written questionnaire. Primary end points were the mortality and the functional outcome, measured by Barthel score, the requirement of care, and the residential status. RESULTS: One hundred sixty-seven (72%) of the 231 patients completed the follow-up. The average age at admission was 81.5 years (70-99 years). The mortality rate was 2.4% during hospital stay and 31.4% after 1 year. The average Barthel score was 44 points at the time of admission, 55 points at discharge, and 72 points after 1 year. Forty-five percent of the patients were in requirement of care at the time of their admission. At the 1-year follow-up, 63% of the patients had some form of care, thus showing an increase of 18%. At the moment of the fracture, 77% of the patients were living in their own home and 23% in a nursing home. After 1 year, the surviving patients show nearly unchanged conditions (75% own home vs 25% nursing home). Eighty-six percent of the patients coming from their own home were able to continue living there independently. CONCLUSION: The orthogeriatric care is successful in reducing the short-time mortality without showing any effect on 1-year mortality. But the surviving patients seem to benefit from an improved functional outcome.

Prototype and Chimera-Type Galectins in Placentas with Spontaneous and Recurrent Miscarriages.

Galectins are galactose binding proteins and, in addition, factors for a wide range of pathologies in pregnancy. We have analyzed the expression of prototype (gal-1, -2, -7, -10) and chimera-type (gal-3) galectins in the placenta in cases of spontaneous abortions (SPA) and recurrent abortions (RA) in the first trimester. Fifteen placental samples from healthy pregnancies were used as a control group. Nine placentas were examined for spontaneous abortions, and 12 placentas for recurrent abortions. For differentiation and evaluation of different cell types of galectin-expression in the decidua, immunofluorescence was used. For all investigated prototype galectins (gal-1, -2, -7, -10) in SPA and RA placenta trophoblast cells the expression is significantly decreased. In the decidua/extravillous trophoblast only gal-2 expression was significantly lowered, which could be connected to its role in angiogenesis. In trophoblasts in first-trimester placentas and in cases of SPA and RA, prototype galectins are altered in the same way. We suspect prototype galectins have a similar function in placental tissue because of their common biochemical structure. Expression of galectin 3 as a chimera type galectin was not found to be significantly altered in abortive placentas.

The Role of a Primary Arthroplasty in the Treatment of Proximal Tibia Fractures in Orthogeriatric Patients.

The total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is the gold standard for patients with an advanced symptomatic gonarthrosis. However, there are very few publications dealing with the primary TKA for patients with a proximal tibia fracture. In our retrospective study we evaluated 30 patients treated with a TKA for a proximal tibia fracture in our institution between 01/2008 and 12/2014. We collected the following statistical data from each patient: age, classification of the fracture (AO-classification), type of prosthesis used, length of the operation and hospitalization, and complications during the follow-up. We used the Knee Society Score (KSS) and the WOMAC score to evaluate the function. The Knee Society Score showed an average "general knee score" (KSS1) of 81.1 points and an average "functional knee score" (KSS2) of 74.5 points. The average WOMAC score was 78.6 points. Immediate postoperative mobilization with the possibility of a full-weight bearing is of crucial importance for the geriatric patients to maintain the mobility they had prior to the operation and reduce medical complications. Because of these advantages, the primary TKA seems to be a promising alternative to the ORIF of a proximal tibia fracture in the orthogeriatric patient.

Enhanced bioavailability of lycopene when consumed as cis-isomers from tangerine compared to red tomato juice, a randomized, cross-over clinical trial.

SCOPE: Tangerine tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicum) are rich in tetra-cis-lycopene resulting from natural variation in carotenoid isomerase. Our objective was to compare the bioavailability of lycopene from tangerine to red tomato juice, and elucidate physical deposition forms of these isomers in tomatoes by light and electron microscopy. METHODS AND RESULTS: Following a randomized cross-over design, subjects (n = 11, 6 M/5 F) consumed two meals delivering 10 mg lycopene from tangerine (94% cis) or red tomato juice (10% cis). Blood was sampled over 12 h and triglyceride-rich lipoprotein fractions of plasma were isolated and analyzed using HPLC-DAD-MS/MS. Lycopene was crystalline in red tomato chromoplasts and globular in tangerine tomatoes. With tangerine tomato juice we observed a marked 8.5-fold increase in lycopene bioavailability compared to red tomato juice (p < 0.001). Fractional absorption was 47.70 ± 8.81% from tangerine and 4.98 ± 1.92% from red tomato juices. Large heterogeneity was observed among subjects. CONCLUSION: Lycopene is markedly more bioavailable from tangerine than from red tomato juice, consistent with a predominance of cis-lycopene isomers and presence in chromoplasts in a lipid dissolved globular state. These results justify using tangerine tomatoes as a lycopene source in studies examining the potential health benefits of lycopene-rich foods.

Placental interleukin-15 expression in recurrent miscarriage.

PROBLEM: Cytokines play a fundamental role at the feto-maternal interface. A dysregulation of the cytokine profile could be linked with fetal rejection. This study investigated differences in the expression of the Th1 cytokine interleukin-15 (IL-15) of normal and disturbed pregnancy. METHOD OF STUDY: Analysis of IL-15 expression by immunohistochemistry and real-time RT-PCR in placental tissue from normal pregnancies, spontaneous miscarriage and recurrent miscarriage (RM) was performed. RESULTS: Expression of IL-15 was upregulated on mRNA and protein level in the placenta of miscarriage patients, especially in patients with RM. Immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence double staining revealed extravillous trophoblast cells (EVT) as IL-15-expressing cells. Staining results were confirmed by real-time PCR (TaqMan). CONCLUSION: Increased expression of IL-15 in the decidua of patients with RM may be linked to disturbed implantation and vascularization with consecutive placental and fetal rejection.