Safety of the application of Rigidfix cross-pin system via different tibial tunnels for tibial fixation during anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.

BACKGROUND: We investigate the safety of the application of the Rigidfix cross-pin system via different tibial tunnels in the tibial fixation during anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. METHODS: Five adult fresh cadaver knees were fixed with the Rigidfix cross-pins in the tibial fixation site during ACL reconstruction. Two different tibial tunnel groups were established: in group A, the tunnel external aperture was placed at the 25° angle of coronal section; in group B, the tunnel external aperture was placed at the 45° angle of coronal section. The guide was placed at the plane 0.5 mm below articular facet through the tibial tunnel, with three rotation positions set at 0°, 30°, and 60° slopes. The incidences of iatrogenic injuries at tibial plateau cartilage (TPC), medial collateral ligament (MCL), and patellar tendon in three different slope angles were calculated in groups A and B and the results were analyzed by using chi square test. RESULTS: The iatrogenic injuries at MCL, TPC, and patellar tendon could occur after the Rigidfix cross-pin system was placed 5 mm below tibial plateau cartilage for ACL reconstruction. The incidences of TPC injury (χ2 = 5.662, P = 0.017) and MCL injury (P = 0.048, Fisher exact probability method) were significantly lower in group A than in group B. However, the incidence of patellar tendon injury showed no significant difference between these two groups (χ2 = 0.120, P = 0.729). CONCLUSIONS: When the Rigidfix cross-pin system is used for ACL reconstruction at the tibial fixation site, the external aperture of tibial tunnel should not be placed at the excessively posterosuperior site, to avoid MCL and TPC injuries.

2,2,2-Trifluoro-N-(4-methyl-2-oxo-2H-chromen-7-yl)acetamide.

In the title mol-ecule, C(12)H(8)F(3)NO(3), the trifluoro-methyl group is rotationally disordered over three orientations in a 0.5:0.3:0.2 ratio. In the crystal, N-H⋯O hydrogen bonds link the mol-ecules related by translation into chains along the c axis. The crystal packing exhibits π-π inter-actions between the pyran rings of neighboring mol-ecules [centroid-centroid distance = 3.462 (4) Å] and short C⋯O contacts of 3.149 (4) Å.

7-Diethyl-amino-2-oxo-2H-chromene-3-carbaldehyde.

In the title compound, C(14)H(15)NO(3), all non-H atoms except for those of the methyl and the disordered ethyl groupare approximately co-planar, the largest deviation from the mean plane being 0.0223 (13) Šat the N atom. In the crystal, the packing of mol-ecules through weak inter-molecular C-H⋯O hydrogen-bonding inter-actions leads to the formation of layers parallel to bc plane. Within these layers, there exist slipped π-π stacking inter-actions between symmetry-related fused rings [centroid-centroid distances = 3.527 (3) and 3.554 (3), slippage = 0.988 and 1.011 Å, respectively]. One ethyl group is disordered over two sets of sites with site-occupation factors of 0.54 and 0.46.

A comparison of fructosamine and HbA1c for home self-monitoring blood glucose levels in type 2 diabetes.

BACKGROUND: Optimal glycemic control is believed to be essential in patients with diabetes to minimize any long-term complications. Measurement of the levels of glycated protein, such as fructosamine and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), is the most reliable method for assessing a period of glycemic control. This prospective study was performed to investigate whether fructosamine or HbA1c could provide a reliable index of glycemic control in type 2 diabetes. METHODS: Twenty-five patients with type 2 diabetes were studied at four-week intervals. Their fasting, preprandial and postprandial blood glucose levels were checked by glucometer twice a week for 16 weeks. Serum fructosamine and HbA1c were measured on every visit. The correlation of fructosamine and HbA1c with self-monitoring of blood glucose (SMBG) values in the previous 1 to 16 weeks prior to their measurements were calculated. RESULTS: Both fructosamine and HbA1c were significantly correlated with SMBG values from one week to 16 weeks prior to measurements. The correlation between fructosamine and SMBG was stronger in the prior 3 to 6 weeks. The correlation between HbA1c and SMBG was higher in the previous 4 to 12 weeks with the peak falling in the previous 8-10 weeks. Except for the previous one week, all the correlations were significantly stronger between HbA1c and SMBG than between fructosamine and SMBG. CONCLUSIONS: In type 2 diabetes, serum fructosamine assay can better reflect average blood glucose concentration over the previous 3 to 6 weeks and HbA1c is better reflective over the previous 8 to 10 weeks. HbA1c measurement correlates more significantly with home capillary blood glucose levels than the fructosamine assay, even over the previous 2 to 3 weeks.