To determine if a dose-response relationship exists between percentage changes in body weight in persons with symptomatic knee osteoarthritis (OA) and self-reported pain and function. Data from persons in the Osteoarthritis Initiative (OAI) and the Multicenter Osteoarthritis (MOST) study data sets (n = 1,410) with symptomatic function-limiting knee OA were ...

Although tourniquet use is the standard protocol for total knee arthroplasties it may lead to postoperative complications including thigh pain, compressive soft-tissue problems, and thromboembolic events. The purpose of this study was to explore the perioperative and clinical outcomes of total knee arthroplasty performed without a tourniquet. Thirty consecutive total ...

While we move toward the brink of being able to regenerate or replace human cells, tissues, or organs to restore or establish normal function, we are not there yet. The techniques that are available and being brought to bear on the field of chronic wounds include: growth factors, gene therapy, ...

In view of the fact that appendectomy is the most common operation for an acute abdomen, laparoscopic appendectomy has evolved as the most frequently performed procedure. Hospitals, therefore, require at all times the expertise, technique, and staff to ensure a high quality of standard for appendectomies, which not only supports ...

In the United States, there is a high incidence of motor vehicle and sports injuries among the active population causing symptomatic post-traumatic vertebral compression fracture. At our institution, 28 cases of painful post-traumatic vertebral compression fractures (PPT-VCFs) were successfully treated with percutaneous vertebral augmentation (VA) for stabilization and reconstruction with ...

Laparoscopy has gained a place in everyday surgical routine as an alternative surgical approach that decreases morbidity and postoperative hospitalization. Single port laparoscopic surgery has been introduced as a further development of laparoscopy. The feasibility and safety of single port laparoscopy is under extensive evaluation in specialized laparoscopic centers. Nevertheless, ...

Single-incision laparoscopic surgery (SILS) is a recent development in minimally invasive surgery. This is an initial SILS experience in reconstructive urology to prove feasibility and provide a comparison with conventional laparoscopy during perioperative and convalescent periods. A single surgeon performed two complex SILS operations (psoas bladder hitch with Boari flap ...

Controversy exists regarding the ability to position the implants reliably in minimally invasive surgery (MIS) total hip arthroplasty (THA). This study compared the ability to accurately position components in the MIS two-incision versus single-incision approaches. Twenty-four patients were randomized to THA through one of three approaches, including the two-incision approach. ...

This report includes a series of eight cases in which a dual-mobility prosthesis was utilized for difficult acetabular reconstructive hip arthroplasty cases. Most of the patients described had multiple reasons for hip instability (including prior multiple surgeries, abductor muscle insufficiency, prior infection). All patients were successfully managed with this device ...

Originally, sleeve gastrectomy (SG) was part of biliopancreatic diversion (BPD), which is the most effective bariatric procedure for super obese patients. As BPD is a complex procedure with substantial morbidity and mortality, attempts were undertaken to split the procedure into two steps. SG became the first step in a staged ...

Hysteroscopic endomyometrial resection (EMR) was first reported by this author in 1994.[1] Several refinements have been made through the years including the addition of sonographic guidance as well as its adaptation into an office-based environment. EMR has many outstanding benefits including its adaptability to a "see-and-treat" procedure appropriate to an ...

When ovarian preservation is desired, a minimally invasive laparoscopic surgical procedure using a "cross bag" technique is effective to consistently manage and remove ovarian cysts of concern. In addition to the standard preoperative preparation of patients, a bowel prep is critical, especially if the mass is large or the patient ...

Vulvar cosmetic surgery is becoming an increasingly requested and performed surgical procedure in women. Though there are many beliefs as to the desires of the patient's postoperative expectations, scientific research is lacking. The current paper evaluates patients' preoperative perceptions and postoperative expectations of cosmetic vulvar surgery. This is a retrospective ...

In 1998, Gilbert introduced the Prolene Hernia System (PHS), a bilayer polypropylene mesh device composed of an onlay patch, a connector, and an underlay patch. The overall concept of its design was to include the best features of all currently available techniques while eliminating their undesirable features. This device is ...

The use of mesh in the repair of hernias is commonplace. Synthetic mesh, like polypropylene, has been the workhorse for hernia repairs since the 1980s. Surgisis® mesh (Cook Surgical, Bloomington, IN), a biologic hernia graft material composed of purified porcine small intestinal submucosa (SIS), was first introduced to the United ...

Infection after total knee arthroplasty is a rare yet devastating complication requiring multiple hospitalizations, operations, and outpatient visits placing a significant burden on both patient and treating surgeon. Two-stage exchange protocols for the treatment of the chronically infected total knee arthroplasty remain the standard of care in the United States. ...

Ongoing technological development combined with better understanding of endoscopic anatomy has made posterolateral endoscopic discectomy an appealing surgical option for the management of herniated lumbar disc. We evaluated clinical outcomes, complication rates, and surgical learning curve with the percutaneous posterolateral transforaminal endoscopic discectomy technique (PPTED). PPTED was performed on 150 ...

Harnessing light energy in the form of lasers became possible after the discovery of electricity. Scientists found various uses for lasers beginning in the 1960s. Creating large amounts of pulsed UV light with any device, including a laser, remained difficult until excimer lasers were invented in the following decade. The ...

Experience in minimally invasive surgery has increased at a rapid pace, and previous abdominal surgery with adhesion formation is no longer considered a contraindication for laparoscopic surgery. Therefore, surgeons across all specialties should be well equipped to approach a reoperative abdomen with minimal complications and satisfactory patient outcomes. Previous abdominal ...

Reduced port surgery (RPS) is a new surgical modality producing increased cosmetic benefits over conventional endoscopic surgery. We herein report the first case of insulinoma of the pancreas treated by RPS. RPS enucleation was performed for a 23-year-old Japanese female who was admitted to our hospital with repeated episodes of ...

Removing tissue using minimally invasive surgery (MIS) techniques is a work in progress. A review of existing technologies and techniques is presented along with potential pros and cons of these procedures. Existing data as well as new investigations into prospective avenues in the area of tissue removal at laparoscopy are ...

Currently, there is a new transanal approach to be used for the excision of selected low-risk rectal cancers and broad-based polyps, the transanal endoscopic surgery using a single-port device. We transferred the single port access surgery (SPA) well-established from laparoscopic surgery as an improvement of the transanal endoscopic microsurgery (TEM). ...

In middle-aged patients, the choice between resurfacing and total hip arthroplasty may be difficult given recent studies showing differences in functional outcomes. Success of clinical outcomes, defined by a greater range of motion and reduced pain following surgery, are dependent on a return in function of incised muscle groups. To ...

Substantial progress has been achieved in cementless arthroplasty in the recent decades where cementless arthroplasty has evolved from pressfit implantation to porous-coated and later HA-coated implant fixation as its ultimate current state-of-the-art incarnation. Key factors for success are adequate primary stability of the device in the bone supported by design ...

Modularity is defined as separation of a system into independent parts or modules that can be treated as logical and may be separated and recombined. Historically, the modularity represents the evolution of the concept of "low friction arthroplasty" developed by Sir J. Charnely in 1960. The disadvantage of a one-piece ...

The patho-anatomy in an aging spine is partly defined by Rauschning's anatomic cryosections. Theories of pain generation and principles of minimally invasive spine surgery are suggested by close examination of these specimens. If the visualized patho-anatomy can be studied in vivo in a partially sedated patient by spinal probing, spinal ...

Although Argon Beam Coagulators (ABCs) are widely used in urological and gynecological procedures, there have been only two studies published so far on their use and benefits in breast surgery. This study compares the incidence of breast seroma following mastectomy upon the use of ABC versus standard monopolar diathermy. This ...

Most commercial diving operations and naval operations have 24/7, on-site availability of hyperbaric oxygen therapy to perform routine surface decompression or immediate treatment of arterial gas embolism or decompression sickness. Availability and prompt use of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in the field for treatment of divers with dysbaric conditions has demonstrated ...

The resection in partial pancreatico-duodenectomy as the standard treatment for malignancies of the pancreatic head is commonly performed starting from the hepatoduodenal ligament after division of the bile duct, stomach, or proximal duodenum and pancreatic body. The "Uncinate First" approach is a technical modification with a retrograde dissection of the ...

Chronic wounds represent a significant burden to patients, health care professionals, and the health care system. Micro-RNAs (miRNAs) have recently emerged as a novel class of gene expression modulators involved in regulation of multiple biological processes, including development, differentiation, organogenesis, inflammation, cell proliferation, growth control, and apoptosis. Importantly, aberrant expression ...

Surgical robots were introduced to overcome the technical issues of limited operative dexterity and inadequate visualization in complex body areas. Current surgical robotic systems are based on a master-slave relationship in which the master-surgeon provides operative guidance for the slave-robot to perform operative tasks. Robotic operations are most frequently applied ...

Dislocation after total hip arthroplasty remains a primary concern among orthopaedic surgeons. Endeavors to decrease the incidence of dislocation, while maintaining limb function and mobility, have been painstakingly undertaken. Since their advent in the 1970s, dual mobility cups have proven again and again to be effective in reducing dislocation following ...

The purpose of this study is to determine whether operative time for primary total knee arthroplasty can be decreased with the use of a continuous barbed suture. Five hundred patients were retrospectively reviewed and divided into groups based on whether incision closure utilized a continuous barbed suture or an interrupted ...

Lighter-weight, large pore meshes with absorbable layers are designed for intra-abdominal placement in laparoscopic ventral hernia repair. This retrospective review of 86 patients who underwent ventral hernia repair with PROCEED™ Surgical Mesh (Ethicon, Inc., Somerville, NJ) represents an evaluation of a cohort of patients implanted with this mesh. All patients ...

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) has been associated with increased risk for medical complications following total joint arthroplasty. Our institution employs postoperative precautions for OSA patients in an effort to minimize the impact of postoperative complications in this group. We performed this study to assess the effect of careful monitoring on ...

Degenerative constrictions of the spinal canal with compression of neural elements arise as a result of bony, disk, capsular, or ligament structures. The most frequent causes are disk herniations and spinal stenoses. The lumbar and cervical spine is the most prominent cause. After conservative treatments have been exhausted, surgical intervention ...

Cruciate-retaining total knee arthroplasties have had high success rates. The purpose of this study was to compare a newer cruciate-retaining design to a previously used implant to determine if there were any changes in clinical or functional outcome. A total of 461 patients (553 knees) were identified who had total ...

The liver architecture plays an important role in maintaining hemodynamic balance, but the mechanisms that underlie this role are not fully understood. Hepsin, a type II transmembrane serine protease, is predominantly expressed in the liver, but has no known physiological functions. Here, we report that hemodynamic balance in the liver ...

Major racial and gender differences have been documented in the natural history and treatment responses of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection; however, distinct mechanisms have remained enigmatic. We hypothesized that racial- and gender-related differences in natural killer (NK) cell populations may explain altered natural history and treatment responses. Our ...

Chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a major risk factor for developing liver cancer, and the HBV X protein (pX) has been implicated as a cofactor in hepatocyte transformation. We have shown that HBV replication as well as in vitro transformation by pX are associated with induction of the ...

The prevalence of chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection among incarcerated individuals in the United States is estimated to be between 12% and 31%. HCV treatment during incarceration is an attractive option because of improved access to health care and directly observed therapy. We compared incarcerated and nonincarcerated HCV-infected patients ...

Pentoxifylline (PTX) improved the histological features of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) in a recent randomized placebo-controlled trial. However, the underlying mechanism responsible for the beneficial effects of PTX in NASH remains unidentified. A key role of lipid oxidation in the pathogenesis and progression of NASH has been established. PTX is known ...

To investigate the frequency of lipid testing in clinical practice and to explore the relationship between rheumatoid arthritis (RA), dyslipidemia, and other cardiovascular (CV) risk factors with RA treatment. Patients in this retrospective database study were ages ≥18 years and had ≥2 physician diagnoses for RA or osteoarthritis (OA; comparator ...

While depressive symptoms and knee pain are independently known to impede daily walking in older adults, it is unknown whether positive affect promotes daily walking. This study investigated this association among adults with knee osteoarthritis (OA) and examined whether knee pain modified this association. This study is a cross-sectional analysis ...

At least some cancer stem cells (CSCs) display intrinsic drug resistance that may thwart eradication of a malignancy by chemotherapy. We explored the genesis of such resistance by studying mouse models of liver cancer driven by either MYC or the combination of oncogenic forms of activation of v-akt murine thymoma ...

Juvenile localized scleroderma (LS) is a chronic inflammatory skin disorder associated with substantial morbidity and disability. Although a wide range of therapeutic strategies has been reported in the literature, a lack of agreement on treatment specifics and accepted methods for clinical assessment has made it difficult to compare approaches and ...

The incidence of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) is increasing among hospitalized patients. Liver transplantation (LT) patients are at higher risk for acquiring CDI. Small, single-center studies (but no nationwide analyses) have assessed this association. We used the Nationwide Inpatient Sample of the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (2004-2008) for this ...

Previous studies have shown familial aggregation of insulin resistance and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Therefore, we aimed to examine whether family history of diabetes mellitus (DM) is associated with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and fibrosis in patients with NAFLD. This was a cross-sectional analysis in participants of the NAFLD Database ...

Oxidative stress is a strong contributor to the progression from simple fatty liver to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Molecular hydrogen is an effective antioxidant that reduces cytotoxic reactive oxygen species. In this study, we investigated the effects of hydrogen-rich water and the drug pioglitazone on the progression of NASH in mouse ...

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a heterogeneous human disease influenced by a complex interplay of necessary, but not individually sufficient, factors. Although many genetic and environmental factors are associated with SLE, this review will focus on the evolving evidence for key Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-specific roles in SLE, focusing on new ...