Medicine
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In the medical field, the use of 3-dimensional (3D) printing is increasing explosively and it is especially widespread in the clinical application of fabricating orthosis. Advantages of 3D-printed orthosis compared to conventional ones include its lower cost, easier modification, and faster fabrication. The 3D-printing technique makes it possible for physicians to easily create individual-tailored products. Recently, many kinds of orthosis through 3D printing have been studied and used. The knee orthosis, ankle-foot orthosis, wrist orthosis, hand orthosis, and foot orthotics are examples used in the rehabilitation fields of orthotics. We reported 3 cases of 3D-printed orthoses in patients with peripheral nerve injuries. ⋯ The 3D-printed orthosis could help functional improvement in patients with peripheral nerve injuries.
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Observational Study
Association of hepatocellular carcinoma with thiazolidinediones use: A population-based case-control study.
The study aimed to investigate the association between the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma and thiazolidinediones use among type 2 diabetic patients who had risk factors for hepatocellular carcinoma. A population-based case-control study was performed using the database of the Taiwan National Health Insurance Program. The cases consisted of 23580 type 2 diabetic subjects aged 20 to 84 years with newly diagnosed hepatocellular carcinoma between 2000 and 2011. ⋯ The odds ratio and 95% confidence interval for the association between hepatocellular carcinoma and cumulative duration of thiazolidinediones use was measured by a multivariable logistic regression model. Among subjects with any 1 of the comorbidities including alcohol-related disease, cirrhosis, hepatitis B infection, hepatitis C infection, and other chronic hepatitis, a multivariable logistic regression model demonstrated that there was a negative association between hepatocellular carcinoma and every 1-year increase of cumulative duration of thiazolidinediones use (adjusted odds ratio 0.94, 95% confidence interval 0.92-0.97). There was a negative association in a duration-dependent manner between the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma and thiazolidinediones use among type 2 diabetic patients who had risk factors for hepatocellular carcinoma.
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Anatomic course of medial branches in the thoracic spine is significantly different. Cooled RFA (CRFA) is a newer technique that can create a larger spherical lesion with a potential to compensate for the anatomic variability of the medial branches in the thoracic spine. Our retrospective study aimed to investigate the efficacy and the adverse effects of the CRFA in the treatment of thoracic facet-related pain. ⋯ This is the first clinical study to evaluate the efficacy and adverse effects of CRFA in the thoracic spine for facet joint-related pain. Our results suggest that CRFA procedure is an effective treatment modality for thoracic facet-related pain. Our subgroup analysis demonstrated that the pain relief and duration varies with the age and the pretreatment pain levels.
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Meta Analysis Comparative Study
Celecoxib vs diclofenac sodium in patients with knee osteoarthritis: A protocol for systematic review and meta analysis.
Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is one of the most common chronic muscular diseases in old people. The purpose of this meta-analysis was to compare celecoxib and diclofenac sodium in patients with knee osteoarthritis (KOA). ⋯ This proposed systematic review will provide up-to-date evidence to assess the effect of celecoxib in the treatment for patients with KOA. RESEARCH REGISTRY REGISTRATION NUMBER:: reviewregistry827.
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Review Meta Analysis
Transcatheter aortic valve implantation in the patients with chronic liver disease: A mini-review and meta-analysis.
Chronic liver disease is traditionally conceived as a risk factor for cardiovascular surgery. Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has recently burgeoned to precede surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) in patients with severe aortic stenosis at intermediate to high surgical risk. The evidence regarding TAVI in the patients with chronic liver disease is currently scarce. ⋯ This systematic review and meta-analysis supported that TAVI is a reliable therapeutic option for treating severe aortic stenosis in the patients with chronic liver disease. Future large-scale randomized controlled trials investigating the mid-term and long-term prognosis are needed to further verify these results.