British medical bulletin
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British medical bulletin · Jan 2015
ReviewMicrofracture produces inferior outcomes to other cartilage repair techniques in chondral injuries in the paediatric knee.
Chondral injuries are becoming increasingly common in the paediatric knee. First line surgical therapy is usually microfracture (MF), but the emergence of alternative techniques raises the question of what is the optimal treatment in paediatric patients. ⋯ Appropriately powered randomized controlled trials with suitably long follow up and condition-specific outcome measures should compare different techniques against each other and placebo.
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Yaws, caused by Treponema pallidum ssp. pertenue, is endemic in parts of West Africa, Southeast Asia and the Pacific. The WHO has launched a campaign based on mass treatment with azithromycin, to eradicate yaws by 2020. ⋯ Studies to complete baseline mapping, integrate diagnostic tests into surveillance and assess the impact of community mass treatment with azithromycin are ongoing.
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British medical bulletin · Jan 2015
ReviewEfficacy and safety of extracorporeal shock wave therapy for orthopedic conditions: a systematic review on studies listed in the PEDro database.
Extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) is an effective and safe non-invasive treatment option for tendon and other pathologies of the musculoskeletal system. ⋯ Future randomized controlled trials should primarily address systematic tests of the aforementioned optimum treatment protocol and direct comparisons between radial and focused ESWT.
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Theoretical advantages of endoscopic cubital tunnel release are the short incision, lower risk of nerve damage, reduced manipulation of the nerve and possible faster recovery. ⋯ There is a need to perform randomized clinical trials with common and validated scoring system with a longer duration of follow-up. The literature pertinent to endoscopic cubital tunnel release is lacking in the evaluation of the learning curve. Further investigations are necessary to assess the role of ulnar nerve instability.
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British medical bulletin · Jan 2015
ReviewHuman embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells in clinical trials.
Human embryonic and induced pluripotent stem cells (hESC and hiPSC) have tremendous potential for clinical implementation. In spite of all hurdles and controversy, clinical trials in treatment of spinal cord injury, macular degeneration of retina, type 1 diabetes and heart failure are already ongoing. ⋯ Development of hESC- and/or iPSC-based cellular therapy for other diseases.