Articles: surgery.
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Totally Implantable Access Ports (TIAP) are being extensively used world-wide and can be expected to gain further importance with the introduction of new neoadjuvant and adjuvant treatments in oncology. Two different techniques for the implantation can be selected: A direct puncture of a central vein and the utilization of a Seldinger device or the surgical Venae Sectio. It is still unclear which technique has the optimal benefit/risk ratio for the patient. ⋯ The PORTAS 2 - Trial will be conducted in accordance with the protocol and in compliance with the moral, ethical, and scientific principles governing clinical research as set out in the Declaration of Helsinki (1989) and Good Clinical Practice (GCP). The Center of Clinical Trials at the Department of Surgery, University Hospital Heidelberg is responsible for design and conduct of the trial including randomization and documentation of patients' data. Data management and statistical analysis will be performed by the independent Institute for Medical Biometry and Informatics (IMBI), University of Heidelberg.
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The occipital condyle has never been studied as a viable structure that could permit bone purchase by fixation devices for occipitocervical fusion. The authors propose occipital condyle screw placement as a possible alternative to conventional occipitocervical fixation techniques. ⋯ Occipital condyle screw placement is a safe and viable option for occipitocervical fixation and could be a preferred procedure in selected cases. However, further biomechanical studies are required to compare its reliability to other more established techniques.
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Introduction. Spinal cord stimulation is a widely used treatment modality for chronic pain, especially failed back surgery syndrome. However, migration of the lead or leads, coverage of axial pain, and the selection of an optimal system configuration continue to be subjects for serious debate. Materials and Methods. A retrospective study of the use of the method of "midline anchoring" of a single Octrode® lead, in 54 patients with low back and/or lower extremity pain, was done to assess the efficacy of this technique. ⋯ A "guarded cathode" array was used in the vast majority of the cases, with a relatively low position of the lead. Conclusions. "Midline anchoring" of the spinal cord stimulation lead is an effective implantation technique, allowing the use of a single, percutaneous, Octrode® lead, while preventing lead migration and allowing capture of axial and lower extremity pain, unilateral as well as bilateral. This study revives the idea of a single lead as a possible optimal configuration.
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The aim of this study was to demonstrate the usefulness of a mobile, intraoperative 0.15-T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner in glioma surgery. ⋯ The use of the PoleStar N-20 intraoperative ultra low-field MRI scanner helps to evaluate the extent of resection in glioma surgery. Further tumor resection after intraoperative scanning leads to an increased rate of complete tumor resection, especially in patients with contrast-enhancing tumors. However, in noncontrast- enhancing tumors, the intraoperative visualization of a complete resection seems less specific, when compared with postoperative 1.5-T MRI.
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Rev Chir Orthop Reparatrice Appar Mot · Oct 2008
[Rotational alignment of femoral component with computed-assisted surgery (CAS) during total knee arthroplasty].
Accurate implantation of the prosthesis components is a prognostic factor for long-term total knee arthroplasty survival as it reduces wear and loosening failure. Computer-assisted navigation systems have proved to produce accurate bone cuts orthogonal to the mechanical axis. Proper rotational alignment of the femoral component is one of the requirements for optimal positioning of the femoral prosthesis. The posterior bicondylar axis of the femoral prosthesis should therefore be parallel to the transepicondylar axis. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether computer-assisted navigation provides an accurate rotational alignment of the femoral implant, when preoperatively defined with CT scan. ⋯ When femoral and tibial bone cuts are performed independently, conventional instrumentation techniques seem insufficient to adapt patient's specific anatomy and prove inadequate to provide precise rotational alignment of the femoral component. Computed tomography scan is a reliable mean to produce precise preoperative measurements for proper DEFT. Moreover, it allows accurate postoperative control of the implant positioning. Other studies have documented a higher degree of precision in the rotational alignment of the femoral component with computed navigation systems in comparison to conventional instrumentation. However, in such studies, rotational alignment was always determined by computer navigation, and based on a controversial intraoperative identification (epicondyles and Whiteside's line referencing). We believe that preoperative CT scanning is a more favourable method. Actually, 77% of the cases reported satisfactory rotational alignment of the femoral component using this technique.