Medical Specialties Commons^™

Loss Of Hif-1Α In The Notochord Results In Cell Death And Complete Disappearance Of The Nucleus Pulposus., Christophe Merceron, Laura Mangiavini, Alexander Robling, Tremika Leshan Wilson, Amato J Giaccia, Irving Shapiro, Ernestina Schipani, Makarand V Risbud

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Faculty Papers

The intervertebral disc (IVD) is one of the largest avascular organs in vertebrates. The nucleus pulposus (NP), a highly hydrated and proteoglycan-enriched tissue, forms the inner portion of the IVD. The NP is surrounded by a multi-lamellar fibrocartilaginous structure, the annulus fibrosus (AF). This structure is covered superior and inferior side by cartilaginous endplates (CEP). The NP is a unique tissue within the IVD as it results from the differentiation of notochordal cells, whereas, AF and CEP derive from the sclerotome. The hypoxia inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) is expressed in NP cells but its function in NP development and homeostasis is …

The Relative Efficacy Of Antifibrinolytics In Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis: A Prospective Randomized Trial., Kushagra Verma, Md, Thomas Errico, Chris Diefenbach, Christian Hoelscher, Austin Peters, Joseph Dryer, Tessa Huncke, Kirstin Boenigk, Baron S Lonner

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Antifibrinolytics can reduce intraoperative blood loss. The primary aim of this study was to determine the efficacy of intraoperative tranexamic acid, epsilon-aminocaproic acid, and placebo at reducing perioperative blood loss and the transfusion rate in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis undergoing posterior spinal arthrodesis.

METHODS: This is a prospective, randomized, double-blind comparison of tranexamic acid, epsilon-aminocaproic acid, and placebo used intraoperatively in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. One hundred and twenty-five patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis were randomly assigned to the tranexamic acid, epsilon-aminocaproic acid, or control groups. Parameters recorded included estimated blood loss, hematocrit, blood product usage, drain …

Addressing Hindfoot Arthritis With Concomitant Tibial Malunion Or Nonunion With Retrograde Tibiotalocalcaneal Nailing: A Novel Treatment Approach., Justin M Kane, Steven Raikin

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: Tibial malunions and nonunions are associated with degenerative changes about the ankle. A comprehensive literature review revealed no articles discussing treatment options for patients with tibial shaft malunion and ipsilateral ankle arthritis. The aim of our study was to evaluate a series of patients in whom tibial osteotomy and retrograde tibiotalocalcaneal nailing were used to treat both tibial deformity and ankle osteoarthritis.

METHODS: Twenty-five patients underwent retrograde tibiotalocalcaneal nailing with concomitant realignment tibial osteotomy with takedown of the nonunion or malunion in a single procedure. All surgical procedures were performed by a single surgeon at a single institution. Baseline …

Stress Sonography Of The Ulnar Collateral Ligament Of The Elbow In Professional Baseball Pitchers: A 10-Year Study., Michael G Ciccotti, Alfred Atanda, Levon N. Nazarian, Christopher C Dodson, Laurens Holmes, Steven B. Cohen

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Faculty Papers

BACKGROUND: An injury to the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) of the elbow is potentially career threatening for elite baseball pitchers. Stress ultrasound (US) of the elbow allows for evaluation of both the UCL and the ulnohumeral joint space at rest and with stress.

HYPOTHESIS: Stress US can identify morphological and functional UCL changes and may predict the risk of a UCL injury in elite pitchers.

STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3.

METHODS: A total of 368 asymptomatic professional baseball pitchers underwent preseason stress US of their dominant and nondominant elbows over a 10-year period (2002-2012). Stress US examinations …

The Hand In Art: Hand Of Hope, John S. Taras, Md

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Faculty Papers

The “Hand of Hope” (Fig. 1) statue was commissioned for display in the street-level lobby of my practice, The Philadelphia Hand Center, by its founders, James M. Hunter, MD, and Lawrence H. Schneider, MD. The work became a hallmark of the practice’s former Walnut Street location as well as a recognizable feature of its neighborhood.

After a sojourn of several years residing next to Thomas Eakins’ portrait of the operative theatre in “The Gross Clinic,” at Thomas Jefferson University, the sculpture has returned to grace our office’s lobby in the historic Benjamin Franklin Hotel.

Boning Up On Autophagy: The Role Of Autophagy In Skeletal Biology., Irving Shapiro, Robert Layfield, Martin Lotz, Carmine Settembre, Caroline Whitehouse

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery Faculty Papers

From an evolutionary perspective, the major function of bone is to provide stable sites for muscle attachment and affording protection of vital organs, especially the heart and lungs (ribs) and spinal cord (vertebrae and intervertebral discs). However, bone has a considerable number of other functions: serving as a store for mineral ions, providing a site for blood cell synthesis and participating in a complex system-wide endocrine system. Not surprisingly, bone and cartilage cell homeostasis is tightly controlled, as is the maintenance of tissue structure and mass. While a great deal of new information is accruing concerning skeletal cell homeostasis, one …