Millimeter wave therapy (MWT), a non-invasive complementary therapeutic technique is claimed to possess analgesic properties. We reviewed the clinical studies describing the pain-relief effect of MWT. Medline-based search according to review criteria and evaluation of methodological quality of the retrieved studies was performed. Of 13 studies, 9 of them were randomized controlled trials (RCTs), only three studies yielded more than 3 points on the Oxford scale of methodological quality of RCTs. MWT was reported to be effective in the treatment of headache, arthritic, neuropathic and acute postoperative pain. The rapid onset of pain relief during MWT lasting hours to days after, remote to the site of exposure (acupuncture points), was the most characteristic feature in MWT application for pain relief. The most commonly used parameters of MWT were the MW frequencies between 30 and 70 GHz and power density up to 10 mW cm−2. The promising results from pilot case series studies and small-size RCTs for analgesic/hypoalgesic effects of MWT should be verified in large-scale RCTs on the effectiveness of this treatment method.

A carpus valgus deformity was diagnosed in a five-week-old Brown Swiss calf. The 45 degrees deformity was caused by the malaligned healing of a fracture of the left metacarpus after birth trauma. The deviation improved to 25 degrees after being treated with a semicircular lateral periosteotomy above the distal physis of the radius. A complete correction was made by means of a wedge osteotomy five months after the first treatment. A 20 degrees wedge of bone was removed. The metacarpus was stabilised with a seven-hole dynamic compression plate which was removed 12 weeks later. Thirty months later the calf was sold as a pregnant heifer at an auction of breeding cattle.

Millimetre wave therapy (MWT) is a promising complementary method for pain relief, however rigorous investigations of its effectiveness are needed. The purpose of this study was to examine if MWT can reduce opioid requirement compared to sham procedure applied for relief of acute pain in patients after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Eighty patients undergoing TKA were randomly assigned to receive MWT or sham procedure. Patients and evaluators were blinded to the group allocation. MWT consisted of six sessions, each session of 30 min duration. During each session the knee wound was exposed to electromagnetic waves with frequency 50-75 GHz and power density 4.2 mW/cm(2). Postoperative analgesia with piritramide, a weak opioid with 0.7 potency of morphine delivered via patient-controlled analgesia pump, was directed to achieve pain intensity of less than 40 on a 100 mm visual analogue scale (VAS). The primary outcome measure was postoperative piritramide requirement for three days after surgery. Secondary outcome measures were: total ibuprofen requirement from the fourth postoperative day to discharge; success of patients' blinding; patients' satisfaction with pain relief; incidence of analgesia-related side effects; heart rate and blood pressure. Piritramide requirement was similar in both groups whereby all patients reported adequate pain relief measured on a VAS. Secondary outcome measures were also comparable in both groups. The majority of patients in both groups believed they had received true MWT and wanted to repeat it in future. Millimetre waves applied to surfaces of surgical wounds did not reduce opioid requirement compared to the sham procedure after TKA.

We were able to partially confirm the previously suggested hypoalgesic effects of low-intensity electromagnetic MW. However, the effect was indistinguishable from the placebo condition in our investigation.

Surgical correction of a congenital bilateral lateral stationary patellar luxation in a Shetland-filly using trochleoplasty by wedge osteotomy A two-week old Shetland-filly was presented with congenital bilateral lateral patellar luxation. The animal showed the typical dogsitting position and was unable to rise on the hind limbs. The condition was corrected succesfully by the lateral release of the femoropatellar ligament and portions of the biceps femoris attachments followcd by a trochleoplasty using a wedge osteotomy/-ectomy of the trochlear groove of the distal femur and the medial imbrication of joint capsule and fascia. Both sides were operated upon one-week aParr. Jones er al., 1981,; W'intzer, L982; Dietz und Wiesner, 1982; Hermans et al., 1987; Dabme und Weiss, 1988). Andere Autoren bevorzugen den Terminus ,,Ektopia patellae" (Finoccbio und Guffy, 1970; Van Pelt, Keahqt und Dallq, I97I). Beide Ausdrücke werden auch synonym verwendet (Stashak, 1987(Stashak, , 1989. Pfeffir (1935) wiederum spricht von der habitueiien lateralen Dislokation der Kniescheibe. Die Verlagerung der Patella steht in unmittelbarem Zusammenhang mit einer Dysplasie der Trochlea femoris, wobei besonders der laterale Rollkamm betroffen ist. Entsprechend kann das Ausmaß der Luxation stark variieren: Es reicht von einer leichten Verlagerung nach außen bei noch normaler Kniegelenkwinkelung bis zu einer nicht reponierbaren Luxation mit hundesitziger Stellung. Unterschiede zwischen beiden Seiten sind häufig (Hermans et al., te87). Am eingehendsten wurde das Krankheitsbild in den Niederlanden an Shetlandponys untersucht, und es wurden auch eindeutige Hinweise für einen autosomal-rezessiven Erbgang gefunden (Ratbor, 1968; Rathor und I',lumans, I97l; Hermans et al., 1987