BACKGROUND Patients with peripheral artery disease have an increased risk of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Antiplatelet agents are widely used to reduce these complications. METHODS This was a multicentre, double-blind, randomised placebo-controlled trial for which patients were recruited at 602 hospitals, clinics, or community practices from 33 countries across six continents. Eligible patients had a history of peripheral artery disease of the lower extremities (previous peripheral bypass surgery or angioplasty, limb or foot amputation, intermittent claudication with objective evidence of peripheral artery disease), of the carotid arteries (previous carotid artery revascularisation or asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis of at least 50%), or coronary artery disease with an ankle-brachial index of less than 0·90. After a 30-day run-in period, patients were randomly assigned (1:1:1) to receive oral rivaroxaban (2·5 mg twice a day) plus aspirin (100 mg once a day), rivaroxaban twice a day (5 mg with aspirin placebo once a day), or to aspirin once a day (100 mg and rivaroxaban placebo twice a day). Randomisation was computer generated. Each treatment group was double dummy, and the patient, investigators, and central study staff were masked to treatment allocation. The primary outcome was cardiovascular death, myocardial infarction or stroke; the primary peripheral artery disease outcome was major adverse limb events including major amputation. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT01776424, and is closed to new participants. FINDINGS Between March 12, 2013, and May 10, 2016, we ; HR 0·67, 95% CI 0·45-1·00, p=0·05). The median duration of treatment was 21 months. The use of the rivaroxaban plus aspirin combination increased major bleeding compared with the aspirin alone group (77 [3%] of 2492 vs 48 [2%] of 2504; HR 1·61, 95% CI 1·12-2·31, p=0·0089), which was mainly gastrointestinal. Similarly, major bleeding occurred in 79 (3%) of 2474 patients with rivaroxaban 5 mg, and in 48 (2%) of 2504 in the aspirin alone group (HR 1·68, 95% CI 1·17-2·40; p=0·0043). INTERPRETATION Low-dose rivaroxaban taken twice a day plus aspirin once a day reduced major adverse cardiovascular and limb events when compared with aspirin alone. Although major bleeding was increased, fatal or critical organ bleeding was not. This combination therapy represents an important advance in the management of patients with peripheral artery disease. Rivaroxaban alone did not significantly reduce major adverse cardiovascular events compared with asprin alone, but reduced major adverse limb events and increased major bleeding. FUNDING Bayer AG. Methods This was a multicentre, double-blind, randomised placebo-controlled trial for which patients were recruited at 602 hospitals, clinics, or community practices from 33 countries across six continents. Eligible patients had a history of peripheral artery disease of the lower extremities (previous peripheral bypass surgery or angioplasty, limb or foot amputation, i...

No abstract

The purposes of this study were to clarify the effects of rotation on two-dimensional measurement of lower limb alignment for knee osteotomy using a three-dimensional method and to determine whether this 3-D simulation method could help with planning of knee osteotomy. We developed computer software to calculate femorotibial angle (FTA) and hip-knee-ankle angle (HKA) and simulate knee osteotomy from a CT-based 3-D bone model of the lower limb. Lower limb rotation on anteroposterior long-standing radiographs was measured by superimposing the 3-D bone models. Changes in alignment with limb rotation were calculated using the software. FTA after virtual closed-wedged osteotomy was measured for a hypothetical case of a rotation error of the osteotomy plane in reattaching the proximal cutting surface to the distal cutting surface. For 31 varus knees in 20 patients with medial compartment arthritis, the mean rotation angle, relative to the epicondylar axis, with variable limb position was 7.4 rt 3.9" of internal rotation (mean f SD), ranging from 8" of external rotation to 14" of internal rotation; the mean changes in FTA and HKA were 3.5 f 2.2" (range, 0.4-8.6) and 1.6 k 1.3" (range, 0.24.9), respectively. The FTA "flexion angle" (lateral view alignment from neutral AP) and the absolute HKA "flexion angle" correlated with the change in FTA and HKA with limb rotation, respectively (FTA, R = 0.999; HKA, R = 0.993). The mean change in FTA after virtual closed-wedged osteotomy was 3.2" for internal and external 10" rotation errors in reattaching the osteotomy plane. Rotation may affect measurement of lower limb alignment for knee osteotomy, and 3-D methods are preferable for surgical planning.

Two-phase contrast-enhanced CT proved useful in predicting LV functional recovery and WT in patients who had experienced acute MI and undergone successful angioplasty.

Our results suggest that a pattern of subendocardial hypoperfusion at systole and normal perfusion at diastole characterizes ischemic myocardium.