Despite improvements in neurosurgical and neuroradiotherapeutic techniques, children with malignant brain tumors have a dismal prognosis. In an attempt to improve the efficacy of cytotoxic therapy, dose intensification of effective chemotherapeutic agents followed by autologous bone marrow transplantation (BMT) has been tried. Between May 1991 and August 1996, high-dose chemotherapy and autologous BMT were administered to 11 children with malignant brain tumors: 10 had recurrent (n = 8) or progressive (n = 2) disease, and 1 was treated before progression. The histological diagnoses were medulloblastoma (3), glioblastoma multiforme (2), supratentorial PNET (2), ependymoma (2), anaplastic astrocytoma (1), and anaplastic oligodendroglioma (1). In 6 of the 11 patients measurable disease was present at the time of BMT. The preparative regimen included BCNU 600 mg/m2 and VP16 1500 mg/m2 in 5 cases, and thiotepa 900 mg/m2 and VP16 1500 mg/m2 in 6 cases. The median times to achieve a neutrophil count over 0.5 x 10(9)/l and a platelet count over 50 x 10(9)/l were 14 and 28 days, respectively. The overall incidence of severe toxicity (grade III-IV) was 18% and consisted of oropharyngeal mucositis and diarrhea. Among the 6 patients with measurable disease at the time of BMT there were 2 with stable disease, whereas 4 patients had tumor progression: all these patients died of tumor recurrence 2-10 months after BMT. Five patients in whom there was no evidence of disease at the time of BMT are alive and free of progression with a median follow-up of 20 months (range 3-67). These preliminary results show that high-dose chemotherapy and BMT may be effective in children with malignant brain tumors. Etoposide-containing regimens seem to have significant activity in this setting, and the toxicity was manageable. The most important variable prognostic for progression-free survival is the disease status at the time of transplantation.
This study reports a case of popliteal artery injury during arthroscopic reconstruction of the posterior cruciate ligament. The evolution of the injury is described and comments are made regarding the anatomy of this artery and potential risks of this surgical technique. This study had the aims of alerting the medical community, especially knee surgeons, regarding a severe surgical complication and discussing the ways of preventing it.
ObjectiveTo compare the clinical outcomes and the results of knee functional scores in patients with normal patellar height and patella alta who underwent isolated medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction.MethodsA total of 37 knees from 33 patients with recurrent patellar dislocation who underwent isolated medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction were included. Retrospectively, the postoperative clinical results were compared using the Kujala and Lysholm scores in the group of patients with normal patellar height and in those with patella alta.ResultsThe sample consisted of 37 patients; 16 knees of 14 patients in the group with normal patellar height, 21 knees of 19 patients in the group with patella alta. In the first group, the mean Kujala score was 85.8 and the mean Lysholm score was 85.6. In the second, the mean Kujala score was 78.1 and the mean Lysholm score was 79.7. No significant differences were observed between the groups in relation to the Lysholm (p = 0.296) and Kujala scores (p = 0.181).ConclusionIsolated medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction presented similar results in patients with normal patellar height and patella alta.
ObjectiveTo analyze the radiographic positioning of the femoral tunnel and correlate this with the postoperative clinical results among patients undergoing reconstruction of the medial patellofemoral ligament (MPFL) alone.MethodThis was a retrospective study in which 30 knees of 26 patients with recurrent dislocation of the patella that underwent MPFL reconstruction were evaluated. The femoral insertion point of the graft and the postoperative clinical condition were analyzed and correlated using the Kujala and Lysholm scales.Results22 knees presented a femoral tunnel in the anatomical area (group A) and 8 outside of this location (group B). In group A, the mean score on the Kujala scale was 89.68 points and on the Lysholm scale was 92.45 points. In group B, the mean score on the Kujala scale was 84.75 points and on the Lysholm scale was 92 points. The difference between the means was not significant on either of the two scales.ConclusionCorrelation with the clinical results did not show any difference in relation to the positioning of the femoral insertion of the graft.
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