Surgical reconstruction of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) may reduce, but it does not always eliminate, knee and body instability because of a persisting proprioceptive deficit. In order to enhance body stability, a new protocol of treatment has been proposed consisting of mechanical vibration (100 Hz frequency and < 20 microm amplitude) of the quadriceps muscle in the leg that has undergone ACL reconstruction. In our trials, stimulation was performed when the quadriceps muscle was kept isometrically contracted. Treatment was started one month after surgery. Vibration was applied for short periods over three consecutive days. Nine months after treatment, postural stability was re-evaluated with the subjects standing on one leg with open and with closed eyes. The postural stability of the subjects having undergone vibration treatment, standing on the operated leg was significantly improved one day after treatment when evaluated as mean of speed and elliptic area of the center of pressure. The improvement persisted and increased during the following weeks. Peak torques of the operated leg extensor muscles also increased and reached values close to that of the leg, which had not been operated. Conversely, the balance of the untreated subjects standing on the operated leg did not improve and the restoration of the extensor muscle peak torque was poor. It is concluded that short lasting proprioceptive activation by vibration may lead to a faster and more complete equilibrium recovery probably by permanently changing the network controlling knee posture.

The 6-aminoquinolone had previously been identified as a new class of quinolone antibacterial agents. To continue our structure-activity relationship (SAR) study in this series, novel 6-amino-8-methylquinolone derivatives have now been synthesized and evaluated for in vitro antibacterial activity. We have shown that the coupled presence of a methyl group at the C-8 position with an amino group at C-6 is effective for enhancing antibacterial activity, particularly against Gram-positive bacteria. The SARs associated with the N-1, C-6, and C-7 are discussed. The 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinolinyl derivative 19v showed the highest antibacterial activity with MIC values on Gram-positive bacteria superior to that of ciprofloxacin, especially against Staphylococcus aureus strains, including those strains which are methicillin-and ciprofloxacin-resistant.

It has been our observation that post-operative anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) braces together with the post-operative bandages do not always allow the knee to reach full extension. In ten uninjured knees with known hyperextension, the knees were bandaged in the same way as after an ACL-reconstruction. The knees were then studied radiologically in a Hypex brace set at 0 degrees, -5 degrees and -10 degrees of knee extension. Not a single knee was found to be straight in the brace set at 0 degrees. At -5 degrees most of the knees were straight or in slight hyperextension. It took -10 degrees to get all knees straight or in hyperextension. In a prospective randomised study 44 patients who underwent an arthroscopic ACL-reconstruction with a bone patellar tendon bone graft were randomised to use either a brace set at -5 degrees or a straight brace (0 degrees ) for at least the first three postoperative weeks. Before and three months after surgery range of motion was determined, using a goniometer with long arms, and sagittal knee laxity was measured with a KT-2000 arthrometer at manual max. Pre- and post-operative pain was evaluated with the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS). The same examiner (blindfolded to what type of brace was used) performed all the measurements. At three months, two of the 22 patients with the brace set at -5 degrees and twelve of the 22 patients with the straight brace had a loss of full extension of 2 degrees or more ( p<0.001). No significant differences were found between the groups in terms of knee flexion, sagittal knee laxity or post-operative pain. Although extension deficit after ACL-reconstruction can be prevented also in other ways, a Hypex brace set at -5 degrees seems to be an easy way of ensuring full knee extension.

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The endocyclic replacement of a nitrogen atom at the 1‐position of quinolone antibacterial nucleus with a sulfur atom was investigated. A series of 1‐benzothiopyran‐4‐one‐3‐carboxylic acids 14–16 and isothiazolo‐[5,4‐b][1]benzothiopyran‐3,4‐diones 22–24, suitably functionalized with a fluorine atom at C‐6 and heterocyclic base at C‐7, were prepared. The antibacterial evaluation of the target compounds showed an activity comparable to that of nalidixic acid for compounds 14–16, while an increased activity against gram‐positive bacteria was observed for compounds 22–24.