The authors present a method for obtaining magnetic resonance (MR) images of intra- and extracranial vessels from thin contiguous transaxial sections. A section-selective gradient refocusing pulse sequence with a short repetition time caused flow-related enhancement from spins that flowed perpendicular to the transaxial sections. The signal was further enhanced by means of flow compensation gradients to rephase any phase shifts resulting from moving spins in the presence of the imaging gradients. Coronal and sagittal sections, reformatted from multiple transaxial sections, are shown to have excellent vessel contrast without the use of contrast material. These images were obtained in 12 minutes of acquisition time from as many as 60 sections of 3-mm thickness. Such a technique shows significant promise for MR angiography.
Peculiarities of pedicle dimension of this central European cohort are comparable to morphometric studies in other ethnicities. Preoperative planning before cervical pedicle screw insertion on fine-cut CT scans demonstrates good interrater reliability for all important dimensions and angulations. More than half of female patients and almost a third of male patients had a PW of less than 4.5 mm at C3 level. Even though this percentage decreases caudally, pedicle screws might not be safe to insert in a noteworthy percentage of patients.
BackgroundPostoperative wound infection is a preventable risk. One potential postoperative complication is blistering, which leads to increased pain, delayed healing, and higher care costs. The incidence of wound blisters has been reported to be between 6 and 24%. The aim of this study is to assess whether the risks of postoperative blistering and wound infections within the first 6 days postsurgery will be reduced using a special dressing compared to a standard one.Methods/DesignThis is a randomized clinical trial in a University hospital. Patients presenting for knee or hip arthroplasty or spine procedures will be assessed against study inclusion and exclusion criteria. After giving written informed consent, patients will be randomized to participate in the 7-day study during hospitalization. One hundred patients will be randomized per group. The primary outcome measure is blistering incidence from day 0 to day 6 postsurgery. Photo documentation will be evaluated in a blinded manner by the Clinical Evaluation Committee (CEC).DiscussionA new dressing will be compared to the standard wound dressing regarding the risk of postoperative blistering, wound infection, and patient comfort. This study will assess the potential advantages of a modern wound dressing.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT01988818 (Entered 13 November 2011).
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.