From 1978 to 1985, a total of 64 patients underwent successful hand and digit replantation/revascularisation for salvage after crush and avulsion trauma to their upper extremities. Forty-seven of them (39 males and 8 females) were followed between 10 and 17 years (mean: 12.6 years). The average age was 33.2 years. In 39 patients, replantations were performed: 37 digits (including seven thumbs), two hands, and three midhands. Eight patients underwent revascularizations in cases of subtotal amputations: two in the midhand, three at the wrist, and three at the lower arm. Concomitant injury to the hand or forearm was a feature of all cases. In 45 percent of the study population, secondary reconstructions were necessary. Outcomes were evaluated using Chen's classification (1981) and showed that 19 percent of the patients were classified grade 1, 49 percent grade II, 28 percent grade III, and 4 percent grade IV. Results demonstrated a greater patient age in the grade III group, and relatively more secondary operations in the grade IV patients.

Blade-to-blade variations of bladed disk assemblies result in local zoning of vibration modes as well as amplitude magnifications, which primarily reduces the high cycle fatigue life of aeroengines. Criteria were introduced to determine the level of these mode localization effects depending on various parameters of a real high pressure compressor blisk rotor. The investigations show that blade vibration modes with lower interblade coupling, e.g., torsion modes or modes with high numbers of nodal diameter lines, have a significantly higher sensitivity to blade mistuning, which can be characterized by the higher percentage of blades on the total blisk strain energy.

The biological role of the paranasal sinuses is obscure, can be elucidated through a cross-sectional growth study of the maxillary sinus in miniature pigs. The maxillary sinus area was obtained from lateral cephalograms of left skull halves of 103 female miniature pigs of known ages, from newborn to 24 months. Out of several nonlinear models, the growth of the maxillary sinus was best described with the Gompertz model. The first derivative of the Gompertz curve revealed an increase in the growth rates of the maxillary sinus until 4 months, after which sinus growth slowed down. The eruption of the permanent molars did not seem to have a significant influence on this growth pattern. Furthermore, growth in maxillary sinus size in the miniature pig does not follow growth in skull size closely, which showed the highest growth rates in newborn animals. In addition, a correlation analysis revealed that the relationship between maxillary sinus area and different characteristics of the masticatory apparatus (including linear cranial dimensions, and the dry weight of the masseter and zygomatico-mandibularis muscles) were influenced greatly by skull size. These results suggest that the existence of pneumatic cavities within the mammalian skull is not satisfactorily explained solely by an architectural theory. Epigenetic factors are likely to influence the final shape of the maxillary sinus.

As a result of more balanced blade aspect ratios of modern blade-integrated disks (blisks), interactions between disk-dominated and blade-dominated modes are becoming more and more important, especially if blade mistuning is considered. The specific vibration behavior in these transition regions is characterized by a mix of both fundamental mode types into “coupled” modes. In this paper, numerical and experimental investigations based on a front high-pressure compressor (HPC) blisk stage were carried out in order to determine the effect of blade mistuning on those regions in detail. At this, effects like mode localization and amplitude magnification are found to be weakened in an integer frequency-veering zone. Contrary to this, blisks are very sensitive to mistuning in regions of pure blade-dominated mode families with high modal density.