Nine patients with rheumatoid arthritis, who had Silastic prostheses (Swanson's) introduced into 34 metacarpophalangeal joints, were reviewed 5 years after surgery. The most important long-term advantage conferred by the introduction of prostheses was pain relief; functional benefit was marginal. The majority of prostheses eventually fractured but this did not necessarily lead to a functional d...

A previous study showed that microporous, compliant and (bio)degradable vascular prostheses prepared from a polyurethane/poly(L-lactic acid) mixture can function as a temporary scaffold for the regeneration of small-calibre arteries. In this study the mechanism of fragmentation of vascular prostheses made of polyurethane, copolyesterether and blends of either polyurethane or copolyesterether wi...

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS Demonstrate that biofilm formation will be reduced on tracheoesophageal prostheses when vibratory stimulus is applied, compared to controls receiving no vibratory stimulus, in a dynamic in vitro model of biofilm accumulation simulating the interface across the tracheoesophageal puncture site. STUDY DESIGN Prospective, randomized, controlled, crossover in university labor...

This study evaluated 1) the efficacy of packing autologous fat grafts around temporomandibular joint (TMJ) total joint prosthetic reconstructions to prevent fibrosis and heterotopic bone formation and 2) the effects on postsurgical joint mobility and jaw function. One hundred fifteen patients (5 males and 110 females) underwent TMJ reconstruction with total joint prostheses and simultaneous fat...

Penile prostheses are considered to be the definitive solution for the treatment of organic erectile dysfunction in those in whom medical therapy, such as phosphodiesterase inhibitors, is contraindicated or in those who have failed more conservative measures. The advent of new surgical tools and new infection-resistant materials has significantly reduced the risk of intraand postoperative compl...

BACKGROUND Different recommendations exist regarding what age is best for first-time fitting of myoelectric hand prostheses in children. OBJECTIVES To compare prosthetic skill, prosthetic use and risk for rejection over time between children fitted with myoelectric hand prostheses before or after 2½ years of age. STUDY DESIGN Prospective case-control design. METHODS The cases were nine ch...

OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to analyze silicone tubes with an internal diameter of 4 mm as a possible material for vascular prostheses. METHODS Grafts were implanted into the infrarenal aortas of 33 rabbits. Fluoroscopic examinations were performed within 150 days after surgical implantation. Sample grafts were analyzed via electron microscopy to evaluate the eventual endothelializat...

Metallosis of the hip is usually defined as aseptic fibrosis, local necrosis, or loosening of the prosthesis secondary to metallic corrosion and release of wear debris.8 It has also been defined as gray discoloration of the tissues of the joint, pain, an effusion, and elevated serum metal levels. Metallosis has been found with stainless steel, titanium, and cobalt chromium alloy femoral prosthe...

In this paper we shortly review the aim of the INTER1-project (Intelligent Neural InTERface) and present our proposal for the modus operandi to process real nerve signals. In the second part we present a Self-OrganizingMap (SOM) that classify nerve signals from the gastric nerve of a crab. Thereafter we present the interpretation of the obtained clusters by an integration based signal interpret...

Wear of polyethylene is associated with aseptic loosening of orthopaedic implants and has been observed in hip and knee prostheses and anatomical implants for the shoulder. The reversed shoulder prostheses have not been assessed as yet. We investigated the volumetric polyethylene wear of the reversed and anatomical Aequalis shoulder prostheses using a mathematical musculoskeletal model. Movemen...