We analysed the radiographs of 67 patients with displaced malleolar fractures treated by open reduction and internal fixation using absorbable polyglycolide rods. Seventeen patients developed a discharging inflammatory foreign-body reaction, a complication unique to these fixation devices. In 34 patients ovoid osteolytic foci, usually 5 to 10 mm in diameter, appeared within the implant channels...

Despite worldwide clinical use of bio-absorbable devices for internal fixation in orthopaedic surgery, the degradation behaviour and tissue replacement of these implants are not fully understood. In a long-term experimental study, we have determined the patterns of tissue restoration 36 and 54 months after implantation of polyglycolic acid and poly-laevo-lactic acid screws in the distal femur o...

BACKGROUND A blow-out fracture is one of the most common facial injuries in midface trauma. Orbital wall reconstruction is extremely important because it can cause various functional and aesthetic sequelae. Although many materials are available, there are no uniformly accepted guidelines regarding material selection for orbital wall reconstruction. METHODS From January 2007 to August 2012, a ...

BACKGROUND To avoid the irritation of tendons and soft tissues as well as hardware-related problems, we designed an intramedullary fixation with bioabsorbable rods for the treatment of the metacarpal shaft fractures. METHODS Five patients with nine shaft fractures of the fourth and fifth metacarpi were treated with intramedullary absorbable implants and followed up with an average of 4.2 mont...

BACKGROUND I conducted a prospective study to assess the effectiveness of an absorbable calcium hydroxyapatite (Hac) layer mixed with vancomycin applied to the articular surface of prosthetic implants in preventing deep infections after noncemented total knee arthroplasty (TKA). This severe complication of TKA occurs in 2%-7% of cases. METHODS In all, 135 consecutive noncemented TKAs were per...

The treatment of unstable fractures or complex injuries of the hand frequently requires the implementation of rigid internal fixation. Traditionally, metallic implants have been used to achieve stability. However, the complication rates of metallic implants are high, with major complications reported in 36% of the patients considered in a series [1]. These complications included nonunion, delay...

UNLABELLED To evaluate the functional evolution of knees after repair of longitudinal meniscal rupture with absorbable arrow implant. METHODS Between June 1997 and February 2001, 23 patients with a mean age of 26.3 years were evaluated. The mean follow-up time was 72.87 months (45-96). We performed 19 medial and 4 lateral meniscal repairs. The patients were pre and postoperatively evaluated r...

This study compared bone grafting regimens and different implant surfaces used for sinus augmentation and presented long-term implant success rates in augmented sinuses. Two hundred fifty-seven consecutive patients with 625 implants were evaluated retrospectively. In phase 1, 188 sinuses were grafted with (1) autograft alone; (2) autograft + demineralized freeze-dried bone allograft (DFDBA) + a...

www.sciencemag.org SCIENCE VOL 337 28 SEPTEMBER 2012 1575 COVER A biodegradable integrated circuit (length: ~2.54 centimeters) shown partially dissolved by a droplet of water. This demonstration system includes transistors; diodes; inductors and capacitors, with magnesium for the electrodes/interconnects; magnesium oxide for the gate/interlayer dielectrics; silicon nanomembranes for the semicon...

www.sciencemag.org SCIENCE VOL 337 28 SEPTEMBER 2012 1575 COVER A biodegradable integrated circuit (length: ~2.54 centimeters) shown partially dissolved by a droplet of water. This demonstration system includes transistors; diodes; inductors and capacitors, with magnesium for the electrodes/interconnects; magnesium oxide for the gate/interlayer dielectrics; silicon nanomembranes for the semicon...