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| News in Brief - June 2010 Brief items of the latest industry news... |
| Readers Comments Unedited readers comments about Orthopaedic Product News ... |
| Biomaterial Stretches Like Muscle Many research groups are trying to develop materials with similar properties to muscles... |
| CT Technique is More Specific than X-rays in Detecting Thoracic, Lumbar Spine Fractures When trauma patients receive a CT scan of the chest, abdomen, and pelvis, (CT spine reformatting) it... |
| Dietary Protein May Reduce Hip Fractures in the Elderly Seniors who consume a higher level of dietary protein are less likely to suffer... |
| West Midlands Consultant Wins National Award for Rheumatology Family Support Network A specialist consultant from the West Midlands Paediatric Rheumatology Network... |
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News In Brief
Biomaterial Stretches Like Muscle Many research groups are trying to develop materials with similar properties to muscles. One of the big difficulties is creating anything with just the right muscle-like elasticity Now researchers at the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Vancouver, Canada, have synthesized a protein-based material that stretches exactly like the real thing. The new material achieves the elasticity of muscle by mimicking the microscopic structure of a giant muscle protein called titin. Hongbin Li, a chemist at the UBC, and his colleagues constructed the new material that imitates this structure. They chose a mechanically stable protein sequence that folds in on itself to form globules, and another protein called resilin to serve as the floppy connectors. The result was a “mini-titin” – a protein that resembled titin structurally but is much smaller, Li says. The researchers chemically linked the individual protein strands together to form a hydrogel and then tested the material’s mechanical properties. The team describes the work in a recent issue of the journal Nature. When they tested the material, Li and his colleagues found that it behaved much like real muscle tissue. When stretched a little bit, it bounces back like an elastic rubber band. If stretched more vigorously, the beadlike protein domains unfold, and it dissipates some energy before returning to its original state. “It’s a nice progression along the lines of building an artificial muscle,” says physicist David Weitz of Harvard University, whose group studies the structure of muscle protein networks. Other groups are working on creating electroactive polymers, which contract when stimulated by an electric signal, so that the “muscle” can be controlled. The current material does not have this feature, but adding that would be “the next step”, Weitz says. Artificial muscles could one day be used as scaffolds for growing muscle to repair damage in patients; in biologically compatible devices for medical applications; even to control robots without using motors. However, since proteins tend to unravel at high temperatures and under harsh environmental conditions, this does not make them ideal for industrial applications. Source: Technology Review CT Technique is More Specific than X-rays in Detecting Thoracic, Lumbar Spine Fractures When trauma patients receive a CT scan of the chest, abdomen, and pelvis, (CT spine reformatting) it eliminates the need for X-rays of the thoracic and/or lumbar spine to detect spinal fractures. This technique can lower cost and overall patient radiation exposure, according to a study to be presented at the ARRS 2010 Annual Meeting in San Diego, CA, USA. CT spine reformatting is performed after a CT scan is complete. It helps the radiologist assess the thoracic and/or lumbar regions of the spine without additional imaging, which can reduce cost and patient radiation exposure.
“Background research shows that CT is much more sensitive and specific than X-rays in detecting thoracic and lumbar spine fractures,” said Viesha Ciura, MD, lead author of the study. “Our study looked at the percentage of trauma patients who had both reformatted CT data and X-rays of the thoracic and/or lumbar region of the spine and the additional radiation dose and cost associated with the unnecessary X-rays,” said Ciura.
The study, performed at the University of Calgary, Foothills Medical Centre, included 897 trauma CT scans with spine reformats. 19% of the patients with reformatted CT data showing the spine also had X-rays of the same segment of the spine. “In patients with spinal fractures detected on the CT spine reformats, the X-rays provided no additional information, and in fact, some of these fractures were not seen on the X-rays,” said Ciura. “Our calculations suggest that in every 1,000 trauma patients, the added radiation dose from spine X-rays that may not have been needed is 170 mSv; the additional cost per 1,000 trauma patients was $19,678.93,” she said.
“At a time where radiation issues are gaining increasing importance in considering the utilization of diagnostic imaging, the addition of what appear to be unnecessary X-rays as part of managing trauma needs to be reconsidered,” said Ciura.
“At our institution, we have introduced a new protocol, that all trauma patients undergoing CT of the chest, abdomen, and pelvis also have CT reformats of the thoracic and lumbar spine to decrease the costs and excess radiation exposure associated with additional imaging,” she said.
Source: American College of Radiology
Dietary Protein May Reduce Hip Fractures in the Elderly Seniors who consume a higher level of dietary protein are less likely to suffer hip fractures than seniors whose daily dietary protein intake is less, according to a new study by the Institute for Aging Research of Hebrew SeniorLife in Boston, an affiliate of Harvard Medical School. The study, which examined the daily protein intake of 946 seniors from the Framingham Osteoporosis Study, found that individuals who were in the lowest 25% of dietary protein intake had approximately 50% more hip fractures than those who consumed greater amounts of dietary protein. Those who suffered hip fractures consumed less than the 46 grams of dietary protein per day recommended for adults. “Study participants who consumed higher amounts of protein in their diet were significantly less likely to suffer a hip fracture,” says senior study author Marian T. Hannan, D.Sc., M.P.H., co-director of the Musculoskeletal Research Program at the Institute for Aging Research.
The study, which was funded in part by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, will be published in May in the online-first edition of Osteoporosis International. It builds on previous studies that included mostly women and reported a relationship between greater dietary protein intake and decreased risk of hip fracture.
While other studies have shown that dietary protein intake is also linked with higher bone mineral density, Dr. Hannan says dietary protein may further protect elderly people against hip fracture by building stronger muscles in the legs. Most fractures occur after a fall, which may be caused by less muscle mass and decreased strength in the lower extremities.
Dr. Hannan, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, recommends that older women consume at least 46 grams of protein per day, and that older men consume at least 56 grams of protein daily. This can come from both animal sources and plants. The study did not examine the type of protein consumed.
In addition to increased dietary protein, Dr. Hannan says regular exercise to build stronger muscles and better balance, as well as other falls prevention strategies, such as reducing hazards in the home, can help protect seniors against falls and hip fractures.
More than 25 million Americans over the age of 50 have either osteoporosis, a disease in which bones become fragile and more likely to break, or osteopenia, a condition in which bone mineral density is lower than normal, but not low enough to be considered osteoporosis. More than 95% of hip fractures in people over the age of 65 are caused by falls and can lead to severe health problems, including decreased quality of life and premature death.
Scientists at the Institute for Aging Research conduct rigorous medical and social studies, leading the way in developing strategies for maximising individuals’ strength, vigor and physical well-being, as well as their cognitive and functional abilities in late life.
Founded in 1903, Hebrew SeniorLife, an affiliate of Harvard Medical School, is a nonprofit organisation devoted to innovative research, health care, education and housing that improves the lives of seniors.
Source: Institute for Aging Research
West Midlands Consultant Wins National Award for Rheumatology Family Support Network A specialist consultant from the West Midlands Paediatric Rheumatology Network in the UK has been awarded a top prize by a panel of clinical experts for establishing a much needed clinical support network for young patients and their families in the West Midlands. Dr Kathryn Bailey, Chair of the network, topped the national ‘Patient in Focus’ awards run by the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society (NRAS). Dr Bailey was presented her award at the British Society for Rheumatology Conference in Birmingham in April. Dr Bailey picked up the award for creating a West Midlands-wide support network trying to get parents and their children with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) involved in deciding what type of care they need through the medium of a DVD. On receiving her award, Dr Kathryn Bailey, Chair of the West Midlands Paediatric and Adolescent Rheumatology Network said: “Juvenile Arthritis is one of the commonest causes of disability beginning in childhood. In the West Midlands we recognise the variation of patient experiences in accessing paediatric rheumatology services and the care they then receive. The West Midlands Paediatric and Adolescent Rheumatology Network was established to try and address some of these differences and support the professionals working within the area. I am very proud of the work that the families and young people have done to put this DVD together and hope that it can now be used to help make a difference for those who suffer with Juvenile Arthritis.” Ailsa Bosworth is the founder and Chief Executive of the National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society (NRAS) and a member of the judging panel for the Patients in Focus Award. She said: “The judges were unanimously impressed with this work. A picture paints a thousand words and this DVD is very powerful viewing which has led to a much better understanding by commissioners and others of the specific issues faced by families of children with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA). We are delighted to recognise Dr. Bailey and her team in this way.” |
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