Project description:The palmar cutaneous branch of the median nerve (PCBm) supplies afferent innervation to the volar aspect of the hand. It consistently originates from the radial side of the median nerve, travels in relation to the tendons of the palmaris longus and flexor carpi radialis muscles, and courses superficially through fascial planes to reach the surface of the palm. Because it is at risk of injury in numerous operations, this review serves to provide a summary of anatomical findings regarding the PCBm across various studies to aid orthopedists and other clinicians in anticipating the location of the nerve during surgical procedures.
Project description:Background After cleft palate repair is performed, oronasal fistulas are potential consequences with resultant regurgitation of fluid and food, hearing loss, and velopharyngeal insufficiency. Treatment of oronasal fistulas is a challenge for plastic surgeons especially when the fistulas are large and scarring is significant. The facial artery musculomucosal (FAMM) flap, introduced by Pribaz in 1992, is a reliable and useful procedure for the closure of wide palatal fistulas. A new modification of facial artery composite flap is presented here including a skin component that avoids extended procedures for nasal layer reconstruction and reduces the mucosal component size. The flap described here is the nasal artery musculomucosal (NAMMC) flap; the main blood supply comes from the lateral nasal artery, a terminal branch of facial artery. Methods We present a series of anteriorly and posteriorly based NAMMC flaps, which were used to close large palatal fistulas after cleft palate repair in 12 patients. Results All flaps were successful. One flap had an anterior wound dehiscence in a bilateral case, and we have seen no total flap failure or postoperative palatal fistulas. The aesthetic appearance of the skin donor site was acceptable in all cases. Conclusions The NAMMC flap is a good alternative for closing wide and recurrent fistulas. It is associated with a high rate of success. The traditional FAMM flap should be named as "nasal (lateral) artery musculomucosal flap" because the distal branch of the facial artery is the main blood supply of the flap.
Project description:IntroductionVarious oncoplastic techniques have emerged over the years to preserve breast cosmesis and symmetry without compromising the principles of tumor excision. One of the newer techniques for breast volume replacement to achieve symmetry and cosmesis is the use of fascio-cutaneous pedicled chest wall perforator flaps or local perforator flaps (CWPF).Case presentationWe present a case of reconstruction with internal mammary artery perforator (IMAP)-based plug flap to fill the infero-medial defect caused by a tumor close to skin, with visible retraction.Clinical discussionA 52 years old woman, with an extensive palpable mass (3 cm) in the lower medial quadrant of the right breast, the tumor was close to skin, with visible retraction. The patient has small and round breasts, without ptosis.ConclusionIn this situation and when there is skin that needs to be removed, reconstruction can be done with a pedicle flap skin paddle; the IMAP flap is an ideal donor site in these cases. It is a safe flap with good vascularization and offers a great cosmetic result.
Project description:BackgroundThe innervated radial artery superficial palmar branch (iRASP) flap was designed to provide consistent innervation by the palmar cutaneous branch of the median nerve (PCMN) to a glabrous skin flap. The iRASP flap is used to achieve coverage of diverse volar defects of digits. However, unexpected anatomical variations can affect flap survival and outcomes.MethodsCases in which patients received iRASP flaps since April 1, 2014 were retrospectively investigated by reviewing the operation notes and intraoperative photographs. The injury type, flap dimensions, arterial and neural anatomy, secondary procedures, and complications were evaluated.ResultsTwenty-eight cases were reviewed, and no flap failures were observed. The observed anatomical variations were the absence of a direct skin perforator, large-diameter radial artery superficial palmar branch (RASP), and the PCMN not being a single branch. Debulking procedures were performed in 16 cases (57.1%) due to flap bulkiness.ConclusionsIn some cases, an excessively large RASP artery was observed, even when there was no direct skin perforator from the RASP or variation in the PCMN. These findings should facilitate application of the iRASP flap, as well as any surgical procedures that involve potential damage to the PCMN in the inter-thenar crease region. Additional clinical cases will provide further clarification regarding potential anatomical variations.
Project description:The immune response plays a key role in the disease development of the organism, while immune function serves as an important indicator for animal models evaluation. The tree shrew (Tupaia belangeri chinensis), as a new laboratory animal with a close genetic relationship with primates, has been used to construct various disease models. However, the immune system of tree shrews, especially anatomical descriptions of lymph nodes, is still relatively unknown. In this study, a total of 16 different lymph nodes were identified, including superficial lymph nodes and deep lymph nodes. Superficial lymph nodes were located in the head and neck region (submandibular lymph node, parotid lymph node, deep and superficial cervical lymph nodes) and at the forelimb (axillary and accessory axillary lymph nodes, subscapular lymph node) and hindlimb (popliteal, sciatic, and inguinal lymph nodes). Deep lymph nodes comprise mediastinal lymph nodes located in thoracic cavity and abdominal lymph nodes that are mainly located in each mesentery (mesenteric, gastric, pancreatic-duodenal, renal lymph nodes) or along the major vessels (iliac lymph nodes). In addition, we described the spleen and thymus of the tree shrew, as well as two lymphoid tissues in the top wall of the nasal cavity and the oropharynx. This study mainly describes the tree shrew immune system from an anatomical and histopathological perspective and provides fundamental research references for the establishment of various animal models of tree shrews.
Project description:BackgroundThe transverse preputial island flap (TPIF) procedure remains one of the classic single-stage procedures for severe hypospadias repairs. The incidence of postoperative complications remained high. This study aims to describe a modified urethral anastomosis technique during the TPIF procedure for severe hypospadias repairs and report its outcomes.MethodsData were collected retrospectively from consecutive patients who underwent the TPIF procedure by the same pediatric urologist between January 2018 and June 2023. Collected information included age at surgery, operative details, and outcomes at follow-up. Wide-based oblique anastomosis (WOA) technique was used as a modified urethral anastomosis in all cases. In brief, the dorsal edge of anastomosis was breadthwise anchored to the corpus cavernosum with 4-5 stitches, forming a spade-shaped anastomotic surface.ResultsA total of 72 patients were included in the study. The location of the corpus spongiosum division was penile in 27 patients (37.5%) and proximal in 45 patients (62.5%). The median glans width was 13 mm (range, 6-30 mm). The median ventral curvature after degloving was 45° (range, 30-150°). At a median follow-up of 4.1 years, complications occurred in 15 patients (20.8%), including nine cases of fistula, seven cases of urethral diverticulum and two cases of meatal stenosis. No cases of urethral stricture (US), urethral dehiscence, or ventral curvature occurred. Subsequent reoperations for diverticulum repairs showed that the dorsal side of the anastomosis was extensively fixed to the corpus cavernosum, forming a wide-based, spacious lumen.ConclusionsWOA technique is straightforward and effective, especially in the prevention of postoperative US.
Project description:BackgroundIliac bone flap with deep circumflex iliac artery is a common option in the treatment of Osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH), and dissection of iliac bone flap is the key step for successful operation. This paper aims to introduce a new operative technique for dissecting iliac bone flap with deep circumflex iliac artery based on analysis of its advantages.MethodsA total of 49 patients treated by retrograde anatomy and 52 patients treated by anterograde anatomy from January 2010 to December 2020 were recruited. The two groups were then compared in terms of the preoperative baseline conditions, intraoperative data, and postoperative Harris hip score (HHS).ResultsCompared with the retrograde anatomy group, the anterograde anatomy group had a significantly longer operating time, a significantly heavier intraoperative blood loss, a significantly higher rate of donor complication morbidity, a significantly higher rate of donor-recipient delayed healing, a significantly higher failure rate of iliac bone flap resection, a significantly higher rate of lateral femoral cutaneous nerve (LFCN) injury, and a significantly higher rate of ectopic ossification. No difference was found in postoperative HHS score between the two groups.ConclusionAs a new operative technique that can accurately locate the nutrient vessels of the iliac bone flap and quickly dissect the iliac bone flap with deep circumflex iliac artery while maintaining a comparable clinical effect, retrograde anatomy exhibited distinct advantages over anterograde anatomy in terms of simpler intraoperative operation, safer dissection, shorter operation time, lower blood loss, and fewer donor complications.Level of evidenceIII, Retrospective.
Project description:Why is it that some people seem to learn new languages faster and more easily than others? The present study investigates the neuroanatomical basis of language learning aptitude, with a focus on the multiplication pattern of the transverse temporal gyrus/gyri (TTG/TTGs) of the auditory cortex. The size and multiplication pattern of the first TTG (i.e., Heschl's gyrus; HG) and of additional posterior TTGs, when present, are highly variable both between brain hemispheres and individuals. Previous work has shown the multiplication pattern of the TTGs to be related to musical and linguistic abilities. Specifically, one study found that high language learning aptitude correlated with more TTGs in the right hemisphere, even though language functions are generally left-lateralized. In this study, we used the recently developed TASH (Toolbox for the Automated Segmentation of Heschl's Gyrus) and MCAI (Multivariate Concavity Amplitude Index) toolboxes to automatically extract structural (e.g., cortical volume, surface area, thickness) and multiplication pattern measures of the TTGs from 82 MRI scans, and related them to participants' language aptitude scores. In contrast to previous results, we found that higher language aptitude was related to fewer TTGs in the right hemisphere and to greater surface area of the first right TTG and of the second left TTG. Furthermore, more languages learned in life were associated with higher language learning aptitude, opening up questions about the structure-function relationship of the TTGs and language learning, and about how language aptitude and language learning are related.
Project description:BackgroundTo understand the facet capsular ligament's (FCL) role in cervical spine mechanics, the interactions between the FCL and other spinal components must be examined. One approach is to develop a subject-specific finite element (FE) model of the lower cervical spine, simulating the motion segments and their components' behaviors under physiological loading conditions. This approach can be particularly attractive when a patient's anatomical and kinematic data are available.MethodsWe developed and demonstrated methodology to create 3D subject-specific models of the lower cervical spine, with a focus on facet capsular ligament biomechanics. Displacement-controlled boundary conditions were applied to the vertebrae using kinematics extracted from biplane videoradiography during planar head motions, including axial rotation, lateral bending, and flexion-extension. The FCL geometries were generated by fitting a surface over the estimated ligament-bone attachment regions. The fiber structure and material characteristics of the ligament tissue were extracted from available human cervical FCL data. The method was demonstrated by application to the cervical geometry and kinematics of a healthy 23-year-old female subject.ResultsFCL strain within the resulting subject-specific model were subsequently compared to models with generic: (1) geometry, (2) kinematics, and (3) material properties to assess the effect of model specificity. Asymmetry in both the kinematics and the anatomy led to asymmetry in strain fields, highlighting the importance of patient-specific models. We also found that the calculated strain field was largely independent of constitutive model and driven by vertebrae morphology and motion, but the stress field showed more constitutive-equation-dependence, as would be expected given the highly constrained motion of cervical FCLs.ConclusionsThe current study provides a methodology to create a subject-specific model of the cervical spine that can be used to investigate various clinical questions by coupling experimental kinematics with multiscale computational models.
Project description:BackgroundHypospadias is one of the most common congenital malformations in men. The transverse preputial island urethroplasty is widely used in China, especially for moderate and severe cases due to its convenient prepuce of the penis. This analysis aims to delineate the time to first complication following transverse preputial island urethroplasty.MethodsWe analyzed the clinical data and follow-up results of children who underwent hypospadias repair by transverse preputial island urethroplasty in Beijing Children's Hospital, Capital Medical University from December 2018 to December 2019 retrospectively. Postoperative complications included urethral fistula, urethral diverticulum, urethral stricture, persistent chordee. Univariate analysis of clinical variables and time to complication was performed using Kaplan-Meier survival curve.ResultsOne hundred and sixty-five patients were identified. During the follow-up period, complications occurred in 101 cases (61.2%). Ninety-four percent of complications occurred within 1 year. Among children who experienced complications, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that age less than 18 months and the severity of hypospadias were statistically significant (P=0.005 and P=0.04, respectively). The time to urethral diverticulum was significantly longer than that of urethral fistula and urethral stricture.ConclusionsMore than 90% of complications after the transverse preputial island urethroplasty of hypospadias occurred within 1 year, with those related to proximal hypospadias presenting earlier than those of midshaft/distal hypospadias. Surgeons may consider a more frequent follow-up within the first year after surgery to detect these complications as early as possible.