Bone Knife Research Articles

Application of an ultrasonic bone knife combined with a dental electric motor in the extraction of mandibular middle and low impacted teeth

ObjectiveTo investigate the clinical application of an ultrasonic bone knife (UBK) combined with a dental electric motor (DEM) in the extraction of mandibular middle and low impacted teeth.MethodsFrom January 2022 to May 2023,200 patients with wisdom teeth were randomly divided into three groups: experimental group A (UBK combined with DEM), experimental group B (UBK combined with high-speed turbine mobile phone (HSTMP)), and the control group (bone chisel split crown (BCSC)). The operation time, psychological state during operation, pain, swelling, limitation of mouth opening and other complications on the first, second and third days after operation were recorded.ResultsThe operation time of experimental group A (EAG) (12.95 ± 2.12) minutes was shorter than that of experimental group B (EBG) (17.06 ± 2.25) minutes and the control group (CG) (23.43 ± 2.18) minutes, and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The psychological state of the EAG was significantly lower than that of the EBG and CG (P < 0.05). The postoperative pain, swelling, limitation of mouth opening and complications in the EAG were significantly lower than those in the EBG and CG (P < 0.05).ConclusionUBK combined with DEM in the extraction of mandibular middle and low obstructed teeth has good results, good prognosis, high safety, short operation time, better psychological status of patients, low postoperative pain, swelling, mouth opening restriction and complication rate, and is currently the preferred extraction method.

A modified surgical method for the treatment of ONFH: quadratus femoris muscle pedicle bone grafting with preservation of the posterior superior retinacular artery

BackgroundOsteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) can lead to pain and loss of function of the hip joint, which places a great burden on patients and society. Surgery is the main treatment for osteonecrosis of the femoral head, and quadratus femoris muscle pedicle bone grafting has a definite therapeutic effect as one method of surgery for the treatment of ONFH. However, the posterior superior retinacular artery is often injured during quadratus femoris muscle pedicle bone graft surgery. There is evidence that this artery is extremely important to the femoral head, as injury to this artery will seriously affect the blood supply of the femoral head. Therefore, this situation restricts the clinical application of quadratus femoris muscle pedicle bone grafts. We aimed to explore a new surgical method of quadratus femoris muscle pedicle bone grafting that can preserve the integrity of the posterior superior retinacular artery.MethodsWe modified the traditional quadratus femoris muscle pedicle bone graft and preserved the integrity of the posterior superior retinacular artery. To explore the safety and feasibility of the operation, we simulated the operation on 6 fresh frozen cadavers (12 hips) and measured the related data. We also tried this modified surgical method in the clinic and collected detailed data from the patients.ResultsBy simulating the modified quadratus femoris muscle pedicle bone graft on the hip joints of fresh frozen cadavers, we found that the posterior superior retinacular artery existed in all cadaver specimens and that the sources may be different (MFCA or IGA). In the modified operation, the joint capsule did not need to be cut during the operation; therefore, the integrity of the posterior superior retinacular artery was preserved. The quadratus femoris muscle was exposed via the posterior approach of the hip joint, and then the quadratus femoris muscle pedicle bone flap was chiseled. After the pedicle of the quadratus femoris muscle was loosened properly, the migration distance of the quadratus femoris muscle pedicle bone flap reached 5.89 ± 0.45 (χ ± s) cm. The bone flap was trimmed properly and placed on one side. Next, we drilled a bone tunnel from the external intertrochanteric aspect of the capsule of the hip joint, and the bone tunnel broke through the sclerosing zone and proceeded straight to the necrotic area of the femoral head. Next, the necrotic bone was removed with a ring saw and arc bone knife, autogenous bone or allogeneic bone was filled into the bone groove according to the situation, and the cancellous bone in the bone groove was tamped by percussion. Then, the bone flap was inserted into the bone groove, and appropriate pressurization was performed. The depth of the bone groove was determined by the location of ONFH. We found that the furthest distance between the bone groove and the femoral head was 4.76 ± 0.07 (χ ± s) cm and that the length of the bone flap was (4.91 ± 0.23) (χ ± s) cm. This means that when the depth of the bone groove reached the area of ONFH, the quadratus femoris muscle pedicle bone flap had a sufficient length and migration distance to be embedded in the area of ONFH and firmly fixed, and the quadratus femoris did not have much tension. The closest distance between the posterior superior retinacular artery and the bone groove was (1.11 ± 0.96) (χ ± s) cm. When the bone groove was created in this area, the edge of the bone groove had a safe distance of at least 1 cm from the posterior superior retinacular artery of the femoral head. We attempted to implement this modified operation clinically. During the procedure, the quadratus femoris muscle pedicle bone flap was embedded into the drilled bone groove and fixed with a magnesium nail. There was no sliding of the bone flap after the operation, and the posterior superior retinacular artery was intact. We followed the patient for 3 months and found that the patient recovered well with no weight-bearing by the affected limb. The duration of the modified operation was shorter than that of the traditional quadratus femoris muscle pedicle bone graft, the amount of bleeding was significantly reduced, the postoperative pain was lessened, and no special discomfort was reported. Postoperative imaging examination showed that the collapse of the femoral head had been partially corrected and that the bone flap had gradually fused with the surrounding bone.ConclusionsThrough this experimental study, we confirmed the feasibility of the modified method for quadratus femoris muscle pedicle bone grafting with preservation of the posterior superior retinacular artery. This modified operation not only retains the integrity of the posterior superior retinacular artery of the femoral head but also reduces the difficulty of the operation and shortens the surgical time, which is of great clinical significance.

Thinking outside the cist: interpreting a unique artefact assemblage from an Early Bronze Age burial on the Isle of Man

Recent analysis of Early Bronze Age human remains from Staarvey Farm on the Isle of Man has revealed a rare bone knife pommel and 20 other bone objects, offering insight into the importance of bone ornaments and artefact fittings at this time. This article adopts a relational typological approach to analyse the Staarvey burial and comparable assemblages, identifying patterns in the deposition of knife pommels in central and southern Britain. In exploring regional interaction in Early Bronze Age Britain and Ireland, the authors refine and move beyond traditional typologies to trace types of both objects and practice. This approach allows them to consider multiple, overlapping spheres of funerary practice and their relation to identities at different regional scales.

Modified advanced core decompression (mACD)

The modified advanced core decompression (mACD) combines the advantages of alow invasive core decompression with maximal removal of osteonecrotic bone and abiologic reconstruction of the resulting bone defect. Avascular (atraumatic) osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ARCO stageII). Subchondral fractures (ARCO stageIII); advanced osteoarthritis (e.g., ACRO stageIV); persisting risk factors such as high-dose corticoid therapy, chemotherapy, alcohol abuse; open growth plates; history of side effects or intolerance to components of the applied bone substitute; lack of patient compliance; osteomyelitis or other septic conditions. Supine positioning on the operation table, skin disinfection, and sterile draping. Skin incision and core decompression using a3.2 mm guide wire. Removal of abone cylinder from anonaffected area of the femoral neck using ahollow trephine. Drilling of the osteonecrotic area over the applied wire up to 5 mm to the subchondral bone under fluoroscopy, insertion of an expandable bone knife and removal of the osteonecrotic bone supported by acurette. Bone grafting of the autologous bone into the subchondral defect zone and filling of the drill canal by resorbable bone substitute. Bed rest for 24 h, then partial weight bearing (20 kg) on crutches for 2-6weeks depending on the bone quality in the defect zone and the applied bone substitute. Midterm superiority (2years) in hip survival of the mACD over advanced core depression and core depression, especially in ARCO stageII.

Application of ultrasonic bone knife in osteotomy of degenerative kyphosis

To explore the safety and effectivity of ultrasonic bone knife in osteotomy of degenerative kyphosis. The clinical data of 32 patients with degenerative kyphosis treated from February 2014 to May 2016 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 12 males and 20 females, aged 50 to 71 years with an average of (62.1±12.3) years. Preoperative Cobb angle was 25.3° to 36.7° with an average of (28.6±10.2) °. All patients underwent multi-segment Ponte osteotomy combined with posterior long segmental internal fixation. According to different osteotomy tools, the patients were divided into traditional tool group (group A, 18 cases) and ultrasonic bone knife group (group B, 14 cases). The operation time, laminectomy time, number of osteotomy segments, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative drainage, hospitalization time and postoperative complications were recorded.Visual analogue scale (VAS) and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) were used to evaluate clinical outcomes before and 1 month after surgery. All the patients were followed up from 8 to 24 months with an average of 16.4 months. There were no significant differences in operative time and hospitalization time between two groups (P>0.05). Intraoperative single laminectomy time of group A was more than that of group B (P<0.05). The number of osteotomy segments in group A was less than that in group B (P<0.05). Intraoperative blood loss and postoperative drainage in group A were more than that in group B (P<0.05). There were no significant differences in VAS and ODI between two groups (P>0.05). There were no dural, nerve and spinal cord injuries in both groups, and there were no complications such as improper operation of the instrument and nonunion of the osteotomy. The use of ultrasonic bone knife for Ponte osteotomy is safe and effective. It can effectively save the time of single laminectomy while reducing the amount of intraoperative blood loss and postoperative drainage. The safety and clinical efficacy of ultrasonic bone knife are no less than traditional tools.

Application of ultrasonic bone knife in osteotomy of degenerative kyphosis

To explore the safety and effectivity of ultrasonic bone knife in osteotomy of degenerative kyphosis. The clinical data of 32 patients with degenerative kyphosis treated from February 2014 to May 2016 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 12 males and 20 females, aged 50 to 71 years with an average of (62.1±12.3) years. Preoperative Cobb angle was 25.3° to 36.7° with an average of (28.6±10.2) °. All patients underwent multi-segment Ponte osteotomy combined with posterior long segmental internal fixation. According to different osteotomy tools, the patients were divided into traditional tool group (group A, 18 cases) and ultrasonic bone knife group (group B, 14 cases). The operation time, laminectomy time, number of osteotomy segments, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative drainage, hospitalization time and postoperative complications were recorded.Visual analogue scale (VAS) and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) were used to evaluate clinical outcomes before and 1 month after surgery. All the patients were followed up from 8 to 24 months with an average of 16.4 months. There were no significant differences in operative time and hospitalization time between two groups (P>0.05). Intraoperative single laminectomy time of group A was more than that of group B (P<0.05). The number of osteotomy segments in group A was less than that in group B (P<0.05). Intraoperative blood loss and postoperative drainage in group A were more than that in group B (P<0.05). There were no significant differences in VAS and ODI between two groups (P>0.05). There were no dural, nerve and spinal cord injuries in both groups, and there were no complications such as improper operation of the instrument and nonunion of the osteotomy. The use of ultrasonic bone knife for Ponte osteotomy is safe and effective. It can effectively save the time of single laminectomy while reducing the amount of intraoperative blood loss and postoperative drainage. The safety and clinical efficacy of ultrasonic bone knife are no less than traditional tools.

Arthroscopic techniques and instruments for meniscal allograft transplantation using the bone bridge in trough method.

The aim of the current study was to investigate the construction of the bone bridge and tibial plateau under arthroscopy during meniscal allograft transplantation, in order to simplify and enhance the accuracy of bone bridge fixation intraoperatively. A traction line passed through the attachment of the anterior and posterior horns of the superior meniscus to the bone bridge was used to pull the bone bridge into the knee joint cavity and fix the anteroposterior horns of the meniscus. At the junction of the body of the meniscus and the posterior and anterior horns of the meniscus, a traction line was created at the anterior and posterior 1/3 of the meniscus to pull and fix the meniscus. Under the arthroscope, the aiming device was placed on the tibial plateau. The direction and width of the guide plate were identical to those of the bone trough of the tibial plateau. The bone tunnel was made using the guide needle and a 9-mm hollow drill, the piston rod was inserted, and the arch-shaped bone knife was inserted along with the piston rod to construct the 9-mm bone trough of the tibial plateau. The periphery of the meniscus was sutured to the joint capsule. These surgical techniques and instruments could standardize meniscal graft transplantation and avoid the incidence of surgical errors caused by mismatched size and shape of the bone bridge and bone trough. This would make the surgery more convenient, safe and accurate. The four-point fixation of the tibial plateau contributed to preventing the reversal of the meniscus during transplantation, and partially reconstructed the coronary ligament of the meniscal tibia, which probably enhanced the stability of the meniscus and minimized the risk of extrusion of the meniscal allograft. The bone bridge and bone trough of the tibial plateau were properly constructed under arthroscopy. Dynamic monitoring of surgical indications, explicit preoperative preparation and standardized surgical procedures could achieve high efficacy and excellent fixation effect during meniscal graft transplantation. The four-point fixation of the tibial plateau maintains and enhances the stability of the meniscal allograft, reduces the risk of meniscal extrusion and ensures the postoperative recovery of meniscal function.

Early bone knife points to innovative Aterian culture

Early bone knife points to innovative Aterian culture

90,000 year-old specialised bone technology in the Aterian Middle Stone Age of North Africa.

The question of cognitive complexity in early Homo sapiens in North Africa is intimately tied to the emergence of the Aterian culture (~145 ka). One of the diagnostic indicators of cognitive complexity is the presence of specialised bone tools, however significant uncertainty remains over the manufacture and use of these artefacts within the Aterian techno-complex. In this paper we report on a bone artefact from Aterian Middle Stone Age (MSA) deposits in Dar es-Soltan 1 cave on the Atlantic coast of Morocco. It comes from a layer that can be securely dated to ~90 ka. The typological characteristics of this tool, which suggest its manufacture and use as a bone knife, are comparatively similar to other bone artefacts from dated Aterian levels at the nearby site of El Mnasra and significantly different from any other African MSA bone technology. The new find from Dar es-Soltan 1 cave combined with those from El Mnasra suggest the development of a bone technology unique to the Aterian.

A Figurally Sculpted Bone Knife from the River Užava (Western Latvia) and the Invisible Lampreys of Prehistory/

A Figurally Sculpted Bone Knife from the River Užava (Western Latvia) and the Invisible Lampreys of Prehistory/

Evaluation of the effect of ultrasonic scalpel in maxillary sinus augmentation

Objective To study the effect of the application of the ultrasonic scalpel in the maxillary sinus augmentation of oral cavity. Methods 80 cases of maxillary posterior teeth missing patients were selected as the research subjects.The patients were randomly divided into observation group and control group according to the digital table, 40 cases in each group.The patients in the observation group were treated with maxillary sinus elevation by ultrasonic scalpel, while the control group was treated with the method of the alveolar ridge approach.The oral implant effect after maxillary sinus augmentation was compared between the two groups, and the pain visual analogue score(VAS) was used to compare postoperative pain between the two groups, the satisfaction of the two groups of patients with oral implant repair was compared by the self-made questionnaire, the elevation of maxillary sinus floor elevation and the amount of marginal bone resorption were compared between the two groups. Results The two groups with maxillary sinus augmentation implanted firmly without falling off, after 3 months of follow-up, 2 patients of the observation group had implant failure, 3 cases of loss in the control group, the difference between the two groups was not statistically significant(χ2=0.213, P=0.644). The VAS score of the observation group 1 h and 6 h after operation was significantly lower than that of the control group, the difference was statistically significant(t=2.124, 3.800, P=0.005, 0.000). In the observation group, the scores of the fixed function, aesthetic function, comfort, chewing function and pronunciation function were significantly higher than those of the control group after the restoration, and the differences were statistically significant(t=4.889, 3.872, 2.411, 3.397, P=0.001, 0.001, 0.018, 0.001). In the observation group, the elevation of the maxillary sinus floor elevation and the amount of the marginal bone resorption were higher than those of the control group, the differences were statistically significant(t=5.810, 8.006, P=0.000, 0.000). Conclusion Ultrasound bone knife in oral implant maxillary sinus has better clinical effect to enhance the clinical application, it can reduce the pain of patients, improve patients' satisfaction of dental implant, it has higher clinical application value. Key words: Ultrasonic theropy; Dental implantation; Maxillary sinus

Intraosseous focal venous malformation of the mandibular body: Cone beam computed tomography planning followed by piezoelectric knife resection and free bone graft reconstruction

Introduction. Intraosseous vascular malformation could be life-threatening due to uncontrolled hemorrhage after tooth extraction. According to biological behavior of this lesion, adequate diagnostic and treatment strategies are necessary in order to avoid possible complications. We reported cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) planning of an urgent en bloc resection of an intraosseous venous malformation by piezoelectric knife. Case report. A 55-year-old man was submitted to CBCT planning followed by piezoelectric knife resection of an intraosseous focal venous malformation of the mandibular body. Immediate reconstruction of the defect using iliac bone free graft was performed. The surgical treatment was uneventful and a 2-year follow-up revealed no signs of recurrence. Conclusion. Piezoelectric knife could provide precise, safe and bloodless procedure which is especially important in this pathology. Advantages of this technique are: lower risk of damaging soft tissue structures, precise osteotomy and bloodless surgery. Moreover, using piezosurgery bone knife, blood transfusion and blood transmitted diseases could be avoided. This case highlights the importance of CBCT as planning tool for resection of the mandible, using piezoelectric knife as safe method to achieve bloodless surgery.

The significance of Shuidonggou Locality 12 to studies of hunter-gatherer adaptive strategies in North China during the Late Pleistocene

The effect of rapid climate change during the Late Upper Paleolithic on hunter-gatherers is attested by a variety of signals in the archaeological record. One of these, the spread of the microblade technology in North China, shows a particularly close relationship with climate change. The appearance of microblades and functionally related bone and ground stone technology at SDG12 is particularly revealing of this Late Pleistocene adaptive diversification in North China. SDG12 and other records suggest that microblade technology flourished in harsh environments that demanded high residential mobility. That in addition to their use in hunting weaponry, microblades were used in manufacturing the sophisticated cold weather clothing required for winter mobility, is shown by the presence of bone needles and a bone knife handle slotted to accept microblades. The SDG12 fauna and ground stone indicate an attendant shift from a more large game dominated, to a more plant and small game dominated diet that included net hunting and demanded a variety of production tasks that included net-making (spinning) and extensive stone boiling to maximize nutrient returns and as a step in manufacturing. We suspect these changes are the root cause of subsequent changes in social structure.

Design for Reliability of Ultrasonic Bone Knife

Design for Reliability of Ultrasonic Bone Knife

Composite Materials: Characterization, Fabrication and Application-Research Challenges and Directions

Composite Materials have come to existence as long as the history of human being is known. Woods are natural composites surrounding mankind from the very first day. Animal bone as primitive natural composite was used for fishing, hunting and agricultural activities by human. Traditional bone knife of unknown age of 10000 BC or earlier has been kept in The National History Museum. Mummification may be one of the very first humancomposite made which is documented in the history of ancient Egypt. Mummies were wrapped with strips of white linen with a thin layer of oil that protected the body from being damaged. The oldest known mummy found is dated 3000 BC. The world’s largest composite structure manifesting the civilization in human history belonged to the city of Arg-e-Bam with area of approximately 180,000 square meters. The city of Arg-e-bam was made of bricks consist of straw and mud with a history as old as 2000 BC. The last few decades of the second millennium faced human with more of challenges to develop advanced engineering materials. Organic-Matrix Composites (OMC) originated during World War II (1939–1945) in an effort by Aerospace Industry to produce materials with better resistance against corrosion and fatigue damage. When advanced composites technology was promoted in the early 1960s, the emphasis was an increased performance by means of reducing structural weight; very little attention was given to low-cost manufacturing. The demand for high performance composites was further aggrandized by the high cost of fuel which resulted from the energy crisis during the 1970s. Over 35 years, OMC have won an increasing mass fraction of aircrafts and spacecraft structures. The most widely used fibers in OMCs are fiber tows consist of thousands fine filaments arranged in a single bundle. Glass-Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Composites (GRPs) have found extensive applications including fiber-glass boats, pressure vessels, and airplane panels. Glass fibers are the earliest known fibers in advanced composites compatible with Polyester and Epoxy matrices. Boron-FiberReinforced Composites were used as structural components. Boron fibers were first developed and marketed in 1960s in the form of monofilaments. Boron-epoxy hybrids Appl Compos Mater (2010) 17:63–67 DOI 10.1007/s10443-009-9107-5

Work Is Love Made Visible: Poems and Family Photographs by Jeannetta Calhoun Mish

, of Roi des cent cavaliers, by Marie 1 Etienne, the author of several col i lections of verse and novels as well 1 as books about the theater.The title i of this recent collection, King of a ' Hundred Horsemen, brings tomind i an Arabian tale as does its cover , illustration, a detail from a Persian rug that dates to the seventeenth i century. Hacker's brilliant transla 1 tion of Etienne's poems can, in fact, i be read as a weave of fourteen-line 1 prose sonnets, numbered in groups i of ten, a tightly framed structure of nine sequences that supports i experimentation, digression, stories , within stories. 1 In the first sequence, "Ocean/ i Emotion," the poet writes of how 1 her childhood memories resurfaced i as images, of how she found her [ voice in the gestures of theater,of i how she invented the real: "I've , traveled my whole life long in 1 countries with splendid names. I've i entered into their legends as if I 1 were a kingmyself." King ofaHun i dred Horsemen is not a memoir; it's a 1 tapestry of memory and expression, i Bits of dialogue, borrowed words from foreignplaces, strange i creatures, and named personae all , appear and disappear in subse 1 quent sequences. What gives Marie i Etienne's collection its poetry are 1 the images that call attention to i the words themselves: "Words are houses." We sense in this bilingual i edition that thepoet and the trans , lator both inhabit language, and 1 carefully attend to thephrasing and i articulation in this collectionwhose 1 architecture, though mathematical i ly predictable, is open to surprise ' and the uncanny, i Maryann De Julio ,Kent StateUniversity ?scar Hahn. Ashes in Love. James Hoggard, tr.Austin, Texas. Host. 2009. 169 pages. $25 ($15 paper), isbn 978-0 924047-72-5 (73-2 paper) ?scar Hahn, a Chilean, is one of the great living poets of our time. Like his compatriot Pablo Neruda, Hahn's poetry has an incredible range. He is equally adept with deeply eroticpoems aswell aswith poems committed to the struggle for freedom from colonial domina tion in Latin America. And there are very humorous poems sprinkled throughout this collection of two books under one cover. Ashes in Love is made up ofApariciones profa nas I ProfaneApparitions and En un abriry cerrarde ojos / In theBlink of an Eye. JamesHoggard, himself a poet, essayist, and novelist, has once again provided the reader with a rare gift,two ofHahn's books of poetry in one bilingual edition. Prior to this collection,Hoggard published translations of Hahn's The Art of Dying (1987),Love Breaks (1991), and Stolen Verses (2000). Hoggard has rendered Hahn's poems into a felici tous English approximation of the original Spanish?"approximation" because translation is like calculus: you "approach," but never quite reach, theabsolute limitof theequa tion. In this sense, I believe Hog gard's translations in Ashes in Love are as good as it gets in terms of approaching the limitsofmeaning, meter, form, and nuance that occur in themovement from one language to another. Hahn has a technical mastery permitting him to use at will the classic traditional forms and meters as well as free verse. His poems counterbalance harsh realities with humor and with wondrous poems about jazz. He excels as a crafts man able to move seamlessly from E closed forms to free verse. In Ashes E in Love, in a manner reminiscent of E W. S. Merwin, Hahn makes gramE mar subordinate to the line and E meaning of the poem. He uses run- E on sentences with powerful effect, E as in the poem "The Elders Coun- E sei": "Watch out Adam when you E go out into theworld / in search of E your lost rib // You might find it E suddenly / it might not fitin your E chest //And it might stab through E your heart / like a bone knife." E This isbut one ofmany electrifying E poems in Ashes in Love. A num- E ber of poems are concerned with E music, such as "Cello," "Fantasia en E bianco y negro / Fantasy in Black E and White...

Aktivitetspladser fra Ertebølletid

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Research Items

Archological Exploration in Derbyshire Caves. A Research Committee of the British Association appointed to explore caves in the Derbyshire district (Mr. M. C. Burkitt, chairman, and Dr. R. V. Favell, secretary) reported at the Leicester meeting of the Association on the work of the year 1932-33. The excavation of the Pin Hole Cave, Creswell Crags, has been continued by Mr. Leslie Armstrong. Breccia was removed from the whole area of the passage on the east side of the main chamber and in the trefoil-shaped terminal chamber, revealing four large cavities in the rock floor, one coinciding with the width of the passage and extending 7 ft. along it. These were entirely filled with cave earth of Mousterian age, 2 ft. 7 in. deep, and an underlying deposit of sterile red sand. The Mousterian deposits yielded the usual fauna, including the greater portion of the skull and jaw of a young mammoth with complete dentition, and two large fragments of the lower jaw of a giant deer. The large cavity showed evidence of human occupation in a small but well-preserved hearth and a stone pounder, animal bones, split and charred, and crude artefacts of quartzite and crystalline stalagmite. Similar tools were recovered from the smaller cavities at the rear of the chamber. Several worked bone tools included a bone knife and two awls. In the large inner cave of the chamber the deposits were excavated from the 12 ft. level to the base at a depth of 17 ft. An exceptionally thick layer of limestone slabs pointed to the probability that this part was unsuitable for occupation. The remains of Mousterian age recovered here are less numerous than elsewhere in the cave, but include a fine side-scraper of flint.

Earth-houses at Garry Iochdrach and Bac Mhic Connain, in North Uist

Report on the excavation of two subterranean dwellings. The main structure at Garry lochdrach measured 25 feet in diameter and was enclosed by a substantial wall. It contained a series of seven radial piers or divisional walls spaced at fairly regular intervals around a central chamber filled by peat ash. The roof was comprised of stone slabs. A small circular structure was located immediately to the north. The earth-house at Bac Mhic Connain consisted of two circular chambers, with two smaller quadrangular compartments between them, while to the north-east and south-east of the eastern one were the remains of buildings of indefinite character. Find included pottery, worked bone, iron and many worked stone objects. An Ogham inscription was identified on a bone knife handle and evidence of metalworking was recovered.