Bridging Graft Research Articles

Stability reconstruction and related complications after total spondylectomy for thoracolumbar tumors

Objective To investigate the spinal stability reconstruction and related complications after total spondylectomy for thoracolumbar tumors. Methods From January 1997 to December 2009, 34 cases with thoracolumbar tumors treated with total spondylectomy, including 20 males and 14 females with an average age of 43 years. The tumors were located in thoracic vertebra in 27 cases and lumbar vertebra in 7, including 6 spinal metastases and 28 primary tumors. The total spondylectomy was piecemeal in 23 cases and en bloc in 11. The reconstruction methods included posterior short-segment fixation in 19 cases, multi-segmental fixation in 13, anterior intervertebral fixation in 2, titanium mesh with auto-bone graft in 20 cases, titanium mesh with bone cement in 7, bone cement filling in 2, auto-bone strut graft in 2, titanium mesh with strengthened rings in 1, artificial vertebral body replacement in 2, posterior massive bone bridging graft in 8 and bone particles graft in 26. Results The mean follow-up time was 43 months. Seven patients died, 5 suffered recurrence. Poor grafted bone fusion was found in 5 cases. The intervertebral sagittal Cobb angle of adjacent vertebra was ??after operation, 9.3?at the end of follow-up or before revision operation. The average lost angle was 14.1?for cases with multi-segmental fixation, and 21.5?with short-segment fixation. Complications included internal fixation broken (5) and loosening (2), titanium mesh subsidence (6) and displacement (3). There were 5 revision surgeries. Conclusion There are relative more complications about spinal stability reconstruction after total spondylectomy. To achieve temporary stiff fixation and long-term fusion, the posterior multi-segment fixation and massive bone bridging graft combined with the anterior artificial vertebral body replacement are effective. Key words: Spine; Neoplasms; Internal fixators; Postoperaive complications

Site-specific prolapse surgery. II. Vaginal paravaginal repair augmented with either synthetic mesh or remodelling xenograft

Introduction and hypothesisThis study aims to answer the question, “Does tissue augmentation improve the mechanical repair of displacement cystourethrocoele?”MethodsA retrospective cohort study comparing 108 bridging graft vaginal paravaginal repairs (89 tissue-inductive xenografts and 19 polypropylene mesh) to 59 native tissue historical controls was conducted. Main outcome measures were same-site prolapse recurrence and time to failure. Initial reliability was evaluated by chi-squared test, 10-year durability by Kaplan–Meier survival analysis and risk factors by Cox regression.ResultsLate recurrence was 17.7% lower with augmentation (logrank test χ 2 = 8.4, p value = 0.0038 < 0.05, adjusted regression analysis χ 2 = 2.94; p value = 0.0866 <0.10), implicating collagen degeneration in repair failure.ConclusionsRebuilding the pubocervical septum, from arcus to arcus and pubic ramus to pericervical ring, satisfies the mechanical but not the metabolic hernia principles. Bridging grafts simplify technical repair (reducing prolapse persistence from 10.2% to 4.6%), and also rejuvenate adjacent connective tissue (reducing late recurrence from 22.6% to 4.9%).

Aorto Atrial AV Prosthetic Graft for Hemodialysis Access in a Patient with Innominate and Bilateral Iliac Vein Thrombosis: A Case Report and Review of Literature

Hemodialysis for end-stage renal disease requires access to the patient's circulating blood volume. Long term adequate hemodialysis is best achieved with the native arteriovenous fistula, or a prosthetic bridging graft. Central venous obstruction is a common problem, and presents a challenge in terms of vascular access for these patients. Direct shunt between subclavian artery and right atrium has been described. We present the first case of aorto right atrial graft for dialysis access in a patient with innominate and bilateral iliac vein thrombosis.

High Prevalence of Colonic Polyps in White Males with Esophageal Adenocarcinoma

There is ongoing discussion regarding Barrett's esophagus and the prevalence of colonic neoplasms. The goal of this investigation was to evaluate colonoscopic findings in patients with esophageal carcinoma. In this case-control study, we used the data of patients with esophagectomy. These patients underwent routine preoperative endoscopy of the entire colon to exclude pathologic findings pending the need for colonic bridging graft reconstruction. A total of 171 patients with esophageal cancer (78 adenocarcinomas, 93 squamous-cell carcinomas, and 168 control subjects) who underwent screening colonoscopy were included. Univariate analysis and multinomial logistic regression were used to calculate odds ratios for colonic polyps. The age of the three groups of patients was comparable (median age: adenocarcinoma = 62 years, squamous-cell carcinoma = 58 years, control subjects = 59 years). The male to female ratio differed significantly (adenocarcinoma = 71:7, squamous-cell carcinoma = 65:28, control subjects = 86:82; P < 0.001). Patients with adenocarcinoma had more findings on colonoscopy than patients with squamous-cell carcinoma (45 and 25 percent, respectively; P < 0.01) or control subjects (14 percent; P < 0.001). Analyzing the male data only, the difference was more pronounced. The histologic type of the esophageal tumor significantly impacted the presence of colorectal polyps even with age-adjusted and sex-adjusted data (P < 0.001), with an odds ratio of 4.03 for adenocarcinoma. These results demonstrate a significant relationship between the development of Barrett's carcinoma and colonic polyps.

Application of by-pass bridging graft of blood vessels to repair palmar defects of composite tissues

目的 总结旁路架桥式血管移植术治疗手掌复合组织缺损的临床效果.方法1997年7月～2005年6月,对6例手掌皮肤撕脱伴动脉缺损而手指血液循环障碍患者行旁路架桥式血管移植术,所移植的血管近端与尺动脉或桡动脉残端吻合后,绕至手背通过皮下隧道再至指蹼附近掌侧,与掌浅弓、指总动脉、指动脉或拇主要动脉吻合,手掌皮肤缺损行植皮修复.结果除1例患者术后手掌植皮部分坏死外,其余患者手指和皮片全部成活.所有患者获3～13个月(平均5个月)随访,手外形与功能恢复较好.结论对于皮肤撕脱伴动脉缺损而手指血液循环障碍患者,应用旁路架桥式血管移植及植皮术能同时修复皮肤和血管缺损,可使移植血管避开手掌植皮打包区,防止血管受压,从而最大限度重建手部血液循环。

Bladder wall replacement by tissue engineering and autologous keratinocytes in minipigs

To develop a tissue-engineered bladder wall replacement with autologous cells and a biodegradable scaffold, as whenever there is a lack of native urological tissue the bladder is reconstructed with different bowel segments, which has inevitable complications. Skin biopsies were taken from six minipigs, and primary fibroblast and keratinocyte cell cultures established. A partial resection of the urinary bladder was reconstructed by a cell-seeded scaffold covered with completely differentiated epithelium and supported by a mucosa-free pedicled ileum graft. Each pig was assessed urodynamically and by cystography before operation and every month until explantation; the pigs were killed at 1, 2 and 3 months after augmentation. Control groups (of six pigs each) with bladder augmentation with complete or denuded ileum were used. The bladders were assessed histologically and by distensibility measurements The differentiated keratinocyte epithelium was still present on the reconstructed bladder wall after 3 months. The overall shrinkage rate was 6.5%. The engineered bladder wall had lower distensibility than the native one. The inflammatory reaction present initially had disappeared after 3 months. The implanted, tissue-engineered substitution of the bladder wall is not only a bridging graft, but also a complete reconstruction. With this model, extended bladder wall substitution seems feasible and should be investigated in further studies.

Cutting-edge design to improve cell viability in osteochondral grafts

Autologous osteochondral grafting is in widespread use for focal defects of articular cartilage. There is major concern over the nature of the tissue bridging graft elements and graft/recipient cartilage. Chondrocyte viability is thought to be an important determinant of the quality of repair. The aim of the current study was to compare the zone of death for osteochondral grafts harvested with the commercially available Acufex, and an osteotome with a specially designed cutting-edge. The circular osteotomes were the Acufex 4.5mm MP (Smith & Nephew) and the Lissimore, which has a different cutting-tip geometry and sharpness. These implements were used to harvest osteochondral plugs from macroscopically non-degenerate human lateral condyle explants obtained from the anterior femoral cuts of knee replacement surgery. Confocal laser scanning microscopy with vital staining was used to quantify the zone of marginal chondrocyte death for the entire perimeter of the plugs. The increase in cartilage plug diameter (reference the osteotome minimal internal diameter) was significantly greater for the Acufex (Mann-Whitney; n=5; P=0.0079), with the diameter (mm) increasing by 0.49+/-0.03 (10.9%), compared with 0.16+/-0.02 (3.3%) for the Lissimore. Osteochondral plugs had a significantly (Mann-Whitney; n=5; P=0.0079) lower mean margin of cell death with the Lissimore osteotome (117.8+/-8.97 microm) than the Acufex MP (315.3+/-5.90 microm). Cutting-tip profile is an important factor in determining the extent of marginal death in circular osteochondral grafts. We have designed and assessed an alternative cutting-tip, which caused significantly less marginal death than the commercially available Acufex. We conclude that there is scope for improvement of osteochondral harvest techniques.