Scores Research Articles

Age estimation in the harbour seal (Phoca vitulina) based on the closure of skull sutures and synchondroses.

Age estimation of individuals is an important tool for the management of marine mammals and is mostly done by microscopic analysis of growth layer groups (GLGs) in teeth (cementum and dentin) and bone. The present study evaluated the use of sutural and synchondrosal closure in the skull of the harbour seal (Phoca vitulina) as a potential non-destructive alternative for age estimation. For that, we scored the ectocranial closure of 12 selected sutures and synchondroses in a sample of 303 Eastern Atlantic harbour seals (P.v.vitulina; 138 males, 165 females), for which data on age at death were available, based on determined gross-morphological criteria in individuals younger than 1 year and cement layer analysis in canines in older individuals. A strong positive relationship between the sum of closure level scores (SCS) and age (males: r=0.8797, females: r=0.8825) was recorded, which was stronger than that for the relationship between age and condylobasal length (CBL, males: r=0.7085, females: 0.7086) (all p-values <0.0001). In adult individuals (≥5 years), CBL was higher in males than females (p < 0.0001), while SCS did not significantly differ between the two sexes (p=0.148). Our findings show that the analysis of sutural/synchondrosal closure is a valid alternative for age estimation in harbour seals, thereby confirming results of previous studies on other pinniped species.

A reconnaissance study of potentially important scandium deposits associated with carbonatite and alkaline igneous complexes of the Permian Emeishan Large Igneous Province, SW China

• The ELIP in SW China has a component of carbonatite-alkaline complexes that were not previously well known. • Pyroxenites of these complexes are composed of clinopyroxene with high Sc contents and can form low grade but high tonnage of Sc ores. • Exploration Targets for Sc in pyroxenites in three representative complexes have ∼12,000 to ∼36,000 tonnes of Sc metal at grades of ∼30 to ∼70 ppm. • Carbonatite-alkaline complexes of the ELIP may become a potentially important Sc metallogenic province and may be targets for exploration of REEs . Economically viable Sc deposits in the world are scarce and new and alternative resources are now urgently needed to ensure future sustainable supplies. We report here an essentially unknown, yet potentially important, type of Sc deposit that is associated with carbonatite and alkaline igneous complexes of the Permian Emeishan Large Igneous Province (ELIP), SW China. The ELIP is well known for its variably mineralized intrusions and flood basalts. Associated alkaline igneous complexes are minor in volume but important as possible sources of Sc and other REEs. Several such complexes occur in the N-S-trending Kangdian belt, where they are typically composed of pyroxenite, gabbro, and nepheline syenite. Some complexes also contain jacupirangite, melteigite, ijolite, and urtite. We show that some of these complexes contain carbonatites. The alkaline mafic-ultramafic rocks typically belong to either sodic or potassic magmatic series with high alkali compositions (up to 15.4 wt% Na 2 O + K 2 O). Pyroxenites in these complexes are composed of clinopyroxene with variable amounts of apatite and magnetite and have 39 to 71 ppm Sc. The Sc concentrations of these rocks may be high enough to justify mining under the current prices of Sc, which is nearly 5 times that of gold. Our preliminary study indicates a minimum of ∼12,000 to ∼36,000 tonnes of Sc metal in three representative complexes. This type of mineralization may ultimately contribute to a reliable and sustainable Sc supply chain in the future. In addition to Sc in the pyroxenites, carbonatites in these complexes will also be potentially important targets for REE exploration.

Effectiveness of vortioxetine in real-world clinical practice: Italian cohort results from the global RELIEVE study

IntroductionMajor depressive disorder (MDD) is a debilitating disease in Italy affects 5.4% of people over 15 and 11.6% for the elderly. Efficacy of vortioxetine in adult patients with MDD was demonstrated in randomised controlled trials, there is a need for data on treatment in daily practice in Italy.ObjectivesTo present the effectiveness and safety data of vortioxetine in real-world setting from patients enrolled from Italy in the RELIEVE study.MethodsRELIEVE was a prospective, multi-national, observational study of outpatients initiating vortioxetine treatment for MDD at physician’s discretion. Data and outcomes of treatment of patients were collected at routine clinical visits. The primary outcome was functioning measured by SDS. Secondary outcomes included depressive symptoms measured by PHQ-9, cognitive funcion measured by PDQ-5, quality of life measured by EQ-5D-5L. Changes from baseline to month 6 were estimated with a linear mixed model of repeated measures approach.ResultsA total of 231 patients (mean age, 55.5 years, 27.3% over 65 years, 62% female) were enrolled from Italy and included in the analysis. Mean(SD) SDS total score, PHQ-9, PDQ-5 scores at baseline were 17.8(7.58), 15.7(5.97) and 9.8(4.99), the scores(SE) decreased by 6.6(0.64), 5.9(0.47) and 3.6(0.36) from baseline to last visit. Mean(SE) EQ-5D-5L utility index increased by 0.13(0.01). Safety and tolerability profile of vortioxetine was in line with the established profile.ConclusionsImprovements in overall functioning, depressive symptoms, cognitive function and quality of life were observed in patients treated with vortioxetine, including a wide proportion of elderly patients in a real-world setting.DisclosureA. Pugliese is an employee of Lundbeck Italy. K. Simonsen and H. Ren are employees of H. Lundbeck A/S.

Effectiveness of vortioxetine in real-world clinical practice: French cohort results from the global RELIEVE study

IntroductionMajor depressive disorder (MDD) affects around 10% of the French population annually and significantly impacts patient functioning. Efficacy of vortioxetine was demonstrated in randomised controlled trials, data on its real-world performance is needed.ObjectivesTo describe the effectiveness and safety of vortioxetine in real-world setting from patients enrolled from France in the global RELIEVE study.MethodsRELIEVE was a prospective, multi-national, observational study of outpatients initiating vortioxetine treatment for MDD at physician’s discretion. Data were collected at routine clinical visits. Here we present the outcomes of treatment of patients in France. The primary outcome was functioning measured by SDS. Secondary outcomes included depressive symptoms measured by PHQ-9, cognitive symptoms measured by PDQ-5 and DSST. Changes from baseline to month 6 were estimated with a linear mixed model of repeated measures approach.ResultsA total of 184 patients (mean age, 50.2 years, 65% female, 67.9% of patients had at least one comorbidity) were enrolled from France and included in the analysis. Mean(SD) SDS total score, PHQ-9, PDQ-5 scores at baseline were 21.1(5.4), 17.5(4.7) and 11.7(4.4), the scores(SE) decreased by 10.9(0.59), 9.3(0.48) and 6.1(0.37) from baseline to month 6. Mean(SD) DSST improved from 41.6(15.2) at baseline to 49.1(19.0) at month 6. Safety and tolerability profile of vortioxetine was in line with previous studies.ConclusionsSustained improvements in overall functioning, depressive symptoms, cognitive function were observed in patients treated with vortioxetine in a real-world setting, which provided further evidence of effectiveness and safety of vortioxetine in a broad MDD population in France.DisclosureM. Rabbani is an employee of Lundbeck France. K. Simonsen and H. Ren are employees of H. Lundbeck A/S.

PSXII-7 Milk somatic cells monitoring in Russian Holstein cattle population as a base for determining genetic and genomic variability

Abstract Health traits in dairy cattle have crucial meaning to produce high quality milk. Despite of fertility problems and metabolic disorders in cows, the mastitis has a bigger economic losses influence to include it as selection criteria in cattle breeding. Somatic cell count (SCC) in that case are the good predictor for monitoring udder health cows under whole population level or separate herd. The aim of our study was to assess genetic and genomic components for SCC and their scores (SCS) using experimental dataset by seven herds with the subsequent QTL identification. For six-month observation the 5824 cows with 19786 test-day records were included into analysis. Then EBVs by offspring assessing of 139 genotyped Holstein sires were calculated trough TD Model (BLUPF90) and then it adopted as pseudo-phenotypes for GWAS. After quality control using Plink 1.90, we used ≈39K SNP (Illumina 50K). The average values for SCC and SCS were 351±7 thousands cells/ml and 2.86±0.02 score respectively. Heritability coefficients revealed low genetic variation for SCC – 0.119 and moderate for SCS – 0.211. Daily yield for cows with SCC &amp;gt;1000×103 cells/ml was low by -4.0 kg milk to compare individuals with SCC &amp;lt; 100×103 cells/ml. At the same time lactose content and freezing point were decreasing by 4.93 to 4.69% and -0.635 to -0.618°C. By Cattle QTLdb we identified some causal genes for SCC on BTA3 (ROR1), BTA9 (EZR), BTA13 (OSBPL2,DNAJC5,ZBTB46,MTG2), BTA14 (KHDRBS3) and BTA22 (RBMS3). But more relevant GWAS calls were found for SCS by BTA14 (KCNB2, ZFAT) as QTL associated to the milking speed that has unfavorable genetic correlation with clinical mastitis or SCS. Thereby, genes detected under experimental study, are the valuable and informative markers to implementation genomic selection methods for cattle health in creating Russian bulls’ reference population. The study was funded by RFBR within project No. 20-316-90050

The New FA₂ST Stroke Screening Score: An Expanding Recognition to Posterior Circulation Stroke

Background: Rapid screening and intervention are the keys to successful early treatment of stroke. Generally, the conventional FAST stroke screening score has been used by triage nurses to promptly detect acute stroke. However, the conventional FAST score has a limitation in detecting posterior circulation stroke, which results in high mortality rates. Previous studies have shown that adding ataxia could increase the sensitivity of posterior circulation stroke detection. Objective: To introduce and evaluate the diagnostic performance of a new stroke screening score, FA₂ST score, by adding ataxia to the conventional FAST score. Materials and Methods: The present study was a cross-sectional study. The new FA₂ST and conventional FAST scores were used by triage nurses in patients presented with acute neurological symptoms within seven days at the emergency department of three different types of hospitals in Thailand. Patients with Glasgow Coma Score less than 9 and those having unstable vital signs were excluded. Final diagnosis was made by a neurologist using clinical and neuroimaging information. The diagnostic performance of the new FA₂ST score was calculated using ROC curve in comparison to the conventional FAST score. The rate of posterior circulation stroke detection was calculated as percentage. Results: One hundred forty-six patients were studied. Of these, 127 (86%) had acute ischemic stroke and 19 (14%) had other diagnoses. The overall diagnostic performance of the new FA₂ST score was not statistically different with conventional FAST score in terms of area under the curve (0.642 versus 0.684, p=0.221). However, after in-depth analysis, the rate of posterior circulation stroke detection of the new FA₂ST score was higher compared with the conventional FAST score (94.12% versus 82.35%). Conclusion: The present study introduces the new FA₂ST stroke screening score and emphasizes the importance of posterior circulation stroke detection in acute stroke screening. Future studies should be considered before implementation of this score. Keywords: Screening score; Acute stroke treatment; Stroke; Emergency neurology

Clinical Prediction Score for Diagnosing Non-Diabetic Renal Disease in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Background: When non-diabetic kidney disease (NDKD) is suspected, biopsy proven is used for definite diagnosis. However, there are not always easily available and may lead to cause complications. A clinical prediction score may help selecting appropriate patients for kidney biopsy. Objective: To develop a clinical prediction score for distinguishing any type of NDKD (NDKD alone or coexisting NDKD and diabetic nephropathy [DN]) and DN alone. Materials and Methods: A retrospective cohort study was conducted in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients with atypical features of DN, who had kidney biopsy at Thammasat University Hospital between 2011 and 2019. The present study divided patients into NDKD alone, coexisting NDKD and DN, and DN alone, confirmed by pathological diagnoses. The authors developed a clinical prediction score by weighing coefficients of predictors in a multivariable logistic model. Internal validation was performed with bootstrapping. Results: The present study included 81 patients of which 28 (34%) had NDKD alone, 15 (18%) had coexisting NDKD and DN, and 38 (41%) had DN alone. Primary membranous nephropathy, primary focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), and secondary FSGS were prevalent in any NDKD. Absence of diabetic retinopathy (DR) showed a significant association with any NDKD (adjusted OR 3.72; 95% CI 1.28 to 10.8; p=0.02). The prediction score, AUROC of 0.75 (95% CI 0.63 to 0.86), had four predictors, duration of DM of less than 10 years, eGFR of more than 30 mL/minute/1.73 m², HbA1c of less than 8%, and absence of DR. Higher scores were associated with higher probability of NDKD. Conclusion: The present study clinical prediction score appears to be a useful tool to determine NDKD probability. T2DM patients with atypical presentation of DN with lower scores (0 to 2) may defer kidney biopsy. Keywords: Non-diabetic kidney disease; clinical prediction score; kidney biopsy; type 2 diabetes mellitus

Frailty in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement: from risk scores to frailty-based management.

Frailty in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve replacement: from risk scores to frailty-based management.

Knowledge, attitudes and practices during the second wave of COVID-19 outbreak: a cross-sectional study from various perspectives.

Aim To investigate knowledge, attitudes and practice towards COVID-19 among selected population. Methods An anonymous online questionnaire based on a Chinese study was distributed via online social media platforms among general population of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Germany, India, Kosovo and Romania. Results In total 1032 subjects, predominately females, 615 (59.6%) with a mean age of 31.23±12.94 years, single, 705 (68.3%), with high school degree or lower, 469 (45.4%), students, 528 (51.1%) and living in an urban environment, 824 (79.8%), have completed the survey. The median knowledge score was 10.0 (range 0-12). Being male (β: -0.437; p=0.003) and older (β: -0.028; p<0.001) were associated with lower knowledge scores, while being single (β: 1.026; p<0.001) and mental labour employee (β: 0.402; p=0.032) were associated with higher knowledge scores. The vast majority of subjects had not visited crowded places, 630 (61.0%) and wearing masks when they were going out, 928 (89.9%). Being female (OR=0.731; p=0.022), having higher knowledge scores (OR=0.929; p=0.017) and being a mental labour employee (OR=0.713; p=0.031) decreased the exposure to crowded places. High school or lower education level (OR=0.616; p=0.024) decreased the action of wearing a mask in public places, while higher knowledge scores (OR=1.112; p=0.013) increased it. Conclusion Our study suggests that residents of the selected regions have had good knowledge, pessimistic attitudes and relatively appropriate practices towards COVID-19 during the second wave of the outbreak.

SELF-ESTEEM AS CORRELATE OF MARITAL ADJUSTMENT OF MARRIED SECONDARY SCHOOL TEACHERS IN ANAMBRA STATE, NIGERIA

Adjusting to the challenges in marriages is a critical factor in strengthening or weakening the foundation of their marriage. This study investigated self-esteem as a correlate of marital adjustment of married secondary school teachers in Anambra State. Three research questions were posed to guide the study while one null hypothesis was tested at a 0.05 level of significance. A correlational research design was adopted for the study. A sample size of 1,408 married teachers was drawn from a population of 6,987 married teachers. A multi-stage sampling procedure was followed in selecting the study sample. Two instruments: The marital Adjustment Scale (MAS), and Self- Esteem Scale (SES) were used for data collection. The instruments were duly validated by experts in measurement and evaluation and Guidance and Counselling. The reliability coefficient was established thus; 0.85 for the Self-esteem questionnaire, and 0.74 for the Marital Adjustment Questionnaire. Data was collected through a direct delivery approach and was analysed using SPSS version 23. Range of aggregate scores and Pearson correlation coefficients were used to answer research questions and while a t-test was used to test the hypotheses. Findings of the study showed among others there is a non-significant very low positive relationship existing between married teachers’ Self-esteem and their marital adjustment in secondary schools in Anambra State. Based on the findings of the study, it was recommended, among others that the school guidance counsellors should organise workshops and seminars for the married teachers that would be geared towards building healthy self-esteem for good marital adjustment. Article visualizations:

COMPARISON OF ANXIETY LEVEL, BLOOD PRESSURE AND PULSE PARAMETERS OF PATIENTS WITH AND WITHOUT CORONARY ANGIOGRAPHY EXPERIENCE: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY

Objective: The study aimed to compare state and trait anxiety, blood pressure, and heart rate of patients with and without coronary angiography experience who undergo coronary angiography intervention. Methodology: This study is cross-sectional comparative research. A total of 160 patients, including 80 patients undergo for the first time coronary angiography and 80 patients with at least one experience of coronary angiography were included in the sample of the study. In the study, data were collected using 'Patient Information Form' and 'State-Trait Anxiety Inventory', blood pressure measurement device, and pulse oximeter. Results: The mean of state anxiety scores of the patients with and without CA experience were 39.35±5.31 and 39.98±4.04, respectively; (p=0.395). The mean of trait anxiety scores of the patients with and without CA experience were 44.73±6.84 and 44.51±6.05, respectively (p=0.826). There was no statistically significant difference observed in state and trait anxiety between two groups. Before the CA procedure, the systolic and diastolic blood pressure average of the patients with CA experience were statistically higher than those without CA experience (p<0.05). Conclusion: The anxiety levels of the patients before the CA were observed to be similar and moderate, regardless of their CA experience. It was observed that patients with CA experience before CA procedure had higher systolic and diastolic blood pressures compared to the group without experience.

A study on the change of Gunak’ melodies in the old Gayageum scores -Focusing on Uuishansu, Myeongwanbyeok Gayageumbo, Aakbu Gayageumbo, and Kimyeongyun Gayageumbo-

A study on the change of Gunak’ melodies in the old Gayageum scores -Focusing on Uuishansu, Myeongwanbyeok Gayageumbo, Aakbu Gayageumbo, and Kimyeongyun Gayageumbo-

Association between oral health-related quality of life and general health among dental patients: a cross-sectional study

Abstract Globally, the prevalence of chronic diseases is increasing significantly, causing deterioration of oral and general health and therefore quality of life. The present study was designed to assess the relationship between oral health-related quality of life and general health of dental patients. The study is part of the University’s plan to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals number 1, 3, 4 and 5. Dental school students’ satisfaction with their early engagement in clinical activities and research work was also evaluated. A convenience sample of 600 subjects attending dental clinics aged ≥18 years of both sexes was included in the study. Second-year dental students conducted the study under supervision of public health staff members over two successive academic years (2015–2016 and 2016–2017). Oral health-related quality of life was assessed using the Dental Impact on Daily Living (DIDL) questionnaire. Blood pressure, random blood glucose level, body mass index, and waist circumference were measured as indicators of general health. There were statistically significant inverse correlations between DIDL scores and both mean blood pressure (r = −0.215, p < 0.001) and mean blood glucose level (r = −0.272, p < 0.001). Non-significant inverse correlations were observed between DIDL scores and both body mass index (r = −0.062, p = 0.131) and waist circumference (r = −0.040, p = 0.340). Students’ satisfaction scores with research activities were high, ranging from 75.9% to 78%. Dentists must raise patients’ awareness about the importance of oral health and its impact on their quality of life and general health. Participation of dental students in dental research is encouraged even in their early academic years.

AN EXAMINATION OF SELF-EFFICACY IN DIGITAL READING AMONG STUDENT TEACHERS OF PRIMARY EDUCATION

The research aims to examine self-efficacy in digital reading among student teachers of primary education focusing on certain variables. The model of the research is descriptive survey model. The data is collected during the 2020-2021 academic year via Google Form. The data is analysed through SPSS 22.0 programme. The analysis showed that the concerned student teachers’ self-efficacy in digital reading is in ‘good’ standards. There is no significant difference in the self-efficacy in digital reading of the students teacher according to gender. However, depending on the grade level variable, the findings show that student teachers' self-efficacy in digital reading has changed significantly. In accordance with this difference, first grade students’ mean of analysis scores in digital reading is lower than those in other grade levels. Finally, the analysis showed that there is no effect of daily internet use in the mean of scores of student teachers’ self-efficacy in digital reading. As a result of the research, it is suggested that more research should be done on self-efficacy in digital reading for academic literature and focus on different education years and different undergraduate programmes. Article visualizations:

Evaluating Health Risks in People with Very High Coronary Artery Calcium Scores

Increasingly, studies are validating the prognostic importance of coronary artery calcium (CAC). An open question is the implication of very high CAC

UTILIZING INTERACTIVE STUDENTS’ NOTEBOOK WITH FEEDBACK STRATEGIES TO ENHANCE SECONDARY STUDENTS’ SCIENCE PROCESS SKILLS ACQUISITION, PERFORMANCE IN AND ATTITUDE TOWARDS PHYSICS

The study investigated how utilizing interactive students’ notebook with feedback strategies could enhances science process skills acquisition, performance in and attitude towards physics in Plateau state, Nigeria. Three research questions and three null hypotheses formulated guided the study. The study adopted quasi-experimental research design. The population consists of 3,182Senior Secondary (SS) II Physics students. A sample of 113 SS II Physics students in four intact classes was used for the study. Physics Students’ Academic Performance Test (PSAPT) with reliability coefficient of 0.97, Test of Physics Related Attitude (TOPRA) with reliability coefficient of 0.84 and Test of Science Process Skills Acquisition (TOSPSA) with reliability coefficient of 0.98 were used for data collection. Data were analyzed using mean and standard deviation Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) was used to test the null hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. It was found that there was significant difference in the mean attitude scores towards physics [F(1,112) = 4.675; p = 0.033 Article visualizations:

Establishment of a predictive model for acute respiratory distress syndrome and analysis of its predictive value in critical burn patients

Objective: To establish a predictive model for acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) in critical burn patients with the screened independent risk factors, and to validate its predictive value. Methods: Totally 131 critical burn patients (101 males and 30 females, aged 18-84 years) who met the inclusion criteria were admitted to the Department of Burns of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine from January 2018 to December 2019. A retrospective case-control study was conducted. The patients were divided into ARDS group (54 cases) and non-ARDS group (77 cases) according to whether ARDS occurred or not. The statistics of patients in the two groups were recorded including the gender, age, burn index, combination of inhalation injury, smoking history, delayed resuscitation, indwelling nasogastric tube, and complication of sepsis, and the data were statistically analyzed with independent sample t test, chi-square test, and Fisher's exact probability test. The multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed on the indicators with statistically significant differences between the two groups to screen the independent risk factors for developing ARDS in critical burn patients, and the corresponding nomograph prediction model for the risk of ARDS in critical burn patients was established. The risk scores for patients developing ARDS were therefore obtained based on the above-mentioned nomograph, and the corresponding receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was drawn to calculate the area under the curve. The internal validation of the above-mentioned ARDS prediction model was performed using the Bootstrap method, and the area under the ROC curve was calculated for modeling group (79 cases) and validation group (52 cases), respectively. A calibration curve was drawn to assess the predictive conformity of the above-mentioned ARDS prediction model for the occurrence of ARDS in critical burn patients. Results: The burn index, proportion of combination of inhalation injury, and proportion of complication of sepsis of patients were significantly higher in ARDS group than in non-ARDS group (t=0.36, χ2=33.78, 49.92, P<0.01). The gender, age, smoking history, delayed resuscitation, and indwelling nasogastric tube of patients in ARDS group were close to those in non-ARDS group (P>0.05). The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the burn index, combination of inhalation injury, and complication of sepsis were the independent risk factors for developing ARDS in critical burn patients (odds ratio=1.05, 15.33, 5.02, 95% confidence interval=1.01-1.10, 2.65-88.42, 1.28-19.71, P<0.05 or P<0.01). The overall area under the ROC curve of the above-mentioned ARDS prediction model was 0.92 (95% confidence interval=0.88-0.97), and the area under the ROC curve was 0.95 and 0.91 (95% confidence interval=0.90-1.00, 0.86-0.97) for validation group and modeling group, respectively. When applying the above-mentioned ARDS prediction model for ARDS incidence prediction, there might be some risk of overestimating ARDS incidence when the prediction probability was <35.0% or >85.0%, and some risk of underestimating ARDS incidence when the prediction probability was 35.0%-85.0%. Conclusions: The burn index, inhalation injury, and sepsis are the independent risk factors for the occurrence of ARDS in critical burn patients. The risk prediction model for ARDS based on these three indicators has good predictive ability for ARDS in critical burn patients.

Does functional outcome mandate fusion in spondylolisthesis management? A retrospective analysis of 76 cases with one year follow-up

Introduction: Lumbar spondylolisthesis is a common condition in the middle-aged population that causes significant morbidity. In the management of spondylolisthesis, spinal fusion with instrumentation has been the standard of care. This study aimed to analyze whether fusion is a necessary component for achieving an optimal functional outcome in the management of spondylolisthesis. Materials and Methods: This is a retrospective study involving 76 patients who underwent a transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion with a minimum follow-up of one year. Parameters assessed were preoperative pain score with VAS, functional ability with ODI, radiological outcome with reduction of slip grade, slip angle, and lumbar lordosis improvement. MacNab’s criteria for functional outcome and Lee’s criteria for fusion were utilized. Statistical analysis was performed with students’ paired t-test and Pearsons’ correlation analysis. Results: Improvement in VAS and ODI was noted as 8.2 to 2.1 and 72 to 14 respectively. Slip angle improved from 240 to 6o and 78% of the patients showed radiological fusion and 89% showed good clinical outcomes at 1-year follow-up. Correlation analysis showed no significant correlation between the pain scores and radiological fusion parameters analyzed (r=0.142, p=0.361). However, a significant correlation was noted between the fusion group and functional outcome parameters like the ODI score (r=0.34, p Conclusion: TLIF ensures successful fusion in spondylolisthesis patients. Spina fusion is a necessary prerequisite for a successful functional outcome in spondylolisthesis patients undergoing TLIF. Slip angle reduction is not mandatory in all patients of lumbar spondylolisthesis. Keywords: Fusion, Spondylolisthesis, TLIF, PLIF, Interbody Fusion, Spine.

Simultaneous arthroscopic reconstruction of anterior cruciate ligament and posterior cruciate ligament: An outcome analysis

Introduction: Combined anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) injury is relatively a rare entity and it is extremely important to manage these injuries with great accuracy, as this may involve damage to neurovascular structures associated with knee dislocation and also carries the risk of accelerated joint degeneration if left untreated. There are many issues that are topic of debate even today like timing of surgery, graft of choice and single stage versus staged reconstruction. Materials and Methods: A prospective study for evaluating the outcomes of combined ACL and PCL injuries in 20 patients was conducted at our centre, who were managed arthroscopically. Preoperative and post-operative Lyscholm scores and IKDC scores were assessed to evaluate the patients outcomes. Results: Out of 20 patients operated for ACL and PCL injury, 14(70%) of them had excellent to good results and the rest 6(30%) had fair results with none of the patients reporting poor results. Conclusion: Simultaneous ACL and PCL reconstruction using arthroscopic technique is an effective and safe procedure irrespective of the time since injury and also this is more helpful to achieve early rehabilitation. Keywords: PCL, Lyscholm score, IKDC.

Comparison of outcome between mini-open and arthroscopic rotator cuff repair

Introduction: The aim of this study is to compare the outcomes of all-arthroscopic repair and mini-open repair for rotator cuff tendon tear on post-operative pain, shoulder joint range of motion and physical function. Materials and Methods: The study is a prospective comparative study of rotator cuff repair. The patients include in the study are enroll into all-arthroscopic surgery or mini-open surgery groups. The patients are assess by UCLA and ASES scores pre and postoperatively for upto 1-year follow-up. Results: A total of 44 patients are include in the study. We find no statistical significance comparing the UCLA and ASES scores of both groups. The patients in the all-arthroscopic surgery group experience significantly less pain initially. Conclusion: According to the results of this study, the outcomes of mini-open surgery and arthroscopic repair are equivocal, with no difference in post-operative pain, shoulder joint range of motion and patient satisfaction. Keywords: Rotator cuff repair, Rotator cuff tears, Arthroscopic repair.