scholarly journals Ultrasound-based examination of the medial ligament complex shows gender- and age-related differences in laxity

Author(s):  
Patricia M. Lutz ◽  
Matthias J. Feucht ◽  
Judith Wechselberger ◽  
Michael Rasper ◽  
Wolf Petersen ◽  
...  

Abstract Purpose Ultrasound (US) examination of the medial joint space of the knee has played a subordinate diagnostic role up till now. The purpose of the present study was to describe mean values of medial joint width and to investigate the impact of gender, age, and body mass index (BMI) on medial joint laxity in healthy knees using modern, dynamic US in a standardized fashion in unloaded and standardized loaded conditions. Methods A total of 65 subjects with 79 healthy knees were enrolled in this study. All volunteers underwent clinical examination of the knee. The medial knee joint width was determined using US in a supine position at 0° and 30° of knee flexion in unloaded and standardized loaded (= 15 Dekanewton, daN) conditions using a specific device. Mean values were described and correlations between medial knee joint width and gender, age, and BMI were assessed. Results Thirty-two females and 33 males were enrolled in this study. The mean medial joint width in 0° unloaded was 5.7 ± 1.2 mm and 7.4 ± 1.4 mm loaded. In 30° of knee flexion, the mean medial joint width was 6.1 ± 1.1 mm unloaded and 7.8 ± 1.2 mm loaded. The average change between unloaded and loaded conditions in 0° was 1.7 ± 1.0 mm and in 30° 1.7 ± 0.9 mm. A significant difference between genders was evident for medial joint width in 0° and 30° of flexion in unloaded and loaded conditions (p < 0.05). With rising age, a significant increased change of medial joint space width between unloaded and loaded conditions could be demonstrated in 0° (p = 0.032). No significant correlation between BMI and medial joint width in US could be found. Conclusion Mean values of medial joint width in unloaded and standardized loaded conditions using a fixation device could be demonstrated. Based on the results of this study, medial knee joint width in US is gender- and age-related in healthy knees. These present data may be useful for evaluating patients with acute or chronic pathologies to the medial side of the knee. Level of evidence III.

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (11) ◽  
pp. 2041
Author(s):  
Lisa Milani ◽  
Norman B. Wood

Falling snow is a key component of the Earth’s water cycle, and space-based observations provide the best current capability to evaluate it globally. The Cloud Profiling Radar (CPR) on board CloudSat is sensitive to snowfall, and other satellite missions and climatological models have used snowfall properties measured by it for evaluating and comparing against their snowfall products. Since a battery anomaly in 2011, the CPR has operated in a Daylight-Only Operations (DO-Op) mode, in which it makes measurements primarily during only the daylit portion of its orbit. This work provides estimates of biases inherent in global snowfall amounts derived from CPR measurements due to this shift to DO-Op mode. We use CloudSat’s snowfall measurements during its Full Operations (Full-Op) period prior to the battery anomaly to evaluate the impact of the DO-Op mode sampling. For multi-year global mean values, the snowfall fraction during DO-Op changes by −10.16% and the mean snowfall rate changes by −8.21% compared with Full-Op. These changes are driven by the changes in sampling in DO-Op and are very little influenced by changes in meteorology between the Full-Op and DO-Op periods. The results highlight the need to sample consistently with the CloudSat observations or to adjust snowfall estimates derived from CloudSat when using DO-Op data to evaluate other precipitation products.


2013 ◽  
Vol 22 (11) ◽  
pp. 2715-2720 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey A. Haladik ◽  
William K. Vasileff ◽  
Cathryn D. Peltz ◽  
Terrence R. Lock ◽  
Michael J. Bey

Author(s):  
Anandita Srivastava ◽  
Nalini Kataria

Background: The present investigation was envisaged to find out the impact of extreme hot environmental temperature period (ETP) on marker enzymes of carbohydrate metabolism in male and female non-descript sheep of various age groups i.e. 4 to 13 months from arid tracts of Rajasthan. Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-PDH) and malate dehydrogenase (MDH) marker enzymes of carbohydrate metabolism were considered for study. Methods: During the period October 2016-June 2017 blood samples were collected to harvest sera for spectrophotometric method from 240 healthy animals selected from private slaughter house during moderate and extreme hot environmental temperature periods (ETPs). The mean values of markers attained during moderate ETP were reckoned as the control. It was 10.00 ± 0.10 UL-1 and 42.00±1.00 respectively. Conclusion: The mean value of MDH was significantly (p≤0.05) higher while G-6-PDH significantly (p≤0.05) lowers during extreme hot temperature in comparison to moderate period. Therefore, it could be concluded that variations in enzyme markers were associated with changes in environmental temperatures. Probably ETP were able to produce a profound effect on carbohydrate metabolism in sheep. Therfore it can be suggested that during the period of extreme temperature balanced ration must be provided to the animal along with proper management to decrease the severity of temperature impact.


2018 ◽  
pp. 1-4

Background: The use of ultrasound to perform quantitative musculoskeletal (MSK) measurements requires reliability among different providers with varied levels of experience and training. Recent studies have shown that physical therapists (PT) can reliably measure the glenohumeral joint space using ultrasound imaging (USI) and operator experience or well defined training protocols influences the reliability. Few studies have reported the reliability of medial knee gap measurements with USI. Objective: Evaluate inter- and intra-rater reliability of a novel approach to measuring knee gapping using experienced and trained novice clinicians. Design: Inter-rater and intra-rater reliability study Setting: Physical therapy program Participants: Novice researchers were three upper-year Doctor of Physical Therapy students. Experienced researchers were two PT certified in MSK USI with eight years of experience. Methods: A total of 166 images of two subject’s medial knee joint gaps were captured in resting by a single experience researcher. Three novice researchers, who underwent a three-hour training protocol and two experienced researchers measured the images individually. Measurements were taken using standardized bony landmarks and internal calipers. All researchers were blinded to the subjects and results. Main outcome measures: Data was analyzed using two-way ICC mixed-model single measurement, SEM run for all researchers compared with experienced researcher one. Results: An excellent degree of reliability was found for both intra-rater and inter-rater measurements for Novice One and a good degree of reliability was found between Experienced One and Novice Two and Three. Conclusion: Both experienced and novice researchers attained a clinically significant ICC when compared to Experienced One. An accurate and reliable measurement of the medial knee joint gap maybe useful for further studies and help with diagnosis of joint pathologies. Level of study: IIB


2011 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 01-09 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cláudio E. F. Cruz ◽  
Djeison L. Raymundo ◽  
Cristine Cerva ◽  
Saulo P. Pavarini ◽  
André G. C. Dalto ◽  
...  

Over the last decades, the emphasis on the health of dairy cows has changed from an individual to a herd level. In this scenario, the role played by the recording system and its interpretation by veterinarians has gained primordial importance. The records of productive and reproductive performance and of sanitary status from a southern Brazilian dairy cattle herd have been presented and discussed. The period of study was 2000-2009. Mean values per lactation period were 349D 8436M 290F 275P 201SCS (D: days in lactation, M: kg of milk yield, F: kg of fat, P: kg of protein and SCS: somatic cell score in 1000 cells/ml of milk). Major indexes of reproductive efficiency included age at first calving (31 months), services per conception (2.1), intercalving interval (428 days), calving to conception interval (146 days), mean annual rates of parturitions (76.2%), fetal losses (9.8-19.0%), and stillbirths (3.6%), apart of voluntary waiting period (94 days). Main information on sanitary status of the herd was associated with the mean prevalence of common disorders of dairy cattle such as anaplasmosis (29.8%), mastitis (27.8%), digital diseases (26.3%), ovarian cysts (21.3%), placental retention (19.7%), postpartum uterine infections (10.6%), and calf diarrhea (23.7%) and pneumonia (16.8%), among others. In addition, culling reasons (low reproductive performance [56.3%] and udder/mastitis problems [33.6%]), causes of cattle deaths (anaplasmosis [16.4%] and leukosis [11.4]), and the impact of cattle diseases such as tuberculosis, leukosis, and neosporosis on the herd have also been presented and succinctly discussed. Numbers between brackets represent rates accumulated in the 10-year period.


2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 976-980
Author(s):  
Dil Islam `Mansur ◽  
Subindra Karki ◽  
Dilip Kumar Mehta ◽  
Pragya Shrestha ◽  
Sunima Maskey

Introduction: The knee joint space is seen on anteroposterior radiograph as a radiolucent area between lower end of femur and upper end of tibia which is an indirect way of evaluating the knee cartilage thickness.  Objective: This study was aimed to determine the knee joint space in the medial and lateral compartments of the knee joint using digital radiograph.  Methodology : This was cross-sectional study. It consisted of digital radiographs of knee joint of 320 individuals. The medial and lateral joint space width of each knee joint was measured using the scale in the computerized software.  Results: The mean values for medial and lateral joint space widths were found to be 6.11±1.57 mm and 7.92±1.66 mm of the right knee joint respectively and 5.99±1.47 mm and 8.18±1.69 mm of the left knee joint respectively. In males, mean values for joint space widths were 6.37±1.58 mm on medial side and 8.21±1.67 mm on lateral side of the right knee; and 6.24±1.56 mm on medial side and 8.33±1.64 mm on lateral side of the left knee. In Females, these values were 5.89±1.53 mm on medial side and 7.66±1.62 mm on lateral side of the right knee; and 5.79±1.37 mm on medial side and 8.06±1.72 mm on lateral side of the left knee.  Conclusions: It was concluded that the lateral joint space was greater than the medial joint space in both knees. The joint space widths were found to be reasonably constant with increasing age among studied population.


Author(s):  
Claudia Campana ◽  
Francesco Cocchiara ◽  
Giuliana Corica ◽  
Federica Nista ◽  
Marica Arvigo ◽  
...  

Abstract Context Discordant growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) values are frequent in acromegaly. Objective To evaluate the impact of different GH cutoffs on discordance rate. To investigate whether the mean of consecutive GH measurements impacts discordance rate when matched to the last available IGF-1 value. Design Retrospective study. Setting Referral center for pituitary diseases. Patients Ninety acromegaly patients with at least 3 consecutive evaluations for GH and IGF-1 using the same assay in the same laboratory (median follow-up 13 years). Interventions Multimodal treatment of acromegaly. Main Outcome Measures Single fasting GH (GHf) and IGF-1 (IGF-1f). Mean of 3 GH measurements (GHm), collected during consecutive routine patients’ evaluations. Results At last evaluation GHf values were 1.99 ± 2.79 µg/L and age-adjusted IGF-1f was 0.86 ± 0.44 × upper limit of normality (mean ± SD). The discordance rate using GHf was 52.2% (cutoff 1 µg/L) and 35.6% (cutoff 2.5 µg/L) (P = 0.025). “High GH” discordance was more common for GHf &lt;1.0 µg/L, while “high IGF-1” was predominant for GHf &lt;2.5 µg/L (P &lt; 0.0001). Using GHm mitigated the impact of GH cutoffs on discordance (GHm &lt;1.0 µg/L: 43.3%; GHm &lt;2.5 µg/L: 38.9%; P = 0.265). At receiver-operator characteristic curve (ROC) analysis, both GHf and GHm were poor predictors of IGF-1f normalization (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.611 and AUC = 0.645, respectively). The prevalence of disease-related comorbidities did not significantly differ between controlled, discordant, and active disease patients. Discussion GH/IGF-1 discordance strongly depends on GH cutoffs. The use of GHm lessen the impact of GH cutoffs. Measurement of fasting GH levels (both GHf and GHm) is a poor predictor of IGF-1f normalization in our cohort.


2016 ◽  
Vol 62 (Suppl.1) ◽  
pp. 171-171
Author(s):  
LIZU LIU ◽  
MAYUKO KINOSHITA ◽  
MUNEAKI ISHIJIMA ◽  
HARUKA KANEKO ◽  
RYO SADATSUKI ◽  
...  

Mathematics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (24) ◽  
pp. 3283
Author(s):  
Mustafa Demircioglu ◽  
Herwig Bruneel ◽  
Sabine Wittevrongel

Queueing models with disasters can be used to evaluate the impact of a breakdown or a system reset in a service facility. In this paper, we consider a discrete-time single-server queueing system with general independent arrivals and general independent service times and we study the effect of the occurrence of disasters on the queueing behavior. Disasters occur independently from time slot to time slot according to a Bernoulli process and result in the simultaneous removal of all customers from the queueing system. General probability distributions are allowed for both the number of customer arrivals during a slot and the length of the service time of a customer (expressed in slots). Using a two-dimensional Markovian state description of the system, we obtain expressions for the probability, generating functions, the mean values, variances and tail probabilities of both the system content and the sojourn time of an arbitrary customer under a first-come-first-served policy. The customer loss probability due to a disaster occurrence is derived as well. Some numerical illustrations are given.


1994 ◽  
Vol 72 (01) ◽  
pp. 021-027 ◽  
Author(s):  
P R Howard ◽  
E G Bovill ◽  
J Pike ◽  
W R Chruch ◽  
R P Tracy

SummaryWe determined factor VII antigen (FVIIag) levels in 705 healthy blood donors ranging in age from 17 to 79 years using a two-site solid-phase enzyme immunoassay developed in our laboratory. The mean (± SD) FVIIag level for the total population was 102 ± 31%. FVIIag levels for men (n = 375) and women (n = 330) were 101 ± 28% and 103 ± 33%, respectively. A significant increase in FVIIag was observed with age in both men (r = 0.25, p <0.0001) and women (r = 0.35, p <0.0001). FVIIag levels were significantly higher in women > 60 years when compared to men (median women: 125%; median men: 111%; p <0.05). On a subset of the study group (n = 45), FVIIag levels were correlated to total cholesterol (r = 0.27, p = 0.08) and triglyceride (r = 0.41, p <0.01). Assuming the commonly used reference interval of 60-140% for FVII, the frequencies of FVIIag values for <60% and >140% using our assay were 2.1% and 9.2%, respectively. Gender and age-related differences in FVIIag levels must be considered in a reference interval. We further suggest that assay-specific reference ranges be established, which may include values outside the commonly used values of 60-140%.


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