ObjectiveTo investigate the effectiveness of selectively thinning of the free anterolateral thigh flap in repair of the heel skin and soft tissue defect.MethodsBetween April 2013 and August 2015, 8 patients with tissue defect of heel caused by different reasons were recruited. There were 6 males and 2 females with an average age of 31.2 years (range, 15-49 years). The size of wound ranged from 14 cm×10 cm to 19 cm×14 cm. All the wounds were repaired with the contralateral free anterolateral thigh flap. The partial flap which was going to repair the defects of the heel and non-weight-bearing area of planta pedis was selectively thinned. The size of flap ranged from 14 cm×10 cm to 19 cm×14 cm. The donate site was repaired by skin grafting.ResultsAll flaps survived after operation, and wounds healed by first intention. The marginal necrosis of skin graft occurred in 2 cases, and healed after changing the dressing. The other skin grafts survived. All patients were followed up 8-20 months (mean, 12.3 months). All patients could walk normally. During follow-up, 2 flaps were injured and cured after symptomatic management. The appearance of flap was good in 7 cases with no influence in wearing shoes. Only 1 patient received the second-stage surgery of thinning the flap after 1 year.ConclusionApplication of the selectively thinning of the free anterolateral thigh flap can repair the heel skin and soft tissue defects, and achieve an ideal appearance and function.
ObjectiveTo observe the features of temporal macular thinning and its value for the diagnosis of Alport syndrome (AS) in young patients.MethodsEighty-one young patients with AS (81 eyes) from Peking University First Hospital during January 2016 and July 2017 were included in this study. There were 67 males (67 eyes) and 14 females (14 eyes),the aged from 3 to 17 years, with the mean age of 9.6 years. Among 81 patients (81 eyes), there were 64 patients with X-linked AS (XLAS, including 53 males and 11 females), 17 patients with autosomal recessive AS (ARAS, including 14 males and 3 females). One hundred healthy subjects aged 4 to 17 years were included as controls. Clinical data were retrospectively evaluated, including visual acuity, slit-lamp microscopy, dilated fundus photography, and OCT. Retinal thickness was measured with an OCT scan and the temporal thinning index (TTI) was calculated as stated in a previous study. The TTI values of each group was compared by One-way ANOVA or independent sample t test. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the diagnostic effectiveness for AS.ResultsThe TTI of the control group, XLAS and ARAS patients were 6.46±1.58, 10.93±3.77, 12.14±4.05, respectively. Compared with the control group, the TTI value of males were larger in the XLAS and ARAS group (F=45.056, P＜0.001), the TTI value of females were larger in the ARAS group (F=26.541, P＜0.001). The difference of TTI value in females was significant between the XLAS and ARAS groups (F=26.541, P＜0.001). In males, the area under the ROC curve was 0.896 (95%CI 0.837−0.955, P＜0.001). The optimal cutoff value of the TTI was determined as 9.47, with a sensitivity of 73.1% and a specificity of 100%.ConclusionsTTI is a common ocular finding in young patients with AS. In males, a TTI ＞ 9.47 may differentiate AS from normal males.
Objective To review the historical origin and development of thin flap and flap thinning technique. Methods A wide range of domestic and foreign literatures on thin flaps and flap thinning technique were reviewed. The background, definition, methods, problems, challenges, and future development of thin flap and flap thinning technique were summarized and analysed. Results Thin flap and flap thinning technique play an important role in the development of flap surgery, leading flap surgery towards a more rational and refined direction. Conclusion Thin flap and flap thinning technique are still hot topics in the future. With the development of thin flap and flap thinning technique, clinicians will have more " free” choices.
In the present study, the performance of the liquid nitrogen frozen and thinned bovine pericardium was studied and compared with the porcine pericardium. The microstructure and mechanical properties of the bovine pericardium were observed and tested by hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining and tensile test respectively. In all conditions, porcine pericardium was selected as a control group. The results showed that there was little difference in the performance of bovine pericardium after being frozen by liquid nitrogen. The secant modulus and ultimate strength of the thinned bovine pericardium were similar to those of porcine pericardium, however, the elastic modulus was a little higher than porcine pericardium. The study suggested that the performance of the thinned bovine pericardium was similar to those of porcine pericardium. It was easy for the thinned bovine pericardium to obtain a relatively ideal thickness and expected performance, therefore, the thinned bovine pericardium can be used as the materials of transcatheter aortic valve leaflets.
Shear thinning is an ideal feature of biological ink because it can reduce the chance of blocking. For extrusion based biological printing, biological ink will experience shear force when passing through the biological printer. The shear rate will increase with the increase of extrusion rate, and the apparent viscosity of shear thinning bio-ink will decrease, which makes it easier to block, thus achieving the structural fidelity of 3D printing tissue. The manufacturing of complex functional structures in tissue trachea requires the precise placement and coagulation of biological ink layer by layer, and the shear-thinning biological ink may well meet this requirement. This review focuses on the importance of mechanical properties, classification and preparation methods of shear-thinning biological ink, and lists its current application status in 3D printing tissue trachea to discuss the more possibilities and prospects of this biological material in tissue trachea.