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Introduction: There is controversy about the management of unicompartmental knee osteoarthritis (OA) in young, active patients with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) insufficiency. This study compares the subjective, radiological, and functional results of total knee replacement (TKR) vs. combined medial unicompartmental knee replacement (UKR) with ACL reconstruction. Method: Twelve patients suffering from medial OA and ACL deficiency with varus knee deformity and/or tibial slope

Neutron cross section measurements are often made relative to a neutron cross section standard. Thus, the accuracy of the neutron standards determines the best possible accuracy of the neutron measurements. The 235U(n,f) cross section is widely used as reference, while it is considered a standard at thermal point and between 0.15 to 200 MeV. For this reason, additional cross section data for the 235U(n,f) reaction are useful in order to improve the accuracy and to extend the energy range of the standard. In this work, preliminary results of the measurement of the 235U(n,f) cross-section relative to the standard 10B(n,a) reaction are presented. The high accuracy measurement was performed at the experimental area EAR-1 of the n_TOF facility at CERN, aiming at covering the energy range from the thermal region up to approximately 100 keV. The samples were produced at JRC-Geel in Belgium, while the experimental setup was based on Micromegas detectors.

In recent years, there has been increased interest in the management of medial femorotibial knee osteoarthritis (OA) in conjunction with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) deficiency. Traditional treatment modalities included conservative therapy, high tibial osteotomy with or without ACL reconstruction, and total knee replacement. Since younger patients with higher physical demands are more likely to suffer from this pathological condition, reduced invasiveness, faster recovery time, and improved knee kinematics are preferred to allow for satisfying clinical and functional outcomes. Thus, a new surgical strategy combining medial unicompartmental knee replacement (UKR) and ACL reconstruction has been proposed to allow bone stock preservation, to reduce surgical morbidity and recovery time, and ultimately to improve joint kinematics and clinical outcomes. Based on the data present in the literature, in the setting of unicompartmental OA in association with ACL deficiency, UKR combined with ACL reconstruction provided encouraging early results. Studies evaluating the outcomes of combined ACL reconstruction and UKR demonstrate promising results in select patient populations. Improved knee stability, pain relief, functional recovery, and patient satisfaction improved after surgery. Moreover, the combined approach offered advantages such as reduced surgical trauma, faster rehabilitation, and preservation of native knee anatomy compared with traditional treatment strategies. However, still, high-level studies on this topic are lacking; therefore, more comparative studies reporting long-term outcomes are needed to support the potential of this combined procedure to become mainstream. In this paper, we discuss the relevant features and rationale behind the indications and technique of this combined surgical procedure, to help surgeons choose the correct therapeutic approach for a patient with concomitant medial OA and ACL insufficiency. Continued advancements in surgical techniques, patient selection criteria, and rehabilitation strategies will further enhance the success of this combined approach, offering hope to individuals with concomitant ACL injuries and unicompartmental knee OA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) revision surgery after failed double-bundle (DB) reconstruction is a challenging procedure. This study aimed to systematically review the research on ACL revision surgery following failed DB reconstruction, providing an overview on indications, surgical techniques, clinical outcomes and potential pitfalls occurring while performing this therapeutic approach. Materials and Methods: Literature published from exception to February 2023 was searched in the Pubmed/MEDLINE, Embase and CINAHL databases. Studies in English reporting on patients who underwent ACL revision surgery after prior failed DB reconstruction were considered. Review articles and expert opinion or editorial pieces were excluded. Outcomes of interest included indications and pre-operative planning, surgical technique and associated procedures, type of revision surgery (either one- or two-stage), graft choice, clinical and functional outcomes, rate of complications, failure rate. Results: Overall, 4 studies met all the inclusion criteria for this review. All were published between 2007 and 2020. The search resulted in two retrospective comparative studies, one case series, and one case report. Average follow-up periods ranged from 24 to 45 months. From these studies, 66 patients (66 knees) were identified. One-stage revision surgery was performed in 64 on 66 patients (97%) with pathologic laxity following DB ACL reconstruction. Most frequently reported outcome was Lysholm score in five studies: average postoperative Lysholm score ranged from 90.5 to 91.0 while Tegner activity level ranged from 5.6 to 7.0. In 4 patients (6%) re-revision surgery was performed due to graft re-rupture. Conclusions: One-stage ACL revision surgery following DB ACL reconstruction appears feasible providing satisfying outcomes and limited complications. The literature on this subject is limited and further comparative studies reporting long-term outcomes are needed, as high-level studies on this topic are still lacking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Investigating the relationship between functional capacity and psychological readiness is of paramount importance when planning sport resumption following knee surgery. The aim of this study was to prospectively assess clinical and functional outcomes in athletes 6 months after primary anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction and to evaluate whether jumping ability is related to psychological readiness to return to sport following ACL surgery. Methods: Patients who underwent ACL reconstruction were prospectively enrolled and evaluated pre-operatively and 6 months after surgery. Assessment included Lysholm score, International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) Subjective Knee Form, Tegner activity level, and the ACL–Return to Sport after Injury (ACL-RSI) scale. Jumping ability was instrumentally assessed by an infrared optical acquisition system using a test battery including mono- and bipodalic vertical jump and a side hop test. Patients were dichotomized by ACL-RSI into two groups: group A (ACL-RSI > 60), and group B (ACL-RSI < 60). Results: Overall, 29 males and two females from the original study group of 37 patients (84%) were available for clinical evaluation. Mean age at surgery was 34.2 years (SD 11.3). Mean body mass index (BMI) was 25.4 (SD 3.7). Mean overall Lysholm, IKDC, and ACL-RSI scores increased from pre-operatively (p < 0.001). No differences in Tegner score were reported (p = 0.161). Similarly, improvement in most variables regarding jumping ability were observed at follow-up (p < 0.05). According to ACL-RSI, 20 subjects were allocated in group A (ACL-RSI > 60), while 11 were allocated in group B (ACL-RSI < 60). A statistically significant difference in favor of patients in group A was recorded for the post-operative Lysholm and Tegner score, as well as Side Hop test LSI level (p < 0.05), while a trend for IKDC was observed without statistical significance (p = 0.065). Conclusions: Patients with higher values of ACL-RSI scores showed better functional and clinical outcomes as well as improved performance 6 months after ACL reconstruction [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present work the Monte Carlo calculations of nucleon-induced fission on actinides and pre-actinides from 100 MeV to 1 GeV, described in a recent paper of ours [1], are extended up to an incident energy of 8 GeV. The calculated (p,f) cross sections are compared with the few experimental data available in the literature. The same model parameters are used to predict (n,f) cross sections in the same energy range. Possible shortcomings of decay models at high incident energies are discussed.

To report, through a systematic review of the literature, the clinical and radiographic outcomes of unicompartmental knee replacement (UKR) combined to anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. It was hypothesized that this combined technique is a safe and effective procedure providing satisfactory post-operative functional outcomes. A systematic review was performed by searching Pubmed/MEDLINE, CINAHL, SCOPUS, Embase, and Ovid. Only studies in English pertaining all levels of evidence reporting on subjects with medial osteoarthritis and ACL deficiency undergoing UKR combined to ACL reconstruction were considered. Review articles and expert opinion or editorial pieces were excluded. Outcomes of interest included indications, clinical assessment including activity level, associated procedures, rate of complications such as revision surgery. Overall, nine studies met all the inclusion criteria for this review. All were published between 2006 and 2019. The search resulted in one comparative case series (Level III), four prospective cohort studies (Level III) and four case series (Level IV). From these studies, 249 patients were identified. The combination of UKR and ACL reconstruction appears a safe and effective procedure providing satisfying outcomes and limited complications in selected patients with medial OA and ACL insufficiency. Further comparative studies reporting long-term outcomes are needed, as high-level studies on this topic are lacking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The management of isolated unicompartmental osteoarthritis in the patient aged 70 years and older is an issue of debate. The purpose of the present study was to retrospectively evaluate the outcomes of patients aged over 70 years who underwent unicompartmental knee replacement (UKR) for the treatment of isolated unicompartmental osteoarthritis. The hypothesis was that this represents a safe and viable procedure leading to improved functional outcome in elderly patients affected by isolated unicompartmental osteoarthritis. Methods: 22 consecutive medial compartment UKRs performed between 1998 and 2008 were retrospectively evaluated. Mean age was 74 years (range 70-93 years). Patients were evaluated preoperatively and after an average follow-up of 6.2 years (range 2 to 8). Assessment included KOOS score, WOMAC score, Knee Society Score. Standard X-rays were performed prior to surgery and at follow-up. Results: Twenty patients showed a statistically significant improvement in all parameters. One patient who was 93 years old at the time of surgery died for unrelated causes. One patient required conversion to a total knee arthroplasty. Discussion: UKR is a safe and clinically effective procedure, which has been proven valuable for the treatment of elderly patients with isolated unicompartmental osteoarthritis and with initial degenerative signs in the other compartments. Conclusion: Age more than 70 does not appear to be a contraindication to the procedure. Level of evidence: IV (case series). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The study was designed to compare the clinical results of traditional single-bundle (SB) anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction with those of double-bundle (DB) ACL reconstruction. Methods: This study comprised 80 patients aged 18 to 45 years with an isolated ACL lesion: 40 patients underwent SB reconstruction, and 40 patients underwent DB reconstruction. Patients were assessed preoperatively with functional assessment including the International Knee Documentation Committee 2000 knee subjective form and visual analog scale, as well as physical examination (including the pivot-shift test and instrumented knee laxity measurement). Vertical jump assessment with the Optojump system (Microgate, Bolzano, Italy) has been introduced as a method to compare functional ability between the 2 surgical techniques. The same protocol was repeated 6 months, 12 months, and 2 years after surgery. Results: No statistically significant differences were noted between the groups concerning subjective evaluation, thigh girth difference, mean visual analog scale score, range of motion, and Lachman and anterior drawer tests (P = not significant). A statistically higher number of patients in the SB group showed a positive pivot-shift test and a higher side-to-side difference when measured with the KT-1000 arthrometer (MEDmetric, San Diego, CA) than in the DB group (P < .001). Better mean jumping performance results were reported in the DB group compared with the SB group (P < .001). The average performance results for the injured limb were not significantly reduced compared with those of the uninjured limb in the DB group 12 months after surgery. At 2 years, a restoration of jumping ability in the ACL-reconstructed limb was achieved in both groups regardless of the technique used. Conclusions: DB ACL reconstruction has been proven to be superior to the SB technique with regard to knee stability and vertical jump performance. Level of Evidence: Level II, prospective comparative study. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Purpose: The purpose of our study was to retrospectively evaluate the outcomes after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction with hamstring in patients aged 50 years or older. In addition, we present, for the first time, the outcomes of a subgroup of middle-aged patients treated with double-bundle (DB) reconstruction. Methods: Fifty patients aged 50 years or older underwent primary ACL reconstruction with hamstring. Inclusion criteria were primary ACL reconstruction in active patients. Exclusion criteria were multiligamentous injuries and a contralateral ACL-deficient knee. The mean age at surgery was 54.4 years (range, 50 to 65 years). The mean period from the initial injury to surgery was 32.6 months (range, 3 to 125 months). Of the patients, 36 underwent single-bundle (SB) ACL reconstruction and 14 underwent DB reconstruction. Patients were assessed preoperatively with physical examination (including range of motion, pivot-shift test, and instrumented knee laxity measurement), the Lysholm score, the International Knee Documentation Committee scoring system, and the Tegner activity scale. Standard radiographs were taken, and degenerative changes were graded according to the Ahlbäck radiologic classification of arthritis. Results: Patients were evaluated at a mean of 4.4 years (range, 2 to 7 years) after surgery. A significant improvement in knee function and symptoms was reported in most patients, with increased Lysholm, International Knee Documentation Committee, and Tegner scores (P < .001). The outcomes of clinical assessment and instrumented laxity testing were clearly improved when compared with preoperative status (P < .001). The level of osteoarthritis did not statistically increase at follow-up. No statistically significant difference could be observed between the SB and DB groups (P = not significant). Conclusions: Operative treatment showed favorable outcomes in most of the ACL-reconstructed patients with regard to knee stability, osteoarthritis progression, and patient satisfaction in a cohort of subjects aged 50 years or older. Our subgroup of patients undergoing DB ACL reconstruction reported average satisfactory outcomes, which did not significantly differ from the SB group. Level of Evidence: Level IV, therapeutic case series. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article reports on research conducted to assess the outcomes in terms of postoperative recovery and return to sport following arthroscopic reconstruction of lateral ankle instability. Researchers evaluated 90 patients. They found that arthroscopic treatment is a suitable option for moderate chronic ankle joint laxity in patients with a complete anterior talofibular ligament lesion.

The aim of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction is essentially to restore functional stability of the knee and to allow patients to return to their desired work and activities. While in the young and active population, surgery is often the best therapeutic option after an ACL tear, ACL reconstruction in middle-aged people is rather more controversial due to concerns about a higher complication rate. The purpose of our article is to establish, through a systematic review of the literature, useful decision-making criteria for the management of anterior cruciate ligament rupture in patients aged 40 years and older, guiding surgeons to the most appropriate therapeutic approach. Various reports have shown excellent results of ACL reconstruction in patients over the age of 40 in terms of subjective satisfaction, return to previous activity level, and reduced complication and failure rates. Some even document excellent outcomes in subjects of 50 years and older. Although there are limited high-level studies, data reported in the literature suggest that ACL reconstruction can be successful in appropriately selected, motivated older patients with symptomatic knee instability who want to return to participating in highly demanding sport and recreational activities. Deciding factors are based on occupation, sex, activity level of the subject, amount of time spent performing such highly demanding activities, and presence of associated knee lesions. Physiological age and activity level are more important than chronological age as deciding factors when considering ACL reconstruction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We study scattering properties of a -symmetric square well potential with real depth larger than the threshold of particle–antiparticle pair production as the time component of a vector potential in the Dirac equation. Spontaneous pair production inside the well becomes tiny beyond the strength at which discrete bound states with real energies disappear, consistently with a spontaneous breakdown of symmetry. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Objective: To identify factors associated with long-term survival following pulmonary resection for lung cancer in patients 80 years of age or older. Methods: The medical records of all patients ≥80 years, who underwent pulmonary resection for lung cancer from 1985 to 2002, were reviewed. Results: There were 294 patients (192 men, 102 women). Median age was 82 years (range 80–94 years). Overall 1-, 2-, and 5-year survival was 80%, 62%, and 34%, respectively. Histologic subtype, diabetes, renal insufficiency, prior myocardial infarction, congestive heart failure or stroke were not significantly associated with differences in 5-year survival. Female gender was associated with increased survival (36.2% vs 32.7% at 5 years, p =0.04). Extent of preoperative forced expiratory volume in 1s (FEV1) limitation did not influence survival. However, there were no 5-year survivors amongst patients with dyspnea as their presenting chief complaint, whereas there was a 35% 5-year survival in patients presenting without dyspnea (p <0.001). Five-year survival by pathologic stage was IA, 48%; IB, 39%; IIA, 17%; IIB, 23%; IIIA, 9%; and IIIB, 0% (p <0.001). Five-year survival of patients undergoing a lobectomy was 42% versus 11% for pneumonectomy (p <0.001). Conclusions: Meaningful long-term survival is obtainable in elderly patients undergoing surgical resection for lung cancer. Careful patient evaluation and selection is necessary to identify patients who will benefit most from resection. Shorter survival was observed in male patients and those presenting with dyspnea. As could be expected, survival was also dependent on extent of resection and initial pathologic stage. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: Predictors of morbidity and mortality after pulmonary resection for lung cancer in patients 80 years of age or older are unknown. Methods: The medical records of all patients 80 years of age or older who had pulmonary resection for lung cancer from January 1985 through September 2004 were reviewed. Results: There were 379 patients (248 men, 131 women). Median age was 82 years (range, 80 to 95 years). Pneumonectomy was performed in 25 patients (6.6%), bilobectomy in 7 (1.8%), lobectomy in 240 (63.3%), segmentectomy in 29 (7.7%), and wedge excision in 78 (20.6%). The cancer was squamous cell carcinoma in 143 patients (37.7%), adenocarcinoma in 166 (43.8%), bronchoalveolar cell carcinoma in 47 (12.4%), and other in 23 (6.1%). Complications occurred in 182 patients (48.0%). These included atrial fibrillation in 75 patients, pneumonia in 27, and retained secretions requiring bronchoscopy in 37. Morbidity predictors were male sex (odds ratio [OR], 1.6), hemoptysis (OR, 2.3), and previous stroke (OR, 3.8). Asymptomatic patients had a significantly decreased probability of complications (OR, 0.56). Operative mortality was 6.3% (24 of 379); significant predictors were congestive heart failure (OR, 6.0) and prior myocardial infarction (OR, 4.3). Factors not associated with mortality included previous myocardial revascularization, renal insufficiency (creatinine >1.5 mg/dL), and diabetes mellitus. Conclusions: Pulmonary resection for lung cancer in octogenarians is feasible. Congestive heart failure and myocardial infarction, however, correlated with a significant increase in mortality. Prior myocardial revascularization, renal insufficiency, and diabetes were not associated with increased morbidity and mortality. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]