Fifty patients with thoracolumbar fractures were treated operatively between July 2000 and December 2001. The average age of the patients was 33.6 years (range: 20-50 years), 36 were males and 14 were females and the follow-up averaged 59 months (range: 49-68 months). A fall from a height, usually a tree, was the most common cause of injury. Twenty six patients had unstable burst fractures and 13 had translational injury. There were 15 patients with complete neurological deficit, 17 had partial neurological lesions, while 18 had no neurological deficit. All patients were treated by posterior short segment fixation (Steffee VSP). The average pre-operative kyphotic angle was 21.48°, which improved to 12.86°in the immediate post-operative period. The loss of kyphosis averaged 3.46°(0-26°) at the final follow-up. The average pre-operative anterior vertebral body height was 44.7% (range: 36-90%), which improved to 72.0% (range: 55-97%) in the immediate post-operative period. The loss of body height averaged 3.0% (range: 1-15%) at the final follow-up. No neurological deterioration was seen, and in 24 cases a one grade or better improvement was observed. The mean pain score was 1.6, and the mean functional score was 2.8. We found that the application of posterior instrumentation resulted in a reasonable correction of the deformity with a significant reduction in recumbency-associated complications; there were, however, significant other complications. (1-15) au suivi final. Aucune dégradation neurologique n'a été constatée. Une amélioration a été retrouvée dans 24 cas le score douleur moyen a été de 1.6 le score fonction de 2.8. Une instrumentation postérieure permet une correction raisonnable de la déformation avec une réduction significative des complications.

While somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) has been successful in several species, many pregnancies are lost and anomalies are found in fetal and perinatal stages. In this study SCNT and artificial inseminations (AI) populations were compared for litter size, average birth weight, piglets alive at birth, stillborn, mummies, dead at the first week, intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and large for gestational age (LGA). Twenty-three SCNT litters (143 individuals) were compared to 112 AI litters (1300 individuals). Litter size average was 11.5 for AI and 6.2 for SCNT. Litter weight and average birth weight adjusted by litter size were significantly (p < 0.05) higher in AI than in SCNT litters. The SCNT population had a significant (p < 0.01) increase in the number of IUGRs per litter with LSmeans 7.2 +/- 1.4 versus 19.4 +/- 3.5 and means 8.0 +/- 10.8 versus 15.5 +/- 24.5 for AI and SCNT, respectively. Additionally, there was a trend for higher postnatal mortality and stillbirths in the SCNT population. These findings demonstrate that there are some differences between SCNT-derived and AI litters. SCNT-derived pigs are excellent models to study epigenetic factors and genes involved in IUGRs, and to develop effective means to improve fetal growth in humans and animals.

These transgenic pigs provide unique animal models for examining macular degeneration and STGD3 pathogenesis.

IntroductionEwing’s sarcoma is second most common primary malignant bone neoplasm in children and adolescents. We report a case of Ewing’s sarcoma of ilium in an 18-year-old female mimicking clinically and radiologically inflammatory arthritis of hip joint, a rare entity not mentioned in literature.Case presentationAn 18-year-old girl presented with pain hip, limp and fever off and on. Patient had restricted range of motion, raised erythrocyte sedimentation rate, leucocytosis and radiograph showed reduced joint space. Magnetic resonance imaging pelvis revealed an altered marrow signal of acetabulum with a large soft tissue component. Histopathology revealed a malignant round cell tumor consistent with Ewing’s sarcoma.ConclusionClassical clinical and radiological presentation of Ewing’s sarcoma of ilium may not be the rule. One should be highly suspicious of the disease even if there is no direct pointer to the disease as was encountered in our case.

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