An experimental study was undertaken to evaluate the torque and axial force of the 6.5 mm ASIF lag screw implanted in the femoral neck after a subcapital osteotomy. The experiments were carried out on autopsied bones of more than 60 years of age. The average torque was 204 cmN, the screws in the upper half of the femoral head showing a higher torque than those in the lower half. The axial tension was measured by strain gauge transducer. Depending on the length of the thread of the screw (16 or 32 mm) the average tension reaches 1162 N or 1960 N. By tightening the screw until the impression of optimum fit is obtained, 70% of the maximum axial force is reached. It can therefore be estimated that at the beginning an interfragmentary pressure of 4000 to 8000 N is exerted on a medial femoral neck fracture fixed by four ASIF lag screws.

We evaluated cardiac function in an unanesthetized ovine model of hyperdynamic endotoxemia. The animals were instrumented for crystallographic dimension analysis of the left ventricle (LV) and measurement of LV, aortic, atrial, central venous, and pulmonary arterial pressures, and cardiac output. Seven sheep received 1.5 micrograms/kg of Escherichia coli endotoxin [lipopolysaccharide (LPS) LPS-P group] and were compared to a sham group. The sham group demonstrated no significant change in any of the variables. In the LPS-P group, the cardiac index increased (5.7 +/- 0.4 to 7.9 +/- 0.6 l.min-1.m-2) between 8 and 12 h after LPS. Concomitantly, the maximum elastance of LV end-systolic pressure-volume relations significantly decreased (2.88 +/- 0.27 mmHg/ml) compared with baseline (3.89 +/- 0.50 mmHg/ml). Other indexes of the LV contractility (maximum pressure development and ejection fraction) were also reduced. There was a simultaneous increase in the LV end-systolic and diastolic volumes. These findings confirm the hypothesis that there is a myocardial depression during LPS in the ovine model.

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