The use of calcium phosphate bone cement for the treatment of fractures in adult patients is associated with a lower prevalence of pain at the fracture site in comparison with the rate in controls (patients managed with no graft material). Loss of fracture reduction is also decreased in comparison with that in patients managed with autogenous bone graft.

A meta-analysis of six randomized controlled trials suggested that bisphosphonates have a beneficial effect with regard to maintaining more periprosthetic bone mineral density than that in controls. However, the limitations of the available studies and the lack of analyses of clinically relevant outcomes (functional outcomes, revision rates, and quality of life) necessitate the planning and conduct of a sufficiently sized, methodologically sound study with clinically relevant end points. Until this has been done, the current evidence regarding the beneficial effects of bisphosphonates on periprosthetic bone after total joint arthroplasty should be interpreted with caution.

No abstract

Several clinical, imaging, and therapeutic factors affecting recovery following spinal cord injury (SCI) have been described. A systematic review of the topic is still lacking. Our primary aim was to systematically review clinical factors that may predict neurological and functional recovery following blunt traumatic SCI in adults. Such work would help guide clinical care and direct future research. Both Medline and Embase (to April 2008) were searched using index terms for various forms of SCI, paraplegia, or quadri=tetraplegia, and functional and neurological recovery. The search was limited to published articles that were in English and included human subjects. Article selection included class I and II evidence, blunt traumatic SCI, injury level above L1-2, baseline assessment within 72 h of injury, use of American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) scoring system for clinical assessment, and functional and neurological outcome. A total of 1526 and 1912 citations were located from Medline and Embase, respectively. Two surgeons reviewed the titles, abstracts, and full text articles for each database. Ten articles were identified, only one of which was level 1 evidence. Age and gender were identified as two patient-related predictors. While motor and functional recovery decreased with advancing age for complete SCI, there was no correlation considering incomplete ones. Therefore, treatment should not be restructured based on age in incomplete SCI. Among injury-related predictors, severity of SCI was the most significant. Complete injuries correlated with increased mortality and worse neurological and functional outcomes. Other predictors included SCI level, energy transmitted by the injury, and baseline electrophysiological testing.

Background: Medical education in Saudi Arabia is facing multiple challenges, including the rapid increase in the number of medical schools over a short period of time, the influx of foreign medical graduates to work in Saudi Arabia, the award of scholarships to hundreds of students to study medicine in various countries, and the absence of published national guidelines for minimal acceptable competencies of a medical graduate.