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Biomedical subjects

F Postacchini

Publications and source records attributed to F Postacchini.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1983

Idiopathic coccygodynia. Analysis of fifty-one operative cases and a radiographic study of the normal coccyx.

We studied the normal radiographic anatomy of the coccyx in 120 asymptomatic subjects and performed a retrospective review of the results in fifty-one patients who had had a partial or total coccygectomy for idiopathic coccygodynia during a twenty-year period. Of the asymptomatic subjects, the sacrococcygeal joint was fused in forty-four (37 per cent); the first intercoccygeal joint, in twelve (10 per cent); and the second intercoccygeal joint, in fifty-two (43 per cent). Four types of configuration of the coccyx were identified on the lateral radiographs. In Type I the coccyx was curved slightly forward, whereas in Type II the curve of the coccyx, which pointed straight forward, was more marked. In Type III the coccyx was angulated forward sharply, and in Type IV it was subluxated at the sacrococcygeal or the intercoccygeal joint. Most subjects (68 per cent) had a Type-I configuration. Of the fifty-one patients with idiopathic coccygodynia, twenty-six (51 per cent) showed fusion of the sacrococcygeal joint; six (12 per cent), of the first intercoccygeal joint; and twenty-five (49 per cent), of the second intercoccygeal joint. In most patients (69 per cent) the coccyx had a Type-II, III, or IV configuration. Thirty-one patients had undergone a partial coccygectomy and twelve, a total coccygectomy; in the remaining eight patients the extent of the coccygectomy could not be determined. The results of surgery were excellent or good in thirty-two (88 per cent) of the thirty-six patients who were followed for at least two years.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗
PubMed1983

Subtotal ossification of the Achilles tendon. Case report.

The authors describe a case of subtotal ossification of the Achilles tendon in which the affected portion of the tendon was excised and replaced by reflecting down a portion of the distal aponeurotic tendon of the gastrocemius. The good result obtained shows that this is a valid method of treatment despite the large gap in the Achilles tendon after resecting the ossified portion.

Achilles Tendon↗
PubMed1983

Lumbar spinal stenosis and pseudostenosis. Definition and classification of pathology.

The concept of lumbar stenosis is defined and a classification of the diverse types is proposed. This is based on a correlation of the findings at operation with those of radiographs and axial tomography in patients with spinal stenosis or with disc hernia in a narrow spinal canal. The spinal canal can only be considered stenosed if the osseous canal is narrowed to the point at which it causes compression of the dural sac with or without nerve root involvement. Lumbar spinal stenosis can be divided into: Stenosis of the spinal canal, stenosis of the root canal, and stenosis of the intervertebral foramen.

Humans↗
PubMed1983

Skeletal growth in normal and pathological conditions.

The authors describe the morphological and functional differences between the various systems of enchondral ossification of the metaphysis and epiphysis of the long bones, the short bones and the zones of insertion of tendons and ligaments. They discuss the relationships between the various types of enchondral ossification, the rates of skeletal growth and a number of orthopaedic growth disorders. In deformity of the lower limb, skeletal growth produces spontaneous correction in the majority of cases. Spinal abnormalities, on the other hand, tend to deteriorate during the period of rapid growth of the trunk.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1982

Effects of chymopapain on intervertebral disc and cartilage. (Ultrastructural study).

A direct ultrastructural study was carried out with a view to determining the changes brought about in vitro by chymopapain on the intervertebral disc and the vertebral growth plate. The tissues studied were: (A) fragments of protruded nucleus pulposus and extruded disc tissue; (B) portions of human and rabbit annulus fibrous; (C) fragments of rabbit vertebral growth plate. The fragments of tissue were incubated with chymopapain for three, six and twenty-four hours and were then fixed. In the protruded nucleus pulposus and extruded disc tissue, chymopapain produced disappearance of the electron-dense granules (which are presumably proteoglycans) and of the electron-dense granular material of the intercellular matrix. The enzyme probably also has an injurious action on the chondrocytes, but does not affect the fibrils and collagen fibres. Its action is also conditioned by the dimensions of the fragment of tissue incubated. If this is large, only the peripheral portion is completely digested. The action of the enzyme on the annulus fibrosus and the vertebral growth plate is similar to that on the nucleus pulposus. The present study indicates that the clinical effects of chymopapain are due to digestion of the proteoglycan granules and the electron-dense granular material of the herniated nucleus pulposus. These effects appear to be correlated with the collagen fibre content of the tissue, in the sense that the greater the collagen content, the more tissue mass remains unaffected.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

Lumbosacral nerve-root anomalies.

Forty-six cases of anomalous lumbosacral nerve roots were found in a series of 2123 patients who underwent myelography with water-soluble contrast medium. The anomalies were classified into five types. In Types I and II, one or more nerve roots emerged from the theca at a more cranial (Type I) or caudal (Type II) level than normal. In Type III, two or more roots emerged through closely adjacent openings in the dura, whereas in Type IV two nerve roots emerged from the dural sac combined as one nerve trunk. In Type V, two roots were connected by an anastomotic branch shortly after their emergence from the dura. The anomalies were usually unilateral and the fifth lumbar and first sacral-nerve roots were the most frequently involved. Type-III and Type-IV anomalies were the most common (69 per cent). Twenty-one per cent of the patients had lumbosacral anomalies and one had congenital absence of the articular facets of the lumbosacral joint on the side of the nerve-root anomaly. In seven patients the anomalous root or roots were compressed by a herniated disc, and the roots were entrapped in a lateral recess or intervertebral foramen in two. Symptoms and signs of nerve-root compression were usually severe, even in the patients with a small disc protrusion. The severity of the clinical findings appeared to be due to the reduced mobility of the anomalous roots. Adequate surgical decompression led to satisfactory final results in all nine patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1981

CT scanning versus myelography in the diagnosis of lumbar stenosis. A preliminary report.

To assess the diagnostic accuracy of CT scanning in lumbar stenosis, twenty-nine patients in whom water-soluble myelography showed degenerative bony encroachment of suggested developmental narrowing of the spinal canal were scanned at all lumbar levels, and CT images were compared with myelographic findings. In developmental stenosis computerised tomography was found to be less accurate than water-soluble myelography, whereas in most cases of degenerative stenosis CT findings correlated well with myelographic patterns. An intermediate accuracy index was found in combined stenosis. In central degenerative encroachment of the spinal canal surgical treatment may be undertaken on the basis of CT findings. In the preoperative evaluation of the other types of lumbar stenosis CT scanning with 8-mm thick slices represents a useful adjunct to myelography, but cannot replace this investigation.

Adult↗
PubMed1981

Lumbosacral intradural tumours simulating disc disease.

Twelve patients with symptoms and signs simulating lumbar disc disease were found to have intradural tumours in the lumbosacral area. Of the nine patients with a neurofibroma, two had previously had a laminectomy for an erroneous diagnosis of disc herniation and one had three separate tumours which were excised in two successive operations. One of the three patients with an ependymoma had a coccygectomy before the correct diagnosis was made. Only one patient who had an ependymoma showed radiographic abnormalities suggesting a neoplastic lesion, but eight of the ten cases in which the cerebrospinal fluid was analyzed had a protein content of 50 mg per 100 ml. Myelography provided the correct diagnosis in all cases. Excision of the tumour resulted in full clinical recovery except for one patient with an ependymoma.

Adult↗
PubMed1981

Age-related changes in the metabolism of tendon cells.

Rabbit tendon cells undergo considerable metabolic change from birth to old age. Aerobic glycolysis is the main energy source during the first three months of life, whereas from this age onwards cell respiration gradually decreases and finally ceases at one year of age. In young tendons glucose-1-14C oxidation is high, indicating an active pentose-monophosphate shunt. In old tendons glucose-6-14C is not a precursor for lactate whereas alanine-U-14C is an excellent precursor. Anaerobic glycolysis, which has the same activity throughout the whole tendon lifespan, may be an alternative to aerobic glycolysis at all ages.

Aging↗
PubMed1981

Rupture and disinsertion of the proximal attachment of the adductor longus tendon. Case report with histochemical and ultrastructural study.

The writers describe a rare case of rupture with disinsertion of the proximal end of the adductor longus tendon. The morphological and histological observations made on a large fragment removed from the terminal portion of the tendon showed a marked increase in the thickness of the fibro-cartilage at the level of the insertion. On the basis of these observations, the hypothesis is put forward that one of the possible pathogenic mechanisms of tendon rupture-disinsertion is an increase in the thickness of the fibro-cartilage of the tendon at its insertion into the bone, with consequent diminution of mechanical efficiency.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

Computerised tomography in lumbar stenosis. A preliminary report.

Cross-sectional studies of the lumbar spinal canal were performed by computerised tomography in asymptomatic subjects and in patients with myelographic and clinical findings suggestive of lumbar stenosis. In most cases stenosis was found to be developmental or combined in nature. Computerised tomography is a useful adjunct to myelography in the evaluation of lumbar stenosis as it enables an accurate assessment to be made of the type, degree and extent of narrowing of the vertebral canal.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

Regeneration of rabbit calcaneal tendon maturation of collagen and elastic fibers following partial tenotomy.

Regenerated tendon tissue replacing partial-thickness defects produced in rabbit calcaneal tendons was seen to undergo almost complete maturation between three and sixteen weeks after surgery. At this stage, most collagen fibers had large diameters as in normal tendon, and the majority of elastic fibers were mature. This findings, along with those of a previous study on completely severed and unsutured tendons, indicate that mechanical stress plays a primary role in maturation of regenerating tendon. This emphasizes the importance of close approximation of tendon ends in the management of tendon ruptures and lacerations. This is possibly by surgical repair.

Animals↗
PubMed1980

Morphological, immunochemical, and biochemical study of rabbit achilles tendon at various ages.

UNLABELLED: With aging, rabbit tendon tissue undergoes a series of morphological and biochemical changes which involve both the cells and the extrace-lular matrix. The extracellular matrix increases in volume, causing a relative decrease of the number of cells per unit of tissue surface. The tenoblasts become longer and more slender, while their cytoplasmic processes increase in number and become thinner and more elongated, forming a dense network. In addition, tendon cells show a marked decrease in the intracytoplasmic organelles responsible for protein synthesis, while their intracellular content of contractile proteins does not change. With aging collagen fibers increase in diameter and vary more in thickness. These morphological changes correspond to biochemical changes that include an increase in collagen, a decrease in mucopolysaccharides, and a decrease in water content. During aging parallel changes occur in the elastic fibers, which decrease in number and show structural alterations. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Ultrastructural and biochemical studies of tendon diseases need a normal comparison. Out ultrastructural and biochemical findings in aging tendon may be useful in that regard. The presence of actin and myosin in tendon cells could be related to some aspects of tendon physiology and pathology.

Achilles Tendon↗
PubMed1980

Tuberculous epidural granuloma simulating a herniated lumbar disk: a report of a case.

A tuberculous epidural granuloma was encountered in a 43-year-old man with a typical syndrome of lumbar disk herniation. Roentgenograms of the spine revealed only an anterior bony bridge between the vertebral bodies of L4 and L5, and a narrowing of the fourth intervetebral space. Myelogram showed a complete block of the dural sac, which appeared to be caused by an extradural mass located at the level of the L4-L5 disk. At operation granulomatous tissue was found in the anterior epidural space and the fourth intervertebral disk. On the basis of the radiographic and surgical findings, it is reasonable to assume that the infection spread to the epidural space from an inapparent vertebral focus either directly or by way of the intervertebral disk.

Adult↗
PubMed1978

Regeneration of rabbit calcaneal tendon: a morphological and immunochemical study.

The regenerated tissue which fills the gap between the stumps of sectioned and unsutured rabbit calcaneal tendon was studied by immunofluorescence, light and electron microscopy from 2 days to 30 weeks after surgery. In the early stages, the newly formed tissue consisted of few connective tissue cells of variable shape dispersed in an abundant intercellular matrix. At 7 days after tenotomy most of the cells were spindle shaped and arranged along the major tendon axis. They showed a well developed rough endoplasmic reticulum, a prominent Golgi complex and bundles of thin and thick filaments. Moreover, they appeared intensely stained when treated with anti-actin and anti-myosin sera. The bulk of the intercellular matrix consisted of bundles of collagen fibers, mostly arranged parallel to the cells. In the subsequent stages the regenerating tissue became more compact, acquiring the morphological characteristics of tendon tissue. At 30 weeks after tenotomy, however, it did not show yet the typical texture of the normal adult tendon. The tenocytes were more numerous and less uniformly distributed, and contained a greater amount of ergastoplasm and contractile proteins. The collagen fibers were similar in size to those of the neonatal normal tendon and the elastic fibers appeared often immature.

Actins↗
PubMed1978

Early mobilisation and functional re-education in the post operative treatment of prolapsed lumbar disc.

After operations for prolapsed lumbar disc, the authors recommend early resumption of the erect posture combined with a programme of re-education. This is started during the first days after the operation and continued for three months. In most cases it assists the rapid recovery of spinal function. The best results are obtained in patients in whom the operation completely relieves the nerve root symptoms. The programme of re-education, begun early, presents no problems if excessive strain on the lumbar spine is avoided during the first seven to nine days after operation.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1977

Contractile filaments in cells of regenerating tendon.

An extensive cytoplasmic fibrillar system has been observed in fibroblast-like cell of regenerating tendon. It consists of bundles of actin filaments, which often show a cross-striated appearance due to electron dense bodies occurring throughout their length. The functional role of this contractile apparatus seems to be related to the process of movement and orientation of the newly formed cells and to the retraction of the regenerating tendon.

Animals↗