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Biomedical subjects

S Rapisarda

Publications and source records attributed to S Rapisarda.

8 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1987

Delta infection in eastern Sicily.

Sera from 619 HBsAg+ subjects living in eastern Sicily, consecutively collected from 1975-1985, were tested for markers of delta virus (HDV) infection: delta antigen (HDAg), antibodies to delta (anti-HDIg), and also for antibodies to HBcore of IgM type (anti-HBcIgM) and for the system HBe-anti-HBe. The subjects included 210 asymptomatic carriers, 238 patients with acute hepatitis and 171 patients with chronic liver disease. HDAg was not found in any of the samples. Anti-HD was found in 28/171 (16.3%) patients with chronic liver disease, in 13/210 (6%) asymptomatic HBsAg carriers and in 13/238 (5.4%) patients with acute hepatitis. None of our patients were drug addicts. One had a history of blood transfusion, and nine came from the same family unit. The prevalence of HDV infection in eastern Sicily is lower than in other areas of Sicily possibly because of the lower percentage of HBsAg carriers in the local population. Parenteral transmission of HDV does not seem to play a major role in our area, while the familial clustering suggests close body contact as an important way of spread.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Neer capsular shift surgery in the treatment of recurrent antero-inferior shoulder dislocations.

A total of 47 patients affected with recurrent multidirectional shoulder dislocation with a prevalent anteroinferior component were submitted to Neer inferior capsular shift surgery. Bankart lesion, present in 24 patients, was repaired prior to performing capsuloligamentous surgery. The patients included in the study presented with generalized ligamentous hyperlaxity in 20 cases, while hyperlaxity was localized in the pathological shoulder in the remaining cases, presumably related to the high number of dislocations. The choice of performing Neer inferior capsular shift surgery was initially based on the data and the modern conceptions that emerged in the literature. Successively, the good results obtained encouraged us to follow the path taken, and we are currently encouraged to advise this surgical procedure for the category of patients mentioned above.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Variations in method in the use of the coracoacromial ligament for the surgical treatment of acromioclavicular dislocations.

Many authors have used the coracoacromial ligament to treat acromioclavicular dislocations. The variation in method proposed in this study includes: a) detachment of the coracoacromial ligament from the acromial aspect, b) its section into two bands, medial and lateral, of which one inserted by means of a transosseous hole at the clavicle and the second one anchored bridge-like on the clavicle suturing it to the soft tissues; c) temporary fixation of the acromioclavicular joint by means of a Kirschner wire or Ghisellini screw pin that is threaded at one end. The study conducted may be considered preliminary, as the series is constituted by 16 patients affected with grade IV acromioclavicular displacement according to Rockwood, acute in 13 cases and inveterate in 3. The results which were excellent and good in terms of pain, recovery of range of movement, and the subjective opinion of the patients, reveals a subdislocation measuring from 3 to 5 mm in 2 patients in our series. Currently, the hypothesis may be advanced that the variation in the method described may have the advantage of guaranteeing physiological anchoring of the ligament to the clavicle and thus providing a greater guarantee should trauma occur in the future.

Acromioclavicular Joint↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Surgery in massive ruptures of the rotator cuff: results as related to prognosis.

The results obtained in the surgical treatment of massive lesions of the rotator cuff are quite often inferior to what is expected, because prognosis is not respected. To demonstrate that the quality of the results obtained is directly proportional to the preoperative prognostic factors a retrospective study was conducted on 28 patients submitted to massive lesion repair of the rotator cuff between 1990 and 1996; the criteria of inclusion was: a) patients aged under 65 years; b) preoperative radiographic findings with acromiohumeral distance not less than 6 mm; c) degeneration of the tendons not greater than a Goutallier stage 2; d) absence of inveterate pseudoparalysis of the limb involved; e) absence of anterosuperior subdislocation of the humeral head. The results obtained with a mean follow-up of 5 years revealed a mean Constant score of 85 points (minimum 79, maximum 91) that may correspond to excellent results, showing how this type of surgery may guarantee good results only when factors of prognosis are respected preoperatively.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Ultrasound and MRI for the long-term evaluation of surgical repair of the rotator cuffs.

About 1 year after surgery to repair the rotator cuff, a total of 20 patients (80% monotendinous injuries, 20% bitendinous injuries) were submitted to ultrasound and MRI to evaluate repair, quality of residual tissue, and to reveal any discrepancies between the two instrumental tests. The results showed that there was normal tendinous integrity in 16 cases (group A), while there were partial injuries, without evidence of complete lesion, in 4 cases (group B); tendinous thinning was evident in 10 patients (50%), while there were areas of intratendinous degeneration in 40% of the cases. The authors observed agreement between the data obtained by the two methods in 75% of cases, and emphasize the effectiveness of the two methods in postoperative evaluation of the cuff; they also confirm the tendinous dishomogeneousness observed in the patients in group B, not associated with poor clinical results, considering the absence of significant differences in the functional results between the two groups.

Aged↗