BACKGROUND Our aim was to evaluate the efficacy of Diffusion-Weighted Imaging (DWI) and Apparent Diffusion Coefficient (ADC) mapping with different b-factors in visualisation of meniscal tears. MATERIAL/METHODS Seventy-four patients; 30 males and 44 females, 37 left and 37 right knees with meniscal tears were involved in this study. Eleven of them were lateral meniscal tears and 63 - medial m...

PURPOSE To study retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) tears after off-label intravitreal bevacizumab (Avastin; Genentech, Inc., South San Francisco, CA) injection for neovascular age-related macular degeneration. Eyes with a vascularized pigment epithelial detachment (PED) that developed an RPE tear were compared with eyes with a vascularized PED but without an RPE tear. METHODS Nine retina speci...

It is generally thought that mucosal fluids protect underlying epithelial surfaces against opportunistic infection via their antimicrobial activity. However, our published data show that human tear fluid can protect against the major opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa independently of bacteriostatic activity. Here, we explored the mechanisms for tear protection, focusing on impacts o...

Background and aims: Mucus released from goblet cells is important in intestinal mucosal defence, and mucin glycoproteins are thought to be major components of mucus. Recently, we identified and cloned another component of human colonic mucus, IgG Fc binding protein (FcγBP). FcγBP is immunologically distinct from known Fcγ receptors and its structure contains repeated cysteine rich unit sequenc...

The ocular surface, in a strict sense, consists of the cornea and its major support tissue, the conjunctiva. In a wider anatomical, embryological, and also functional sense, the ocular mucosal adnexa (i.e. the lacrimal gland and the lacrimal drainage system) also belong to the ocular surface. This definition includes the source and the eventual drainage of the tears that are of utmost importanc...

As part of a systemic study of the spine between D11 and S1 the distribution and severity of anterior and posterior annular tears has been assessed by charting the tears in sagittal slabs of 117 fresh specimens. No significant sex difference was seen. The number of cases with tears in multiple discs increases with age, but exceptions to this trend occurred in both young and elderly spines. Age ...

Objective This study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in diagnosing lateral ankle ligament injuries and the effect of differences in time duration from injury to MRI. Methods Data were collected prospectively from 82 patients who underwent MRI and lateral ligament reconstruction, and were divided into either acute (≤3 months) or chronic (>3 months) group base...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Extracellular matrix remodeling is altered in rotator cuff tears, partly due to altered expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and their inhibitors. It is unclear whether this altered expression can be traced as changes in plasma protein levels. We measured the plasma levels of MMPs and their tissue inhibitors (TIMPs) in patients with rotator cuff tears and relate...

The identification of appropriate skin tear prevention guidelines for the elderly requires clinicians to focus on local risk factors such as structural alterations of the epidermis and dermis related to skin tears. The aim of this cross-sectional study is to explore the prevalence of skin tears and to explore skin properties related to skin tears in elderly Japanese patients at a long-term medi...

INTRODUCTION The intervertebral disc (IVD) undergoes more extensive structural and compositional changes with age and degeneration than any other musculoskeletal tissue. With age and degeneration, tears appear within discs due to limiting diffusion of nutrients into the disc, alteration of chemical composition, and injuries. Disc tears are associated with low back pain [1,2]. The current clinic...