Biological Substitute for Dental Implants?

Work at Columbia University College of Dental Medicine Holds Promise for a Biological Substitute for Dental Implants, According to Latest Journal of Dental Research

New York – A technique pioneered in the Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine Laboratory of Dr. Jeremy Mao, the Edward V. Zegarelli Professor of Dental Medicine at Columbia University Medical Center, can orchestrate stem cells to migrate to a three-dimensional scaffold infused with growth factor, holding the translational potential to yield an anatomically correct tooth in as soon as nine weeks once implanted.

People who have lost some or all of their adult teeth typically look to dentures, or, more recently, dental implants to improve a toothless appearance that can have a host of unsettling psycho-social ramifications.

Human Molar Scaffolding

An animal-model study has shown that by homing stem cells to a scaffold made of natural materials and integrated in surrounding tissue, there is no need to use harvested stem cell lines, or create an environment outside of the body (e.g., a Petri dish) where the tooth is grown and then implanted once it has matured. The tooth instead can be grown “orthotopically,” or in the socket where the tooth will integrate with surrounding tissue in ways that are impossible with hard metals or other materials.

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Medicina Reproductiva: A partir de los 35 años comienza a decaer la fertilidad masculina

Investigadores de la Universidad Nacional de Córdoba y del Conicet estudiaron cerca de nueve mil muestras de semen de hombres de entre 20 y 59 años de edad. Comprobaron que la fertilidad masculina decae después de los 50, y que las primeras señales de alerta en relación con la calidad del semen empiezan a manifestarse a partir de los 35 años

Córdoba, Argentina – Así como la calidad de óvulos femeninos va disminuyendo gradualmente a partir de los 35 años, algo similar ocurre con el semen de los hombres, a medida que pasa el tiempo. Para analizar la relación entre la edad y la calidad del semen, investigadores  de la Universidad Nacional de Córdoba (UNC) analizaron 9168 muestras de donantes obtenidas en un laboratorio independiente de  Andrología y Reproducción. El estudio abarcó algo menos que diez años, entre 1995 y 2004 y las edades de los donantes fluctúaron entre los  20 y los 59 años. Los resultados fueron publicados este año en la revista Archivos Españoles de Urología.

“Para determinar la calidad seminal se cuantifican, de acuerdo a recomendaciones de la Organización Mundial de la Salud, diferentes parámetros que incluyen volumen seminal (cantidad  de semen eyaculado, en mililitros), concentración de espermatozoides, esto es, número de espermatozoides por cada mililitro de semen eyaculado y movilidad de los espermatozoides que se cuantifica por el porcentaje de células que, al examen microscópico, se desplazan de manera rápida o lenta”, explicó a la Agencia CyTA, la doctora Marta Fiol de Cuneo, profesora titular de la cátedra de Fisiología Humana de la Facultad de Ciencias Médicas de la UNC e investigadora independiente del CONICET.

Otro parámetro con el que se evalúa la calidad del semen, es el porcentaje de espermatozoides vivos que se determina mediante una coloración que sólo tiñe las células muertas. También se estudia la morfología espermática, por ejemplo, si tienen una forma normal o exhiben distintas alteraciones ya sea en la cabeza, la cola o la pieza intermedia. Asimismo se tiene en cuenta el tamaño de estas células.

Espermatozoides

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Varicose vein study shows radiofrequency ablation causes less post-operative pain

A study to compare two increasingly popular treatments for varicose veins has found that patients who received radiofrequency ablation reported less post-procedural pain than those treated with endovenous laser ablation.

However, both groups reported the same clinical and quality of life improvements at six weeks, according to UK research published in the June issue of the British Journal of Surgery.

“Varicose veins are a very common condition that occurs when the blood flow to the legs is interrupted and collects in the veins” explains principal investigator Professor Alun Davies from Imperial College, London. “It’s estimated that as many as 30 per cent of adults in the UK will suffer from the condition at some point in their lives.”

Vascular surgery experts from the College randomised 131 patients into two groups, with 64 receiving endovenous laser ablation 980nm (EVLA) and 67 receiving radiofrequency ablation (RFA) using VNUS® ClosureFAST™.

All the procedures were carried out under general anaesthetic between July 2008 and July 2009 by one of three surgeons experienced in both techniques. The 89 female and 42 male patients were then asked to fill in diary cards recording pain levels, based on a visual analogue scale from zero to 100, and note any analgesia use.

The patients had an average age of 49 and there were no statistically significant differences in other factors such as their body mass index and the pattern of the disease between the two surgical groups.

“Radiofrequency and endovenous ablation are minimally invasive techniques and their development has revolutionised the treatment of varicose veins” says Professor Davies. “Perceived advantages over traditional surgery include fewer complications, minimal post procedural pain and faster recovery times.

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Plastic Surgery Prices: USA vs South America

If you live in USA and you are considering having a plastic surgery, you might want to compare the cost and services in other countries. Plastic surgery procedures in USA are not cheap; usually prices in South America countries, like Argentina, are about 50% to 70% lower.  You may wonder how it is possible that the prices are so low. This is due to two main factors:

1. The cost of living in Argentina is very low compared to United State. Medicine is no exception, lower surgeons’ charges and lower operating room maintenance fees make plastic surgery procedures in Argentina cheaper than in USA.
2. This, together with a favorable exchange rate used in Argentina (US$ 1 = ARS 3,8) offers you the opportunity to obtain top quality treatments and affordable prices.

Less expensive treatments, doesn’t mean a lower standard of care, Argentinean surgeons are considered amongst the best in the world.

Prices listed below are average for cosmetic procedures  as reported by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) on April 27, 2010. Prices in US dollars.

Top 5 Reconstructive Plastic Surgery Procedures in 2009

According to statistics released by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS), nearly 5.2 million reconstructive plastic surgery procedures were performed last year. Reconstructive plastic surgery, which improves function and appearance to abnormal structures, increased 5 percent in 2009. The top five reconstructive procedures in 2009 were:

* Tumor removal (3.9 million)
* Laceration repair (332,000)
* Scar revision (171,000)
* Hand surgery (110,000)
* Maxillofacial surgery (90,000)

“Reconstructive plastic surgery is an important part of what we do,” said Dr. McGuire. “We know that 70 percent of women eligible for breast reconstruction after cancer are not aware of their reconstructive options. We would like to see this change to the point that we can report this procedure is now among the top five reconstructive procedures.”