Proprioceptive and behavior impairments in individuals with anterior cruciate ligament reconstructed knees

Objective: To assess sensory deficits and their effects on proprioceptive and motor function in patients who had undergone unilateral anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction.Design: Four evaluations were conducted: (1) joint position perception of the knee for predetermined angles (0degrees, 15degrees, 30degrees, 45degrees, 60degrees); (2) threshold for detection of passive knee motion at 0degrees, 15degrees, 30degrees, 45degrees, and 60degrees moving into flexion and at 15degrees, 30degrees, 45degrees, and 60degrees moving into extension; (3) latency onset of hamstring muscles; and (4) postural control during upright double- and single-leg stance.Setting: Movement laboratory in Brazil.Participants: Ten participants who had surgical reconstruction of the ACL (reconstructed group) and 10 participants without knee injury (control group).Interventions: Not applicable.Main Outcome Measures: Absolute error, angular displacement, hamstring muscles latency, and mean sway amplitude.Results: Individuals with a reconstructed knee showed decreased joint position perception, a higher threshold for detection of passive knee motion, longer latency of hamstring muscles, and decreased performance in postural control.Conclusions: After lesion and ACL reconstruction, sensory and motor behavior changes were still observed. This may be because of the lack of proprioceptive information resulting from the ACL lesion and/or substitution of ACL by the graft. (C) 2003 by the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine and the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.

Effect of root canal filling material and level of surgical injury on periodontal healing in dogs

Some divergencies in the literature about periodontal healing after surgical injury stimulated the development of this experiment. The root canals of dogs' teeth were negotiated and filled by the lateral condensation technique with two kinds of sealers: Sealapex and zinc oxide-eugenol cement. In the second session, the bone tissue was exposed and one cavity was made at the apical third of the root and another at the border between the coronal and middle thirds, both penetrating into the root canal. Six months later the animals were sacrificed and the specimens prepared for histopathologic analysis. The results showed that the kind of filling material and the level of the periodontal wound exposing the root canal can influence the healing process (P<0.01).

Influence of the period after ovariectomy on femoral and mandibular bone density and on induced periodontal disease

Background: This study investigated the influence of the period after ovariectomy on femoral and mandibular bone mineral density (BMD) and on induced periodontal disease.Methods: One hundred and twenty-six female Holtzman rats were divided into nine groups: control, sham surgery (SHAM) with and without induction of periodontal disease for 51 and 150 days, and ovariectomy (OVX) with and without induction of periodontal disease for 51 and 150 days. Periodontal disease was induced by placing ligatures on the first lower molars during the last 30 days of each period. BMD was measured by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. Vertical bone loss was determined by measuring the distance from the alveolar bone crest to the cemento-enamel junction on the mesial side of the first lower molar.Results: Statistical analyses (Kruskal-Wallis test) revealed a significant difference between the OVX and SHAM groups' global and femoral proximal epiphysis BMD (P < 0.001) for 150 days and in the global evaluation for 51 days. For mandibular BMD, no difference was found between the groups of each period. Influence of the period on femoral BMD was found only for the SHAM groups, with lower BMD for the 51-day period compared to the 150-day period (P < 0.05). In the global evaluation of the mandible, a lower BMD was found after 51 days. The period was a contributing factor for the vertical bone loss, and it resulted in higher values for the 51-day period (P < 0.05).Conclusion: the period influenced the femoral BMD and the vertical bone loss in induced periodontal disease.

Root surface conditioning with nicotine or cotinine reduces viability and density of fibroblasts in vitro

The purpose of study was to evaluate fibroblast attachment and cellular morphology on root surfaces chemically conditioned with nicotine or cotinine. A secondary objective was to determine if mechanical scaling and root planning of these chemically conditioned surfaces would alter cellular attachment. Root surface dentin specimens were prepared from uniradicular teeth of non-smoking patients. Specimens were randomly assigned to two experimental groups: no treatment (chemical conditioning only) and scaling and root planning after conditioning (SRPC). The concentrations of the tested substances were in the range of 0-1 mg/mL (nicotine) and 0-1 ?g/mL (cotinine). After a 24-h conditioning period, dentin slices were incubated with continuous lineage of fibroblastic cells from rat (McCoy cells) for another 24 h. Specimens were prepared for SEM analysis and microphotographs. The statistical analysis of the data indicated significant alteration of cellular morphology on fibroblasts that were grown on root surface exposed to nicotine concentrations greater than 1 ? g/mL. This effect of nicotine was not reduced by SRPC. on the other hand, in the SRPC group cellular density was greater. For cotinine-conditioned specimens, the greater concentrations also led to alteration on morphology, and these alterations were observed in the SRPC group as well. Cotinine did not induce significant changes on cellular density. The results indicated that fibroblasts are negatively influenced by nicotine present on the dentin substrate and also that scaling may reduce these effects. Cotinine treatment on root surfaces may alter cell morphology and density but these effects were less severe than that promoted by nicotine, and were not affected by scaling.

Periodontal status in smokers and never-smokers: Clinical findings and real-time polymerase chain reaction quantification of putative periodontal pathogens

Background: Smoking is a well-known risk factor for destructive periodontal disease, but its relationship with periodontal status and subgingival microbiota remains unclear. Inherent limitations of microbiological methods previously used may partly explain these mixed results, and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has been presented as a valid alternative. The aim of the present study was to investigate the clinical condition and microbiological profile of patients with chronic periodontitis as related to the habit of smoking.Methods: Fifty patients (33 to 59 years old), 25 smokers and 25 never-smokers, constituted the sample. The visible plaque index (VPI), gingival bleeding index (GBI), bleeding on probing (BOP), periodontal probing depth (PD), clinical attachment loss (CAL), and gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) volume were recorded. Real-time PCR quantified Porphyromonas gingivalis, Micromonas micros, Dialister pneumosintes, Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans and total bacteria in subgingival samples.Results: Smokers and never-smokers showed similar values for VPI, GBI, and BOP. Smokers had deeper PD in buccal/lingual sites and higher CAL independently of the tooth surface. The GCF volume was smaller in smokers, independent of the PD. Similar amounts of total bacteria and P. gingivalis were observed for both groups. Significantly higher numbers of D. pneumosintes and M. micros were present in smokers and associated with moderate and deep pockets. When heavy smokers were considered, higher counts of total bacteria, M. micros, and D. pneumosintes were observed.Conclusions: Smoking seems to have a detrimental impact on the periodontal status and microbiological profile of patients with periodontitis. Compared to never-smokers, smokers had deeper pockets, greater periodontal destruction, and higher counts of some putative periodontal pathogens.