The purpose of this study was to compare the outcomes of internal fixation of intra-articular fractures of the calcaneus on the basis of patient age.

Methods: One hundred and seventy-five patients (191 fractures) who underwent internal fixation between 1992 and 2007 for a displaced, intra-articular

calcaneal fracture were identified. The American Society of Anesthesiologists GDC-0941 ic50 score, the fracture pattern, and the mechanism of injury were recorded. Each patient was contacted to complete a follow-up survey from which clinical outcome scores were calculated. One hundred and forty-six patients with 158 fractures were available for follow-up and were divided into two groups for comparison. Group I consisted of 108 fractures in patients who were less than fifty years old. Group II was composed of fractures in fifty patients who were fifty years of age or older.

Results: The mean duration of follow-up was 8.98 years. The average patient age was thirty-six years for Group I and fifty-eight years for Group II. The average adjusted American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society score was 64 for Group I and 75 for Group II. The mean calcaneal fracture scoring system score was 66 for Group I, and 76 for Group II. Similarly, the

average Foot Function Index was 24 and 15 for Groups I and II, respectively. Each clinical outcome measure suggests significantly better outcomes for Group II as compared with Group I (all p < 0.05). Overall, the complication rates were similar between groups. Conversion Blasticidin S in vitro to subtalar fusion was 15% for Group I and 8% for Group II.

Conclusions: In this series, outcomes of older patients are at least equivalent to those of younger patients undergoing internal fixation for an intra-articular calcaneal fracture. Operative intervention appears to be a reasonable option for displaced calcaneal fractures in older patients. Physiologic age should be considered when evaluating older patients, and individualized treatment plans remain critical because patients with this website low physical demands or who have medical complications

may be better candidates for nonoperative treatment. Prospective studies are needed in this area.”
“Deacetylation degree (DD) is one of the most important characteristics of chitosan and has great impact on its physicochemical and biological properties. In this study, three kinds of chitosan with different DD were prepared. By means of living imaging technique and fluorescent quantitative technique, the influences of different DD on the distribution of chitosan in vivo were investigated. The results showed that chitosan with molecular weight between 20,000 and 26,000 mainly distributed in kidney after intravenous injection. The influences of DD on the distribution of chitosan in kidney was obvious. The renal distribution of chitosan with 38, 51, and 61% DD achieved the maximum concentration in 60, 30, and 60 min, respectively.