Suture

Urban living constantly attempts to 'suture' the city, finding ways to stitch gains and losses, or pasts and futures together in the moment of the 'urban now'. De Boeck's reflection on the complexities of the postcolonial urban world in the Central African locale is shaped around the visual archive that he built up over the past years with photographer Sammy Baloji. This article addresses the possibilities of such a combination of ethnography and photography to de-centre and reframe urban theory and build an alternative urban archive to explore in novel ways what this 'suturing', this living and living together, might mean in Central Africa's urban worlds today.

Silk from the silkworm, Bombyx mori, has been used as biomedical suture material for centuries. The unique mechanical properties of these fibers provided important clinical repair options for many applications. During the past 20 years, some biocompatibility problems have been reported for silkworm silk; however, contamination from residual sericin (glue-like proteins) was the likely cause. More recent studies with well-defined silkworm silk fibers and films suggest that the core silk fibroin fibers exhibit comparable biocompatibility in vitro and in vivo with other commonly used biomaterials such as polylactic acid and collagen. Furthermore, the unique mechanical properties of the silk fibers, the diversity of side chain chemistries for 'decoration' with growth and adhesion factors, and the ability to genetically tailor the protein provide additional rationale for the exploration of this family of fibrous proteins for biomaterial applications. For example, in designing scaffolds for tissue engineering these properties are particularly relevant and recent results with bone and ligament formation in vitro support the potential role for this biomaterial in future applications. To date, studies with silks to address biomaterial and matrix scaffold needs have focused on silkworm silk. With the diversity of silk-like fibrous proteins from spiders and insects, a range of native or bioengineered variants can be expected for application to a diverse set of clinical needs. r

This course aims to introduce you to film theory through a variety of foundational texts, important essays, and screenings of both familiar contemporary works and works of historical and theoretical significance. The material presented in the course aims to foster a dynamic and inquisitive environment where you can engage with cinema as a popular medium that is problematized by its medium specificity, ideological impact, and struggle for artistic and philosophical authenticity.

This paper sheds new light on Peter Greenaway's early films made in the 1970s as a remarkable seedbed of his later features. Reframing his experimental position accompanies two correlated registers that can be reexamined together: the then other avant-garde tendencies and the larger cultural context of poststructuralist and postmodern imagination. To link the former to the latter, the paper examines how the notion of ‘suture’ particularly worked in the Screen-theory-based experimental filmmaking and how Greenaway inspires us to expand and redefine it especially in ways of embodying Deleuzian ideas on any-space-whatever, automata, the virtual matrix of actual images, the plane of immanence of beings, etc. Analyzing seven films in two groups, this theoretical approach ultimately emphasizes what underlies Greenaway's apparently systematic cosmos: the system's becoming its own virtual chaos of non-system, which unfolds a creative disorder of post-apocalyptic, posthumous and post-human heterotopias.

Dismembered late Mesozoic ophiolites occur in two parallel belts along the eastern margin of the Indian Plate. The Eastern Belt, closely following the magmatic arc of the Central Burma Basin, coincides with a zone of high gravity. It is considered to mark a zone of steeply dipping mafic-ultramafic rocks and continental metamorphic rocks, which are the locus of two closely juxtaposed sutures. In contrast, the Western Belt, which follows the eastern margin of the Indo-Burma Range and the Andaman outer-island-arc, broadly follows a zone of negative gravity anomalies. Here the ophiolites occur mainly as rootless subhorizontal bodies overlying Eocene-Oligocene flyschoid sediments. Two sets of ophiolites that were accreted during the Early Cretaceous and mid-Eocene are juxtaposed in this belt. These are inferred to be westward propagated nappes from the Eastern Belt, emplaced during the late Oligocene collision between the Burmese and Indo-Burma-Andaman microcontinents.

Purpose: Sutures used in oral surgery should avoid or limit bacterial adhesion and proliferation to those parts exposed to oral fluids. Hence, microbial colonization on various intraoral suture materials from patients undergoing dental surgery was compared. Patients and Methods: During dentoalveolar surgery, various suture materials were used in 60 patients, who were randomly divided into 5 groups of 12. In each group, silk was placed intraorally in association with a different type of suture (ie, Supramid, Synthofil, Ethibond Excel, Ti-cron, Monocryl) at the same site to compare microbial colonization intraindividually. Eight days postoperatively, the sutures were removed, and adhered micro-organisms were isolated, counted, and identified through enzymatic activities and fermentation of sugars. Results: In all 60 patients, silk sutures exhibited the smallest affinity toward the adhesion of bacteria compared with considerable proliferation with nonresorbable multifilament sutures (Supramid, Synthofil, Ethibond Excel, Ti-cron). On the contrary, the microbial load was significantly lower when absorbable monofilament Monocryl was used. A greater quantity of bacteria was found on nonresorbable sutures than on absorbable ones, and nearly 2 times more facultative anaerobic bacteria were isolated in total. Conclusions: Our results show that bacteria adhere with different affinity to various types of suture materials. Absorbable silk and Monocryl exhibited the smallest number of adherent bacteria. Colonization by pathogens on sutures leads to the recommendation that sutures should be removed as early as possible after surgery is performed, to eliminate or to limit the reservoir for oral pathogens. This recommendation is dependent on whether the suture is absorbable.

A transverse suprapubic (Pfannenstiel) incision is widely used during open gynecologic surgery and cesarean delivery, and is associated with a better cosmetic result [1]. It was reported that 73.9% of obstetricians in the United Kingdom closed with a subcuticular suture after cesarean delivery [2]. Alderice et al. [3], in a Cochrane Review of skin closure at cesarean delivery, included only one trial (66 women) that compared subcuticular absorbable suture with staples, and which showed more favorable results with the former. We hypothesized that an absorbable suture that does not require removal will be associated with greater patient satisfaction.

Magnetotelluric data were obtained along a 450 km, almost west-east profile at approximately 31.5°S, which extends from La Rioja to Santa Fé provinces in central Argentina. The profile crosses two main crustal domains that were juxtaposed during the Early-Middle Cambrian Pampean Orogeny: the Pampean terrane to the west and the Río de la Plata craton to the east. The electrical resistivity structure of the crustal domains together with their boundary is presented. Through dimensionality analysis of the data, it was demonstrated that regional-scale electrical structures are mainly two-dimensional with a strike direction oriented parallel to the surface geological strike. The resistivity model shows a subvertical limit approximately along the eastern border of the Sierra Chica de Córdoba. To the east, the shallower structure is the Chaco-Paranense basin extending to a depth of 6 km with resistivities between 1 and 30 Ohm-m, whereas below the basin the ca 2.1-2.3 Ga Río de la Plata craton shows resistivities in a range of 300-10,000 Ohm-m. The Pampean terrane presents a 6 km layer with a resistivity higher than 10,000 Ohm-m whereas below this layer the resistivity values range from 50 to 200 Ohm-m. Based on both the geological information and the magnetotelluric results, the sharp lateral discontinuity observed in the resistivity model to the east of the Sierras de Córdoba is conjectured to represent the boundary between the Río de la Plata craton and the Pampean terrane which may correspond to the Early Cambrian suture.

The Neoproterozic Allaqi-Heiani suture in southeastern Egypt is the western extension of the Allaqi-Heiani-Onib-Sol Hamed-Yanbu suture that represents one of arc-arc sutures in the Arabian-Nubian Shield. It extends for more than 250 km from the N-trending Hamisana Shear Zone in the east to Lake Nasser in the west. It separates the 750-Ma-old Southeastern Desert terrane in the north from the 830-720-Ma-old Gabgaba terrane in the south. Structural studies supported by remote sensing investigations including Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) images show that the western part of Allaqi-Heiani suture zone constitutes three S-to SW-verging nappes in the north overriding an autochthonous block to the southwest. SW-verging, low-angle thrust sheets and folds, forming a 10-km wide imbrication fan, dominate the northern upper nappe (northern allochthon). These folds and thrusts deform shelf metasedimentary rocks including psammitic metasediments, marble and subordinate conglomerate. Volcanic rocks including rhyolites and felsic tuffs dominate the upper part of the northern allochthon. The contacts between the metasedimentary rocks on the one hand and the rhyolites and felsic tuffs on the other hand are extrusive. This allochthon overrides an internally deformed nappe (central allochthon) dominated by arc and ophiolitic assemblages now preserved as felsic and mafic schist, talc schist, serpentinites, and metagabbros. This allochthon is characterized by NW-trending, upright folds, which deform the earlier sub-horizontal structures. The structurally lower nappe (southern allochthon) is dominated by NNE-trending folds which deform amphibolite facies schistose metavolcanic and metavolcanoclastic rocks. The NNE-trending folds deform earlier NW-trending folds to produce crescentic dome interference pattern with well-developed NE-trending axial planar cleavage, consistent with ESE-WNW bulk shortening. The southernmost structural unit is an autochthonous block dominated by arc-related volcanic and volcanoclastic rocks. This block has suffered only minor deformation compared to the nappes to its north. The consistent SW-vergence of the structures indicates tectonic transport from northeast to southwest, followed by ESE-WNW shortening similar to that found in the Hamisana Shear Zone, further east. Collision between the Gabgaba-Gebeit terrane and the Southeastern Desert terrane along the Allaqi-Heiani suture, after the consumption of a marginal basin probably over an N-dipping subduction zone, led to the formation of EW-to NW-trending folds and thrusts. This was followed by ESE-WNW tectonic shortening to form NNE-trending folds, which are found to be overprinting the earlier structures. This latest might be due to collision between the Arabian-Nubian Shield and the Saharan Metacraton along an N-trending arc-continent suture represented farther south by the Keraf suture.

Posterior glenohumeral instability is much less commonly observed in clinical practice than either anterior or multidirectional instability. It occurs in approximately 2% to 5% of all cases of shoulder instability. Classically, posterior glenohumeral instability has been classified into acute, chronic, or "locked," as well as voluntary or involuntary. Traditionally, posterior shoulder instability has been described to occur in conjunction with other directions of instability and is often precipitated by minimal trauma. Generalized ligamentous laxity has been noted to be a frequent clinical hallmark feature. In contrast, isolated, trau-Background: Symptomatic, traumatic posterior shoulder instability is often the result of a posteriorly directed blow to an adducted, internally rotated, and forward-flexed upper extremity. Operative repair has been shown to provide favorable results. Current arthroscopic techniques with suture anchors and the ability to plicate the capsule using a nonabsorbable suture may provide favorable outcomes with reduced morbidity. Purpose: To evaluate the results of operative shoulder stabilization in patients with traumatic posterior shoulder instability. Study Design: Case series; Level of evidence, 4. Methods: A consecutive series of patients who underwent arthroscopic or open posterior stabilization for traumatic posterior shoulder instability were evaluated using subjective assessments, physical examinations, the Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation, Rowe score, Simple Shoulder Test, and the Western Ontario Shoulder Instability Index. Results: Between May 1996 and February 2002, 31 shoulders (30 patients) underwent posterior stabilization (19 arthroscopically, 12 open)

A Sm-Nd model age traverse across the Kola Peninsula has been undertaken to gain insight into the major episodes of crustal growth and to test the possible presence of early Archaean "Saamian" crust in the region. Granitoid gneisses and subordinate metasediments have been sampled from the main Archaean geological units, i.e. from northeast to southwest: the Murmansk domain (model ages of 2.68-2.96 Ga); Central Kola domain including samples from the Superdeep Borehole (2.74-2.92 Ga); Belomorian domain, including the eastern part of the Tersk area (2.70-2.93 Ga). The narrow range of depleted mantle model ages from 2.68 to 2.96 Ga for Archaean granitoid orthogneisses, close to the oldest crystallization ages from the region, indicate a major episode of late Archaean crustal growth and reveal no indication of ancient "Saamian" material in keeping with other geochronological evidence. Similar results (2.86 to 2.93 Ga) for Archaean metasediments support this conclusion. Proterozoic model ages for supracrustals from the western part of the Tersk area (2.16 to 2.23 Ga) indicate that the crust in this area is much younger than previously recognized. Initial eNd values for late Archaean samples with reasonable age constraints fall within a range of + 2.3 to -2.5. Two well-dated samples from the Belomorian domain have the highest initial ~d values [~d(2.81 Ga) = + 2.0 and eNd (2.78 Ga ) = + 2.3 ] and suggest that a depleted mantle source was present in the Kola region in late Archaean times. Dated samples from the Central Kola domain have lower initial ~d (between --2.5 and + 1.2) suggesting a possible regional difference in mantle character. In contrast to the depleted signature of the Archaean orthogneisses between 2.7 Ga and ~ 2.8 Ga, previous studies of earliest Paiaeoproterozoic rift-related mafic intrusives in the Kola and Karelia regions report negative end values at 2.4-2.5 Ga. Possibly these data reflect a change to more enriched-mantle values. * Corresponding author. Fax + 353 ( 1 ) 2837733. 0301-9268/95/$09.50 © 1995 Elsevier Science B.V. All fights reserved SSDI0301-9268 ( 94 ) 00045 -S M.

The tentorium, the anterior sulci of the head capsule (epistomal, subgenal, subantennal, circumantennal, and circumocular sulci), and the extension of the anterior tentorial pit were studied in 26 species of Blattaria (representing most principal lineages), 4 species of Mantodea (including the basal Mantoida schraderi), and 1 species each of Isoptera (the basal Mastotermes darwiniensis) and Mantophasmatodea (Austrophasma caledonense). The morphology of these head structures is compared with literature data on other insect orders, mainly Phasmatodea, Orthoptera, Dermaptera, Embioptera, and Plecoptera, and partly Odonata and Zygentoma. Characters are defined, presented in a matrix, and evaluated with regard to phylogenetic implications and homoplastic evolution. The structural relationships of the subantennal sulcus to the subgenal, circumocular, and circumantennal sulci, which are highly variable and strongly homoplastic (depending much on the size of the compound eyes) are a focal issue; several types of subantennal sulci are defined. The presence of an anterior transverse bridge in the tentorium (''perforated tentorium'') of all Dictyoptera here studied confirms the monophyly of this group. Mantophasmatodea lacks this element.

The outcome of an empirical audience study in Sweden including questionnaires, focus group and ten in-depth individual interviews discussing favorite films supports claims about viewers as active and playful (cf. Höijer 1998, Frampton 2006, Hoover 2006, Plantinga 2009). What Hjarvard calls the soft side of mediatization processes (2008) is illustrated showing adults experiencing enchantment through favorite films (Jerslev 2006, Partridge 2008, Klinger 2008, Oliver & Hartmann 2010). The results of the interviews exploring specific scenes of idiosyncratic relevance support theories about fiction films as important sources for moral and spiritual reflection (Partridge 2004, Zillman 2005, Lynch 2007, Plantinga 2009). The qualitative results of the case study is used to challenge the claim that the viewer has to suspend higher order reflective cognitive structures in order to experience suture (Butler & Palesh 2004). The empirical examples indicate that audiences responses are related to spectators’ highest levels of mental activity, all anchored in the sensual-emotional apparatus (Grodal 2009). The outcome is in line with a growing number of empirical case studies which support conclusions that both thinking and behavior are affected by film watching (Marsh 2007, Sückfull 2010, Oliver & Hartmann 2010, Axelson forthcoming).

The presentation contributes to a development of concepts which combines aesthetic, affective and cognitive components in spectator’s emotional evaluation of specific scenes describing spectators seamless movement from of intra-text narration to extra-textual assessments, testing the narrative for larger significance (Bordwell & Thompson 1997, Marsh 2007, Johnston 2007, Bruun Vaage 2009, Axelson 2011). The concept thick viewing is proposed for capturing these specific moments of film experience when profound and intensified emotional interpretations take place.

Key words: film, meaning-making, suture, spectator, narrative impact, spiritual reflection

The purpose of this study was to compare suture anchor and EndoButton repair of distal biceps injuries in a human bone-tendon model. Right and left arm repairs were alternately performed with either the En-doButton or 2 single-loaded 5-mm suture anchors. Each construct was cyclically loaded by use of a servohydraulic materials testing machine. Initial and final displacements were recorded. All repairs were then loaded to ultimate failure. Ten millimeters of displacement was designated the clinical failure point. The En-doButton group had more stiffness than the suture anchor group during initial cyclic loading (P ϭ .01). There were no differences in final displacement measured after cyclic loading (2.06 mm for suture anchors and 2.58 mm for EndoButton). The EndoButton group had a 16% greater ultimate tensile load than the suture anchor group (274.77 N vs 230.06 N). The En-doButton group also had a 16% higher load to clinical failure (249.95 N vs 209.56 N). These differences were not statistically significant. The EndoButton and suture anchors provide comparable fixation strength for the repair and rehabilitation of distal biceps tendon ruptures. (J Shoulder Elbow Surg 2006;15:509-514.)

The present invention provides a suture biomaterial for clinical application comprising of fine fibre derived from B.nivea (Ramie) fiber, which is extracted from suitably degummed B.nivea (Ramie) fiber, said suture biomaterial having smooth, uniform, plain texture and other traits as described herein for being suitable to be applied clinically. The present invention also provides a method for preparing such suture biomaterial

Taiwan's numerous active faults and folds demarcate distinct eastern and western neotectonic belts. The western belt results from the attachment and subsequent detachment of a sliver of continental lithosphere to the Eurasian continental margin. The eastern belt is the product of the same continental sliver docking with and then separating from the Luzon volcanic arc. Thus, the active Taiwan orogen is a tandem suturing and tandem disengagement of a volcanic arc and a continental sliver to and from the Eurasian continental margin. This progressive suturing and separation is a superb, living demonstration of the fundamental weakness of lithospheric sutures. Furthermore, this neotectonic architecture provides the basis for understanding the Taiwan's seismic sources. D

A detailed analysis of fault populations that affect the Paleocene to early Miocene sedimentary succession of southern Dhofar allows the definition of a time-sequence of paleostresses and the reconstruction of the rifting history of the eastern Gulf of Aden. Two distinct phases of N20j-and N160j-trending extensions took place during the deposition of the synrift Dhofar Group from late Priabonian (35 Ma) to middle Burdigalian (18 Ma). A period of tectonic instability preceded these events, marked by normal and strike -slip faulting as early as the mid-Eocene. The two main directions of extension, also recorded in southern Yemen, developed respectively oblique and normal to the N75E trend of the Gulf of Aden. An anticlockwise succession of the two episodes from N20 to N160, only established in Yemen, accounts for the observed synrift fault pattern, which is consistent with the type and geometry of faults predicted in analogue models of oblique rifting. A latest phase of NS compression, marked by strike -slip faulting, may represent a far echo of the Arabia -Eurasia collision. D

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to analyze results by age, tear size, and type of suture repair (margin convergence by side-to-side suture, direct tendon-to-bone repair with suture anchor, or side-to-side plus suture anchor) of arthroscopic rotator cuff repair in patients older than 60 years (average, 67.7 years). Type of Study: Retrospective case series. Methods: From January 1999 to January 2001, 64 patients (64 shoulders) older than 60 years had an arthroscopic rotator cuff repair performed by the same surgical team. Fifty-four patients (84.3%) were available for follow-up (average, 27 months); 54 shoulders were evaluated using the UCLA rating scale (0-35 points). Tears were categorized according to size. The pattern of tears determined the repair technique: crescentshaped tears were repaired in a direct tendon-to-bone fashion and U-shaped tears by margin convergence with or without suture anchor. Results: The mean of postoperative UCLA score improved from 10.4 (range, 8.2-20 points) to 30.5 (range, 21-35 points) (P Ͻ .0001). Sixteen patients (29.6%) had excellent results (34-35 points), 28 (51.8%) had good results (28-33 points), 10 (18.5%) had fair results (21-27 points), and none had poor results. There were no statistical differences between postoperative UCLA score and groups by age (P ϭ .53), suture technique (P ϭ .06), and tear size (P ϭ .5). The correlation between technique of repair, age, and postoperative score has not shown statistical differences between margin convergence with or without suture anchor and direct tendon-to-bone repair with suture anchor in the 61-to 65-year-old patients. Patients older than 65 years achieved the best results with margin convergence by side-to-side suture. Conclusions: Arthroscopic rotator cuff repair in the elderly achieves satisfactory results in a large percentage of cases regardless of the patient's age, tear size, and type of suture repair. These results are comparable to those of traditional open repair. We believe that arthroscopic evaluation allows an accurate assessment of rotator cuff tear configuration resulting in a more precise repair. Level of Evidence: Level IV, case series (no, or historical, control group).

Background: The use of posterior capsular plication to decrease capsular volume and address capsular laxity for treatment of posterior instability, multidirectional instability, or as an additional technique in the treatment of anterior instability is common. Multiple different suturing techniques have been described.

Polypropylene sutures (PP) are already used in surgery. Because microbial infection leads to complications, we developed antimicrobial PP suture by plasma-induced graft polymerization of acrylic acid followed by chitosan binding on the remaining carboxyl groups. Mechanical properties and surface morphologies were analyzed on these sutures. Tetracycline hydrochloride (TC) or nanosilver (NS) was then immobilized to PP. The resulting PP sutures evidenced drug release properties and antimicrobial activity in vitro. PP implanted in vivo for 30 days in the muscle of rats showed the absence of adverse effects and a tissue organization. This new polypropylene suture with suitable antimicrobial features appears to be a promising macromolecular material for clinical and cosmetic applications.

Purpose: Stainless steel suture is high in tensile strength but is not widely used in flexor tendon repair because of difficulty with handling and knot tying. The purpose of this study was to examine the biomechanical characteristics of the single-strand multifilament stainless steel Teno Fix device (Ortheon Medical, Winter Park, FL) designed for zone II flexor digitorum profundus (FDP) tendon repair. Methods: Sixty cadaveric flexor tendons were transected and randomized to receive a Teno Fix or 4-stranded (3-0 or 4-0 braided polyester) suture repair; all repairs were tested with and without a 5-0 monofilament polypropylene circumferential epitendinous suture. By using a material testing system all tendons were tested to failure in tension using a linear model with a loading rate of 1 mm/s. Stiffness, force, and energy at both 2-mm gap and peak force were calculated from the resulting force-displacement curves. Results: The 2-mm gapping force was significantly greater for the Teno Fix and the 3-0 repairs than for the 4-0 repairs. The energy absorbed up to 2-mm gap was significantly greater for the Teno Fix, however, than for all suture repairs both with and without a circumferential suture. There was no statistically significant difference in peak force or energy absorbed at peak force between the Teno Fix and suture repairs; the average gap at peak force for all repairs was 5.2 mm. The addition of a circumferential suture increased the 2-mm gapping and peak forces of the Teno Fix repair to 54.5 N and 66.7 N, respectively. Conclusions: Increased strength and energy absorbed at 2-mm gap and ease of installation makes the Teno Fix a promising repair method. (J Hand Surg 2005;30A:237-245.

Purpose: The aim of this cohort study was to evaluate the success of implants after immediate loading in cases when the prostheses were removed for suture removal on the tenth day following implant placement. We describe a technique for fabricating effective definitive prostheses passively fitted to facilitate immediate load in edentulous patients.

Background With the introduction of a self-expanding, memory-containing, circular hernia patch, surgeons have been enthusiastic about its use to repair ventral hernias smaller than 3 cm in diameter. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficiency, reliability, and safety of the device laparoscopically with respect to adequate deployment of the patch. Methods During 1 year all patients with small ventral hernias were treated with this memory-containing patch and were inspected by laparoscopy. Just prior to insertion of the patch, remaining adhesions on top of the peritoneum were analyzed, as was the interference of the umbilical ligament. The final position of the patch was monitored, identifying the cupping phenomenon, exposure of the polypropylene to the viscera, and the amount of tension on the straps. All patients were followed for 2 years and postoperative complications and recurrence rate were monitored. Results Twenty-eight patients were operated on for repair of a small ventral hernia with laparoscopic control. Adhesions, not digitally palpable, that interfered with adequate patch deployment were observed in more than 80% of the cases. After a median follow-up of 25 months a 14.8% recurrence rate was observed. Conclusions The patch, consisting of both polypropylene and ePTFE, leads to unacceptable morbidity and a high rate of recurrences. By laparoscopic evaluation, these recurrences are probably based on a combination of material characteristics and unavoidable technical errors.

Sutures, joints that allow one bone to articulate with another through intervening fibrous connective tissue, serve as major sites of bone expansion during postnatal craniofacial growth in the vertebrate skull and represent an aspect of cranial ontogeny which may exhibit functional and phylogenetic correlates. Suture evolution among hystricognath rodents, an ecologically diverse group represented here by 26 species, is examined using sequence heterochrony methods, i.e. event pairing and PARSIMOV . Although minor nuances in suture closure sequence exist between species, the overall sequence was found to be conserved both across the hystricognath group and, to an increasing degree, within selected clades. At species level, suture closure pattern exhibited a significant positive correlation with patterns previously reported for hominoids. Patterns for most clades revealed the first sutures to close are those contacting the exoccipital, interparietal, and palatine bones. Heterochronic shifts were found along 19 of 35 branches within the hystricognath phylogeny. The number of shifts per node ranged from one to seven events and, overall, involved 21 of 34 suture sites. The topology generated by parsimony analyses of the event pair matrix yielded only one grouping that was congruent with the evolutionary relationships, compiled from morphological and molecular studies, taken as framework. Sutures contacting the exoccipital displayed the highest levels of most complete closure across all species. Level of suture closure is negatively correlated with cranial length ( P < 0.05). Differing life history and locomotory strategies are coupled in part with differing suture closure patterns among several species. Fig. 1 Compound phylogeny featuring species investigated: 26 Hystricognath taxa and five outgroup species selected from Myodonta, Sciurida and Castorimorpha. Number of recorded heterochronic shifts, or changes in timing of suture closure events following the consensus approach of PARSIMOV, denoted under each branch. Suture heterochrony in rodents, L. A. B. Wilson and M. R. Sánchez-Villagra

Cervical cerclage has been used in the management of cervical insufficiency for several decades, yet the indications are uncertain and benefits marginal. It remains a controversial intervention. The diagnosis of cervical insufficiency is traditionally based on a history of recurrent second trimester miscarriages, or very preterm delivery whereby the cervix is unable to retain the pregnancy until term.

Posterior glenohumeral instability is much less commonly observed in clinical practice than either anterior or multidirectional instability. It occurs in approximately 2% to 5% of all cases of shoulder instability. Classically, posterior glenohumeral instability has been classified into acute, chronic, or "locked," as well as voluntary or involuntary. Traditionally, posterior shoulder instability has been described to occur in conjunction with other directions of instability and is often precipitated by minimal trauma. Generalized ligamentous laxity has been noted to be a frequent clinical hallmark feature. In contrast, isolated, trau-Background: Symptomatic, traumatic posterior shoulder instability is often the result of a posteriorly directed blow to an adducted, internally rotated, and forward-flexed upper extremity. Operative repair has been shown to provide favorable results. Current arthroscopic techniques with suture anchors and the ability to plicate the capsule using a nonabsorbable suture may provide favorable outcomes with reduced morbidity. Purpose: To evaluate the results of operative shoulder stabilization in patients with traumatic posterior shoulder instability. Study Design: Case series; Level of evidence, 4. Methods: A consecutive series of patients who underwent arthroscopic or open posterior stabilization for traumatic posterior shoulder instability were evaluated using subjective assessments, physical examinations, the Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation, Rowe score, Simple Shoulder Test, and the Western Ontario Shoulder Instability Index. Results: Between May 1996 and February 2002, 31 shoulders (30 patients) underwent posterior stabilization (19 arthroscopically, 12 open)

Purpose: This study evaluates the abrasion properties of different suture materials through the rotator cuff tendon and proximal humerus tuberosity bone. Methods: Three types of sutures were compared: monofilament polypropylene, braided polyester, and braided polyblend polyester with a polyethylene core. For soft-tissue testing, the suture was passed through the infraspinatus tendons of 11 cadaveric shoulders. The suture was cycled with a fixed load, and the migration of the suture as it cut through the tissue was measured at intervals of 5 cycles, for a total of 50 cycles. For tuberosity testing, the sutures were passed through a transosseous tunnel created in the lesser tuberosity, and the suture was cycled with a fixed load until suture failure occurred. Results: On soft-tissue testing, the monofilament suture showed the least amount of abrasion, followed by the braided polyblend and then the braided polyester suture (cutting rate of 0.06 Ϯ 0.11 mm/cycle, 0.99 Ϯ 0.44 mm/cycle, and 1.75 Ϯ 0.91 mm/cycle, respectively; P Ͻ .0001). On tuberosity testing, suture breakage for the braided polyblend suture occurred at 501.3 Ϯ 220.4 cycles. The braided polyester and monofilament sutures broke after 256.6 Ϯ 120.9 and 193.5 Ϯ 144.8 cycles, respectively. The difference between cycles to failure of the polyblend and latter 2 sutures was statistically significant (P Ͻ .0001). Conclusions: This study shows increased abrasion properties for braided sutures compared with monofilament sutures, as well as different abrasion properties among different types of braided sutures. Furthermore, the braided polyblend suture showed significantly increased cycles before suture failure through a transosseous tunnel. Clinical Relevance: Although development of new suture materials has increased their failure strength, further advancements in suture material design should focus on decreasing soft-tissue abrasion properties and increasing strength to suture failure when cycled through bone.

A novel silver-doped bioactive glass powder (AgBG) was used to coat resorbable Vicryl s (polyglactin 910) and non-resorbable Mersilk s surgical sutures, thereby imparting bioactive, antimicrobial and bactericidal properties to the sutures. Stable and homogeneous coatings on the surface of the sutures were achieved using an optimised aqueous slurry-dipping technique. Dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) was used to investigate the viscoelastic parameters of storage modulus and tan d and thermal transitions of the as-received and composite (coated) sutures. The results generally showed that the bioactive glass coating did not affect the dynamic mechanical and thermal properties of the sutures. The in vitro bioactivity of the sutures was tested by immersion in simulated body fluid (SBF). After only 3 days of immersion in SBF, bonelike hydroxyapatite formed on the coated suture surfaces, indicating their enhanced bioactive behaviour. Resorbable sutures with bioactive coatings as fabricated here, in conjunction with 3-D textile technology, may provide attractive materials for producing 3-D scaffolds with controlled porosities for tissue engineering applications. The bactericidal properties imparted by the Ag-containing glass coating open also new opportunities for use of the composite sutures in wound healing and body wall repair. r

The Lapland-Kola Orogen (LKO; former Kola craton) in the northern Fennoscandian Shield comprises a collage of partially reworked late Archaean terranes with intervening belts of Palaeoproterozoic juvenile crust including the classic Lapland Granulite Terrane. Rifting of Archaean crust began at c 2.5-2.4 Ga as attested by layered mafic and anorthositic intrusions developed throughout the northernmost Fennoscandian Shield at this time. Oceanic separation was centred on the Lapland Granulite, Umba Granulite (UGT) and Tersk terranes within the core zone of the orogen. Importantly, Sm Nd data show that Palaeoproterozoic metasedimentary and metaigneous rocks within these terranes contain an important, generally dominant, juvenile component over a strike length of at least 600 km. Evidently, adjacent Archaean terranes, with negative m Nd signatures, contributed relatively little detritus, suggesting a basin of considerable extent. Subduction of the resulting Lapland-Kola ocean led to arc magmatism dated by the NORDSIM ion probe at c 1.96 Ga in the Tersk Terrane in the southern Kola Peninsula. Accretion of the Tersk arc took place before c 1.91 Ga as shown by ion probe U Pb zircon dating of post-D1, pre-D2 pegmatites cutting the Tersk arc rocks, juvenile metasediments as well as Archaean gneisses in the footwall of the orogen. Deep burial during collision under high-pressure granulite-facies conditions was followed by exhumation and cooling between 1.90 and 1.87 Ga based on Sm Nd, U Pb and Ar Ar data. Lateral variations in deep crustal velocity and Vp/Vs ratio, together with reflections traversing the entire crust observed in reprocessed seismic data from the Polar Profile, may be interpreted to image a trans-crustal structure -possibly a fossilised subduction zone -supporting an arc origin for the protoliths of the Lapland Granulite, UGT and Tersk terranes and the location of a major lithospheric suture -the Lapland-Kola suture.

Tendon to bone integration after rotator cuff repair is not a reproducible process. During repair, bioabsorbable and nonabsorbable suture material is universally used to facilitate the procedure. Improving the biological architecture of inert suture might aid in overall tendon to bone healing. The objective of our study is to enhance the bone to tendon union by absorbing type I collagen onto high strength nonabsorbable polyester/polyethylene suture commonly used in rotator cuff surgery. Our purpose was to evaluate the tendon and bone cellular response to this novel coated suture compared to uncoated suture.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the continuous horizontal mattress suture technique can replace the continuous simple suture technique and to compare the results with other microvascular suture procedures. Methods: Sixty-four femoral arteries of 32 Sprague-Dawley rats were used in this study. The animals were divided equally into 4 groups with 16 anastomoses in each group. The arteries (0.8 -1.0 mm diameter) were anastomosed by using the continuous horizontal mattress suture technique in group I, interrupted horizontal mattress suture technique in group II, simple interrupted suture technique in group III, and simple continuous suture technique in group IV. At the end of the anastomosis time, leakage, and patency were assessed and graded in all groups. On the 14th day after surgery the rats were killed and 5 patent specimens from each group were examined under light microscopy for histology. One specimen from each group was prepared for scanning of the endothelial surface under electron scanning microscopy. Results: Group I anastomoses were performed the most quickly. Groups I and III anastomoses had 100% patency rates. Under light microscopy the edge eversion was apparent consistently and under electron microscopy all endothelial surfaces were intact and no suture material was seen in groups I and II. In group III some suture material was covered by endothelial cells and lumen surfaces were torn; endothelization also was rough compared with groups I and II. In group IV suture material was seen in the lumen because of a loose suture knot. The endothelium also was not regular. Conclusions: The horizontal mattress suturing technique is the only technique in which the suture material never contacts the lumen. Continuous horizontal mattress suture technique is superior to the other microvascular procedures and is the safest and fastest procedure for microvascular anastomosis in rats. (J Hand Surg 2005;30A:587-595.

The role of calvarial sutures in transmitting biomechanical forces within the head is unclear. Methods: To examine the biomechanical characteristics of sutures, the authors measured bite force changes in rats and tested for alterations in strain across intrafrontal and sagittal sutures and within parietal bone with age. To understand the effects of suture fusion on strain distribution in the head, the authors measured percentage fusion of the intrafrontal sutures with age (n ϭ 6 per age group). The masticatory muscles in anesthetized 9-, 24-, and 70-day-old rats (n ϭ 15 per group) were bilaterally stimulated. Stacked delta rosette gauges were fixed across the intrafrontal sutures and sagittal suture, or on the parietal bone. Strain and bite force were measured with a bite force transducer positioned at the incisors. Results: Bite force increased significantly (p Ͻ 0.05) with age (9-day-old rats, 72.6 Ϯ 20 gf; 24-day-old rats, 707.3 Ϯ 150 gf; 70-day-old rats, 2425.6 Ϯ 255 gf). Some significant differences were found between the volume and direction of strain among sites and age groups. Compressive strains of 230 on average were found across the intrafrontal sutures at all ages. In contrast, tensile strains less than 180 on average were found across the sagittal sutures of 9-and 24-day-old rats, increasing to 940 on average at day 70. Tensile strains in parietal bone tended to be less than 150 . Conclusions: The timing of sutural closure and patterns of transsutural strain do not suggest that strain patterns contribute to initial fusion in the intrafrontal sutures. Differences in strain are likely related to changes in rat skull kinetics with growth, perhaps resulting from fusion of the intrafrontal sutures. (Plast. Reconstr. Surg. 119: