Injury
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People with traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) face complex challenges in their care, recovery and life. Secondary conditions can develop to involve many body systems and can impact health, function, quality of life, and community participation. These secondary conditions can be costly, and many are preventable. The aim of this study was to describe the type and direct costs of secondary conditions requiring readmission to hospital, or visit to an emergency department (ED), within the first two years following traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI). ⋯ Hospitalisation for complications within two years of traumatic SCI was common and costly in Victoria, Australia. Improved bladder and pressure area management could result in substantial morbidity and cost savings following SCI.
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The field of robot-assisted fracture reduction has been developed by several research groups over more than one decade by now, with the main goals of increasing the fracture reduction accuracy. However, the influence of different reduction paths to patients' physiology is not fully known yet. The aim of our study was to compare the impacts of a robot-assisted direct reduction path versus an artificially prolonged reduction path by measuring the cytokine responses in an in vivo rat model. ⋯ A direct and gentle reduction procedure as feasible by the aid of a robot is preferable over a prolonged reduction in terms of cytokine response and tissue changes.