INTRODUCTION: Since there are limited studies about the return-to-work experiences of Filipino amputees, this study will be able to contribute to studies that delve deeper into the lower extremity amputees’ experiences and put into light the factors that may be present in relation to their return to work. METHODS: This study utilized a qualitative phenomenological design. Participants who were willing to join the study were all gathered for a focus group discussion conducted by a hired interviewer. The researchers adapted Colaizzi’s descriptive phenomenological method for analyzing the data. RESULTS: Factors that allowed amputees to have a successful return to work experience were motivation to continue with life, positive impact of lower extremity prosthesis, and rehabilitation. Factors that hindered the successful return to work of amputees were social barriers, work environment, negative self-image, discrimination from the community, and ft of prosthesis. CONCLUSION Employment was possible after amputation among amputees who were provided with prosthesis at UERMMMCI, since most of the respondents of this study were employed. Positive and negative factors that infuenced their return to work were also identifed. Non-compliance to rehabilitation limited the usage of prosthesis resulting in not being able to return to work.
Bioprosthesis

The Bentall-DeBono operation is the technique of choice for aortic root replacement. When the patients have contraindications for lifelong anticoagulation, the biologic Bentall operation may be a good option. However, complex reoperation may be required when bioprosthetic degeneration occurs. For this reason, a new technique for simple reoperation after the Bentall operation has recently been performed by some surgeons. We performed a similar technique in two patients with aortic root dilation and for whom aortic valve sparing techniques could not be performed because of an unrepairable valve contour, we think this modification seems to be simple and reproducible for reoperation.
Aneurysm ; Aorta ; Aortic Valve ; Bioprosthesis ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Humans ; Reoperation

BACKGROUND: In vitro study, normal cardiac prosthetic valve has functional regurgitation due to structural characteristics of prosthetic valve. To evaluate functional regurgitant characteristics of prosthetic valves, we examined patients who had clinically normal mitral prosthesis. METHODS: Transesophageal two-dimensional and color doppler echocardiography were performed to 25 patients who had the clinically normal mitral prosthesis. RESULTS: Seven patients had the mitral bioprosthesis and 18 patients had the mitral mechanical prosthesis. Regurgitation was found in 4 patients(57%) with bioprosthetic valve, and the pattern of regurgitation was central in three patients and unilateral in one patient. But regurgitation was detected in 17 patients(94%) with mechanical prosthesis, and the pattern of regurgitation was bilateral in twelve patients, unilateral in four patients and central in one patient(p=0.0035). The length of regurgitant jets were 22.00+/-6.73(mm) in bioprosthetic valve and 28.65+/-7.33(mm) in mechanical valve. The regurgitant jets were detected in systolic period in most of patients. But in 4 patients who had tachycardia during TEE, regurgitation was detected in systolic and early diastolic period. CONCLUSION: Regurgitation was found in clinically normal cardiac prosthetic valves by TEE. These findings may be useful to differentiate between normal and abnormal cardiac prosthesis.
Bioprosthesis ; Echocardiography, Doppler, Color ; Echocardiography, Transesophageal* ; Humans ; Prostheses and Implants* ; Tachycardia

BACKGROUND: Bioprosthetic materials have been made using glutaraldehyde fixation of porcine or bovine pericardium during cardiovascular surgery. But these bioprostheses have the problems of calcification and mechanical failure. We determined changes in tensile strength and elasticity of pericardium after glutaraldehyde, solvent, decellularization and detoxification. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Tissues were allocated to four groups: glutaraldehyde with and without solvent, decellularization, and detoxification. We studied tensile strength and strain on tissues. We measured the tensile strength of fresh pericardium stretched in six directions (with 5 mm width), and % strain, which we calculated from the breaking point when we pulled the pericardium in two directions. RESULT: Tensile strength was reduced when we used the usual concentrated glutaraldehyde fixation (n=83, MPa=11.47+/-5.40, p=0.006), but there was no change when we used solvent. Elasticity was increased after glutaraldehyde fixation (n=83, strain (%)= 24.55+/-9.81, p=0.00), but there was no change after solvent. After decellularization of pericardium, the tensile strength was generally reduced. The decrease in tensile strength after concentrated glutaraldehyde fixation for a long time was significantly greater less than after concentrated solvent (p=0.01, p=0.00). After detoxification, the differences in strength and strain were not significant. CONCLUSION: After glutaraldehyde treatment of pericardium there is no loss in tensile strength (even though we did the glutaraldehyde, solvent and detoxification treatments LOGIC IS UNCLEAR). Also, these treatments had a tendency to increase elasticity. Although post-treatment decellularization led to a significant loss in strength, this effect could be attenuated using a low concentration of solvent or hypertonic solution.
Bioprosthesis ; Elasticity ; Glutaral ; Logic ; Pericardium ; Sprains and Strains ; Tensile Strength

Currently, as the key raw material of artificial biological heart valve, bovine pericardium is mainly depend on import and has become a "bottleneck" challenge, greatly limiting the development of domestic biological heart valve. Therefore, the localization of bovine pericardium is extremely urgent. In this study, the pericardium of Sichuan yak was compared with that of Australian cattle in terms of fundamental properties and anti-calcification performance. The results demonstrated that the appearance and thickness of yak pericardium were more advantageous than the Australian one. Sichuan yak pericardium and Australian cattle pericardium had comparable performance in shrinkage temperature, mechanical test and anti-calcification test. This study preliminarily verifies the feasibility of substitution of Australian cattle pericardium by Sichuan yak pericardium and promotes the progression of bovine pericardium localization with data support.
Animals ; Australia ; Bioprosthesis ; Cattle ; Heart Valve Prosthesis ; Pericardium

This paper constructs numerical models of bioprosthetic heart valve and blood. The fluid solid interaction is carried out using penalty function method. The mechanical property of the bioprosthetic heart valve during cardiac cycle is simulated with ANSYS software. Results show that the Von Mises stress concentrates at the junction of attachment edge and coaptation edge. The open time of bioprosthetic heart valve is consistent with that of actural measurement. The peak velocity of blood is in the range of physiology. This model provides more realistic mechanical property of bioprosthetic heart valve during cardiac cycle compared to pure solid model, and facilitates design and optimization of bioprosthetic heart valve.
Bioprosthesis ; Heart Valve Prosthesis ; Heart Valves ; Humans ; Models, Cardiovascular ; Prosthesis Design

Bone tissue engineering may provide an alternative to the repairs to skeletal defects resulting from disease, trauma or surgery. Scaffold has played an important role in bone tissue engineering, which functions as the architecture for bone in growth. In this paper, the authors gave a brief introduction about the requirement of bone tissue engineering scaffold, the key of the design of scaffolds and the current research on this subject.
Biodegradation, Environmental ; Bioprosthesis ; Bone Substitutes ; chemistry ; metabolism ; Mechanics ; Surface Properties ; Tissue Engineering ; methods

Using tissue-engineered tendons to repair tendons and ligaments as well as functional reconstruction is the focus of nowadays researches. The scaffolds must be not only unharmful to health, but also easy for cells attachment, and be able to induce collagen deposition to form a neotendon with mechanic properties similar to those of normal tendon. In recent researches, it has been found that the mechanic properties of the implants change with the degrading and femdonizing of scaffolds. The relationships between collagen deposition, scaffolds degradation and mechanic properties of neotendon need to be defined more clearly.
Animals ; Biocompatible Materials ; metabolism ; Biodegradation, Environmental ; Bioprosthesis ; Collagen ; metabolism ; Dogs ; Mice ; Rats ; Sheep ; Tendons ; Tissue Engineering

OBJECTIVETo provide the reference for the stentless aortic valve design with the study of the inner configuration of porcine aortic root.

METHODSThe orifice areas of porcine aortic root at 4 levels (OA1 to 4), the average area of leaflets (Sa), the area analogue of leaflets (AA, AA = 1/2PH), the average area analogue of leaflets (AAa), the value PH of the left, right, non coronary leaflets (PHl, PHr, PHn) and the sums of PHs of the left and non-coronary leaflets (PHln) in the fresh and glutaraldehyde and epichlorohydrin-treated porcine aortic valves (20 respectively) were measured and calculated. The linear correlation and regression analysis by SPSS 12.0 was used to analyze the correlation between Sa and AAa, OA and Sa, OA and AAa, PHl, PHr and PHn, PHln and PHr in both groups.

RESULTSThe coefficient correlation between Sa and AAa in fresh and treated groups were 0.886 and 0.872 respectively (P < 0.05). The coefficient correlation between OA1 to 4 and AAa were 0.810, 0.851, 0.900, and 0.815 respectively in fresh group (P < 0.05), and were 0.852, 0.888, 0.836, and 0.817 respectively in treated group (P < 0.05). This showed that the degree of correlation between the average area analogue of leaflets and the average area of leaflets, the orifice areas of aortic root were relatively large. Additionally, the equation of linear regression existed between PHln and PHr in treated group as follows: PHr = -1.665 + 0.688 PHln (r = 0.907, P < 0.05), thereby PHr could be predicted by PHln.

CONCLUSIONThe value of PH of leaflets could represent the spatial configuration of the aortic root, which provided a referred index for the stentless bioprostheses design.

Over the past 10 years, much progress in the development of tracheal substitute by using tissue engineering techniques has been made. Nevertheless, some issues such as optimal extracellular matrix, cell culturing and seeding, epithelial regeneration, and revascularization remain the most stimulating challenges in tissue engineering science. It is stated that new study strategies and approaches should be explored to tackle these key problems in the near future. Here we present a review in the attempts to summarize the current advances in tissue-engineered trachea, and to look forward the prospects.
Bioprosthesis ; Humans ; Neovascularization, Physiologic ; Tissue Engineering ; trends ; Tissue Scaffolds ; Trachea ; blood supply ; surgery