Objective To investigate the application value of the transesophageal echocardiography TEE in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation about the size lobes morphology and function of left atrial appendage LAA Methods One hundred and forty-two patients underwent TEE were divided into nonvalvular atrial fibrillation group 98 cases and non atrial fibrillation group 44 cases The orifice diameter depth volume peak emptying velocity PEV of the LAA and the 1 eft atrial dimension LAD were measured The form and lobes of LAA thrombus and spontaneous echo contrast SEC in LAA were observed Results The LAA orifice diameter depth volume and LAD of patients with atrial fibrillation were significantly higher than those in the group without atrial fibrillation which showed statistical significance P < 0 05 Forty-one cases in atrial fibrillation group were found with the SEC and the number with thrombus in LAA was 22 The differences of PEV between chicken wings and non-chicken wings were statistically significant P <0 05 The SEC in LAA and the lobe number of LAA had no relevance Conclusions It was reliable to analyze the size morphologies lobes and hemodynamic parameters of LAA in patients with atrial fibrillation by TEE which provided reference for percutaneous LAA occlusion and anticoagulation therapy for the patients with atrial fibrillation.

Objective Comparison of the levator ani muscles in three-dimensional (3D) MRI-based models in women with and without pelvic organ prolapse at rest to analyze the morphological characteristics of levator ani muscles in women with POP. Methods Twenty-five women with POP and 22 women with normal pelvic support were selected from Nanfang Hospital of Southern Medical University. Axial, sagittal, and coronal T2-weighted pelvic magnetic resonance scans were obtained with the women in the supine position.The 3D models were reconstructed from the source images. Morphological changes was compared within the two groups of levator ani muscles, and the 3D models were measured to determine the levator ani muscle volume (LVOL), levator plate angle (LPA), levator hiatus width (LH-W) and length (LH-L), distance between symphysis and levator sling muscle (LSG). Results There were no puborectalis avulsions in control, in POP, 3 cases of avulsions just in left, 3 cases of avulsions just in right, 7 cases in bilateral. The shape of iliococcygeus were all dome-shaped in control, 11 cases were U-shaped and 14 cases were dome-shaped in POP. The shape of levator hiatus were 7 cases of U-shape, 12 cases of V-shape, 3 cases of irregular in control; 5 cases of U-shape, 4 cases of V-shape, 16 cases of irregular in POP. POP versus control: LH-L: (68.0 ± 8.9) versus (61.6 ± 7.2) mm (P<0.05); LH-W: (41.4 ± 3.9) versus (38.0 ± 3.2) mm (P<0.05); LSG-L: (29.6 ± 7.4) versus (24.6 ± 3.7) mm (P<0.05); LSG-R: (28.4 ± 6.8) versus (23.9 ± 3.2) mm (P<0.05); LPA: (51.0 ± 11.3)° versus (40.6 ± 6.3)° (P<0.05); LVOL: (23.7 ± 5.8) versus (24.6 ± 5.0) cm3 (P>0.05). Conclusions It is possible to assess the morphologic changes of levator ani by using 3D MRI models objectively, our 3D data demonstrate larger in LVOL, LPA, LH-W, LH-L, LSG, and the changes in shape. It is helpful to diagnose and assess the specific situation of patients POP in clinic.

Bone defects caused by trauma, tumour resection, infection and congenital deformities, together with articular cartilage defects and cartilage-subchondral bone complex defects caused by trauma and degenerative diseases, remain great challenges for clinicians. Novel strategies utilising cell sheet technology to enhance bone and cartilage regeneration are being developed. The cell sheet technology has shown great clinical potential in regenerative medicine due to its effective preservation of cell-cell connections and extracellular matrix and its scaffold-free nature. This review will first introduce several widely used cell sheet preparation systems, including traditional approaches and recent improvements, as well as their advantages and shortcomings. Recent advances in utilising cell sheet technology to regenerate bone or cartilage defects and bone-cartilage complex defects will be reviewed. The key challenges and future research directions for the application of cell sheet technology in bone and cartilage regeneration will also be discussed.
Bone Regeneration ; Bone and Bones ; Cartilage, Articular ; Regeneration ; Tissue Engineering ; trends ; Tissue Scaffolds