MSC published by ReWalk Robotics

Background:

Upon completion of exoskeleton system training, 76% of documented subjects were able to walk independently without any additional human assistance

The authors offer a number of key conclusions:

• 76% of patients studied were able to ambulate without any physical assistance from another human being following completion of the exoskeleton training program.
• Powered exoskeleton systems allow patients a safe means of ambulation conducive to prolonged use.
• Routine use of the exoskeleton system is known to yield health benefits, including improvement in muscle spasticity and bowel movement regularity.

The authors expand upon the conclusions about health benefits for the user of powered exoskeleton systems in their report:

“In addition, several other benefits may accrue to SCI patients as a result of intermittent standing and habitual ambulating activity with the powered exoskeleton, including increasing upper body muscular fitness, minimizing declines in bone mineral density by periodic exposure to gravitational and muscular loading forces, improved circulatory response, and countering the independent health risks associated with prolonged sitting. Indeed, clinically relevant improve­ments were found in self-reports for muscle spasticity and bowel movement regularity following exoskeleton training. A potential focus for future research would be to assess the long-term health and cost benefits associated with chronic powered exoskeleton use. Assuming regular exoskeleton use sufficient to yield the aforementioned health benefits, it is likely that the initial expense of providing personal exo­skeletons for home use to individuals with SCI (typically $70,000–$100,000) may be offset by savings attributable to prevention of physical maladies and associated costs in SCI patients, which may ultimately result in overall savings to the health care system.”

MSC published in Circulation: Cardiovascular Interventions

Background:

The investigators concluded that stent placement for iliofemoral venous outflow obstruction results in high technical success and acceptable complication rates regardless of the cause of obstruction.

As summarized in Circulation: Cardiovascular Interventions, the investigators searched the MEDLINE and EMBASE databases for studies evaluating the safety or effectiveness of stent placement in patients with iliofemoral venous outflow obstruction. Data were extracted by disease pathogenesis: nonthrombotic, acute thrombotic, or chronic postthrombotic. Main outcomes included technical success, periprocedural complications, symptom relief at final follow-up, and primary/secondary patency through 5 years.

A total of 37 studies reporting 45 treatment effects (nonthrombotic, 8; acute thrombotic, 19; and chronic postthrombotic, 18) from 2,869 patients (nonthrombotic, 1,122; acute thrombotic, 629; and chronic postthrombotic, 1,118) were included.