EXCEL trial will determine safety and efficacy of drug-eluting stents vs. bypass surgery

NEW YORK, NY AND ATLANTA, GA – MARCH 13, 2010 – The announcement of a new clinical trial, EXCEL (Evaluation of Xience Prime versus Coronary Artery Bypass Surgery for Effectiveness of Left Main Revascularization), that will compare drug-eluting stents to coronary artery bypass graft surgery in patients with left main coronary artery disease, was made today at "Optimizing PCI Outcomes: Evolving Paradigms," a symposium presented by the Cardiovascular Research Foundation.

Minimally invasive sports hernia repair may get athletes 'back in the game' faster, study says

New study finds 70 percent of able-bodied hockey players have abnormal hip and pelvis MRIs

NEW ORLEANS, LA – Seventy percent of healthy professional and collegiate hockey players had abnormal hip and pelvis MRIs (magnetic resonance imaging), even though they had no symptoms of injury, according to a study presented today at the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine's Specialty Day in New Orleans, (March 13). The study's surprising findings could serve as a warning for surgeons to not depend excessively on imaging when diagnosing patients.

'Tommy John' elbow reconstruction 95 percent successful with grown teen pitchers, study says

A new study presented today at the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine's (AOSSM) Specialty Day in New Orleans, (March 13), found that 95 percent of skeletally mature high school pitchers were satisfied with their "Tommy John" elbow reconstruction surgery. Almost as many, (94.7 percent) returned to competitive baseball.

Repair of torn knee meniscus at the time of ACL reconstruction is safe and effective for children

Mayo Clinic researchers find younger, more diverse patients having total knee replacements

ROCHESTER, Minn. — A research team led by Mayo Clinic has found a national trend toward younger, more diverse patients having total knee replacement surgery. The findings were presented today at the 2010 annual meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (http://www.aaos.org/education/anmeet/anmeet.asp) in New Orleans.

AgriLife scientists do groundwork for genetic mapping of algae biofuel species

COLLEGE STATION - - Using green algae to produce hydrocarbon oil for biofuel production is nothing new; nature has been doing so for hundreds of millions of years, according a Texas AgriLife Research scientist.

Some older ER patients are getting the wrong medicines, U-M study finds

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – A University of Michigan study recently published in Academic Emergency Medicine says that it is common for patients 65 and older to receive potentially inappropriate medications when treated in an emergency room.

The use of cover crops in vineyards can help control the yield and quality of grapes and wine

A sporting chance for active total knee replacement patients

Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) patients may be able to participate in high-impact sports without increasing risk of early implant failure, according to a new study presented today at the 2010 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS). In addition, the authors observed better clinical scores in the group of patients who participated in activities discouraged by the Knee Society (KS) than those of the control group.