Amedeo Guarino

Lateral extra-articular tenodesis (L.E.T.) have been proposed to reduce the tibia’s anterior translation and internal rotation in concomitant to Anterior cruciate ligament (A.C.L.) reconstruction. Recent studies show that the addition of L.E.T. to A.C.L. reconstruction results in a statistically significant reduction in graft failure. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the clinical outcomes, complications, and rate of return to preinjury sports level in pediatric patients who underwent combined A.C.L. reconstruction with L.E.T. at a minimum 2-year follow-up. The authors retrospectively evaluated 42 pediatric patients at high risk of graft failure who experienced ACLR connected to L.E.T. IKDC and Tegner-Lysholm Knee Scores Scale were used to assess clinical outcomes, and the Tegner Activity Scale to evaluate the return to sport. No graft failure or subsequent surgery related to A.C.L. reconstruction occurred. Furthermore, 88% of patients returned to the sport. Satisfactory clinical results were obtained on a short and medium-term follow-up. These findings help to consider this procedure for active adolescents at a high risk of graft failure to enhance A.C.L. reconstruction.

Cotula cinerea, belonging to the tribe Anthemideae, is a plant widespread in the Southern hemisphere. It is frequently used in folk medicine in North African countries for several of its medical properties, shown by its extracts and essential oils. The dichloromethane extract obtained from its aerial parts demonstrated antibiotic activity against Enterococcus faecalis and was fractionated by bioguided purification procedures affording five main sesquiterpene lactones. They were identified by spectroscopic methods (NMR and ESIMS data) as guaiantrienolides, i.e., 6-acetoxy-1β-,6-acetoxy-1α-, and 6-acetoxy-10-β-hydroxyguaiantrienolide (1–3), and germacrenolides, i.e., haagenolide and 1,10-epoxyhaagenolide (4 and 5). The absolute configuration was assigned by applying the advanced Mosher’s method to haagenolide and by X-ray diffraction analysis to 1,10-epoxyhaagenolide. The specific antibiotic and antibiofilm activities were tested toward the clinical isolates of Enterococcus faecalis. The results showed that compounds 3–5 have antibacterial activity against all the strains of E. faecalis, while compound 2 exhibited activity only toward some strains. Compound 1 did not show this activity but had only antibiofilm properties. Thus, these metabolites have potential as new antibiotics and antibiofilm against drug resistant opportunistic pathogens.