Thesis--University of Oklahoma. / Bibliography: leaves 97-101.

The present work expose a technique of estimation of optimal direction for placing dental implant. A volumetric computed tomography (CT) scan is used as a help of the following searches. The work offers criteria of the optimal implant placement direction and methods of evaluation on direction’s significance. The technique utilizes structure tensor to find a normal to the jawbone surface. Direction of that normal is then used as initial direction for search of optimal direction. The technique described in the present work aimed to support doctor’s decisions during dental implantation treatment.

Osteoporosis is a common condition characterized by bone fragility and fractures. Hip fracture, leads to disability, morbidity, excess mortality and growing costs to health care systems. / Antiresorptive agents are used to treat osteoporosis and fractures; it is unknown if these agents are effective in preventing recurrent fractures in individuals who have sustained a hip fracture. / Using health services administrative databases, we ascertained the incidence of hip fractures and associated-mortality rates in the elderly population in Quebec, from 1996 to 2002 and, evaluated the effectiveness of antiresorptive agents for the prevention of recurrent hip fractures. / We identified 33,243 hip fractures. Age-adjusted annual rates of hip fractures decreased in women by 11% from 1996 to 2002 while they did not change in men. Overall one-year mortality rates were higher in men than in women (37% versus 24%), and remained stable over time. Patients exposed to antiresorptives had a 26% reduction in the rate of recurrent fractures (95% CI, 0.64--0.86) compared to patients who were not exposed to these agents. / Hip fractures remain a prevalent disease with serious complications. Further research is essential to confirm our results and, to clarify the association between increasing use of antiresorptive agents and the trend reversal in the incidence of hip fractures.

Objectives. beta-blockers can alter bone turnover and increase bone formation in animals. It is unknown whether beta-blockers have similar bone protective effects in humans. We aimed to estimate the effects of beta-blockers on bone mineral density (BMD) and fractures using data from the Canadian Multicentre Osteoporosis Study, a large prospective cohort study. / Methods. All medications, including beta-blockers, taken at baseline and after five years of follow-up were recorded. BMD was measured at baseline. During the five years of follow-up, incident minimal trauma fractures were documented by yearly questionnaires. To compare users of beta-blockers to non-users while controlling for possible confounders, multiple linear regression was utilized to estimate between group differences in BMD and multivariate logistic regression was employed to estimate differences in fracture risk. / Results. Of the 9423 participants, 236 of 2884 males (8.2%) and 600 of 6539 females (9.2%) used beta-blockers at some point during the study. In men, beta-blocker users had differences of +1.1% (95% confidence interval [CI] -0.9%, 3.0%) and +1.2% (95% CI -0.5%, 4.0%) in baseline BMD at the total hip and at the lumbar spine, respectively, compared to non-users. In women, beta-blocker users had differences of +0.05% (95% CI -1.2%, 1.3%) and +0.2% (95% CI -1.3%, 1.7%) for the BMD of the total hip and the lumbar spine, respectively, compared to non-users. For users of beta-blockers at baseline, the adjusted odds ratio (OR) for any minimal trauma fracture was 1.23 (95% CI 0.67--2.25) in men and 1.02 (95% CI 0.76--1.35) in women. Chronic use (user at baseline and year 5) in men had an OR for any minimal trauma fracture of 2.1 (95% CI 1.0--4.3). In women who used beta-blockers at baseline but not at year 5, the OR for hip fracture was 6.3 (95% CI 2.0--19.3). The risk of fractures for other sites was inconclusive owing to wide confidence intervals. / Conclusion. Despite relatively large numbers of subjects, wide confidence intervals do not permit strong conclusions with regards to the effect of beta-blockers on BMD in men. Using a 2% limit of clinical importance for BMD, there appears to be no effect of beta-blockers on BMD in women. There is some evidence from our study that beta-blockers may be associated with an increased risk of fractures in certain subsets of users.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Stockholm : Karolinska institutet, 2007. / Härtill 4 uppsatser.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Stockholm : Karolinska institutet, 2007. / Härtill 4 uppsatser.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Stockholm : Karol. inst., 2003. / Härtill 4 uppsatser.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Linköping : Univ., 2003. / Härtill 6 uppsatser.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Linköping : University, 2003. / Härtill 5 uppsatser.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Umeå : Univ., 2007. / Härtill 5 uppsatser.