Background: Hallux valgus (HV) is one of the most common foot deformities. Considering the fact that 23% of adults develop such condition during their lifetime, understanding HV is badly needed. Plantar pressure technologies are used widely for determination of biomechanical changes in foot during walking. There are already published claims relating to the pressure distribution of HV condition. Association of HV to sole pressure widely presented as a means of identifying such condition. Methods: plantar pressure patterns can be linked to the deformity progression or existence, extracting some patterns out of force measurements can be beneficial in recognizing the patients with and without deformity. The dynamic changes of the forces that applied to the fore-foot in volunteers with and without HV when they walked at self-selected and fast speeds were examined. Furthermore, Markovian chain transfer matrices were used to obtain the transfer coefficient of the force among five metatarsals. Another method was to measure the lateral flexibility of the 1st metatarsal joint as an indication of HV deformity by Motion Capture cameras. Finally, two 3D feet models of HV and non-HV volunteers were made in Mimics software and then in FEA (finite element analysis) the stress distribution under the foot was validated with the experiments. Results: The higher forces were observed under the 2nd, 3rd and 1st metatarsal heads in both speeds but the results obtained were significantly different among groups and in fast speed and under 3rd and 1st metatarsals in self-selected speed. In this study the use of Markovian transfer matrices as a means of characterising the gait pattern is new and novel. It was intended that highest coefficients of the matrix would indicate the existence of HV, however studies showed that the biggest difference between HV and non HV patients was the scatter of the coefficients which shown to give very strong indication of the existence of HV. It was shown by kinematic studies and also it was found that the 1st metatarsal joint was significantly more flexible in HV patients compared to non–HV individuals. Finally FEA studies has shown that in the 3D feet models of both volunteers (with and without HV), the highest stress was under the heal area and then transfers towards fore-foot area. In patient with HV the higher force were seen under the 1st to 3rd metatarsal heads compare to non-HV individual and each model was validated its related experiments. Conclusion: it was observed that there was a significant variability of pressure distribution of the same individual from one trial to another indicating that getting consistent pressure pattern is an important hurdle to overcome in our studies, raised loading is observed on Metatarsal 2, 3 and 1 in HV patients and it was possible to give statistical significance to these findings. In this thesis, it was intended to obtain early diagnostics of HV condition and much work was put in this, however outcome was not conclusive. However it was possible to distinguish HV form non-HV volunteers from the scatter characteristics of the transfer pattern. Investigation of the 1st metatarsal joint laxity of non-HV and HV patients revealed that HV individuals were significantly higher compared to non–HV volunteers and this can be used as an indication of HV existence. Finally, the 3D models show that FEA is a reliable tool as the FEA study showed good correlation with the experimental results.

Submitted by Marcos Anselmo (marcos.anselmo@unipampa.edu.br) on 2016-09-09T19:52:40Z No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) CAROLINE DA SILVA SILVEIRA.pdf: 6734641 bytes, checksum: 8df9bfda7306dbc3b2714620b6612002 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Marcos Anselmo (marcos.anselmo@unipampa.edu.br) on 2016-09-09T19:52:54Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) CAROLINE DA SILVA SILVEIRA.pdf: 6734641 bytes, checksum: 8df9bfda7306dbc3b2714620b6612002 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-09-09T19:52:54Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) CAROLINE DA SILVA SILVEIRA.pdf: 6734641 bytes, checksum: 8df9bfda7306dbc3b2714620b6612002 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-02-23 / Doenças podais são uma das principais injúrias em rebanhos de pequenos ruminantes em diversos países e a pododermatite infecciosa (Footrot) é relatada como a mais frequente em ovinos no Brasil. No Rio Grande do Sul, as doenças podais ainda são um grave problema para os criadores de ovinos e pouco tem sido feito para saná-las. O Footrot, mesmo se tratando de uma doença de notificação obrigatória e frequente na região, os registros oficiais sobre a situação da doença nos rebanhos são escassos. Esse trabalho teve como objetivo descrever as principais características das lesões podais observadas em ovinos da Mesorregião Sudoeste do Rio Grande do Sul, com ênfase nos aspectos epidemiológicos, macroscópicos, microscópicos e radiográficos das lesões de Footrot. O estudo foi realizado em duas etapas. Inicialmente foram avaliados ovinos em 27 propriedades rurais, das quais 21 registraram a ocorrência de lesões podais em ovinos com perdas econômicas significativas. Aproximadamente 1.700 ovinos, em média 10% dos animais do rebanho, apresentavam diferentes graus de claudicação decorrente de lesões podais que, macroscopicamente, variavam de brandas a severas. Posteriormente, foram avaliados os variados graus de lesões de Footrot nos ovinos. Em casos de abate e necropsia, os cascos dos ovinos com as lesões foram submetidos à avaliação macroscópica, radiográfica e microscópica. Dessa forma a doença foi classificada em cinco graus de severidade que variaram de 1 (lesões leves) a 5 (lesões graves). Verificou-se que diversos fatores como clima e manejo foram favoráveis para o desenvolvimento das lesões podais e essas estão associadas, na maioria dos casos, a Footrot em diferentes estágios de evolução. A partir dessa classificação em graus foi possível classificá-los macroscopicamente em duas síndromes clínicas propostas, a saber Footrot benigno e maligno. Essa classificação facilita o estabelecimento das medidas de controle com intuito de limitar a propagação da doença e evitar a evolução das lesões nos cascos acometidos. / Foot diseases are one of the main disorders in small ruminant flocks in several countries and infectious pododermatite (Footrot) is reported as the most frequent podal lesions in sheep in Brazil. In Rio Grande do Sul state, foot diseases still a serious problem for sheep farmers and little has been done to remedy them. Footrot is a notifiable disease and frequent in the region, the official records on the disease situation in herds are scarce. This study aimed to describe the main features of foot lesions observed in sheep from Mesoregion Southwest of Rio Grande do Sul, with emphasis on epidemiology, macroscopic, microscopic and radiographic changes of Footrot injuries. The study was conducted in two steps. Initially, sheep were evaluated on 27 farms, of which 21 showed records of the occurrence of foot lesions in sheep and significant economic losses. Approximately 1,700 sheep, about 10% of the flocks, showed varying degrees of lameness due to foot lesions, macroscopically characterized as mild to severe. Subsequently, they assessed the varying degrees of injuries Footrot in sheep. Hooves with injuries were submitted to macroscopic, radiographic and microscopic evaluation. Thus the disease was classified into five grades of severity ranging from 1 (mild injury) to 5 (severe damage). It has been found that several factors such as weather and handling were favorable for the development of foot injuries and these are associated in most Footrot cases in different stages of evolution. Based on the classification in degrees of infectious pododermatitis it was possible to classify them macroscopically in clinical syndromes proposed as benign and malignant Footrot. This classification facilitates the establishment of control measures with the intention of reduce spread of disease and prevent the development of lesions in affected hooves.

Les associations symbiotiques entre différentes espèces de champignon du genre Epichloë et des plantes fourragères sont à l’origine de la production de mycotoxines responsables, dans certains pays, de toxicoses du bétail et de pertes économiques. Le développement de d’E. coenophiala dans la fétuque, qui est associé à la production d’ergovaline, est responsable de « fescue foot disease » alors que la présence d’E. festucae var. lolii dans le ray-grass anglais, qui est accompagnée d’une production de lolitrem B, est responsable du « ryegrass staggers » et de la production d’ergovaline, dont les effets toxiques associés à la présence de lolitrème B sont mal documentés. Mon travail de thèse a consisté à explorer les effets de la distribution de différents fourrages de fétuque et ray-grass endophytés toxinogènes produits dans des conditions agricoles françaises, sur la santé et la production animale et les mécanismes d’action de l’ergovaline et du lolitrème B. / The symbiotic associations between different varieties of fungi of the Epichloë kind and forages are responsible for the production of mycotoxins which are responsible of toxicoses in livestock and economic losses in some countries. The development of E. coenophiala in tall fescue, which is associated with the production of ergovaline, is responsible for « fescue foot disease » while the presence of E. festucae var. lolii in ryegrass, which is accompanied by the production of lolitrem B, is responsible for the « ryegrass staggers ». and the production of ergovaline, whose the toxic effects associated in the presence of lolitrem B are poorly documented. My thesis was to explore the effects of the distribution of different toxic forages of endophyte-infected tall fescue or ryegrass produced in French agricultural conditions on health and animal production and the mechanisms of action of ergovaline and lolitrem B.

Local tissue factors, ischemia and infection (which are often the cause of re-ulceration) are the main pathogenetic factors for diabetic foot disease (DFD). Neuropathic bone metabolism disorder leads to Charcot osteoarthropathy (CHOA). The aim of this dissertation was to assess experimentally the effectiveness of new skin substitutes, evaluate local vasculogenesis in different types of cell therapy of DFD, the role of infection in recurrence of DFD and scintigraphic parameters of activity of CHOA. Our studies concerning local pathological processes in DFD experimentally proved that gelatine nanofibers accelerate wound healing and can be suitable scaffolds for cell transfer and skin regeneration and also that acellular porcine dermis is more effective in healing of chronic wounds then xenotransplants. Our studies concerning therapeutic vasculogenesis confirmed that efficacy of stem cells (SC) harvested from bone marrow is similar in efficacy to SC separated from peripheral blood after stimulation. We found no evidence for systemic vasculogenesis by means of a significant increase of pro-angiogenic cytokines, which confirms the paracrine effect of injected SC. We proved a significant correlation between angiogeneisis inhibitor (endostatin) and the number of injected SC, which could be an indicator of...

Diabetic foot disease (DFD) is a serious complication of diabetes and, along with critical limb ischemia, significantly exacerbates the prognosis of patients. Peripheral arterial disease in patients with diabetes has an atypical clinical course, its diagnosis is challenging and is one of the most common causes of morbidity and mortality of patients with DFD. The aim of this dissertation focused on the diagnosis and treatment of DFD was to identify a suitable method for evaluating the effect of autologous cell therapy (ACT), to assess options for early diagnosis of Charcot osteoarthropathy (COA) and, possibly, to establish the association between the incidence of cardiovascular disease and DFD. In our studies concerning therapeutic vasculogenesis, we observed a significant increase in the antiangiogenic factor endostatin after ACT in contrast to its unchanged levels after standard percutaneous transluminal angioplasty; the transient increase in endostatin seems to be a marker of therapeutic vasculogenesis after ACT. A benefit of using calf muscle perfusion scintigraphy in the assessment of microcirculation and ACT effect was not clearly demonstrated. By contrast, a promising method for the evaluation of microcirculation and the effect of revascularization after ACT was MR spectroscopy of calf...