Ophthalmic treatment demands precision and consistency in delivering therapeutic agents over extended periods to address many conditions, from common eye disorders to complex diseases. The diversity of conditions necessitates a range of delivery strategies, each tailored to specific needs. This comprehensive paper delves into various delivery cargos that are pivotal in ophthalmic care. These cargos encompass biodegradable implants that gradually release medication, nonbiodegradable implants for sustained drug delivery, refillable tools allowing flexibility in treatment, hydrogels capable of retaining substances while maintaining ocular comfort, and advanced nanotechnology devices that precisely target eye tissues. Within each cargo category, we explore cutting-edge research-level approaches and FDA-approved methods, providing a thorough overview of the current state of ophthalmic drug delivery. In particular, our focus on nanotechnology tools reveals the promising potential for gene delivery, cell therapy administration, and the implantation of active devices directly into the retina. These advancements hold the key to more effective, personalized, and minimally invasive ophthalmic treatments, revolutionizing the field of eye care.

BACKGROUND: Different protocols and procedures for sinus lift and implant placement are available, generally involving the use of grafts to increase the tissue volume and/or prevent the Schneiderian membrane from collapsing. Among xenografts, deproteinised bovine bone graft (DBBP) is frequently used in sinus lift procedures. Leaving an ungrafted space following membrane elevation has proven to have a bony regenerative potential as well. This study aimed to compare the clinical and histological features of sinus lift surgery performed with or without biomaterials.
METHODS: Patients with severe maxillary posterior atrophy (residual bone height 2-6 mm and residual crest thickness ≥4 mm), and in need of sinus lift surgery to allow the placement of three implants were enrolled and randomly divided into two groups. They underwent sinus lifts with DBBP (control) or with a graftless technique (test) and immediate placement of two implants (a mesial and distal one). After 6 months, a bone sample was retrieved from the area between the previously inserted fixtures, and a third, central implant was placed. The collected bone samples were analyzed morphologically and histomorphometrically. The patients were provided with prosthetic restorations after 6 months and followed up for 5-12 years.
RESULTS: Ten patients were enrolled in the test and nine in the control group. The 6-month follow-up showed in the control group an average augmentation of 10.31 mm (±2.12), while in the test group it was 8.5 mm (±1.41) and a success rate of 96.3% in the control and 86.7% in the test group (p > 0.05). The histological analysis evidenced the presence of new bone tissue surrounded by immature osteoid matrix in the test group, and a variable number of DBBP particles surrounded by an immature woven bone matrix in the control group.
CONCLUSIONS: The results of the present trial indicate that, with residual bone height of 2-6 mm and residual crest thickness ≥4 mm, sinus lift surgery with or without biomaterials followed by implant restoration, produces similar clinical and histological outcomes.

Osseointegration implant (OI) surgery is the latest rehabilitation technology for amputees, where a bone-anchored implant obviates the limitations of traditional socket prostheses. The bone mineral density (BMD) in the periprosthetic and other anatomical regions can be used to assess bone remodelling following OI surgery. Currently, limited studies have used BMD measurements in reporting post-operative OI outcomes and the association between the maintenance of BMD and implant efficacy has remained elusive. This review captured and analysed all studies that have reported the BMD as an objective outcome measure in patients with trans-femoral or trans-tibial OI. The PubMed, Medline, Scopus and Web of Science databases were searched using the terms \'amputation\', \'osseointegration\' and \'bone mineral density\'. A total of 6 studies involving human participants were included for analysis. All studies used dual X-ray absorptiometry and/or X-rays for measuring BMD. Rehabilitation of trans-femoral or trans-tibial amputation using OI may help restore healthy BMD by enabling physiological bone loading. However, there is a low correlation between the BMD around the OI and the success of OI surgery or the risk of periprosthetic fractures. This review summarises the current evidence on BMD assessment in OI for lower limb amputee rehabilitation. Despite the great variability in the results, the available evidence suggests that OI may help restore BMD following surgery. The limited evidence calls for further investigation, as well as the development of a standard BMD measurement protocol.

Aesthetics are one of the primary goals of restorative care. Teeth that are traumatized in the anterior maxilla usually avulse or require extraction due to fractures. Rehabilitation is challenging in such a therapeutic state since it presents several anatomical and aesthetic issues. There are circumstances in which traditional implant placement is problematic. There must be enough bone for implant placement to be uneventful and successful. Other surgical therapies may be necessary in addition to implant placement for certain operations, such as extensive grafting, direct or indirect sinus lifts, and nerve lateralization. Certain procedures are required for these operations but are not always achievable. Because single-piece basal implants provide immediate temporization and loading while receiving adequate anchoring from the basal cortical bone, they have been extensively used to rehabilitate resorbed ridges. This case report demonstrates the placement of the basal implant in the anterior zone.

BACKGROUND: The intertrochanteric fracture is a frequently occurring fracture, often attributed to osteoporosis in older populations. Recently, there has been a proposal to perform early surgical fixation on elderly patients to facilitate early rehabilitation. This approach has been shown to have a beneficial effect in lowering comorbidities. The study aims to compare the efficacy of the twin screw derotation type cephalomedullary nail with that of the single helical blade type cephalomedullary nail in the management of unstable intertrochanteric fractures.
METHODS:  The research sample included patients from the orthopedic outpatient and emergency departments of Adesh Medical College and Hospital, Ambala Cantt, India, who were scheduled for surgery for unstable intertrochanteric femur fractures. The patients were categorized into two groups according to the kind of implant they were given: either a twin screw derotation cephalomedullary nail or a single helical blade cephalomedullary nail. The functional result was evaluated by comparing the modified Harris hip score (HHS). Patients with unstable intertrochanteric fractures, including reverse oblique fractures and fractures with posteromedial comminution, as well as patients who provided consent, were included in this study.
RESULTS:  Thirteen individuals received treatment with proximal femoral nail antirotation (PFNA2), whereas 19 individuals received treatment with proximal femoral nail (PFN). The mean age in the PFNA2 group was 69.51, whereas the mean age in the PFN group was 70.804. There were three patients in the PFNA2 group and five patients in the PFN group who had a tip apex distance of more than 25 mm. According to the Cleveland index, nine patients in the PFNA2 group and eight patients in the PFN group had an implant location that was not optimum. Four patients in the PFNA2 group and seven patients in the PFN group had a neck shaft angle difference of more than 10° between their undamaged and operated sides. The mean HHS was 74.55 for the PFNA2 group and 69.88 for the PFN group. The PFNA2 group exhibited four problems, whereas the PFN group had five issues.
CONCLUSIONS:  The study found that both implants offer similar functional outcomes, with adherence to specific radiological parameters optimizing results. While both face similar challenges with osteoporosis, there was no notable distinction between them. Notably, the PFNA2 group showed superior outcomes in perioperative morbidity.

BACKGROUND: Acute otitis media (AOM) causes inflammation and hearing loss. Ventilation tubes are key in treatment. 3D printing improves prostheses in otorhinolaryngology, offering precision and greater adaptability.
METHODS: An experimental study was conducted with Wistar rats from July to December 2020. 3D tympanostomy tube models were designed, with technical specifications and tests performed on inexpensive 3D printers. The tympanostomy tube was inserted endoscopically.
RESULTS: Procedures were performed on five rats with implants in both ears. Pre-intervention pathologies, such as atical retraction and glue ear, were found. The PLA-printed tympanostomy tube showed improvement after adjustments. Histopathological results revealed significant middle and inner ear damage.
CONCLUSIONS: In our study, the design and 3D printing of implants fulfilled the desired functions when modified, with a height of 5 mm. Complications included PLA degradation and ear damage. There were no adverse events during observation, highlighting the need for further research on 3D-printed implants.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of osteotomy preparation technique and implant diameter on primary stability and bone-implant interface of short implants (6mm), when placed in bone with high degree of cancellous content.
METHODS: 90 short (S) implants (6 mm) divided in nine groups based on width (Narrow 4.2 mm, Regular 4.8 mm, Wide 5.4 mm) (N,R,W) and osteotomy preparation (Standard, Osteotome, Osseodensification) (ST, OT, OD) and placed in porcine tibia plateau bone samples: Group SN-ST; Group SN-OT; Group SN-OD; Group SRST; Group SR-OT; Group SR-OD; Group SW-ST; Group SW-OT and Group SW-OD. Insertion torque and Implant Stability Quotient (ISQ) were measured. Four implants from each group SNST, SN-OT, SN-OD were evaluated histomorphometrically.
RESULTS: Insertion torque was significantly higher for implants of Group SW-OD compared to Group SW-ST (50.00 ±14.14 Ncm vs 28.00 ±10.85 Ncm, p= 0.005) and Group SW-OT compared to Group SW-ST (46.87 ±17.10 Ncm vs 28.00 ±10.85 Ncm, p=0.026). Insertion torque was significantly higher for implants of Group SW-OD compared to Group SN-OD (50.00 ±14.14 Ncm vs 31.5 ±15.82 Ncm, p=0.04). No significant differences were observed for the percentage of bone, marrow space and connective tissue in contact to the implant surface between studied groups.
CONCLUSIONS: Osteotomy preparation technique at sites with high degree of cancellous content can influence the implant insertion torque for short and wide implants (5.4x6mm). Implant width can influence the insertion torque of short implants placed with the osseodensification technique.

BACKGROUND: The Norwegian Government introduced in 2002 a reimbursement scheme for hormonal contraceptives to adolescents at the same time as public health nurses and midwives received authorization to prescribe hormonal contraceptives. This study examines the impact of increased accessibility and public funding on hormonal contraceptive use among adolescents.
METHODS: The Norwegian Prescription Database, Statistics Norway, and Norwegian Institute of Public Health served as data sources for this cohort study. The study population comprised 174 653 Norwegian women born 1989-1990, 1994-1995, and 1999-2000. We examined use of hormonal contraceptives through dispensed prescriptions from age 12 through age 19 with duration of first continuous use as primary outcome. The statistical analyses were done in SPSS using chi-squared test, survival analysis, and Joinpoint regression analysis with p-values < 0.05.
RESULTS: By age 19, ~75% of the cohorts had used at least one hormonal method. The main providers of the first prescription were general practitioners and public health nurses. Starters of progestogen-only pills (POPs) have increased across the cohorts, while starters of combined oral contraceptives (COCs) have decreased. The use of long-acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs) has increased since its inclusion in the reimbursement scheme (2015). Most switchers shifted from COCs or POPs as a start method to implants after LARCs became part of the reimbursement scheme. There has been a significant increase across the cohorts in the number of women who continuously used hormonal contraceptives from start to the end of the calendar year they became 19 years with the same method and after switching methods. We could not correlate changes in decreasing trends for teenage births or induced abortions (Joinpoint analysis) to time for implementation or changes in the reimbursement of hormonal contraceptives from 2002.
CONCLUSIONS: Primarily public health nurses and to a lesser extent midwives became soon after they received authorization to prescribe COCs important providers. The expansion of the reimbursement scheme to cover POPs, patches, vaginal ring, and depot medroxyprogesterone acetate in 2006 had minor impact on increasing the proportion of long-term first-time users. However, the inclusion of LARCs in 2015 significantly increased the proportion of long-term first-time hormonal contraceptive users.

Implanted biomaterials have transformed healthcare and the treatment of injury and disease, but their influence on the local immune landscape remains unclear. Here we discovered that degradation-resistant titanium-based implants establish an immunosuppressive microenvironment by recruiting myeloid cells, including monocytes, macrophages, neutrophils, and myeloid-lineage dendritic cells. Unlike normal tissues, the tissues nearby implants exhibit an chronic inflamed and immunosuppressive status characterised by myeloid-rich, T cell-exhaustion gene signature by single-cell RNA sequencing. Vitamin C treatment provides an effective strategy to rescue the immunosuppressive microenvironment, which can be used as a regular supplement to reduce the risk of malignant cell survival around the implants.

The design of new, biomimetic biomaterials is of great strategic interest and is converging for many applications, including in implantology. This study explores a novel approach to improving dental implants. Although endosseous TA6V alloy dental implants are widely used in oral implantology, this material presents significant challenges, notably the prevalence of peri-implantitis. Therefore, in this study, we investigate a new advance in the design of hybrid medical devices. This involves the design of a Ca-SZ coating deposited by PVD on a TA6V substrate. This approach aims to overcome the inherent limitations of each of these materials, namely TA6V\'s susceptibility to peri-implantitis on the one hand and zirconia\'s excessively high Young\'s modulus compared with bone on the other, while benefiting from their respective advantages, such as the ductility of TA6V and the excellent biocompatibility of zirconia, offering relevant prospects for the design of high-performance implantable medical devices. This study integrates characterisation techniques, focusing on the structural and elemental analysis of the Ca-SZ coating by XRD and TEM. The results suggest that this coating combines a tetragonal structure, a uniform morphology with no apparent defects, a clean interface highlighting good adhesion, and a homogeneous composition of calcium, predisposing it to optimal biocompatibility. All of these findings make this innovative coating a particularly suitable candidate for application in dental implantology.