The prolonged immobilization associated with COVID-19 infection and the restrictions imposed by the pandemic have determined major changes in physical activity and eating habits, with a negative impact on physical performance. This study monitored non-pharmacological interventions (diet therapy and probiotics) in managing sarcopenia for patients with recent SARS-CoV-2 history (14 days). A prospective study was performed on 200 patients (between December 2020–December 2021), with SPPB score < 9, randomly divided into: Group K—DP (93 patients) with dietary therapy (protein 1.2–1.5 g/kg) and probiotics for two months; and Group K—non-DP (107 patients) without diet therapy and probiotics. All patients were included in a specific physical training program (40 min), three sessions per week. Skeletal muscle index (SMI), serum albumin, and hemoglobin were determined. The SMI was initially low for both groups without significant statistical differences (6.5 ± 0.52 kg/m² for Group K—non-DP vs. 6.7 ± 0.57 Kg/m² for Group K—DP, p = 0.135). After two months, significant difference between initial and final SMI values was determined for Group K—DP (6.92 ± 0.50 kg/m² vs. 6.77 ± 0.56 kg/m², p = 0.048). In Group K—DP, at end of study, were more patients with normal SMI (n = 32 → N = 70) values (p < 0.001) and fewer sarcopenia patients (p < 0.001). The initial serum albumin means values in the two groups (Group K—non-DP, 4.17 ± 1.04 g/dL, and Group K—DP, 3.95 ± 0.98 g/dL) were not statistically significantly different (p = 0.122). The hemoglobin level improved significantly following a hyper protein diet enriched with pro-biotics (p = 0.003). Diet therapy, consisting of increased protein intake and specific probiotics and specific physical therapy, demonstrated superiority in improving the functional status of patients with recent COVID-19 infection.

The assessment of an individual’s development by investigating the skeletal maturity is of much use in various medical fields. Skeletal maturity can be estimated by evaluating the morphology of the cervical vertebrae. The aim of this study was to conduct comparisons of the chronological age in different bone development stages. The retrospective study was conducted based on lateral cephalometric radiographs belonging to patients with ages between 6 and 15.9 years, from Romania. For the assessment of skeletal maturity, the Cervical Vertebral Maturation (CVM) method was used. In total, 356 radiographs were selected, but after applying the exclusion criteria, 252 radiographs remained in the study (178 girls and 74 boys). Different mean chronological age values were obtained for the general sample, as well as for the two genders. The chronological age started to be significantly different at the CS4 stage. Patients with CS4, CS5, and CS6 stages had a significantly higher chronological age compared to patients with CS1, CS2, and CS3 stages. It was noted that patients with CS1 and CS2 stages were more frequently boys, while patients with the CS5 stage were more frequently girls.

(1) Background: Maxillofacial and deep neck space infections require timely source control and exudate evacuation amid growing interest in minimally invasive, biomaterial-based drainage systems. (2) Methods: This narrative review synthesized clinical evidence (2001–2026) on four drainage strategies: incision and drainage (I&D), ultrasound-guided drainage (USD), closed-suction drainage (CSD), and vacuum-sealing/negative-pressure wound therapy (VSD/NPWT), across 44 studies (13,795 patients), emphasizing clinical outcomes and material properties. (3) Results: The studies differed in infection extent, patient selection, and device configuration, which limits comparison between modalities. Weighted mean length-of-stay values were 6.0 (I&D), 5.8 (USD), 19.8 (CSD), and 13.4 days (VSD); these are descriptive and do not represent treatment effects. Within comparative studies, stays were shorter than in the comparator arm in all five USD studies and in four of the six VSD studies. I&D, the most extensively studied approach, was usually combined with extraction of the causative tooth (80% of patients in the studies that reported it). The USD studies mostly involved localized collections and reported the shortest stays; repeat procedures were reported in 7.1% of patients in the studies that recorded them. CSD was described in three studies (two of which were deep neck series), with conflicting comparative findings; none of them reported drain material or measured blockage. VSD/NPWT studies ranged from single-space abscesses to necrotizing infection, and its pooled stay probably reflects a case mix: in four of the six comparative studies, the stay was noted as shorter with VSD than with conventional drainage, and was longer in two studies. (4) Conclusions: These descriptive data do not allow the modalities to be ranked. A proposed, clinically unvalidated selection framework is presented. Prospective studies that report device characteristics (material, diameter, pressure, and irrigation) alongside standardized outcomes are needed.