One of the fears of women considering a hysterectomy is whether their sexual function will be affected. A study of 27 women recorded their vaginal and clitoral sensitivity to warm, cold, and vibratory sensation before and after hysterectomy. The women reported that sensation at the vaginal walls had deteriorated after surgery, but clitoral sensation was mostly preserved. A minority of patients reported a decline in general sexual function, emphasising the relative importance of clitoral compared with vaginal contributions to sexual function (European Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Reproductive Biology 2005;119: 242-5).

There are no fixed rules about where to split plaster casts to accommodate swelling after an injury. But by applying full plasters to manikins' forearms, splitting them in different positions (dorsal, volar, radial, or ulnar sides), and then applying a load, orthopaedic surgeons found the most successful split for maintaining fracture reduction in a cast below the elbow was the dorsal split (Injury 2005;36: 588-9.

It's good to know that what happens under tight study conditions can be replicated in the real world. The Canadian alteplase for stroke effectiveness study was designed to assess the effectiveness of thrombolysis for …