Osteoarthritis (OA) and diabetis mellitus type 2 (DMT2) are pathogenetically linked. Complement dysregulation contributes to OA and could be involved in DMT2. The inflammatory anaphylatoxin C5a is released during complement activation. This study aims to understand the specific responses of chondrocytes isolated from diabetic and non-diabetic rats exposed to C5a and/or the proinflammatory cytokine TNFα in vitro dependent on the glucose supply. Articular chondrocytes of adult Zucker Diabetic Fatty (ZDF) rats (homozygous: fa/fa, diabetic, heterozygous: fa/+, lean controls) were exposed to 10 ng/mL TNFα and 25 ng/mL C5a alone or in combination, both, under normo- (NG, 1 g/L glucose) and hyperglycemic (HG, 4.5 g/L glucose) conditions (4 or 24 h). Chondrocyte survival, metabolic activity and gene expression of collagen type 2, suppressors of cytokine signaling (SOCS)1, −3 and anti-oxidative hemoxygenase-1 (HMOX1) were assessed. The complement regulatory protein CD46 and cell nuclei sizes were analyzed. Chondrocyte vitality remained unaffected by the treatment. Metabolic activity was impaired in chondrocytes of non-diabetic rats under HG conditions. Collagen type 2 transcription was suppressed by TNFα under HG condition in chondrocytes from nondiabetic donors and under both conditions in those of DMT2 rats (24 h). Except for DMT2 chondrocytes under HG (4 h), HMOX1 was generally induced by TNFα +/- C5a (NG, HG). C5a elevated HMOX1 only in chondrocytes of controls. The SOCS1/3 genes were increased by TNFα (NG, diabetic, non diabetic, 4 and 24 h). This could also be observed in chondrocytes of diabetic, but not of lean rats (24 h, HG). At 4 h, C5a induced SOCS1 only in non diabetic chondrocytes (NG, HG). Cytoprotective CD46 protein was suppressed by TNFα under NG condition. Nuclear volumes of chondrocyte were lower in chondrocytes from DMT2 rats compared to those from controls. The differential response suggests that chondrocytes are irreversibly compromised by DMT2. Achnowledgement: The authors are grateful for the support by the “Stiftung Edoprothetik (S 04/21)”

The December 2023 Wrist & Hand Roundup. 360. looks at: Volar locking plate for distal radius fractures with patient-reported outcomes in older adults; Total joint replacement or trapeziectomy?; Replantation better than revision amputation in traumatic amputation?; What factors are associated with revision cubital tunnel release within three years?; Use of nerve conduction studies in carpal tunnel syndrome; Surgical site infection following surgery for hand trauma: a systematic review and meta-analysis; Association between radiological and clinical outcomes following distal radial fractures; Reducing the carbon footprint in carpal tunnel surgery inside the operating room with a lean and green model: a comparative study

Aims

The principles of evidence-based medicine (EBM) are the foundation of modern medical practice. Surgeons are familiar with the commonly used statistical techniques to test hypotheses, summarize findings, and provide answers within a specified range of probability. Based on this knowledge, they are able to critically evaluate research before deciding whether or not to adopt the findings into practice. Recently, there has been an increased use of artificial intelligence (AI) to analyze information and derive findings in orthopaedic research. These techniques use a set of statistical tools that are increasingly complex and may be unfamiliar to the orthopaedic surgeon. It is unclear if this shift towards less familiar techniques is widely accepted in the orthopaedic community. This study aimed to provide an exploration of understanding and acceptance of AI use in research among orthopaedic surgeons.

There is a disparity in sport-related injuries between sexes, with females sustaining non-contact musculoskeletal injuries at a higher rate. Anterior cruciate ligament ruptures are between two and eight times more common than in males, and females also have a higher incidence of ankle sprains, patellofemoral pain, and bone stress injuries. The sequelae of such injuries can be devastating to an athlete, resulting in time out of sport, surgery, and the early onset of osteoarthritis. It is important to identify the causes of this disparity and introduce prevention programmes to reduce the incidence of these injuries. A natural difference reflects the effect of reproductive hormones in females, which have receptors in certain musculoskeletal tissues. Relaxin increases ligamentous laxity. Oestrogen decreases the synthesis of collagen and progesterone does the opposite. Insufficient diet and intensive training can lead to menstrual irregularities, which are common in female athletes and result in injury, whereas oral contraception may have a protective effect against certain injuries. It is important for coaches, physiotherapists, nutritionists, doctors, and athletes to be aware of these issues and to implement preventive measures. This annotation explores the relationship between the menstrual cycle and orthopaedic sports injuries in pre-menopausal females, and proposes recommendations to mitigate the risk of sustaining these injuries.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2023;105-B(7):723–728.

For clinical movement analysis, optical marker-based motion capture is the gold standard. With the advancement of AI-driven computer vision, markerless motion capture (MMC) has emerged. Validity against the marker-based standard has only been examined for lightly-dressed subjects as required for marker placement. This pilot study investigates how different clothing affects the measurement of typical gait metrics. Gait tests at self-selected speed (4 km/h) were performed on a treadmill (Motek Grail), captured by 9 cameras (Qualisys Miqus, 720p, f=100Hz) and analyzed by a leading MMC application (Theia, Canada). A healthy subject (female, h=164cm, m=54kg) donned clothes between trials starting from lightly dressed (LD: bicycle tight, short-sleeved shirt), adding a short skirt (SS: hip occlusion) or a midi-skirt (MS: partial knee occlusion) or street wear (SW: jeans covering ankle, long-sleeved blouse), the lattern combined with a short jacket (SWJ) or a long coat (SWC). Gait parameters (mean±SD, t=10s) calculated (left leg, mid-stance) were ankle pronation (AP-M), knee flexion (KF-M), pelvic obliquity (PO-M) and trunk lateral lean (TL-M) representing clinically common metrics, different joints and anatomic planes. Four repetitions of the base style (LD) were compared to states of increased garment coverage using the t-test (Bonferroni correction). For most gait metrics, differences between the light dress (LD) and various clothing styles were absent (p>0.0175), small (< 2SD) or below the minimal clinically important differences (MCID). For instance, KF-M was for LD=10.5°±1.7 versus MD=12.0°±0.5 (p=0.07) despite partial knee cover. AP-M measured for LD=5.2°±0.6 versus SW=4.1°±0.7 (p<0.01) despite ankle cover-up. The difference for KF-M between LD=10.5°±1.7 versus SWL=6.0°±0.9, SW and SWJ (7.6°±1.5, p<0.01) indicates more intra-subject gait variability than clothing effect. This study suggests that typical clothings styles only have a small clinically possibly negligible effect on common gait parameters measured with MMC. Thus, patients may not need to change clothes or be instructed to wear specific garments. In addition to avoiding marker placement, this further increases speed, ease and economy of clinical gait analysis with MMC facilitating high volume or routine application

This study aims to assess the fracture mechanics of type-2 diabetic (T2D) femoral bone using innovative site-specific tests, whilst also examining the cortical and trabecular bone microarchitecture from various regions using micro-computed tomography (CT) of the femur as the disease progresses. Male [Zucker Diabetic Fatty (ZDF: fa/fa) (T2D) and Zucker Lean (ZL: fa/+) (Control)] rats were euthanized at 12-weeks of age, thereafter, right and left femora were dissected (Right femora: n = 6, per age, per condition; Left femora: n=8-9, per age, per condition). Right femurs were notched in the posterior of the midshaft. Micro-CT was used to scan the proximal femur, notched and unnotched femoral midshaft (cortical) of the right femur and the distal metaphysis (trabecular) of the left femur to investigate microarchitecture and composition. Right femurs were fracture toughness tested to measure the stress intensity factor (Kic) followed by a sideways fall test using a custom-made rig to investigate femoral neck mechanical properties. There was no difference in trabecular and cortical tissue material density (TMD) between T2D and control rats. Cortical thickness was unchanged, but trabeculae were thinner (p<0.01) in T2D rats versus controls. However, T2D rats had a greater number of trabeculae (p<0.05) although trabecular spacing was not different to controls. T2D rats had a higher connectivity distribution (p<0.05) and degree of anisotropy (p<0.05) in comparison to controls. There was no difference in the mechanical properties between strains. At 12-weeks of age, rats are experiencing early-stage T2Ds and the disease impact is currently not very clear. Structural and material properties are unchanged between strains, but the trabecular morphology shows that T2D rats have more trabecular struts present in order to account for the thinner trabeculae

Aims

Temporary hemiepiphysiodesis (HED) is applied to children and adolescents to correct angular deformities (ADs) in long bones through guided growth. Traditional Blount staples or two-hole plates are mainly used for this indication. Despite precise surgical techniques and attentive postoperative follow-up, implant-associated complications are frequently described. To address these pitfalls, a flexible staple was developed to combine the advantages of the established implants. This study provides the first results of guided growth using the new implant and compares these with the established two-hole plates and Blount staples.

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The volume of ambulatory total hip arthroplasty (THA) procedures is increasing due to the emphasis on value-based care. The purpose of the study is to identify the causes for failed same-day discharge (SDD) and perioperative factors leading to failed SDD.

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In the UK, the NHS generates an estimated 25 megatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalents (4% to 5% of the nation’s total carbon emissions) and produces over 500,000 tonnes of waste annually. There is limited evidence demonstrating the principles of sustainability and its benefits within orthopaedic surgery. The primary aim of this study was to analyze the environmental impact of orthopaedic surgery and the environmentally sustainable initiatives undertaken to address this. The secondary aim of this study was to describe the barriers to making sustainable changes within orthopaedic surgery.

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The aim of the HIPGEN consortium is to develop the first cell therapy product for hip fracture patients using PLacental-eXpanded (PLX-PAD) stromal cells.

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Sarcopenia is characterized by a generalized progressive loss of skeletal muscle mass, strength, and physical performance. This systematic review primarily evaluated the effects of sarcopenia on postoperative functional recovery and mortality in patients undergoing orthopaedic surgery, and secondarily assessed the methods used to diagnose and define sarcopenia in the orthopaedic literature.