Radioprotective gowns are an essential part of operating in orthopaedicse. As we are aware from the evidence, surgeons, and in particular orthopaedic surgeons, are at risk of developing chronic neck and back pain. This is likely a result of the combination of of long operations, heavy equipment, radioprotective gowns and poor ergonomic set up. Women are a minority in orthopaedics. Amongst trainees there has been an improvement with 20–25% of current trainees are women, however at consultant level this percentage is a lot lower at 5–7%. Radioprotective gowns worn by trainees are frequently not well fitted and few surgeons have access to bespoke fitted gowns. A questionnaire given to 32 trainees in the region found a significant burden of back pain in trainees and 57% of surgeons felt their gowns were not appropriately fitted. In this study every woman questioned reported back pain as a result of operating and 87% felt the gowns used exacerbated back pain, this figure was 56% in men. 80% of surgeons felt that surgeons would benefit from bespoke fitted gowns, even those that did not themselves have severe back pain. 45% of trainees felt their pain was moderate to severe. In surgery we have the responsibility to protect ourselves and our colleagues from work based injury and illness. Back pain should not be ignored as a symptom and radioprotective gowns is a good place to start. Overall the majority the gowns exacerbated their back pain during or after procedures, worse in women as described above. We can use this data and do what we can to provide trainees with a range of sizes whilst working in hospitals during their training. Anectodally women sizes were less available in the departments and we can work to improve this and reduce the burden of pain amongst surgeons

Glutamate regulates the expression of apoptosis-related genes and triggers the apoptosis of fibroblasts in rotator cuff tendons. Subacromial bursitis is always accompanied by symptomatic rotator cuff tear (RCT). However, no study has been reported on the presence of glutamate in subacromial bursa and on its involvement of shoulder pain in patients who had RCT. The purposes of this study were to determine whether the glutamate expression in subacromial bursa is associated with the presence of RCT and with the severity of shoulder pain accompanying RCT. Subacromial bursal tissues were harvested from patients who underwent arthroscopic rotator cuff tendon repair or glenoid labral repair with intact rotator cuff tendon. Glutamate tissue concentrations were measured, using a glutamate assay kit. Expressions of glutamate and its receptors in subacromial bursae were histologically determined. The sizes of RCT were determined by arthroscopic findings, using the DeOrio and Cofield classification. The severity of shoulder pain was determined, using visual analog scale (VAS). Any associations between glutamate concentrations and the size of RCT were evaluated, using logistic regression analysis. The correlation between glutamate concentrations and the severity of pain was determined, using the Pearson correlation coefficient. Differences with a probability <0.05 were considered statistically significant. Glutamate concentrations showed significant differences between the torn tendon group and the intact tendon group (P = 0.009). Concentrations of glutamate significantly increased according to increases in tear size (P < 0.001). In histological studies, the expressions of glutamate and of its ionotropic and metabotropic receptors have been confirmed in subacromial bursa. Glutamate concentrations were significantly correlated with pain on VAS (Rho=0.56 and P =0.01). The expression of glutamate in subacromial bursa is significantly associated with the presence of RCT and significantly correlated with its accompanying shoulder pain. Acknowledgements: This research was supported by the Basic Science Research Program, through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education (NRF-2015R1D1A3A01018955 and 2017R1D1A1B03035232)

Background. Chronic pain after joint replacement is common, affecting approximately 10% of patients after total hip replacement (THR) and 20% of patients after total knee replacement (TKR). Heightened generalised sensitivity to nociceptive input could be a risk factor for the development of this pain. The primary aim of this study was to investigate whether preoperative widespread pain sensitivity was associated with chronic pain after joint replacement. Methods. Data were analysed from 254 patients receiving THR and 239 patients receiving. TKR. Pain was assessed preoperatively and at 12 months after surgery using the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Pain Scale. Preoperative widespread pain sensitivity was assessed through measurement of pressure pain thresholds (PPTs) at the forearm using an algometer. Statistical analysis was conducted using linear regression and linear mixed models, and adjustments were made for confounding variables. Results. In both the THR and TKR cohort, lower PPTs (heightened widespread pain. sensitivity) were significantly associated with higher preoperative pain severity. Lower PPTs were also significantly associated with higher pain severity at 12 months after surgery in the THR cohort. However, PPTs were not associated with the change in pain severity from preoperative to 12 months postoperative in either the TKR or THR cohort. Conclusions. These findings suggest that although preoperative widespread pressure pain sensitivity is associated with pain severity before and after joint replacement, it is not a predictor of the amount of pain relief that patients gain from joint replacement surgery, independent of preoperative pain severity. Level of Evidence. 2. Approvals. The APEX trials were registered as an International Standardised Randomised Controlled Trial (96095682), approved by Southampton and South West Hampshire Research Ethics Committee(09/H0504/94) and all participants provided informed written consent

A major cause of morbidity in lower limb amputees is phantom limb pain (PLP) and residual limb pain (RLP). This study aimed to determine if surgical interposition of nerve endings into adjacent muscle bellies at the time of major lower limb amputation can decrease the incidence and severity of PLP and RLP. Data was retrospectively collected from January 2015 to January 2021, including eight patients that underwent nerve interposition (NI) and 36 that received standard treatment. Primary outcomes included the 11-point Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) for pain severity, and Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) pain intensity, behaviour, and interference. Secondary outcome included Neuro-QoL Lower Extremity Function assessing mobility. Cumulative scores were transformed to standardised t scores. Across all primary and secondary outcomes, NI patients had lower PLP and RLP. Mean ‘worst pain’ score was 3.5 out of 10 for PLP in the NI cohort, compared to 4.89 in the control cohort (p=0.298), and 2.6 out of 10 for RLP in the NI cohort, compared to 4.44 in the control cohort (p=0.035). Mean ‘best pain’ and ‘current pain’ scores were also superior in the NI cohort for PLP (p=0.003, p=0.022), and RLP (p=0.018, p=0.134). Mean PROMIS t scores were lower for the NI cohort for RLP (40.1 vs 49.4 for pain intensity; p=0.014, 44.4 vs 48.2 for pain interference; p=0.085, 42.5 vs 49.9 for pain behaviour; p=0.025). Mean PROMIS t scores were also lower for the NI cohort for PLP (42.5 vs 52.7 for pain intensity; p=0.018); 45.0 vs 51.5 for pain interference; p=0.015, 46.3 vs 51.1 for pain behaviour; p=0.569). Mean Neuro-QoL t score was lower in NI cohort (45.4 vs 41.9;p=0.03). Surgical interposition of nerve endings during lower limb amputation is a simple yet effective way of minimising PLP and RLP, improving patients’ subsequent quality of life. Additional comparisons with targeted muscle reinnervation should be performed to determine the optimal treatment option

Osteoarthritis (OA) affects the whole joint and leads to chronic pain. The sympathetic nervous system (SNS) seems to be involved in OA pathogenesis, as indicated by in vitro studies as well as by our latest work demonstrating that sympathectomy in mice results in increased subchondral bone volume in the OA knee joint. We assume that chronic stress may lead to opposite effects, such as an increased bone loss in OA due to an elevated sympathetic tone. Therefore, we analyzed experimental OA progression in mice exposed to chronic stress. OA was induced in male C57BL/6J mice by surgical destabilization of the medial meniscus (DMM) and Sham as well as non-operated mice served as controls. Half of these groups were exposed to chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS). After 12 weeks, chronic stress efficiency was assessed using behavioral tests. In addition to measuring body weight and length, changes in subchondral bone were analyzed by μCT. Dynamic Weight Bearing system was used to monitor OA-related pain. Histological scoring will be conducted to investigate the severity cartilage degeneration and synovial inflammation. CUMS resulted in increased anxiety and significant decrease in body weight gain in all CUMS groups compared to non-CUMS groups. CUMS also increased serum corticosterone in healthy mice, with even higher levels in CUMS mice after DMM surgery. CUMS had no significant effect on subchondral bone, but subarticular bone mineral density and trabecular thickness were increased. Moreover, CUMS resulted in significant potentiation of DMM-associated pain. Our results suggest that the autonomic imbalance with increased sympathetic nervous activity induced by chronic stress exacerbates the severity of OA pain perception. We expect significantly increased cartilage degeneration as well as more severe synovial inflammation in CUMS DMM mice compared to DMM mice

Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA) improves the quality of life of osteoarthritic and rheumatoid arthritis patients, however, is associated with moderate to severe postoperative pain. There are multiple methods of managing postoperative pain that include epidural anesthesia but it prevents early mobilization and results in postoperative hypotension and spinal infection. Controlling local pain pathways through intra-articular administration of analgesics is a novel method and is inexpensive and simple. Hence, we assess the effects of postoperative epidural bupivacaine injection along with intra-articular injection in total knee replacement patients. The methodology included 100 patients undergoing TKA randomly divided into two groups, one administered with only epidural bupivacaine injection and the other with intra-articular cocktail injection. The results were measured based on a 10-point pain assessment scale, knee's range of motion (ROM), and Lysholm knee score. The VAS score was lower in the intra-articular cocktail group compared to the bupivacaine injection group until the end of 1-week post-administration (p<0.01). Among inter-group comparisons, we observed that the range of motion was significantly more in cocktail injection as compared to the bupivacaine group till the end of one week (p<0.05). Lysholm's score was significantly more in cocktail injection as compared to the bupivacaine group till the end of one week (p<0.05). Our study showed that both epidural bupivacaine injection and intra-articular injection were effective in reducing pain after TKA and have a comparable functional outcome at the end of 4 weeks follow up. However, the pain relief was faster in cases with intra-articular injection, providing the opportunity for early rehabilitation. Thus, we recommend the use of intra-articular cocktail injection for postoperative management of pain after total knee arthroplasty, which enables early rehabilitation and faster functional recovery of these patients

Chronic pain is recognised as a problem worldwide. Interdisciplinary multimodal pain therapy (MMPT) is currently the gold standard of treatment. The aim of the present prospective observational study is to research whether chronic pain patients form an intention for lifestyle change during a 4-week-long treatment at the Outpatient Clinic for Pain Therapy and Conservative Orthopedics in Heidelberg, Germany, and how sustainable this change is after 3 months. In addition, we theorized a connection between standardised survey endpoints and the number of therapy units perceived as helpful (TPAH). Finally, the effect of socio-demographic factors on patient perceptions were put into perspective. Clinical data was collected via 3-part-questionnaires from 95 German-speaking patients at 4 checkpoints between 05/2020 and 11/2021 at admission (T1), after 2 weeks (T2), at discharge (T3) and 3 months post-treatment (T4). The questionnaires consisted of already established scores for surveying chronic pain patients, such as the von Korff Chronification Scale, ODI, HADS, PSEQ/FESS, and FABQ, a grading scale for each therapy unit, and free answers. Patients were most likely to implement Group Walking in their everyday lives. A higher number of TPAH neither lowered nor improved significantly the change in lifestyle, but both a higher number and bigger lifestyle changes improved significantly the scores across the standardised surveys. Furthermore, no significant change in intention happened between the second and the fourth week. Physical components were perceived throughout as more helpful. The results of this research support the efficacy of MMPT in multi-faceted improving of the patient's well-being and lowering the possibility for pain chronification. A higher number of TPAH could be translated as having more available techniques to combat chronic pain in everyday life. The number of TPAH and the amount of lifestyle change both influence positively the survey scores, yet no connection between them was found. A third factor could be the reason for this constellation. The possibility that the more mental therapies are offered, the more likely it is for those to be perceived as helpful, cannot be excluded either. Further research is required on both topics

To determine the clinical efficacy of vitamin-D supplementation on pain intensity and functional disability in patients with chronic lower back pain. This prospective cohort study was conducted from 20th March 2017 to 19th March 2019. The inclusion criteria were patients of CLBP aged between 15 to 55 years. Exclusion criteria included all the patients with Disc prolapse, Spinal stenosis, Any signs of neurological involvement, Metabolic bone disease (Hypo- or Hyperparathyroidism) and Chronic kidney disease/Chronic liver disease. Patients were supplemented with 50,000 IU of oral vitamin-D3 every week for 8 weeks (induction phase) and 50,000 IU of oral vitamin-D3 once monthly for 6 months (maintenance phase). Efficacy parameters included pain intensity and functional disability measured by VAS and modified Oswestry disability questionnaire (MODQ) scores at baseline, 2, 3 and 6 months post-supplementation. Vitamin-D3 levels were measured at baseline,2,3 and 6 months. A total of 600 patients were included in the study. The mean age of patients was 44.2 ± 11.92 years. There were 337 (56.2%) male patients while 263 (43.8%) female patients. Baseline mean vitamin-D levels were 13.32 ± 6.10 ng/mL and increased to 37.18 ± 11.72 post supplementation (P < 0.0001). There was a significant decrease in the pain score after 2nd, 3rd& 6th months (61.7 ± 4.8, 45.2 ± 4.6 & 36.9 ± 7.9, respectively) than 81.2 ± 2.4 before supplementation (P < 0.001). The modified Oswestry disability score also showed significant improvement after 2nd, 3rd & 6th months (35.5, 30.2 & 25.8, respectively) as compared to baseline 46.4 (P < 0.001). About 418 (69.7%) patients attained normal levels after 6 months. Vitamin-D supplementation in chronic lower back pain patients may lead to improvement in pain intensity and functional ability

Introduction. Previous studies have shown the potential for virtual reality (VR) immersion as a promising technique for pain and anxiety management. The aim of our study was to evaluate the feasibility of VR in the management of pain and anxiety during post-op external fixator care procedures. Method. This study involved patients aged 5-21 years following limb lengthening/reconstruction surgery with an external fixator. Aqua VR application from the KindVR® was utilized for this study. Subjects were seen during the first four postoperative visits and assigned to a ‘VR-first’ or ‘no-VR-first’ group. Visits alternated between VR immersion and no VR immersion during care procedures. The study endpoints (pain and anxiety levels) were assessed before, during, and after procedures using the Wong-Baker Faces (FACES) and Children's Fear Scale, respectively. Proxy scores for pain and anxiety were also obtained from parents or legal guardians and providers. Result. A total of 29 patients (16 male and 13 female) were evaluated. The mean age at enrollment was 14.4 ± 2.2 years for group 1 and 14.7 ± 4.0 years for group 2. The median number of pin sites was 7. Anxiety scores were consistently higher during the non-VR immersion experience compared to the VR immersion visits. The pain and anxiety scores were significantly lower in the ‘VR-first’ group during the non-VR immersion study visits compared to patients in the ‘no-VR-first’ group. This observation was also consistent with survey findings among the parent proxies and providers. Conclusion. VR immersion is associated with lower anxiety scores for pin-site care procedures. VR immersion at the first post-operative visit following limb reconstruction surgery was also associated with lower pain and anxiety scores during subsequent non-VR immersion visits

Chronic low back pain (CLBP) is the most common cause of disability worldwide, and lumbar spine fusion (LSF) is often chosen to treat pain caused by advanced degenerative disease when clinical treatment failed certain cases, the post-surgical outcomes are not what was expected. Several studies highlight how important are. In psychological variables during the postoperative spine surgery period. The aim of this study is to assess the role of preoperative depression on postoperative clinical outcomes. We included patients who underwent LSF since December 2021. Preoperative depression was assessed administering Beck Depression Inventory questionnaire (BDI). And pain and disability were evaluated at 1, 3, and 6 months, administering respectively Visual Analogic Scale (VAS) and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI). As statistical analysis Mann-Whitney test was performed. We included 46 patients, 20 female (43,5%) and 26 male (56,5%) with an average age of 64,2. The population was divided in two groups, fixing the BDI cut-off point at 10. Patients with BDI < 10 points (N=28) had normal mental health status, instead patients with BDI > 10 points (N=16) had depressive disorders. At 3 months patients with healthy mental status reported statistically significant reduction of pain (U = 372,5, p = .006) and improvement of disability but without statistical significancy (U = 318, p = 0,137). At 6 months patients without psychological disease reported statistically significant reduction of pain (U = 342, p = 0,039) and disability (U = 372,5, p = 0,006). This study demonstrates the correlation between pre-existing depressive state and poorer clinical outcomes after spine surgery. These results are consistent with the literature. Therefore, during the surgical decision making it is crucial to take psychological variables into account in order to predict the results after surgery and inform patients on the potential influence of mental status

Introduction. There is a lack of evidence-based treatments for patients with chronic pain after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). It is well-established that knee extensor and flexor muscle strength are markedly impaired following TKA, but no studies have examined muscle strength and power in patients with chronic pain after TKA. Therefore, the aim was to investigate if neuromuscular exercises and pain neuroscience education (PNE) were superior to PNE alone for improvement of muscle strength and power in patients with chronic pain after TKA. Method. This report presents the exploratory analysis of a randomized controlled trial (NCT03886259). Participants with chronic moderate-to-severe average daily pain intensity and no signs of prosthesis failure at least one year after primary TKA were included. Participants were randomized to receive either supervised neuromuscular exercise and PNE or the same PNE sessions alone. The outcomes were changes from baseline to 12-months for peak leg extension power and maximum muscle strength, measured during maximal voluntary isometric contractions, for the knee extensors and flexors. Result. Sixty-nine participants (age 62.2±7.2, 40 females) were included. No between-group differences were observed for peak leg extension power (difference 13.6 Watts, 95% CI -22.2 to 49.3), maximum knee extensor muscle strength (difference -20.9 Newtons, 95% CI -65.8 to 24.0) or maximum knee flexor muscle strength (difference 8.6 Newtons, 95% CI -11.9 to 29.1). Peak leg extension power (26.3 Watts, 95% CI 4.3 to 48.3) and maximum knee flexor muscle strength (19.7 Newtons, 95% CI 7.6 to 31.9) improved significantly in the neuromuscular exercise and PNE group with no significant improvements observed in the PNE alone group. Conclusion. Neuromuscular exercise and PNE did not improve muscle strength and power compared to PNE alone in patients with chronic pain after TKA. Acknowledgements. This study was funded by the Danish Rheumatism Association, the Svend Andersen Foundation and Lions Club Denmark

Introduction and Objective. Postoperative pain control in shoulder surgery is challenging even in arthroscopic procedures. Acute postoperative pain can last up to 48hrs despite using multimodal analgesia. Different techniques have been used to control acute pain following shoulder surgery. The most common technique currently used in shoulder surgery at the elective orthopaedic centre in Leeds is a combination of general anaesthetic (GA) and interscalene block (ISB). ISB maybe very effective, however, carries many risks and potential side effects such as brachial plexus injury and paralysis of the vagus and laryngeal recurrent nerves as well as cervical sympathetic nerve and pneumothorax. ISB can also be associated with higher incidence of neurological deficit compared to other peripheral nerve blocks; up to 14% at 10 days in some cases. As such we decided to examine the use of ISB for achieving pain control in our elective unit. Materials and Methods. A prospective consecutive series of 217 patients undergoing shoulder surgery were studied. These were grouped into 10 groups. All procedures were arthroscopic apart from shoulder arthroplasty procedures such as hemiarthroplasty and total shoulder replacements (TSRs). The choice of regional anaesthesia was ISB with GA as standard practice. Visual analogue scores (VAS) at 0hrs, 1hr, 2hrs, 4hrs and 6hrs; and total opiates intake were recorded. A one-way single factor ANOVA was used as preferred statistical analytical method to determine whether there is a difference in VAS scores and total opiates intake amongst the groups. Postoperative analgesics were used for pain relief, although these were not standardised. Results. In total shoulder replacement group, although the RSR group used more morphine on average compared to the ASR group (Mean morphine intake 6.5mg vs 3mg), this was not statistically significant (F<Fcrit; p value= 0.19). When comparing all the arthroplasty groups, the difference in mean morphine intake was also statistically not significant (F<Fcrit; p value=0.24). However, when comparing all 10 groups’ morphine intake there was a statistically significant difference amongst these groups (F>F crit; p value=0.03). Interestingly, there was a statistically significant difference in VAS at 0hrs (F>Fcrit p value=0.01); 1hrs (F>Fcrit; p value=0.00), and at 6hrs (F>Fcrit; p value=0.02) when comparing all 10 groups. Conclusions. ISB is an effective technique in achieving pain control in shoulder surgery; however, there are still variations in analgesic needs amongst groups and the use of alternative techniques should be thus explored. A future prospective study looking at acute pain for a longer period of time after shoulder surgery would explore the effectiveness of ISB in achieving pain control consistent with rehabilitation requirements

Abstract. OBJECTIVE. Changes in subchondral bone are one of few disease characteristics to correlate with pain in OA. 1. Profound neuroplasticity and nociceptor sprouting is displayed within osteoarthritic (OA) subchondral bone and is associated with pain and pathology. 2. The cause of these neural changes remains unestablished. Correct innervation patterns are indispensable for bone growth, homeostasis, and repair. Axon guidance signalling factor, Sema3A is essential for the correct innervation patterning of bony tissues. 3. , expressed in osteocytes. 4. and known to be downregulated in bone OA mechanical loading. 5. Bioinformatic analysis has also shown Sema3a as a differentially expressed pathway by bone in human OA patients. 6. HYPOTHESIS: Pathological mechanical load and inflammation of bone causes dysregulation of Sema3A signalling leading to perturbed sensory nerve plasticity and pain. METHODS. Human KOLF2-C1 iPSC derived nociceptors were generated by TALEN-mediated insertion of transcription factors NGN2+Brn3A and modified chambers differentiation protocol to produce nociceptor-like cells. Nociceptor phenotype was confirmed by immunocytochemistry. Human Y201-MSC cells were embedded in 3D type-I collagen gels (0.05 × 106 cell/gel), in 48-well plates and silicone plates, were differentiated to osteocytes for 7 days before stimulation with IL-6 (5ng/ml) and soluble IL-6 receptor (sIL-6r (40ng/ml), IL6/sIL6r and mechanical load mimetic Yoda1 (5μM) or unstimulated (n=5/group) (48-well plates) or were mechanically loaded in silicone plates (5000μstrain, 10Hz, 3000 cycles) or not loaded (n=5/group). Conditioned media transfer was performed from osteocyte to nociceptor cultures assessed by continuous 24-hour phase contrast confocal microscopy. 24-hours after stimulation RNA was quantified by RT-qPCR (IL6) or RNAseq whole transcriptome analysis/DEseq2 analysis (Load). Protein release was quantified by ELISA. Normally distributed data with homogenous variances was analysed by two-tailed t test. RESULTS. IPSC-derived nociceptor-like cells display elongated (>5mm) dendritic projections and nociceptive molecular markers such as TUJ1, PrPH and Neun and TrkA. Sema3A signalling ligands were expressed in 100% of osteocyte cultures. Mechanical loading regulated the Sema3 pathway; Sema3A (0.4-fold, p<0.001), Sema3B (13-fold, p<0.001), Sema3C (0.4-fold, p<0.001). Under inflammatory stimulation by IL6/IL6sR, SEMA3A (7-fold, p=0.01) and receptor Plexin1 (3-fold, p=0.03) show significant regulation. Sema3A protein release showed a significant downregulation of Sema3A release by IL6/sIL6r+Yoda1 (2-fold, p=0.02). Continuous 24-hour phase contrast confocal microscopy measuring the number of extending/retreating dendritic projections revealed that sensory nerve cultures exposed to media from osteocytes stimulated with IL-6/sIL-6R+Yoda1 displayed significantly more invading dendritic projections (p=0.0175, 12-fold±SEM 3.5) across 3 random fields of view within a single stimulated neural culture and significantly fewer retracting dendritic projections (p=0.0075, 2-fold±SEM 0.33) compared to controls. CONCLUSIONS. Here we show osteocytic regulation of Sema3A under pathological mechanical loading and the ability of media pathologically loaded osteocyte cultures to induce the branching and invasion of cultured nociceptor-like cells as displayed in OA subchondral bone. Declaration of Interest. (b) declare that there is no conflict of interest that could be perceived as prejudicing the impartiality of the research reported:I declare that there is no conflict of interest that could be perceived as prejudicing the impartiality of the research project

In the last decades, the use of artificial intelligence (AI) has been increasingly investigated in intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) and chronic low back pain (LBP) research. To date, several AI-based cutting-edge technologies, such as computer vision, computer-assisted diagnosis, decision support system and natural language processing have been utilized to optimize LBP prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. This talk will provide an outline on contemporary AI applications to IDD and LBP research, with a particular attention towards actual knowledge gaps and promising innovative tools

The extracellular matrix (ECM)-based biomaterials provide a platform to mimic the disc microenvironment in facilitating stem cell transplantation for tissue regeneration. However, little is known about in vitro preconditioning human umbilical cord Wharton Jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) on 3D hyaluronic acid (HA)/type II collagen (COLII) hydrogel for nucleus pulposus (NP) phenotype and pain modulation. We developed a tuneable 3D HA/COLII by fabricating HA/COLII hydrogel at 2 mg/ml COLII and various weight ratios of HA:COLII, 1:9 and 4.5:9. The hydrogel was characterized for degradability, stability, and swelling capacity. The viability of hWJ-MSC encapsulated on hydrogel supplemented with TGF-β3 was assessed. The implantation of HA/COLII hydrogel was done in surgically induced disc injury model of pain in the rat tail. The general health status in rats was monitored. The nociceptive behaviour in rats was performed for mechanical allodynia using von Frey test. The HA/COLII 4.5:9 hydrogel showed higher swelling capacity than weight ratio 1:9, suggesting that a higher amount of HA can absorb a large amount of water. Both HA/COLII 4.5:9 and 1:9 hydrogel formulations had a similar degradation profile, stable to the hydrolytic process. The hWJ-MSC-encapsulated on hydrogel marked higher cell viability with round morphology shape of cells in vitro. The surgically induced disc injury in the rat tail evoked mechanical allodynia, without affecting general health status in rats. The implantation of HA/COLII 1:9 hydrogel was observed to slightly alleviate injury-induced mechanical allodynia. Fine-tuning HA/COLII-based hydrogel provides the optimal swelling capacity, stability, degradability, and non-cytotoxic, mimicking the 3D NP niche in guiding hWJ-MSCs towards NP phenotype. The HA/COLII hydrogel could be employed as an advanced cell delivery system in facilitating stem cell transplantation for intervertebral disc regeneration targeting pain

Summary. Cytokines produced within the degenerate disc induce expression of neurotrophic factors and pain related peptides which could be important in nerve ingrowth and pain sensitisation leading to low back pain. The intervertebral disc (IVD) is considered the largest aneural and avascular structure within the human body, yet during degeneration vascularisation of the IVD is seen to be accompanied by nociceptive nerves. Low back pain is a highly debilitating condition affecting around 80% of the population, 40% of which are attributed to IVD degeneration. Discogenic pain was largely thought to be a result of irritation and compression of the nerve root, yet recent data suggests that pain may be attributed to the sensitisation of sensory nerves by the synthesis of pain related peptides, calcitonin gene related peptide (CGRP) and substance P. It is known that cytokines and chemokines produced by nucleus pulposus cells elicit various effects including the production of matrix degrading enzymes, and decreased matrix molecules. Here, we investigate the hypothesis that cytokines regulate both neurotrophic factor and pain related peptide synthesis within nucleus pulposus and nerve cells which may elicit algesic effects. Real-Time PCR was performed to investigate gene expression of the neurotrophic factors NGF, BDNF, NT3 and their receptors Trk A, B and C along with Substance P and CGRP on directly extracted RNA from human NP cells and NP cells cultured in alginate for 2 weeks prior to treatment for 48hours with IL-1, IL-6 or TNFα at 0–100ng/mL. Similarly SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells were differentiated in retinoic acid for 7 days prior to stimulation with IL-1, IL-6 or TNFα at 0ng/mL and 10ng/mL for 48hours. Immunohistochemistry was used to localise neurotrophic factor receptors Trk A, B and C in both degenerate discs and neuronal cells. NGF expression was present in normal and degenerate disc samples, however only degenerate discs expressed the high affinity receptor TrkA. Similarly Trk B was present in 22% of normal samples increasing to 100% expression within degenerate disc samples. All cytokines increased expression of NGF in NP cells (P≤0.05). TNFα also increased BDNF significantly, whereas no significant affects were seen in NT3 expression in NP cells. Trk B expression was significantly increased by IL-1 and TNFα treatment of NP cells. Conversely Trk C was down regulated by IL-6. Substance P was significantly increased by IL-1 and TNFα treatments whilst IL-6 and TNFα increased CGRP expression in NP cells. In SH-SY5Y cells, IL-1 significantly increased BDNF whilst IL-6 and TNFα failed to induce significant differences in neurotrophic factors. All cytokines increased Trk expression in the nerve cell line; however this failed to reach significance. Immunohistochemistry confirmed the presence of Trk receptors within the neuronal cell line. Here we have demonstrated that a number of cytokines known to be up regulated during disc degeneration and disc prolapse, induce expression of various neurotrophic factors, their receptors and pain related peptides within human NP cells, as well as SH-SY5Y cells. This data suggests that the presence and production of cytokines within the degenerate disc may be responsible for nerve ingrowth and sensitisation of nerves which may result in discogenic pain

With the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, remote working has been ubiquitously implemented to reduce disease transmission via minimization of in-person interactions. Low back pain (LBP) is the first cause of disability worldwide and is frequently reported by workers with sedentary occupations. This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the role of remote working in a population of adults affected by LBP through an online questionnaire. We enrolled 136 teleworkers affected by LBP. A total of 101 responses were received and 93 suitable questionnaires were included in the final analysis. Demographic data, remote working features and tasks, and LBP burden were analysed. The psychological burden of remote working was evaluated with the World Health Organization Five Well-Being Index (WHO-5) and the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2). LBP severity was evaluated using a visual analog scale (VAS). LBP-related disability was assessed using the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI). The effect of LBP on working capacity was examined with the Occupational Role Questionnaire (ORQ). Independent risk factors related to LBP worsening were identified using a multivariate logistic regression model. LBP severity was significantly higher compared to previous in-person working (p<0.0001) as well as average weekly work hours (p<0.001). Furthermore, the risk of LBP deterioration was associated with being divorced (OR: 4.28, 95% CI: 1.27-14.47; p=0.019) or living with others (OR: 0.24, 95% CI: 0.07-0.81; p=0.021), higher ill-being (OR: 0.91, 95% CI: 0.83-0.99; p=0.035) and depression scores (OR: 1.38, 95% CI: 1.00-1.91; p=0.048), as well as having reported unchanged (OR: 0.22, 95% CI: 0.08-0.65; p=0.006) or decreased job satisfaction (OR: 0.16, 95% CI: 0.05-0.54; p=0.003) and increased stress levels (OR: 3.00, 95% CI: 1.04-8.65; p=0.042). These findings highlight key factors to consider for improving remote workers’ physical and mental wellbeing and decrease their LBP burden

Introduction. Low back pain (LBP) is a worldwide leading cause of disability. This preclinical study evaluated the safety of a combined advanced therapy medicinal product developed during the European iPSpine project (#825925) consisting of mesendoderm progenitor cells (MEPC), derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells, in combination with a synthetic poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) hydrogel (NPgel) in an ovine intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) model. Method. IDD was induced through nucleotomy in 4 adult sheep, 5 lumbar discs each (n=20). After 5 weeks, 3 alternating discs were treated with NPgel (n=6) or NPgel+MEPC (n=6). Before sacrifice, animals were subjected to: MRI of lumbar spines (disc height and Pfirmann grading); blood sampling (hematological, biochemical, metabolic and lymphocyte/monocytes immunological). After 3 months the sheep were sacrificed. The spines were processed for: macroscopic morphology (Thompson grading), microscopic morphology (Histological grading), and glycosaminoglycan content (GAG, DMMB Assay). Furthermore, at sacrifice biodistribution of human MEPC was assessed by Alu-sequences quantification (qPCR) from three tissue samples of heart, liver, spleen, brain, lungs, and kidneys, and PBMCs collected to assess activation of systemic immune cells. To each evaluation, appropriate statistical analysis was applied. Result. Flow cytometry showed no induction of systemic activation of T cells or monocytes. Alu quantification did not give detection of any cells in any organ. Disc height index was slightly increased in discs treated with NPgel+MEPC. Pfirmann's and Thompson's classification showed that treatment with NPgel or NPgel+MEPC gave no adverse reactions. Histological grading showed similar degeneration in vertebrae treated with NPgel+MEPC or with NPgel alone. The amount of GAG was significantly increased in the nucleus pulposus following treatment with NPgel+MEPC compared to NPgel alone, in which a decrease was observed compared to untreated discs in both nucleus pulposus and annulus fibrosus. Conclusion. This study showed the safety of both NPgel+MEPC and NPgel treatments

Knee joint distraction (KJD) has been associated with clinical and structural improvement and synovial fluid (SF) marker changes. However, structural changes have not yet been shown satisfactorily in regular care, since radiographic acquisition was not fully standardized. AI-based modules have shown great potential to reduce reading time, increase inter-reader agreement and therefore function as a tool for treatment outcome assessment. The objective was to analyse structural changes after KJD in patients using this AI-based measurement method, and relate these changes to clinical outcome and SF markers. 20 knee OA patients (<65 years old) were included in this study. KJD treatment was performed using an external fixation device, providing 5 mm distraction for 6 weeks. SF was aspirated before, during and immediately after treatment. Weight-bearing antero-posterior knee radiographs and WOMAC questionnaires were collected before and ~one year after treatment. Radiographs were analysed with the Knee Osteoarthritis Labelling Assistant (KOALA, IB Lab GmbH, Vienna, Austria), and 10 pre-defined biomarker levels in SF were measured by immunoassay. Radiographic one-year changes were analysed and linear regression was used to calculate associations between changes in standardized joint space width (JSW) and WOMAC, and changes in JSW and SF markers. After treatment, radiographs showed an improvement in Kellgren-Lawrence grade in 7 of 16 patients that could be evaluated; 3 showed a worsening. Joint space narrowing scores and continuous JSW measures improved especially medially. A greater improvement in JSW was significantly associated with a greater improvement in WOMAC pain (β=0.64;p=0.020). A greater increase in MCP1 (β=0.67;p=0.033) and lower increase in TGFβ1 (β=-0.787;p=0.007) were associated with JSW improvement. Despite the small number of patients, also in regular care KJD treatment shows joint repair as measured automatically on radiographs, significantly associated with certain SF marker change and even with clinical outcome

In the UK and USA in 2016 more than 263,000 primary knee replacements were performed. Around 20% of patients report chronic post-surgical pain (CPSP) at three or more months after total knee replacement (TKR). A large proportion of adults with all types of chronic musculoskeletal pain do not use services for a number of reasons, despite being in constant or daily pain. Given the high prevalence of CPSP, there is potentially a large hidden population with an unexpressed need for care, experiencing ongoing pain and disability; understanding why they do not use health services may herald further insight into why many remain dissatisfied with knee replacement surgery. The aim of this study is to understand why some people with CPSP after TKR do not access services or make little use of healthcare. We conducted face-to-face in-depth interviews with 34 patients from 2 high-volume orthopaedic hospitals in England, to investigate their experience of long-term pain after knee replacement; their knowledge and understanding of CPSP; and their decisions about consulting for CPSP. The sample size was based on achievement of saturation and participants provided written informed consent. Interviews were transcribed and analysed using an inductive thematic approach with double coding for rigor. Ethical approval for the study was granted by the West Midlands Solihull Research Ethics Committee (15/WM/0469). A core theme within the analysis suggests that participants do not seek healthcare because they believe that nothing further can be done, either by themselves or by healthcare professionals. Surgeons' satisfaction with the knee surgery and reassurances that pain would improve, left patients feeling uncertain about whether to re-consult, and some assumed that further consultation could lead to further surgery or medication, which they wish to avoid. Some participants' comorbidities took precedence over their knee pain when seeking healthcare. Others felt they had received their “share” of healthcare resources and that others were more deserving of treatment. People's descriptions of pain varied, from dull, or aching to shooting pains. Many described their pain as “discomfort” rather than pain. The majority described pain that was better than their pre-surgical pain, though others described pain that was worse, which they believed to be nerve damage. Many expressed disappointment in the outcome of their TKR. Expectations of pain varied, where most had expected some post-surgical pain, others underestimated it, and some had expected to be completely pain free following their TKR. Our analysis suggests that the reasons that some people with CPSP after TKR do not consult are varied and complex, spanning psychosocial, structural, moral, and organisational domains. There was an overriding sense that further consultation would be futile or may lead to unwanted treatment. Results suggest that improved information for patients about CPSP and appropriate post-surgical healthcare services may help patients and clinicians to manage this condition more effectively