Degenerative meniscal tears are the most common meniscal lesions, representing huge clinical and socio-economic burdens. Their role in knee osteoarthritis (OA) onset and progression is well established and demonstrated by several retrospective studies. Effective preventive measures and non-surgical treatments for degenerative meniscal lesions are still lacking, also because of the lack of specific and accurate animal models in which test them. Thus, we aim to develop and validate an accurate animal model of meniscus degeneration. Three different surgical techniques to induce medial meniscus degenerative changes in ovine model were performed and compared. A total of 32 sheep (stifle joints) were subjected to either one of the following surgical procedures: a) direct arthroscopic mechanical meniscal injury; b) peripheral devascularization and denervation of medial meniscus; c) full thickness medial femoral condyle cartilage lesion. In all the 3 groups, the contralateral joint served as a control.Introduction
Method
Over the past few years, a reorganization of the educational pathways has been promoted with the purpose of optimizing the acquisition of competences and their assessment, so as to reduce the risks to both health care professionals and end users. Virtual reality (VR) has been repeatedly tested, initially as a positive reinforcement for more traditional educational pathways and, more recently, as their potential substitute. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the potentiality of VR simulation training in spine surgery. The VR simulator reproduced the lateral lumbar access to the spine. The simulation included a tutorial, the preoperative settings, and the surgical session with different levels of procedural complexity. A total of 10 users were recruited for this study: 3 senior surgeons (group A) and 7 orthopedic residents or junior orthopedic surgeons (group B). Each user completed the simulation twice.Introduction and Objective
Materials and Methods
Kinematic Alignment (KA) is a surgical technique that restores the native knee alignment following Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA). The association of this technique with a medial pivot implant design (MP) attempts to reestablish the physiological kinematics of the knee. Aim of this study is to analyze the clinical and radiological outcomes of patients undergoing MP-TKA with kinematic alignment, and to assess the effect of the limb alignment and the orientation of the tibial component on the clinical outcomes. We retrospectively analyzed 63 patients who underwent kinematic aligned medial pivot TKA from September 2018 to January 2020. Patient-Related Outcomes (PROMs) and radiological measures were collected at baseline, 3 months and 12 months after surgery.Introduction and Objective
Materials and Methods
Mesenchymal stem cells from minced umbilical cord fragments may represent a valuable cell population for cartilage and bone tissue engineering A promising approach for cartilage and bone repair is the use of umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell (UC-MSC)-based tissue engineering. Through a simple and efficient protocol based on mincing the umbilical cord, a consistent number of multipotent UC-MSCs can be obtained. The aim of this in-vitro study is to investigate the pluripotency of UC-MSCs and, in particular, the chondrogenic and osteogenic potential of UC-MSCs grown in tridimensional scaffold, in order to identify a potential clinical relevance for patients who might benefit from MSCs-therapy.Summary Statement
Introduction
In this study, massive rotator cuff tears were treated using an absorbable collagen-based patch or a non-absorbable synthetic patch. Results demonstrated the efficacy of the use of the synthetic prolene patch especially for elderly patients The treatment of massive rotator cuff tears presents a challenging problem in shoulder surgery. Traditional repair techniques are associated with high rupture rates due to excessive tension on the repair and the presence of degenerated tendon tissue. These factors have led to attempts to reconstruct the rotator cuff with grafts, using synthetic materials or biologic tissues. The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy of the use of pericardium patch with the use of prolene patch in the repair of extensive rotator cuff tears.Summary Statement
Introduction
