Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic degenerative disease of the entire joint leading to joint stiffness and pain (PMID:33571663). Recent evidence suggests that the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) plays a role in the pathogenesis of OA (PMID:34864169). A typical cause for long-term hyperactivity of the SNS is chronic stress. To study the contribution of increased sympathetic activity, we analyzed the progression of OA in chronically stressed mice. We induced OA in male C57BL/6J mice by destabilizing the medial meniscus (DMM)(PMID:17470400) and exposed half of these mice to chronic unpredictable mild stress (CUMS)(PMID:28808696). Control groups consisted of sham-operated mice with and without CUMS exposure. After 12 weeks, CUMS efficacy was determined by assessing changes in body weight gain and activity of mice, measuring splenic norepinephrine and serum corticosterone levels. OA progression was studied by histological analysis of cartilage degeneration and synovitis, and by μCT to evaluate changes in calcified cartilage and subchondral bone microarchitecture. A dynamic weight-bearing system was used to assess OA-related pain.Introduction
Method
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
To investigate the correlations among cytokines and regulatory T cells (T-regs) in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients, and their changes after anti-tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) treatment. We included 72 AS patients with detailed medical records, disease activity score (Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index), functional index (Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index), and laboratory data (interleukin (IL)-2, IL-4, IL-10, TNF-α, interferon (IFN)-γ, transforming growth factor (TGF)-β, ESR, and CRP). Their peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were marked with anti-CD4, anti-CD25, and anti-FoxP3 antibodies, and triple positive T cells were gated by flow cytometry as T-regs. Their correlations were calculated and the changes after anti-TNF-α therapy were compared.Aims
Methods
Periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) is a devastating complication of total joint arthroplasty. While research has focused on developing better tests for disease diagnosis, treatment options have stayed relatively constant over the years with high failure rates ranging from 30%–50% and are due in part to the protective biofilm produced by some bacterial species. Current treatment options are compromised by the presence of biofilm, emphasizing the need for novel treatment strategies to be developed. Our group has developed a novel treatment (PhotothermAA) which has demonstrated Rabbits were fitted with a titanium implant into the tibial plateau and inoculated with 5×106 CFU Xen36 (luminescent Aim
Method
The aims of this study were to validate the outcome of total elbow arthroplasty (TEA) in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and to identify factors that affect the outcome. We searched PubMed, MEDLINE, Cochrane Reviews, and Embase from between January 2003 and March 2019. The primary aim was to determine the implant failure rate, the mode of failure, and risk factors predisposing to failure. A secondary aim was to identify the overall complication rate, associated risk factors, and clinical performance. A meta-regression analysis was completed to identify the association between each parameter with the outcome.Aims
Methods
The aim of this meta-analysis was to compare the outcome of total elbow arthroplasty (TEA) undertaken for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with TEA performed for post-traumatic conditions with regard to implant failure, functional outcome, and perioperative complications. We completed a comprehensive literature search on PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and the Cochrane Library and conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis. Nine cohort studies investigated the outcome of TEA between RA and post-traumatic conditions. The preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA)) guidelines and Newcastle-Ottawa scale were applied to assess the quality of the included studies. We assessed three major outcome domains: implant failures (including aseptic loosening, septic loosening, bushing wear, axle failure, component disassembly, or component fracture); functional outcomes (including arc of range of movement, Mayo Elbow Performance Score (MEPS), and the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) questionnaire), and perioperative complications (including deep infection, intraoperative fracture, postoperative fracture, and ulnar neuropathy).Aims
Materials and Methods
Subacromial bursa fibrosis are linked to rotator cuff lesion with shoulder stiffness; however, the mechanism underlying this shoulder disorder remain elusive. MicroRNA-29s (miR-29s) are emerging fibrosis inhibitor targeting fibrogenic matrices during tissue fibrosis. This study is aimed to investigate clinical relevance and function of miR-29 signalling to subacromial bursa homeostasis in shoulder stiffness. Subacromial bursa in patients with rotator cuff lesion with or without shoulder stiffness who required open acromioplasty were harvested for assessing fibrosis histopathology using Manson's trichrome staining. Expressions of proinflammatory cytokines, fibrotic matrices, and miR-29s were quantified using RT-PCR and in situ hybridization. Range of motion and pain scores of the stiffness group were higher than those of non-stiffness group. Upregulated proinflammatory cytokines (IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α) and fibrotic matrices (collagen 1α1, 3α1, and 4α1) but decreased miR-29a and b expression existed in the stiffness group. Affected tissues exhibited severe fibrotic matrix accumulation, synovial hyperangiogenesis, hyperplasia, and strong miR-29a transcripts.
This study reports the outcomes of a technique of soft-tissue coverage and Chopart amputation for severe crush injuries of the forefoot. Between January 2012 to December 2016, 12 patients (nine male; three female, mean age 38.58 years; 26 to 55) with severe foot crush injury underwent treatment in our institute. All patients were followed-up for at least one year. Their medical records, imaging, visual analogue scale score, walking ability, complications, and functional outcomes one year postoperatively based on the American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) and 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-36) scores were reviewed.Aims
Patients and Methods
Adequate pain management is mandatory for patients' early rehabilitation and improvement of outcome after total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Conventional pain management, consisted of mainly opioids, has some adverse effects such as dizziness and nausea. Motor blockade occasionally resulted from epidural analgesics. A novel multimodal analgesic strategy with peripheral nerve block, peri-articular injection (PAI) and intravenous patient controlled analgesia (IVPCA) were utilized for our patients receiving TKA. In this study, we compared the clinical efficacy and adverse effects in the group of multimodal analgesia (MA) or epidural analgesia alone. One hundred and eighteen patients undergoing TKA with spinal anesthesia were enrolled. Patients of TKA received either our protocol of multimodal analgesia or patient controlled epidural analgesia (PCEA) alone. MA included ultrasound guided nerve block in femoral and obturator nerves before spinal anesthesia, and PAI mixed with NSAID, morphine, ropivacaine and epinephrine, as well as IVPCA after surgeries. The analgesic effect with numeric rating scale (NRS) and occurrence of adverse effects, including motor blockade, numbness, postoperative nausea/vomiting (PONV), and dizziness were recorded for all patients.Background
Methods
An equal knee joint height during flexion and extension is of critical importance in optimizing soft-tissue balancing following total knee arthroplasty (TKA). However, there is a paucity of data regarding the in-vivo knee joint height behavior. This study evaluated in-vivo heights and anterior-posterior (AP) translations of the medial and lateral femoral condyles before and after a cruciate-retaining (CR)-TKA using two flexion axes: surgical transepicondylar axis (sTEA) and geometric center axis (GCA). Eleven patient with advanced medial knee osteoarthritis (age: 51–73 years) who scheduled for a CR TKA and 9 knees from 8 healthy subjects (age: 23–49 years) were recruited. 3D models of the tibia and femur were created from their MR images. Dual fluoroscopic images of each knee were acquired during a weight-bearing single leg lunge. The OA knee was imaged again one year after surgery using the fluoroscopy during the same weight-bearing single leg lunge. The in vivo positions of the knee along the flexion path were determined using a 2D/3D matching technique. The GCA and sTEA were determined based on existing methods. Besides the anterior-posterior translation, the femoral condyle heights were determined using the distances from the medial and lateral epicondyle centers on the sTEA and GCA to the tibial plateau surface in coronal plane (Fig. 1). The paired t-test was applied to compare the medial and lateral condyle motion within each group (Healthy, OA, and CR-TKA). Two-way ANOVA followed post hoc Newman–Keuls test was adopted to detect significant differences among the groups. p<0.05 was considered significant.Introduction
Methods
Locking plates can provide greater stability than conventional plates; however, reports revealed that fractures had a high incidence of failure without medial column support; the mechanical support of medial column could play a significant role in humeral fractures. Recent studies have demonstrated the importance of intramedullary strut in proximal humeral fracture fixation, the relationship to mechanical stability and supporting position of the strut remain unclear. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of position of the intramedullary strut on the stability of proximal humeral fractures using a locking plate. Ten humeral sawbone (Synbone) and locked plates (Synthes, cloverleaf plate), with and without augmented intramedullary strut (five in each group) for proximal humerus fractures, were tested using material testing machine to validate the finite element model. A 10 mm osteotomy was performed at surgical neck and a strut graft (10 cm in length) was inserted into the fracture region to lift the head superiorly. Each specimen was statically tested at a rate of 5 mm/min until failure. To build the finite element (FE) model, 64-slices CT images were converted to create a 3D solid model. The material properties of screws and plates were modeled as isotropic and linear elastic, with an elastic modulus of 110 GPa, (Poisson's ratio, n=0.3). The Young's moduli of cortical and cancellous bones were 17 GPa and 500 MPa (n=0.4), respectively. Three alter shifting toward far cortex by 1, 2, and 3 mm in humeral canal were installed in the simulating model.Introduction
Materials and methods
Distal femur fracture is a critical issue in orthopedic trauma, because it is difficult to manage especially in cases with intra-articular fracture. Osteoporosis may cause instability of implant and increase complications. Few studies investigate on the stability of distal femur osteoporotic fracture and the behaviors under cycling. Our hypothesis was that the stiffness of construct would decrease as cycling in osteoporotic bone. Seven cadaver specimens were used in this study. Relative bone density for each specimen was evaluated using CT scanning by three known calibration phantoms scanned simultaneously with the specimen. All cadaver specimens were divided normal (group 1) and osteoporosis (group 2) in accordance with the bone density. The titanium distal femur locking plates with 6 screws placed in distal femur condyle and 4 in shaft. A 10 mm gap with 65 mm proximal to the center of articular surface and a vertical fractural line between intra-articular were created to simulate AO C2 type fracture. Each specimen was cyclically loaded in two-phase at a frequency of 2 Hz. Phase 1 was set at 1000 N for 10000 cycles. In phase 2, the load was set at 2000 N for 10000 cycles. Then, the specimen was loaded up to failure at a rate of 5 mm/min. Stiffness was evaluated from the linear portion of load-displacement curve at 2000 cycle interval.Introduction
Materials and Methods
Combined acetabular and femoral anteversion (CA) of the hip following total hip arthroplasty (THA) is critical to the hip function and longevity of the components. However, no study has been reported on the accuracy in restoration of CA of the hip after operation using robotic assistance and conventional free-hand techniques. The purpose of this study was to evaluate if using robotic assistance in THA can better restore native CA than a free-hand technique. Twenty three unilateral THA patients participated in this study. Twelve of them underwent a robotic-arm assisted THA (RIO® Robotic Arm Interactive Orthopedic System, Stryker Mako., Fort Lauderdale, FL, USA) and eleven received a free-hand THA. Subject specific 3D models of both implanted and non-implanted hips were reconstructed using post-operative CT scans. The anteversion and inclination of the native acetabulum and implanted cup were measured and compared. To determine the differences of the femoral anteversion between sides, the non-implanted native femur was mirrored and aligned with the remaining femur of the implanted side using an iterative closest point algorithm. The angle between the native femoral neck axis and the prosthesis neck axis in transverse plane was measured as the change in femoral anteversion following THA. The sum of the changes of the acetabular and femoral anteversion was defined as the change of CA after THA. A Wilcoxon signed rank test was performed to test if the anteversion of the navigation and free-hand THAs were different from the contralateral native hips (α = 0.05). The acetabular anteversion were 22.0°±7.4°, 35.9°±6.5° and 32.6°±22.6° for the native hips, robotic assisted THAs and free-hand THAs, respectively, and the corresponding values of the acetabular inclinations were 52.0°±2.9°, 35.4°±4.4° and 43.1°±7.1°. The acetabular anteversion was increased by 12.2°±11.1° (p=0.005) and 12.5°±20.0° (p=0.102) for the robotic assisted and the free-hand THAs. The femoral anteversion was increased by 6.3°±10.5° (p=0.077) and 11.0°±13.4° (p=0.014) for the robotic assisted and free-hand THAs, respectively. The CA were significantly increased by 18.5°±11.7° (p<0.001) and 23.5°±26.5° (p=0.019) for the robotic assisted and the free-hand THAs. The changes of the CA of the free-hand THAs varied in a larger range than those of the robotic assisted THAs. This study is the first to evaluate the changes in acetabular and femoral anteversions of the hips after robotic assisted and free-hand THAs using the contralateral native hip as a control. The results demonstrate that both the navigation and free-hand THAs significantly increased the CA compared to the contralateral native hips, but the changes of the robotic assisted THAs (18.5°±11.7°) were smaller and varied less than those of the free-hand THAs (23.5°±26.5°). These data suggest that the robotic assisted THA can better restore the native hip CAs with higher repeatability than the free-hand technique. Further studies are needed to investigate the effects of the hip anteversion changes on the
Hip arthroplasty is very successful in order to alleviate pain and improve health-related quality of life. Health-care costs are constantly growing and the burden of patients with hip disease has increased dramatically. Careful consideration of the patients'need and expectations include not only the proper indication for surgery but also choice of method. Hip resurfacing (HRA) has been popularized during the last decade, being bone conservative, capable to restore the anatomical hip center and lower the risk of dislocation. Some HRA-designs have proven good long-term survival rate while others have shown an unacceptable high amount of loosening and been recalled. Yet, for a selected group of patients HRA may be advantageous to THA regarding health-related quality of life. A fundamental prerequisite understanding today's and tomorrow's request on hip arthroplasty is to measure outcomes from patients' perspectives. In this pilot study we compared the patient-reported outcome measures after hip resurfacing with THA using validated general and hip disease specific instruments. A questionnaire was sent to 108 randomly selected patients (72% male) of a cohort of 259 patients (Charnley A+B) who had had uni- or bilateral (two stages) HRA for a period of at least six months. Maximal follow-up time was 7 years. Mean age was 50.2 years (males) and 46.2 years (females) respectively. Patients were reporting EQ-5D and self assessed health-quality (0–100%). In addition, a minor group randomly selected, reported their activity that was graded according to UCLA-activity score. As preoperative EQ-5D baseline, a matched group of 40 patients from the hospital's database scheduled for HRA served.Background:
Methods:
The emerging of non-fusion surgery is aimed to solve the long-term complication of fusion surgery that may bring the adjacent disc degeneration. Among several kinds of artificial discs developed in these years, the majority in the market is Prodisc-L (Synthes Inc.) which is designed with the purpose to restore the motions including anteroposterior translation, lateral bending, and axial rotation. These is also one artificial disc called Physio-L (Nexgen Spine) which were hyper-elastic material (Polycarbonate Polyurethanes) and is designed to restore the motions maintioned above plus axial loading. The concept of using hyper-elastic material as disc is to mimic the material properties of intervetebral discs so that this disc both absorb the axial loading and also restore the physiological range of motion. Few studies focused on the biomechanical behavior of hyper-elastic artificial discs have yet been reported. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to compare the biomechanical behavior between Prodisc-L and Physio-L. A validated three-dimensional finite element model of the L1-L5 lumbar intact spine was used in this study with ANSYS software [Fig.1]. Total disc replacement surgery, partial discectomy, total nuclectomy and removal of the anterior longitudinal ligament were performed at the L3/L4 segment of this intact model, and the Prodisc-L and Physio-L was implanted into L3/L4 segment, respectively. In addition, hyper-elastic materials adopted by Physio-L are usually categorized by their hardness into soft and hard [Fig.2]. Therefore, two kinds of Physio-L were studied. A 400 N follower load and a 10 N-m moment were applied to the intact model to obtain four physiological motions as comparison baseline. The implanted models were subjected to 400 N follower load and specific moments in accordance with the hybrid test method. For the Prodisc-L model in the surgical segment, the range of motion (ROM) varied by -26%, +17%, -0.01%, and -0.04% in flexion, extension, lateral bending, and axial rotation, respectively, as compared to intact model [Fig.3]. For the Physio-L (soft) model, ROM varied by +10%, +8%, +3%, and +19% in four physiological motions, respectively. For the physio-L (hard) model, ROM varied by +1%, +8%, +1%, and +11% in four physiological motions, respectively. For the Prodisc-L model in the adjacent segments, ROM varied by +4% ∼ +10%, -2% ∼ -5%, -1% ∼ -4%, and +1% ∼ -2% in four physiological motions, respectively. For the Physio-L (soft) model, ROM varied by 0% ∼ -5%, -2% ∼ -5%, -0% ∼ -5%, and -9% ∼ -11% in four physiological motions, respectively. For the physio-L (hard) model, ROM varied by +4% ∼ -2%, +8% ∼ -5%, +1 ∼ -5%, and +11% ∼ -6% in four physiological motions, respectively. As seemed in the simulation, the behavior of Physio-L (both soft and hard) is similar to that of intact model under flexion and extension, but not in axial rotation. In addition, Physio-L (hard) model is more similar to intact model as compared to Physio-L (soft) model.
In patients with traumatic brain injury and fractures
of long bones, it is often clinically observed that the rate of bone
healing and extent of callus formation are increased. However, the
evidence has been unconvincing and an association between such an
injury and enhanced fracture healing remains unclear. We performed
a retrospective cohort study of 74 young adult patients with a mean
age of 24.2 years (16 to 40) who sustained a femoral shaft fracture
(AO/OTA type 32A or 32B) with or without a brain injury. All the
fractures were treated with closed intramedullary nailing. The main
outcome measures included the time required for bridging callus
formation (BCF) and the mean callus thickness (MCT) at the final
follow-up. Comparative analyses were made between the 20 patients
with a brain injury and the 54 without brain injury. Subgroup comparisons
were performed among the patients with a brain injury in terms of
the severity of head injury, the types of intracranial haemorrhage
and gender. Patients with a brain injury had an earlier appearance
of BCF
(p <
0.001) and a greater final MCT value (p <
0.001) than
those without. There were no significant differences with respect
to the time required for BCF and final MCT values in terms of the
severity of head injury (p = 0.521 and p = 0.153, respectively),
the types of intracranial haemorrhage (p = 0.308 and p = 0.189,
respectively) and gender (p = 0.383 and
p = 0.662, respectively). These results confirm that an injury to the brain may be associated
with accelerated fracture healing and enhanced callus formation.
However, the severity of the injury to the brain, the type of intracranial
haemorrhage and gender were not statistically significant factors
in predicting the rate of bone healing and extent of final callus formation.
Due to their superior wear characteristics, oxidized Zr-2.5Nb heads are used with hip stems made of conventional orthopaedic alloys. Galvanic interactions between Zr-2.5Nb (Zr) and Ti-6Al-4V (Ti), cobalt-chromium (CoCr), and 316L stainless steel (SS) alloys were evaluated. Galvanic current density was measured for Zr/Ti,Zr/CoCr, Zr/SS, CoCr/Ti, and CoCr/SS couples under static conditions in aneutral Ringer’s solution and in an acidic (1.7 pH) solution. To simulate fretting, one or both coupled alloys in the neutral solution subsequently were abraded by a bone cement pin (82 MPa Hertzian stress). An extended(7-day) static test in the acidic solution was performed for Zr/SS and CoCr/Ti to simulate crevice conditions. The dissolved metal ion concentration was determined using direct coupled plasma emission spectrometry. Mean initial current densities of the Zr/SS, SS/CoCr,Zr/CoCr, CoCr/Ti, and Zr/Ti couples were 3.0, 0.36, 0.16, 0.05, and 0.04μA/cm2, respectively, in the neutral solution, and 0.57, −0.29, 0.04, 0.02, and 0.03 μA/cm2, respectively, in the acidic solution (positive when first alloy was anode). Within 30 minutes, all values decreased below 0.02μA/cm2. The current densities increased by orders of magnitude under fretting conditions. When both alloys were abraded, the highest values were minus;677 and 464 μA/cm2 for CoCr/Ti and Zr/SS, respectively. In the extended static test of Zr/SS, the mean total metal ion concentration decreased from 8.15 mg/L when the alloys were uncoupled to 4.50 mg/L(p=0.007) when they were coupled. For CoCr/Ti, the change from 1.28 to 1.72mg/L when the alloys were coupled was not statistically significant(p=0.22). With its strong tendency to passivate, the Zr alloy produced galvanic interactions within the range observed with conventional alloy couples. Its anodic characteristic helped protect SS in a galvanic couple.
An instrumented extensively porous coated stem was implanted in composite femur models (n=3) and mechanically tested. The stem stresses resulting from proximal overbroaching, ETO, cable grips, and various cable and strut constructs were determined.
Stem stresses increased 98 when a proximally loose stem was combined with an ETO using laboratory tests. This stress was decreased by up to 37 percent when a long trochanteric plate was utilized.
An instrumented extensively porous coated stem was implanted in composite femur models (n=3) and mechanically tested. The stem stresses resulting from proximal overbroaching, ETO, cable grips, and various cable and strut constructs were determined.
Stem stresses increased 98 when a proximally loose stem was combined with an ETO using laboratory tests. This stress was decreased by up to 37 percent when a long trochanteric plate was utilized.
