Aims

Parathyroid hormone (PTH) (1-34) exhibits potential in preventing degeneration in both cartilage and subchondral bone in osteoarthritis (OA) development. We assessed the effects of PTH (1-34) at different concentrations on bone and cartilage metabolism in a collagenase-induced mouse model of OA and examined whether PTH (1-34) affects the JAK2/STAT3 signalling pathway in this process.

In 33 dogs we implanted femoral stems made either of carbon composite, some coated with hydroxyapatite, or of titanium alloy with a porous coating. Osseointegration was greater in the hydroxyapatite-coated than in the un-coated stems (p less than 0.001). Push-out tests, at an average of 7.2 months after implantation, showed a six-fold increase in interface shear strength and a twelve-fold increase in shear stiffness in the hydroxyapatite-coated group compared with noncoated implants. The highest shear-strength values were found in the porous-coated titanium alloy stems, around which there was also the most resorptive bone remodelling

We carried out a retrospective review over ten months of patients who had presented with a low-energy subtrochanteric fracture. We identified 13 women of whom nine were on long-term alendronate therapy and four were not. The patients treated with alendronate were younger, with a mean age of 66.9 years (55 to 82) vs 80.3 years (64 to 92) and were more socially active. The fractures sustained by the patients in the alendronate group were mainly at the femoral metaphyseal-diaphyseal junction and many had occurred after minimal trauma. Five of these patients had prodromal pain in the affected hip in the months preceding the fall, and three demonstrated a stress reaction in the cortex in the contralateral femur. Our study suggests that prolonged suppression of bone remodelling with alendronate may be associated with a new form of insufficiency fracture of the femur. We believe that this finding is important and indicates the need for caution in the long-term use of alendronate in the treatment of osteoporosis

We carried out a histological study of a proximally hydroxyapatite (HA)-coated femoral component, retrieved after 9.5 years of good function. The HA coating had completely degraded. Bone was in direct contact with the titanium surface in all the areas which had been coated, with no interposing fibrous tissue. There were no signs of particles, third-body wear, adverse tissue reactions or osteolysis. Bone remodelling was evident by the presence of resorption lacunae; tetracycline labelling showed bone laid down six years after implantation. The loss of the HA-coating had no negative effect on the osseo-integration of the stem. We conclude that the HA coating contributes to the fixation of the implant and that its degradation does not adversely affect the long-term fixation

We reviewed the outcome of curved intertrochanteric varus osteotomy in the treatment of osteonecrosis of the femoral head in 20 hips. A mean varus angulation of 31° was obtained by the osteotomy. The ratio of intact area on the weight-bearing portion increased from 19% to 61%. The mean elevation and lateral displacement of the greater trochanter were 1.2 cm and 0.5 cm, respectively. These changes in the position of the greater trochanter were very small when compared with those after conventional varus wedge osteotomy. Nonunion or delayed union was not observed. Quantitative analyses showed aggressive bone remodelling in the medial intertrochanteric region. Eighteen hips survived without collapse after a mean follow-up of 48 months. We conclude that curved varus osteotomy can be used to preserve the hip joint in patients with osteonecrosis of the femoral head

In a preliminary experiment the paired radii and femora of dogs were tested for bone mineral mass and mechanical properties including the load at break, the ultimate bending strength and the modulus of elasticity; symmetry was observed for most of the parameters determined. The influence of the elasticity of materials used for the internal splintage of bone and its relationship to bone remodeling were then investigated for stainless steel and plastic plates applied to the femora of dogs. A significant decrease in bone mineral mass per centimetre length of bone and in mechanical properties was demonstrated for the femora plated with steel, and microradiography showed that this was due to massive endosteal resorption. A model for determining the influence of protection from stress in bone is presented

We studied the fixation of a cementless titanium femoral prosthesis partially coated with hydroxyapatite ceramic (HAC) 10.4 months after implantation. Histomorphological investigation showed extensive new bone formation between the HAC coating and the bone bed; morphometry showed bone contact indices of up to 91.60%. There were a number of resorption lacunae on the HAC coat with depths of up to 76.6 microns and widths of up to 453 microns. Our results confirmed that considerable bone remodelling had taken place and that the apatite-coated prosthesis had united with bone despite the lack of appreciable immediate press-fit. Hydroxyapatite particles which had been released did not appear to show any negative effects on the stability of the implant

Fixation by a single screw is considered the current treatment of choice for a slipped capital femoral epiphysis. This approach promotes premature physeal closure. The use of a modified, standard, single, cannulated screw designed to maintain epiphyseal fixation without causing premature closure of the physis was reviewed in ten patients. The nine boys and one girl aged between 10.6 and 12.6 years with unilateral slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE), were markedly skeletally immature (Tanner stage I, bone age 10 to 12.6 years). Clinical and radiological review at a mean follow-up of 44.3 months (36 to 76) showed no difference in the time to physeal closure between the involved and uninvolved side. Measurement of epiphyseal and physeal development showed continued growth and remodelling in all patients. Use of this device provided epiphyseal stability and maintained the capacity for physeal recovery and growth following treatment for both unstable and stable slipped capital femoral epiphysis

We obtained medial and lateral subchondral cancellous bone specimens from ten human postmortem proximal tibiae with early osteoarthritis (OA) and ten normal age- and gender-matched proximal tibiae. The specimens were scanned by micro-CT and the three-dimensional microstructural properties were quantified. Medial OA cancellous bone was significantly thicker and markedly plate-like, but lower in mechanical properties than normal bone. Similar microstructural changes were also observed for the lateral specimens from OA bone, although there had been no sign of cartilage damage. The increased trabecular thickness and density, but relatively decreased connectivity suggest a mechanism of bone remodelling in early OA as a process of filling trabecular cavities. This process leads to a progressive change of trabeculae from rod-like to plate-like, the opposite to that of normal ageing. The decreased mechanical properties of subchondral cancellous bone in OA, which are due to deterioration in architecture and density, indicate poor bone quality

Aims

Local recurrence remains a challenging and common problem following curettage and joint-sparing surgery for giant cell tumour of bone (GCTB). We previously reported a 15% local recurrence rate at a median follow-up of 30 months in 20 patients with high-risk GCTB treated with neoadjuvant Denosumab. The aim of this study was to determine if this initial favourable outcome following the use of Denosumab was maintained with longer follow-up.

The radiographic and histological features of radiolucent areas at the cement-bone interface were correlated in 15 specimens retrieved at post-mortem from patients who had undergone cemented total hip arthroplasty, two weeks to 15 years prior to death. All but one of the components were securely fixed, as demonstrated by direct measurements of micromotion. Extensive radiolucencies were present in all but one case. In 11 of the 14 specimens with radiolucencies, histological examination showed that the radiolucent areas represented regions of osteoporosis and bone remodelling. The remodelling changes were characterised by osteoporosis, cancellisation and thinning of the endosteal cortex, and osteopenia of the trabecular bone. In two specimens the appearance of radiolucency was found to be due to fibrous tissue at the cement-bone interface and in one specimen there was a mixed picture of osteolysis and fibrosis. The study demonstrates that radiolucent lines can occur with well-fixed components and that they may commonly represent osteoporosis rather than the presence of a fibrous membrane at the cement-bone interface

A new dynamic classification of Paget's disease is proposed, incorporating both the radiographic phases of bone remodelling and the scintigraphic findings. Osteolytic, mixed and osteoblastic phases are associated with increased scintigraphic activity, while the osteosclerotic phase of remodelling is associated with normal or diminished activity and an osteoblastic radiographic appearance. Abnormal modelling of bone leading to deformity is produced by accelerated apposition or absorption at the periosteal and endosteal envelopes of the bone. In 112 patients with symptoms from Paget's disease, 527 lesions were classified. The most frequent remodelling phase was the mixed one and the most common modelling state was bone expansion with endosteal and periosteal apposition. Of 88 patients treated medically, 12 had lesions which progressed to increased bone formation without a change in modelling, and the active lesions in seven patients became inactive. Prolonged treatment with disodium etidronate led to progressive osteopenia in 11 patients

Spontaneous correction of deformity is produced by bone remodelling during the period of growth. The purpose of this experimental study was to find out in which phase and to what extent asymmetrical epiphysial growth participated in the correction of an experimentally produced deformity. Transverse wedge osteotomy was performed in the legs of twenty growing mongrel dogs, the fragments being fixed with bent AO-plates. From radiographs taken at intervals of two weeks the epiphysial and axial angles were measured. Nine dogs were given tetracycline ten to twenty days before death and the cut surfaces were photographed in reflected ultra-violet light. It was found that epiphysial growth played an important role in the remodelling process. This factor accounted for roughly half of the total correction and averaged 12-5 degrees during the observation time of 160 days. The greatest correction occurred during the first weeks. Correction of the epiphysial angle took place with acceleration of growth

We performed a histological and histomorphometric examination in five cadaver specimens of the femoral and acetabular components and the associated tissue which had been recovered between 3.3 and 6.2 years after primary total hip arthroplasty (THA) using a proximal hydroxyapatite (HA)-coated titanium alloy implant. All had functioned well during the patients’ life. All the stems were fixed in the femur and showed osseointegration of both the proximal and distal parts. The amount of residual HA was greatest in the distal metaphyseal sections, indicating that the rate of bone remodelling may be the main factor causing loss of HA. The level of activity of the patient was the only clinical factor which correlated with loss of coating. The percentage of bone-implant osseointegration was almost constant, regardless of the amount of HA residue, periprosthetic bone density or the time of implantation. HA debris was seldom observed and if present did not cause any adverse or inflammatory reaction. Partial debonding did occur in one case as a result of a polyethylene-induced inflammatory reaction

A balanced inflammatory response is important for successful fracture healing. The response of osteoporotic fracture healing is deranged and an altered inflammatory response can be one underlying cause. The objectives of this review were to compare the inflammatory responses between normal and osteoporotic fractures and to examine the potential effects on different healing outcomes. A systematic literature search was conducted with relevant keywords in PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science independently. Original preclinical studies and clinical studies involving the investigation of inflammatory response in fracture healing in ovariectomized (OVX) animals or osteoporotic/elderly patients with available full text and written in English were included. In total, 14 articles were selected. Various inflammatory factors were reported; of those tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and interleukin (IL)-6 are two commonly studied markers. Preclinical studies showed that OVX animals generally demonstrated higher systemic inflammatory response and poorer healing outcomes compared to normal controls (SHAM). However, it is inconclusive if the local inflammatory response is higher or lower in OVX animals. As for clinical studies, they mainly examine the temporal changes of the inflammatory stage or perform comparison between osteoporotic/fragility fracture patients and normal subjects without fracture. Our review of these studies emphasizes the lack of understanding that inflammation plays in the altered fracture healing response of osteoporotic/elderly patients. Taken together, it is clear that additional studies, preclinical and clinical, are required to dissect the regulatory role of inflammatory response in osteoporotic fracture healing.

Cite this article: Bone Joint Res 2020;9(7):368–385.

Aims

The effect of the gut microbiota (GM) and its metabolite on bone health is termed the gut-bone axis. Multiple studies have elucidated the mechanisms but findings vary greatly. A systematic review was performed to analyze current animal models and explore the effect of GM on bone.

Aims

Ageing-related incompetence becomes a major hurdle for the clinical translation of adult stem cells in the treatment of osteoarthritis (OA). This study aims to investigate the effect of stepwise preconditioning on cellular behaviours in human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) from ageing patients, and to verify their therapeutic effect in an OA animal model.

Tibial grafts in rabbits were studied using a microscopic technique in vivo that made it possible to photograph the "graft to be" at the donor site and then subsequently to observe the same graft repeatedly at the host site. With this method the effects on the graft tissues of varying degrees of surgical trauma have been tested. The period of follow-up ranged between 14 and 300 days. The grafts removed with minimal trauma showed a more rapid rapid of revascularisation. In this group the first vessels appeared on average seven days after grafting, whereas they took 15 days in the grafts which were more severely traumatised. Bone remodelling started when the vascular density resembled the more pattern and this occurred earlier and much more rapidly in the minimally injured grafts. It correlated with the presence of surviving cells, as shown by histochemical tests, and a causal relationship is suggested. It is concluded that control of trauma is important not only in the preparation of the host bed but also in procurement of the graft. Suggestions are given on techniques to minimise the surgical trauma

We examined the effect of the Gamma nail on strain distribution in the proximal femur, using ten cadaver femora instrumented with six unidirectional strain gauges along the medial and lateral cortices. The femora were loaded to 1800 N and strains were determined with or without distal interlocking screws before and after experimentally created two-part and four-part fractures. Motion of the sliding screw and the nail was also determined. Strain patterns and screw motion were compared with previously obtained values for a sliding hip screw device (SHS). The Gamma nail was shown to transmit decreasing load to the calcar with decreasing fracture stability, such that virtually no strain on the bone was seen in four-part fractures with the posteromedial fragment removed; increasing compression was noted, however, at the proximal lateral cortex. Conversely, the SHS showed increased calcar compression with decreasing fracture stability. The insertion of distal interlocking screws did not change the pattern of proximal femoral strain. The Gamma nail imparts non-physiological strains to the proximal femur, probably because of its inherent stiffness. These strains may alter bone remodelling and interfere with healing. Distal interlocking screws may not be necessary for stable intertrochanteric fractures

We have examined the process of fusion of the intertransverse processes and bone graft in the rabbit by in situ hybridisation and evaluated the spatial and temporal expression of genes encoding pro-α1 (I) collagen (COL1A1), pro-α1 (II) collagen (COL2A1) and pro-α1 (X) collagen (COL10A1). Beginning at two weeks after operation, osteogenesis and chondrogenesis occurred around the transverse process and the grafted bone at the central portion of the area of the fusion mass. Osteoblasts and osteocytes at the newly-formed woven bone expressed COL1A1. At the cartilage, most chondrocytes expressed COL2A1 and some hypertrophic chondrocytes COL10A1. In some regions, co-expression of COL1A1 and COL2A1 was observed. At four weeks, such expressions for COL1A1, COL2A1 and COL10A1 became prominent at the area of the fusion mass. From four to six weeks, bone remodelling progressed from the area of the transverse processes towards the central zone. Osteoblasts lining the trabeculae expressed a strong signal for COL1A1. At the central portion of the area of the fusion mass, endochondral ossification progressed and chondrocytes expressed COL2A1 and COL10A1. Our findings show that the fusion process begins with the synthesis of collagens around the transverse processes and around the grafted bone independently. Various spatial and temporal osteogenic and chondrogenic responses, including intramembranous, endochondral and transchondroid bone formation, progress after bone grafting at the intertransverse processes. Bone formation through cartilage may play an important role in posterolateral spinal fusion