Bone metastasis ultimately occurs due to a complex multistep process, during which the interactions between cancer cells and bone microenvironment play important roles. Prior to colonization of the bone, cancer cells must succeed through a series of steps that will allow them to gain migratory and invasive properties; epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is known to be integral here. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of G protein subunit alpha Q (GNAQ) on the mechanisms underlying bone metastasis through EMT pathway. A total of 80 tissue samples from patients who were surgically treated during January 2012 to December 2014 were used in the present study. Comparative gene analysis revealed that the GNAQ was more frequently altered in metastatic bone lesions than in primary tumour sites in lung cancer patients. We investigated the effects of GNAQ on cell proliferation, migration, EMT, and stem cell transformation using lung cancer cells with GNAQ-knockdown. A xenograft mouse model tested the effect of GNAQ using micro-CT analyses and histological analyses.Aims
Methods
We conducted a prospective study of a delta ceramic total hip
arthroplasty (THA) to determine the rate of ceramic fracture, to
characterise post-operative noise, and to evaluate the mid-term
results and survivorship. Between March 2009 and March 2011, 274 patients (310 hips) underwent
cementless THA using a delta ceramic femoral head and liner. At
each follow-up, clinical and radiological outcomes were recorded.
A Kaplan-Meier analysis was undertaken to estimate survival.Aims
Patients and Methods
Modular or custom-made femoral components have been preferred
for total hip arthroplasty (THA) in patients with a history of Perthes’
disease because of the distortion in the anatomy of the proximal
femur. However, it has not been established whether a monobloc cementless
stem will fit the distorted proximal femur or whether the results
of the procedure are satisfactory in this group of patients. We reviewed 68 consecutive patients who had undergone THA for
childhood Perthes’ disease between June 2003 and December 2008.
There were 35 men and 33 women with a mean age of 48 years (16 to
73) at the time of index arthroplasty. Their mean body mass index
was 24.4 (18.3 to 32.9). Of the 68 hips, 32 were classified as Stulberg
class III and 36 as class IV. The mean pre-operative shortening
of the affected leg was 17.2 mm (5 to 34). The minimum follow-up
was five years (mean 8.5 years; 5.2 to 10).Aims
Patients and Methods
Large femoral heads have become popular in total
hip replacement (THR) as a method of reducing the risk of dislocation.
However, if large heads are used in ceramic-on-ceramic THR, the
liner must be thinner, which may increase the risk of fracture.
To compare the rates of ceramic fracture and dislocation between
28 mm and 32 mm ceramic heads, 120 hips in 109 patients (51 men
and 58 women, mean age 49.2 years) were randomised to THR with either
a 28 mm or a 32 mm ceramic articulation. A total of 57/60 hips assigned
to the 28 mm group and 55/60 hips assigned to the 32 mm group were
followed for at least five years. No ceramic component fractures
occured in any patient in either group. There was one dislocation
in the 32 mm group and none in the 28 mm group (p = 0.464). No hip
had detectable wear, focal osteolysis or prosthetic loosening. In
our small study the 32 mm ceramic articulation appeared to be safe
in terms of ceramic liner fracture. Cite this article:
Version of the femoral stem is an important factor
influencing the risk of dislocation after total hip replacement (THR)
as well as the position of the acetabular component. However, there
is no radiological method of measuring stem anteversion described
in the literature. We propose a radiological method to measure stem
version and have assessed its reliability and validity. In 36 patients
who underwent THR, a hip radiograph and CT scan were taken to measure
stem anteversion. The radiograph was a modified Budin view. This
is taken as a posteroanterior radiograph in the sitting position
with 90° hip flexion and 90° knee flexion and 30° hip abduction.
The angle between the stem-neck axis and the posterior intercondylar
line was measured by three independent examiners. The intra- and
interobserver reliabilities of each measurement were examined. The
radiological measurements were compared with the CT measurements
to evaluate their validity. The mean radiological measurement was
13.36° ( Cite this article:
