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Open fractures about the elbow are an infrequent but complex injury with limited existing literature. The aims of the study were to review the treatment strategies of open elbows fractures, functional outcome and complication rates associated with the injury, and correlate the outcome with the topography of the fracture.Patients (n = 21) with open elbow fractures injuries over a 2-year period were analyzed. They were assessed regarding the orthoplastic characteristics of their injury as well any other associated injuries. Outcomes were assessed objectively (achievement of bony union, range of movement, infection status, need for further procedures) and subjectively (Oxford Elbow Score, EQ-5D, EQ-VAS).The commonest grade of open injury was grade 3 (43%). Associated orthopedic injuries were present in 62% and associated system injuries in 57%. Almost half of the patients were noted to have had a significantly increased presenting mortality risk as per Injury Severity Score assessment. Mean time to first wound débridement was 31 hours. There were no cases of deep or chronic infection. Complete bony union was noted in 85% of patients, and 48% of patients required removal of metalwork. Subgroup analysis of the cohort by fracture topography (single unipolar elbow bone injury vs. multiple elbow bony injuries) demonstrated no significant difference (P.05) regarding rate of complication or final Oxford Elbow Score, EQ-5D or EQ-VAS. Patients with injuries that involved the distal humerus had the highest rate for further procedures (P.05). The average Oxford Elbow Score, EQ-5D, and EQ-VAS scores for the whole cohort at final follow-up were 37.4, 0.54, and 62.18, respectively.Open elbow injuries are usually from high-energy trauma and often combined with other significant injuries. As a result, the timelines to elbow surgery were often delayed. However, this did not impact the local infection rates nor did it necessitate further surgery, but made achieving all British Orthopaedic Association Standards for Trauma targets difficult. Chronic infection was not an issue in this cohort. Subgroup analysis indicates open distal humerus fractures carry the highest risk for further procedures. This is most commonly in the form of removal of metalwork and fibrinolysis. End outcomes for patients with open elbow fractures can be positive, despite the notable presenting Injury Severity Score. A subspecialist elbow and orthoplastic approach whenever possible is advocated.

Mesenchymal stromal cell-derived extracellular vesicles (MSC-EVs) are a promising treatment for bone injuries, although studies remain preclinical. A systematic review and meta-analysis can assess the efficacy of MSC-EVs and identify treatment aspects associated with enhanced bone repair. English language, preclinical, controlled, in vivo studies identified in our systematic search (up to May 8, 2020) examining the use of MSC-EVs in bone healing were included. Risk of bias (ROB) was assessed using the SYRCLE tool. Aggregate Data Meta-Analysis was performed to determine the effect of MSC-EVs on Bone Volume/Total Volume (BV/TV) and New Bone Formation (NBF). Thirteen studies were included. Twelve reported either BV/TV or NBF and were included in meta-analysis. ROB was unclear in all studies. Overall, MSC-EVs displayed benefit in terms of bone healing for both BV/TV (22.2% mean difference (MD); 95% CI: 15.8–28.5%, p

Purpose The aim of this article is to illustrate the recent framework necessary to standardize studies on groin pain and review the existing literature on groin pain in football. Methods The common pathological processes underlying groin pain such as muscle, tendon or ligament strain, bone injury or fracture, sport hernia, bursitis, osteitis pubis, and hip-related diseases have been reviewed and current management options have been considered. Results Groin pain is considered a pain in pubic or lower abdominal or adductors region which can be monolateral or bilateral. It is common in high-intensity team sports and can negatively affect an athlete's professional carrier, causing serious disruption in the performance. Despite a high prevalence of groin pain in athletes, diagnosis and management of the underlying pathological processes remain a challenge for surgeons, radiologists, and physiotherapists alike. Conclusion A multidisciplinary approach is essential for patients with groin pain allowing prompt diagnosis and initiation of treatment thus facilitating more rapid return to play and preventing potential long-term sequelae of chronic groin pathology.

In this review, we discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the existing bone defect animal models and tissue engineering techniques applied in studying novel bone defect regenerative approaches. The paper suggests the requirements for an optimal animal model, as well as analyzes in vivo bone injury models widely used in testing. The authors briefly review the methods of experimentally produced lesions of long bones, calvarial bones, mandibular bones in different animals. This review also describes the standardization techniques allowing one to evaluate the process of osteogenesis and bone-implant interactions. That will help researchers thoroughly plan and conduct experiments according to the bioethical principles.

Talus osteochondral damage is one of the common symptoms of chronic ankle pain in people’s lives. The cartilage regeneration and self-repair ability are extremely limited, the joint cartilage lesions are often accompanied by the lesions of the subchondral bone, and the subchondral bone lesions can affect the metabolism of the cartilage above it, which brings certain difficulties to clinical treatment. Traditional methods of treating cartilage damage include microfractures and drilling. Due to large trauma, inconsistent clinical efficacy reports, poor tissue repair results, and limited donor sources, etc., the application of traditional treatment methods in the clinic has been largely limited. Therefore, finding an ideal treatment method for bone injury has been a hot spot in clinical research in orthopedics. Studies have shown that autologous cartilage transplantation via nano-hydroxyapatite has become a new treatment model, providing new ideas for clinical treatment of talar osteochondral damage. Nano-hydroxyapatite and its composites have good histocompatibility, biological activity, and bone conductivity. They are an ideal bone defect repair material, and have been initially applied in clinical practice. The preparation of nano-hydroxyapatite, its biological characteristics and the repairing effect on the composite defect of osteochondral bone were studied experimentally, and its feasibility for repairing osteochondral damage was discussed. In this paper, the unique structure and properties of natural cartilage layers are studied. In combination with bionics theory and methods, nano-hydroxyapatite micro-particle composite samples are prepared by the gel method, and the bone-forming properties of nano-composites are measured by in vitro drug release experiments. To establish a model of infectious bone injury in New Zealand white rabbits, and nano-hydroxyapatite composites were implanted into local lesions of New Zealand white rabbit models by autologous cartilage transplantation, and evaluated by imaging, blood biochemistry, histology, infection control and bone repair. The experimental results show that using the unique physical and chemical and biological properties of nano-hydroxyapatite materials. It is innovatively introduced into the treatment of talar osteochondral defects caused by open fractures. It has been proven in vitro and in vivo experiments that nano-hydroxyapatite materials can be used. As an ideal tissue engineering scaffold for the treatment of talar osteochondral defects, this provides a new way to solve clinical orthopedic problems using new nanomaterials.

Summary The benefits of the muscle in open lower limb fractures remain to be determined. This study compared statistically equivalent groups of open tibial fractures treated by free anterolateral thigh (ALT) flaps or ALT flaps incorporating muscle (ALT-Vastus lateralis/ALT- VL). Method and Results: Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taiwan, 2004–2008, 49 free flaps in open lower limb fractures (38 open tibial) were specifically reconstructed with free ALT or ALT-VL flaps. Risk factors for non-union: equivalent between the two groups, with no differences in smoking, steroids, diabetes, time to flap and the AO classification of soft tissue and bone injury. Comparison of union rates: no difference was noted between groups in the Radiographic Union Score in Tibial Fractures (RUST) at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months. The only factor significantly associated with non-union was presence of a SPRINT trial defined ‘critical’ bone defect with odds ratio 14.4 (95% CI 1.36 - 131.5), with no association with AO bone classification, flap type, comorbidity or flap size. Patient-reported outcomes: the ALT-VL group showed improved patient satisfaction (p = 0.01, Cohen's d = 1.1). Functional outcomes (Enneking score) were not statistically significant, but the ALT-VL group trended towards significance in function and skin quality domains. Conclusions: Based on the results of this study, one can conclude that the degree of bone injury (specifically a ‘critical’ defect) is of greater relevance than flap choice with regard to fracture consolidation. Muscle does not result in improvements to union, the speed of union or deep infection. However, better PROMs may be related to the inclusion of the muscle around the fracture site.

BACKGROUND: Traumatic distal triceps tendon rupture results in substantial disability in the absence of an appropriate diagnosis and treatment. To the best of our knowledge, differences in the degree of injury according to the injury mechanisms and associated lesions are not well known. QUESTIONS/PURPOSES: In this study, we asked: (1) What differences are seen in triceps tear patterns between indirect injuries (fall on an outstretched hand) and direct injuries? (2) What are the associated elbow and soft tissue injuries seen in indirect and direct triceps ruptures? METHODS: Between 2006 and 2017, one center treated 73 elbows of 72 patients for distal triceps tendon rupture. Of those, 70% (51 of 73 elbows) was excluded from this study; 8% (6 of 73) were related to systemic diseases, 59% (43 of 73) sustained open injuries, and 3% (2 of 73) were related to local steroid injections. We retrospectively collected data on traumatic distal triceps tendon rupture in 30% (22 of 73) of elbows at a single trauma center during a 10-year period. A fall on an outstretched hand was the cause of injury in 15 patients and direct blow by object or contusion were the cause in seven. MRI and surgery were performed in all patients. Traumatic distal triceps tendon rupture was classified by the Giannicola method, which is classified according to the depth and degree of the lesion based on MRI and surgical findings. Associated fractures and bone contusions on MRI were characterized. Ligament injuries on MRI was divided into partial and complete rupture. Agreement between the MRI and intraoperative findings for the presence of a traumatic distal triceps tendon rupture was perfect, and the Giannicola classification of traumatic distal triceps tendon rupture was good (kappa = 0.713). RESULTS: In the indirect injury group (fall on an outstretched hand), 15 of 15 patients had injuries that involved only the tendinous portion of the distal triceps, but these injuries were not full-thickness tears, whereas in the direct injury group, three of seven patients had a full-thickness rupture (odds ratio [OR] 1.75 [95% CI 0.92 to 3.32]; p = 0.02). The direct injury group had no associated ligamentous injuries while 14 of 15 patients with indirect injuries had ligamentous injuries (OR 0.13 [95% CI 0.02 to 0.78]; p < 0.001; associated injuries in the indirect group: anterior medial collateral ligament [14 of 15], posterior medial collateral ligament [7 of 15], and lateral collateral ligament complex [2 of 15]). Similarly, one of seven patients in the direct injury group had a bone injury (capitellar contusion), whereas 15 of 15 patients with indirect ruptures had associated fractures or bone contusions (OR 16.0 [95% CI 2.4 to 106.7]; p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: A fall on an outstretched hand may result in an injury mostly to the lateral and long head of distal triceps tendon and an intact medial head tendon; however, direct injuries can involve full-thickness ruptures. Although a traumatic distal triceps tendon rupture occurs after a fall on an outstretched hand, radial neck, capitellar, and medial collateral ligament injury can occur because of valgus load and remnant extensor mechanisms. Based on our finding, the clinician encountering a distal triceps tendon rupture due to a fall on an outstretched hand should be aware of the possibility of remaining elbow extensor mechanism by intact medial head tendon portion, and associated injuries, which may induce latent complications. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III, prognostic study.

None of the methods of osteosynthesis provides the consolidation of bone fragments which have lost contact with soft tissues. It makes extremely difficult treating of this type fractures. Bone defect between the fragments and absence of a primary biological matrix complicates revascularization, causes long-term life of the connective tissue and cells of cartilaginous phenotype in the fracture zone. It is leads to a long-term consolidation of the fracture. Composites of hydroxyapatite and calcium phosphates are considered as bioactive and therefore the most promising for bone defects replacing. The aim of this investigation was clinical, radiological and hematological evaluation using of silicon-doped ceramics for fragmented bone fractures in dogs. For study was chosen dogs with accidental fragmented fractures of tubular bones which treated by extracortical osteosynthesis method. Animal was divided into two groups. A bone defects were filled with ceramics (GTlKg-3) for experimental animal group (n = 7), while no filling of bone defects in control animal group(n = 7) was performed. Protocol of anesthesia included medetomidine, butorphanol tartrate and epidural anesthesia with 2 % lidocaine solution. Animals of the control group began to lean on the injured limb from the 12–15th day after surgery, while the animal of research group from the 8-9th day. Complete limb repair in dogs of the control group occurred on the 38–42th day, but such period for experimental group animals was shorter – 25–27th day after the osteosynthesis. X-ray investigation (60th day) of experimental group dogs showed new formed bone tissue with osteosclerotic zones without a periosteal reaction, bone tissue, with a normal view of the epiphyseal areas and the bone marrow cavity. This is evidence of localized reparative osteogenesis (within bone trauma only), and completed fracture consolidation. At the same time in cases of the control group we found lower X-ray density of new bone, periosteum was thickened with excessive proliferation of the endosteum, especially below the site of bone injury. Thus, in case the absence of hydroxyapatite matrix in bone defects there were compensatory increasing proliferation of periosteum and endoosteum. Fragmented fractures of tubular bones in dogs have occurred by erythrocytopenia, that quickly disappear due to the reparative osteogenesis in dog of experimental group. These animals have had leukocytosis increasing due to the first three days after osteosynthesis as a reaction to the implantation of a calcium-phosphorus composite material. Dogs of control group have had second wave of leukocytosis increasing on forty-second day associated with elongated remodeling process. Areparative osteogenesis can be accelerated in 1.5 times in case of replacement of bone defects with silicon doped hydroxyapatite ceramics. It is possibility realized thru moderate reduction of active phase of inflammation and acceleration of proliferative phase, mainly from endosteum side with early mineralization of bone regenerate. The dynamics of hematology parameters is a typical for the tubular bone consolidation that indicates about moderate inflammation and demonstrate biological tolerance of silicon-doped hydroxyapatite ceramics.

OBJECTIVEAlthough increased signal intensity (ISI) on MRI is observed in patients with cervical spinal cord injury (SCI) without major bone injury, alterations in ISI have not been evaluated. The association between postoperative ISI and surgical outcomes remains unclear. This study elucidated whether or not the postoperative classification and alterations in MRI-based ISI of the spinal cord reflected the postoperative symptom severity and surgical outcomes in patients with SCI without major bone injury.METHODSOne hundred consecutive patients with SCI without major bone injury (79 male and 21 female) with a mean age of 55 years (range 20–87 years) were included. All patients were treated with laminoplasty and underwent MRI pre- and postoperatively (mean 12.5 ± 0.8 months). ISI was classified into three groups on the basis of sagittal T2-weighted MRI: grade 0, none; grade 1, light (obscure); and grade 2, intense (bright). The neurological statuses were evaluated according to the Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) scoring system and the American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale (AIS).RESULTSPreoperatively, 8 patients had grade 0 ISI, 49 had grade 1, and 43 had grade 2; and postoperatively, 20 patients had grade 0, 24 had grade 1, and 56 had grade 2. The postoperative JOA scores and recovery rate (RR) decreased significantly with increasing postoperative ISI grade. The postoperative ISI grade tended to increase with the postoperative AIS grade. Postoperative grade 2 ISI was observed in severely paralyzed patients. The postoperative ISI grade improved in 23 patients (23%), worsened in 25 (25%), and remained unchanged in 52 (52%). Patients with an improved ISI grade had a better RR than those with a worsened ISI grade.CONCLUSIONSPostoperative ISI reflected postoperative symptom severity and surgical outcomes. Alterations in ISI were seen postoperatively in 48 patients (48%) and were associated with surgical outcomes.

Aim: Bone healing becomes problematic during certain states, such as trauma. This study verifies whether the application of c-myb with gelatin promotes bone healing during bone injuries. Materials & methods: A biodegradable membrane was modified with adenoviral vector c-myb ( Ad/c-myb) and gelatin and applied in the bone injury site of rat tibia. Results: c-myb enhanced osteogenic differentiation and mineralization in bone marrow stromal cells after induction with osteogenic media. In vivo examination of rat tibia after application of the biodegradable membrane with Ad/c-myb and a gelatin layer demonstrated increased bone volume, bone mineral density, new bone formation and osteogenic molecules, compared with Ad/LacZ. Conclusion: c-myb has the potential to assist bone healing and may be applicable to the treatment of bone during injury.

Interlocked intramedullary osteosynthesis is the most common method for treating femoral shaft fractures. The aim — to reveal specifi c characteristics of the histostructure of canine femoral muscles when healing femoral fractures under osteosynthesis using interlocking intramedullary reinforcement with an antegrade metal rod. Femoral shaft fractures were modelled in 9 mongrel dogs. The fractures were fi xed with an intramedullary rod. In Group I (n=4), osteosynthesis was started immediately after bone injury. In Group II (n=5), osteosynthesis was started 4 days after fracture (delayed osteosynthesis). M. biceps femoris and M. quadriceps femoris were studied. In Group I and Group II, bone healing occurred following 42 and 70 days, respectively. A unifi ed bone marrow cavity and cortical layer had been formed by day 70 and day 100 in Group I and Group II, respectively. The histostructure of M. quadriceps femoris in Group I remained largely unchanged throughout the experiment, while M. biceps femoris underwent the process of structural reorganization on days 42 and 70 of the experiment. The Group of delayed osteosynthesis demonstrated changes in the histostructure of both muscles, including an increased diversity of fi bre diameters, an increased number of nuclei in myocytes, fi brosis of the interstitial space and perimysial arterial vessels. These changes were more pronounced in M. biceps femoris. Three months after injury, the histostructure of the muscles under study, even in the Group of delayed osteosynthesis, had no signifi cant differences and tended to the intact norm. In femoral fractures, the earliest possible fi xation of bone fragments with an inter locking antegrade intramedullary rod is recommended. A complete bone healing in such cases occurs a month earlier than in those with delayed osteosynthesis. The femoral muscles of the anterior group are injured to a lesser extent than those of the posterior group.

The World Health Organisation estimates only 33% of the world's population has local access to diagnostic imaging. Doctors operating in austere locations in Canada and Australia are using point-of-care ultrasound to differentiate between bone injury and soft tissue injury. Studies have demonstrated ultrasound to be a highly sensitive diagnostic tool for bone fracture. We present an ultrasound pictorial review of various bone fractures to demonstrate its value as an extension of the clinical examination in identifying fracture and to support the need for further imaging. Innovative and affordable ultrasound devices have been developed, which will improve accessibility to imaging.

During serial transplantation of bone marrow derived from young and aged donor CBA mice to 5-month-old recipients, the counts of multipotent stromal cells (MSC) in transplants from young donors assessed at each passage surpassed those of aged donors by 3.2, 7.8, 3.0, and 2.2 times attesting to the age-related decrease of active pool of bone marrow MSC. The medullary curettage in mouse femur increased the total number of MSC and the number of osteogenic MSC both in the contralateral femur and in the bone marrow transplants attesting to spread of the effects of osteogenic factors after bone injury onto the bone tissue of the body even if this tissue if not topographically related to the skeleton. Combined and simultaneous administration of antigenic complex of S. typhimurium (or LPS) with BMP-2 markedly increased the count of osteogenic medullary MSC by 3.6 or 4.6 times in comparison with intact control or by 2.1 and 2.7 times in comparison with administration of BMP-2 alone, which probably resulted from enlargement of the pool of osteogenesis-inducible MSC due to inflammation. Addition of BMP-2 to the culture of splenic stromal cells where osteogenesis does not occur under normal conditions provoked appearance of MSC colonies with alkaline phosphatase activity attesting to involvement of inducible osteogenic MSC in vascular calcification. It can be hypothesized that the reaction to the age-related changes in the bone tissue and osteoporosis is similar to the reaction to bone marrow injury and includes initiation of systemic inflammation and elevation of blood BMP-2, both of which are prerequisite for vascular calcification.

Cadmium (Cd) is a toxic heavy metal that represents an occupational hazard and environmental pollutant toxic heavy metal, which can cause osteoporosis following accumulation in the body. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of Cd on bone tissue osteoclast differentiation in vivo. Female BALB/c mice were randomly divided into three groups and given drinking water with various concentrations of Cd (0, 5, and 25 mg/L) for 16 weeks, after which the mice were sacrificed after collecting urine and blood. The level of Cd, calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), trace elements, and some biochemical indicators were measured, and the bone was fixed in a 4% formaldehyde solution for histological observation. Bone marrow cells were isolated to determine the expression of osteoclast-associated mRNA and proteins. Cd was increased in the blood, urine, and bone in response to Cd in drinking water in a dose-dependent manner. The content of iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), and zinc (Zn) was significantly increased, whereas Ca and P were decreased in bone compared to the control group. Cd affected the histological structure of the bone, and induced the upregulation and downregulation of tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase 5b (TRACP-5b) and estradiol in the serum, respectively. Cd had no significant effect on the alkaline phosphatase activity in the serum. The expression of osteoclast marker proteins, including TRACP, cathepsin K, matrix metalloprotein 9, and carbonic anhydrases were all increased in the Cd-treated bone marrow cells. Cd significantly increased the expression of receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa B ligand (RANKL), but had lower effect on the expression of osteoprotegerin (OPG) in both bone marrow cells and bone tissue. Thus, Cd exposure destroyed the bone microstructure, promoted the formation of osteoclasts in the bone tissue, and accelerated bone resorption, in which the OPG/RANKL pathway may play an important role.

Introduction The severity of intra-articular fractures of the distal tibia results from the morphological features of this segment, and therefore, bone injury is combined with trophic soft tissue disorders. Open reduction and internal fixation have a negative effect on reparative processes in the local morphological structures, and complications such as soft tissue necrosis, infection, infected and deforming osteoarthritis, or nonunion may develop. The aim was to show a clinical case of a stage-by-stage treatment of an intra-articular fracture of the distal tibia using minimally invasive methods, reduction with the Ilizarov apparatus and closed intramedullary osteosynthesis with a modified ChM nail. Results and discussion The Ilizarov apparatus was used for primary reduction and stabilization of the fracture that enabled to eliminate gross displacements and to align the axis of the segment. After the edema had ceased and soft tissue condition improved, closed intramedullary osteosynthesis was implemented with a modified ChM nail. Conclusion A staged approach to manage intra-articular fractures of the distal tibia enables to avoid additional soft tissue trauma and results in good clinical outcomes. The available metal intramedullary implants for intra-articular fractures are imperfect, but their modification may improve stability and decrease the risks of postoperative complications if the number of holes for locking is increased.

Introduction The incidence of compression spine injuries account for 0.49 % to 0.9 % of total pediatric trauma victims. Spine fractures constitute 7.5 % to 14.6 % of all inpatient hospital admissions and require conservative treatment. The aim of the study is to analyze the system of outpatient rehabilitation of pediatric compression vertebral fractures at follow-up care provided in St. Petersburg. Material and methods Medical records of 1230 children and adolescents who sustained compression fractures of the vertebral bodies and were followed up by orthopaedic surgeons in St. Petersburg between 2011 and 2017 have been reviewed. Results and discussion Pediatric bone fractures constituted 24.8 % of total injuries registered in St. Petersburg in 2017. From pediatric vertebral body victims, 53 % were boys and 47 % were girls. Vertebral fractures were most common in children aged nine, ten and eleven years (range, 13% - 14 %). A system of consistent non-operative treatment performed for the patients at trauma departments of children's hospitals, through inpatient and outpatient services of rehabilitation and restorative treatments, follow-up care in the outpatient setting is presented. Conclusion The incidence of pediatric bone injury and vertebral body compression fractures is higher in St. Petersburg than the average incidence reported in the Russian Federation. Questions of overdiagnosis of vertebral body compression fractures in pediatric population are considered to be important and relevant. An overview of treatment options and strategies, utilization of braces, follow-up term required for children with compression vertebral body fractures suggests revised approaches to treatment methods, length of inpatient management and follow-up care.

There were comprehensively examined 55 children, including 35 children with combined bone injury (average age of 12.6 ± 2.3 years), reference group consisted of 20 apparently healthy children (average age of 11.8 ± 2.7 years) without pathology of the motor system. on the 1-3rd and 30th day after the combined bone injury, changes in the content of matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) and cytokines - transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β), monocytic chemotactic factor (MCP-1) and macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP-1β) were followed in the dynamics by serum immunoassay determination. It was established that after combined bone injury at the stage of post-traumatic formation of the regenerate by 30th days the serum concentrations of gelatinases (MMP-2, MMP-9) and collagenases (MMP-8) significantly increased, the levels of stromelysins (MMP-3) did not change, and the content of TIMP-1 decreased. Early detection of changes in the blood content of bone biomarkers during the recovery process after a combined trauma in children allows the timely implementing the correction of disturbances and the choice of the optimal individual treatment tactics for a particular patient, taking into account the features of his bone metabolism.

Radiotherapy, one of the clinical treatments of cancer, is accompanied by a high risk of damage to healthy tissues, such as bone loss and increased risk of fractures. The aim of the present study was to establish a rat model of local and systemic bone injury by focal irradiation, in order to study the etiological mechanism and intervention. The proximal metaphyseal region of the left hindlimb of male Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to a single 2 Gy or three 8 Gy doses delivered on days 1, 3 and 5 using a small animal irradiator, the changes in bone volume and microarchitecture were evaluated, and the mineral apposition rate (MAR) was assessed. Furthermore, bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMMs) were isolated and induced to osteoclasts. It has been demonstrated that a single dose of 2 Gy may result in a significant loss of lumbar bone density at 3 days post-irradiation, however this is restored at 30 days post-irradiation. In the 3x8 Gy irradiation rat model, there was a rapid decrease in the aBMD of lumbar spine at 3 days and at 7 days post-irradiation, and the aBMD decline persisted even at 60 days post-irradiation. In addition, microCT analysis revealed a persistent decline in bone volume and damage in microarchitecture in the 3x8 Gy irradiation model, accompanied by a decrease in MAR, index of the decline in bone-forming ability. In the cellular mechanism, a single 2 Gy local irradiation mainly manifested as an enhancement of the BMMs osteoclastogenesis potential, which was different from the osteoclastogenesis inhibition after high-dose focal irradiation (3x8 Gy). In summary, the irradiation with simulated clinical focal fractionated radiotherapy exerts short- and long-term systemic injury on bone tissue, characterized by different osteoclastogenesis potential between the high dose mode and a single 2 Gy focal irradiation. Physicians must consider the irreversibility of bone damage in clinical radiotherapy.

Bone formation via intramembranous and endochondral ossification is necessary for successful healing after a wide range of bone injuries. The pleiotropic cytokine, vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) has been shown, via nonspecific pharmacologic inhibition, to be indispensable for angiogenesis and ossification following bone fracture and cortical defect repair. However, the importance of VEGFA expression by different cell types during bone healing is not well understood. We sought to determine the role of VEGFA from different osteoblast cell subsets following clinically relevant models of bone fracture and cortical defect. Ubiquitin C (UBC), Osterix (Osx), or Dentin matrix protein 1 (Dmp1) Cre-ERT2 mice (male and female) containing floxed VEGFA alleles (VEGFAfl/fl ) were either given a femur full fracture, ulna stress fracture, or tibia cortical defect at 12 weeks of age. All mice received tamoxifen continuously starting 2 weeks before bone injury and throughout healing. UBC Cre-ERT2 VEGFAfl/fl (UBC cKO) mice, which were used to mimic nonspecific inhibition, had minimal bone formation and impaired angiogenesis across all bone injury models. UBC cKO mice also exhibited impaired periosteal cell proliferation during full fracture, but not stress fracture repair. Osx Cre-ERT2 VEGFAfl/fl (Osx cKO) mice, but not Dmp1 Cre-ERT2 VEGFAfl/fl (Dmp1 cKO) mice, showed impaired periosteal bone formation and angiogenesis in models of full fracture and stress fracture. Neither Osx cKO nor Dmp1 cKO mice demonstrated significant impairments in intramedullary bone formation and angiogenesis following cortical defect. These data suggest that VEGFA from early osteolineage cells (Osx+), but not mature osteoblasts/osteocytes (Dmp1+), is critical at the time of bone injury for rapid periosteal angiogenesis and woven bone formation during fracture repair. Whereas VEGFA from another cell source, not from the osteoblast cell lineage, is necessary at the time of injury for maximum cortical defect intramedullary angiogenesis and osteogenesis. © 2019 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.

Worldwide, there are millions of patients each year suffering from bone-related illness due to trauma, degenerative diseases, infections or oncology that require orthopaedic intervention involving bone grafts. This literature review aims to analyse the characteristics of the different bone grafts: autografts, allografts and synthetic bone substitutes. The review will assess their medical value based on their effectiveness as well as scrutinising any drawbacks. The goal is to identify which options can give the optimal result for a patient being treated for a bone defect. Bone autografts remain the gold standard since there are no issues with histocompatibility or disease transmission while possessing the ideal characteristics: osteogenicity, osteoconductivity and osteoinductivity. However, synthetic options such as calcium phosphate ceramics are becoming popular as a viable alternative for treatment since they can be produced in desired quantitates and yield excellent results while not having the problem of donor site morbidity as seen with autografts. Furthermore, advancements in fields such as bone tissue engineering and three-dimensional printing are generating promising results and could provide a path for excellent treatment in the future. The emergence of such innovations highlights the importance and the constant need for improvement in bone grafting.

Fracture repair is a normal physiological response to bone injury. During the process of bony callus formation, a lacunocanalicular network (LCN) is formed de novo that evolves with callus remodeling. Our aim was the longitudinal assessment of the development and evolution of the LCN during fracture repair. To this end, 45 adult wild-type C57BL/6 mice underwent closed tibial fracture surgery. Fractured and intact contralateral tibias were harvested after 2, 3, and 6 weeks of bone healing (n = 15/group). High-resolution micro–computed tomography (μCT) and deconvolution microscopy (DV) approaches were applied to quantify lacunar number density from the calluses and intact bone. On histological sections, Goldner's trichrome staining was used to assess lacunar occupancy, fluorescein isothiocyanate staining to visualize the canalicular network, and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase–mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate-biotin nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining to examine osteocyte apoptosis. Analysis of μCT scans showed progressive decreases in mean lacuna volume over time (−27% 2–3 weeks; −13% 3–6 weeks). Lacunar number density increased considerably between 2 and 3 weeks (+156%). Correlation analysis was performed, showing a positive linear relationship between canalicular number density and trabecular thickness (R2 = 0.56, p < 0.001) and an inverse relationship between mean lacuna volume and trabecular thickness (R2 = 0.57, p < 0.001). Histology showed increases in canalicular number density over time (+22% 2–3 weeks, +51% 3–6 weeks). Lacunar occupancy in new bone of the callus was high (>90%), but the old cortical bone within the fracture site appeared necrotic as it underwent resorption. In conclusion, our data shows a progressive increase in the complexity of the LCN over time during fracture healing and demonstrates that this network is initiated during the early stages of repair. Further studies are needed to address the functional importance of osteocytes in bone healing, particularly in detecting and translating the effects of micromotion in the fracture. © 2021 The Authors. JBMR Plus published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research., JBMR Plus, 5 (9)

INTRODUCTION: Corticotomy is widely used in clinical practice to accelerate tooth movement and shorten the duration of orthodontic treatment. It is effective, but an invasive surgery is needed to induce alveolar bone osteopenia that enable rapid tooth movement. In this study, we discovered the potential of 6-shogaol as a more patient-friendly noninvasive alternative to induce transient osteopenia and accelerate tooth movement. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The effects of 6-shogaol on the Bone marrow macrophages (BMM) proliferation and osteoclast differentiation, and bone resorption were determined in vitro. Sprague-Dawley rats were distributed into three groups: CON, IPinj or Localinj and euthanized at day 28. Micro-CT, histology, immunohistological and TUNEL analysis were performed to evaluate the tooth movement acceleratation effect of 6-shogaol. RESULTS: In vitro, 6-shogaol promotes osteoclast differentiation and functional demineralization of alveolar bone. RANKL-induced mRNA expression of osteoclastic-specific genes was significantly higher in the presence of 6-shogaol. A dose-dependent increase in the area of TRAP-positive cells was observed with 6-shogaol treatment. F-actin ring formation and increased bone resorption confirmed that osteoclasts treated with 6-shogaol were mature and functional. 6-shogaol stimulated JNK activation and NFATc1 expression during osteoclast differentiation. In vivo, 6-shogaol promotes alveolar bone transient osteopenia and accelerates orthodontic tooth movement. Alveolar bone mass was reduced, more osteoclasts were observed in bone resorption lacunae on the compression side, and the expression of RANKL and sclerostin were higher than the control group. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that 6-shogoal accelerates tooth movement by inducing osteopenia by a mechanism similar to surgically induced bone injury.

Osteoporotic fracture results in disability, increased morbidity and even mortality. There is currently no broadly applicable pro-regenerative therapy for osteoporotic fractures. A growing body of evidence implicates osteal tissue macrophages (osteomacs) as key contributors to physiological bone dynamics particularly through their support of osteoblast-mediated bone anabolism. This new paradigm exposed the possibility that osteomacs could be therapeutically targeted to enhance bone regeneration. To investigate this, it is imperative to improve understanding regarding osteomac function in bone growth, turnover, repair and pathology. Macrophage contribution to postnatal bone development was further elucidated in this thesis using Csf1r knockout (Csf1rko) rats. Mapping of skeletal changes postnatally through immunohistochemistry and micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) revealed contribution of osteomacs/macrophages to formation of secondary ossification centres and ossification of cranial vault and suture. However, while this rat model was informative, it did not fully delineate macrophage and osteoclast contributions given both cells are Csf1r-dependent. The inability of experimental approaches to specifically target macrophages without undesired impacts on osteoclasts has been a major limitation in studies investigating macrophage contributions to bone dynamics. This limitation was next addressed. Flow cytometry of enriched periosteal and endosteal cell suspensions revealed that CD169 (Siglec 1) is expressed by both periosteal and endosteal osteomacs. Targeted depletion using CD169-diphtheria toxin receptor (DTR) knock-in mouse model demonstrated significant loss of endosteal osteomacs and concomitant loss of osteoblasts but had no effect on osteoclasts. Preclinical bone injury and fracture models were employed to assess CD169+ osteomac function during intramembranous- and endochondral-mediated bone healing respectively. CD169+ osteomac/macrophage depletion during the early healing phase of intramembranous ossification resulted in significant reduction in new collagen type I+ woven bone deposited within the injury site. Similarly, CD169+ osteomac/macrophage depletion during the early inflammatory phase of fracture healing decreased callus size, representing a delayed healing response. These findings provide compelling evidence that CD169+ macrophages/osteomacs, independent of osteoclasts, have vital pro-anabolic contributions during bone repair mechanisms.Based on this new knowledge, whether CD169 expression by macrophages influenced bone homeostasis was next investigated. Micro-CT assessment of CD169-knockout mice showed that loss of CD169 resulted in a low bone mass phenotype. This was the first demonstration that loss of expression of a single macrophage-specific molecule was sufficient to cause osteopenia. This led to the hypothesis that macrophage dysfunction could have a role in osteoporosis-induced bone loss. To investigate this, an ovariectomy (OVX)-induced model of post-menopausal osteoporosis in C3H/HeJ mice, which recapitulated features of human post-menopausal osteoporosis, was validated. Interestingly, osteomac frequency was increased on both trabecular and endocortical bone post-OVX. Dual F4/80 antigen (pan-murine macrophage marker) and tartrate resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) activity staining demonstrated TRAP+ vesicles present within F4/80+ osteomacs, suggesting a role for osteomacs in phagocytosing extracellular TRAP. Additionally, CD169+ osteomac/macrophage depletion in vivo using CD169-DTR mice was associated with elevated TRAP+ deposits in the bone marrow and serum TRAP, suggesting that in the absence of bone-associated macrophages, combined with unchanged osteoclast function (static measure of TRAP+ osteoclasts/bone surface, TRAP staining area and trabecular bone area), TRAP liberated into the bone marrow interstitium during bone resorption was leaching into the serum. These data demonstrate a role for osteomacs in supporting bone resorption through sequestering resorption by-products and the observed increase in osteomacs post-OVX was likely a compensatory mechanism associated with elevated bone resorption.The observations generated thus far provided justification for assessing whether enhancing osteomacs/macrophages function is a valid strategy for improving fracture healing in healthy and osteoporotic bones. Osteomacs/macrophages can be increased in vivo using macrophage colony stimulating factor 1 (CSF1). Therefore, the utility of CSF1 in promoting pro-regenerative responses was investigated using the chimeric CSF1 molecule, CSF1-Fc, which was previously engineered to achieve improved pharmacokinetics in vivo. Bone catabolic actions of CSF1 particularly in osteoporotic bone is a potential contraindication of CSF1-Fc use for promoting fracture repair. Here, an intermittent CSF1-Fc treatment regimen for 4 weeks that avoided potential dose-limiting indications was optimised. This regimen also enhanced regenerative mechanisms in an internally plated mid-diaphyseal fracture model in healthy bones, culminating in increased fracture strength. To determine whether this treatment strategy can also improve osteoporotic fracture healing, the OVX-operated C3H/HeJ osteoporosis model validated herein was used, and fracture was generated by blunt trauma and stabilised using the MouseScrew intramedullary screw fixation system. Micro-CT assessment of fracture sites showed a reduction in cortical bridging at 5 weeks post-fracture in OVX mice compared to SHAM operated controls, indicative of delayed bone repair. Importantly, weekly CSF1-Fc treatment of OVX mice post-fracture corrected this delayed healing phenotype by significantly improving fracture bridging and strength. Overall, this study considerably advanced understanding on the role of osteomacs during postnatal bone growth, homeostasis, repair and pathology. Notably, this study reveals that targeting macrophages using CSF1-Fc is a promising fracture therapeutic to promote regeneration in both healthy and osteoporotic fracture patients.

Autologous cancellous bone (ACB) grafting is the “gold standard” treatment for delayed bone union. However, small animal models for such grafts are lacking. Here, we developed an ACB graft rat model. Anatomical information regarding the iliac structure was recorded from five rat cadavers (10 ilia). Additionally, 5 and 25 rats were used as controls and ACB graft models, respectively. A defect was created in rat femurs and filled with ACB. Post-graft neo-osteogenic potential was assessed by radiographic evaluation and histological analysis. Iliac bone harvesting yielded the maximum amount of cancellous bone with minimal invasiveness, considering the position of parailiac nerves and vessels. The mean volume of cancellous bone per rat separated from the cortical bone was 73.8 ± 5.5 mm3. Bone union was evident in all ACB graft groups at 8 weeks, and new bone volume significantly increased every 2 weeks (P

Objectives Injuries are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in children ages 1 to 18 years. There are limited studies about pediatric thoracolumbar (TL) spinal injuries; the purpose of this study was to characterize TL spinal injuries among pediatric patients evaluated in US trauma centers. Methods This was a retrospective cohort study of the National Trauma Data Bank. Patients aged 1 to 18 years with a thoracic or lumbar spinal injury sustained by blunt trauma during calendar years 2011 through 2016 were included. Cervical spinal injuries, death before arrival, or penetrating trauma were excluded. The data was abstracted, and missing data was addressed by imputations. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics and multinomial logistic regressions. Results A total of 20,062 patients were included in the study. Thoracolumbar spinal injuries were more commonly sustained by 16- to 17-year-olds (45.7%), boys (56.6%), and White (74.8%). The injuries were often from a motor vehicle collision (MVC) (55.2%) and resulted in a bone injury (82.3%). Mechanism of injury and age were significant in predicting injury type. A fall was more likely than MVC to result in disc injury (odds ratio [OR], 1.70; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.24-2.33), strain injury (OR, 1.18; 95% CI, 1.05-1.34), or cord injury (OR, 1.27; 95% CI, 1.12-1.45). Younger children were more likely than adolescents to present with disc injury (OR, 2.79; 95% CI, 1.75-4.45), cord injury (OR, 1.46; 95% CI, 1.18-1.81), or strain injury (OR, 1.37; 95% CI, 1.09-1.72). Conclusions To our knowledge, this is the largest pediatric TL spinal study. Clinicians should consider TL spinal injuries when adolescents present after an MVC, and specifically, TL spinal cord injuries when young children present after a fall. Additionally, pediatric TL spinal injury prevention should highlight motor vehicle and fall safety.

Highlights • The poor blood supply of the astragalus increases the risk of avascular necrosis. • The astragalus is composed mainly of cartilage, which reduces the risk of fracture. • It is important to keep this fracture in mind in injuries that could compromise the astragalus. • The physician needs to know the differential diagnoses to get the right diagnosis nd to administer the correct treatment., Introduction and importance The fracture of the astragalus is an unusual bone fracture (Ladero and Concejero, 2004) and is even more unusual in pediatric patients. The astragalus is a bone surrounded by cartilage and other structures making it difficult to appreciate on an X-ray which can lead to misdiagnosis (Ladero and Concejero, 2004; Inal and Inal, 2014) and could lead to not applying the right treatment and risk avascular necrosis or other sequelae. Case presentation 3-year-old male with foot pain and edema+++, unable to walk or stand up since a fall 2 days before, had a doubtful diagnosis after an x-ray showed no apparent bone injury. A CT scan confirmed astragulus fracture; it was then treated adequately, thus avoiding complications that could have occurred had the fracture not been diagnosed and treated correctly. Clinical findings and interventions and outcome The limb was immobilized with a suropodalic cast for 5 weeks. No surgery was performed because of the patient's age and because the fracture was not displaced (Hawkins type 1) (Jasqui-Remba and Rodriguez-Corlay, 2016; Urrutia et al., 1999). Relevance and impact There is a risk of misdiagnosis in these cases since the astragulus fracture might not show up in an X-ray, as in the case presented. A CT scan can detect the fracture and thus help consolidate the bone correctly. The correct differential diagnosis also reduces the risk of avascular necrosis, which increases due to poor blood supply to the astragalus.

The cervical spine can be injured even in the absence of radiographic abnormality, and the best surgical treatment for adult spinal cord injury without bone injury is debated. The aim of this study was to retrospectively investigate the effect of surgical decompression for severe adult spinal cord injury without major bone injury and to establish predictors of good neurological outcome. We analyzed 11 patients who underwent surgical decompression in severe adult spinal cord injury without major bone injury patients classified as American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale (AIS) grade A, B, or C. Neurological assessments were performed using AIS at preoperative and postoperative 1-year follow-up. Radiological evaluations were performed using cervical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at preoperative. Seven cases were classified as AIS grade A, two cases as AIS grade B, and two cases as AIS grade C. Five of 11 (45.5%) patients showed improved neurological grade 1-year postoperatively. Intramedullary lesion length (IMLL) (p = 0.047) and compression rate (p = 0.045) had the most powerful effect on AIS grade conversion. This study shows that the fate of the injured spinal cord is determined at the time of the injury, but adequate decompression may have limited contribution to the recovery of neurological function. Compression rate and IMLL on MRI can be used as a predictor of neurological recovery.

Bone health in the athlete should not be taken for granted, and, while the benefits of regular exercise across the lifespan are well-recognised, there are numerous factors concerning training, nutrition and hormones that need to be considered. In this chapter, we give an overview of skeletal physiology which provides the basis for understanding how bone adapts to loading through exercise, and examine bone strength in athletes from sports with different skeletal loading characteristics. We address low bone density and fracture, which are issues that the athlete may encounter, often because of low energy availability, hormonal alterations and overtraining. This chapter concludes with steps for supporting bone health in athletes.

Aim: Our aim in the study is to perform a comparative analysis of traumatic hand injuries during the quarantine period of the COVID-19 pandemic with data of the previous year and to research the effect of quarantine on hand injuries. Material and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed patients who presented to the emergency department with traumatic hand injuries between 16.03.2020 and 01.06.2020 and within the same period of 2019. Patients’ age, gender, injury mechanism, length of hospitalization, ethnic origin, presence of major and digital nerve injuries, presence of bone injury, emergency or elective surgery data were recorded. The data were analyzed statistically in comparison with the previous year. Results: A total of 301 patients participated in the study. There were 117 patients in 2020, and 184 patients in 2019. When patients of both years were examined in terms of age, gender and length of hospitalization, there was no statistically significant difference between the patients who were operated for hand injuries between 2020 and 2019 (p>0.05). When patients who were operated due to hand injuries were examined in terms of differences in ethnic origin, operation under emergency conditions and accompanying bone injury between both groups, a statistically significant difference was found between them (p

We report the case of a patient who developed a checkrein deformity of the hallux and of the second toe following a direct soft tissue trauma to his right leg, with no associated fracture. This dynamic deformity caused the patient significant trouble walking and prevented him from playing any sport as in the stance phase of gait the toes were forced into maximum plantar flexion and ended up trapped under the foot. An MRI study did not show any bone injury or tendinous tethering. So the cause could be a subclinical compartment syndrome. Treatment consisted of a z-plasty and application of a pulvertaft suture to the flexor hallucis longus. Following a short rehabilitation program (2 weeks), the patient made a full recovery.

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is highly upregulated in response to skeletal injury, suggesting it plays a role in the inflammatory phase of fracture repair. However, the impact of IL-6 on successful repair remains incompletely defined. Therefore, we investigated the role of IL-6 in two models of fracture repair (full fracture and stress fracture) using 12-week old IL-6 global knockout mice (IL-6 KO) and wild type (WT) littermate controls. Callus morphology and mineral density 14 days after full femur fracture did not differ between IL-6 knockout mice and controls. In contrast, IL-6 KO mice had an enhanced bone response 7 days after ulnar stress fracture compared to WT, with increased total callus volume (p = 0.020) and callus bone volume (p = 0.045). IL-6 KO did not alter the recruitment of immune cells (Gr-1 or F4/80 positive) to the stress fracture callus. IL-6 KO also did not alter the number of osteoclasts in the stress fracture callus. Using RNA-seq, we identified differentially expressed genes in stress fracture vs. contralateral control ulnae, and observed that IL-6 KO resulted in only modest alterations to the gene expression response to stress fracture (SFx). Wnt1 was more highly upregulated in IL-6 KO SFx callus at both day 1 (fold change 12.5 in KO vs. 5.7 in WT) and day 3 (fold change 4.7 in KO vs. 1.9 in WT). Finally, using tibial compression to induce bone formation without bone injury, we found that IL-6 KO directly impacted osteoblast function, increasing the propensity for woven bone formation. In summary, we report that IL-6 knockout enhanced formation of callus and bone following stress fracture injury, likely through direct action on the osteoblast's ability to produce woven bone. This suggests a novel role of IL-6 as a suppressor of intramembranous bone formation.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to study the association of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury with meniscal, collateral ligament, and bone injuries using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for clinical correlation during ACL repair. Methods This was a retrospective cohort study conducted on 136 patients diagnosed with ACL injury by MRI at King Abdulaziz University Hospital (KAUH) between September 2010 and September 2018. Results The medial meniscus was injured in approximately half (49.3%) of patients, while the lateral meniscus was injured in 16.2%. Regarding collateral ligament injuries, the medial collateral ligament was injured in six patients (4.4%), the lateral collateral ligament in four patients (2.9%), and both collateral ligaments in three patients (2.2%). There was a significant relationship between the age group and the side of ACL injury (P

Training civilians to be soldiers is a challenging task often resulting in musculoskeletal injuries, especially bone stress injuries. This study evaluated bone health biomarkers (P1NP/CTX) and whey protein or carbohydrate supplementations before and after Army initial entry training (IET). Ninety male IET soldiers participated in this placebo-controlled, double-blind study assessing carbohydrate and whey protein supplementations. Age and fat mass predicted bone formation when controlling for ethnicity, explaining 44% (p &lt, 0.01) of bone formation variations. Age was the only significant predictor of bone resorption (p = 0.02) when controlling for run, fat, and ethnicity, and these factors together explained 32% of the variance in bone resorption during week one (p &lt, 0.01). Vitamin D increased across training (p &lt, 0.01). There was no group by time interaction for supplementation and bone formation (p = 0.75), resorption (p = 0.73), Vitamin D (p = 0.36), or calcium (p = 0.64), indicating no influence of a supplementation on bone biomarkers across training. Age, fitness, fat mass, and ethnicity were important predictors of bone metabolism. The bone resorption/formation ratio suggests IET soldiers are at risk of stress injuries. Male IET soldiers are mildly to moderately deficient in vitamin D and slightly deficient in calcium throughout training. Whey protein or carbohydrate supplementations did not affect the markers of bone metabolism.

Background Even though the number of patients with cervical spinal cord injury (CSCI) without major bone injury is increased, the treatment with either surgery or conservative measures remains controversial. The aim of this study was to assess its prognostic value in the prediction of useful motor recovery and to clarify whether the patients should be treated surgically are present. Methods We reviewed 63 patients (conservative, n = 36; surgery, n = 27) with CSCI without major bone injury (Frankel A-C). Neurological examination using modified Frankel grade at admission and 6 months after injury and International Stoke Mandeville Games (ISMG) classification at subacute phase after injury, MRI findings including rate of spinal cord compression, extent of cord damage and type of signal intensity change were assessed. Results Thirty-five of 63 patients were improved to walk at 6 months after injury. In multivariate analysis, rate of spinal cord compression, extent of cord damage and improvement of ISMG grade were associated with useful motor recovery. There was no difference in the neurological improvement between conservative and surgical groups. However, patients with spinal cord compression of ≥33.2% showed better motor recovery at 6 months post-injury after surgery than those treated conservatively. There was a positive correlation between the improvement of ISMG grade at subacute phase and Frankel grade at 6 months post-injury. It is difficult to obtain satisfactory surgical outcome for patients with Frankel A or B1 on admission and/or extensive spinal cord damage on T2-weighted image. Conclusions Conservative treatment is recommended for patients with CSCI without major bone injury. However, we also recommend surgical treatment to acquire walking ability for patients with spinal cord compression of ≥33.2% and low ISMG grade at subacute phase. Among such patients, careful consideration should be given to patients with Frankel A or B1 and/or extensive spinal cord damage on MRI.

Delayed union and nonunion are a significant concern in long bone fractures and spinal fusions. Treatment of nonunion often entails multiple revision surgeries that further increase the financial, physical, and emotional burden on patients. The optimal treatment strategy for nonunions remains unclear in many cases, and the risk of complications after revision procedures remains high. This is in part due to our limited understanding of the biological mechanisms that inhibit proper bone healing and lead to nonunion. And yet, few preclinical models directly investigate how healing is impacted after establishment of nonunion, with most instead primarily focusing on treatment immediately after a fresh bone injury. Here, we utilized a critical size femoral defect model in rats where treatment was delayed 8 weeks post-injury, at which time nonunion was established. In this study, acute and delayed treatments with bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) were assessed. We found that delayed treatment resulted in decreased bone formation and reduced mechanical strength compared to acute treatment, even when BMP-2 dose was increased by 2.5 times the acute treatment dose. Interestingly, serum cytokine analysis at 12 weeks post-treatment revealed signs of chronic immune dysregulation after delayed treatment. In particular, non-responders (rats that did not exhibit defect bridging) demonstrated higher overall expression of inflammatory cytokines, including TNFα and IL-1β, compared to responders. These findings suggest that re-establishing long-term immune homeostasis may be critical for successful bone healing, particularly after nonunion. © 2018 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 37:299-307, 2019.

To propose a novel classification and scoring system called the posterior ligament-bone injury classification and severity score (PLICS) that offers a quantitative score to guide the need for posterior stabilization in addition to anterior reconstruction for subaxial cervical fracture dislocations (SCFDs). A total of 456 patients with SCFDs were prospectively included. Patients with PLICS ≥ 7 together with extremely unstable lateral mass fracture (EULMF) were classified as high-risk group, and the other patients were classified as low-risk group. For patients in the low-risk group, anterior-only reconstruction was performed; for patients in the high-risk group, additional posterior lateral mass fixation and fusion was performed after anterior reconstruction. Clinical outcome evaluation included using the visual analogue score (VAS), the Neck Disability Index (NDI), and the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) impairment scale. The change in the local sagittal alignment kyphosis Cobb angle was also recorded. A total of 370 patients (81.1%) completed the minimal 12-month follow-ups, including 321 patients of low-risk group and 49 patients of high-risk group. Compared with the average VAS score preoperatively, the score at 12-month follow-up was significantly improved (from 6.1 + 0.3 to 1.1 + 0.2 in the low-risk group, P

Background Bone fracture healing is dependent upon the rapid migration and engraftment of bone marrow (BM) progenitor and stem cells to the site of injury. Stromal cell-derived factor-1 plays a crucial role in recruiting BM cells expressing its receptor CXCR4. Recently, a CXCR4 antagonist, plerixafor, has been used to mobilize BM cells into the blood in efforts to enhance cell migration to sites of injury presumably improving healing. In this study, we employed zirconium-89 (89Zr)-oxine-labeled BM cells imaged with positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) to visualize and quantitate BM cell trafficking following acute bone injury and to investigate the effect of plerixafor on BM cell homing. Unilateral 1-mm incisions were created in the distal tibia of mice either on the same day (d0) or 24 h (d1) after 89Zr-oxine-labeled BM cell transfer (n = 4–6, 2–2.3 × 107 cells at 9.65–15.7 kBq/106 cells). Serial microPET/CT imaging was performed and migration of 89Zr-labeled cells to the bone injury was quantified. The effects of three daily doses of plerixafor on cell trafficking were evaluated beginning on the day of fracture generation (n = 4–6). The labeled cells localizing to the fracture were analyzed by flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry. Results In d0- and d1-fracture groups, 0.7% and 1.7% of administered BM cells accumulated within the fracture, respectively. Plerixafor treatment reduced BM cell migration to the fracture by approximately one-third (p

Matrix metalloproteinase-3 or MMP3 also known as stromelysin-1 is an enzyme that is actively involved in joint destruction in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. Screening the last three decades, it appears that serum levels of MMP3 reflect positively RA disease activity, joint and bone injury, and radiological erosion and predict disease outcome and drug responsiveness as summarized in several publications reporting outcomes on more than 8000 patients with RA. MMP-3 monitoring should be embedded in the routine assessment and accompany therapeutic modalities, in personalized medical RA management.

Road traffic accidents (RTAs) are the first cause of abdominopelvic injuries (APIs). The objective of this study was to describe the characteristics and severity of APIs due to traffic accidents in a large French trauma registry and to identify risk factors for API.All victims from the French Rhône registry of victims of RTAs were analyzed from 1996 to 2013. This registry contained data that were issued over a 20-year period from 245 medical departments, from prehospital care until re-adaptation, and forensic medicine departments. All APIs, defined as an injury between the diaphragm and the pelvic bone, were extracted and studied.Among 162,695 victims, 10,165 had an API (6.7%). Accidents frequently involved young men and 2 cars. Mean Injury Severity Score (ISS) was 8.7. Mortality rate was 5.6%. Soft tissue injuries largely predominated (n = 6,388; 54.4% of patients). Overall, 2,322 victims had a pelvic bone injury. Internal abdominal organs were involved in 2,425 patients; the most frequent were the spleen, liver, and kidney. Wearing of the seat belt appeared to be a significant protective factor in API, including serious injuries. A partial analysis over the past 2 years among the most severe patients hospitalized in the intensive care unit indicated that nonoperative management was carried out in two thirds of the wounded. In uni- or multivariate analysis, sex, age, type of user, antagonist, time of occurrence, associated severe lesions, or wearing of the seat belt were statistically associated with the occurrence of API, highlighting a more dangerous user profile.Abdominopelvic injuries concern a minority of road traffic injuries, but they are responsible for significant mortality. Large solid organs are the most frequently affected. Women drivers wearing a seat belt and driving in town during the day appear to be more protected against API.

Impaired healing outcomes or even non-unions after bone injury are still a highly relevant problem in the daily clinical life. Especially within an aging population, the occurrence of bone fractures increases and thus novel treatment approaches to overcome compromised bone regeneration are needed. The gold standard to treat delayed or non-healing bone injuries is still the use of autologous bone grafts to foster regeneration. Besides its successful treatment outcome, it also has disadvantages: a second surgery is needed in order to harvest the bone material and the material is highly limited. Looking into the recent literature, a multitude of different research approaches were already conducted to identify new possible strategies to treat impaired bone regeneration: application of mesenchymal stromal cells, platelet lysates, growth factors, interference in the immune system, or bone formation stimulation by ultrasound. This review gives an overview of the treatment approaches actually performed in the clinic as well as at the bench in the context of compromised bone healing. It clearly highlights the complexity of the nature of non-healing bone fractures as well as patient-dependent factors influencing the healing process.

Pseudarthrosis is an exceedingly common, costly, and morbid complication in the treatment of long bone fractures and after spinal fusion surgery. Electrical bone growth stimulation (EBGS) presents a unique approach to accelerate healing and promote fusion success rates. Over the past three decades, increased experience and widespread use of EBGS devices has led to significant improvements in stimulation paradigms and clinical outcomes. In this paper, we comprehensively review the literature and examine the history, scientific evidence, available technology, and clinical applications for EBGS. We summarize indications, limitations, and provide an overview of cost-effectiveness and future directions of EBGS technology. Various models of electrical stimulation have been proposed and marketed as adjuncts for spinal fusions and long bone fractures. Clinical studies show variable safety and efficacy of EBGS under different conditions and clinical scenarios. While the results of clinical trials do not support indiscriminate EBGS utilization for any bone injury, the evidence does suggest that EBGS is desirable and cost efficient for certain orthopedic indications, especially when used in combination with standard, first-line treatments. This review should serve as a reference to inform practicing clinicians of available treatment options, facilitate evidence-based decision making, and provide a platform for further research.

Brucellosis is a zoonotic infectious systemic, endemic in Albania, which is accompanied by multi-organ involvement. A common complication is also the vertebral affection. Manifestation in the lower lumbar spine is frequently seen, while cervical involvement is more rare. Diagnose of vertebral involvement is difficult because of non-specific clinical symptoms. We present two cases of cervical brucellosis, with various cervical injuries. Spondylodiscitis with epidural abscess were the cervical manifestation in the first patient, which is very rare and a serious complication and the second patient had epidural involvement without spondylodiscitis. The Rose Bengal, Wright test, ELISA were positive for both patients. The cervical injury was confirmed with MRI exams. After prolonged combination therapy with cervical immobilization, the follow up evaluation demonstrated resolution of the cervical injury. Because vertebral destruction is in the base of this complication, early diagnosis of vertebral brucellosis is important to prevent serious morbidity, if diagnosis and treatment are delayed. Standard Brucella tube agglutination (Wright) test is the primary test and should be performed as a first step in the differential diagnosis of spondylodiscitis. An MRI is recommended for early diagnosis of spinal involvement. Medically treatment of cervical brucellosis has a good prognosis with early diagnosis.

Background Decorticated bone is a significant source of blood loss in scoliosis surgery. Current hemostatic methods include packed gauze (GS), physical barriers such as bone wax, and xenograft collagen-based materials. We assessed the safety and efficacy of a novel fibrin dressing (dextran-thrombin-fibrinogen [DTF]) compared to GS. This dressing comprises lyophilized thrombin and fibrinogen embedded in an elastic electrospun nanofiber dextran matrix. Purpose The study tests the hypothesis that DTF is more efficacious than GS in control of bleeding from cancellous bone. Study Design A preclinical Good Laboratory Practices (GLP) study. Methods We enrolled 10 goats that were followed for 28 ± 1 days. Each animal was randomly assigned to the test or control group. Both test and control animals had 4 cancellous bone injuries. Test animal injuries were treated with DTF, whereas standard GS was used to control bleeding in the control animals. Bleeding at the bone injury site was characterized as either none, oozing, flowing, or pulsatile and was assessed at 4 and 8 minutes after dressing application. Goats were survived 28 ± 1 days and then necropsied. Results Application of the fibrin dressing to bleeding cancellous bone, both posterior spinal lamina, and iliac crest graft sites, resulted in control of bleeding within 4 minutes at all injury sites. Eighty percent of control injury sites continued to bleed after 8 minutes and required application of bone wax to control bleeding. There were no differences in prothrombin time, partial thromboplastin time, or fibrinogen levels between test and control animals at 1 or 28 days. We observed no adverse histologic reactions at 28 days. Conclusion The fibrin dressing is an efficacious and safe method of controlling blood loss from cancellous bone in a spine surgery model.

During the archaeological excavations conducted in the 13th century cemetery of the Church of Sant'Agostino in Poggibonsi (Tuscany, Italy), a skull with evidence of neurosurgical intervention was brought to light. The skull, belonging to an adult male, shows two traumatic lesions produced by bladed instruments. The first lesion, located on the anterior part of the parietal bones, involved only the outer cranial table; bone remodeling indicates that the individual survived the injury for a long time. The second lesion, located on the frontal bone, involved all the thickness of the bone; the absence of reparative processes allows a diagnosis of peri mortem lesion. To treat this wound, the patient underwent surgical intervention. In fact, in correspondence to the lesion, an oval bone loss, with clean and well-defined cutting edges, can be interpreted as the result of a trepanation, probably performed to clean the wound and to remove any bone splinters. Half of the bone "rondella" was found in situ; it can be hypothesized that the surgeon decided to replace the bony piece to protect the brain. However, the surgical intervention failed, and the patient died soon afterwards. Trepanation for the treatment of cranial traumas is described by several medical classical and medieval authors, whose texts were available in the 13th century. This case represents rare Middle Ages evidence of neurosurgery used to treat a bone injury.

Background: Farm related and animal inflicted injuries are common in Nepal. Objective: To assess the pattern of farm related and wild animal inflicted injury in patients presenting to B.P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences. Method: This prospective observational study of farm related and wild animals inflicted injuries related to Orthopaedics, conducted from May 2005 to April 2007 at Department of Orthopaedics of B.P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences Dharan, Nepal, consisting of 87 patients admitted to the Orthopaedic ward of BPKIHS, is presented. The preformed structured proforma were used to record the data and, later those records were analyzed. Result: Altogether 78 domestic related injuries and 9 wild animal related injuries were recorded in the recruitment a period of one year. Twenty-three femoral fractures, 14 humeral fractures, 11 cervical spine injuries, 10 leg bone fractures, 9 forearm fractures were found. Fall from buffalo, hit by buffalo were common cause of injuries in domestic related injuries whereas hit / kick by elephant, attack by bear were causes of wild animal related injuries. All adolescents and adults, irrespective of age or sex, should be the target groups for community education and intervention programs for prevention of such injuries. Conclusion: Femoral fractures were the most common bone injury among farm related and animal inflicted injury. Health Renaissance 2015;13(2): 66-71

Pressure irrigation of surgical incisions and traumatic wounds is commonly used to prevent infections. Commercial pressure irrigation devices have proliferated rapidly, but scientific validation of clinical benefit or appropriate use remains uncertain.The published experimental and clinical investigations of pressure irrigation have been reviewed since the introduction of the Waterpik device in 1967 to identify the evidence for use to prevent soft tissue infections associated with injury wounds or surgical incisions.The published literature favors low pressure irrigation between 5-15 pounds/square inch (psi) for experimental removal of bacteria from contaminated tissues, with pressures higher being associated with soft tissue and bone injury. No experimental or clinical data have demonstrated improved benefit from pulsed over continuous lavage. Clinical studies have been very heterogeneous in patient populations and study design; meta-analysis was not feasible. High-risk abdominal operations may have lower surgical site infection rates with pressure irrigation. Pressure irrigation in fractures and joint replacement surgery has shown mixed results. The largest multi-center randomized trial showed no benefit of pulsed (8-10 psi) lavage over conventional continuous gravity irrigation of open fractures.Experimental studies have shown effective removal of bacteria and contamination, but with a potential risk of tissue injury or displacement of contamination deeper into the soft tissues. Rigorous clinical documentation has not validated the optimum flow or pressure characteristics of pressure lavage in clinical practice. There is need for randomized clinical trials to validate pressure lavage in the prevention of infections in soft tissue injuries or high-risk surgical incisions.

Mesenchymal stem cells derived from skin have the capability of self-renewal and multipotent differentiation. They can maintain their multipotency even after passaging for extended periods of time. Here, we discuss how skin mesenchymal stem cells were discovered. We describe the properties of skin mesenchymal stem cells and discuss their origin. Furthermore, we review the application of skin mesenchymal stem cells as a potential cell-based therapy for the treatment of central/peripheral nerve injury, bone injury, and skin trauma. Studies on expanding the applications of skin mesenchymal stem cells are also reported here. Finally, we list several important scientific questions, associated with the use of skin mesenchymal stem cells, to be addressed in the future.

Nearly all bone fractures in humans can deteriorate into a non-union fracture, often due to formation of fibrotic tissue. Cranial allogeneic bone grafts present a striking example: although seemingly attractive for craniofacial reconstructions, they often fail due to fibrosis at the host-graft junction, which physically prevents the desired bridging of bone between the host and graft and revitalization of the latter. In the present study we show that intermittent treatment with recombinant parathyroid hormone-analogue (teriparatide) modulates neovascularization feeding in the graft surroundings, consequently reducing fibrosis and scar tissue formation and facilitates osteogenesis. Longitudinal inspection of the vascular tree feeding the allograft has revealed that teriparatide induces formation of small-diameter vessels in the 1st week after surgery; by the 2nd week, abundant formation of small-diameter blood vessels was detected in untreated control animals, but far less in teriparatide-treated mice, although in total, more blood capillaries were detected in the animals that were given teriparatide. By that time point we observed expression of the profibrogenic mediator TGF-β in untreated animals, but negligible expression in the teriparatide-treated mice. To evaluate the formation of scar tissue, we utilized a magnetization transfer contrast MRI protocol to differentiate osteoid tissue from scar tissue, based on the characterization of collagen fibers. Using this method we found that significantly more bone matrix was formed in animals given teriparatide than in control animals. Altogether, our findings show how teriparatide diminishes scarring, ultimately leading to superior bone graft integration.

Controversy exists over the optimal management of open fractures as new clinical studies question open fracture management dogma. Open fractures are complex injuries requiring the orthopaedic surgeon to consider both the bone injury as well as associated soft tissue injury. Early intravenous antibiotics and tetanus prophylaxis remain instrumental in infection prevention. However, the “six-hour rule” for initial open fracture debridement and revascularization has come into question. New evidence supports initial debridement within 24 hours with the appropriate surgical team. Additionally, orthopaedic surgeons and vascular surgeons should collaborate on the sequence of management of open fractures with associated vascular injury. Whereas debates on the optimal irrigation pressure and solution have been answered by multicenter randomized controlled trials, further research is required to determine the optimal irrigation volume and timing of wound closure. With advances in management of open fractures, the utility of well-known classification systems including the Gustilo-Anderson classification and Mangled Extremity Severity Score need to be re-evaluated in favor of up-to-date classification systems which better guide management and predict prognosis.