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The basic mechanical properties of a Radial Shock Wave Therapy Equipment (RSWTE) were experimentally studied in this paper. The output energy of the RSWTE working on the operation frequency of 10 Hz was measured by dynamic pressure transducer under the conditions of different operation pressure. The results showed that both operation pressure and operation frequency have effects on the output energy of the equipment. The output energy increases with the increase of operation pressure, and the magnitude of increased energy decreases with higher operation of frequency. With the increase of operation frequency, the output energy rises up in condition of lower operation pressure and drops off in condition of higher operation pressure. The accurate medical treatment should be selected with the optimized energy and condition according to the treatment requirement to different illness in clinical medical applications.

Recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (rhBMP-2) is a critical regulator of osteogenic capacity that is commonly used in bone grafts. The effectiveness of rhBMP-2 may be reduced as it can become unstable and degraded after injection into the body. Microspheres are considered appropriate vehicles for the sustained release of proteins in vivo. In this study, rhBMP-2 microspheres were manufactured using the water-in-oil-in-water (W/O/W) double-emulsion solvent-extraction technique by encapsulation in poly(lactic-co-glycolic) acid (PLGA). The microspheres were then embedded in two hydrogels made of either poloxamer 407 hydrogel or chitosan thioglycolic acid (CS-TA). The encapsulation efficiency and in vitro release of rhBMP-2 were examined and compared with the control release system (rhBMP-2 microspheres alone). The rhBMP-2 microspheres in the CS-TA hydrogel showed the lowest burst release (about 40% in the first 8h) among the three groups. The mechanisms may be the high viscosity of CS-TA hydrogel and the sustained release characteristics of CS-TA itself. The CS-TA hydrogel combined with PLGA microspheres can efficiently encapsulate rhBMP-2, control the burst release at early time points, and provide sustained release in vitro. It may be an appropriate rhBMP-2 vehicle for bone regeneration.

Objective: To investigate the outcomes of arthroscopic reduction and internal fixation of tibial eminence avulsion fracture using absorbable double suture anchors., Methods: Between February 2007 and August 2009, 18 patients with tibial eminence avulsion fracture were treated with arthroscopic reduction and fixation using absorbable double suture anchors. There were 12 males and 6 females with an average age of 30.6 years (range, 17-48 years). The disease causes were traffic accident injury in 4 cases, sport injury in 8 cases, and falling from height injury in 6 cases; the locations were left side in 7 cases and right side in 11 cases. The results of the anterior drawer test and Lachman test were positive. According to Meyers-McKeever classification, 10 cases were rated as type II, 7 as type III, and 1 as type IV fractures. The time from injury to treatment was 6-20 days (mean, 10.2 days)., Results: Incision healed primarily. All the patients were followed up 29.1 months (range, 13-43 months). The X-ray films showed good reduction of fracture immediately after operation and fracture healing at 3 months. At the last follow-up, the range of motion of knee was 0-130 degrees. The results of Lachman test and anterior drawer test were negative in 18 cases and 16 cases, respectively; and the results of anterior drawer test were weakly positive in 2 cases. The mean Lysholm score was significantly improved from 53.9 +/- 6.7 preoperatively to 91.6 +/- 4.2 postoperatively (t = 22.100, P = 0.000). The International knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) 2000 subject score improved from 58.1 +/- 3.7 preoperatively to 92.8 +/- 5.9 postoperatively (t = 20.700, P = 0.000)., Conclusion: Arthroscopic treatment using absorbable double suture anchors for tibial eminence avulsion fracture can provide satisfactory reduction, stable fixation, and good healing of the avulsed fragment, which is a minimally-invasive, simple, and effective treatment for patients with tibial eminence avulsion fracture.