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Abstract Mesenchymal stem cells are core to bone homeostasis and repair. They both provide the progenitor cells from which bone cells are formed and regulate the local cytokine environment to create a pro-osteogenic environment. Dysregulation of these cells is often seen in orthopaedic pathology and can be manipulated by the physician treating the patient. This narrative review aims to describe the common applications of cell therapies to bone healing whilst also suggesting the future direction of these techniques.

The restoration of critical-size load-bearing bone defects calls for the application of bioactive scaffolds that are regenerative, osteoconductive, and demonstrate mechanical strength comparable with natural bone. Novel hydroxyapatite (HAp) scaffolds sourced and fabricated through the biomorphic transformation of rattan wood (GreenBone-GB) were laser-drilled (LD) with parallel and lateral sub-millimetre channels, which enhanced the overall porosity for promoting the flow of cells and fluids throughout the scaffolds. The compositional analysis of the LD scaffolds confirmed the presence of the Ca5(PO4)3OH and Ca3(PO4)2 phases, with no evidence of drilling contamination. Water jet laser drilling enhanced the interconnecting porosity of the morphogenic scaffolds by 22.5 %, without obstructing the intrinsic uniaxial fibrous structure inherited from rattan wood. Across eight varied drilled patterns, the resulting scaffolds preserved the structural integrity and exhibited compressive strength ranging from 6.74 ± 1.25 to 10.18 ± 0.43 MPa, while the Vickers Hardness was comparable with natural bone. Cell viability assessments confirmed that the LD scaffolds exhibited no toxicity and presented >90 % cell viability. We demonstrate that laser drilling effectively enhanced the pore volume for improved osteoconductivity via cell migration in the bio-morphogenic GB-structure. Since the GB scaffolds are CE-marked products, laser drilling for pore surface engineering could provide improved scaffolds for clinical use.

Patients undergoing planned or unplanned orthopaedic procedures involving their upper or lower extremity can prevent them from safe and timely return to driving, where they commonly ask, ‘Doctor, when can I drive?’ Driving recommendations after such procedures are varied. The current evidence available is based on a heterogenous data set with varying degrees of sample size and markedly differing study designs. This instructional review article provides a scoping overview of studies looking at return to driving after upper or lower extremity surgery in both trauma and elective settings and, where possible, to provide clinical recommendations for return to driving. Medline, EMBASE, SCOPUS, and Web of Science databases were searched according to a defined search protocol to elicit eligible studies. Articles were included if they reviewed adult drivers who underwent upper or lower extremity orthopaedic procedures, were written in English, and offered recommendations about driving. A total of 68 articles were included in the analysis, with 36 assessing the lower extremity and 37 reviewing the upper extremity. The evidence available from the studies reviewed was of poor methodological quality. There was a lack of adequately powered, high quality, randomised controlled trials (RCTs) with large sample sizes to assess safe return to driving for differing subset of injuries. Many articles provide generic guidelines on return to driving when patients feel safe to perform an emergency stop procedure with adequate steering wheel control. In future, RCTs should be performed to develop definitive return to driving protocols in patients undergoing upper and lower extremity procedures.

Chitosan (CS), a biopolymer, holds significant potential in bone regeneration due to its biocompatibility and biodegradability attributes. While crustacean-derived CS is conventionally used in research, there is growing interest in fungal-derived CS for its equally potent properties in bone regenerative applications. Here, we investigated the physicochemical and biological characteristics of fungal (MDC) and crustacean (ADC)-derived CS scaffolds embedded with different concentrations of tricalcium phosphate minerals (TCP), i.e., 0(wt)%: ADC/MDC-1, 10(wt)%: ADC/MDC-2, 20(wt)%: ADC/MDC-3 and 30(wt)%: ADC/MDC-4. ADC-1 and MDC-1 lyophilised scaffolds lacking TCP minerals presented the highest zeta potentials of 47.3 ± 1.2 mV and 55.1 ± 1.6 mV, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy revealed prominent distinctions whereby MDC scaffolds exhibited striation-like structural microarchitecture in contrast to the porous morphology exhibited by ADC scaffold types. With regard to the 4-week scaffold mass reductions, MDC-1, MDC-2, MDC-3, and MDC-4 indicated declines of 55.98 ± 4.2%, 40.16 ± 3.6%, 27.05 ± 4.7%, and 19.16 ± 5.3%, respectively. Conversely, ADC-1, ADC-2, ADC-3, and ADC-4 presented mass reductions of 35.78 ± 5.1%, 25.19 ± 4.2%, 20.23 ± 6.3%, and 13.68 ± 5.4%, respectively. The biological performance of the scaffolds was assessed through in vitro bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cell (BMMSCs) attachment via indirect and direct cytotoxicity studies, where all scaffold types presented no cytotoxic behaviours. MDC scaffolds indicated results comparable to ADC, where both CS types exhibited similar physiochemical properties. Our data suggest that MDC scaffolds could be a potent alternative to ADC-derived scaffolds for bone regeneration applications, particularly for 10(wt)% TCP concentrations.

The ability to enhance fracture healing is paramount in modern orthopaedic trauma, particularly in the management of challenging cases including peri-prosthetic fractures, non-union and acute bone loss. Materials utilised in enhancing fracture healing should ideally be osteogenic, osteoinductive, osteoconductive, and facilitate vascular in-growth. Autologous bone graft remains the gold standard, providing all of these qualities. Limitations to this technique include low graft volume and donor site morbidity, with alternative techniques including the use of allograft or xenograft. Artificial scaffolds can provide an osteoconductive construct, however fail to provide an osteoinductive stimulus, and frequently have poor mechanical properties. Recombinant bone morphogenetic proteins can provide an osteoinductive stimulus; however, their licencing is limited and larger studies are required to clarify their role. For recalcitricant non-unions or high-risk cases, the use of composite graft combining the above techniques provides the highest chances of successfully achieving bony union.

Management of severely injured patients remains a challenge, characterised by a number of advances in clinical practice over the last decades. This evolution refers to all different phases of patient treatment from prehospital to the long-term rehabilitation of the survivors. The spectrum of injuries and their severity is quite extensive, which dictates a clear understanding of the existing nomenclature. What is defined nowadays as polytrauma or major trauma, together with other essential terms used in the orthopaedic trauma literature, is described in this instructional review. Furthermore, an analysis of contemporary management strategies (early total care (ETG), damage control orthopaedics (DCO), early appropriate care (EAC), safe definitive surgery (SDS), prompt individualised safe management (PRISM) and musculoskeletal temporary surgery (MuST)) advocated over the last two decades is presented. A focused description of new methods and techniques that have been introduced in clinical practice recently in all different phases of trauma management will also be presented. As the understanding of trauma pathophysiology and subsequently the clinical practice continuously evolves, as the means of scientific interaction and exchange of knowledge improves dramatically, observing different standards between different healthcare systems and geographic regions remains problematic. Positive impact on the survivorship rates and decrease in disability can only be achieved with teamwork training on technical and non-technical skills, as well as with efficient use of the available resources.

Abstract. The immune system plays an integral role in the regulation of cellular processes responsible for fracture healing. Local and systemic influences on fracture healing correlate in many ways with fracture-related outcomes, including soft tissue healing quality and fracture union rates. Impaired soft tissue healing, restricted perfusion of a fracture site, and infection also in turn affect the immune response to fracture injury. Modern techniques used to investigate the relationship between immune system function and fracture healing include precision medicine, using vast quantities of data to interpret broad patterns of inflammatory response. Early data from the PRECISE trial have demonstrated distinct patterns of inflammatory response in polytrauma patients, which thereby directly and indirectly regulate the fracture healing response. The clearly demonstrated linkage between immune function and fracture healing suggests that modulation of immune function has significant potential as a therapeutic target that can be used to enhance fracture healing.