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Background: A 14-year-old female presented for a concentrated course of Chiropractic care with primary concerns of poor mental health, including severe chronic anxiety and suicide ideation. A historical diagnosis of anxiety at age five and Developmental Apraxia at age six had preceded her present condition, as well as a childhood history of other non-musculoskeletal presentations, including allergies, poor sleep, and digestive issues. Intervention: The patient commenced a weeklong course of concentrated Chiropractic care, during which she received 104 low-force, specific upper cervical adjustments. These specific chiropractic adjustments were accomplished using the Averio FNT Chiropractic Technique, a specific, sustained contact, low-force Chiropractic technique. The purpose of this course of concentrated chiropractic care was to cause a regenerative event in the patient's body by reversing vertebral subluxations and allowing for a non-surgical regeneration of the patient's damaged spinal ligaments and overall improvement of the central nervous system function. It was hypothesised that if the spine and central nervous system could be made healthier, it would likely have an impact on the patient's presentation of mental illness. Outcomes: While objective measures indicated significant improvements in the patient's subluxation status, significant subjective changes were noted following care. The patient reported a complete reversal of suicidal ideations six weeks following the course of Chiropractic care, as well as a significant reduction in chronic severe anxiety, improved social behaviour, and improved sleep and appetite. The patient's radiographic reassessment six months later showed a complete stabilisation of the ligament damage in the cervical spine and a 121% improvement in the cervical lordosis. Conclusion: Given the significance of neuropsychological development in the adolescent brain and the increasing awareness of the potential for Chiropractic care to support mental health, this case report provides a rationale for further research into chiropractic and mental health and the benefits of concentrated chiropractic care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: It has been reported that the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) has certain self-healing ability after acute injury or with primary suture repair. Many studies have confirmed that a remnant preservation technique with ACL reconstruction contributes to biological augmentation for ACL healing. However, it remains unclear whether mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) reside in ACL remnants in situ. The aim of this study was to investigate the methods of culture and identification of MSC derived from the remnants of ACL rupture patients and to analyse these MSC's properties.Methods: The cells of ACL remnants from the ACL rupture patients were isolated by the methods of enzymatic digestion and cultured in vitro to the third passage under the microscope to observe their morphology and growth status. The third passage of isolated cells was analysed for the identification of immunophenotype, osteogenic, adipogenic and chondrogenic differentiation.Results: On the third to fifth days of in vitro culture, a few cells of long fusiform shape appeared and were adherent to the plastic walls. On the sixth to ninth days, cells clustered and colonies were observed. The third passage cells showed uniform cell morphology and good proliferation, with appearance of the typical surface markers of MSC, CD29, CD44, CD90 and CD105. The surface markers of CD34 and CD45 of haematopoietic stem cells were not expressed. Under appropriate conditions of in vitro culture, isolated cells could be differentiated into osteoblasts that deposit mineralised matrix and express early osteogenic markers, adipocytes that accumulate lipid droplets in cytoplasm and chondrocytes that secrete chondrogenic-specific matrix aggrecan and collagen II. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis demonstrated that the specific mRNA expression of osteogenesis, adipogenesis and chondrogenesis increased significantly compared with the control groups at day zero.Conclusions: Stem cells derived in situ from the human ACL stump were successfully isolated and characterised. Those isolated cells were identified as MSC according to their adherent ability, morphology, surface markers and multilineage differentiation potential. MSC derived from ACL remnants could be a potential source of seeding cells for ligament regeneration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent advancements in the field of musculoskeletal tissue engineering have raised an increasing interest in the regeneration of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). It is the aim of this article to review the current research efforts and highlight promising tissue engineering strategies. The four main components of tissue engineering also apply in several ACL regeneration research efforts. Scaffolds from biological materials, biodegradable polymers and composite materials are used. The main cell sources are mesenchymal stem cells and ACL fibroblasts. In addition, growth factors and mechanical stimuli are applied. So far, the regenerated ACL constructs have been tested in a few animal studies and the results are encouraging. The different strategies, from in vitro ACL regeneration in bioreactor systems to bio-enhanced repair and regeneration, are under constant development. We expect considerable progress in the near future that will result in a realistic option for ACL surgery soon.