HWJMSC-EVs promote cartilage regeneration and repair via the ITGB1/TGF-ß/Smad2/3 axis mediated by microfractures.

The current first-line treatment for repairing cartilage defects in clinical practice is the creation of microfractures (MF) to stimulate the release of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs); however, this method has many limitations. Recent studies have found that MSC-derived extracellular vesicles (MSC-EVs) play an important role in tissue regeneration. This study aimed to verify whether MSC-EVs promote cartilage damage repair mediated by MFs and to explore the repair mechanisms. In vitro experiments showed that human umbilical cord Wharton's jelly MSC-EVs (hWJMSC-EVs) promoted the vitality of chondrocytes and the proliferation and differentiation ability of bone marrow-derived MSCs. This was mainly because hWJMSC-EVs carry integrin beta-1 (ITGB1), and cartilage and bone marrow-derived MSCs overexpress ITGB1 after absorbing EVs, thereby activating the transforming growth factor-ß/Smad2/3 axis. In a rabbit knee joint model of osteochondral defect repair, the injection of different concentrations of hWJMSC-EVs into the joint cavity showed that a concentration of 50 µg/ml significantly improved the formation of transparent cartilage after MF surgery. Extraction of regenerated cartilage revealed that the changes in ITGB1, transforming growth factor-ß, and Smad2/3 were directly proportional to the repair of regenerated cartilage. In summary, this study showed that hWJMSC-EVs promoted cartilage repair after MF surgery.

Epidemiology of Stress Fracture in Police Trainees.

BACKGROUND: Military recruits and athletes have high occurrence of stress fractures, with very high incidence among military recruits. Symptomatic stress fractures can be disabling in some people. This study aims at identifying pattern and distribution of such fractures in Nepal Police trainee and assess the risk factors and demographics that may help to develop the local guidelines. METHODS: This study analysed 65 police trainees who presented to the orthopaedic Out Patient Department at Nepal Police and Province Police Hospital diagnosed as a case of stress fracture from 29 December, 2020 to 29 December, 2021. Ethical approval was obtained and different variables analysed were age, sex, Body Mass Index, location of fracture, duration of pain, method of treatment, time to heal the fracture and time to pain free mobilisation of patient. RESULTS: There were 65 trainees with 86 sites of fracture at different bones with 50.8% (33) of male population. The majority of fracture was located at tibia (58.1%) followed by pubic rami (33.7%) with potentially debilitating fracture neck of femur seen in 4.6% subjects. Mean duration of pain was 20.7±14.2 days with mean time for pain free mobilisation 42.2±17.7 days after presentation. 96.5% of those recovered with conservative treatment (activity restriction or cast). CONCLUSIONS: The location of stress fracture depends upon the type of training or activities. Modification of activities in early phase of training with early visit for medical care in case of trainees with increasing pain may decrease morbidities and complications requiring operative treatment.

Ultrasound ability in early diagnosis of metatarsal stress fractures.

Stress fractures are common in young and active individuals, associated with aggressive or repetitive physical activity and their early detection is fundamental to optimise patient care, decrease complications and avoid unnecessary exams. Currently, magnetic resonance imaging is the standard of care for detecting these lesions. Recently, ultrasound has been getting an increasing interest for the detection of stress fractures. In this article, we describe a clinical case that involved a second metatarsal stress fracture diagnosed by ultrasound and review the literature regarding the use of ultrasound in the diagnosis of stress fractures, particularly of the metatarsals.

The Heel Complex: Anatomy, Imaging, Pathologic Conditions, and Treatment.

The differential diagnosis for heel pain is broad but primarily involves abnormalities of the Achilles tendon, calcaneus, and plantar fascia. Achilles tendon disorders include tendinosis, tendinitis, and partial or complete tears. Tendinosis refers to tendon degeneration, while tendinitis is inflammation after acute overload. Untreated tendinosis can progress to partial or complete tears. Tendon disorders can be accompanied by paratenonitis or inflammation of the loose sheath enclosing the tendon. Initial management involves rehabilitation and image-guided procedures. Operative management is reserved for tendon tears and includes direct repair, tendon transfer, and graft reconstruction. The calcaneus is the most commonly fractured tarsal bone. The majority of fractures are intra-articular; extra-articular fractures, stress or insufficiency fractures, medial process avulsion, and neuropathic avulsion can also occur. Posterosuperior calcaneal exostosis or Haglund deformity, retrocalcaneal bursitis, and insertional Achilles tendinosis form the characteristic triad of Haglund syndrome. It is initially managed with orthotics and physiotherapy. Operative management aims to correct osseous or soft-tissue derangements. The plantar fascia is a strong fibrous tissue that invests the sole of the foot and contributes to midfoot stability. Inflammation or plantar fasciitis is the most common cause of heel pain and can be related to overuse or mechanical causes. Acute rupture is less common but can occur in preexisting plantar fasciitis. Conservative treatment includes footwear modification, calf stretches, and percutaneous procedures. The main operative treatment is plantar fasciotomy. Plantar fibromatosis is a benign fibroblastic proliferation within the fascia that can be locally aggressive and is prone to recurrence. ©RSNA, 2024 Test Your Knowledge questions for this article are available in the supplemental material.

Change in pelvic incidence due to sacral stress fracture following multilevel instrumented fusion.

Multilevel-instrumented fusion is a common surgical technique used to treat adult spinal deformity (ASD), but it can occasionally lead to rare complications such as sacral insufficiency fractures. The impact of sacral fractures on spinopelvic parameters, particularly pelvic incidence (PI), has not been thoroughly investigated even though they have been documented in the literature. Here, we present a case of a patient who underwent a Th11-sacrum instrumented fusion for ASD. She underwent a revision surgery 18 months after the first procedure to treat proximal junctional pain brought on by a localised kyphosis of the rods. An asymptomatic sacral fracture was discovered during the radiological evaluation: the PI had increased from 71° to 103° between the 2 surgical procedures.

Distal Femoral Stress Fractures Has High Operation Rates in Adolescent and Young Adult Athletes.

BACKGROUND: Although stress fractures of the distal femur are rare, symptoms can overlap with other peri-articular knee pathology, delaying diagnosis. Untreated stress fractures have the potential to progress into completed fractures with a higher likelihood for requiring surgery and longer recovery times in otherwise healthy adolescents and young adults. This case series represents the largest cohort of adolescent athletes with distal femoral stress fractures who presented with activity-related knee pain. METHODS: Patients treated nonoperatively and operatively for metaphyseal distal femur stress fractures at a tertiary referral center over a four-year period were retrospectively identified from the medical record. RESULTS: Eight patients (mean age 16.8 y; range 14 to 22 y; 87.5% male; mean body mass index [BMI] 20.9) with a total of 10 distal femur stress fractures were identified. All patients were involved in competitive sports or military training. There was an average of 3.8 encounters with a medical provider between presentation with activity-related knee pain and diagnosis with distal femur stress fracture. All except 1 patient (87.5%) were initially incorrectly diagnosed with another type of peri-articular knee pathology. Six stress fractures (60%) were treated conservatively with protected weight bearing, activity modification, and gradual return to activity. Four completed stress fractures (40%) required operative fixation-3 healed uneventfully, while 1 had an asymptomatic delayed union. Vitamin D insufficiency (<30 ng/mL) was identified in 7 of 8 patients (87.5%) and 3 patients (37.5%) had an underweight BMI (<18.5). The mean clinical follow-up was 13.1 weeks (range, 2.8 to 32.0 wk). CONCLUSIONS: High clinical suspicion for distal femoral stress fractures is needed to avoid misdiagnosis or delayed diagnosis in young, active individuals with activity-related knee pain refractory to conservative management. In this patient population, activity-related knee pain recalcitrant to activity modification, rest, and physical therapy warrants further workup with magnetic resonance imaging and orthopaedic evaluation. Though rare, misdiagnosis can result in catastrophic fractures with prolonged rehabilitation needs. An open line of communication and streamlined access for referral between primary care providers and orthopaedic surgeons is critical in preventing misdiagnosis and delayed treatment. Furthermore, the treatment of concomitant metabolic disorders and nutritional deficiency should not be neglected when treating distal femoral stress fractures. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level-IV (case series).

Bone health and the masters runner.

Masters runners are often defined as those ages 35 years and older who train and compete in running events. These runners represent a growing population of the overall running community and experience running-related injuries including bone stress injuries (BSIs). Similar to younger runners, health considerations in masters runners include the goal to optimize bone health with focus on mitigating age-associated loss of bone strength and preventing BSIs through a combination of ensuring appropriate physical activity, optimizing nutrition, and correcting faulty biomechanics. Importantly, BSIs in masters runners may include characteristics of both overuse injury from insufficient recovery and failure of bone weakened by age-related loss of bone (insufficiency fractures). This narrative review covers the limited available research on strategies to optimize bone health in masters runners. Applying knowledge on masters athletes and extrapolating from other populations, we propose strategies on treatment and prevention of BSIs. Finally, the review highlights gaps in knowledge that require further age-specific discoveries to advance treatment and prevention.

Refracture-related bone transport of tibia: technical notes and preliminary clinical results in nineteen cases.

PURPOSE: Refracture is one of the main complications of bone transport, which brings additional physical and mental burden to surgeries and patients. We aimed to raise a new classification system of refracture-related bone transport based on the Simpson classification and to present our experience on treatment. METHODS: This retrospective analysis included 19 patients with refracture-related bone transport (average age of 37.7 years; 18 men). We developed a modified Simpson classification system to assist decision-making (conservative versus surgical). The ASAMI criteria were used to assess the outcomes at last follow-up. RESULTS: The mean follow-up was 12.3 ± 3.2 months. Complete union was achieved in all patients, with no reinfection. Based on the modified Simpson classification, refracture was Ia type (within regeneration area) in three cases, Ib (collapsed fracture at the regeneration area) in one case, Ic (stress fracture) in three cases, II (at the junction between the regenerate and original bone) in one case, III (at the docking site) in nine cases, and V (at distant site) in two cases. Refracture was managed conservatively in six cases and surgically in 13 cases. Average time to bone union was 2.8 ± 1.2 months in the conservative group versus 4.4 ± 1.4 months in the surgery group. Assessment at the final follow-up using the ASAMI criteria revealed excellent bone result in all patients, excellent functional results in six patients (31.6%), and good functional results in 13 patients. CONCLUSIONS: The modified Simpson classification could include refracture at the docking site and stress fracture in the regeneration zone and provide some guidance in determining the appropriate treatment strategy.

Magnetic resonance imaging combined with histological evaluation of repair process using the microfracture technique in an association of osteocartilaginous and meniscal surgically induced lesions of the knee. In vivo experiment on a rabbit model.

The present research study aimed to assess magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) changes and histological findings in the therapeutic effects of microfractures in the treatment of complex animal knee lesions resulting from osteochondral and meniscal defects resulting from non-total meniscectomies. The anterior cruciate ligament lesions are also proven to facilitate the development of osteoarthritis in the knee and worsen the prognosis. Surgery was performed on the right knee joint of 22 male rabbits in order to partially remove the anterior horn of the internal meniscus and to induce an osteochondral defect at the level of the internal femoral condyle. The induced lesion complex was aimed to simulate a clinical situation that occurs frequently in orthopedic practice when young adults undergo partial meniscectomy and at the time of surgery, an osteochondral defect is diagnosed. Rabbits were separated into two study groups: the control (C1) group and the microfractures (MF2) group. After the induced cartilage defect and partial meniscectomy, both groups were followed-up for six months using detailed MRI. Also, anatomical specimens were histologically analyzed to show modifications and signs of healing process, along with complications, in the study group. The results showed that the microfracture group had better results concerning articular surface defect healing in comparison to the control group. Our results suggest that microfractures do improve results concerning surface contact healing and serial MRI studies can be useful in observing the remodeling process in dynamics.

Safety and Early Results for Off-Label Use of Intranasal Calcitonin for Treatment of Nondisplaced Acromial and Scapular Spine Stress Fractures After Reverse Total Shoulder Arthroplasty.

Immobilization for acromial and scapular spine stress AU4fractures (AF/SSF) after reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (RSA) is associated with patient dissatisfaction. Our study reports the effects and safety of intranasal calcitonin alongside sling immobilization on pain and function in the treatment of AF/SSF after RSA. The treatment was regimented calcitonin (salmon) 200 unit/actuation nasal spray (1 spray/day) for 6 weeks with sling immobilization for 4 weeks. Each patient was monitored through blood work. Visual analog scale, American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons score, and active range of motion were collected preoperatively, postoperatively, at presentation of AF/SSF, and after completion of calcitonin treatment. Two hundred eighty-two RSAs were performed by two board-certified orthopaedic surgeons, of which 18 patients sustained AF/SSF (6.4%). Ten patients met inclusion criteria (nine AFs and one SSF). After calcitonin treatment, patients demonstrated an average improvement of visual analog scale of 5.8 points, active range of motion of 46_, and American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons score of 43.6 points at average 7.53 months after RSA. No medical complications were reported at 6-month follow-up after calcitonin treatment. The use of intranasal calcitonin was not associated withadverse events including no aberrations/signs of cancer at 6-month follow-up after administration. Calcitonin with sling immobilization markedly improved clinical and functional outcomes of patients with nondisplaced AF/SSF and may be considered by orthopaedic surgeons for symptom management.

Intra-articular injection of ascorbic acid enhances microfracture-mediated cartilage repair.

Previous studies have confirmed that ascorbic acid (AA) can promote cartilage repair and improve cartilage differentiation in bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells. However, the use of microfracture (MFX) combined with AA to repair cartilage damage has not been studied. This study established a rabbit animal model and treated cartilage injury with different concentrations of AA combined with MFX. Macroscopic observations, histological analysis, immunohistochemical analysis and reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction analysis of TGF-ß, AKT/Nrf2, and VEGF mRNA expression were performed. The results showed that intra-articular injection of AA had a positive effect on cartilage repair mediated by microfractures. Moreover, 10 mg/ml AA was the most effective at promoting cartilage repair mediated by microfractures. Intra-articular injection of AA promoted the synthesis of type II collagen and the formation of glycosaminoglycans by downregulating the mRNA expression of TGF-ß and VEGF. In summary, this study confirmed that AA could promote cartilage repair after MFX surgery.

[Diagnostics and treatment of insufficiency fractures of the pelvis]. / Diagnostik und Therapie von Beckeninsuffizienzfrakturen.

Insufficiency fractures of the pelvis have increased in recent years, primarily due to the demographic change and the incidence will continue to rise. In addition to conventional X­rays, the diagnostics always require slice imaging. Unlike high-energy trauma magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) plays an important role in insufficiency fractures. Once the fracture has been diagnosed, in addition to the extent of instability in the anterior and posterior pelvic rings, the pain symptoms are crucial for the decision on surgical treatment. The basic principle is to stabilize as little as possible but as much as necessary. There are currently a variety of procedures that can be applied as a minimally invasive procedure, especially for the often slightly or displaced insufficiency fractures. The decisive factor for treatment is that it enables early mobilization of the patients. All of these measures must be accompanied by thorough diagnostics of osteoporosis and the appropriate treatment.

Microfracture-coagulation for the real robotic liver parenchymal transection.

The use of the robotic approach in liver surgery is exponentially increasing. Although technically the robot introduces several innovative features, the instruments linked with the traditional laparoscopic approach for the liver parenchymal transection are not available, which may result in multiple technical variants that may bias the comparative analysis between the different series worldwide. A real robotic approach, minimally efficient for the liver parenchymal transection, with no requirement of external tool, available for the already existing platforms, and applicable to any type of liver resection, counting on the selective use of the plugged bipolar forceps and the monopolar scissors, or "microfracture-coagulation" (MFC) transection method, is described in detail. The relevant aspects of the technique, its indications and methodological basis are discussed.

Epidemiology of bone injuries in elite athletics: A prospective 9-year cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: To describe bone injury patterns in elite track and field athletes. To investigate relationships between bone injury and athlete characteristics to inform future injury prevention strategies. DESIGN: Descriptive epidemiology study. SETTING: Elite athletics training centres across the United Kingdom and internationally, observed between 2012 and 2020. PARTICIPANTS: 207 Olympic programme senior track and field athletes. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Injury number, Incidence, Severity, Burden, Time Loss. RESULTS: There were 78 fractures during the study period. Gradual repetitive bone injuries were the most common type of injury mode. The foot, pelvis and the lumbar spine were the regions with the highest number of bone stress injuries. Stress fractures had a higher burden overall compared to stress reactions. Average return to full training was 67.4 days (±73.1) for stress reactions and 199 (±205.2) days for stress fractures. There was no relationship between bone injury type and age, sex, ethnicity, side dominance or event group. CONCLUSION: Bone stress injuries in athletics have a high severity and burden warranting continued efforts to prevent their occurrence and optimize management. Age, sex, ethnicity, side dominance and event region do not have any relationship with bone injury occurrence and are therefore unlikely to increase risk in this cohort.

Arthroscopic microfracture and associated techniques in the treatment of osteochondral lesions of the talus: A systematic review and metanalysis.

BACKGROUND: Osteochondral lesions of the talus are common in patients suffering even minor trauma; timely diagnosis and treatment can prevent the development of early osteoarthritis. The objectives of this systematic review and meta-analysis were to evaluate the effects of additional procedures on arthroscopic ankle microperforations for osteochondral lesions. METHODS: A systematic literature search was conducted using PubMed-Medline, Cochrane Central, and Google Scholar to select clinical studies analyzing the efficacy of platelet-rich plasma (PRP), hyaluronic acid (HA), and bone marrow concentrate (BMC) procedures. Ten articles following PRISMA guidelines with a total of 464 patients were included in this review. Quality assessment using MINORS was performed, and all studies demonstrated high quality. RESULTS: The results of the systematic review showed benefits in all patients undergoing infiltrative therapy with PRP, hyaluronic acid, and BMC. The best results in terms of AOFAS score and VAS scale were found in patients undergoing PRP injection. The meta-analysis showed improvements in pain relief and return to daily activities in patients undergoing arthroscopic microperforations and PRP, although not reporting statistically significant results (p = 0.42). CONCLUSION: All treatment strategies reported better scores compared to the control groups. Among the various treatments analyzed, the addition of PRP appears to be the most valuable probably for the larger population receiving this treatment, showing excellent outcomes in pain reduction, clinical outcomes, and return to daily activities. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II.

Costal Chondrocyte-Derived Pellet-Type Autologous Chondrocyte Implantation Versus Microfracture for the Treatment of Articular Cartilage Defects: A 5-Year Follow-up of a Prospective Randomized Trial.

BACKGROUND: Costal chondrocyte-derived pellet-type autologous chondrocyte implantation (CCP-ACI) has been introduced as a new therapeutic option for the treatment of articular cartilage defects. We had previously conducted a randomized controlled trial comparing CCP-ACI versus microfracture at 1 year postoperatively. PURPOSE: To compare the efficacy and safety of CCP-ACI versus microfracture for the treatment of articular cartilage defects of the knee at 5 years postoperatively. STUDY DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial; Level of evidence, 2. METHODS: This study describes the mean 5-year follow-up of a previously published prospective clinical trial. The previous prospective trial compared the results of CCP-ACI versus microfracture until 1 year of follow-up. Of the 30 patients who were included in the previous study, 25 were followed up for 5 years. Patients were evaluated based on clinical outcome scores (Lysholm score, International Knee Documentation Committee score, Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score [KOOS], and visual analog scale for pain), magnetic resonance imaging findings, and rates of treatment failure at last follow-up. RESULTS: The MOCART (Magnetic Resonance Observation of Cartilage Repair Tissue) score in the CCP-ACI group was significantly higher than that in the microfracture group at 5 years (62.3 vs 26.7, respectively; P < .0001). The Lysholm score and KOOS score in the CCP-ACI group were significantly higher than those in the microfracture group at 5 years (84.5 vs 64.9, respectively, and 390.9 vs 303.0, respectively; P = .023 and P = .017, respectively). There was 1 case of treatment failure that occurred in the microfracture group. CONCLUSION: The present randomized controlled trial indicated that the results of both procedures clinically and statistically significantly improved at 1 and 5 years' follow-up in treating cartilage defects, but the results of CCP-ACI were superior to those of microfracture. Magnetic resonance imaging conducted at 1 year and 5 years after CCP-ACI revealed statistically significant superior structural integration with native cartilage tissue compared with microfracture. REGISTRATION: NCT03545269 (ClinicalTrials.gov).

Osteoporosis in psoriatic arthritis: Risk factors, insufficiency fractures and its association with the disease activity.

OBJECTIVE: The prevalence of osteoporosis (OP) and insufficiency fractures in psoriatic arthritis (PsA) remains controversial. The aim of this study was to describe the prevalence of OP and insufficiency fractures in a representative cohort of patients with PsA, and to analyse its association with general risk factors and characteristics of the psoriatic disease in our geographical area. METHODS: Multi-centric, descriptive study of patients with PsA. We recorded clinical characteristics, as well as protective and risk factors for OP and insufficiency fractures. Hip and lumbar densitometry and lateral X-ray of the spine were evaluated. Descriptive statistics for OP and risk factors were calculated. The patients with OP were compared to those without by univariate analyses, and results were adjusted by age and sex. The association of OP and fractures with clinical characteristics was analysed by logistic regression. RESULTS: 166 patients (50 men; 116 women) were included. OP was present in 26.5%, and it was more frequent in women and patients above 50 years old. Insufficiency fractures occurred in 5.4% of the total sample. In the logistic regression, OP was associated with age over 50 [OR 3.7; 95% CI (1.2-11.6); p=.02]. No association with clinical parameters was found. The most frequent risk factors among patients with OP were vitamin D insufficiency, sedentary behaviour, low calcium intake, and active smoking. In the logistic regression, OP was associated with early menopause [OR 11.7; 95% CI (1.29-106.0); p=.029] and sedentary behaviour [OR 2.3; 95% CI (1.0-5.2); p=.049]. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with PsA, OP is more frequent in women and patients over 50 years old. A sedentary lifestyle and early menopause may add extra risk for OP. Type, duration disease, and treatments are not associated with OP or insufficiency fractures.