Is AI 3D-printed PSI an accurate option for patients with developmental dysplasia of the hip undergoing THA?

BACKGROUND: In traditional surgical procedures, significant discrepancies are often observed between the pre-planned templated implant sizes and the actual sizes used, particularly in patients with congenital hip dysplasia. These discrepancies arise not only in preoperative planning but also in the precision of implant placement, especially concerning the acetabular component. Our study aims to enhance the accuracy of implant placement during Total Hip Arthroplasty (THA) by integrating AI-enhanced preoperative planning with Patient-Specific Instrumentation (PSI). We also seek to assess the accuracy and clinical outcomes of the AI-PSI (AIPSI) group in comparison to a manual control group. METHODS: This study included 60 patients diagnosed with congenital hip dysplasia, randomly assigned to either the AIPSI or manual group, with 30 patients in each. No significant demographic differences between were noted the two groups. A direct anterior surgical approach was employed. Postoperative assessments included X-rays and CT scans to measure parameters such as the acetabular cup anteversion angle, acetabular cup inclination angle, femoral stem anteversion angle, femoral offset, and leg length discrepancy. Functional scores were recorded at 3 days, 1 week, 4 weeks, and 12 weeks post-surgery. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS version 22.0, with the significance level was set at α = 0.05. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The AIPSI group demonstrated greater prosthesis placement accuracy. With the aid of PSI, AI-planned THA surgery provides surgeons with enhanced precision in prosthesis positioning. This approach potentially offers greater insights and guidelines for managing more complex anatomical variations or cases.

Subtrochanteric Osteotomy in Direct Anterior Approach Total Hip Arthroplasty for Crowe IV Dysplasia-Surgical Technique and Literature Review.

For Crowe IV dysplasia, the clinical efficacy and surgical technique of subtrochanteric osteotomy (SO) within the direct anterior approach total hip arthroplasty (DAA-THA) was a subject of debate. This study aimed to describe the surgical technique and clinical outcomes in 11 cases of SO in DAA-THA and to summarize the relevant literature on this topic. Between June 2016 and June 2023, we retrospectively evaluated patients diagnosed with Crowe IV hip dysplasia at our institution. Criteria identified 11 patients who underwent SO during DAA-THA. Comprehensive data encompassing demographic information, radiological data, prosthetic implant type, and surgical intricacies were collected. In addition, an exhaustive review of existing case series literature was undertaken utilizing the PubMed databases. There were no revisions, deaths, dislocations, or infections. One hip (9.09%) had an intraoperative proximal split fracture, two hips (18.2%) had lower limb deep vein thrombosis, and one hip (9.09%) had symptoms of femoral nerve injury. Radiological data showed improved bilateral femoral offset, leg length discrepancy, and anatomical acetabular. During the mean follow-up of 2.18(1.06-2.46) years, patients demonstrated enhanced functional outcomes, with average changes of 25.2 in the Harris hip score and 47 in the WOMAC score. Reviewing the literature, most studies have favored S-ROM prostheses and transverse osteotomy techniques. Intraoperative fractures were notably frequent, with rates peaking at 25%. Nonunion and nerve injury were secondary common complications. SO via DAA-THA may offer satisfactory clinical and radiographic outcomes, but the literature review underscores the need for heightened awareness of intraoperative fracture risk. Proximal detachment of the vastus intermedius plays a pivotal role in SO exposure through the DAA.

Clinical application of artificial intelligence-assisted three-dimensional planning in direct anterior approach hip arthroplasty.

PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to investigate the efficacy of an artificial intelligence-assisted 3D planning system (AIHIP) in total hip arthroplasty by direct anterior approach and assess the reliability of the AIHIP preoperative program in terms of both interobserver and intraobserver agreement. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on patients who underwent unilateral primary THA via direct anterior approach from June 2019 to March 2022. Participants were randomly assigned to receive either the AIHIP system (n = 220) or the 2D template (control group) (n = 220) for preoperative planning. The primary outcome aimed to evaluate the correspondence between the prosthesis selected intro-operation and the one planned preoperatively, as well as to calculate the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Secondary outcomes included operation time, intraoperative blood loss, fluoroscopy times, Harris hip score (HHS), lower limb length difference (LLD), femoral offset (FO), and bilateral femoral offset difference. RESULTS: No significant differences were observed in gender, age, body mass index (BMI), aetiology, and American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score between the two groups. Both planning methods exhibited good intraobserver agreement for component planning (ICC: 0.941-0.976). Interobserver agreement for component planning was comparable between the two methods (ICC: 0.882-0.929). In the AIHIP group, the accuracy of acetabular cup and femoral stem prosthetics planning significantly improved, with accuracies within the size range of ± 0 and ± 1 being 76.8% and 90.5% and 79.5% and 95.5%, respectively. All differences between two groups were statistically significant (p < 0.05). Patients receiving AIHIP preoperative planning experienced shorter operation times, reduced intraoperative blood loss, fewer fluoroscopy times, and lower leg length discrepancy (LLD) (p < 0.05). Moreover, they demonstrated a higher Harris hip score (HHS) at three days post-surgery (p < 0.05). However, no significant differences were found in femoral offset (FO), difference of bilateral femoral offsets, and HHS at 1 month after the operation. CONCLUSION: Utilizing AIHIP for preoperative planning of direct anterior approach THA can significantly enhance the accuracy of prosthetic sizing with good reliability, decrease operation time, reduce intraoperative blood loss, and more effectively restore the length of both lower limbs. This approach has greater clinical application value.

Identification of prosthetic joint infection by Candida using metagenomic shotgun sequencing.

Background: Periprosthetic joint infection (PJI) is a serious complication after total knee arthroplasty. Fungal infections are prone to biofilm formation, which makes it hard to diagnose and clarify the pathogenic species. Case Presentation: This case study provides evidence of a novel PJI pathogen that is otherwise difficult to detect using conventional methods. A patient was reviewed with persistent postoperative pain, swelling and eventually drainage around the left knee after undergoing a bilateral total knee arthroplasty 2 years previously for progressive osteoarthritis. By using metagenomic shotgun sequencing to analyse both bacterial and fungal agent sequences, we were able to identify fungal strains of Candida tropicalis, a rarely reported and difficult-to-culture PJI pathogen. Conclusion: Metagenomic shotgun sequencing enables the detection of difficult-to-detect pathogens and the formulation of treatment recommendations for fungal infections with low positive rates based on gene content analysis.

Comparisons of gene expression between peripheral blood mononuclear cells and bone tissue in osteoporosis.

Osteoporosis (OP) is one of the major public health problems in the world. However, the biomarkers between the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMs) and bone tissue for prognosis of OP have not been well characterized. This study aimed to explore the similarities and differences of the gene expression profiles between the PBMs and bone tissue and identify potential genes, transcription factors (TFs) and hub proteins involved in OP. The patients were enrolled as an experimental group, and healthy subjects served as normal controls. Human whole-genome expression chips were used to analyze gene expression profiles from PBMs and bone tissue. And the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were subsequently studied using Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes enrichment analysis. The above DEGs were constructed into protein-protein interaction network. Finally, TF-DEGs regulation networks were constructed. Microarray analysis revealed that 226 DEGs were identified between OP and normal controls in the PBMs, while 2295 DEGs were identified in the bone tissue. And 13 common DEGs were obtained by comparing the 2 tissues. The Gene Ontology analysis indicated that DEGs in the PBMs were more involved in immune response, while DEGs in bone were more involved in renal response and urea transmembrane transport. And the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes analysis indicated almost all of the pathways in the PBMs were overlapped with those in the bone tissue. Furthermore, protein-protein interaction network presented 6 hub proteins: PI3K1, APP, GNB5, FPR2, GNG13, and PLCG1. APP has been found to be associated with OP. Finally, 5 key TFs were identified by TF-DEGs regulation networks analysis (CREB1, RUNX1, STAT3, CREBBP, and GLI1) and were supposed to be associated with OP. This study enhanced our understanding of the pathogenesis of OP. PI3K1, GNB5, FPR2, GNG13, and PLCG1 might be the potential targets of OP.

The compared study about femoral stem malalignment with or without the special curved rasp during DAA total hip arthroplasty.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether the application of a curved rasp on the femoral side is effective in reducing the incidence of stem malalignment in total hip replacement with direct anterior approach (DAA-THA), followed by the analysis of the independent risk factors affecting stem malalignment. METHODS: Retrospective analysis was carried out covering 160 patients undergoing DAA-THA from January 2019 to December 2021, with Tri-Lock (BPS, Depuy) stem applied in all 113 patients were screened according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. The data of gender, age, body mass index, preoperative diagnoses, Dorr classification, FAR ratio, pelvic morphology ratio, WOMAC scores, were analyzed to explore the independent factors influencing the malalignment of the femoral prosthesis implantation. Then data of patients were divided into group A and group B according to whether the curved rasp was taken during the operation. The chi-square test was performed to compare the incidence of femoral stem malalignment between the two groups. RESULTS: There revealed two independent risk factors: BMI and FAR ratio that affected femoral stem malalignment. The increased BMI was associated with a higher probability of femoral stem malalignment (P<0.05), the probability of malalignment of femoral stem in FAR ratio<1 was 1.15 times higher than that in FAR>1(OR = 1.15, 95% CI: 1.03-1.28, P<0.05). Further grouping analysis showed that the incidence of femoral stem malalignment in patients with intraoperative application of curved rasp was 27%, while in patients without curved rasp, the incidence of femoral stem malalignment increased significantly to 48.7%(P<0.05). The placement angle of prosthesis in group A was significantly better than that in group B, especially mild femoral stem malalignment (0%) and severe femoral stem malalignment (2.70%), and the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). There found no significant difference in age, gander, intraoperative complications and last follow-up assessment of WOMAC scores between the two groups of patients. CONCLUSIONS: In DAA-THA, BMI and FAR ratio act as the independent risk factors for femoral stem malalignment. Intraoperative use of a curved rasp significantly reduces the incidence of malalignment of the femoral stem.

Direct anterior versus posteriorlateral approachs for clinical outcomes after total hip arthroplasty in the treatment of severe DDH.

BACKGROUND: The total hip arthroplasty (THA) has gained popularity in in the treatment of severe developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH). the posterior lateral approach (PLA) has good clinical efficacy and has been confirmed by the majority clinicians. Nevertheless, controversy exists regarding longer-term benefits of the direct anterior approach (DAA). The objective of this study was to investigate the clinical efficacy and placement of S-ROM prosthesis in the treatment of severe DDH by The total hip arthroplasty (THA) with different surgical approaches. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on 42 patients with severe DDH admitted to our hospital from August 2015 to February 2022, who were treated with S-ROM prosthesis for total hip arthroplasty and subtrochanteric osteotomy of the femur. They were divided into DAA group and PLA group according to different surgical approaches. Perioperative indicators and imaging data were collected. RESULTS: The surgery time, intraoperative blood loss, and creatine kinase difference in DAA group and PLA group was without a statistically significant difference (P > 0.05). The postoperative length of hospitalization was shorter in the DAA group than in the PLA group (6.50 ± 3.15 vs 9.18 ± 4.93, P = 0.045). The acetabular abduction angles、the acetabular anteversion angles, the safe area ratio, The difference of femoral eccentricity, and the vertical difference of rotation center in DAA group and PLA group, there was no statistical significance (P > 0.05). Statistically significant differences were detected the horizontal difference of rotation center (P = 0.044). CONCLUSIONS: Total hip arthroplasty with S-ROM prosthesis is a feasible procedure for severe dysplastic DDH. The clinical efficacy and prosthesis placement parameters of DAA approach are advantage to those of PLA approach.

Learning Curve of Total Hip Arthroplasty in Direct Anterior Approach without Requiring Corrective Osteotomy for Hip Dysplasia.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the learning curve of total hip arthroplasty in direct anterior approach (DA-THA) without requiring corrective osteotomy for patients with unilateral developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) through the evaluation of clinical and radiographic results. METHOD: From December 2015 to January 2021, we retrospectively evaluated a surgeon's first 100 patients with unilateral hip dysplasia (Crowe I-III) who underwent DA-THA. All procedures were performed by a fellowship-trained joint surgeon. Cementless hemispheric porous-coated acetabular cups and tapered cementless stems were used in all hips. The radiographic data, including leg length, the height of the center of rotation, femoral head offset, the cup anteversion and inclination angle, were measured. The cumulative sum analysis (CUSUM) and risk-adjusted cumulative sum analysis (RA-CUSUM) were used to determine the learning curve of DA-THA for each patient's operation time. By analyzing the operation time, complication rate, postoperative length of hospitalization and creatine kinase (before surgery and the third day after surgery), estimated blood loss, Harris score, radiographic data were compared between the different stages of the learning curve. RESULTS: The mean follow-up time was 35.45 ± 16.82 months. The CUSUM method obtained the maximum turning point of the curve at 43 cases, which divided the learning curve into Learning Period and Mastery Period. The CUSUM learning curve was best modeled as a cubic curve with the equation: CUSUM (min) = 0.001x3 - 0.495x2 + 33.60x - 10.00, which had a higher R2 value of 0.967. The pre-operative data, creatine kinase, estimated blood loss and postoperative Harris scores of the two stages were not statistically significant (P > 0.05). The mean operation time was 118 min in the Learning Period and 87 min in the Mastery Period. Statistically significant differences were detected in the operation time (P < 0.001), postoperative length of hospitalization(P = 0.024), and postoperative leg length discrepancy (P = 0.012) between the two stages. The overall complication rates were 27.9% in the Learning Period and 12.3% in the Mastery Period (p = 0.049). The overall outliers of radiographic data were 34 cases in the Learning Period and 31 cases in the Mastery Period (79.07% vs 54.39%, P = 0.010). CONCLUSIONS: The DA-THA is a valuable alternative to achieve satisfactory clinical results for mild-to-moderate DDH patients. Furthermore, accurate analysis of the learning curve of DA-THA for hip dysplasia by the CUSUM method showed that the surgeons need to finish about 43 cases to master the technique.

Direct anterior approach for total hip arthroplasty with patients in the lateral decubitus versus supine positions: A prospective, double-blinded, randomized clinical trial.

PURPOSE: The direct anterior approach (DAA) for total hip arthroplasty (THA) can be performed with patients in either in the lateral decubitus or supine position. Prompted by the lack of studies addressing differences between the two positions, this investigation aimed to examine clinical and radiographic outcomes and compare the lateral decubitus versus the supine position for THA using the DAA. METHODS: Between January 1 and October 1, 2020, 90 patients who underwent primary unilateral THA using the DAA were recruited, with 54 (60%) undergoing THA in the supine position (SP group) and 36 (40%) in the lateral decubitus position (LP group). Technical information, clinical and radiographic outcomes, and patient-reported outcomes, including the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) and Short-Form-12 (SF-12) were evaluated. All data were subjected to several statistical tests. RESULTS: There were no preoperative differences in baseline characteristics between the LP and SP groups, which were also similar in terms of operative duration, length of hospital stay, and blood loss. Radiographic assessment confirmed satisfactory positioning of the prosthesis in both groups. There were no significant differences in terms of CK-MB and hemoglobin levels, Harris Hip Score, WOMAC, UCLA, visual analog scale score, and SF-12. The incidence of complications in the LP group was lower than in the SP group. CONCLUSION: Total hip arthroplasty performed via DAA in the LP and SP groups yielded excellent clinical outcomes, although the incidence of complications in the former was lower than in the latter.

An Imaging Measurement Study of Normal Knee Parameters in Southeast China.

BACKGROUND: Imaging measurement of distal femur and proximal tibia has been the hot point in the research of total knee arthroplasty and prosthesis development, which is an important treatment for patients with advanced knee joint disease. This study retrospectively investigated the digital imaging measurement of normal knee parameters in southeast China and evaluated their clinical value. METHODS: From February 2010 to May 2014, and in accordance with the inclusion criteria, a total of 677 knees (334 female knees and 343 male knees) were categorized into 3 age groups. Clinical and digital imaging data, including the distal Femoral Condyle Diameter (FCD), Tibial Plateau Diameter (TPD), the distance between the medial tibial plateau and fibular head (DPF), tibiofemoral valgus angle, distal femoral valgus angle, Proximal Tibia (PT) varus angle and the angle from femoral condyle to tibial perpendicular (FT), were measured by using AutoCAD 10.0 software. All measured variables were statistically analyzed by SPSS statistical software (version 18.0). RESULTS: Data are presented as the mean ± standard deviation. The normal female and male femoral condyle diameter was (7.69 ± 0.46) cm and (8.68 ± 0.55) cm, while the normal female and male tibial plateau diameter was (7.66 ± 0.46) cm and (8.60 ± 0.55) cm, respectively. The normal female and male DPF was (0.76 ± 0.36) cm and (0.79 ± 0.36) cm. For females and males, the tibiofemoral valgus angle and distal femoral valgus angle were (3.89 ± 2.20) ° and (3.29 ± 2.12) °, (9.03 ± 2.18) ° and (8.25 ± 2.20) °. As the two methods to measure tibial plateau varus angle, PT angle of normal female and male was (4.29 ± 1.86) ° and (4.84 ± 2.23) °, while the normal female and male FT angle was (5.34 ± 1.95) ° and (5.52 ± 2.07) °. Based on the data obtained, we found significant differences between the two genders in terms of the femoral condyle diameter and tibial plateau diameter in all age groups (P < 0.01). The DPF parameter showed an obvious difference between the young group and the middle-aged group (P < 0.05), and no significant difference was observed between the sides and genders (P > 0.05). The distal femoral valgus angle showed statistical differences between genders in the left side of the young group and middle-aged group (P < 0.05), while angle PT and FT showed no significant difference (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: A large number of knee measurements was obtained, and a local knee database was developed in this study. Imaging measurement prior to total knee arthroplasty is clinically important for increasing the accuracy and long-term efficacy of total knee arthroplasty. These data can also provide useful information for knee surgery and sports medicine as well as prosthesis development.

Influence of sagittal degenerative spondylolisthesis on anteversion of the acetabular component in total hip arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND: Degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis (DSPL), as opposed to other degenerative spinal conditions, is disregarded in the assessment of hip stability after total hip arthroplasty (THA). This study aimed to determine whether patients with DSPL have different acetabular anteversion compared to patients with normal spine before and following THA. METHODS: Preoperative and postoperative 6­month lateral pelvic radiographs in standing and sitting positions from 91 patients who underwent primary THA were retrospectively compared for spinopelvic parameters between patients with DSPL (n = 31) and with normal spine (n = 34). RESULTS: Compared to control patients in the standing position, patients with DSPL had significantly increased preoperative pelvic tilt (24° in DSPL vs. 8° in controls; p < 0.01), pelvic-femoral angle (194° in DSPL vs. 174° in controls; p < 0.05), decreased lumbar lordosis (35° in DSPL vs. 43° in controls; p < 0.05), increased postoperative pelvic tilt (22° in DSPL vs. 7° in controls; p < 0.01), pelvic-femoral angle (187° in DSPL vs. 179° in controls; p < 0.05), and acetabular anteversion (31° in DSPL vs. 23° in controls; p < 0.05). Preoperative (p = 0.181) and postoperative (p = 0.201) sitting pelvic tilt did not differ. There were positive correlations between preoperative standing pelvic tilt and postoperative standing acetabular anteversion, pelvic-femoral angle, and combined sagittal index (CSI) in DSPL (R2 = 0.8416; R2 = 0.9180; R2 = 0.9459, respectively, p < 0.01) and in controls (R2 = 0.6872; R2 = 0.6176; R2 = 0.7129, respectively, p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: While the imbalance of seated sagittal plane is usually insignificant and compensable, the mechanism by which DSPL patients achieve a standing posture is different from control patients, with more hip extension and posterior tilt of the pelvis. Special attention should be paid to the risk of impingement caused by the increase of acetabular anteversion in the postoperative standing position.

The effect of musical interventions in improving short-term pain outcomes following total knee replacement: a meta-analysis and systematic review.

BACKGROUND: A growing number of patients continue to receive total knee replacement (TKR) surgery. Nevertheless, such surgeries result in moderate to severe postoperative pain and difficulty in managing it. Musical interventions are regarded as a type of multimodal analgesia, achieving beneficial results in other clinical treatments. This study aims to evaluate the effect of musical interventions in improving short-term pain outcomes following TKR in order to determine a more reasonable and standard way of delivering musical intervention. METHODS: A systematic search was conducted to identify available and relevant randomized controlled trials (RCTs) regarding musical interventions compared against non-musical interventions in patients treated with TKR in Embase, MEDLINE, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, CNKI, and Wanfang Med Online up to 8 January 2020. The authors independently assessed study eligibility and risk of bias and collected the outcomes of interest to analyze. The statistical analysis was conducted using the Review Manager (RevMan) version 5.30 software. RESULTS: Eight RCTs comprised of 555 patients satisfied the inclusion criteria and were enrolled in the present study. The results showed no significant difference between the music and control groups in pain of the visual analog scale (VAS), during postoperative recovery room, back to the ward after surgery; anxiety degree of VAS; heart rate; respiratory rate; oxygen saturation; blood pressure, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure. Nevertheless, significant differences were observed between the two groups in average increase in continuous passive motion (CPM) angles and LF/HF ratio (one kind index of heart rate variability). CONCLUSIONS: Musical interventions fail to demonstrate an obvious effect in improving short-term pain outcomes following TKR. A reasonable standardization of musical interventions, including musical type, outcome measures used, outcomes measured, duration, timing and headphones or players, may improve pain outcomes with certain advantages and should be further explored after TKR.

Improved osteogenic activity and inhibited bacterial biofilm formation on andrographolide-loaded titania nanotubes.

BACKGROUND: Delivery of local drugs with a titania nanotube is an attractive approach to combat implant-related infection. Our earlier study has confirmed that nanotubes loaded with gentamicin could significantly improve the antibacterial ability. On this basis, the used andrographolide in this paper has a high antibacterial activity, which cannot only avoid the evolution of antibiotic-resistant bacteria but also has simultaneously excellent biocompatibility with osteogenic cells. METHODS: Two mg of andrographolide was loaded into titania nanotubes, which were fabricated into different diameters (50 and 100 nm) and 200 nm length by the method of lyophilization and vacuum drying. We chose a standard strain, Staphylococcus epidermidis (American Type Culture Collection 35984), and two clinical isolates, S. aureus 376 and S. epidermidis 389 to research the bacterial adhesion at 6, 12 and 24 hours and biofilm formation at 48, and 72 hours on the andrographolide-loaded nanotubes (NT-A) using the diffusion plate method. Smooth titanium (smooth Ti) and nanotubes with no drug loading (NT) were also inclusive and analyzed. Furthermore, the Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats mesenchymal stem cells were used to assess the influence of nanotubular topographies on the osteogenic differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells. RESULTS: Our results showed that NT-A could inhibit bacterial adhesion and biofilm formation on implant surfaces. NT-A and NT, especially those with 100 nm diameters, were found to significantly promoted cell attachment, proliferation, diffusion, and osteogenic differentiation when compared with smooth Ti, while the same diameter in NT-A and NT did not differ. CONCLUSIONS: Titania nanotube modification and andrographolide loading can significantly improve the antibacterial ability and osteogenic activity of orthopedic implants. Nanotubes-based local delivery could be a promising strategy for combating implant-associated infection.

Porous-coated metaphyseal sleeves and MBT implant for severe bone loss in revision total knee arthroplasty: a mean 2.4-year follow-up.

BACKGROUND: Porous-coated metaphyseal sleeves are designed to fill bone loss and facilitate osseo-integration when bone loss occurs during revision total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The purpose of this paper was to evaluate the clinical and radiographic outcomes of porous-coated metaphyseal sleeves for severe bone loss in revision TKA. METHODS: Form December 2014 to March 2018, we retrospectively analyzed 36 patients receiving revision TKAs. They had Anderson Orthopaedic Research Institute (AORI) Type II and III tibial bone loss and were treated with metaphyseal sleeve. The patients were followed up for a mean time of 28.5 months. The Knee Society Score (KSS), the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) Knee Score, Visual Analog Scale (VAS) score and the range of motion (ROM), radiographic findings of sleeve osteo-integration were also recorded. The paired t test was used to compare the KSS, the HSS knee score and VAS score before and after the revision TKAs. A value of P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Thirty-six patients had complete clinical and radiographic data. At the final follow-up (mean: 28.5 months), significant improvements in knee range of motion, KSS, HSS score and VAS score were observed postoperatively (P < 0.001 for all). No aseptic implant fixation failure occurred. Radiographic reviews at the final follow-up revealed that components were stable without occurrence of component migration or clinically significant osteolysis. CONCLUSIONS: This short-term retrospective study illustrated that porous-coated metaphyseal sleeves were useful in revision TKA, with a low rate of intraoperative complications, excellent osteo-integration and stable fixation.

[External therapies of traditional Chinese medicine combined with sodium hyaluronate injected in articular cavity therapy on knee osteoarthritis: Meta-analysis].

To systematically evaluate the efficacy and safety of external therapies of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) combined with sodium hyaluronate(SH) injected in articular cavity therapy on knee osteoarthritis(KOA). The following databases such as CNKI, WanFang, VIP, CBM, PubMed and Medline were researched to collect the randomized controlled trails on external therapies of TCM combined with sodium hyaluronate injected in articular cavity therapy on KOA. The selection of studies, assessment of methodological quality and data extraction were performed independently by two researchers. The methodological quality was assessed by using the Cochrane system evaluation methodology and Meta-analysis were performed by using Cochrane Collaboration's the RevMan 5.3 software. Forteen studies involving 1 449 patients were included. All of the trails were not adequate enough in methodological quality. Meta-analysis indicated that compared with control group, external therapies of TCM combined with sodium hyaluronate injected in articular cavity could raise effectiv rate(P<0.000 01) and cure-rate(P<0.000 01), improve Lysholm score(P=0.003) and reduce VAS score(P<0.000 1). But two groups have no difference in Womac score (P=0.13).Compared with the treatment with sodium hyaluronate injected in articular cavity, external therapies of TCM combined with sodium hyaluronate injected in articular cavity, a promising treatment options, can be complementary advantages, improve the clinical curativ effect. But it still needs low risk and high quality clinical trials to verify.

Serum Sema4D levels are associated with lumbar spine bone mineral density and bone turnover markers in patients with postmenopausal osteoporosis.

To investigate the association of serum semaphorin 4D (Sema4D) levels with lumbar spine bone mineral density (BMD) and bone turnover markers in patients with postmenopausal osteoporosis (PO). Lumbar spine BMD was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry in 257 PO patients (aged from 50 to 75) and 90 healthy controls (aged from 51 to 83). Serum Sema4D, BAP, BGP and TRACP-5b levels were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. Serum cross linked N-telopeptides of type I (NTX), 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) and N-mid fragment of osteocalcin (N-MID-OT) levels were measured using automated electrochemiluminescence system. Sema4D level was significantly higher in PO women compared to healthy controls (1.40±0.33 vs. 0.58±0.18 µg/L, P=0.006). Sema4D level was positively correlated with serumTRACP-5b and NTX levels and negatively correlated with lumbar spine BMD and serum BAP and BGP levels. There were no correlations between Sema4D level and age, body mass index, and serum 25(OH)D and N-MID-OT levels. Lumbar spine BMD (ß=-0.354, P<0.001) and serum BAP level (ß=0.127, P=0.019) were independent predictors of serum Sema4D level in PO patients. Sema4D may be involved in the pathogenesis of PO and play a critical role in bone formation and resorption. Sema4D may represent a novel therapeutic target for treatment of PO and function as a predictive indicator of PO.

The effects of icariine concentration on osteoclasts bone resorption induced by titanium particles in vitro.

In artificial joint replacement, osteoclast bone resorption induced by wear debris of the implant is a main reason for aseptic loosening. To extend the life of the prosthesis, detailed mechanisms of aseptic loosening and the ways to prevent it should be explored. The aim of this study was to investigate the in vitro effect of icariine on the bone resorption of osteoclasts induced by titanium particles. Macrophage colony stimulating factor (M-CSF) and receptor activator of NF-kB ligand (RANKL) were used to generate osteoclasts from RAW264.7 precursors. The proliferation of RAW264.7 precursors in the presence of different doses of icariine was evaluated by MTT assay. The cells were treated with titanium particles, titanium particles with icariine and culture medium only (control), respectively. At 48 h after treatment, the expression level of receptor activator of NF-kB (RANK) was detected by ELISA, and messenger RNA (mRNA) levels of tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP), matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9), carbonic anhydrase II (CAII) and Cathepsin K (CtsK) were determined by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Western blot was applied to analyze the expression levels of TRAP, RANK and CtsK. In addition, bone chips were cultured in the above conditions, and Toluidine blue staining was then employed to calculate the number and area of resorption pits in the bone chips. After treatment with icariine, expression level of RANK was significantly decreased in the RAW264.7 cell that induced by titanium particle and its cultural medium, mRNA and protein levels of TRAP, CAII, MMP-9 and CtsK were reduced as well. In addition, the numbers of bone resorption pits and areas on bone slices were both reduced by icariine challenging. Icariine could inhibit bone resorption of osteoclast induced by titanium particle, and it might be used as a promising drug for treating of aseptic loosening.

[Microsurgical one-stage repair of hand flexor tendon injuries and rehabilitation: a report of 97 cases].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the therapeutic effects of microsurgical one-stage repair of hand flexor tendon injuries. METHODS: Among 97 patients with (182 flexor tendons) hand injuries, 59 patients were male and 38 patients were female, ranging in age from 6 to 65 years, with an average of 32 years. Twenty-two patients got injuries by glasses, 32 patients got injuries by knife, 29 patients got injuries by saw, and 14 patients got crush injuries. The tendon injuries in this study consisted of 12 cases of I zone, 35 cases of II zone, 28 cases of III zone, 8 cases of IV zone and 14 cases of V zone. Sixty-eight patients complicated with injuries of blood vessel and nerve, and 53 patients also had fingers fractures. All the patients were treated with modified Kessler method to repair tendon at one-stage, and were given early rehabilitation step by step. RESULTS: After the treatment, 97 patients were followed up from 3 to 24 months. According to TAM standard, 48 patients got an excellent result, 39 good, 8 fair and 2 bad. CONCLUSION: Microsurgical one-stage tendon repair should be applied. Early rehabilitation and microsurgery repair are important for preventing tendon adhesion.

[Study on preventive effect of jiangu granule on osteoporosis in ovariectomized rats].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the preventive effect of Jiangu granule (JGG) on experimental primary osteoporosis type I. METHODS: Osteoporosis model was established through ovary resection of female rats. Bone mineral density (BMD) was measured with double energy X-ray absorptiometry. Level of endocrine markers, including osteocalcin (BGP), estradiol (E2) and calcitonin (CT) in serum were examined by RIA. And uterus parameters was calculated also. RESULTS: JGG could significantly increase BMD and uterus index, improve the levels of E2 and CT in serum, at the same time reduce the BGP level. CONCLUSION: JGG can efficiently prevent type I primary osteoporosis or delay its occurrence by enhancing the function of endocrine system, coordinating the action of calcium related hormone, reducing bone turnover rate and increasing BMD.