Radiomic Machine Learning Classifiers in Spine Bone Tumors: A Multi-Software, Multi-Scanner Study.

PURPOSE: Spinal lesion differential diagnosis remains challenging even in MRI. Radiomics and machine learning (ML) have proven useful even in absence of a standardized data mining pipeline. We aimed to assess ML diagnostic performance in spinal lesion differential diagnosis, employing radiomic data extracted by different software. METHODS: Patients undergoing MRI for a vertebral lesion were retrospectively analyzed (n = 146, 67 males, 79 females; mean age 63 ±â€¯16 years, range 8-89 years) and constituted the train (n = 100) and internal test cohorts (n = 46). Part of the latter had additional prior exams which constituted a multi-scanner, external test cohort (n = 35). Lesions were labeled as benign or malignant (2-label classification), and benign, primary malignant or metastases (3-label classification) for classification analyses. Features extracted via 3D Slicer heterogeneityCAD module (hCAD) and PyRadiomics were independently used to compare different combinations of feature selection methods and ML classifiers (n = 19). RESULTS: In total, 90 and 1548 features were extracted by hCAD and PyRadiomics, respectively. The best feature selection method-ML algorithm combination was selected by 10 iterations of 10-fold cross-validation in the training data. For the 2-label classification ML obtained 94% accuracy in the internal test cohort, using hCAD data, and 86% in the external one. For the 3-label classification, PyRadiomics data allowed for 80% and 69% accuracy in the internal and external test sets, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: MRI radiomics combined with ML may be useful in spinal lesion assessment. More robust pre-processing led to better consistency despite scanner and protocol heterogeneity.

Implant prosthetic rehabilitation in partially edentulous patients with bone atrophy. An umbrella review based on systematic reviews of randomised controlled trials.

PURPOSE: To summarise systematic reviews that assess the effects of different interventions for implant prosthetic rehabilitation in partially edentulous patients with the presence of bone atrophy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Only systematic reviews of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) dealing with partially edentulous adult patients presenting bone defects were included. Treatments of interest were bone augmentation procedures, use of short, tilted or zygomatic implants, sinus lift and transposition of the inferior alveolar nerve. Outcome variables considered were: prosthetic and implant failure, complications, radiological and clinical peri-implant bone level variation, aesthetic and functional satisfaction, and vestibular peri-implant soft tissue recession. A search of systematic reviews of RCTs selected from MEDLINE, the Cochrane Database of Systematic Review, and the Prospero register published in the past 5 years (May 2012 - May 2017) was performed. Systematic reviews were also manually searched. Independent data extraction by two authors using predefined data fields, including ROBIS risk of bias, was executed. RESULTS: A total of 12 systematic reviews of RCTs were identified for inclusion in the overview. Eight reviews were considered at low risk of bias. Short implants (≤ 8 mm) were associated with a notable decrease in complications compared to long implants with bone augmentation procedures. Many trials compared different sinus lift procedures and different bone augmentation techniques. None of these indicated that one procedure could reduce prosthetic or implant failures when compared to the other. The use of a membrane can contribute to the regeneration of the hard tissue in horizontal augmentation. Different membranes or bone substitutes did not give substantially different results. No data are available regarding comparisons involving zygomatic implants or tilted implants or transposition of the alveolar nerve. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, the evidence is not sufficiently robust to determine the best treatment for implant prosthetic rehabilitation in partially edentulous patients presenting bone atrophy. In terms of vertical defects, if the short implants can be used they should be used because the number of complications are reduced compared to longer implants with sinus lift or bone augmentation. Nevertheless, caution should be exercised because long-term follow-up studies were not available. No conclusions can be drawn regarding the comparison between different vertical bone augmentation techniques in atrophic posterior mandible because quantitative meta-analyses were not performed. With regards to horizontal defects, the use of a membrane appears to increase the regeneration of the hard tissue but no differences were detected in prosthesis or implant failures or in complications.

Middle patellar tendon to posterior cruciate ligament (PT-PCL) and normalized PT-PCL: New magnetic resonance indices for tibial tubercle position in patients with patellar instability.

BACKGROUND: To demonstrate whether the distance between the middle point of the patellar tendon and posterior cruciate ligament (PT-PCL) calculated on a single axial MR image could be an alternative measure to tibial tubercle-PCL (TT-PCL) distance for TT lateralization without the need of imaging processing. To show that normalization of PT-PCL (nPT-PCL) against the maximum diameter of the tibial plateau may help to identify patients with patellar instability (PI). METHODS: MR scans of 30 patients (13 females, age 32 ±â€¯13 years) with known PI and 60 patients (31 females, age 39 ±â€¯19 years) with no history of PI were reviewed. Two operators calculated TT-PCL, and PT-PCL nPT-PCL. Intraclass correlation coefficient, Student's t-test, Receiver Operator Characteristic curves, Spearman's Rho and McNemar's test were used. RESULTS: Interobserver reproducibility was 0.894 for PT-PCL for TT-PCL (95% CI = 0.839-0.930) and 0.866 for TT-PCL (95% CI = 0.796-0.912). The PT-PCL was 23.5 ±â€¯3.8 mm in patients and 20.0 ±â€¯2.7 mm in controls (P < 0.001). The TT-PCL was 22.9 ±â€¯3.9 mm in patients and 20.5 ±â€¯2.7 mm in controls (P = 0.002). Correlation between the PT-PCL and TT-PCL was R = 0.838, P < 0.001. The PT-PCL had 66.6% (95% CI = 0.542-0.790) diagnostic yield. The nPT-PCL was significantly higher in patients (0.302 ±â€¯0.03) than controls (0.271 ±â€¯0.03; P < 0.001) with 73.9% (95% CI = 0.628-0.851) diagnostic yield. CONCLUSION: The PT-PCL correlated with TT-PCL, with 66.6% diagnostic yield. The nPT-PCL may represent an additional index, with 73.9% diagnostic yield.

Assessment of Bone Quality in Osteoporosis Treatment with Bone Anabolic Agents: Really Something New?

Osteoporosis is a chronic pathologic condition, particularly of the elderly, in which a reduction of bone mineral density (BMD) weakens bone, leading to the so-called fragility fractures, most often of spine and femur. The gold standard exam for the quantitative measurement of BMD is the dual X-ray photon absorptiometry (DXA), a radiological method. However, a relevant number of fragility fractures occurs in the range of normal BMD values, meaning that also qualitative aspects of bone play a role, namely bone architecture and bone geometry. Bone structure is investigated by microCT and histomorphometry, which necessitate an invasive approach with a biopsy, usually taken at the iliac crest, not the typical site of fragility fractures. New tools, trabecular bone score (TBS) and hip structural analysis (HSA), obtained during DXA, can supply informations about bone structure of spine and femur, respectively, in a not invasive way. Therapy of osteoporosis is based on two types of drugs leading to an increase of BMD: antiresorptive and anabolic treatments. The antiresorptive drugs inhibit the osteoclasts, whereas teriparatide and, in part, strontium ranelate ameliorate bone structure. The present review deals with the relation between the anabolic drugs for osteoporosis and the cited new tools which investigate bone architecture and geometry, in order to clarify if they represent a real advantage in monitoring efficacy of osteoporosis' treatment. Data from the studies show that increases of TBS and HSA values after anabolic therapy are small and very close to their least significant change at the end of the usual period of treatment. Therefore, it is questionable if TBS and HSA are really helpful in monitoring bone quality and in defining reduction of individual fragility fracture risk during osteoporosis treatment with bone anabolic agents.

Incidence of greater trochanteric pain syndrome in patients suspected for femoroacetabular impingement evaluated using magnetic resonance arthrography of the hip.

OBJECTIVES: We evaluated the incidence of greater trochanter pain syndrome (GTPS) in patients who underwent magnetic resonance arthrography (MRA) of the hip for a suspected femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) syndrome. METHODS: Hip MRA performed at our institution (3/2012-1/2014) were reviewed. The absence/presence of FAI (cam, pincer, and mixed) was noted. GTPS diagnosis was based on gluteus medius/minimus tendinopathy/tears, trochanteric bursitis, fascia lata thickening, and trochanter bone oedema/erosion. Subgroup analysis for age (under/over 40 years) and FAI type (cam, pincer, and mixed) was also performed. RESULTS: N = 189 patients were included (n = 125 males; age 39 ± 12 years). FAI was diagnosed in n = 133 (70, 4%): cam type, n = 85 (63, 9%); pincer type, n = 22 (16, 6%); and mixed type, n = 26 (19, 5%). N = 72 patients (38.1%) had tendinopathy, n = 14 (7.4%) had trochanter erosion, n = 31 (16.4%) had bursitis, n = 4 had bone oedema (2.1%), and n = 3 (1.6%) had fascia lata thickening, resulting in GTPS diagnosis in n = 74 patients (39.2%). The association of normal hip morphology/GTPS was significantly higher (P = 0.023) than that of FAI/GTPS. Under 40 years, GTPS incidence was higher in patients with normal hip and pincer-type FAI (P = 0.028). Over 40 years, no difference between patients with/without FAI (P = 0.119) was seen. CONCLUSIONS: GTPS was more frequently observed in patients with normal hip morphology than in patients with FAI, particularly in patients under 40.

Measurement of jugular foramen diameter using MRI in multiple sclerosis patients compared to control subjects.

BACKGROUND: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disease of the central nervous system. As an association between MS and reduced cerebral venous blood drainage was hypothesised, our aim was to compare the size of the jugular foramina in patients with MS and in control subjects. METHODS: Ethics committee approval was received for this retrospective case-control study. We collected imaging and clinical data of 53 patients with MS (23 men, mean age 45 ± 9 years) and an age/gender-matched control group of 53 patients without MS (23 men, mean age 46 ± 10 years). The minimal diameter of both jugular foramina was measured on T1-weighted contrast-enhanced axial magnetic resonance images; the two diameters were summed. Student t test and Spearman correlation coefficient were used for analysis. Reproducibility was estimated using the Bland-Altman method. RESULTS: The mean diameter of the right foramen in patients with MS (6.3 ± 1.6 mm) was 10% smaller than that of the controls (7.0 ± 1.4 mm) (p = 0.020); the mean diameter of the left foramen in patients with MS (5.6 ± 1.3 mm) was 7% smaller than that of the controls (6.0 ± 1.3 mm) (p = 0.089). The sum of the diameters of both jugular foramina in patients with MS (mean 11.9 ± 2.3 mm) was 8% smaller (p = 0.009) than that of the controls (mean 13.0 ± 2.1 mm). The differences in diameters between patients with relapsing-remitting MS and patients with secondary progressive MS were not significant (p ≥ 0.332). There was no significant correlation between foramen diameters and the expanded disability status scale (p ≥ 0.079). Intra-reader and inter-reader reproducibility were 91% and 88%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Jugular foramen diameter in patients with MS was 7-10% smaller than that in controls, regardless of the MS disease course.

Bone augmentation at implant dehiscences and fenestrations. A systematic review of randomised controlled trials.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy of the bone augmentation procedure at dehiscence or fenestration defects in one-stage implant insertion and to evaluate which is the most effective procedure. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A systematic review of articles selected from MEDLINE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) and Google Scholar was performed. Additional studies handsearched and found in printed versions of the principal dental implant journals were included. Only randomised controlled trials (RCTs) were included. Outcome variables considered were implant failure, complications, aesthetic and functional satisfaction, complete fill of the defect, clinical and radiological bone level variation, and vestibular peri-implant recession. Independent data extraction by two authors using predefined data fields, including study quality indicators, was completed. All pooled analyses were based on random effects models. RESULTS: A total of 65 full-text articles were examined in detail. Forty-six of the 65 articles did not meet the inclusion criteria. Nineteen articles involving 15 trials were identified for inclusion in the review. Only one study was considered to be at a low risk of bias. The included studies involved 396 patients and 535 implants. Comparing the test group using membranes with the control without membranes, a statistically significant difference was obtained for vertical variation of the peri-implant defect; the difference was 1.64 mm (three RCTs, 95% CI from 0.47 to 2.80 mm; P = 0.006, I2 = 0%) favouring the use of a membrane. Non-resorbable polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) membranes obtained a complete clinical fill of defects more frequently than resorbable polylactide/polyglycolide (PLGA) membranes. The odds ratio was 0.15 (two RCTs, 95% CI from 0.04 to 0.64 mm; P = 0.01, I2 = 0%), favouring the use of ePTFE membranes. No differences were observed comparing nonresorbable ePTFE membranes and resorbable collagen membranes. The comparison between crosslinked membranes and collagen native membranes yielded a very high heterogeneity for vertical variation of the peri-implant defect (two RCTs, I2 = 91%, P = 0.001). Dehiscence complications were more frequent using cross-linked membranes but the odds ratio was not significant (three RCTs, odds ratio 0.44, 95% CI from 0.18 to 1.10; P = 0.08, I2 = 4%). CONCLUSIONS: Overall, the evidence is not sufficiently robust to determine if any treatment is needed and which is the best treatment for dehiscence or fenestration defects at one-stage implant placement. Only 15 trials were included and the majority are of limited sample size, have short follow-ups as well as having a high risk of bias. The use of a membrane can contribute to the regeneration of the hard tissue in horizontal one-stage augmentation. The complete fill of the defect was obtained more frequently when a non-resorbable ePTFE membrane was used compared to a resorbable PLGA membrane. No differences were observed comparing non-resorbable ePTFE membranes and resorbable collagen membranes. No substantial differences were obtained using different non-resorbable membranes and grafts, and the results were positive for the variables examined. A high result of heterogeneity was observed in studies dealing with cross-linked membranes.

Development and Validation of a New Molecular Diagnostic Assay for Detection of Myotonic Dystrophy Type 2.

BACKGROUND: Myotonic dystrophy (DM) is the most common adult form of muscular dystrophy, characterized by autosomal dominant progressive myopathy, myotonia, and multiorgan involvement. Myotonic dystrophy type 2 (DM2) is caused by a [CCTG] expansion in the ZNF9/CNBP gene. The aim of this work was the validation of the new molecular diagnostic test Myotonic Dystrophy type 2 kit-FL. RESULTS: A cohort of 126 individuals was analyzed. The results show that 126/126 patients were correctly identified using the new molecular assay. In particular, 74 were DM2 positive, 39 were DM2/DM1 negative and 13 DM2 negative/DM1 positive. Approximately 9.5% (7/74) of the DM2-positive samples had a single sizeable expansion and 85% (63/74) showed multiple bands or smears. Comparative fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) analyses, on muscle biopsies, revealed that the sensitivity and specificity were very high (>99%). Equivalent analytical performances were obtained using different DNA extraction methods. Among affected individuals 87.5% (28/32) had electrical myotonia, 69% (22/32) proximal weakness, 41% (13/32) cataracts, and about 37.5% (12/32) cardiac conduction defects. FISH analysis and clinical data were used to support the genetic analysis.