Safety and efficacy of insulin detemir versus NPH in the treatment of diabetes during pregnancy: Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

AIMS: To compare the safety and efficacy of insulin detemir versus neutral protamine Hagedorn (NPH) in pregnant women with diabetes. METHODS: MEDLINE, CENTRAL, Google Scholar databases, and ClinicalTrials.gov registry were searched from inception to December 2021 to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) concerning adult women with singleton pregnancies, gestational or pregestational diabetes, and the need for insulin therapy. A systematic review and a meta-analysis (weighted data, random-effects model) were performed. Continuous outcomes were expressed as mean difference (MD) with 95% confidence interval (CI) (inverse variance method); dichotomous outcomes were expressed as risk ratio (RR) with 95% CI (Mantel-Haenszel method). Heterogeneity was quantified using the I2 index. RESULTS: Five RCTs involving 1450 participants met the inclusion criteria. Outcomes that showed significant results in favor of insulin detemir over NPH were maternal hypoglycemic events (RR 0.64, 95% CI 0.48-0.86, p = 0.003; I2 = 0%) and gestational age at delivery (MD 0.48, 95% CI 0.16-0.81, p = 0.003; I2 = 0%). CONCLUSIONS: Insulin detemir was associated with less maternal hypoglycemic events and decreased risk for prematurity compared with NPH insulin. More research should be conducted to reach a safe conclusion about the optimal insulin regimen for women with diabetes in pregnancy.

Treatment of carotid cavernous sinus fistulas with flow diverters. A case report and systematic review.

INTRODUCTION: Carotid cavernous fistulas (CCFs) are rare, usually follow head trauma or aneurysmal rupture. Recent treatment options include endovascular techniques such as flow diversion devices (FDDs). OBJECTIVE: To present our case treated with FDD application with transarterial cavernous-sinus coiling and present a systematic review on the use and effectiveness of FDDs in CCF treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We present our case of CCF treatment with FDD. A search was also conducted in PubMed, EMBASE and Cochrane until November 2020. Reference lists were also cross-checked. RESULTS: Including our case, thirty-eight patients were identified with a CCF that was treated with FDDs in sixteen studies. Twenty-two patients were females, nine were males and the rest unidentified. The mean age was 52,6 years (range 17-86, SD± 19.28). Thirty-six patients suffered from direct and two from indirect CCFs. Single FDD was used in four cases, single FDD with embolic materials in eleven cases, multiple overlapping FDDs were used in six cases and multiple overlapping FDDs with embolic materials were used in seventeen cases. Thirty-five patients (92,1%) had clinical improvement, immediate angiographic occlusion was seen in 44,7% of the cases, while long-term occlusion rate was 100% but with variable follow-up periods. One patient (2,6%) presented with a neurological deficit related to FDD deployment. CONCLUSION: Targeted treatment of CCFs with single or overlapping FDDs with or without adjunct embolic agents offers a high success rate, both clinically and long-term angiographically compared to other endovascular methods alone. However, further research with multi-center prospective trials is warranted.

Can we predict the behavior of the scoliotic curve after bracing in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis? Τhe prognostic value of apical vertebra rotation.

PURPOSE: We aimed to recognize radiographic and clinical prognostic factors of scoliotic curve behaviour after bracing. METHODS: Our prognostic study was based on the 25 years outcomes of a Boston braced AIS cohort between 1978 and 1993 that were previously reported. All patients were followed-up during bracing, at short term and 25 years post-bracing. We evaluated the impact of socio-demographic, clinical and radiological parameters on the loss of curve correction after bracing. RESULTS: Seventy-seven patients were reevaluated at 25 years post-brace. The mean scoliotic curve was significantly increased after bracing until the 25 years follow-up (p < 0.001). The mean loss of curve correction between the end of bracing and long-term follow-up was independent on the curve type, apical vertebra, premenarcheal status at bracing, time and duration of bracing, Cobb angle before or after bracing. The mean apical vertebral rotation after bracing was significantly related to the loss of curve correction (Spearman ρ = 0.2, p = 0.049). Apical vertebral rotation (Perdriolle method) greater than 20° post-bracing had a three times higher chance of progression > 5° compared with lesser apical vertebral rotation (OR 3.071, CI 0.99-9.51). The rotation of the apical vertebra, type and magnitude of the scoliotic curve after bracing explained 27.4% of the variance in the loss of curve correction post-bracing (R square = 0.274, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: A scoliotic curve is expected to lose some correction after bracing. The apical vertebral rotation post-bracing mainly affected the long-term curve behaviour. Adolescents with apical vertebral rotation greater than 20° after bracing may need further attention. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Prognostic study, Level II.

Mesenchymal stromal cells for bone sarcoma treatment: Roadmap to clinical practice.

Over the past few decades, there has been growing interest in understanding the molecular mechanisms of cancer pathogenesis and progression, as it is still associated with high morbidity and mortality. Current management of large bone sarcomas typically includes the complex therapeutic approach of limb salvage or sacrifice combined with pre- and postoperative multidrug chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy, and is still associated with high recurrence rates. The development of cellular strategies against specific characteristics of tumour cells appears to be promising, as they can target cancer cells selectively. Recently, Mesenchymal Stromal Cells (MSCs) have been the subject of significant research in orthopaedic clinical practice through their use in regenerative medicine. Further research has been directed at the use of MSCs for more personalized bone sarcoma treatments, taking advantage of their wide range of potential biological functions, which can be augmented by using tissue engineering approaches to promote healing of large defects. In this review, we explore the use of MSCs in bone sarcoma treatment, by analyzing MSCs and tumour cell interactions, transduction of MSCs to target sarcoma, and their clinical applications on humans concerning bone regeneration after bone sarcoma extraction.