Mid-life cyclists preserve muscle mass and composition: a 3D MRI study.

Physical activity and a healthy lifestyle are crucial factors for delaying and reducing the effects of sarcopenia. Cycling has gained popularity in the last decades among midlife men. While the cardiovascular benefits of cycling and other endurance exercises have been extensively proved, the potential benefits of lifelong aerobic exercise on muscle health have not been adequately studied. Our aim was to quantify the benefits of cycling in terms of muscle health in middle-aged men, using magnetic resonance imaging. We ran a cross-sectional study involving two groups of middle-aged male adults (mean age 49 years, range 30-65) that underwent Dixon MRI of the pelvis. The groups consisted of 28 physically inactive (PI) and 28 trained recreational cyclists. The latter had cycled more than 7000 km in the last year and have been training for 15 years on average, while the PI volunteers have not practiced sports for an average of 27 years. We processed the Dixon MRI scans by labelling and computing the fat fraction (FF), volume and lean volume of gluteus maximus (GMAX) and gluteus medius (GMED); and measuring the volume of subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT). We found that the cyclists group had lower FF levels, a measure of intramuscular fat infiltration, compared to the PI group for GMAX (PI median FF 21.6%, cyclists median FF 14.8%, p < 0.01) and GMED (PI median FF 16.0%, cyclists median FF 11.4%, p < 0.01). Cyclists had also larger GMAX and GMED muscles than the PI group (p < 0.01), after normalizing it by body mass. Muscle mass and fat infiltration were strongly correlated with SAT volume. These results suggest that cycling could help preserve muscle mass and composition in middle-aged men. Although more research is needed to support these results, this study adds new evidence to support public health efforts to promote cycling.

Rod Fracture in Magnetically Controlled Growing Spine Rods.

BACKGROUND: The mechanisms of fracture in magnetically controlled growing rods (MCGRs) and the risk factors associated with this are poorly understood. This retrospective analysis of explanted MCGRs aimed to add understanding to this subject. METHODS: From our cohort of over 120 retrieved MCGRs, we identified 7 rods that had fractured; all were single-rod constructs, retrieved from 6 patients. These were examined and compared with 15 intact single-rod constructs. Retrieval and fractographic analyses were used to determine the failure mode at the fracture site and the implant's functionality. Cobb angle, degree of rod contouring, and the distance between anchoring points were computed on anteroposterior and lateral radiographs. RESULTS: 5/7 versus 3/15 rods had been inserted after the removal of a previously inserted rod, in the fractured versus control groups. All fractured rods failed due to bending fatigue. Fractured rods had greater rod contouring angles in the frontal plane ( P = 0.0407) and lateral plane ( P = 0.0306), and greater distances between anchoring points in both anteroposterior and lateral planes ( P = 0.0061 and P = 0.0074, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: We found all failed due to a fatigue fracture and were virtually all single rod configurations. Fracture initiation points corresponded with mechanical indentation marks induced by the intraoperative rod contouring tool. Fractured rods had undergone greater rod contouring and had greater distances between anchoring points, suggesting that it is preferable to implant double rod constructs in patients with sufficient spinal maturity to avoid this complication. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Level III.

Pin Fracture in Magnetically Controlled Growing Rods: Influence of the Year of Manufacture.

BACKGROUND: Magnetically controlled growing rods (MCGRs) have a known issue with fracture of the internal locking pin resulting in early revisions. The manufacturer reported that rods manufactured before March 26, 2015, had a 5% risk of locking pin fracture. Locking pins made after this date are thicker in diameter and of a tougher alloy; their rate of pin fracture is not known. The aim of this study was to better understand the impact of the design changes on the performance of MCGRs. METHODS: This study involves 46 patients with 76 removed MCGRs. Forty-six rods were manufactured before March 26, 2015, and 30 rods after that date. Clinical and implant data were collected for all MCGRs. Retrieval analysis comprised plain radiographs evaluations, force and elongation testing, and disassembly. RESULTS: The 2 patient groups were statistically comparable. We found that 14 of 27 patients implanted with rods manufactured before March 26, 2015 (group I) had a fracture of their locking pins. Three of the 17 patients with rods manufactured after this date (group II) were also found to have a fractured pin. CONCLUSIONS: Retrieved rods collected at our center and made after March 26, 2015, had far fewer locking pin fractures than those made before this date; this may be due to the change in pin design.

Reference values for volume, fat content and shape of the hip abductor muscles in healthy individuals from Dixon MRI.

Healthy hip abductor muscles are a good indicator of a healthy hip and an active lifestyle, as they are greatly involved in human daily activities. Fatty infiltration and muscle atrophy are associated with loss of strength, loss of mobility and hip disease. However, these variables have not been widely studied in this muscle group. We aimed to characterize the hip abductor muscles in a group of healthy individuals to establish reference values for volume, intramuscular fat content and shape of this muscle group. To achieve this, we executed a cross-sectional study using Dixon MRI scans of 51 healthy subjects. We used an automated segmentation method to label GMAX, GMED, GMIN and TFL muscles, measured normalized volume (NV) using lean body mass, fat fraction (FF) and lean muscle volume for each subject and computed non-parametric statistics for each variable grouped by sex and age. We measured these variables for each axial slice and created cross-sectional area and FF axial profiles for each muscle. Finally, we generated sex-specific atlases with FF statistical images. We measured median (IQR) NV values of 12.6 (10.8-13.8), 6.3 (5.6-6.7), 1.6 (1.4-1.7) and 0.8 (0.6-1.0) cm3 /kg for GMAX, GMED, GMIN and TFL, and median (IQR) FF values of 12.3 (10.1-15.9)%, 9.8 (8.6-11.2)%, 10.0 (9.0-12.0)% and 10.2 (7.8-13.5)% respectively. FF values were significantly higher for females for the four muscles (p < 0.01), but there were no significant differences between the two age groups. When comparing individual muscles, we observed a significantly higher FF in GMAX than in the other muscles. The reported novel reference values and axial profiles for volume and FF of the hip abductors, together with male and female atlases, are tools that could potentially help to quantify and detect early the deteriorating effects of hip disease or sarcopenia.

Comparative retrieval analysis of a novel anatomic tibial tray backside: alterations in tibial component design and surface coating can increase cement adhesions and surface roughness.

BACKGROUND: With the Persona® knee system a novel anatomic total knee design was developed, which has no pre-coating, whereas the predecessor knee system is pre-coated with polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA). Joint registry data have shown no decrease in risk of aseptic revision of PMMA pre-coated tibial components compared with non-pre-coated implants. The aim of this retrieval study was to compare the amount of cement adhesions, geometry and surface features between the two knee designs and to correlate them with the underlying reason for revision surgery. METHODS: Retrieval analysis was performed of 15 NexGen® and 8 Persona® fixed-bearing knee implants from the same manufacturer retrieved from two knee revision centres. A photogrammetric method was used to grade the amount of cement attached to the tibial tray backside. The geometry and dimensions of the tibial trays, tray projections and peripheral lips were measured using digital callipers and compared between the two different designs. To measure the surface roughness on the backside of the tibial tray, a contact profilometer was used. To investigate differences between the two designs statistical analyses (t-test) were performed. RESULTS: All Persona® trays showed evidence of cement adhesion with a % area of 75.4%; half of the NexGen® trays had cement adhesions, with a mean value of 20%. There was a significant difference in the percentage of area covered by cement between the two designs (p < 0.001). Results from the contact profilometer revealed that Persona® and NexGen® tray backsides showed a similar lateral (1.36 µm and 1.10 µm) and medial (1.39 µm and 1.12 µm) mean surface roughness with significant differentiation (p < 0.05) of the lateral and medial roughness values between the two designs. Persona® stems showed a significantly higher mean surface roughness (1.26) compared to NexGen® stems (0.89; p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The novel anatomic knee system showed significantly more cements adhesions and a higher surface roughness which was most likely attributed to the most obvious design and coating alteration of the tibial tray. This study provides first retrieval findings of a novel TKA design recently introduced to the market.

Blood titanium levels in patients with large and sliding titanium implants.

BACKGROUND: Titanium, which is known to be a highly biologically inert element, is one of the most commonly used metals in orthopaedic implants. While cobalt and chromium blood metal ion testing is routinely used in the clinical monitoring of patients with metal-on-metal hip implants, much less is known about the levels of titanium in patients with other implant types. The aim of this study was to better understand the normal ranges of blood titanium levels in patients implanted with large and sliding titanium constructs by comparison with reference levels from conventional titanium hips. METHODS: This study examined data collected from 136 patients. Over a period of 24 months, whole blood samples were collected from 41 patients implanted with large titanium implants: long (range 15 to 30 cm) spine rods with a sliding mechanism ("spine rods", n = 18), long bone tumour implants ("tumour implants", n = 13) and 3D-printed customised massive acetabular defect implants ("massive acetabular implants", n = 10). This data was compared with standard, uncemented primary titanium hip implants ("standard hips", 15 cm long) (n = 95). Clinical, imaging and blood titanium levels data were collected for all patients and compared statistically between the different groups. RESULTS: The median (range) of blood titanium levels of the standard hip, spine rods, femoral tumour implants and massive acetabular implants were 1.2 ppb (0.6-4.9), 9.7 ppb (4.0-25.4), 2.6 ppb (0.4-104.4) and 5.7 ppb (1.6-31.5) respectively. Spine rods and massive acetabular implants had significantly greater blood titanium levels compared to the standard hips group (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: This study showed that titanium orthopaedic implants that are large and/or have a sliding mechanism have higher blood titanium levels compared to well-functioning, conventionally sized titanium hips. Reassuringly, the increased levels did not appear to induce adverse metal reactions. This study provides useful baseline data for future studies aimed at assessing blood titanium levels as a biomarker for implant function.

What happens to the lower lumbar spine after marathon running: a 3.0 T MRI study of 21 first-time marathoners.

OBJECTIVE: To better understand the impact of long-distance running on runners' lumbar spines by assessing changes before and after their first marathon run. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The lumbar spines of 28 asymptomatic adults (14 males, 14 females, mean age: 30 years old), who registered for their first marathon, the 2019 London Richmond Marathon, were examined 16 weeks before (time point 1) and 2 weeks after (time point 2) the marathon. Participants undertook a pre-race 16-week training programme. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of high-resolution 3.0 Tesla was used at each time point. Senior musculoskeletal radiologists assessed the lower lumbar spine condition. RESULTS: Out of 28 participants, 21 completed both the training and the race and 7 neither completed the training nor started the marathon but not due to spine-related issues. At time point 1, disc degeneration was detected in 17/28 (61%), most predominantly at spinal segments L4-L5 and L5-S1. No back pain/other symptoms were reported. When compared to time point 2, there was no progression in the extent of disc degeneration, including intervertebral disc (IVD) height (p = 0.234), width (p = 0.359), and intervertebral distance (p = 0.641). There was a regression in 2 out of 8 (25%) participants who had pre-marathon sacroiliac joint bone marrow oedema, and a small increase in the size of a pre-marathon subchondral cyst in one participant, all asymptomatic. CONCLUSION: Running 500 miles over 4 months plus a marathon for the first time had no adverse effects on the lumbar spine, even when early degenerative changes were present. Additionally, there was evidence of regression of sacroiliac joint abnormalities.

Understanding the implant performance of magnetically controlled growing spine rods: a review article.

PURPOSE: Early-Onset Scoliosis (EOS) (defined as a curvature of the spine ≥ 10° with onset before 10 years of age) if not properly treated, can lead to increased morbidity and mortality. Traditionally Growing Rods (TGRs), implants fixated to the spine and extended every 6-8 months by surgery, are considered the gold standard, but Magnetically Controlled Growing Rods (MCGRs) avoid multiple surgeries. While the potential benefit of outpatient distraction procedure with MCGR is huge, concerns still remain about its risks, up to the release of a Medical Device Alert (MDA) by the Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory Agency (MHRA) advising not to implant MCGRs until further notice. The aim of this literature review is to (1) give an overview on the use of MCGRs and (2) identify what is currently understood about the surgical, implant and patient factors associated with the use of MCGRs. METHODS: Systematic literature review. RESULTS: Surgical factors such as use of single rod configuration or incorrect rod contouring might affect early failure of MCGRs. Patient's older age and higher BMI are correlated with rod slippage. Wear debris and distraction mechanism failure may result from implant design and iteration. CONCLUSION: Despite the complications reported, this technology still offers one of the best solutions to spine surgeons dealing with severe EOS. Lowering the complication rate by identifying risk factors for failure is possible and further studies in this direction are required. Once the risk factors are well described, some of these can be addressed enabling a safer use of MCGRs.

Comparative retrieval analysis of antioxidant polyethylene: bonding of vitamin-E does not reduce in-vivo surface damage.

BACKGROUND: With the Persona® knee system a new polyethylene formulation incorporating vitamin-E which aims to reduce oxidation and maintain wear resistance was introduced. Although in-vitro studies have demonstrated positive effects of the vitamin-E antioxidants on UHMWPE, no retrieval study has looked at polyethylene damage of this system yet. It was the aim to investigate the in-vivo performance of this new design, by comparing it with its predecessor in retrieval analysis. METHODS: 15 NexGen® and 8 Persona® fixed-bearing implants from the same manufacturer (Zimmer Biomet) were retrieved from two knee revision centres. For retrieval analysis, a macroscopic analysis of polyethylene using a peer-reviewed damage grading method was used (Hood-score). The roughness of all articulating metal components was measured using a contact profilometer. The reason(s) for TKA revision were recorded. Statistical analyses (t-test) were performed to investigate differences between the two designs. RESULTS: The mean Hood score for Persona® inserts was 109.3 and for NexGen® 115.1 without significant differences between the two designs. Results from the profilometer revealed that Persona® and NexGen® femoral implants showed an identical mean surface roughness of 0.14 µm. The Persona® tibial tray showed a significantly smoother surface (0.06 µm) compared to the NexGen® (0.2 µm; p < 0.001). Both Hood score and surface roughness were influenced by the reasons for revision (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The bonding of the antioxidant vitamin-E to the PE chain used in the novel Persona® knee system does not reduce in-vivo surface damage compared to highly crosslinked PE without supplemented vitamin-E used in its predecessor knee system NexGen®. However, the Persona® titanium alloy tibial tray showed a significantly smoother surface in comparison to the NexGen® titanium alloy tibial tray. This study provides first retrieval findings of a novel TKA design and may help to understand how the new Persona® anatomic knee system performs in vivo.

Reconstruction of acetabular defects greater than Paprosky type 3B: the importance of functional imaging.

BACKGROUND: 3D Surgical planning has become a key tool in complex hip revision surgery. The restoration of centre of rotation (CoR) of the hips and leg length (LL) are key factors in achieving good clinical outcome. Pelvic imaging is the gold standard for planning and assessment of LL. We aimed to better understand if 3D planning is effective at equalising LL when large acetabular defects are present. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a prospective case study of 25 patients. We report the analysis of pre-operative LL status and planned LL restoration measured on CT, in relation to the achieved LL measured post-operatively in functional, weight bearing position. Our primary objective was the assessment of restoration of CoR as well as the anatomical and functional LL using biplanar full-length standing low-dose radiographs; our secondary objective was to evaluate the clinical outcome. RESULTS: Pre-operative intra-pelvic discrepancy between right and left leg was a mean of 28 mm (SD 17.99, min = 3, max = 60 mm). Post-operatively, the difference between right and left vertical femoral offset (VFO), or CoR discrepancy, was of 7.4 mm on average, significantly different from the functional LL discrepancy (median = 15 mm), p = 0.0024. Anatomical LLD was a median of 15 mm. In one case there was transient foot drop, one dislocation occurred 6 months post-operatively and was treated by closed reduction, none of the patients had had revision surgery at the time of writing. Mean oxford hip score at latest follow up was 32.1/48. DISCUSSION: This is the first study to investigate limb length discrepancy in functional position after reconstruction of large acetabular defects. We observed that VFO is not an optimal surrogate for LL when there is significant bone loss leading to length inequality, fixed flexion of the knee and abduction deformity. CONCLUSIONS: Although challenging, LLD and gait abnormalities can be greatly improved with the aid of an accurate surgical planning. Surgeons and engineers should consider the integration of EOS imaging in surgical planning of reconstruction of large acetabular defects.

Activation of synovial fibroblasts from patients at revision of their metal-on-metal total hip arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND: The toxicity of released metallic particles generated in metal-on-metal (MoM) total hip arthroplasty (THA) using cobalt chromium (CoCr) has raised concerns regarding their safety amongst both surgeons and the public. Soft tissue changes such as pseudotumours and metallosis have been widely observed following the use of these implants, which release metallic by-products due to both wear and corrosion. Although activated fibroblasts, the dominant cell type in soft tissues, have been linked to many diseases, the role of synovial fibroblasts in the adverse reactions caused by CoCr implants remains unknown. To investigate the influence of implants manufactured from CoCr, the periprosthetic synovial tissues and synovial fibroblasts from patients with failed MoM THA, undergoing a revision operation, were analysed and compared with samples from patients undergoing a primary hip replacement, in order to elucidate histological and cellular changes. RESULTS: Periprosthetic tissue from patients with MoM implants was characterized by marked fibrotic changes, notably an increase in collagen content from less than 20% to 45-55%, an increase in α-smooth muscle actin positive cells from 4 to 9% as well as immune cells infiltration. Primary cell culture results demonstrated that MoM synovial fibroblasts have a decreased apoptosis rate from 14 to 6% compared to control synovial fibroblasts. In addition, synovial fibroblasts from MoM patients retained higher contractility and increased responsiveness to chemotaxis in matrix contraction. Their mechanical properties at a single cell level increased as observed by a 60% increase in contraction force and higher cell stiffness (3.3 kPa in MoM vs 2.18 kPa in control), as measured by traction force microscopy and atomic force microscopy. Further, fibroblasts from MoM patients promoted immune cell invasion by secreting monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1, CCL2) and induced monocyte differentiation, which could also be associated with excess accumulation of synovial macrophages. CONCLUSION: Synovial fibroblasts exposed in vivo to MoM THA implants that release CoCr wear debris displayed dramatic phenotypic alteration and functional changes. These findings unravelled an unexpected effect of the CoCr alloy and demonstrated an important role of synovial fibroblasts in the undesired tissue reactions caused by MoM THAs.

Automated multi-atlas segmentation of gluteus maximus from Dixon and T1-weighted magnetic resonance images.

OBJECTIVE: To design, develop and evaluate an automated multi-atlas method for segmentation and volume quantification of gluteus maximus from Dixon and T1-weighted images. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The multi-atlas segmentation method uses an atlas library constructed from 15 Dixon MRI scans of healthy subjects. A non-rigid registration between each atlas and the target, followed by majority voting label fusion, is used in the segmentation. We propose a region of interest (ROI) to standardize the measurement of muscle bulk. The method was evaluated using the dice similarity coefficient (DSC) and the relative volume difference (RVD) as metrics, for Dixon and T1-weighted target images. RESULTS: The mean(± SD) DSC was 0.94 ± 0.01 for Dixon images, while 0.93 ± 0.02 for T1-weighted. The RVD between the automated and manual segmentation had a mean(± SD) value of 1.5 ± 4.3% for Dixon and 1.5 ± 4.8% for T1-weighted images. In the muscle bulk ROI, the DSC was 0.95 ± 0.01 and the RVD was 0.6 ± 3.8%. CONCLUSION: The method allows an accurate fully automated segmentation of gluteus maximus for Dixon and T1-weighted images and provides a relatively accurate volume measurement in shorter times (~ 20 min) than the current gold-standard manual segmentations (2 h). Visual inspection of the segmentation would be required when higher accuracy is needed.

Management of patients with magnetically controlled growth rods amidst the global COVID-19 pandemic.

INTRODUCTION: At the time of writing, we are all coping with the global COVID-19 pandemic. Amongst other things, this has had a significant impact on postponing virtually all routine clinic visits and elective surgeries. Concurrently, the Magnetic Expansion Control (MAGEC) rod has been issued with a number of field safety notices and UK regulator medical device alerts. METHODS: This document serves to provide an overview of the current situation regarding the use of MAGEC rods, primarily in the UK, and the impact that the pandemic has had on the management of patients with these rods. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The care of each patient must of course be determined on an individual basis; however, the experience of the authors is that a short delay in scheduled distractions and clinic visits will not adversely impact patient treatment. The authors caution against a gap in distractions of longer than 6 months and emphasise the importance of continued remote patient monitoring to identify those who may need to be seen more urgently.

Mechanical wear analysis helps understand a mechanism of failure in retrieved magnetically controlled growing rods: a retrieval study.

BACKGROUND: To assess the relationship between mechanical wear and the failure of the internal lengthening mechanism in retrieved MAGnetic Expansion Control (MAGEC) growing rods. METHODS: This study included 34 MAGEC rods retrieved from 20 patients. The state of the internal mechanism and mechanical wear were assessed in all the rods using plain radiographs and visual inspection. Metrology was then performed to assess the topography and mechanical wear of the telescopic bars, using a Talyrond 365 (Taylor Hobson, Leicester, UK) roundness measuring machine. RESULTS: Plain radiographs showed evidence of a broken internal mechanism in 29% of retrieved rods. Single-side wear marks were found in 97% of retrieved rods. Material loss was found to significantly increase in rods with a damaged internal mechanism (p < 0.05) and rods with longer time in situ (r = 0.692, p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: We found an association between damage to the internal mechanism of the rods and (1) patterns of single-side longitudinal wear marks and (2) increased material loss. As the material loss was also found to increase over time of rod in situ, we emphasise the importance of early detection and revision of failed MAGEC rods in clinical practice.

Prevalence of abnormal findings in 230 knees of asymptomatic adults using 3.0 T MRI.

OBJECTIVE: To identify abnormalities in asymptomatic sedentary individuals using 3.0 Tesla high-resolution MRI. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The cohort comprised of 230 knees of 115 uninjured sedentary adults (51 males, 64 females; median age: 44 years). All participants had bilateral knee 3.0 T MRIs. Two senior musculoskeletal radiologists graded all intraarticular knee structures using validated scoring systems. Participants completed Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score questionnaires at the time of the MRI scan. RESULTS: MRI showed abnormalities in the majority (97%) of knees. Thirty percent knees had meniscal tears: horizontal (23%), complex (3%), vertical (2%), radial (2%) and bucket handle (1%). Cartilage and bone marrow abnormalities were prevalent at the patellofemoral joint (57% knees and 48% knees, respectively). Moderate and severe cartilage lesions were common, in 19% and 31% knees, respectively, while moderate and severe bone marrow oedema in 19% and 31% knees, respectively. Moderate-intensity lesion in tendons was found in 21% knees and high-grade tendonitis in 6% knees-the patellar (11% and 2%, respectively) and quadriceps (7% and 2%, respectively) tendons being most affected. Three percent partial ligamentous ruptures were found, especially of the anterior cruciate ligament (2%). CONCLUSION: Nearly all knees of asymptomatic adults showed abnormalities in at least one knee structure on MRI. Meniscal tears, cartilage and bone marrow lesions of the patellofemoral joint were the most common pathological findings. Bucket handle and complex meniscal tears were reported for the first time in asymptomatic knees.

Is the immediate effect of marathon running on novice runners' knee joints sustained within 6 months after the run? A follow-up 3.0 T MRI study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate changes in the knee joints of asymptomatic first-time marathon runners, using 3.0 T MRI, 6 months after finishing marathon training and run. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Six months after their participation in a baseline study regarding their knee joints, 44 asymptomatic novice marathoners (17 males, 27 females, mean age 46 years old) agreed to participate in a repeat MRI investigation: 37 completed both a standardized 4-month-long training programme and the marathon (marathon runners); and 7 dropped out during training (pre-race dropouts). The participants already underwent bilateral 3.0 T MRIs: 6 months before and 2 weeks after their first marathon, the London Marathon 2017. This study was a follow-up assessment of their knee joints. Each knee structure was assessed using validated scoring/grading systems at all time points. RESULTS: Two weeks after the marathon, 3 pre-marathon bone marrow lesions and 2 cartilage lesions showed decrease in radiological score on MRI, and the improvement was sustained at the 6-month follow-up. New improvements were observed on MRI at follow-up: 5 pre-existing bone marrow lesions and 3 cartilage lesions that remained unchanged immediately after the marathon reduced in their extent 6 months later. No further lesions appeared at follow-up, and the 2-week post-marathon lesions showed signs of reversibility: 10 of 18 bone marrow oedema-like signals and 3 of 21 cartilage lesions decreased on MRI. CONCLUSION: The knees of novice runners achieved sustained improvement, for at least 6 months post-marathon, in the condition of their bone marrow and articular cartilage.

COVID-19 coronavirus: recommended personal protective equipment for the orthopaedic and trauma surgeon.

PURPOSE: With the COVID-19 crisis, recommendations for personal protective equipment (PPE) are necessary for protection in orthopaedics and traumatology. The primary purpose of this study is to review and present current evidence and recommendations for personal protective equipment and safety recommendations for orthopaedic surgeons and trauma surgeons. METHODS: A systematic review of the available literature was performed using the keyword terms "COVID-19", "Coronavirus", "surgeon", "health-care workers", "protection", "masks", "gloves", "gowns", "helmets", and "aerosol" in several combinations. The following databases were assessed: Pubmed, Cochrane Reviews, Google Scholar. Due to the paucity of available data, it was decided to present it in a narrative manner. In addition, participating doctors were asked to provide their guidelines for PPE in their countries (Austria, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Germany, UK) for consideration in the presented practice recommendations. RESULTS: World Health Organization guidance for respiratory aerosol-generating procedures (AGPs) such as intubation in a COVID19 environment was clear and included the use of an FFP3 (filtering face piece level 3) mask and face protection. However, the recommendation for surgical AGPs, such as the use of high-speed power tools in the operating theatre, was not clear until the UK Public Health England (PHE) guidance of 27 March 2020. This guidance included FFP3 masks and face protection, which UK surgeons quickly adopted. The recommended PPE for orthopaedic surgeons, working in a COVID19 environment, should consist of level 4 surgical gowns, face shields or goggles, double gloves, FFP2-3 or N95-99 respirator masks. An alternative to the mask, face shield and goggles is a powered air-purifying respirator, particularly if the surgeons fail the mask fit test or are required to undertake a long procedure. However, there is a high cost and limited availabilty of these devices at present. Currently available surgical helmets and toga systems may not be the solution due to a permeable top for air intake. During the current COVID-19 crisis, it appeared that telemedicine can be considered as an electronic personal protective equipment by reducing the number of physical contacts and risk contamination. CONCLUSION: Orthopaedic and trauma surgery using power tools, pulsatile lavage and electrocautery are surgical aerosol-generating procedures and all body fluids contain virus particles. Raising awareness of these issues will help avoid occupational transmission of COVID-19 to the surgical team by aerosolization of blood or other body fluids and hence adequate PPE should be available and used during orthopaedic surgery. In addition, efforts have to be made to improve the current evidence in this regard. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV.

Recommendations of protective measures for orthopedic surgeons during COVID-19 pandemic.

PURPOSE: It was the primary purpose of the present systematic review to identify the optimal protection measures during COVID-19 pandemic and provide guidance of protective measures for orthopedic surgeons. The secondary purpose was to report the protection experience of an orthopedic trauma center in Wuhan, China during the pandemic. METHODS: A systematic search of the PubMed, Cochrane, Web of Science, Google Scholar was performed for studies about COVID-19, fracture, trauma, orthopedic, healthcare workers, protection, telemedicine. The appropriate protective measures for orthopedic surgeons and patients were reviewed (on-site first aid, emergency room, operating room, isolation wards, general ward, etc.) during the entire diagnosis and treatment process of traumatic patients. RESULTS: Eighteen studies were included, and most studies (13/18) emphasized that orthopedic surgeons should pay attention to prevent cross-infection. Only four studies have reported in detail how orthopedic surgeons should be protected during surgery in the operating room. No detailed studies on multidisciplinary cooperation, strict protection, protection training, indications of emergency surgery, first aid on-site and protection in orthopedic wards were found. CONCLUSION: Strict protection at every step in the patient pathway is important to reduce the risk of cross-infection. Lessons learnt from our experience provide some recommendations of protective measures during the entire diagnosis and treatment process of traumatic patients and help others to manage orthopedic patients with COVID-19, to reduce the risk of cross-infection between patients and to protect healthcare workers during work. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV.

Bone mineral health is sensitively related to environmental cadmium exposure- experimental and human data.

Exposure to cadmium (Cd) is recognised as one of the risk factors for osteoporosis, although critical exposure levels and exact mechanisms are still unknown. Here, we first confirmed that in male Wistar rats challenged orally with 6 different levels of Cd (0.3-10 mg/kg b.w.), over 28 days, there was a direct dose relationship to bone Cd concentration. Moreover, bone mineral content was significantly diminished by ∼15% (p < 0.0001) plateauing already at the lowest exposure level. For the other essential bone elements zinc (Zn) loss was most marked. Having established the sensitive metrics (measures of Cd exposure), we then applied them to 20 randomly selected human femoral head bone samples from 16 independent subjects. Bone Cd concentration was inversely proportional to trabecular bone mineral density and mineral (calcium) content and Zn content of bone, but not the donor's age. Our findings, through direct bone analyses, support the emerging epidemiological view that bone health, adjudged by mineral density, is extremely sensitive to even background levels of environmental Cd. Importantly, however, our data also suggest that Cd may play an even greater role in compromised bone health than prior indirect estimates of exposure could reveal. Environmental Cd may be a substantially determining factor in osteoporosis and large cohort studies with direct bone analyses are now merited.

Host-specific factors affect the pathogenesis of adverse reaction to metal debris.

BACKGROUND: Adverse Reaction to Metal Debris (ARMD) is a major reason for revision surgeries in patients with metal-on-metal (MoM) hip replacements. Most failures are related to excessively wearing implant producing harmful metal debris (extrinsic factor). As ARMD may also occur in patients with low-wearing implants, it has been suggested that there are differences in host-specific intrinsic factors contributing to the development of ARMD. However, there are no studies that have directly assessed whether the development of ARMD is actually affected by these intrinsic factors. METHODS: We included all 29 patients (out of 33 patients) with sufficient data who had undergone bilateral revision of ASR MoM hips (58 hips) at our institution. Samples of the inflamed synovia and/or pseudotumour were obtained perioperatively and sent to histopathological analysis. Total wear volumes of the implants were assessed. Patients underwent MARS-MRI imaging of the hips preoperatively. Histological findings, imaging findings and total wear volumes between the hips of each patient were compared. RESULTS: The difference in wear volume between the hips was clinically and statistically significant (median difference 15.35 mm3, range 1 to 39 mm3, IQR 6 to 23 mm3) (p < 0.001). The median ratio of total wear volume between the hips was 2.0 (range 1.09 to 10.0, IQR 1.67 to 3.72). In majority of the histological features and in presence of pseudotumour, there were no differences between the left and right hip of each patient (p > 0.05 for all comparisons). These features included macrophage sheet thickness, perivascular lymphocyte cuff thickness, presence of plasma cells, presence of diffuse lymphocytic infiltration and presence of germinal centers. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the significantly differing amounts of wear (extrinsic factor) seen between the sides, majority of the histological findings were similar in both hips and the presence of pseudotumour was symmetrical in most hips. As a direct consequence, it follows that there must be intrinsic factors which contribute to the symmetry of the findings, ie. the pathogenesis of ARMD, on individual level. This has been hypothesized in the literature but no studies have been conducted to confirm the hypothesis. Further, as the threshold of metal debris needed to develop ARMD appears to be largely variable based on the previous literature, it is likely that there are between-patient differences in these intrinsic factors, ie. the host response to metal debris is individual.