The Effect of Low-Intensity Pulsed Ultrasound on Bone Regeneration and the Expression of Osterix and Cyclooxygenase-2 during Critical-Size Bone Defect Repair.

Low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) is a form of ultrasound that utilizes low-intensity pulsed waves. Its effect on bones that heal by intramembranous ossification has not been sufficiently investigated. In this study, we examined LIPUS and the autologous bone, to determine their effect on the healing of the critical-size bone defect (CSBD) of the rat calvaria. The bone samples underwent histological, histomorphometric and immunohistochemical analyses. Both LIPUS and autologous bone promoted osteogenesis, leading to almost complete closure of the bone defect. On day 30, the bone volume was the highest in the autologous bone group (20.35%), followed by the LIPUS group (19.12%), and the lowest value was in the control group (5.11%). The autologous bone group exhibited the highest intensities of COX-2 (167.7 ± 1.1) and Osx (177.1 ± 0.9) expression on day 30. In the LIPUS group, the highest intensity of COX-2 expression was found on day 7 (169.7 ±1.6) and day 15 (92.7 ± 2.2), while the highest Osx expression was on day 7 (131.9 ± 0.9). In conclusion, this study suggests that LIPUS could represent a viable alternative to autologous bone grafts in repairing bone defects that are ossified by intramembranous ossification.

Osteogenic Potential of Autologous Dentin Graft Compared with Bovine Xenograft Mixed with Autologous Bone in the Esthetic Zone: Radiographic, Histologic and Immunohistochemical Evaluation.

This prospective, randomized, controlled clinical trial reports clinical, radiographic, histologic and immunohistochemical results of autologous dentin graft (ADG) and its comparison with a mixture of bovine xenograft with autologous bone (BX+AB). After tooth extraction in the esthetic zone of maxilla, the alveolar ridge of 20 patients in the test group was augmented with ADG, while 17 patients in the control group received the combination of BX+AB. Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) was performed before tooth extraction and after 4 months when a total of 22 bone biopsies were harvested and subjected to histological and immunohistochemical analysis. Radiological analysis showed comparable results of bone dimension loss in both groups. Quantitative histologic analysis showed comparable results with no statistically significant differences between the groups. Immunohistochemical staining with TNF-α and BMP-4 antibodies revealed immunopositivity in both groups. A statistically significant difference between the groups was found in the intensity of TNF-α in the area of newly formed bone (p = 0.0003) and around remaining biomaterial particles (p = 0.0027), and in the intensity of BMP-4 in the area around biomaterial particles (p = 0.0001). Overall, ADG showed biocompatibility and achieved successful bone regeneration in the esthetic zone of the maxilla similar to BX+AB.

Dynamics of CSBD Healing after Implementation of Dentin and Xenogeneic Bone Biomaterial.

Autologous dentin is frequently used in guided bone regeneration due to its osteoinductive properties, which come from its similarity to native bone. On the other hand, the xenogeneic bone biomaterial Cerabone® serves as a biocompatible, but hardly resorbed biomaterial. During bone healing, an inflammatory, vascular, and osteogenic response occurs in which cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and osteopontin (OPN) are released locally and systemically. The aim was to follow up the dynamics (on days 3, 7, 15, 21, and 30) of critical-sized bone defect (CSBD) healing after the implantation of bovine devitalized dentin, rat dentin, and xenogeneic bone biomaterial. For this purpose, histological and histomorphometric methods were employed. Additionally, serum concentrations of TNF-α, VEGF, and OPN were monitored in parallel to better understand the biomaterial-dependent systemic response in rats. At the last time interval, the results showed that the bone defect was bridged over in all three groups of biomaterials. The rat dentin group had the highest percentage of bone volume (BV/TV) and the least percentage of residual biomaterial (RB), which makes it the most optimal biomaterial for bone regeneration. Serum concentrations of the TNF-α, VEGF, and OPN refer to systemic response, which could be linked to intense bone remodeling between days 15 and 21 of the bone healing.

NUTRITIONAL RISK SCREENING IN GASTROENTEROLOGICAL PATIENTS AT THE RIJEKA UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL CENTRE.

Malnutrition is usually related to some diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease, chronic pancreatitis, chronic liver disease and malignant tumors. It is characterized by weight loss, protein deficiency, and deficit of specific nutrients. The aim was to estimate the prevalence of nutritional risk among 160 gastrointestinal patients by use of the Nutritional Risk Screening (NRS-2002) score at hospital admission and discharge. The patients stayed in the hospital between 5 and 15 days or longer. Results showed that 40% of patients at admission and 36.2% at discharge were malnourished. There were 53.1% of patients with recognized malnutrition at admission that received nutritional support, whereas at discharge 34.4% of patients at risk were not dietary supported. Malnourished patients were significantly older, had lower body mass index, longer hospital stay and higher rate of malignant diseases than properly nourished patients. Regular screening for malnutrition should be conveyed in hospitals as to provide appropriate dietary support for all patients at risk.