Local transplantation of bone marrow concentrated granulocytes precursors can cure without antibiotics infected nonunion of polytraumatic patients in absence of bone defect.

PURPOSE: Infected, long bone non-unions present a significant clinical challenge. New and alternative therapies are needed to address this problem. The purposes of this study were to compare the number of circulating granulocyte-macrophage colony-forming units (CFU-GM) in the peripheral blood of polytraumatic patients with infected tibial non-unions and in the peripheral blood of control patients with the hypothesis that their number was decreased in polytraumatic patients; and to treat their infection without antibiotics and with local transplantation of bone marrow concentrated granulocytes precursors. METHODS: Thirty (18 atrophic and 12 hyperthrophic ) infected tibial non-unions (without bone defect) that occurred after open fractures in polytraumatic patients were treated without antibiotics and with percutaneous injection of autologous bone marrow concentrate (BMC) containing granulocytes precursors (CFU-GM). CFU-GM progenitors were assessed in the bone marrow aspirate, peripheral blood, and fracture site of these patients. The number of these progenitors was compared with the CFU-GM progenitors of control patient samples (healthy donors matched for age and gender). Outcome measures were: timing of union, callus formation (radiographs and CT scan), and recurrence of clinical infection. RESULTS: As compared to control patients, the number of CFU GM derived colonies was lower at peripheral blood in patients with infected nonunions. The bone marrow graft injected in nonunions contained after concentration 42 621 ± 20 350 CFU-GM-derived colonies/cc. Healing and cure of infection was observed at six months for 25 patients and at one year follow up for 30 patients. At the median ten year follow-up (range: 5 to 15), only one patient had clinical recurrent infection after healing (between 6 months and last follow-up). CONCLUSION: The peripheral blood of these polytraumatic patients with infected nonunions had a remarkable decrease in CFU-GM-derived colonies as compared with normal controls. Local transplantation of concentrated CFU-GM-derived colonies aspirated from bone marrow allowed cure of infection and healing without antibiotics.

Stand-alone ALIF with integrated intracorporeal anchoring plates in the treatment of degenerative lumbar disc disease: a prospective study on 65 cases.

PURPOSE: ALIF with cages is expected to restore disc height and stabilize the spine promoting fusion, while avoiding damage attributed to rod-pedicle screw fixation. However, it may be related to an increased risk of fusion failure and subsidence. A prospective study was conducted by five investigators across three centers to confirm performance of a PEEK cage for stand-alone ALIF in the treatment of lumbar degenerative disc disease (DDD). METHODS: Sixty-five patients, with back ± leg pain, requiring surgery for DDD, were included. Efficacy and safety were evaluated at 6 weeks, 3, 6, and 12 months post-operatively. Fusion and subsidence were assessed through CT-images at 12-month follow-up. Disc height was measured. Clinical outcomes included back and leg pain (VAS), disability (Oswestry Disability Index), Quality of Life (Short-Form 36), and adverse events. RESULTS: The fusion and the subsidence rates were 96.3 and 2.0 %, respectively. ALIF surgery restored anterior and posterior disc height compared to baseline. There were no device-related serious adverse events, and no revision surgeries. Clinical outcomes improved significantly through 12-month follow-up. CONCLUSION: Safety and efficacy of this stand-alone cage with integrated intracorporeal plates was confirmed through 12 months for treatment of degenerative conditions. The design of the cage and plates may contribute to the decreased subsidence rate observed.

Alumina heads minimize wear and femoral osteolysis progression after isolated simple acetabular revision.

BACKGROUND: Patients with THA requiring cup revision for acetabular osteolysis may have a stable stem component without loosening. However, it is unclear whether isolated cup revision halts femoral osteolysis progression. QUESTION/PURPOSES: We asked (1) whether and to what degree osteolysis progresses after isolated acetabular revision with a change of the femoral head and (2) whether an alumina or metal bearing better reduces osteolysis progression and wear with a polyethylene (PE) cup. METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated 150 patients who underwent 165 acetabular revisions but no treatment for proximal femoral osteolysis in hips with stable femoral components. Mean age at revision was 63 years (range, 48-74 years). All hips received a new PE cup; 83 hips received new alumina heads and 82 new metal heads. Radiographs (mean followup, 15 years; range, 10-25 years) were assessed to measure osteolysis, loosening, and PE wear. Revisions of the femoral stem were recorded. RESULTS: An isolated cup revision with a change of the femoral head halted femoral osteolysis progression for 10 years in 133 hips (81%), with a greater percentage without progression in hips with alumina heads (99% versus 62% with metal head). Alumina heads were better than metal heads at reducing the area of osteolysis progression (47 versus 250 mm(2)) and wear (0.07 versus 0.14 mm/year) and increasing the survival probability before femoral revision (98% versus 85% at 15 years' followup). CONCLUSIONS: An isolated cup revision with a new alumina femoral head (in hips that have a stable stem component without loosening) usually halts femoral osteolysis progression (no change or osseous restoration) over 10 years if the osteolysis is less than 1000 mm(2). LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III, therapeutic study. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.