Disc regeneration by injectable fucoidan-methacrylated dextran hydrogels through mechanical transduction and macrophage immunomodulation.

Modulating a favorable inflammatory microenvironment that facilitates the recovery of degenerated discs is a key strategy in the treatment of intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration (IDD). More interestingly, well-mechanized tissue-engineered scaffolds have been proven in recent years to be capable of sensing mechanical transduction to enhance the proliferation and activation of nucleus pulposus cells (NPC) and have demonstrated an increased potential in the treatment and recovery of degenerative discs. Additionally, existing surgical procedures may not be suitable for IDD treatment, warranting the requirement of new regenerative therapies for the restoration of disc structure and function. In this study, a light-sensitive injectable polysaccharide composite hydrogel with excellent mechanical properties was prepared using dextrose methacrylate (DexMA) and fucoidan with inflammation-modulating properties. Through numerous in vivo experiments, it was shown that the co-culture of this composite hydrogel with interleukin-1ß-stimulated NPCs was able to promote cell proliferation whilst preventing inflammation. Additionally, activation of the caveolin1-yes-associated protein (CAV1-YAP) mechanotransduction axis promoted extracellular matrix (ECM) metabolism and thus jointly promoted IVD regeneration. After injection into an IDD rat model, the composite hydrogel inhibited the local inflammatory response by inducing macrophage M2 polarization and gradually reducing the ECM degradation. In this study, we propose a fucoidan-DexMA composite hydrogel, which provides an attractive approach for IVD regeneration.

The circadian clock component BMAL1 regulates osteogenesis in osseointegration.

Congenital and developmental craniofacial deformities often cause bone defects, misalignment, and soft tissue asymmetry, which can lead to facial function and morphologic abnormalities, especially among children born with cleft lip and palate. Joint efforts from oral maxillofacial surgery, oral implantology, and cosmetic surgery are often required for diagnosis and treatment. As one of the most widely performed treatment methods, implant-supported cranio-maxillofacial prostheses have been widely applied in the course of treatment. Therefore, stability of peri-implant bone tissue is crucial for the long-term success of treatment and patients' quality of life. The circadian clock component brain and muscle aryl hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator-like protein 1 (BMAL1) was found to be involved in the cell fate of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells, which were essential in the fixation of titanium implants. This study aimed to investigate the effect of BMAL1 on osteogenesis in osseointegration, providing a brand new solution to increase bone implant conjunction efficiency and implant stability, paving the way for a long-term satisfactory therapy outcome.

Clinical study to assess influence of immediate provisionalization and various implant morphologies on implant stability: A prospective clinical study.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of different implant morphologies and immediate provisionalization options on the change of implant stability. Methods: 94 Patients were randomized to receive implants from Straumann® BL/Straumann® BLT/Astra OsseoSpeed® TX, meanwhile having the same opportunity to receive healing abutment or immediate provisionalization. Implant stability quotient (ISQ) and marginal bone loss (MBL) were recorded at following timepoints. Parametric statistic was used for data analysis. Results: Data showed that ISQ and MBL values of conical/straight/straight with micro-thread neck implants had no significant difference. Discussion: Immediate provisionalization options could move the dip point of ISQ values ahead or delayed around one week, which were also relevant to implant systems. MBL values were proved to be unaffected by both two factors mentioned above.

Accuracy of alveolar bone height and thickness measurements in cone beam computed tomography: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to systematically review and assess the accuracy of cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) in the measurement of alveolar bone height and thickness. STUDY DESIGN: MEDLINE, Embase, the Cochrane Library, the China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and the gray literature were searched to identify all relevant articles published before July 2018. The Quality Assessment of Measurement Accuracy Studies tool was used to assess the quality of the included studies. Meta-analysis was performed to analyze the mean differences in alveolar bone height and thickness measurements between CBCT and gold standard references (direct measurement on human skulls or live patients). RESULTS: In total, 28 studies were included in the qualitative synthesis, and 18 were included in the quantitative synthesis. The meta-analysis results showed that the mean differences between CBCT measurements and the gold standard references for alveolar bone height (mean difference = 0.03 mm; 95% confidence interval -0.03 to 0.08; P = .382) and alveolar bone thickness (mean difference = 0.11 mm; 95% confidence interval -0.02 to 0.24; P = .088) were not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: Current evidence suggests that there is no significant difference between CBCT and the gold standard references for the measurement of alveolar bone height and thickness.