Duration of osteoporosis treatment to reduce the risk of subsequent osteoporotic fracture and all-cause mortality in elderly hip fracture patients in a Korean real-world study.

This study aimed to evaluate the association between treatment duration of osteoporosis medications and clinical outcomes of patients with hip fracture. We found that the risk of subsequent osteoporotic fractures and all-cause mortality showed a decreasing trend as the treatment duration of osteoporosis medications increased. PURPOSE: To assess the risk of subsequent osteoporotic fracture (SOF) and all-cause mortality (ACM) in elderly patients with hip fracture in South Korea and to evaluate the potential reduction in the risk of SOF and ACM with varying durations of osteoporosis treatment. METHODS: Newly diagnosed patients with hip fracture (age ≥ 60 years) who initiated osteoporosis medication within 3 months after the hip fracture from 2003-2014 were identified from the National Health Insurance Service-Senior cohort. The risk of SOF and ACM was estimated after the 1-year exposure-measurement period. Adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) were calculated for treatment duration of osteoporosis medications categorized as short-term treatment (ST, < 3 months), early discontinuation (ED, ≥ 3- < 6 months), late discontinuation (LD, ≥ 6- < 12 months), and treatment continuation (TC, ≥ 12 months). RESULTS: A total of 4,421 patients were included in the analysis. The 3-year cumulative incidence of SOF was 22.4%, 22.0%, 23.9%, and 21.6%, and that of 3-year ACM was 29.8%, 27.0%, 19.7%, and 18.9% in the ST, ED, LD, and TC groups, respectively. Compared with the ST group, the risk of SOF showed a decreasing trend in the TC group (aHR [95% CI], 0.77 [0.58-1.00]). The risk of ACM was significantly reduced in the LD (aHR 0.68 [0.57-0.82]) and TC (aHR 0.65 [0.50-0.84]) groups. CONCLUSION: These findings underscore the importance of early and continuous osteoporosis treatment for elderly patients with hip fracture to improve health outcomes. The benefits of long-term osteoporosis treatment should be discussed in clinical practice to improve overall health outcomes.

Trends in prevalence of fractures among adults in the United States, 1999-2020: a population-based study.

BACKGROUND: Population data that examines recent national trends in the prevalence of fractures are lacking in the United States (US). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Analyses were based on 1999-2020 data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Primary outcomes included the prevalence of hip, wrist, and vertebral fractures among adults aged greater than or equal to 50 years. Changes in the prevalence over time were determined by joinpoint regression analysis. The authors also described the variation by fracture subtypes, sociodemographic characteristics, and their combination. RESULTS: For adults aged greater than or equal to 50 years in NHANES 2017-March 2020, the authors estimated that there was 2.6 million Americans with hip fractures, 14.6 million Americans with wrist fractures, and 5.2 million Americans with vertebral fractures. The prevalence of wrist fractures significantly increased from 8.7% (7.4-9.9%) in 1999-2000 to 12.8% (11.6-14.1%) in 2017-March 2020 among adults aged greater than or equal to 50 years ( P for trend=0.04); significant increases were also observed in fractures that occurred at age less than 50 years, non-Hispanic White, high family income groups, and several combination subgroups (e.g. fractures occurred at age <50 years among women). The prevalence of vertebral fractures increased from 2.2% (1.7-2.8%) in 1999-2000 to 4.6% (3.7-5.5%) in 2017-March 2020 among adults aged greater than or equal to 50 years ( P for trend=0.02); significant increases were also observed in 50-64 years, women, non-Hispanic White, high family income groups and several combination subgroups (e.g. fractures that occurred at age <50 years among women). The authors did not observe significant trend changes in the prevalence of hip fractures among adults aged greater than or equal to 50 years between 1999 and 2020. CONCLUSION: The estimated prevalence of wrist and vertebral fractures significantly increased among US adults aged greater than or equal to 50 years from 1999 to 2020, although hip fractures did not significantly change.

Efficacy of the erector spinae plane block with sedation for unilateral biportal endoscopic spine surgery and comparison with other anesthetic methods.

BACKGROUND: Erector spinae plane block (ESPB) is a new regional anesthesia. Unilateral biportal endoscopic (UBE) spine surgery, a minimal invasive technique, has been performed under not only general anesthesia (GA) but regional anesthesia including spinal anesthesia (SA). The aims of this study were to evaluate the efficacy of ESPB with sedation for UBE lumbar decompression and compare it with GA and SA. METHOD: A retrospective age matched case-control study design was performed. Three groups (20 patients in each group) of patients who underwent UBE lumbar decompressions under each anesthetic method (GA, SA, or ESPB) were formed. The total anesthesia time excluding operation time, postoperative analgesia effects, hospital days, and complications related to anesthetic methods were evaluated. RESULTS: In the ESPB group, all the operations were performed without change of anesthetic methods and without anesthetic complications. But there were no anesthetic effects in the epidural space, which resulted in additional intravenous fentanyl usage. The mean of time from initiation of anesthesia to completion of surgical preparation was 23.3 ± 4.7 min in the ESPB group, which was shorter than 32.3 ± 10.8 min in the GA (p value = 0.001) or 33.3 ± 6.7 min in the SA group (p < 0.001). The proportion of patients requiring first rescue analgesia within 30 min was 30% in the ESPB group, which was lower than 85% in the GA (p < 0.001), but no significant different with 10% in the SA (p = 0.11). The mean of total hospital days in the ESPB was 3.0 ± 0.8, shorter than 3.7 ± 1.8 in the GA (p = 0.02) or 3.8 ± 1.1 in the SA group (p = 0.01). There was no case of postoperative nausea and vomiting in the ESBB even without prophylactic antiemesis. CONCLUSION: ESPB with sedation is a viable anesthetic option for UBE lumbar decompression.

Effect of Muscularity and Fatty Infiltration of Paraspinal Muscles on Outcome of Lumbar Interbody Fusion.

BACKGROUND: Lumbar paraspinal muscles play an important role in maintaining global spinal alignment and are associated with lower back pain; however, only a few studies on the effect of the paraspinal muscles on the surgical outcome exist. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze the association of preoperative muscularity and fatty infiltration (FI) of paraspinal muscles with the outcome of lumbar interbody fusion. METHODS: Postoperative clinical and radiographic outcomes were analyzed in 206 patients who underwent surgery for a degenerative lumbar disease. The preoperative diagnosis was spinal stenosis or low-grade spondylolisthesis, and the surgery performed was posterior lumbar interbody fusion or minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion. Indications for surgery were a complaint of severe radiating pain that did not improve with conservative treatment and neurological symptoms accompanied by lower extremity motor weakness. Patients with fractures, infections, tumors, or a history of lumbar surgery were excluded from this study. Clinical outcome measures included functional status, measured using the Oswestry disability index (ODI) and visual analog scale (VAS) score for lower back and leg pain. Other radiographic parameters included measures of spinal alignment, including lumbar lordosis, pelvic tilt, sacral slope, pelvic incidence, C7 sagittal vertical axis, and pelvic incidence-lumbar lordosis mismatch. Lumbar muscularity (LM) and FI were measured preoperatively using a lumbar magnetic resonance image (MRI). RESULTS: The high LM group showed more significant improvement in VAS score for lower back pain than the low LM group. In contrast, the VAS score for leg pain demonstrated no statistical significance. The high LM group showed more significant improvement in ODI postoperatively than the medium group. The severe FI group showed more significant improvement in ODI postoperatively, whereas the less severe FI group showed more significant improvement in the sagittal balance postoperatively. CONCLUSION: Patients with high LM and mild FI ratio observed on preoperative MRI demonstrated more favorable clinical and radiographic outcomes after lumbar interbody fusion. Therefore, preoperative paraspinal muscle condition should be considered when planning lumbar interbody fusion.

Development of polycaprolactone grafts with improved physical properties and body stability using a screw extrusion-type 3D bioprinter.

Three-dimensional (3D) bioprinter including screw extruder was developed, and the polycaprolactone (PCL) grafts fabricated by screw-type and pneumatic pressure-type bioprinters were comparatively evaluated. The density and tensile strength of the single layers printed by the screw-type were 14.07% and 34.76% higher, respectively, than those of the single layers produced by the pneumatic pressure-type. The adhesive force, tensile strength, and bending strength of the PCL grafts printed by the screw-type bioprinter were 2.72 times, 29.89%, and 67.76% higher, respectively, than those of the PCL grafts prepared by the pneumatic pressure-type bioprinter. By evaluating the consistency with the original image of the PCL grafts, we found that it had a value of about 98.35%. The layer width of the printing structure was 485.2 ± 0.004919 µm, which was 99.5% to 101.8% compared to the set value (500 µm), indicating high accuracy and uniformity. The printed graft had no cytotoxicity, and there were no impurities in the extract test. In the in vivo studies, the tensile strength of the sample 12 months after implantation was reduced by 50.37% and 85.43% compared to the initial point of the sample printed by the screw-type and the pneumatic pressure-type, respectively. Through observing the fractures of the samples at 9- and 12-month samples, we found that the PCL grafts prepared by the screw-type had better in vivo stability. Therefore, the printing system developed in this study can be used as a treatment for regenerative medicine.

Mid-term efficacy and safety of Escherichia coli-derived rhBMP-2/hydroxyapatite carrier in lumbar posterolateral fusion: a randomized, multicenter study.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to evaluate the mid-term efficacy and safety of Escherichia coli-derived bone morphogenetic protein-2 (E.BMP-2)/hydroxyapatite (HA) in lumbar posterolateral fusion (PLF). METHODS: This multicenter, evaluator-blinded, observational study utilized prospectively collected clinical data. We enrolled 74 patients who underwent lumbar PLF and had previously participated in the BA06-CP01 clinical study, which compared the short-term outcomes of E.BMP-2 with an auto-iliac bone graft (AIBG). Radiographs and CT scans were analyzed to evaluate fusion grade at 12, 24, and 36 months. Visual analog scale (VAS), Oswestry disability index (ODI), and Short Form-36 (SF-36) scores were measured preoperatively and at 36 months after surgery. All adverse events in this study were assessed for its relationship with E.BMP-2. RESULTS: The fusion grade of the E.BMP-2 group (4.91 ± 0.41) was superior to that of the AIBG group (4.25 ± 1.26) in CT scans at 36 months after surgery (p = 0.007). Non-union cases were 4.3% in the E.BMP-2 and 16.7% in the AIBG. Both groups showed improvement in pain VAS, ODI, and SF-36 scores when compared to the baseline values, and there were no statistically significant differences between the two groups. No treatment-related serious adverse reactions were observed in either group. No neoplasm-related adverse events occurred in the E.BMP-2 group. CONCLUSIONS: The fusion quality of E.BMP-2/HA was superior to that of AIBG. E.BMP-2/HA showed comparable mid-term outcomes to that of AIBG in terms of efficacy and safety in one-level lumbar PLF surgery.

BMP-2 Induced Signaling Pathways and Phenotypes: Comparisons Between Senescent and Non-senescent Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cells.

The use of BMP-2 in orthopedic surgery is limited by uncertainty surrounding its effects on the differentiation of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and how this is affected by cellular aging. This study compared the effects of recombinant human BMP-2 (rhBMP-2) on osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation between senescent and non-senescent MSCs. Senescent and non-senescent MSCs were cultured in osteogenic and adipogenic differentiation medium containing various concentrations of rhBMP-2. The phenotypes of these cells were compared by performing a calcium assay, adipogenesis assay, staining, real-time PCR, western blotting, and microarray analysis. rhBMP-2 induced osteogenic differentiation to a lesser extent (P < 0.001 and P = 0.005 for alkaline phosphatase activity and Ca2+ release) in senescent MSCs regardless of dose-dependent increase in both cells. However, the induction of adipogenic differentiation by rhBMP-2 was comparable between them. There was no difference between these two groups of cells in the adipogenesis assay (P = 0.279) and their expression levels of PPARγ were similar. Several genes such as CHRDL1, NOG, SMAD1, SMAD7, and FST encoding transcription factors were proposed to underlie the different responses of senescent and non-senescent MSCs to rhBMP-2 in microarray analyses. Furthermore, inflammatory, adipogenic, or cell death-related signaling pathways such as NF-kB or p38-MAPK pathways were upregulated by BMP-2 in senescent MSCs, whereas bone forming signaling pathways involving BMP, SMAD, and TGF- ß were upregulated in non-senescent MSCs as expected. This phenomenon explains bone forming dominance by non-senescent MSCs and possible frequent complications such as seroma, osteolysis, or neuritis in senescent MSCs during BMP-2 use in orthopedic surgery.

Differences between simple trapeziectomy and trapeziectomy with ligament reconstruction and tendon interposition for the treatment of trapeziometacarpal osteoarthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The optimal management of trapeziometacarpal osteoarthritis remains controversial. This systematic review and meta-analysis assessed the subjective and objective outcomes and complications of simple trapeziectomy (T) versus trapeziectomy with ligament reconstruction and tendon interposition (T + LRTI). METHODS: The PubMed, Embase, Web of science, and Cochrane electronic databases were searched from inception to Aug 31, 2020. Key words included "osteoarthrosis", "carpometacarpal joint", and "trapeziectomy". Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and controlled clinical trials (CCTs) including patients treated for trapeziometacarpal osteoarthritis were included. The subjective outcomes (visual analog scale [VAS] and disabilities of the arm, shoulder, and hand questionnaire scores), objective outcomes (grip strength, tip, and key pinch strength) and complications were extracted. The methodological quality of each was assessed independently. Meta-analysis was performed for comparative trials. The protocol for this meta-analysis is available in PROSPERO (CRD42020195752). RESULTS: From the 8 included studies (7 RCTs, 1 CCT), 656 cases were divided into T (n = 325) and T + LRTI (n = 331) groups. Compared with the T group, grip and tip pinch strength was better in the T + LRTI group (SMD = - 2.74, 95% confidence interval (CI) (- 3.46 to - 2.02), P < 0.00001) and (SMD = - 0.21, 95% CI (- 0.34 to - 0.08), P = 0.002), respectively, but there were significantly more complications 3 months after operation in the T + LRTI group (RR = 0.50, 95% CI (0.31 to 0.80), P = 0.004). The VAS score (SMD = 0.33, 95% CI (- 0.39 to 1.04), P = 0.37), DASH (SMD = - 1.86, 95% CI (- 7.59 to 3.87), P = 0.52), key pinch strength (SMD = - 0.13, 95% CI (- 0.28 to 0.01), P = 0.07), and incidence of complications 1 year after operation (RR = 0.83, 95% CI (0.53-1.29), P = 0.41) were not significantly different between the two groups. CONCLUSION: While the T + LRTI group demonstrated a better effect in grip and tip pinch strength at the one-year follow-up, there was no statistical difference in key pinch strength, pain relief, and DASH. Furthermore, T + LRTI has more latrogenic injury, more short-term postoperative complications, and higher surgical costs. Considered comprehensively, if there is no special strength requirement, we recommend simple trapeziectomy.

An Updated Overview of Low Back Pain Management.

We aimed to determine the recommendation level for the treatment of acute and chronic low back pain (LBP). A systematic review (SR) of the literature was performed and all English-language articles that discuss acute and chronic LBP, including MEDLINE and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, were searched. Of the 873 searched literature reports, 259 articles, including 131 clinical trials, 115 SRs, nine meta-analyses, and four clinical guidelines were analyzed. In these articles, high-quality randomized controlled trials, SRs, and used well-written clinical guidelines were reviewed. The results indicated multiple acute and chronic LBP treatment methods in the literature, and these reports when reviewed included general behavior, pharmacological therapy, psychological therapy, specific exercise, active rehabilitation and educational interventions, manual therapy, physical modalities, and invasive procedures. The Trial conclusions and SRs were classified into four categories of A, B, C, and D. If there were not enough high-quality articles, it was designated as "I" (insufficient). This review and summary of guidelines may be beneficial for physicians to better understand and make recommendations in primary care.

The influence of smoking and alcohol on bone healing: Systematic review and meta-analysis of non-pathological fractures.

BACKGROUND: We aimed to comprehensively evaluate the associations between (i) smoking, (ii) preoperative smoking cessation time, (iii) nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), (iv) vaping, and (v) alcohol consumption and non-pathological fracture healing in adult patients. We also assessed the impacts of preoperative smoking cessation time, NRT, and vaping on wound healing and wound complications after any sort of surgery. METHODS: We searched the MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane CENTRAL, CINAHL, and AMED electronic databases from their inceptions until August 9th, 2021. Primary outcomes included delayed union rate, nonunion rate, and time to union. A random effects model was used. (Protocol registration: PROSPERO-CRD42019131454). FINDINGS: One hundred and twenty-two studies with 417,767 patients were eligible for the systematic review and 71 of the studies with 39,920 patients were eligible for the meta-analysis. After non-pathological fracture treatment, the nonunion rate was significantly greater in the smoker group than in the non-smoker group (odds ratio [OR], 2·50, 95% confidence interval [1·73-3·61]); additionally, there was no significant difference in the nonunion rate (OR, 0·97 [0·40-2·38]) between the alcohol drinker group and the non-drinker group. The rate of wound infection after surgery was significantly reduced in the smoking cessation group (≥four weeks before surgery) compared to the continuous smoker group (OR, 0·37 [0·16-0·89]). INTERPRETATION: Smoking is associated with higher rates of nonunion and deep surgical site infection after non-pathological fracture treatment. Smoking cessation (≥four weeks before surgery) is associated with a decreased rate of postoperative wound infection. FUNDING: The China Scholarship Council (no. 201809120013).

Efficacy of various core decompression techniques versus non-operative treatment for osteonecrosis of the femoral head: a systemic review and network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

BACKGROUND: Various Joint-preserving therapy (JPT) methods have been performed and tried in recent decades, but their results and efficacy were inconsistent and controversial. The purpose of this study is to evaluate its effectiveness and whether there are statistical differences in treatment between different interventions based on published RCT studies. METHODS: Following the PRISMA-NMA checklist, Medline, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases were searched and collected related RCT studies. The sources were searched from inception up to October 30, 2020. The primary outcomes including the rate of radiographic progression and conversion to THA and the secondary outcome -Harris Hip Scores (HHS) were extracted and compared in a Network meta-analysis. RESULTS: Seventeen RCT studies involving 784 patients (918 hips) with seven interventions including CD (core decompression), CD + BG (bone graft), CD + TI (tantalum rod implantation), CD + CT (Cell therapy), CD + BG + CT, VBG (vascularized bone graft), and nonsurgical or conservative treatment for ONFH were evaluated. In the radiographic progression results, CD + CT showed a relatively better result than CD, CD + BG and non-surgical treatment, the surface under the cumulative ranking curve (SUCRA) plot displayed that CD + CT (96.4%) was the best, followed by CD (64.1%).In conversion to THA results, there were no significant differences between the JPT methods and non-surgical treatment. In HHS, there was also no significant difference, other than CD + BG showed a statistical difference than non-surgical treatment only in terms of Cis, but the SUCRA was highest in non-surgical treatment (80.5%) followed by CD + CT (72.8%). CONCLUSIONS: This Net-work meta-analysis demonstrated that there was no statistical difference in the outcome of radiographic progression and conversion to THA, also in HHS, other than CD + CT showed a relatively superior result in radiographic progression than nonsurgical treatment, namely, it's maybe an effective method for delaying disease progression or reducing disease development based on current evidence.

Effect of Whitlockite as a new bone substitute for bone formation in spinal fusion and ectopic ossification animal model.

BACKGROUND: Bone substrates like hydroxyapatite and tricalcium phosphate have been widely used for promoting spinal fusion and reducing the complications caused by autograft. Whitlockite has been reported to promote better bone formation in rat calvaria models compare with them, but no study investigated its effect on spinal fusion yet. Also, the higher osteoinductivity of whitlockite raised concern of ectopic ossification, which was a complication of spinal fusion surgery that should be avoided. METHODS: In this study, we compared the osteoinductivity of whitlockite, hydroxyapatite, and tricalcium phosphate porous particles with SD rat spine posterolateral fusion model and investigated whether whitlockite could induce ectopic ossification with SD rat abdominal pouch model. RESULTS: The micro-CT result from the posterolateral fusion model showed whitlockite had slightly but significantly higher percent bone volume than tricalcium phosphate, though none of the materials formed successful fusion with surrounding bone tissue. The histology results showed the bone formed on the cortical surface of the transverse process but did not form a bridge between the processes. The result from the abdominal pouch model showed whitlockite did not induce ectopic bone formation. CONCLUSION: Whitlockite had a potential of being a better bone substrate hydroxyapatite and tricalcium phosphate in spinal fusion with low risk of inducing ectopic ossification.

Three-dimensional printed polylactic acid scaffold integrated with BMP-2 laden hydrogel for precise bone regeneration.

BACKGROUND: Critical bone defects remain challenges for clinicians, which cannot heal spontaneously and require medical intervention. Following the development of three-dimensional (3D) printing technology is widely used in bone tissue engineering for its outstanding customizability. The 3D printed scaffolds were usually accompanied with growth factors, such as bone morphometric protein 2 (BMP-2), whose effects have been widely investigated on bone regeneration. We previously fabricated and investigated the effect of a polylactic acid (PLA) cage/Biogel scaffold as a carrier of BMP-2. In this study, we furtherly investigated the effect of another shape of PLA cage/Biogel scaffold as a carrier of BMP-2 in a rat calvaria defect model and an ectopic ossification (EO) model. METHOD: The PLA scaffold was printed with a basic commercial 3D printer, and the PLA scaffold was combined with gelatin and alginate-based Biogel and BMP-2 to induce bone regeneration. The experimental groups were divided into PLA scaffold, PLA scaffold with Biogel, PLA scaffold filled with BMP-2, and PLA scaffold with Biogel and BMP-2 and were tested both in vitro and in vivo. One-way ANOVA with Bonferroni post-hoc analysis was used to determine whether statistically significant difference exists between groups. RESULT: The in vitro results showed the cage/Biogel scaffold released BMP-2 with an initial burst release and followed by a sustained slow-release pattern. The released BMP-2 maintained its osteoinductivity for at least 14 days. The in vivo results showed the cage/Biogel/BMP-2 group had the highest bone regeneration in the rat calvarial defect model and EO model. Especially, the bone regenerated more regularly in the EO model at the implanted sites, which indicated the cage/Biogel had an outstanding ability to control the shape of regenerated bone. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, the 3D printed PLA cage/Biogel scaffold system was proved to be a proper carrier for BMP-2 that induced significant bone regeneration and induced bone formation following the designed shape.

Comparison of demineralized bone matrix and hydroxyapatite as carriers of Escherichia coli recombinant human BMP-2.

BACKGROUND: Autograft has been widely used in various orthopedic and dental surgery for its superior osteogenicity, osteoinductivity and osteoconductivity. But the available volume of the autograft is limited and the efficacy of it is highly affected by the condition of the patients. Therefore, growth factors such as Escherichia coli bone morphogenetic protein-2 (ErhBMP-2) has been widely used in some countries and regions with various carriers that could affect the effects of the growth factors. Demineralized bone matrix (DBM) has been widely used as a bone graft substitute and growth factor carrier, but its effect as a carrier of ErhBMP-2 was less investigated. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Rat calvaria defect model was used in this study. We implanted ErhBMP-2 with DBM or hydroxyapatite (HA) as a carrier in 8 mm calvaria defect and compared their bone regeneration effect in 4th week and 8th week after implantation with micro-CT and histology. The data was analyzed with one-way ANOVA method with Bonferroni post-hoc analysis. RESULT: The group with DBM as the carrier showed significantly higher bone volume and bone thickness than the groups with HA as the carrier in both weeks. And the histology sections showed less adipose tissue formed in the groups with DBM as the carrier. CONCLUSION: DBM could be a better carrier for ErhBMP-2 than HA.

Association between Osteoporotic Vertebral Compression Fractures and Age, Bone Mineral Density, and European Quality of Life-5 Dimensions in Korean Postmenopausal Women: A Nationwide Cross-sectional Observational Study.

BACKGROUD: The purpose of this study was to investigate the characteristics of osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (OVCFs) in Korean postmenopausal women and the association between OVCFs and clinical factors such as age, bone mineral density (BMD), and quality of life. METHODS: According to the population distribution in four regions in Korea, 1,281 postmenopausal female patients were recruited from nationwide orthopedic outpatient clinics. Radiologic, asymptomatic, and within 3 months of OVCF groups were analyzed based on age, fracture location, and prevalence according to BMD. In addition, BMD, T-score, body mass index, and European Quality of Life-5 Dimensions (EQ-5D) were investigated in the three groups, and the differences between groups were compared and analyzed. RESULTS: The prevalence of radiologic OVCFs at the T11-L1 was 3.7 times higher in the 70s group (44.0%) than in the 50s group (11.9%). Femur and total hip BMD were significantly lower in patients with thoracolumbar junction fractures than in patients with L2-5 fractures, whereas no difference was observed in lumbar spine BMD. Of the three OVCF groups, the within 3 months of OVCF group had the lowest lumbar spine T-score of -2.445. The asymptomatic OVCF group also showed significantly lower lumbar spine T-score than did the group without radiologic OVCFs (p < 0.001). The EQ-5D showed a significant decrease in the radiologic OVCF group (p < 0.001) and within 3 months of OVCF group (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of OVCFs in the thoracolumbar junction rapidly increases with old age and low BMD in Korean postmenopausal women. Femur and total hip BMD are more predictive of thoracolumbar junction fractures than lumbar spine BMD. Patients with radiologic OVCFs had a significantly lower quality of life than no OVCF group. Therefore, this study shows it is important to treat and prevent osteoporosis before an OVCF occurs.

Correlation between two-dimensional micro-CT and histomorphometry for assessment of the implant osseointegration in rabbit tibia model.

BACKGROUND: Histology is considered as a gold standard for analyzing bone architecture. However, histomorphometry is a destructive method and only offers the bone information of a limited location. Micro-computed tomography (µCT) is a non-destructive technology and provides a slice at any site. The aim of this study was to compare the correlation of the Bone-to-Implant Contact ratio (BIC) between 2D micro-CT (µCT) and histomorphometry and to investigate a method for assessing the osseointegration of the implant by 2D µCT. METHODS: A total of 18 implants were divided into three groups (6 implants per group), and inserted into the rabbit tibia defects as follow: implant only (Implant group), implant with ß-TCP/hydrogel (TCP group), implant with rhBMP-2 loaded ß-TCP/hydrogel composite (BMP-2 group). After 4 weeks of implantation, the specimens were collected to take the micro-CT scan with an aluminum filter and performed H&E staining on the undecalcified sections. The 2D µCT slices were chosen at an angle of 0°, 45°, 90° and 135° with the representative histological section to measure BIC. And the correlations between BICs of 2D µCT and BICs of histology were evaluated. RESULTS: In each group, BICs at the same sites measured by histomorphometry and corresponding 2D µCT presented the same trend and shown no significant difference between the two methods (P > 0.05). BICs of histological sections and BICs of corresponding 2D µCT slices presented a strong correlation in the implant group (γ = 0.74, P = 0.09), a moderate correlation in the TCP group (γ = 0.46, P = 0.35), a weak correlation in the BMP-2 group (γ = 0.30, P = 0.56). In the implant group, the relationship between BIC-Mean-µCTs and BICs-Histology has presented a significant linear correlation (γ = 0.84, P = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: Integrating bone information of several 2D µCT slices in different sites to measure BIC is a feasible method for assessing the implant osseointegration.

Coexisting Spine Lesions on Whole Spine T2 Sagittal MRI in Evaluating Spinal Degenerative Disease.

BACKGROUND: Studies have reported on the usefulness of whole spine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in evaluating specific diseases such as spinal tuberculosis, spinal trauma, spondyloarthropathies, and multiple myeloma. In studies concerning degenerative spinal disease, sample sizes were small and some did not provide information on how symptomatic coexisting lesions were treated. We evaluated the types and prevalence of coexisting spine lesions found on whole spine T2 sagittal screening performed at the time of routine cervical and lumbar spine MRI and evaluated the efficacy of such screening in degenerative diseases of the cervical and lumbar spine. METHODS: We reviewed 1,757 and 2,266 consecutive cases where whole spine T2 sagittal screening had been performed with routine cervical and lumbar spine MRI, respectively, in patients with cervical and lumbar spinal degenerative diseases. Coexisting spine lesions were documented and statistical analysis was performed to investigate significant differences according to sex, age, and initial diagnosis. Electronic medical records were reviewed to determine whether additional interventions were necessary following such findings. RESULTS: We reviewed 1,252 and 1,689 consecutive cases of routine cervical and lumbar spine MRI respectively, with whole spine T2 sagittal screening. Of the 1,252, 419 (33.5%) patients with cervical spinal degenerative disease had coexisting lesions in the thoracolumbar spine. Patients with ligament ossification disease of the cervical spine showed a higher prevalence of coexisting spine lesions. Sixty of the 419 (14.3%) patients with coexisting spine lesions warranted additional intervention or surgical treatment. Four hundred and eighty-one of 1,689 (28.5%) patients with lumbar degenerative disease had coexisting spine lesions in the cervicothoracic spine. Forty-eight of the 481 (10.0%) patients with coexisting spine lesions warranted additional intervention. In both patient groups, older patients showed a significantly higher prevalence of coexisting spine lesions than younger patients. CONCLUSION: Considering the minimal extra time and cost in performing whole spine screening, its application to routine spine MRI can be considered in evaluating cervical and lumbar spinal degenerative diseases.

Osteogenic Response of MC3T3-E1 and Raw264.7 in the 3D-Encapsulated Co-Culture Environment.

BACKGROUND: Three-dimensional (3D) in vitro cultures recapitulate the physiological microenvironment and exhibit high concordance with in vivo conditions. Improving co-culture models with different kind of cell types cultured on a 3D scaffold can closely mimic the in vivo environment. In this study, we examined the osteogenic response of pre-osteoblast MC3T3-E1 cells and Raw264.7 mouse monocytes in a 3D-encapsulated co-culture environment composed of the Cellrix® 3D culture system, which provides a physiologically relevant environment. METHODS: The Cellrix® 3D Bio-Gel scaffolds were used to individually culture or co-culture two type cells in 3D microenvironment. Under 3D culture conditions, osteoblastic behavior was evaluated with an ALP assay and staining. ACP assay and TRAP staining were used as osteoclastic behavior indicator. RESULTS: Treatment with osteoblastic induction factors (+3F) and RANKL had on positively effect on alkaline phosphatase activity but significantly inhibited to acid phosphatase activity during osteoclastic differentiation in 3D co-culture. Interestingly, alkaline phosphatase activity or acid phosphatase activity in 3D co-culture was stimulated with opposite differentiation factors at an early stage of differentiation. We guess that these effects may be related to RANK-RANKL signaling, which is important in osteoblast regulation of osteoclasts. CONCLUSION: In this study, the osteogenic response of 3D encapsulated pre-osteoblast MC3T3-E1 cells and mouse monocyte Raw264.7 cells was successfully demonstrated. Our 3D culture conditions will be able to provide a foundation for developing a high-throughput in vitro bone model to study the effects of various drugs and other agents on molecular pathways.

Madelung Disease Epidemiology and Clinical Characteristics: a Systemic Review.

BACKGROUND: Madelung disease is a rare lipid metabolic disorder, and most cases are sporadically reported. There are currently no systematic reviews summarizing the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of this disease. The purpose of the current article is to extract and analyze the existing evidence concerning Madelung disease derived from case series in order to provide adequate treatments for patients based on a more comprehensive understanding of the disease. METHODS: PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science databases were queried for relevant articles using the search terms "Madelung disease," "multiple symmetric lipomatosis," "Launois-Bensaude syndrome" and synonyms until Aug 31,2020. Data statistics of Madelung disease epidemiology and clinical characteristics are summarized in different tables or charts with Microsoft Office software. RESULTS: Patients exhibiting Madelung disease were mostly located in Europe, although some records existed in Asia as well. Average patient age was between 45 and 65 years old. Type I was the most common form of the disease, and the neck was the most common location for tumors. Madelung disease is associated with various metabolic disorders, and hematoma and seroma were the most common complications. Overall recurrence rate was 18.3%, with similar recurrence rates after lipectomy and liposuction. Fewer complications occurred after liposuction compared with lipectomy, but relapse was more common after liposuction. CONCLUSION: Madelung disease consists of specific epidemiological and clinical characteristics, knowledge of which can be helpful for diagnosis and cognition. Lipectomy and liposuction are considered to be the most effective treatment methods for Madelung disease; however, choice of surgery should be based on comprehensive consideration of the disease, such as severity, mass location, and patient expectations. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE IV: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each article. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .