Freeze-Drying Process for the Fabrication of Collagen-Based Sponges as Medical Devices in Biomedical Engineering.

This paper presents a systematic review of a key sector of the much promising and rapidly evolving field of biomedical engineering, specifically on the fabrication of three-dimensional open, porous collagen-based medical devices, using the prominent freeze-drying process. Collagen and its derivatives are the most popular biopolymers in this field, as they constitute the main components of the extracellular matrix, and therefore exhibit desirable properties, such as biocompatibility and biodegradability, for in vivo applications. For this reason, freeze-dried collagen-based sponges with a wide variety of attributes can be produced and have already led to a wide range of successful commercial medical devices, chiefly for dental, orthopedic, hemostatic, and neuronal applications. However, collagen sponges display some vulnerabilities in other key properties, such as low mechanical strength and poor control of their internal architecture, and therefore many studies focus on the settlement of these defects, either by tampering with the steps of the freeze-drying process or by combining collagen with other additives. Furthermore, freeze drying is still considered a high-cost and time-consuming process that is often used in a non-optimized manner. By applying an interdisciplinary approach and combining advances in other technological fields, such as in statistical analysis, implementing the Design of Experiments, and Artificial Intelligence, the opportunity arises to further evolve this process in a sustainable and strategic manner, and optimize the resulting products as well as create new opportunities in this field.

ssDNA-Modified Gold Nanoparticles as a Tool to Detect miRNA Biomarkers in Osteoarthritis.

Recently, miRNAs have been established as promising, specific biomarkers for the diagnosis of many diseases, including osteoarthritis. Herein, we report a ssDNA-based detection method for miRNAs implicated in osteoarthritis, specifically, miR-93 and miR-223. In this study, gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) were modified with oligonucleotide ssDNA to detect miRNAs circulating in the blood in healthy subjects and patients suffering from osteoarthritis. The detection method was based on the colorimetric and spectrophotometric assessment of biofunctionalized AuNPs upon interaction with the target and their subsequent aggregation. Results showed that these methods could be used to detect easily and rapidly miR-93 but not miR-223 in osteoarthritic patients, and they could potentially be used as a diagnostic tool for blood biomarkers. Visual-based detection as well as spectroscopic methods are simple, rapid, and label-free, due to which they can be used as a diagnostic tool.

Experience gained from the implementation of the fracture liaison service in Greece.

INTRODUCTION: We present the second implementation of a fracture liaison service (FLS) at a national level in Greece. METHODS: This was a multicenter prospective study, organized by the Hellenic Society for the Study of Bone Metabolism, aiming to investigate the tracking and outcome of patients with low-trauma fractures visiting four university orthopedic departments across the country. The primary endpoint was the participation rate of eligible patients with low-trauma fractures in the program within a time frame of 1 year. Secondary outcomes included the percentage of patients initiating osteoporosis treatment, adherence to treatment, and the percentage of patients experiencing subsequent fractures. A major difference with previous reports was the designed implication of the orthopedic surgeon managing the fracture. RESULTS: Among the 1350 eligible patients with major osteoporotic fractures, only 396 (29.3%; mean age 78.1 ± 11.6 years; female/male ratio: 4.4) agreed to participate, nearly all of the latter (n = 392) completing the study. With the exception of seven patients, all participants were receiving anti-osteoporotic treatment at the end of the study. Twelve new fractures were recorded at completion of the 12-month follow-up, which were all sustained in patients who either declined to receive anti-osteoporotic treatment or who discontinued treatment despite advice to the contrary. CONCLUSION: The participation rate remains low and needs improvement. However, we report herein that whenever the treating physician is involved in the FLS structure, patients are more easily convinced to complete the program, to receive anti-osteoporotic treatment, and to stay connected throughout with the outpatient clinic.

Lipoma Arborescens of the Knee: Report of Three Cases and Review of the Literature.

Lipoma arborescens is a chronic, slow-growing, intra-articular lesion of benign nature, which is characterized by villous proliferation of the synovium, with replacement of the subsynovial connective tissue by mature fat cells. It usually involves the suprapatellar pouch of the knee joint. It is not a neoplasm but is rather considered a nonspecific reactive response to chronic synovial irritation, due to either mechanical or inflammatory insults. We report three cases of lipoma arborescens affecting the knee, the first in a young male without previous history of arthritis or trauma, the second in a 58-year-old male associated with osteoarthritis, and the final in a 44-year-old male diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis, which cover the entire pathologic spectrum of this unusual entity. We highlight the clinical findings and imaging features, by emphasizing especially the role of MRI, in the differential diagnosis of other, more complex intra-articular masses.