SLAP Injury and the Superior Labrum.

Injuries around the superior labrum are a common cause of shoulder dysfunction and pain. The injuries sustained result mainly from repetitive microtrauma but can also occur following a fall on outstretched hand. Both athletic and general populations can be affected. Injuries to the superior labrum are called superior labrum anterior and posterior (SLAP) tears. Based on cross-sectional imaging findings, the literature defines four main SLAP tears (I-IV) and six extended types (V-X). An accurate description of imaging findings of the SLAP tear type, along with concomitant findings, aids clinicians in treatment planning. We also briefly discuss management options, postoperative appearance of superior labral repair, and the diagnosis of a retear.

Chondromyxoid fibroma of the iliac bone: a brief radiological review.

Chondromyxoid fibroma (CMF) is a rare, benign bone tumour most commonly located within the metaphyseal region of the long bones surrounding the knee joint. Here, we present an interesting case of a young woman in her early 20s with CMF of the left iliac bone and include a literature review of comparable studies with an emphasis on radiological findings and important differential diagnoses to be aware of in this atypical location.

Efficacy and safety of once-daily nitisinone for patients with alkaptonuria (SONIA 2): an international, multicentre, open-label, randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Alkaptonuria is a rare, genetic, multisystem disease characterised by the accumulation of homogentisic acid (HGA). No HGA-lowering therapy has been approved to date. The aim of SONIA 2 was to investigate the efficacy and safety of once-daily nitisinone for reducing HGA excretion in patients with alkaptonuria and to evaluate whether nitisinone has a clinical benefit. METHODS: SONIA 2 was a 4-year, open-label, evaluator-blind, randomised, no treatment controlled, parallel-group study done at three sites in the UK, France, and Slovakia. Patients aged 25 years or older with confirmed alkaptonuria and any clinical disease manifestations were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive either oral nitisinone 10 mg daily or no treatment. Patients could not be masked to treatment due to colour changes in the urine, but the study was evaluator-blinded as far as possible. The primary endpoint was daily urinary HGA excretion (u-HGA24) after 12 months. Clinical evaluation Alkaptonuria Severity Score Index (cAKUSSI) score was assessed at 12, 24, 36, and 48 months. Efficacy variables were analysed in all randomly assigned patients with a valid u-HGA24 measurement at baseline. Safety variables were analysed in all randomly assigned patients. The study was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT01916382). FINDINGS: Between May 7, 2014, and Feb 16, 2015, 139 patients were screened, of whom 138 were included in the study, with 69 patients randomly assigned to each group. 55 patients in the nitisinone group and 53 in the control group completed the study. u-HGA24 at 12 months was significantly decreased by 99·7% in the nitisinone group compared with the control group (adjusted geometric mean ratio of nitisinone/control 0·003 [95% CI 0·003 to 0·004], p<0·0001). At 48 months, the increase in cAKUSSI score from baseline was significantly lower in the nitisinone group compared with the control group (adjusted mean difference -8·6 points [-16·0 to -1·2], p=0·023). 400 adverse events occurred in 59 (86%) patients in the nitisinone group and 284 events occurred in 57 (83%) patients in the control group. No treatment-related deaths occurred. INTERPRETATION: Nitisinone 10 mg daily was well tolerated and effective in reducing urinary excretion of HGA. Nitisinone decreased ochronosis and improved clinical signs, indicating a slower disease progression. FUNDING: European Commission Seventh Framework Programme.

Skeletal Metastases and Benign Mimics on NaF PET/CT: A Pictorial Review.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this article is to present examples in which sodium fluoride labelled with 18F (NaF) bone PET/CT would be a useful adjunct to guide complex clinical decisions about the staging, restaging, and treatment approach for patients with skeletal metastases and benign causes of NaF activity that can be mistaken for bone metastases. We present a pictorial review of selected cases of this cohort of patients. CONCLUSION: NaF PET/CT hybrid fusion imaging is extremely useful in identifying potential causes of pain in patients with malignancies that have an affinity for skeletal metastases. This technique can help detect bone metastases, in problem solving, and to direct appropriate management.

A Unique Case of Melorheostosis Presenting with Two Radiologically Distinct Lesions in the Shoulder.

Melorheostosis is a rare, nonhereditary, benign, mesenchymal condition of unknown aetiology affecting the bones and surrounding tissues. A male patient complaining of left shoulder pain, swelling, and mildly limited range of motion has an exclusive combination of the classic dripping wax lesion in the scapula and the myositis ossificans-like lesion in the deltoid muscle; this combination is the first to be reported in the shoulder. Both lesions showed typical findings of melorheostosis in radiographs, CT, MRI, and bone scan. This case has a stationary course over the follow-up period, and no specific treatment is needed in due course.

Giant schwannomas of the sciatic nerve.

We report a very rare case of giant schwannomas of the sciatic nerve in a 39-year-old woman who presented with increasing swelling and discomfort in the posterior aspect of her right thigh. We demonstrate that even with such large tumours, surgical excision could be successfully carried out to resolve all symptoms while causing no permanent nerve damage. It remains paramount that large soft tissue tumours get referred to a sarcoma centre and be managed by a specialist multidisciplinary team.

Ischiofemoral impingement due to a lipoma of the ischiofemoral space.

Non-focal hip and groin pain can frequently be a diagnostic problem, particularly if it is related to uncommon causes such as ischiofemoral impingement. The vast majority of published cases of ischiofemoral impingement are caused by osseous changes of the ischiofemoral interval. We describe an unusual case of ischiofemoral impingement caused by an intermuscular lipoma. Surgical resection of the tumour and histology confirmed the lipomatous nature of the tumour, with subsequent resolution of symptoms. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of a lipoma causing ischiofemoral impingement described in the English literature and emphasises that impingement can occur on the basis of a soft tissue mass occupying the interval of otherwise normal osseous interval and boundaries.

Nose-to-Brain Delivery: Investigation of the Transport of Nanoparticles with Different Surface Characteristics and Sizes in Excised Porcine Olfactory Epithelium.

The ability to deliver therapeutically relevant amounts of drugs directly from the nasal cavity to the central nervous system to treat neurological diseases is dependent on the availability of efficient drug delivery systems. Increased delivery and/or therapeutic effect has been shown for drugs encapsulated in nanoparticles; however, the factors governing the transport of the drugs and/or the nanoparticles from the nasal cavity to the brain are not clear. The present study evaluates the potential transport of nanoparticles across the olfactory epithelium in relation to nanoparticle characteristics. Model systems, 20, 100, and 200 nm fluorescent carboxylated polystyrene (PS) nanoparticles that were nonmodified or surface modified with polysorbate 80 (P80-PS) or chitosan (C-PS), were assessed for transport across excised porcine olfactory epithelium mounted in a vertical Franz diffusion cell. Assessment of the nanoparticle content in the donor chamber of the diffusion cell, accompanied by fluorescence microscopy of dismounted tissues, revealed a loss of nanoparticle content from the donor suspension and their association with the excised tissue, depending on the surface properties and particle size. Chitosan surface modification of PS nanoparticles resulted in the highest tissue association among the tested systems, with the associated nanoparticles primarily located in the mucus, whereas the polysorbate 80-modified nanoparticles showed some penetration into the epithelial cell layer. Assessment of the bioelectrical properties, metabolic activity, and histology of the excised olfactory epithelium showed that C-PS nanoparticles applied in pH 6.0 buffer produced a damaging effect on the epithelial cell layer in a size-dependent manner, with fine 20 nm sized nanoparticles causing substantial tissue damage relative to that with the 100 and 200 nm counterparts. Although histology showed that the olfactory tissue was affected by the application of citrate buffer that was augmented by addition of chitosan in solution, this was not reflected in the bioelectrical parameters and the metabolic activity of the tissue. Regarding transport across the excised olfactory tissue, none of the nanoparticle systems tested, irrespective of particle size or surface modification, was transported across the epithelium to appear in measurable amounts in the receiver chamber.

Microinstability and internal impingement of the shoulder.

Internal impingement refers to entrapment of the rotator cuff and capsulolabral structures between the glenoid and humeral head in certain positions of the shoulder. This may be a normal physiologic phenomenon. However, it may occur as a pathologic process, especially in sports with repetitive overhead activity. The two types of internal impingement are posterosuperior and anterosuperior, with established radiologic manifestations. These conditions were initially thought to be due to repetitive mechanical entrapment. Subsequent observational studies have led to the concepts of microinstability and glenohumeral internal rotatory deficit. Controversy remains regarding the exact pathophysiology, reflected in the variable outcomes in the treatment of these syndromes. The reporting radiologist must be aware of the constellation of image findings to alert the referring physician to the possibility of microinstability and internal impingement.

Nanoparticles for direct nose-to-brain delivery of drugs.

This review aims to evaluate the evidence for the existence of a direct nose-to-brain delivery route for nanoparticles administered to the nasal cavity and transported via the olfactory epithelium and/or via the trigeminal nerves directly to the CNS. This is relevant in the field of drug delivery as well as for new developments in nanotechnology. Experiments in animal models have shown that nano-sized drug delivery systems can enhance nose-to-brain delivery of drugs compared to equivalent drug solutions formulations. Protection of the drug from degradation and/or efflux back into the nasal cavity may partly be the reason for this effect of nanoparticles. It is uncertain, however, whether drug from the nanoparticles is being released in the nasal cavity or the nanoparticles carrying the drug are transported via the olfactory system or the trigeminal nerves into the CNS where the drug is released. Furthermore, toxicity of nanoparticulate drug delivery systems in the nasal cavity and/or in the CNS has not been extensively studied and needs to be considered carefully.

Effect of physicochemical properties on intranasal nanoparticle transit into murine olfactory epithelium.

Small molecular weight drugs, peptides, and nanoparticles have previously been shown to localize in the central nervous system after intraneural administration. A basic understanding of direct nose-to-brain drug delivery, particularly for nanoparticles with different physicochemical characteristics, remains unclear. In this study, fluorescence microscopy and stereology were used to track intranasally administered chitosan-coated polystyrene (C-PS) or polysorbate-coated polystyrene (P80-PS) nanoparticles (100 nm or 200 nm in diameter) in olfactory and respiratory nasal epithelia and olfactory bulbs in mice. Chitosan coating caused particles to adhere to the extracellular mucus which could provide useful modality for paracellular drug transport. Nanoparticle transport was exclusively transcellular. None of the nanoparticle formulations showed preference for uptake into olfactory axons over other nasal epithelial cells. Both 100 nm PS and 100 nm P80-PS were observed in olfactory epithelial cells but were absent from the olfactory bulbs; therefore, it is speculated that an optimal nanoparticle diameter for axonal transport is <100 nm in mice.