Arthroscopic inferior leaf meniscectomy of the involved anterior horn in the lateral meniscus horizontal tear via an accessary extreme far anteromedial portal.

BACKGROUND: An accessory extreme far anteromedial portal can improve visualisation and ease inferior leaf meniscectomy in patients with lateral meniscal anterior horn horizontal tears. However, the therapeutic outcomes of adding an accessory extreme far anteromedial portal remain unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical efficacy of adding an accessory extreme far anteromedial portal for treating lateral meniscal horizontal tears involving the anterior horns. METHODS: This retrospective study included 101 patients with anterior horn involvement in lateral meniscal horizontal tears who underwent arthroscopic unstable inferior leaf meniscectomy between January 2016 and December 2020. The pathologies were diagnosed using physical examinations and magnetic resonance imaging. The anterior horn involved in the lateral meniscal horizontal tears was treated using inferior leaf meniscectomy. The primary endpoints were changes in the visual analogue scale, Lysholm, International Knee Documentation Committee, and Tegner scores at the final follow-up. The secondary endpoint was meniscal cure rate at 3 months postoperatively. The preoperative and postoperative functional scores were compared. The occurrence of complications was recorded. RESULTS: All patients were followed up for an average of 4.9 ± 1.2 years (range 2.3-7.5 years). After 4 months, none of the patients experienced pain, weakness, instability, or tenderness in the lateral joint line, achieving an imaging cure rate of 98%. At the final follow-up, significant postoperative improvements were observed in the average values of the visual analogue scale score (3.5 ± 0.7 vs. 0.7 ± 0.6), Lysholm score (62.7 ± 4.4 vs. 91.8 ± 3.1), International Knee Documentation Committee score (61.9 ± 3.7 vs. 91.7 ± 9.5), and Tegner score (2.0 ± 0.7 vs. 6.1 ± 0.7). Excellent Lysholm scores were obtained in 81 patients, and good outcomes were obtained in 18 patients, with an excellent-to-good rate of 98.0%. CONCLUSIONS: Inferior leaf resection via the accessory far anteromedial portal is a safe treatment option for the involved anterior horn in lateral meniscal horizontal tears. This approach enhances visibility and facilitates surgical procedures, with minimal complications.

Clinical outcomes following direct anterior approach during total hip arthroplasty without hip extension: a retrospective comparative study.

BACKGROUND: Traditional total hip arthroplasty (THA) using the direct anterior approach (DAA) requires a hip extension. This study aimed to compare the clinical outcomes of patients undergoing THA with DAA using either the no hip extension (NHE) or the traditional hip extension (THE) strategy. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of demographics, clinical and radiological outcomes, and occurrence of complications was performed using data from 123 patients treated between January 2020 and November 2021. The patients were categorised into two groups: NHE (84 patients) and THE (39 patients). RESULTS: The NHE group exhibited shorter operative time and had more male participants with higher ages. Comparable outcomes were observed in the visual analogue scale, Harris Hip, and Oxford Hip scores at the final follow-up. Furthermore, complications were observed in the NHE and THE groups, including two and one greater trochanteric fractures and three and one transfusions, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Compared to the THE, employing the NHE strategy during THA with DAA in elderly and young female patients resulted in comparable clinical outcomes with several advantages, such as favourable surgical time. The NHE method also exhibited good safety and effectiveness. Therefore, the NHE strategy may be a favourable option for elderly and young female patients.

Unravelling the dynamics of soil microbial communities under the environmental selection and range shift process in afforestation ecosystems.

The process of forest range shift not only affects the vegetation aboveground but also influences the dynamics of belowground microbial communities. To investigate the changes in soil under forest range shift, we examined the natural forest soil microbiome along with its corresponding physicochemical properties, as well as the afforestation of natural forest by seedlings and sowing. By utilizing natural forests and employing different afforestation methods, we simulated the three stages of forest range shift: the staging stage, regeneration, and colonization. We employed network analysis and phylogenetic assemblages to examine the structure of soil microbial communities during these three stages in a macro-environmental change context. Ordination and regression analyses were also used to explore the correlation between microorganisms, environmental factors, and changes in their niches. The findings revealed that different afforestation (range shift) types led to distinct microbial compositions. Seedling afforestation exhibited similarities to mature forests, suggesting a significant influence on below-ground microorganisms. In contrast, sowing-based afforestation resulted in small changes in soil microbes, indicating a legacy effect on grassland soils. The impact of the rhizosphere on microbial composition remained consistent across the three forest types. Overall, this study underscores the significance of forest range shift in shaping soil microbial communities and emphasizes the need to consider these dynamics in forest management and restoration endeavours.

Hip effusion/synovitis influences results after multiple drilling core decompression for bone marrow edema syndrome of hip.

BACKGROUND: At present, it is not known whether hip effusion/synovitis affects the therapeutic effect of multiple drilling core decompression (MDCD) in patients with bone marrow edema syndrome of hip (BMESH). The aims were to assess hip effusion/synovitis and its relationship with results of MDCD in patients with BMESH. METHODS: The data of undergoing arthroscopic-assisted MDCD for treatment of BMESH with hip effusion/synovitis by one surgeon were retrospectively reviewed from the associated medical records at the Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University (2016-2019). Seven patients (9 hips) participated in this study. Patients were followed up at 1, 2, 3, 6, 12 and 24 months. Data included demographics and clinical outcomes. The pre- and postoperative pain and functional outcomes were measured with the visual analogue scale (VAS), Harris Hip Score (HHS), Hip Outcome Score Activities of Daily Living subscale (HOS-ADL), International Hip Outcome Tool-12 (iHOT-12) and range of motion (ROM). RESULTS: Seven patients (9 hips) were followed up. Disappearance of hip pain immediately obtained at rest after surgery. All of 7 patients returned to their former activity level at postoperative 3 months, bone marrow edema had disappeared on Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). The VAS, HHS, HOS-ADL, iHOT-12, and ROM at postoperative 1 month had a significant difference (P < 0.05) compared with preoperative. It was also statistically significant (P < 0.05) when compared with other time points. At the final follow-up, all patients had no limited ROM, which was symmetrical with the contralateral of hip joint. Hip effusion/synovitis were observed in 9 hips. Labral tears, cartilage fissure, and loose bodies were observed in 1 hip, respectively. Kirschner wire tracks bleeding occurred in 1 hip. No other complications occurred. CONCLUSIONS: Hip effusion/synovitis could affect the clinical outcomes after MDCD in patients with BMESH. Arthroscopic procedure of hip effusion/synovitis can shorten postoperative pain relief time, disappearance time of bone marrow edema on MRI. It can simultaneously diagnose and treat other concomitant intraarticular pathologies, and be a safe operation with fewer complications.

The effects of afforestation on soil bacterial communities in temperate grassland are modulated by soil chemical properties.

Grassland afforestation dramatically affects the abiotic, biotic, and ecological function properties of the original ecosystems. Interference from afforestation might disrupt the stasis of soil physicochemical properties and the dynamic balance of microbiota. Some studies have suggested low sensitivity of soil properties and bacterial community to afforestation, but the apparent lack of a significant relationship is probably due to the confounding effects of the generalist habitat and rare bacterial communities. In this study, soil chemical and prokaryotic properties in a 30-year-old Mongolia pine (Pinus sylvestris var. mongolica Litv.) afforested region and adjacent grassland in Inner Mongolia were classified and quantified. Our results indicate that the high richness of rare microbes accounts for the alpha-diversity of the soil microbiome. Few OTUs of generalist (core bacteria) and habitat-specialist bacteria are present. However, the high abundance of this small number of OTUs governs the beta-diversity of the grassland and afforested land bacterial communities. Afforestation has changed the soil chemical properties, thus indirectly affecting the soil bacterial composition rather than richness. The contents of soil P, Ca2+, and Fe3+ account for differentially abundant OTUs such as Planctomycetes and subsequent changes in the ecologically functional potential of soil bacterial communities due to grassland afforestation. We conclude that grassland afforestation has changed the chemical properties and composition of the soil and ecological functions of the soil bacterial community and that these effects of afforestation on the microbiome have been modulated by changes in soil chemical properties.

The Aboveground Vegetation Type and Underground Soil Property Mediate the Divergence of Soil Microbiomes and the Biological Interactions.

The composition of the soil microbiome is influenced by environmental (abiotic) variables and biological interactions (biotic factors). To determine whether the aboveground vegetation and soil physicochemical properties were the main determinant of beta-diversity and biological interaction of soil microbial community, we sampled soils from the temperate coniferous forest and grassland. Clustering of operational taxonomic units was conducted using 16S rRNA gene. We found that the microbial composition of the rhizospheres, in which root exudates influence the microbial environment, show lower alpha-diversity than that of nonroot soils. The nonsignificant rhizosphere effect suggested other undetermined factors or stochastic processes accounted for microbial diversity in the rhizosphere. More significant microbe-microbe interactions were observed in forest and rhizosphere soils relative to the grassland soils. The elevated number of positive correlations for relative abundances in forest soil implied beneficial associations being common among bacteria, in particular within the rhizosphere environment. The particular soil properties generated by root exudates also alter the physicochemical properties of soil such as K and pH value, and might in turn favor the adoption of teamwork-cooperation strategies for microbe-microbe interactions, represented as large clusters of positive associations among bacterial taxa. Specific biological interactions differentiated the microbiomes within forest soils. Thus, the environmental selection pressure of aboveground vegetation accounts for differences between soil microbiomes while biotic factors are responsible for fine-scale differences of the microbial community in forest soils.

Anticancer activity of bicalutamide-loaded PLGA nanoparticles in prostate cancers.

Prostate cancer is the most commonly diagnosed non-cutaneous malignancy in men in western and most developing countries. Bicalutamide (BLT) is an antineoplastic hormonal agent primarily used in the treatment of locally advanced and metastatic prostate cancers. In the present study, the aim was to develop a nanotechnology-based delivery system to target prostate cancer cells. This involved the development of a BLT-loaded poly(D,L-lactide-co-glycolide) PLGA (PLGA-BLT) nanoparticulate system in an attempt to improve the therapeutic efficacy of BLT in prostate cancer and to mitigate its toxicity. Nanosized particles with a uniform size distribution and spherical shape were developed. PLGA-BLT showed a pronounced cytotoxic effect on LNCaP and C4-2 cancer cells. The superior cell-killing effect of the nanoparticles may be attributable to their sustained drug-release characteristics and high cellular internalization. PLGA-BLT was also found to significantly inhibit colony formation in the two cell lines. Furthermore, the caspase-3 activity of PLGA-BLT treated cancer cells was enhanced, indicating the cell apoptosis-inducing potential of PLGA-BLT. Overall, these results suggest that nanotechnology-based formulations of BLT exhibit superior anticancer activity and have enormous potential in the treatment of prostate cancers.

Functional characteristics of mesenchymal stem cells derived from bone marrow of patients with myelodysplastic syndromes.

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have emerged as excellent candidates for clinical application because of their capabilities of immunomodulatory and supporting hematopoiesis. Nevertheless, it is unclear whether the characteristics of MSCs are altered in diseased states. In this study, we obtained and expanded MSCs from bone marrow of patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). Our results showed that MSCs derived from MDS (MDS-MSCs) were similar to normal adult bone marrow derived MSCs in morphology, growth property, surface epitopes, and differentiation ability in vitro. In addition, MDS-MSCs had normal karyotype and ultrastructure. However, MDS-MSCs appeared to be impaired in immunomodulatory and supporting hematopoiesis function. Although, MDS-MSCs could express hematopoietic cytokines and support hematopoiesis in long term culture, Real time quantitative polymerase chain reaction showed that the expression of hematopoietic cytokines in MDS-MSCs was much lower than that of normal adult derived MSCs. Moreover, MDS-MSCs showed reduced hematopoiesis support function, as compared to their normal counterparts. Lastly, the capacity of MDS-MSCs to inhibit T lymphocyte activation and proliferation was impaired in vitro. These results indicate that MDS-MSCs have impaired immunomodulatory and hematopoiesis support functions, suggesting their critical role in the pathogenesis of MDS.

[The statistical analysis for the use of the 55,787 finished resin teeth].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the use situation of finished resin teeth for the different location, and to provide reference for manufacturers of finished resin teeth and all the buyers. METHODS: To analyze the use situation of finished resin teeth in the Dental Laboratory of the Affiliated Hospital of Stomatology of Chongqing Medical University from January 2006 to December 2008 by using statistic methods. RESULTS: During the use of 55,787 finished resin teeth, the study found some rules. (1) The top use of finished resin teeth was D6 with the percentage of 5.31%, and the lowest use of finished resin teeth was D3 with the percentage of 1.94%. (2) Except the maxillary canines and the mandibular lateral incisors, there was no significant difference between the usage of other same name finished resin teeth (P > 0.05). (3) Among all finished resin teeth, the usage of section B exceeded section A, and the usage of maxillary finished resin teeth exceeded mandibular finished resin teeth (P < 0.05). (4) The use of the complete denture and single complete denture was about 1/3 of the total usage of finished resin teeth. (5) Except the use situation of complete denture and single complete denture, the frequency of simultaneously using mandibular left and right central incisors was the most with the percentage of 81.46%, for the frequency of simultaneously using maxillary left and right canines was 43.26% of the total, which was the lowest. CONCLUSION: There is significant difference in the use frequency of finished resin teeth for different location. For such reason, the manufacturers should produce finished resin teeth pro rata as well as the buyers for their purchase.

[An experimental study on the effect of different optical impression methods on marginal and internal fit of all-ceramic crowns].

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of different optical impression methods in Cerec 3D/Inlab MC XL system on marginal and internal fit of all-ceramic crowns. METHODS: A right mandibular first molar in the standard model was used to prepare full crown and replicated into thirty-two plaster casts. Sixteen of them were selected randomly for bonding crown and the others were used for taking optical impression, in half of which the direct optical impression taking method were used and the others were used for the indirect method, and then eight Cerec Blocs all-ceramic crowns were manufactured respectively. The fit of all-ceramic crowns were evaluated by modified United States Public Health Service (USPHS) criteria and scanning electron microscope (SEM) imaging, and the data were statistically analyzed with SAS 9.1 software. RESULTS: The clinically acceptable rate for all marginal measurement sites was 87.5% according to USPHS criteria. There was no statistically significant difference in marginal fit between direct and indirect method group (P > 0.05). With SEM imaging, all marginal measurement sites were less than 120 microm and no statistically significant difference was found between direct and indirect method group in terms of marginal or internal fit (P > 0.05). But the direct method group showed better fit than indirect method group in terms of mesial surface, lingual surface, buccal surface and occlusal surface (P < 0.05). The distal surface's fit was worse and the obvious difference was observed between mesial surface and distal surface in direct method group (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Under the conditions of this study, the optical impression method had no significant effect on marginal fit of Cerec Blocs crowns, but it had certain effect on internal fit. Overall all-ceramic crowns appeared to have clinically acceptable marginal fit.