Finite element analysis of biomechanical effects of mineralized collagen modified bone cement on adjacent vertebral body after vertebroplasty.

Objective: To investigate whether mineralized collagen modified polymethyl methacrylate (MC-PMMA) bone cement impacts the implanted vertebral body and adjacent segments and the feasibility of biomechanical properties compared with common bone cement in the treatment of osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (OVCF). Methods: A healthy volunteer was selected to perform a three-dimensional reconstruction of the T11-L1 vertebral body to establish the corresponding finite element model of the spine, and the changes in the stress distribution of different types of cement were biomechanically analyzed in groups by applying quantitative loads. Results: The stress distribution of the T11-L1 vertebral body was similar between the two bone types of cement under various stress conditions. Conclusion: Mineralized collagen modified bone cement had the advantages of promoting bone regeneration, good biocompatibility, good transformability, and coupling, and had support strength not inferior to common PMMA bone cement, indicating it has good development prospects and potential.

Astragaloside inhibits IL-1ß-induced inflammatory response in human osteoarthritis chondrocytes and ameliorates the progression of osteoarthritis in mice.

Background: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a chronic joint-degeneration disease and accounts for the most frequent arthritis in aging people. OA is characterized by the degeneration of articular cartilage, subchondral bone sclerosis and synovitis. Inflammation as an important role in OA progression, in that anti-inflammatory agents could effectively inhibit the development of OA with minimal side effects, therefore developing a nature anti-inflammatory compound will be a promising therapy for treating OA. Methods: We treated patient-derived chondrocytes and mouse models of OA with astragaloside, an effective component of astragalus membranaceus, and measured its effect on pro-inflammatory cytokines and OA progression in mice. Results: In vitro, astragaloside induced a dose-dependent inhibition of IL-1ß-induced the production of inflammatory factors, including interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), nitric oxide (NO), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), expression of MMP 13 and ADAMTS-5, and the activation of NF-κB signaling. In vivo, astragaloside ameliorate the degeneration of cartilage in mouse model of OA. Conclusion: Astragaloside potentially serve as a promising and effective therapeutic agent for treating OA patients.