Polyethylene Wear Associated With 26- and 32-mm Heads in Total Hip Arthroplasty: A Multicenter, Prospective Study.

BACKGROUND: Although there were many clinical studies of highly cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE) wear among different femoral head diameters, few referred to thickness of XLPE in case larger femoral heads were used because smaller sockets were frequently used for Asian population. METHODS: This prospective study included 240 hips that underwent primary total hip arthroplasty using XLPE combined with 26-mm (group S) or 32-mm (group L) cobalt-chromium head with maximum follow-up of 10 years. We measured 3-dimensional (3-D) linear penetration rate of XLPE among same implant design groups except head diameter and estimated the validity of thinner XLPE. RESULTS: Our study demonstrated comparable 3-D linear penetration rates, which were 0.06 ± 0.07 mm/y for group S and 0.03 ± 0.02 mm/y for group L at 10 years after surgery and penetration rates seemed to be almost constant with no significant difference after 3 years. Minimum liner thickness (5.3 mm for 48-mm socket in combination with 32-mm femoral head) and the second thinnest XLPE (6.3 mm in case of socket from 50 mm to 54 mm combined with 32-mm femoral head) was distributed in 25% and 72% with group L, respectively, and there were no significant differences in penetration rates between 5.3-mm- and 6.3-mm-thickness groups. CONCLUSION: Our study suggested that whether to select 26- or 32-mm diameters of femoral head does not affect XLPE wear in combination with this type of articulation.

Usefulness of ultrasonography for detection of pseudotumors after metal-on-metal total hip arthroplasty.

We retrospectively analyzed 83 metal-on-metal total hip arthroplasties in 74 patients. Ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of each hip were performed to detect abnormal patterns and pseudotumors. We examined the reliability of ultrasonography for detecting pseudotumors in comparison with MRI. We also compared the acetabular component inclination between patients with and without pseudotumors. The mean positive and negative predictive values for pseudotumor detection by ultrasonography were 65% and 91%, respectively. The mean positive and negative likelihood ratios were 5.78 and 0.32, respectively. There was no clear association between pseudotumor presence and acetabular component inclination. We concluded that ultrasonography is a suitable technique to screen for the presence of pseudotumors. We also need to distinguish between bearing-related and taper junction corrosion-related complications.

Outcome of peri-acetabular osteotomy for hip dysplasia in teenagers.

PURPOSE: Peri-acetabular osteotomy, especially curved peri-acetabular osteotomy, is an effective surgical procedure for re-orientating the acetabulum. However, there have been few reports on this procedure in teenagers. The purpose of this study was to investigate the treatment outcomes of curved peri-acetabular osteotomy in teenagers. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 33 hips in 27 teenage patients with acetabular dysplasia who underwent curved peri-acetabular osteotomy between 1995 and 2012. The mean age was 17.0 years (range, 14-19 years). The mean follow-up duration at the most recent physical examination was 33.3 months (range, 24-96 months). All hips were evaluated in terms of the Harris hip score, radiographic measurements, and complications. RESULTS: The mean Harris hip score improved from 80.1 points pre-operatively to 95.4 points post-operatively (p < 0.001). There were significant differences in all of the radiographic measurements between the pre-operative and post-operative values (p < 0.001). One major complication occurred (symptomatic ischial nonunion) and required subsequent surgery. Nine hips had minor complications, including nonunion of the superior ramus osteotomy (four hips), superficial stitch abscess (two hips), and transient lateral femoral cutaneous nerve palsy (three hips). CONCLUSIONS: Satisfactory results can be obtained clinically and radiographically after curved peri-acetabular osteotomy in adolescents. Osteotomy for acetabular dysplasia is effective in teenagers.

Clinical Characteristics and Corticosteroid Responses of Acoustic Neuroma Treated as Idiopathic Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss.

BACKGROUND: Few investigations have been conducted on the clinical characteristics of the differential diagnosis of acoustic neuroma with acute sensorineural hearing loss and idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss. The aim of the study was to investigate the clinical characteristics of the differential diagnoses between acoustic neuroma and idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss. METHODS: The medical records of patients with acute sensorineural hearing loss (142 ears), including acoustic neuroma (19 ears) and idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (123 ears), who underwent audiometric and hematologic examinations and received systemic corticosteroid treatment, were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: Hematological examination revealed that the erythrocyte sedimentation rate and fibrinogen values were significantly higher in the idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss group compared to the acoustic neuroma group. Although all patients received corticosteroid treatment, hearing thresholds at the initial examination and 3 months after corticosteroid treatment were significantly higher in the idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss group compared to the acoustic neuroma group at all frequencies. However, hearing recovery was worse in the acoustic neuroma group compared to the idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss group. Furthermore, speech discrimination and short increment sensitivity index tests were not significantly different between the acoustic neuroma and idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss groups. CONCLUSION: This is the first study to reveal that speech discrimination and short increment sensitivity index tests are not useful for the differential diagnoses between acoustic neuroma and idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss, whereas erythrocyte sedimentation rate and fibrinogen, blood biomarkers of inflammation and blood viscosity, would be considered valuable. Furthermore, acoustic neuroma should be considered in cases where acute sensorineural hearing loss did not recover after corticosteroid treatment, although the initial hearing loss was mild.

Is the obturator artery safe when performing ischial osteotomy during periacetabular osteotomy?

The purposes of this study were (1) to evaluate the actual distance between the obturator artery and the ischial osteotomy site when performing periacetabular osteotomy via an anterior approach and (2) to determine a safe method to avoid injuring the obturator artery during this procedure. Twenty-nine hemipelves from cadavers were used in this study. The mean distance between the obturator artery and the ischial osteotomy site was 35.6 ± 7.5 mm and always exceeded 20 mm. Therefore, the procedure can be performed safely when a chisel blade of 20 mm or shorter is used.

Hip abductor muscle strength after total hip arthroplasty with short stems.

Excellent clinical results have been reported for total hip arthroplasty (THA) using a short stem. However, the range of variance in positioning of the stem has been reported to be wide. The authors hypothesized that the short stem position influences the femoral offset (FO) and hip abductor muscle strength (AMS) after surgery. The AMS was evaluated in 64 limbs in 32 patients who underwent unilateral THA using a short stem with a normal contralateral hip. The average time of AMS evaluation was 46.3 months postoperatively. The Harris Hip Score (HHS) was used for clinical evaluation. The ratio of the AMS on the reconstructed side to that on the contralateral side was calculated (strength ratio). The valgus angle (VA) of each stem and FO was measured on an anteroposterior hip radiograph. The FO ratio, as the normalized FO, was calculated. Linear regression analyses were performed to investigate the relationships among the VA, FO ratio and strength ratio. The average HHS improved from 57.7 points preoperatively to 94.6 points postoperatively. The VA negatively correlated with the FO ratio (r = -0.511, P = 0.028). The strength ratio negatively correlated with the VA (r = -0.505, P = 0.032) and positively correlated with the FO ratio (r = 0.479, P = 0.0056). The average postoperative HHS was generally satisfactory after THA using a short stem. A more valgus postoperative position of the short stem leads to reduced FO, which causes decreasing postoperative AMS after THA with a short stem.

Periacetabular osteotomy for the treatment of dysplastic hip with Perthes-like deformities.

We retrospectively evaluated 17 hips in 16 patients who underwent a periacetabular osteotomy for the treatment of dysplastic hip with Perthes-like deformities. These residual deformities were graded using the Stulberg classification system. There were three class II hips, 11 class III hips and three class IV hips preoperatively. The average age of the patients at surgery was 36.9 years and the average follow-up was 6.6 years. The average Harris hip score significantly improved from the preoperative value of 68.2 points to 91.1 points postoperatively. The average postoperative range of motion in all directions did not change significantly from the preoperative value. The average postoperative Harris hip score of class IV hips was smaller than that of the class II or class III hips. The standard radiographic evaluations also showed significant improvements postoperatively. Periacetabular osteotomy without combined femoral osteotomies, as a treatment for patients with Perthes-like deformities, produced good clinical and radiographic results.

Modified pubic osteotomy for medialization of the femoral head in periacetabular osteotomy: a retrospective study of 144 hips.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Medial displacement of the femoral head reduces the force transmitted across the hip joint. Since 2005, we have performed a modified Ganz's osteotomy with curved periacetabular osteotomy (CPO) to obtain medialization of the femoral head. The modification involves cutting of the pubis at 30 degrees to the horizontal line. Here, we examined whether this modified CPO procedure medialized the femoral head more than the conventional CPO procedure. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 69 patients (mean age 37 years, 72 hips) treated with the modified CPO procedure (the M group) were compared with 68 patients (mean age 38 years, 72 hips) previously treated with conventional CPO (the C group). All patients were operated because of dysplastic hips. We used radiographic measurements from anteroposterior radiographs. The magnitude of the resultant hip force normalized with respect to the body weight (R/WB) and hip contact joint stress (Pmax/ WB) was calculated in all cases. RESULTS: The average lateral center-edge (CE) angle, acetabular roof obliquity (ARO), and acetabulum-head index (AHI) improved in both groups. The CE angle, ARO, and AHI were similar in the 2 groups before and after surgery. Medialization of the femoral head was larger in the M group than in the C group (p < 0.001). The average value of the resultant hip force decreased from 3.2 to 2.9 in the M group and remained unchanged, at 3.1, in the C group. In addition, the average value of the peak contact stress decreased more in the M group (from 9.4 kPa/N to 3.4 kPa/N) than in the C group (from 9.1 kPa/N to 4.3 kPa/N). INTERPRETATION: In dysplastic hips, the modified CPO reduces the contact hip stress more than the conventional CPO because of better medialization of the femoral head.

Preservation technique of the piriformis tendon is superior to reattachment technique in terms of contiguity and muscle atrophy: using magnetic resonance imaging.

PURPOSE: The preservation technique of the piriformis tendon during the posterolateral approach in total hip arthroplasty (THA) is reportedly superior to the reattachment technique in terms of dislocation. However, the long-term effects of preservation of the piriformis tendon during THA remain unknown. In this study, we evaluated the contiguity of the piriformis/conjoined tendon and atrophy of the piriformis/internal obturator muscle during a long-term postoperative follow-up using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated 48 patients with available MRI. The 48 patients were classified into a P group ( n = 29), in which the piriformis tendon was preserved, and an R group ( n = 19), in which the piriformis was reattached after sectioning. The mean follow-up duration was 45.9 months. The contiguity of the piriformis/conjoined tendon and atrophy of the piriformis/internal obturator muscle were evaluated in all patients. RESULTS: The piriformis tendon remained attached to the greater trochanter in all P-group patients and 68.4% of R-group patients. The mean piriformis muscle atrophy ratios were 15.9% ± 21.1% in the P group and 41.6% ± 19.1% in the R group ( p < 0.001). The conjoined tendon repair remained intact in 72.4% of P-group patients and 36.8% of R-group patients ( p < 0.05). The mean internal obturator muscle atrophy ratio was 31.4% ± 26.2% in the P group and 50.4% ± 19.1% in the R group ( p < 0.05). No postoperative pulmonary embolism, wound infection, deep infection, or hip dislocation occurred. CONCLUSIONS: In our study, we suggest that the preservation technique of the piriformis tendon is superior to the reattachment technique in terms of contiguity and muscle atrophy.

[A case of spontaneous fusiform aneurysm in a middle cerebral artery branch which causes rapidly thrombosed formation in a short period].

A 61-year-old man presented with the complaint of headache. Investigations revealed a fusiform middle cerebral artery aneurysm at the M2 part. The formation of the aneurysm rapidly developed to a partially thrombosed aneurysm in the course of four months. As regards the treatment of the aneurysm, at first we tried surgery with a superficial temporal artery middle cerebral artery bypass (STA-MCA bypass) and trapping of the aneurysm. However, during the procedure, it was difficult to control bleeding from the temporal muscle, bone flap, and subdural space. Because of this, we finished the STA-MCA bypass without trapping of the aneurysm and then, four days later, we confirmed bypass patency and treated the aneurysm using endovascular coil embolization. Based on both surgical and interventional investigations in this case and a review of the reported literature, the authors propose that there are two mechanisms causing the middle cerebral artery fusiform aneurysm to develop thrombosed formation rapidly: (i) Peripheral middle cerebral artery branches demand less blood flow than other major trunk arteries. (ii) Bypass flow maintains perfusion to the distal branches. On the other hand, this flow alteration caused by surgical vascular bypass may promote the development of the aneurysm to thrombosed formation. The treatment of a fusiform middle cerebral artery aneurysm at the M2 part is also discussed.

New cross-table lateral radiography method for measuring acetabular component anteversion in total hip arthroplasty: a prospective study of 93 primary THA.

INTRODUCTION: Various methods have been described for measuring acetabular component anteversion. However, accurate measurement of anteversion is difficult. We herein propose a new method using cross-table lateral (CL) radiography performed with the contralateral hip flexed to 45° (45° flexed CL radiography). The main purpose of this study was to evaluate the reliability and validity of this new method. METHODS: The study group included 93 patients who underwent total hip arthroplasty (THA). All hips were evaluated with computed tomography (CT) and both standard and 45° flexed CL radiographs to measure acetabular component anteversion the week after THA. The intraobserver and interobserver reliability of each measurement was assessed. Plain radiography measurements were compared with reference CT measurements to evaluate their validity. RESULTS: All measurements had excellent intraobserver and interobserver reliability, and plain radiography measurements correlated well with CT measurements. The mean measurements were 21.9° (3°-39°) with CT, 24.9° (7°-47°; p<0.001) with standard CL radiographs, and 22.5° (7°-43°; p = 0.112) with 45° flexed CL radiographs. DISCUSSION: The anteversion values measured with our new method were closer to the CT values used as a reference standard than those with standard CL radiographs. Our new method appears to be reliable and valid for measuring acetabular component anteversion.

Biomechanical comparison of the fixation after curved periacetabular osteotomy using titanium and bioabsorbable screws.

PURPOSE: We performed curved periacetabular osteotomy, a modification of the Bernese periacetabular osteotomy, to treat hip dysplasia. The purpose of our study was to compare the biomechanical stability of acetabular fragments fixed in place with 3 titanium screws, or with 2 or 3 bioabsorbable screws composed of particulate resorbable uncalcined hydroxyapatite (HA) and poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA) termed HA/PLLA screws. METHODS: Curved periacetabular osteotomy was performed on 24 composite model hemipelves. Three groups of 8 specimens were affixed with 1) 3 titanium screws, 2) 2 HA/PLLA screws, or 3) 3 HA/PLLA screws. After fixation, the hemipelves were biomechanically attested with simulated push-off phase of the gait cycle using a servohydraulic material testing system. RESULTS: The average failure loads were not significantly different among the3 groups tested. However, the group repaired with 3 HA/PLLA screws showed significantly greater stiffness than the other groups. CONCLUSIONS: All 3 fixation methods provided sufficient stability to allow for early partial weight-bearing after surgery. The use of 3 HA/PLLA screws provided significantly greater stiffness for acetabular fragment fixation.

Curved periacetabular osteotomy for the treatment of dysplastic hips.

Curved periacetabular osteotomy (CPO) was developed for the treatment of dysplastic hips in 1995. In CPO, the exposure of osteotomy sites and osteotomy of the ischium are made in the same manner as Bernese periacetabular osteotomy, and iliac and pubic osteotomies are performed in the same manner as rotational acetabular osteotomy. We studied the dynamic instabilities of 25 dysplastic hips before and after CPO using triaxial accelerometry. Overall magnitude of acceleration was significantly decreased from 2.30 ± 0.57 m/sec(2) preoperatively to 1.55 ± 0.31 m/sec(2) postoperatively. Pain relief and improvement of acetabular coverage resulting from acetabular reorientation seem to be related with reduction of dynamic instabilities of dysplastic hips. Isokinetic muscle strengths of 24 hips in 22 patients were measured preoperatively and after CPO. At 12 months postoperatively, the mean muscle strength exceeded the preoperative values. These results seem to be obtained due to no dissection of abductor muscles in CPO. The preoperative presence of acetabular cysts did not influence the results of CPO. An adequate rotation of the acetabular fragment induced cyst remodeling. Satisfactory results were obtained clinically and radiographically after CPO in patients aged 50 years or older. CPO alone for the treatment of severe dysplastic hips classified as subluxated hips of Severin group IV-b with preoperative CE angles of up to -20° could restore the acetabular coverage, weight-bearing area and medialization of the hip joint. CPO without any other combined procedure, as a treatment for 17 hips in 16 patients with Perthes-like deformities, produced good mid-term clinical and radiographic results. We have been performing CPO in conjunction with osteochondroplasty for the treatment of acatabular dysplasia associated with femoroacetabular impingement since 2006. The combined procedure has been providing effective correction of both acetabular dysplasia and associated femoral head-neck deformities without any increased complication rate. We have encountered an obturator artery injury in one case and two intraoperative comminuted fractures. Although serious complications such as motor nerve palsy, deep infection, necrosis of the femoral head or acetabulum, and delayed union or nonunion of the ilium were reported, such complications have never occurred in our 700 cases so far.

Prevalence and characteristics of cam-type femoroacetabular deformity in 100 hips with symptomatic acetabular dysplasia: a case control study.

BACKGROUND: Cam-type femoroacetabular deformity in acetabular dysplasia (AD) has not been well clarified. The primary purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence and characteristics of femoroacetabular deformity in symptomatic AD patients. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the cases of 86 women (92 hips) and eight men (eight hips) with symptomatic AD. The mean patient age was 37.9 (range, 14-60) years. All participants underwent lateral cross-table and lateral whole-spine radiographic examinations to measure the alpha angle and pelvic tilt. Pelvic computed tomography scans were used to measure femoral anteversion. The patients were classified into two groups: AD only group, containing hips with an alpha angle less than 55°; and AD with cam-type femoroacetabular deformity (AD + cam-type deformity) group, containing hips with an alpha angle greater than or equal to 55°. RESULTS: Of the patients with AD, 40 hips displayed additional radiographic evidence of cam-type morphology, while 60 hips had exclusive AD morphology. The patients in the AD + cam-type deformity group had significantly increased forward pelvic tilt in the standing position (p = 0.023) and decreased femoral anteversion (p =0.047) compared with the AD only group. CONCLUSIONS: Our data revealed that 40% of patients with AD also had radiographic evidence of cam-type femoroacetabular deformity. Greater forward pelvic tilt in the standing position and decreased femoral anteversion seemed to be associated with the cam-type deformity in these patients. These results indicate the morphological features that are most likely to induce secondary symptoms to developmental hip dysplasia. It is suggested that the symptoms in the AD + cam-type deformity group could arise through femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) after periacetabular osteotomy, because a predisposition was present preoperatively.

Analysis of medialisation of the femoral head in periacetabular osteotomy using three-dimensional computed tomography.

BACKGROUND: Periacetabular osteotomy has been established as an effective treatment for osteoarthritis caused by developmental dysplasia of the hip. Medialisation of the femoral head during periacetabular osteotomy is crucial for providing significant reduction in joint contact stress. The purpose of this study was to evaluate effective procedures for medialisation of the femoral head during periacetabular osteotomy using three-dimensional computed tomography (3DCT). METHODS: Thirty hips in 30 patients with hip dysplasia underwent both radiographic and 3DCT scans before and after surgery. The direction of the rotation of the acetabular fragment and movement of the femoral head were evaluated to analyse which parameters contributed to medialisation of the femoral head. RESULTS: Anterior coverage of the acetabular fragment and internal rotation in the axial plane contributed to both medialisation of the femoral head and anteversion of the retroverted acetabulum. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrated that re-orientation of the acetabulum was spatially confirmed by the method using 3DCT images.

Radiosensitization of tumor cells through endoplasmic reticulum stress induced by PEGylated nanogel containing gold nanoparticles.

High atomic number molecules, such as gold and platinum, are known to enhance the biological effect of X-irradiation. This study was aimed to determine the radiosensitizing potential of PEGylated nanogel containing gold nanoparticles (GNG) and the cellular mechanism involved. GNG pretreatment increased the levels of reproductive cell death and apoptosis induced by X-irradiation. GNG accumulated in cytoplasm and increased the expression of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-related protein. GNG suppressed the repair capacity of DNA after X-irradiation by down-regulating DNA repair-related proteins. Our results suggest that GNG radiosensitized cells by enhancing apoptosis and impairing DNA repair capacity via ER stress induction.

Ionizing radiation induces mitochondrial reactive oxygen species production accompanied by upregulation of mitochondrial electron transport chain function and mitochondrial content under control of the cell cycle checkpoint.

Whereas ionizing radiation (Ir) instantaneously causes the formation of water radiolysis products that contain some reactive oxygen species (ROS), ROS are also suggested to be released from biological sources in irradiated cells. It is now becoming clear that these ROS generated secondarily after Ir have a variety of biological roles. Although mitochondria are assumed to be responsible for this Ir-induced ROS production, it remains to be elucidated how Ir triggers it. Therefore, we conducted this study to decipher the mechanism of Ir-induced mitochondrial ROS production. In human lung carcinoma A549 cells, Ir (10 Gy of X-rays) induced a time-dependent increase in the mitochondrial ROS level. Ir also increased mitochondrial membrane potential, mitochondrial respiration, and mitochondrial ATP production, suggesting upregulation of the mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC) function after Ir. Although we found that Ir slightly enhanced mitochondrial ETC complex II activity, the complex II inhibitor 3-nitropropionic acid failed to reduce Ir-induced mitochondrial ROS production. Meanwhile, we observed that the mitochondrial mass and mitochondrial DNA level were upregulated after Ir, indicating that Ir increased the mitochondrial content of the cell. Because irradiated cells are known to undergo cell cycle arrest under control of the checkpoint mechanisms, we examined the relationships between cell cycle and mitochondrial content and cellular oxidative stress level. We found that the cells in the G2/M phase had a higher mitochondrial content and cellular oxidative stress level than cells in the G1 or S phase, regardless of whether the cells were irradiated. We also found that Ir-induced accumulation of the cells in the G2/M phase led to an increase in cells with a high mitochondrial content and cellular oxidative stress level. This suggested that Ir upregulated mitochondrial ETC function and mitochondrial content, resulting in mitochondrial ROS production, and that Ir-induced G2/M arrest contributed to the increase in the mitochondrial ROS level by accumulating cells in the G2/M phase.

Effects of Gaps Induced Into the ACL Tendon Graft on Tendon-Bone Healing in a Rodent ACL Reconstruction Model.

Graft necrosis following ACL reconstruction is often associated with the use of autologous grafts. Host cells rather than graft cells contribute to the repair of the tendon-bone interface and the remodeling of the autologous graft. The native tendon-bone interface is not recreated and the biomechanical properties are not restored back to native values. We examined the effects of introducing gaps within the tendon graft prior to ACL reconstruction in a rodent model. We hypothesised that gaps will make physical way for host cells to infiltrate and repopulate the graft and thus enhance healing. Animals were sacrificed at seven, fourteen, and twenty-eight days for biomechanical testing and histology. Our findings indicate that graft necrosis, usually observed in the initial two weeks of the healing process, is averted. Histological observations showed that tendon-bone healing stages were hastened however this didn't translate into improved biomechanical properties.

Effect of combined treatment with alendronate and calcitriol on femoral neck strength in osteopenic rats.

BACKGROUND: Hip fracture is associated with pronounced morbidity and excess mortality in elderly women with postmenopausal osteoporosis. Many drugs have been developed to treat osteoporosis and to reduce the risk of osteoporotic fractures. We investigated the effects of combined alendronate and vitamin D3 treatment on bone mass and fracture load at the femoral neck in ovariectomized (OVX) rats, and evaluated the relationship between bone mass parameters and femoral neck strength. METHODS: Thirty 12-week-old female rats underwent either a sham-operation (n = 6) or OVX (n = 24). Twenty weeks later, OVX rats were further divided into four groups and received daily doses of either saline alone, 0.1 mg/kg alendronate, 0.1 microg/kg calcitriol, or a combination of both two drugs by continuous infusion via Alzet mini-osmotic pumps. The sham-control group received saline alone. After 12 weeks of treatment, femoral necks were examined using peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT) densitometry and mechanical testing. RESULTS: Saline-treated OVX rats showed significant decreases in total bone mineral content (BMC) (by 28.1%), total bone mineral density (BMD) (by 9.5%), cortical BMC (by 26.3%), cancellous BMC (by 66.3%), cancellous BMD (by 29.0%) and total cross-sectional bone area (by 30.4%) compared with the sham-control group. The combined alendronate and calcitriol treatments improved bone loss owing to estrogen deficiency. On mechanical testing, although OVX significantly reduced bone strength of the femoral neck (by 29.3%) compared with the sham-control group, only the combined treatment significantly improved the fracture load at the femoral neck in OVX rats to the level of the sham-controls. The correlation of total BMC to fracture load was significant, but that of total BMD was not. CONCLUSION: Our results showed that the combined treatment with alendronate and calcitriol significantly improved bone fragility of the femoral neck in OVX osteopenic rats.

Effect of preoperative combined treatment with alendronate and calcitriol on fixation of hydroxyapatite-coated implants in ovariectomized rats.

BACKGROUND: Osteoporosis is a potential risk factor affecting implant stability following total joint arthroplasty. Bisphosphonates are potent inhibitors of osteoblastic bone resorption, and vitamin D is an important hormone involved in the regulation of calcium metabolism. We investigated the benefit of preoperative treatment with alendronate, vitamin D (calcitriol), or a combination of these substances on fixation of hydroxyapatite-coated implants in an ovariectomized rat model of osteoporosis. METHODS: Of sixty-four female rats in the study, fifty-six underwent ovariectomy and eight, a sham operation. A hydroxyapatite-coated femoral implant and an uncoated implant were implanted in all rats seven months after the ovariectomy or the sham operation. Of the fifty-six rats that underwent ovariectomy, eight served as the control group. The remaining forty-eight were treated with alendronate, calcitriol, or a combination of these agents either starting eight weeks before implantation of the rod or starting immediately after implantation. The treatment was continued until four weeks after the implantation. Four weeks after the implantation, the total and cancellous bone mineral density at the proximal part of the tibia and the shear strength of the bone-implant interface were measured in all rats. RESULTS: Although total bone mineral density increased in all of the alendronate-treated groups, compared with that in the ovariectomized control group, cancellous bone mineral density increased only in the group pretreated with both alendronate and calcitriol. The implant stability in the ovariectomized control rats was significantly decreased compared with that in the sham-operation rats. While treatment with alendronate only or calcitriol only did not improve the stability of the implants, treatment with a combination of alendronate and calcitriol, starting preoperatively, significantly improved the stability of the hydroxyapatite-coated implants. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment with a combination of alendronate and calcitriol, starting preoperatively, can improve cancellous bone mineral density and the stability of hydroxyapatite-coated implants in an osteoporotic rat.