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European Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery... Jun 2024To investigate the qualitative and quantitative changes seen in quadriceps muscles [QM] following tibial plateau fracture and surgery.
PURPOSE
To investigate the qualitative and quantitative changes seen in quadriceps muscles [QM] following tibial plateau fracture and surgery.
METHODS
A consecutive series of patients with an isolated tibial plateau fracture presenting to a single academic center were enrolled and prospectively followed. Bilateral knee MRIs were performed preoperatively and 3 and 12 months postoperatively to assess quantity and quality of the quadriceps muscles. All patients underwent tibial plateau operative repair and were made non-weight-bearing for 10 weeks postoperatively then advanced to weight-bearing as tolerated. Functional status assessed via the short musculoskeletal functional assessment (SMFA); knee range of motion [ROM]; vastus medialis oblique [VMO] and vastus lateralis [VL] muscle quantity (axial width, cross sectional area [CSA] and volume) on injured and contralateral limb; VMO, sartorius, semi-membranous and biceps femoris [BF] muscle quality (fat and water content, and proton density fat fraction). All muscle quantitative and qualitative measurements were compared across all time points.
RESULTS
Ten patients were included in the final analysis, 6 males and 4 females, with average age of 43.62 ± 16.3 years. While the VMO and VL axial width and CSA were significantly decreased at 3 months preoperatively, this was not statistically significant. There was no significant difference between any QM quantitative measurements at any time points. There was no difference in fat content, water content or PDFF at any time point for the VMO, sartorius, semi-membranous and BF muscles. Regression analysis also showed no association between 12-month SMFA scores and knee ROM with VMO/VL CSA at 1 year.
CONCLUSIONS
QM quantity and quality do not significantly change at 3 months and 1 year postoperatively following tibial plateau fracture surgery.
LEVEL OF EVIDENCE
Prognostic Level II.
PubMed: 38922405
DOI: 10.1007/s00590-024-04002-9 -
Brazilian Dental Journal 2024Rehabilitation of edentulous atrophic mandibles involves the placement of implants in the anterior segment of the mandible. The primary stability of these implants can...
Rehabilitation of edentulous atrophic mandibles involves the placement of implants in the anterior segment of the mandible. The primary stability of these implants can be improved using the base of the mandible as complementary anchorage (bicorticalization). This study aimed to analyze the biomechanics of atrophic mandibles rehabilitated with monocortical or bicortical implants. Two three-dimensional virtual models of edentulous mandibles with severe atrophy were prepared. Four monocortical implants were placed in one model (McMM), and four bicortical implants were placed in the other (BcMM). An implant-supported total prosthesis was prepared for each model. Then, a total axial load of 600 N was applied to the posterior teeth, and its effects on the models were analyzed using finite element analysis. The highest compressive stresses were concentrated in the cervical region of the implants in the McMM (-32.562 Mpa); in the BcMM, compressive stresses were distributed in the upper and lower cortex of the mandible, with increased compressive stresses at the distal implants (-63.792 Mpa). Thus, we conclude that axial loading forces are more uniformly distributed in the peri-implant bone when using monocortical implants and concentrated in the apical and cervical regions of the peri-implant bone when using bicortical implants.
Topics: Humans; Mandible; Dental Implants; Finite Element Analysis; Atrophy; Dental Prosthesis, Implant-Supported; Jaw, Edentulous; Biomechanical Phenomena; Dental Stress Analysis
PubMed: 38922249
DOI: 10.1590/0103-6440202405621 -
Neurology International Jun 2024Spinal muscular atrophy is a neuromuscular genetic condition associated with progressive muscle weakness and atrophy. Nusinersen is an antisense oligonucleotide therapy...
Spinal muscular atrophy is a neuromuscular genetic condition associated with progressive muscle weakness and atrophy. Nusinersen is an antisense oligonucleotide therapy approved for the treatment of 5q spinal muscular atrophy in pediatric and adult patients. The objective of this clinical case series is to describe the efficacy and safety of nusinersen in treating spinal muscular atrophy in 20 pediatric and 18 adult patients across six treatment centers in Kuwait. Functional motor assessments (Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Infant Test of Neuromuscular Disorders, Hammersmith Functional Motor Scale Expanded, and Revised Upper Limb Module) were used to assess changes in motor function following nusinersen treatment. The safety assessment involved clinical monitoring of adverse events. The results demonstrate clinically meaningful or considerable improvement in motor performance for nearly all patients, lasting over 4 years in some cases. A total of 70% of patients in the pediatric cohort and 72% of patients in the adult cohort achieved a clinically meaningful improvement in motor function following nusinersen treatment. Additionally, nusinersen was well-tolerated in both cohorts. These findings add to the growing body of evidence relating to the clinical efficacy and safety of nusinersen.
PubMed: 38921951
DOI: 10.3390/neurolint16030047 -
Journal of Functional Biomaterials May 2024The use of endosseous dental implants may become unfeasible in the presence of significant maxillary bone atrophy; thus, surgical techniques have been proposed to...
Biocompatibility of Subperiosteal Dental Implants: Changes in the Expression of Osteogenesis-Related Genes in Osteoblasts Exposed to Differently Treated Titanium Surfaces.
The use of endosseous dental implants may become unfeasible in the presence of significant maxillary bone atrophy; thus, surgical techniques have been proposed to promote bone regeneration in such cases. However, such techniques are complex and may expose the patient to complications. Subperiosteal implants, being placed between the periosteum and the residual alveolar bone, are largely independent of bone thickness. Such devices had been abandoned due to the complexity of positioning and adaptation to the recipient bone site, but are nowadays witnessing an era of revival following the introduction of new acquisition procedures, new materials, and innovative manufacturing methods. We have analyzed the changes induced in gene and protein expression in C-12720 human osteoblasts by differently surface-modified TiO materials to verify their ability to promote bone formation. The TiO materials tested were (i) raw machined, (ii) electropolished with acid mixture, (iii) sand-blasted + acid-etched, (iv) AlTiColorTM surface, and (v) anodized. All five surfaces efficiently stimulated the expression of markers of osteoblastic differentiation, adhesion, and osteogenesis, such as RUNX2, osteocalcin, osterix, N-cadherin, β-catenin, and osteoprotegerin, while cell viability/proliferation was unaffected. Collectively, our observations document that presently available TiO materials are well suited for the manufacturing of modern subperiosteal implants.
PubMed: 38921520
DOI: 10.3390/jfb15060146 -
Journal of Developmental Biology Jun 2024The mouse Harderian gland (HG) is a secretory gland that covers the posterior portion of the eyeball, opening at the base of the nictitating membrane. The HG serves to...
The mouse Harderian gland (HG) is a secretory gland that covers the posterior portion of the eyeball, opening at the base of the nictitating membrane. The HG serves to protect the eye surface from infection with its secretions. Mice open their eyelids at about 2 weeks of age, and the development of the HG primordium mechanically opens the eye by pushing the eyeball from its rear. Therefore, when HG formation is disturbed, the eye exhibits enophthalmos (the slit-eye phenotype), and a line of heterozygous loss-of-function mice exhibits slit-eye due to the HG atrophy. However, it has not been clarified how and when HGs degenerate and atrophy in mice. In this study, we observed the HGs in embryonic (E13.5 to E19), postnatal (P0.5 to P18) and 74-week-old mice. We found that more than half of the mice had markedly degenerated HGs, often unilaterally. The degenerated HG tissue had a melanized appearance and was replaced by connective tissue, which was observed by P10. The development of HGs was delayed or disrupted in the similar proportion of embryos, as revealed via histology and the loss of HG-marker expression. In situ hybridization showed expression was observed in the Harderian mesenchyme in wild-type as well as in the HG-lacking heterozygote at E19. These results show that the haploinsufficiency causes delayed or defective HG development, often unilaterally from the unexpectedly early neonatal period.
PubMed: 38921483
DOI: 10.3390/jdb12020016 -
Metabolites Jun 2024With people living with HIV (PLWH) reaching the senium, the importance of aging-related comorbidities such as metabolic syndrome (MS) becomes increasingly important....
With people living with HIV (PLWH) reaching the senium, the importance of aging-related comorbidities such as metabolic syndrome (MS) becomes increasingly important. This study aimed to determine the additive effect of MS on brain atrophy in PLWH. This prospective study included 43 PLWH, average age of 43.02 ± 10.93 years, and 24 healthy controls, average age of 36.87 ± 8.89 years. PLWH were divided into two subgroups: without MS and with MS, according to NCEP ATP III criteria. All patients underwent brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) on a 3T clinical scanner with MR volumetry, used for defining volumes of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) spaces and white and grey matter structures, including basal ganglia. A Student's -test was used to determine differences in brain volumes between subject subgroups. The binary classification was performed to determine the sensitivity and specificity of volumetry findings and cut-off values. Statistical significance was set at < 0.05. PLWH presented with significantly lower volumes of gray matter, putamen, thalamus, globus pallidus, and nc. accumbens compared to healthy controls; cut-off values were: for gray matter 738.130 cm, putamen 8.535 cm, thalamus 11.895 cm, globus pallidus 2.252 cm, and nc. accumbens 0.715 cm. The volumes of CSF and left lateral ventricles were found to be higher in PLWH with MS compared to those without MS, where, with a specificity of 0.310 and sensitivity of 0.714, it can be assumed that PLWH with a CSF volume exceeding 212.83 cm are likely to also have MS. This suggests that PLWH with metabolic syndrome may exhibit increased CSF volume above 212.83 cm as a consequence of brain atrophy. There seems to be an important connection between MS and brain volume reduction in PLWH with MS, which may add to the accurate identification of persons at risk of developing HIV-associated cognitive impairment.
PubMed: 38921466
DOI: 10.3390/metabo14060331 -
Current Issues in Molecular Biology Jun 2024Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) represents a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the progressive loss of both upper and lower motor neurons, resulting in... (Review)
Review
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) represents a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the progressive loss of both upper and lower motor neurons, resulting in muscular atrophy and eventual paralysis. While much research has concentrated on investigating the impact of major mutations associated with ALS on motor neurons and central nervous system (CNS) cells, recent studies have unveiled that ALS pathogenesis extends beyond CNS imbalances, encompassing dysregulation in other tissues such as skeletal muscle. Evidence from animal models and patients supports this broader perspective. Skeletal muscle, once considered solely as an effector organ, is now recognized as possessing significant secretory activity capable of influencing motor neuron survival. However, the precise cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying the detrimental effects observed in muscle and its associated structures in ALS remain poorly understood. Additionally, emerging data suggest that extracellular vesicles (EVs) may play a role in the establishment and function of the neuromuscular junction (NMJ) under both physiological and pathological conditions and in wasting and regeneration of skeletal muscles, particularly in neurodegenerative diseases like ALS. This review aims to explore the key findings about skeletal muscle involvement in ALS, shedding light on the potential underlying mechanisms and contributions of EVs and their possible application for the design of biosensors.
PubMed: 38921029
DOI: 10.3390/cimb46060358 -
Current Issues in Molecular Biology May 2024Neurodegenerative diseases are a diverse group of diseases characterized by a progressive loss of neurological function due to damage to nerve cells in the central... (Review)
Review
Neurodegenerative diseases are a diverse group of diseases characterized by a progressive loss of neurological function due to damage to nerve cells in the central nervous system. In recent years, there has been a worldwide increase in the expanding associated with increasing human life expectancy. Molecular mechanisms control many of the essential life processes of cells, such as replication, transcription, translation, protein synthesis and gene regulation. These are complex interactions that form the basis for understanding numerous processes in the organism and developing new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. In the context of neurodegenerative diseases, molecular basis refers to changes at the molecular level that cause damage to or degeneration of nerve cells. These may include protein aggregates leading to pathological structures in brain cells, impaired protein transport in nerve cells, mitochondrial dysfunction, inflammatory processes or genetic mutations that impair nerve cell function. New medical therapies are based on these mechanisms and include gene therapies, reduction in inflammation and oxidative stress, and the use of miRNAs and regenerative medicine. The aim of this study was to bring together the current state of knowledge regarding selected neurodegenerative diseases, presenting the underlying molecular mechanisms involved, which could be potential targets for new forms of treatment.
PubMed: 38920997
DOI: 10.3390/cimb46060325 -
Dentistry Journal Jun 2024The goal was to evaluate the efficacy of the sausage technique in reconstructing the crestal buccal bone thickness, focusing on the distribution shape of the regenerated...
The goal was to evaluate the efficacy of the sausage technique in reconstructing the crestal buccal bone thickness, focusing on the distribution shape of the regenerated volume. Ten implants were placed in five patients with Cawood-Howell class IV defects. A cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) was executed at T0 (before surgery). Guided bone regeneration (GBR) with the sausage technique utilized a resorbable collagen membrane, made of a 50% autologous bone and a 50% anorganic bovine bone matrix (ABBM) mixture. After 6 months, a CBCT (T1) was performed before implant placement. Using CBCT software, a plane parallel to the implant axis intersected perpendicular planes every 1.5 mm from the crest level. T0 and T1 CBCT sections were analyzed, yielding 140 measurements. Statistical analysis via SPSS revealed a significant increase in thickness (average 2.82 ± 1.79 mm). Maximum gains occurred at 4.5 mm from the coronal crest line (3.8 ± 1.51 mm). The GBR sausage technique was effective with minimal post-operative complications, yielding the biggest gain at the mid-ridge sagittal area. Within the analysis limitations, it can be assumed that the sausage technique is effective for horizontal GBR in the maxilla, but a lesser volume might be achieved at the crestal level because it seems to follow a bowed regeneration shape.
PubMed: 38920881
DOI: 10.3390/dj12060180 -
International Journal of Gynecological... Jun 2024Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) represents a spectrum of preinvasive squamous lesions within the cervical epithelium, whose identification is a diagnostic...
Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) represents a spectrum of preinvasive squamous lesions within the cervical epithelium, whose identification is a diagnostic challenge due to subtle histomorphological differences among its categories. This study explores ORF1p, a nucleic acid-binding protein derived from long interspersed nuclear element-1 (LINE-1), as a potential biomarker for enhancing CIN diagnosis. A comprehensive analysis of 143 cervical specimens, encompassing CIN I (n=20), CIN II (n=46), CIN III (n=14), invasive cancer (n=32), and nondysplastic cases (normal cervical epithelia (n=24) and atrophy (n=7) were conducted. ORF1p, Ki67, and p16 expressions were evaluated using immunohistochemistry. ORF1p immunopositivity was detected in the vast majority [110/112 (98.2%)] of dysplastic and neoplastic (CIN and invasive cancer) specimens, whereas 19/24 (79.2%) of normal cervical specimens lacked ORF1p expression. The observed pattern of ORF1p expression showed a progressively increasing extent and intensity with advancing CIN grades. CIN I exhibited mild ORF1p expression in the lower one or two-thirds of the cervical epithelium [14/16 (87.5%)], whereas CIN II demonstrated moderate to strong ORF1p expression spanning the lower two-thirds [29/46 (63.0%)]. Pronounced transepithelial ORF1p immunopositivity characterized CIN III cases [13/14 (92.8%)] and cervical cancer [30/32 (93.8%)]. These findings propose ORF1p as a valuable indicator even for detecting CIN I, effectively discerning them from normal cervical tissue (p < 0.0001). Our findings underscore the potential of ORF1p as an early diagnostic marker for cervical neoplasia.
PubMed: 38920137
DOI: 10.1097/PGP.0000000000001035