Innovations in osteomyelitis research:A review of animal models

Infection of bone tissue,or osteomyelitis,has become a growing concern in modern healthcare due in no small part to a rise in antibiotic resistance among bacteria,notably Staphylococcus aureus.The current standard of care involves aggressive,prolonged antibiotic therapy combined with surgical debridement of infected tissues.While this treatment may be sufficient for resolving a portion of cases,recurrences of the infection and associated risks including toxicity with long-term antibiotic usage have been reported.Therefore,there exists a need to produce safer,more efficacious options of treatment for osteomyelitis.In order to test treatment regimens,animal models that closely mimic the clinical condition and allow for accurate evaluation of therapeutics are necessary.Establishing a model that replicates features of osteomyelitis in humans continues to be a challenge to scientists,as there are many variables involved,including choosing an appropriate species and method to establish infection.This review addresses the refinement of animal models of osteomyelitis to reflect the clinical disease and test prospective therapeutics.The aim of this review is to explore studies regarding the use of animals for osteomyelitis therapeutics research and encourage further development of such animal models for the translation of results from the animal experiment to human medicine.

Deleterious effects of whole-body vibration on the spine:A review of in vivo,ex vivo,and in vitro models

Occupational exposure to whole-body vibration is associated with the develop-ment of musculoskeletal,neurological,and other ailments.Low back pain and other spine disorders are prevalent among those exposed to whole-body vibration in occupational and military settings.Although standards for limiting exposure to whole-body vibration have been in place for decades,there is a lack of understanding of whole-body vibration-associated risks among safety and healthcare profession-als.Consequently,disorders associated with whole-body vibration exposure remain prevalent in the workforce and military.The relationship between whole-body vibra-tion and low back pain in humans has been established largely through cohort stud-ies,for which vibration inputs that lead to symptoms are rarely,if ever,quantified.This gap in knowledge highlights the need for the development of relevant in vivo,ex vivo,and in vitro models to study such pathologies.The parameters of vibrational stimuli(eg,frequency and direction)play critical roles in such pathologies,but the specific cause-and-effect relationships between whole-body vibration and spinal pa-thologies remain mostly unknown.This paper provides a summary of whole-body vibration parameters;reviews in vivo,ex vivo,and in vitro models for spinal patholo-gies resulting from whole-body vibration;and offers suggestions to address the gaps in translating injury biomechanics data to inform clinical practice.