Lumbar instability remodels cartilage endplate to induce intervertebral disc degeneration by recruiting osteoclasts via Hippo-CCL3 signaling

Degenerated endplate appears with cheese-like morphology and sensory innervation,contributing to low back pain and subsequently inducing intervertebral disc degeneration in the aged population.1 However,the origin and development mechanism of the cheese-like morphology remain unclear.Here in this study,we report lumbar instability induced cartilage endplate remodeling is responsible for this pathological change.

Current practice in autologous rib and costal-cartilage harvest for rhinoplasty:A systematic review

Background:Autologous costal grafts are used universally in clinical practice for rhinoplasty and reconstruction.However,surgeons worldwide have not agreed on the details of graft harvesting,including rib selection,side preference,operation mode,cutting methods,and handling of the periosteum and perichondrium.This study aimed to provide an overview of the novel techniques used for auto-rib harvesting in rhinoplasty within the past 5 years and identify potential avenues for future research.Methods:We searched for related articles in PubMed,Embase,and Web of Science from 2019 to 2023,summa-rized crucial but controversial steps in recent practice,and analyzed their theoretical basis and clinical feasibility.Results:Auto-rib and cartilage open harvest is still mainstream in rhinoplasty and reconstruction,with the 5th to 8th ribs and cartilage being the most used.The laparoscopic harvest is gaining attention,being second only to the open harvest,with the 9th/10th ribs and cartilages being particularly convenient.The clinical applications of full-cut and split-cut methods differ in their advantages.Except for some special reasons,almost all studies tended to preserve the periosteum and perichondrium in situ,and few surgeons chose to harvest the grafts on the left side.Conclusion:Multiple techniques have emerged,requiring surgeons to balance the benefits and risks of various strategies at each step.New theories and techniques should be fully tested promptly and in clinical practice before wide application.Overall,a professional consensus is needed for better directivity,precision,and stability in clinical practice.

Ear keloid and epidermal cyst following auricular cartilage harvest for rhinoplasty:A case report

BACKGROUND This case report highlights a rare instance of concurrent keloid and epidermal cyst development at an ear cartilage harvest site following rhinoplasty in a 25-year-old woman.Both conditions,which typically stem from skin trauma,seldom occur together,demonstrating the exceptional characteristics of this case.CASE SUMMARY The patient underwent successful surgical removal of both the keloid and the epidermal cyst.Postoperative treatment included the use of silicone sheets,gel,and oral tranilast to reduce scarring.No recurrence was observed over a 6-mo follow-up period,indicating effective management of the condition.CONCLUSION The effective management of complex skin trauma cases underscores the need for individualized treatment strategies in plastic surgery.

Interlayer repair with porcine small intestinal submucosa versus internal repair with tragus cartilage in endoscopic tympanoplasty

Objective Endoscopic tympanoplasty includes various surgical methods,such as internal repair,interlayer repair,and external overlay.This technique requires autologous materials,allografts,and xenografts,which are used to repair tympanic membrane(TM)perforation.To obtain good results,appropriate surgical methods and repair materials should be selected.This study aims to assess the efficacy of repairing refractory TM perforations in the porcine small intestinal submucosa(SIS)during transcanal endoscopic type I tympanoplasty.Method A retrospective chart review was performed on patients who underwent TM perforation repair with porcine SIS and tragus cartilage between January 2022 and September 2022 at Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital,Zhejiang University School of Medicine.Perforation size,tympanic status,pre-and postoperative symptoms,follow-up data,wound healing rates,and hearing improvement were analysed.Results Of the 115 patients included in the study,56 underwent interlayer repair with porcine SIS of the TM,and 59 patients underwent internal repair with tragus cartilage.No significant difference was found between the two groups at baseline in terms of age,sex,disease course,perforation side,tympanic status,underlying disease,or preoperative infection.The total postoperative effective rate of interlayer implantation with porcine SIS was 91.07%(51 patients),and that of internal implantation with tragus cartilage was 88.14%(52 patients).No significant difference was found in terms of the graft success rate between the two surgical methods(p=0.887).Postoperative pure tone auditory(PTA)and air-bone gap(ABG)density significantly increased in both groups compared with before surgery(p<0.05).However,the postoperative PTA and ABG density were not significantly different 3 months post-surgery between the two groups(p>0.05).Compared to those in the internal implantation group,the patients in the interlayer group had a shorter operation duration(51.36±6.76 min vs.59.71±7.45 min,t=6.298,p<0.001)and less blood loss(11.91±2.61 mL vs.15.27±2.57 mL,t=7.019,p<0.001).Conclusions Our study suggests that the porcine SIS,as well as the tragus cartilage,has a high success rate in repairing irreversible TM perforation.Endoscopic tympanoplasty via interlayer implantation with porcine SIS offers distinct advantages,including the absence of donor-site incision and scar formation,and ease of graft modification and manipulation.

Clinical study on improving the diagnostic accuracy of adult elbow joint cartilage injury by multisequence magnetic resonance imaging

BACKGROUND Due to frequent and high-risk sports activities,the elbow joint is susceptible to injury,especially to cartilage tissue,which can cause pain,limited movement and even loss of joint function.AIM To evaluate magnetic resonance imaging(MRI)multisequence imaging for improving the diagnostic accuracy of adult elbow cartilage injury.METHODS A total of 60 patients diagnosed with elbow cartilage injury in our hospital from January 2020 to December 2021 were enrolled in this retrospective study.We analyzed the accuracy of conventional MRI sequences(T1-weighted imaging,T2-weighted imaging,proton density weighted imaging,and T2 star weighted image)and Three-Dimensional Coronary Imaging by Spiral Scanning(3D-CISS)in the diagnosis of elbow cartilage injury.Arthroscopy was used as the gold standard to evaluate the diagnostic effect of single and combination sequences in different injury degrees and the consistency with arthroscopy.RESULTS The diagnostic accuracy of 3D-CISS sequence was 89.34%±4.98%,the sensitivity was 90%,and the specificity was 88.33%,which showed the best performance among all sequences(P<0.05).The combined application of the whole sequence had the highest accuracy in all sequence combinations,the accuracy of mild injury was 91.30%,the accuracy of moderate injury was 96.15%,and the accuracy of severe injury was 93.33%(P<0.05).Compared with arthroscopy,the combination of all MRI sequences had the highest consistency of 91.67%,and the kappa value reached 0.890(P<0.001).CONCLUSION Combination of 3D-CISS and each sequence had significant advantages in improving MRI diagnostic accuracy of elbow cartilage injuries in adults.Multisequence MRI is recommended to ensure the best diagnosis and treatment.

Donor-Site Morbidity Following Harvest of Autologous Costal Cartilage in Microtia Reconstruction

Objectives: The objective of this study is to evaluate donor-site morbidity after costal cartilage harvest for microtia reconstruction. Methods: A total of 70 patients who underwent autologous costal cartilage harvest for microtia reconstruction from March 2008-March 2009 were included. Anterior chest wall deformity was evaluated with chest topography, and scar quality at baseline and at 6-months follow-up, and final outcomes analyzed with SPSS. Results: In 70 patients, 52 (74%) were male, 18 (26%) were female, and altogether 40 (57%) patients developed deformity. At 6-month follow-up, the incidence of anterior chest wall deformity was highest at 80% in Block-III, and least at 0% in Block-I. The 6 - 10 years age group was the largest group at 84% (21), and also with highest incidence of deformity in association to Block-IV harvest at 83%. The incidence of donor-site deformity was higher in female gender at 66%, and 54% in males. But in the sub-group, male had higher incidence of deformity at 75% in both Block-III, and Block-IV when compared to the respective females. The 120 - 135 cm height group had the highest deformity at 67% with Block-IV costal cartilages harvested. At the three measurement points: 1) xiphisternum, 2) intersecting points between PSL and LCM, and 3) intersecting points between MCL and LCM, significant differences (mean) were observed in chest circumference from baseline to 6-month follow-up, and between the left and right chest hemi-circumference (postoperatively). Acceptable donor-site scar was observed in all but 3% (2) developed hypertrophic scar. Conclusion: The development of chest wall deformity was observed when more than one costal cartilage was harvested, particularly the 6th (complete), 7th, 8th block. Therefore, to minimize the deformity, we recommend harvesting only the necessary amount of cartilage, and at the lowest level possible to avoid injury of costochondral junction. Additionally, age, height, gender and chest development are equally important factors which influence donor-site deformity in microtia reconstruction.

Endoscopic push through tragal cartilage tympanoplasty: A 10-year retrospective review of our technique and outcomes

BACKGROUND Endoscopic ear surgery(EES)provides a magnified,high-definition view of the otological surgical field.EES allows otologists to avoid surgical incisions and associated postoperative complications.It is an ideal technique for the perfor-mance and teaching of tympanoplasty.AIM To examine the efficacy of total Endoscopic Push Through Tragal Cartilage Tympanoplasty(EPTTCT),at our institution over a 10-year period.METHODS A retrospective analysis of 168 cases of EPTTCT for closure of small to medium tympanic membrane perforations from 2013-2023 was conducted.Patient sex,age range(pediatric vs adult),etiology of injury,success rate,complications,and postoperative hearing status were collected.RESULTS Graft uptake results indicated success in 94%of patients,with less than a 2%complication rate.Postoperative pure tone audiometry demonstrated hearing status improvement in 69%of patients.CONCLUSION EPTTCT has been shown to be effective in tympanic membrane perforation closures with minimal complications.This study further demonstrates the efficacy and safety of these procedures in a single-center review.

Nano“Undercover Agents”Lodge in Cartilage to Treat Osteoarthritis

The relentless pain and disability caused by osteoarthritis stem from the body’s own cartilage cells going rogue under inflammatory conditions.They secrete enzymes that devour the cushioning cartilage matrix,leading to joint damage.Conventional drugs cannot effectively reach this inflammatory source within the dense cartilage.

杂交鲟(Sturgeon cartilage)软骨中硫酸软骨素的提取方法及分析鉴定

采用稀碱浸提、蛋白酶水解与三氯乙酸沉淀相结合脱蛋白的工艺,对杂交鲟软骨提取琉酸软骨素的方法进行了较系统的研究。综合考察各种影响因素,设计了正交试验对提取工艺参数进行了优化,并对产品的质量指标进行了检验。结果表明,最佳提取工艺参数为:碱提取时料液比为1:2.0,碱浓度为4%,碱提温度为40℃;胰蛋白酶的酶解温度为55℃,酶量为2%,酶解时间为10h,制备的硫酸软骨素为白色粉末,得率为28.9%,纯度为92.3%,蛋白质含量为2.59%,各项质量指标完全符合标准要求。与目前已报道的其他软骨素制备工艺相比较,该方法具有工艺简便,提取率高,产品纯度高的特点。光谱分析法结构鉴定结果表明它是一种软骨素肽,其主要成分为硫酸软骨素C。

Advances in Negative Regulatory Mechanisms of Sox9 Gene Expression during Cartilage Development

As the main regulator of cartilage development, Sox9 gene can initiate transcription and expression of various enzymes and protein genes required for car- tilage growth and development. During this process, the expression and function of Sex9 are also regulated by a variety of factors and signaling pathways. More re- search is concerned about the positive regulation. At present, some studies dis- closed that negative regulation of Sox9 expression existed unique mechanisms. This study will discuss and summarize the negative regulatory mechanism of Sox9 gene by microRNA, NF-κB, Wnt, Notch and other factors and signaling pathways, in or- der to provide the basic framework for further investigating the expression and func- tion of Sox9 in cartilage development.

Use of bone morphogenetic proteins in mesenchymal stemcell stimulation of cartilage and bone repair

The extracellular matrix-associated bone morphogenetic proteins(BMPs) govern a plethora of biological processes. The BMPs are members of the transforming growth factor-β protein superfamily, and they actively participate to kidney development, digit and limb formation, angiogenesis, tissue fibrosis and tumor development. Since their discovery, they have attracted attention for their fascinating perspectives in the regenerative medicine and tissue engineering fields. BMPs have been employed in many preclinical and clinical studies exploring their chondrogenic or osteoinductive potential in several animal model defects and in human diseases. During years of research in particular two BMPs, BMP2 and BMP7 have gained the podium for their use in the treatment of various cartilage and bone defects. In particular they have been recently approved for employment in non-union fractures as adjunct therapies. On the other hand, thanks to their potentialities in biomedical applications, there is a growing interest in studying the biology of mesenchymal stem cell(MSC), the rules underneath their differentiation abilities, and to test their true abilities in tissue engineering. In fact, the specific differentiation of MSCs into targeted celltype lineages for transplantation is a primary goal of the regenerative medicine. This review provides an overview on the current knowledge of BMP roles and signaling in MSC biology and differentiation capacities. In particular the article focuses on the potential clinical use of BMPs and MSCs concomitantly, in cartilage and bone tissue repair.

Mesenchymal stem cells as a potent cell source for articular cartilage regeneration

Since articular cartilage possesses only a weak capac-ity for repair, its regeneration potential is considered one of the most important challenges for orthopedic surgeons. The treatment options, such as marrow stimulation techniques, fail to induce a repair tissue with the same functional and mechanical properties of native hyaline cartilage. Osteochondral transplantation is considered an effective treatment option but is as-sociated with some disadvantages, including donor-site morbidity, tissue supply limitation, unsuitable mechani-cal properties and thickness of the obtained tissue. Although autologous chondrocyte implantation results in reasonable repair, it requires a two-step surgical pro-cedure. Moreover, chondrocytes expanded in culture gradually undergo dedifferentiation, so lose morpho-logical features and specialized functions. In the search for alternative cells, scientists have found mesenchymal stem cells(MSCs) to be an appropriate cellular mate-rial for articular cartilage repair. These cells were origi-nally isolated from bone marrow samples and further investigations have revealed the presence of the cells in many other tissues. Furthermore, chondrogenic dif-ferentiation is an inherent property of MSCs noticedat the time of the cell discovery. MSCs are known to exhibit homing potential to the damaged site at which they differentiate into the tissue cells or secrete a wide spectrum of bioactive factors with regenerative proper-ties. Moreover, these cells possess a considerable im-munomodulatory potential that make them the general donor for therapeutic applications. All of these topics will be discussed in this review.

Benefits of Ilizarov automated bone distraction for nerves and articular cartilage in experimental leg lengthening

AIM To determine peculiarities of tissue responses to manual and automated Ilizarov bone distraction in nerves and articular cartilage.METHODS Twenty-nine dogs were divided in two experimental groups: Group M-leg lengthening with manual distraction(1 mm/d in 4 steps), Group A-automated distraction(1 mm/d in 60 steps) and intact group. Animals were euthanized at the end of distraction, at 30 th day of fixation in apparatus and 30 d after the fixator removal. M-responses in gastrocnemius and tibialis anterior muscles were recorded, numerical histology of peronealand tibialis nerves and knee cartilage semi-thin sections, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray electron probe microanalysis were performed.RESULTS Better restoration of M-response amplitudes in leg muscles was noted in A-group. Fibrosis of epineurium with adipocytes loss in peroneal nerve, subperineurial edema and fibrosis of endoneurium in some fascicles of both nerves were noted only in M-group, shares of nerve fibers with atrophic and degenerative changes were bigger in M-group than in A-group. At the end of experiment morphometric parameters of nerve fibers in peroneal nerve were comparable with intact nerve only in A-group. Quantitative parameters of articular cartilage(thickness, volumetric densities of chondrocytes, percentages of isogenic clusters and empty cellular lacunas, contents of sulfur and calcium) were badly changed in M-group and less changed in A-group.CONCLUSION Automated Ilizarov distraction is more safe method of orthopedic leg lengthening than manual distraction in points of nervous fibers survival and articular cartilage arthrotic changes.

Injectable hydrogels for cartilage and bone tissue engineering

Tissue engineering has become a promising strategy for repairing damaged cartilage and bone tissue. Among the scaffolds for tissue-engineering applications, injectable hydrogels have demonstrated great potential for use as three-dimensional cell culture scaffolds in cartilage and bone tissue engineering, owing to their high water content, similarity to the natural extracellular matrix(ECM), porous framework for cell transplantation and proliferation, minimal invasive properties, and ability to match irregular defects. In this review, we describe the selection of appropriate biomaterials and fabrication methods to prepare novel injectable hydrogels for cartilage and bone tissue engineering. In addition, the biology of cartilage and the bony ECM is also summarized. Finally, future perspectives for injectable hydrogels in cartilage and bone tissue engineering are discussed.

T1ρ/T2 mapping and histopathology of degenerative cartilage in advanced knee osteoarthritis

AIM To investigate whether normal thickness cartilage in osteoarthritic knees demonstrate depletion of proteoglycan or collagen content compared to healthy knees.METHODS Magnetic resonance(MR) images were acquired from5 subjects scheduled for total knee arthroplasty(TKA)(mean age 70 years) and 20 young healthy control subjects without knee pain(mean age 28.9 years). MR images of T1ρ mapping, T2 mapping, and fat suppressed proton-density weighted sequences were obtained.Following TKA each condyle was divided into 4 parts(distal medial, posterior medial, distal lateral, posterior lateral) for cartilage analysis. Twenty specimens(bone and cartilage blocks) were examined. For each joint,the degree and extent of cartilage destruction was determined using the Osteoarthritis Research Society International cartilage histopathology assessment system.In magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) analysis, 2 readers performed cartilage segmentation for T1ρ/T2 values and cartilage thickness measurement.RESULTS Eleven areas in MRI including normal or near normal cartilage thickness were selected. The corresponding histopathological sections demonstrated mild to moderate osteoarthritis(OA). There was no significant difference in cartilage thickness in MRI between control and advanced OA samples [medial distal condyle, P = 0.461;medial posterior condyle(MPC), P = 0.352; lateral distal condyle, P = 0.654; lateral posterior condyle, P = 0.550],suggesting arthritic specimens were morphologically similar to normal or early staged degenerative cartilage.Cartilage T2 and T1ρ values from the MPC were significantly higher among the patients with advanced OA(P= 0.043). For remaining condylar samples there was no statistical difference in T2 and T1ρ values between cases and controls but there was a trend towards higher values in advanced OA patients. CONCLUSION Though cartilage is morphologically normal or near normal, degenerative changes exist in advanced OA patients. These changes can be detected with T2 and T1ρ MRI techniques.

Use of chondral fragments for one stage cartilage repair: A systematic review

AIM: To investigate the state of the art regarding Cartilage Autograft Implantation System(CAIS) or Particulated Juvenile Allograft Cartilage(PJAC).METHODS: The authors searched the English literature regarding CAIS and PJAC. The search strategy was:(particulated cartilage) OR autologous cartilage fragments. All basic science articles were included. Clinical articles with less than 10 patients treated and less than 6 mo of follow-up were excluded. With these criteria, a total of 17 articles were available for the present review. RESULTS: PJAC and CAIS are relatively novel techniques for cartilage repair. Good basic science evidence was described to support the concept. Although the preliminary clinical reports show encouraging results, clinical data are still limited, especially for CAIS. The indications for both techniques need to be precisely defined(age of the patients, size of the lesion, and involvement of the subchondral bone), together with other debated issues. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, the authors can state that encouraging preliminary results are available for both techniques. However, further studies are necessary to precisely determine the indications, surgical techniques, and long term outcomes for PJAC and CAIS.

Cartilage repair techniques of the talus: An update

Symptomatic chondral or osteochondral defects of the talus reduce the quality of life of many patients.Although their pathomechanism is well understood,it is well known that different aetiologic factors play a role in their origin.Additionally,it is well recognised that the talar articular cartilage strongly differs from that in the knee.Despite this fact,many recommendations for the management of talar cartilage defects are based on approaches that were developed for the knee.Conservative treatment seems to work best in paediatric and adolescent patients with osteochondritis dissecans.However,depending on the size of the lesions,surgical approaches are necessary to treat many of these defects.Bone marrow stimulation techniques may achieve good results in small lesions.Large lesions may be treated by open procedures such as osteochondral autograft transfer or allograft transplantation.Autologous chondrocyte transplantation,as a restorative procedure,is well investigated in the knee and has been applied in the talus with increasing popularity and promising results but the evidence to date is poor.The goals of the current article are to summarise the different options for treating chondral and osteochondral defects of the talus and review the available literature.

New perspectives for articular cartilage repair treatment through tissue engineering: A contemporary review

In this paper review we describe benefits and disadvantages of the established methods of cartilage regeneration that seem to have a better long-term effectiveness.We illustrated the anatomical aspect of the knee joint cartilage, the current state of cartilage tissue engineering, through mesenchymal stem cells and biomaterials,and in conclusion we provide a short overview on the rehabilitation after articular cartilage repair procedures.Adult articular cartilage has low capacity to repair itself,and thus even minor injuries may lead to progressive damage and osteoarthritic joint degeneration, result-ing in significant pain and disability. Numerous efforts have been made to develop tissue-engineered grafts or patches to repair focal chondral and osteochondral defects, and to date several researchers aim to implement clinical application of cell-based therapies for cartilage repair. A literature review was conducted on PubM ed, Scopus and Google Scholar using appropriate keywords, examining the current literature on the wellknown tissue engineering methods for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis.

A new method for computing the uniaxial modulus of articular cartilages using modified inhomogeneous triphasic model

It is well known that subtle changes in structure and tissue composition of articular cartilage can lead to its degeneration. The present paper puts forward a modified layered inhomogeneous triphasic model with four parameters based on the inhomogeneous triphasic model proposed by Narmoneva et al. Incorporating a piecewise fitting optimization criterion, the new model was used to obtain the uniaxial modulus Ha, and predict swelling pattern for the articular cartilage based on ultrasound-measured swelling strain data. The results show that the new method can be used to provide more accurate estimation on the uniaxial modulus than the inhomogeneous triphasic model with three parameters and the homogeneous mode, and predict effectively the swell- ing strains of highly nonuniform distribution of degenerated articular cartilages. This study can provide supplementary information for exploring mechanical and material properties of the cartilage, and thus be helpful for the diagnosis of osteoarthritis-related diseases.

Association between serum cartilage oligomeric matrix protein and coronary artery calcification in maintenance hemodialysis patients

Background Coronary artery calcification(CAC)is common in end-stage renal disease(ESRD)patients,and the extent of CAC is closely related to cardiovascular outcomes in ESRD patients.Cartilage oligomeric matrix protein(COMP),as a component of the vascular matrix,has been found to be an inhibitor of arterial calcification in basic studies.However,there is no clinical research on the correlation between COMP and CAC in maintenance hemodialysis(MHD)patients.The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between serum COMP levels and CAC and cardiovascular events in MHD patients.Methods Serum COMP levels were compared between 54 MHD patients and 66 healthy people.MHD patients were then divided into three groups according to the tertiles of the concentration of COMP level and were followed up for major adverse cardiac events(MACEs),which were defined as a combined end point of new onset angina pectoris,nonfatal myocardial infarction,heart failure,coronary artery revascularization,hospitalization due to angina pectoris and all-cause deaths.The CAC score was calculated based on computed tomography scans.Results The serum COMP level in MHD patients was significantly higher than that in the general population[984.23(248.43-1902.61)ng/mL vs.219.01(97.26-821.92)ng/mL,P<0.01].Serum COMP levels were positively correlated with CAC(r=0.313,P=0.021)and serum parathyroid hormone in MHD patients(r=0.359,P<0.01).Linear regression suggested that after adjusting for age,fasting blood glucose(Glu)and glycosylated hemoglobin(HbAlc),CAC score was an independent predictor in the final model for COMP level(β=0.424,t=3.130,P<0.01).The receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curve showed that COMP≥994 mg/mL had 68.0%sensitivity and 72.4%specificity for the prediction of severe CAC[area under the curve(AUC):0.674,P=0.030,95%CI:0.526-0.882].After a median follow-up of 16 months(8-24 months),there was no difference in the incidence rate of MACEs between the upper,middle and lower serum COMP groups.Conclusions Our study found that MHD patients have higher levels of circulating COMP than controls.The serum COMP level is positively correlated with CAC score and could be used as a biomarker of severe CAC in MHD patients.However,there is no obvious correlation between serum COMP levels and the incidence of cardiovascular events.