Squeaking and other noises in patients with ceramic-on-ceramic total hip arthroplasty.

Introduction: Noise in ceramic-on-ceramic (CoC) total hip arthroplasty (THA) is a potential symptom of abnormal bearing wear. Squeaking and other prosthetic hip noises are multi-factorial phenomena that can be analysed and may provide prognostic information.

Methods: 46 patients with noisy CoC bearings were investigated using X-ray, computed tomography and joint fluid analysis, and classified into either high or low risk of ceramic liner fracture groups according to previously published guidelines.

Ischemia-Modified Albumin Expression: Is there a Difference between Male and Female Subjects?

Background: Ischemia-modified albumin (IMA) derives from naive albumin, modified in the binding region of bivalent ions, as cobalt and iron. The cobalt, released from some types of hip prosthesis seems to be metabolized differently in males and females but the iron ion is more prevalent than cobalt and is detectable in the healthy population. Our aim was to verify if there are any gender- and age-related differences in IMA concentrations and if IMA correlates with cobalt and iron-related proteins.

Release of soluble and vesicular purine nucleoside phosphorylase from rat astrocytes and microglia induced by pro-inflammatory stimulation with extracellular ATP via P2X receptors.

Purine nucleoside phosphorylase (PNP), a crucial enzyme in purine metabolism which converts ribonucleosides into purine bases, has mainly been found inside glial cells. Since we recently demonstrated that PNP is released from rat C6 glioma cells, we then wondered whether this occurs in normal brain cells. Using rat primary cultures of microglia, astrocytes and cerebellar granule neurons, we found that in basal condition all these cells constitutively released a metabolically active PNP with Km values very similar to those measured in C6 glioma cells.

In Vivo Damage of the Head-Neck Junction in Hard-on-Hard Total Hip Replacements: Effect of Femoral Head Size, Metal Combination, and 12/14 Taper Design.

Recently, concerns have been raised about the potential effect of head-neck junction damage products at the local and systemic levels. Factors that may affect this damage process have not been fully established yet. This study investigated the possible correlations among head-neck junction damage level, implant design, material combination, and patient characteristics.

Hypoxia mediates osteocyte ORP150 expression and cell death in vitro.

Skeletal unloading leads to hypoxia in the bone microenvironment, resulting in imbalanced bone remodeling that favors bone resorption. Osteocytes, the mechanosensors of bone, have been demonstrated to orchestrate bone homeostasis. Hypoxic osteocytes either undergo apoptosis or actively stimulate osteoclasts to remove bone matrix during hypoxia.