No evidence for intervention-dependent influence of methodological features on treatment effect.

Objectives: The goal of this systematic review was to evaluate if the influence of methodological features on treatment effect differs between types of intervention.

Study Design And Setting: MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane methodology register, and reference lists were searched for meta-epidemiologic studies on the influence of methodological features on treatment effect. Studies analyzing influence of methodological features related to internal validity were included.

Spine surgery research: on and beyond current strategies.

Background Context: Systematic reviews of the literature are powerful tools in evidence-based medicine. However, the design and report of systematic reviews in spinal surgery contain many aspects amenable to improvement.

Purpose: To discuss the issues especially relevant for systematic reviews in spinal surgery.

Effect of methodological quality measures in spinal surgery research: a metaepidemiological study.

Background Context: Methodological quality measures of trials in meta-analyses have been shown to influence the pooled effect sizes in several medical fields. However, for spinal surgery, influence of quality measures has not been assessed.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to analyze the influence of quality measures in studies on effectiveness in spinal surgery.

Replacement of the medial tibial plateau by a metallic implant in a goat model.

The purposes of the present study were to explore the surgical possibilities for replacement of the medial tibial plateau by a metallic implant in a large animal model and to examine the implications for the opposing cartilage. In six goats, the medial tibial plateau of the right knee was replaced by a cobalt-chromium implant, using polymethylmethacrylate bone cement for fixation. The unoperated left knee served as a control.

Cartilage damage caused by metal implants applied for the treatment of established localized cartilage defects in a rabbit model.

The purpose of the current study was to investigate the feasibility of the application of defect-size femoral implants in a rabbit model of established cartilage defects and compare this treatment to microfracturing. In 31 New Zealand White rabbits, a medial femoral condyle defect was created in each knee. After 4 weeks, 3 animals were killed for defect baseline values.

Hydrogels as extracellular matrices for skeletal tissue engineering: state-of-the-art and novel application in organ printing.

Organ printing, a novel approach in tissue engineering, applies layered computer-driven deposition of cells and gels to create complex 3-dimensional cell-laden structures. It shows great promise in regenerative medicine, because it may help to solve the problem of limited donor grafts for tissue and organ repair. The technique enables anatomical cell arrangement using incorporation of cells and growth factors at predefined locations in the printed hydrogel scaffolds.

Quality of life in children with osteogenesis imperfecta treated with oral bisphosphonates (Olpadronate): a 2-year randomized placebo-controlled trial.

Unlabelled: In this double-blind randomised placebo-controlled trial it was investigated during a two-year follow-up whether oral bisphosphonates (Olpadronate 10 mg/m2/day) influence quality of life in children with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI). Thirty-four children with OI (classified according to Sillence criteria), aged 3 to 18 years of age, with a restricted level of ambulation were included. Randomisation was performed using a list of computer generated random numbers to allocate patients to receive Olpadronate or placebo.

Complications of artificial disc replacement: a report of 27 patients with the SB Charité disc.

Disc prosthesis surgery is rapidly becoming an option in treating patients with symptomatic degenerative disc disease. Only short-term and midterm results are described in the literature. Most operated patients belong to the age group of 30-50 years.