The Association of Serum Calprotectin with Fitness Indicators and Biochemical Markers in High-Level Athletes: A Continuous Dynamic Monitoring during One Competitive Season.

Unlabelled: The objective was to determine the associations between several biochemical indicators and the dynamics of concentration change across four physical fitness phases over the period of a competitive season. Furthermore, associations between serum calprotectin and biomarkers of inflammation or muscle injury and physical indicators were examined.

Subjects And Methods: Twenty professional male water polo players (median age: 28 (22-42)) were included in this study.

Core Decompression Combined with Intraosseous Autologous Conditioned Plasma Injections Decreases Pain and Improves Function in Patients with Symptomatic Knee Bone Marrow Lesions.

The purpose of this prospective case series was to determine the effectiveness of using a combination of the core decompression and injection of autologous conditioned plasma (ACP) for the treatment of symptomatic knee bone marrow lesions (BML), as well as to report on the preliminary clinical results based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and patient-reported outcomes (PROMs). Patients with OA-related BML who failed to improve on conservative treatment for three months underwent an identical procedure consisting of arthroscopy, core decompression, and the intraosseous injection of ACP and were followed up for 12 months. A statistically significant reduction in pain and an improvement in function, as measured by the Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS) and Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS), was observed at one-week follow-up (8.

Cellular and Genetic Background of Osteosarcoma.

Osteosarcoma describes a tumor of mesenchymal origin with an annual incidence rate of four to five people per million. Even though chemotherapy treatment has shown success in non-metastatic osteosarcoma, metastatic disease still has a low survival rate of 20%. A targeted therapy approach is limited due to high heterogeneity of tumors, and different underlying mutations.

Clinical Outcome of Arthroscopic Repair for Isolated Meniscus Tear in Athletes.

Increased knowledge of the long-term destructive consequences of meniscectomy has created a shift towards operative repair of isolated meniscus lesions. However, in the literature the results of isolated meniscal repair in athletes currently remain underreported. Our objective was to investigate the clinical and functional outcomes as well as survival and return to sport in patients who underwent meniscal repair after isolated meniscal tear, with a focus on athletes (both professional and recreational) in the study population.

Cell Sources for Cartilage Repair-Biological and Clinical Perspective.

Cell-based therapy represents a promising treatment strategy for cartilage defects. Alone or in combination with scaffolds/biological signals, these strategies open many new avenues for cartilage tissue engineering. However, the choice of the optimal cell source is not that straightforward.

Morphological and Molecular Evaluation of the Tissue Repair following Nasal Septum Biopsy in a Sheep Model.

Objective: Nasal septal pathologies requiring surgical intervention are common in the population. Additionally, nasal chondrocytes are becoming an important cell source in cartilage tissue engineering strategies for the repair of articular cartilage lesions. These procedures damage the nasal septal cartilage whose healing potential is limited due to its avascular, aneural, and alymphatic nature.

Multiple Metatarsal Fractures: The First Manifestation of Cushing's Disease-A Case Report.

Cushing's syndrome is an uncommon clinical condition most frequently presenting with central obesity, facial rounding, proximal muscle weakness, and skin thinning. The objective of this case report is to highlight an unusual presentation of Cushing's syndrome. A 35-year-old woman presented to the orthopedic clinic with a 1-year history of foot pain without any history of trauma.

Nasal Chondrocyte-Based Engineered Grafts for the Repair of Articular Cartilage "Kissing" Lesions: A Pilot Large-Animal Study.

Background: Bipolar or "kissing" cartilage lesions formed on 2 opposite articular surfaces of the knee joint are commonly listed as exclusion criteria for advanced cartilage therapies.

Purpose: To test, in a pilot large-animal study, whether autologous nasal chondrocyte (NC)-based tissue engineering, recently introduced for the treatment of focal cartilage injuries, could provide a solution for challenging kissing lesions.

Study Design: Controlled laboratory study.

Modified Technique for Combined Reconstruction of Anterior Cruciate Ligament and Anterolateral Ligament.

During the past few decades, surgical techniques for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction have been developing significantly. To date, studies have shown that after ACL reconstruction, rotational stability has a greater impact on the patient's satisfaction, functional scores, and return to sports than translational stability. Although challenged by many authors in the literature, biomechanical studies on the anterolateral ligament (ALL) of the knee and clinical studies regarding ALL reconstruction have been revealing promising results.

Association of the matrix metalloproteinase 3 (MMP3) single nucleotide polymorphisms with tendinopathies: case-control study in high-level athletes.

Background: Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) play an important role in matrix remodelling, as well as in tendon integrity. Due to overuse, athletes often develop chronic tendinopathies. If not treated, they lead to severe impairment, even complete tendon ruptures.

Knee infection following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: a cohort study of one thousand, eight hundred and ninety one patients from the single-centre database.

Purpose: This study was undertaken to retrospectively determine the incidence of postoperative knee infection following ACL reconstruction, to identify the most common causative pathogen and to evaluate our diagnostic and treatment approach, as well as to review current recommendations for the management of septic arthritis.

Methods: From January 2007 to December 2017, a total of 1891 arthroscopic ACL reconstructions were performed at our institution. Twenty-nine cases with clinical suspicion of post-operative septic knee arthritis following ACL reconstruction were identified and retrospectively analysed with regard to incidence, clinical presentation, microbiological spectrum, laboratory parameters and number of arthroscopic debridements.

Bioreactor-manufactured cartilage grafts repair acute and chronic osteochondral defects in large animal studies.

Objectives: Bioreactor-based production systems have the potential to overcome limitations associated with conventional tissue engineering manufacturing methods, facilitating regulatory compliant and cost-effective production of engineered grafts for widespread clinical use. In this work, we established a bioreactor-based manufacturing system for the production of cartilage grafts.

Materials & Methods: All bioprocesses, from cartilage biopsy digestion through the generation of engineered grafts, were performed in our bioreactor-based manufacturing system.

Optimization of an ex vivo gene transfer to the hamstrings tendons muscle remnants: potential for genetic enhancement of bone healing.

Aim: To assess whether an adenoviral vector carrying the bone morphogenetic protein genes (Ad.BMP-2) can transduce human muscle tissue and direct it toward osteogenic differentiation within one hour.

Methods: This in vitro study, performed at the Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Science, Zagreb from 2012 to 2017, used human muscle tissue samples collected during anterior cruciate ligament reconstructions performed in St Catherine Hospital, Zabok.

Bone Tissue Engineering in a Perfusion Bioreactor Using Dexamethasone-Loaded Peptide Hydrogel.

The main goal of this study was the formation of bone tissue using dexamethasone (DEX)-loaded [COCH₃]-RADARADARADARADA-[CONH₂] (RADA 16-I) scaffold that has the ability to release optimal DEX concentration under perfusion force. Bone-marrow samples were collected from three patients during a hip arthroplasty. Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) were isolated and propagated in vitro in order to be seeded on scaffolds made of DEX-loaded RADA 16-I hydrogel in a perfusion bioreactor.

Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells Differentiation Regulated by Hydroxyapatite Content within Chitosan-Based Scaffolds under Perfusion Conditions.

The extensive need for hard tissue substituent greatly motivates development of suitable allogeneic grafts for therapeutic recreation. Different calcium phosphate phases have been accepted as scaffold's components with positive influence on osteoinduction and differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells, in terms of their higher fraction within the graft. Nevertheless, the creation of unlimited nutrients diffusion through newly formed grafts is of great importance.

Capacity of muscle derived stem cells and pericytes to promote tendon graft integration and ligamentization following anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.

Purpose: The aim of this study is to examine the capacity of muscle tissue preserved on hamstring tendons forming candy-stripe grafts in order to improve tendon to bone ingrowth and ligamentization. We hypothesized that muscle tissue does possess a stem cell population that could enhance the healing process of the ACL graft when preserved on the tendons.

Methods: Human samples from gracilis and semitendinosus muscles were collected during ACL surgery from ten patients and from these tissue samples human muscle-derived stem cells and tendon-derived stem cells were isolated and propagated.

Polyester type polyHIPE scaffolds with an interconnected porous structure for cartilage regeneration.

Development of artificial materials for the facilitation of cartilage regeneration remains an important challenge in orthopedic practice. Our study investigates the potential for neocartilage formation within a synthetic polyester scaffold based on the polymerization of high internal phase emulsions. The fabrication of polyHIPE polymer (PHP) was specifically tailored to produce a highly porous (85%) structure with the primary pore size in the range of 50-170 μm for cartilage tissue engineering.

Expression of OCT-4 and SOX-2 in Bone Marrow-Derived Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells during Osteogenic Differentiation.

Aim: Determine the levels of expression of pluripotency genes OCT-4 and SOX-2 before and after osteogenic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs).

Methods: Human MSCs were derived from the bone marrow and differentiated into osteoblasts. The analyses were performed on days 0 and 14 of the cell culture.

Interaction between living bone particles and rhBMP-2 in large segmental defect healing in the rat femur.

Orthopedic surgeons sometimes combine recombinant, human BMP-2 with autograft bone when dealing with problematic osseous fractures. Although some case reports indicate success with this off-label strategy, there have been no randomized controlled trials. Moreover, a literature search revealed only one pre-clinical study and this was in a cranial defect model.

Osteogenesis imperfecta--multi-systemic and life-long disease that affects whole family.

Osteogenesis imperfecta or brittle bone disease, a heritable disorder of connective tissue, is the most common of the inherited disorders primarily affecting bone. There are approximately 400 individuals with OI in Croatia alone. It is estimated that twice that number is present, represented by individuals with mild OI in whom the diagnosis has not been made.

Nanobiotechnology and bone regeneration: a mini-review.

The purpose of this paper is to review current developments in bone tissue engineering, with special focus on the promising role of nanobiotechnology. This unique fusion between nanotechnology and biotechnology offers unprecedented possibilities in studying and modulating biological processes on a molecular and atomic scale. First we discuss the multiscale hierarchical structure of bone and its implication on the design of new scaffolds and delivery systems.