Silk Fibroin Microparticle Scaffold for Use in Bone Void Filling: Safety and Efficacy Studies.

Silk fibroin (SF) is a natural biocompatible protein polymer extracted from cocoons of silkworm . SF can be processed into a variety of different forms and shapes that can be used as scaffolds to support bone regeneration. Three-dimensional (3D) SF scaffolds have shown promise in bone-void-filling applications.

Microbes, intestinal inflammation and probiotics.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is known for causing disturbed homeostatic balance among the intestinal immune compartment, epithelium and microbiota. Owing to the emergence of IBD as a major cause of morbidity and mortality, great efforts have been put into understanding the sequence of intestinal inflammatory events. Intestinal macrophages and dendritic cells act in a synergistic fashion with intestinal epithelial cells and microbiota to initiate the triad that governs the intestinal immune responses (whether inflammatory or regulatory).

Comparison of internal bone transport and vascularized fibular grafting for femoral bone defects.

Objective: To compare results between vascularized fibular grafting and internal bone transport for large bone defects of the femur.

Design: Retrospective review of patients.

Setting: University teaching hospitals.