Correlations between weight-bearing 3D bone architecture and dynamic plantar pressure measurements in the diabetic foot.

Background: Measurements of plantar loading reveal foot-to-floor interaction during activity, but information on bone architecture cannot be derived. Recently, cone-beam computer tomography (CBCT) has given visual access to skeletal structures in weight-bearing. The combination of the two measures has the potential to improve clinical understanding and prevention of diabetic foot ulcers.

Techniques for 3D foot bone orientation angles in weight-bearing from cone-beam computed tomography.

Background: For the diagnosis and treatment of foot and ankle disorders, objective quantification of the absolute and relative orientation angles is necessary. The present work aims at assessing novel techniques for 3D measures of foot bone angles from current Cone-Beam technology.

Methods: A normal foot was scanned via weight-bearing CT and 3D-model of each bone was obtained.

Weight-bearing CT Technology in Musculoskeletal Pathologies of the Lower Limbs: Techniques, Initial Applications, and Preliminary Combinations with Gait-Analysis Measurements at the Istituto Ortopedico Rizzoli.

Musculoskeletal radiology has been mostly limited by the option between imaging under load but in two dimensions (i.e., radiographs) and three-dimensional (3D) scans but in unloaded conditions (i.

Radiographic angular measurements of the foot and ankle in weight-bearing: A literature review.

Background: For the diagnosis and treatment of the foot and ankle, bone alignments have long been evaluated using planar radiographs in weight-bearing conditions and a large number of measurements have been reported. The present survey reviews the major radiographic angles that are currently present in the literature for a possible better comprehension and classification of them.

Methods: PubMed and Google Scholar were used to retrieve technical and clinical papers related to these angles, and were classified based on five typologies and the three projection planes.

A Nanostructured PLGA System for Cell Delivery of a Tetrathiahelicene as a Model for Helical DNA Intercalators.

A novel nanoconstruct based on poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) nanoparticles loaded with a tetrathiahelicene molecule conjugated to a fluorescent rhodamine probe was prepared and characterized. Because helicenes are known to be very promising DNA intercalators, the tetrathiahelicene was selected for this study as a model therapeutic cytotoxic molecule. The ability of the nanoconstruct to internalize the tetrathiahelicene and deliver it intracellularly in a safe manner has been investigated by means of cytotoxicity and cell uptake tests on Balb/3T3 clone A31 fibroblasts.

SPION-Smac mimetic nano-conjugates: putative pro-apoptotic agents in oncology.

Non-covalent (NP-1/3) and covalent (NP-A-1/3) pro-apoptotic SPION-Smac mimetic nano-conjugates antitumor agents are reported. The solution synthesis of key Smac mimetics, their support onto SPIONs through non-covalent adsorption (NP-1/3) or APTES-mediated covalent binding (NP-A-1/3), the analytical characterization of SPION-Smac mimetic conjugates, their target affinity in cell-free assays, and their cytotoxicity against tumor cells are thoroughly described.

Magnetic iron oxide nanoparticle functionalization: isocyanate moiety as a suitable monodentate anchoring group.

A new strategy for anchoring organic molecules onto superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) using isocyanate containing linkers has been realized. This functional group easily and efficiently reacts with the hydroxyl residues of the nanoparticle surface, leading to the formation of a stable carbamate bond, as confirmed by means of spectroscopic and analytical data.