Kinematic and Kinetic Changes after Total Hip Arthroplasty during Sit-To-Stand Transfers: Systematic Review.

Background: Total hip arthroplasty (THA) is a common and effective surgical procedure that allows patients with hip osteoarthritis to restore functional ability and relieve pain. Sit-to-stand transfers are common demanding tasks during activities of daily living and are performed more than 50 times per day. The purpose of this systematic review is to obtain a comprehensive understanding of biomechanical changes during sit-to-stand transfers after THA.

Comparison of wearable sensor to traditional methods in functional outcome measures: A systematic review.

Traditional methods of collecting functional outcome measures are widely used for lower extremity arthroplasty outcome assessment. Wearable sensors are emerging as viable tools for functional outcome measures in monitoring of postarthroplasty recovery. The objective of this review was to compare the efficacy of wearable sensors with traditional methods for monitoring postarthroplasty functional recovery.

Biomechanical Changes Following Knee Arthroplasty During Sit-To-Stand Transfers: Systematic Review.

Background: Knee arthroplasty (KA) is a common and effective surgical procedure that allows patients with knee osteoarthritis to restore functional ability and relieve pain. Sit-to-stand is a common demanding task during activities of daily living and is performed more than 50 times per day. The purpose of this systematic review is to obtain a comprehensive understanding of biomechanical changes during sit-to-stand transfers following KA.

The effectiveness of biodegradable instrumentation in the treatment of spinal fractures.

Introduction: A variety of biodegradable implants (screws, rods, plates and cages) are available which are composed of many different biodegradable polymers with varying characteristics. The present review of animal and clinical studies examines the efficacy and safety of biodegradable implants in spinal fracture intervention.

Methods: A review of the literature through March 2018 was performed using PubMed and Cochrane databases.

The Effect of Pain Relief on Daily Physical Activity: In-Home Objective Physical Activity Assessment in Chronic Low Back Pain Patients after Paravertebral Spinal Block.

This study evaluates the effect of paravertebral spinal injection (PSI), utilizing both subjective and objective assessments in chronic low back pain (LBP) associated with facet joint arthrosis over a one-month duration. Subjective questionnaires included the visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain, the Oswestry Disability Index, the Health Survey SF-12, and the short Falls Efficacy Scale International (FES-I). Objective assessments included in-clinic gait and Timed Up and Go (TUG) tests using wearable sensors, as well as 48 h daily physical activity (DPA) monitored using a chest-worn triaxial accelerometer.

Effective in vivo treatment of acute lung injury with helical, amphipathic peptoid mimics of pulmonary surfactant proteins.

Acute lung injury (ALI) leads to progressive loss of breathing capacity and hypoxemia, as well as pulmonary surfactant dysfunction. ALI's pathogenesis and management are complex, and it is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Exogenous surfactant therapy, even for research purposes, is impractical for adults because of the high cost of current surfactant preparations.

Surgical options for osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures complicated with spinal deformity and neurologic deficit.

Introduction: This paper describes surgical options for Osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture (OVCF) with acute flexible or chronic rigid kyphosis, and pseudarthrosis complicated with pain and neurologic deficit.

Methods: This study has two components. a) A prospective clinical study of surgical treatment of 31 patients (age: 69±11 years) with either acute flexible or progressive pseudarthrotic kyphosis manifested with severe pain or neurological deficit between 2010 and 2014.

Consensus on draft OMERACT core domains for clinical trials of Total Joint Replacement outcome by orthopaedic surgeons: a report from the International consensus on outcome measures in TJR trials (I-COMiTT) group.

Background: There are no core outcome domain or measurement sets for Total Joint Replacement (TJR) clinical trials. Our objective was to achieve an International consensus by orthopaedic surgeons on the OMERACT core domain/area set for TJR clinical trials.

Methods: We conducted surveys of two orthopaedic surgeon cohorts, which included (1) the leadership of international orthopaedic societies and surgeons (IOS; cohort 1), and (2) the members of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons' Outcome Special Interest Group (AAOS-Outcome SIG), and/or the Outcome Research Interest Group of the Orthopaedic Research Society (ORS; cohort 2).

Achieving Consensus on Total Joint Replacement Trial Outcome Reporting Using the OMERACT Filter: Endorsement of the Final Core Domain Set for Total Hip and Total Knee Replacement Trials for Endstage Arthritis.

Objective: Discussion and endorsement of the OMERACT total joint replacement (TJR) core domain set for total hip replacement (THR) and total knee replacement (TKR) for endstage arthritis; and next steps for selection of instruments.

Methods: The OMERACT TJR working group met at the 2016 meeting at Whistler, British Columbia, Canada. We summarized the previous systematic reviews, the preliminary OMERACT TJR core domain set and results from previous surveys.

Paravertebral spinal injection for the treatment of patients with degenerative facet osteoarthropathy: Evidence of motor performance improvements based on objective assessments.

Background: This study examined short- and long-term improvements in motor performance, quantified using wearable sensors, in response to facet spine injection in degenerative facet osteoarthropathy patients.

Methods: Adults with confirmed degenerative facet osteoarthropathy were recruited and were treated with medial or intermediate branch block injection. Self-report pain, health condition, and disability (Oswestry), as well as objective motor performance measures (gait, balance, and timed-up-and-go) were obtained in five sessions: pre-surgery (baseline), immediately after the injection, one-month, three-month, and 12-month follow-ups.

Preoperative Patient-Recorded Outcome Measures Predict Patient Discharge Location Following Unicondylar Knee Arthroplasty.

Background: Advantages of unicondylar knee arthroplasty (UKA) over total knee arthroplasty include rapid recovery and shorter lengths of stay following surgery. Patients requiring extended postoperative care fail to recognize these benefits. Patient-reported outcome measures have proved useful in predicting outcomes following joint arthroplasty.

Postural Balance Parameters as Objective Surgical Assessments in Low Back Disorders: A Systematic Review.

Balance assessments could render useful objective performance measures to evaluate the efficacy of low back surgeries, yet these assessments have not been collectively examined to determine longitudinal sensitivity across surgical interventions. The purpose of this review was to determine sensitivity of balance measurements for disparate spinal disorders after surgical intervention. We searched PubMed, Embase, Scopus, the Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and CINAHL.

Gait behaviors as an objective surgical outcome in low back disorders: A systematic review.

Background: Objective motor performance measures, especially gait assessment, could improve evaluation of low back disorder surgeries. However, no study has compared the relative effectiveness of gait parameters for assessing motor performance in low back disorders after surgery. The purpose of the current review was to determine the sensitive gait parameters that address physical improvements in each specific spinal disorder after surgical intervention.

Outcome Domains and Measures in Total Joint Replacement Clinical Trials: Can We Harmonize Them? An OMERACT Collaborative Initiative.

Objective: To develop a plan for harmonizing outcomes for people undergoing total joint replacement (TJR), to achieve consensus regarding TJR outcome research.

Methods: The TJR working group met during the 2014 Outcome Measures in Rheumatology (OMERACT) 12 meeting in Budapest, Hungary. Multiple conference calls preceded the face-to-face meeting.

A randomized trial comparing balloon kyphoplasty and vertebroplasty for vertebral compression fractures due to osteoporosis.

Background And Purpose: Several trials have compared vertebral augmentation with nonsurgical treatment for vertebral compression fractures. This trial compares the efficacy and safety of balloon kyphoplasty and vertebroplasty.

Materials And Methods: Patients with osteoporosis with 1-3 acute fractures (T5-L5) were randomized and treated with kyphoplasty (n = 191) or vertebroplasty (n = 190) and were not blinded to the treatment assignment.

Biomimetic N-terminal alkylation of peptoid analogues of surfactant protein C.

Surfactant protein C (SP-C) is a hydrophobic lipopeptide that is critical for lung function, in part because it physically catalyzes the formation of surface-associated surfactant reservoirs. Many of SP-C's key biophysical properties derive from its highly stable and hydrophobic α-helix. However, SP-C's posttranslational modification with N-terminal palmitoyl chains also seems to be quite important.

Peptoids: bio-inspired polymers as potential pharmaceuticals.

Peptoids are a developing class of peptide-like oligomers originally invented for drug discovery in the early 1990s. While peptides hold great promise for therapeutic applications, current development of peptide-based pharmaceuticals is hindered by their potential for misfolding and aggregation, and particularly, for rapid in vivo degradation post-administration. Researchers have investigated alternative peptide-like constructs that may be able to circumvent such complications.

Antimicrobial peptoids are effective against Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms.

The resistance of biofilms to conventional antibiotics complicates the treatment of chronic cystic fibrosis (CF). We investigated the effects of peptoids, peptides, and conventional antibiotics on the biomass and cell viability within Pseudomonas aeruginosa biofilms. At their MICs, peptoids 1 and 1-C13(4mer) caused maximum reductions in biomass and cell viability, respectively.

Micro-mobile foot compression device compared with pneumatic compression device.

Background: A combination mechanical-pharmacologic regimen is an accepted prophylactic treatment against symptomatic venous thromboembolism for patients undergoing total hip and knee arthroplasties. Foot pumps have been recognized as effective mechanical devices. Research suggests pharmacologic prophylaxis for venous thromboembolism is associated with complications and foot pumps offer an adjunct or alternative approach.

Biophysical mimicry of lung surfactant protein B by random nylon-3 copolymers.

Non-natural oligomers have recently shown promise as functional analogues of lung surfactant proteins B and C (SP-B and SP-C), two helical and amphiphilic proteins that are critical for normal respiration. The generation of non-natural mimics of SP-B and SP-C has previously been restricted to step-by-step, sequence-specific synthesis, which results in discrete oligomers that are intended to manifest specific structural attributes. Here we present an alternative approach to SP-B mimicry that is based on sequence-random copolymers containing cationic and lipophilic subunits.

Mimicking SP-C palmitoylation on a peptoid-based SP-B analogue markedly improves surface activity.

Hydrophobic lung surfactant proteins B and C (SP-B and SP-C) are critical for normal respiration in vertebrates, and each comprises specific structural attributes that enable the surface-tension-reducing ability of the lipid-protein mixture in lung surfactant. The difficulty in obtaining pure SP-B and SP-C on a large scale has hindered efforts to develop a non-animal-derived surfactant replacement therapy for respiratory distress. Although peptide-based SP-C mimics exhibit similar activity to the natural protein, helical peptide-based mimics of SP-B benefit from dimeric structures.

Close mimicry of lung surfactant protein B by "clicked" dimers of helical, cationic peptoids.

A family of peptoid dimers developed to mimic SP-B is presented, where two amphipathic, cationic helices are linked by an achiral octameric chain. SP-B is a vital therapeutic protein in lung surfactant replacement therapy, but its large-scale isolation or chemical synthesis is impractical. Enhanced biomimicry of SP-B's disulfide-bonded structure has been previously attempted via disulfide-mediated dimerization of SP-B(1-25) and other peptide mimics, which improved surface activity relative to the monomers.

Ozone exposure affects feeding and locomotor behavior of adult Bufo marinus.

Ozone (O3), a reactive component of air pollution, depresses feeding and voluntary locomotor behavior in laboratory rodents, but the effects of O3 on amphibian behavior are not known. We evaluated the effects of 4 h of exposure to air or ozone (0.6 microl/L), on two ecologically relevant behaviors of the toad Bufo marinus.

Peptoids that mimic the structure, function, and mechanism of helical antimicrobial peptides.

Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) and their mimics are emerging as promising antibiotic agents. We present a library of "ampetoids" (antimicrobial peptoid oligomers) with helical structures and biomimetic sequences, several members of which have low-micromolar antimicrobial activities, similar to cationic AMPs like pexiganan. Broad-spectrum activity against six clinically relevant BSL2 pathogens is also shown.