Volitional processes in changing physical activity: A randomized controlled trial with individuals with knee osteoarthritis.

Objective: A health action process approach (HAPA)-based intervention was designed to support moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) in individuals with osteoarthritis of the knee (OAK). In secondary analyses of the randomized controlled trial "preventing the impairment of primary osteoarthritis by high-impact long-term physical exercise regimen-psychological adherence program," we examined long-term effects of the intervention on HAPA determinants and MVPA, and explored the former as mediators of change.

Method: = 241 individuals with OAK (63% women, aged 44-80 years) were randomly assigned to the 12-month intervention condition (IC) or active control condition (CC).

Comparison of veterinarians and a deep learning tool in the diagnosis of equine ophthalmic diseases.

Background/objectives: The aim was to compare ophthalmic diagnoses made by veterinarians to a deep learning (artificial intelligence) software tool which was developed to aid in the diagnosis of equine ophthalmic diseases. As equine ophthalmology is a very specialised field in equine medicine, the tool may be able to help in diagnosing equine ophthalmic emergencies such as uveitis.

Study Design: In silico tool development and assessment of diagnostic performance.

Infrapatellar Fat Pad Modulates Osteoarthritis-Associated Cytokine and MMP Expression in Human Articular Chondrocytes.

Osteoarthritis (OA) most frequently affects the knee joint and is associated with an elevated expression of cytokines and extracellular cartilage matrix (ECM), degrading enzymes such as matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). Differences in gene expression of the intra-articularly located infrapatellar fat pad (IPFP) and other fatty tissue suggest its autonomous function, yet its role in OA pathogenesis remains unknown. Human IPFPs and articular cartilage were collected from OA patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty, and biopsies from the IPFP of healthy patients harvested during knee arthroscopy served as controls (CO).

Enhancing physical activity and reducing symptoms of patients with osteoarthritis of the knee: a randomized controlled trial of the PrevOP-Psychological Adherence Program.

Background: This primary analysis evaluated the "PREVenting the impairment of primary Osteoarthritis by high-impact long-term Physical exercise regimen-Psychological Adherence Program" (PrevOP-PAP), designed to support patients with osteoarthritis of the knee (OAK) to engage in regular moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) to reduce OAK symptoms (WOMAC scores). Theory-based on the health action process approach (HAPA), the intervention targeted volitional precursors of MVPA change: action and coping planning, maintenance and recovery self-efficacy, action control, and social network formation. We hypothesized that compared to an active control condition, increases in MVPA at the end of the 12-month intervention would translate into lower WOMAC scores at 24 months in the intervention condition.

The spinal cord injury-induced immune deficiency syndrome: results of the SCIentinel study.

Infections are prevalent after spinal cord injury (SCI), constitute the main cause of death and are a rehabilitation confounder associated with impaired recovery. We hypothesize that SCI causes an acquired lesion-dependent (neurogenic) immune suppression as an underlying mechanism to facilitate infections. The international prospective multicentre cohort study (SCIentinel; protocol registration DRKS00000122; n = 111 patients) was designed to distinguish neurogenic from general trauma-related effects on the immune system.

A rare case of severely elevated septic parameters caused by intercurrent juvenile rheumatoid arthritis despite dual trauma surgery.

Procalcitonin (PCT) and C-reactive protein (CRP) are considered markers used in clinical practice to differentiate bacterial infections from autoimmune origin. Here we evaluate a rare case of a male patient diagnosed with juvenile idiopathic arthritis. The patient presented repeatedly to our department with atraumatic femoral head necrosis, traumatic medial femoral neck fracture and peri-implant femoral fracture.

Artificial intelligence as a tool to aid in the differentiation of equine ophthalmic diseases with an emphasis on equine uveitis.

Background: Due to recent developments in artificial intelligence, deep learning, and smart-device-technology, diagnostic software may be developed which can be executed offline as an app on smartphones using their high-resolution cameras and increasing processing power to directly analyse photos taken on the device.

Objectives: A software tool was developed to aid in the diagnosis of equine ophthalmic diseases, especially uveitis.

Study Design: Prospective comparison of software and clinical diagnoses.

Degeneration of Lumbar Intervertebral Discs: Characterization of Anulus Fibrosus Tissue and Cells of Different Degeneration Grades.

Intervertebral disc (IVD) herniation and degeneration is a major source of back pain. In order to regenerate a herniated and degenerated disc, closure of the anulus fibrosus (AF) is of crucial importance. For molecular characterization of AF, genome-wide Affymetrix HG-U133plus2.

Health Demands Moderate the Link Between Willpower Beliefs and Physical Activity in Patients with Knee Osteoarthritis.

Background: Regular physical activity (PA) was found to alleviate pain and improve functioning among patients with osteoarthritis of the knee (OAK). Heightened health demands due to OAK severity, body mass index (BMI), and depressive symptoms may require self-regulatory strategies to engage in more PA. Research on willpower-the capacity to exert self-control-suggests that believing that willpower is a nonlimited rather than a limited resource predicts effective self-regulation specifically when demands are high.

SLCV-a supervised learning-computer vision combined strategy for automated muscle fibre detection in cross-sectional images.

Muscle fibre cross-sectional area (CSA) is an important biomedical measure used to determine the structural composition of skeletal muscle, and it is relevant for tackling research questions in many different fields of research. To date, time consuming and tedious manual delineation of muscle fibres is often used to determine the CSA. Few methods are able to automatically detect muscle fibres in muscle fibre cross-sections to quantify CSA due to challenges posed by variation of brightness and noise in the staining images.

Pacinian neuromas and neurofibromas of the hands and fingers: a systematic review.

Tumours involving Pacinian corpuscles are rare. The literature identifies two main pathological disorders: the Pacinian corpuscle neuroma or hyperplasia and the Pacinian corpuscle neurofibroma. Published data are confusing and at times conflicting.

Discerning the spatio-temporal disease patterns of surgically induced OA mouse models.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common cause of disability in ageing societies, with no effective therapies available to date. Two preclinical models are widely used to validate novel OA interventions (MCL-MM and DMM). Our aim is to discern disease dynamics in these models to provide a clear timeline in which various pathological changes occur.

Facilitating physical activity and reducing symptoms in patients with knee osteoarthritis: study protocol of a randomized controlled trial to test a theory-based PrevOP-psychological adherence program (PrevOP-PAP).

Background: The present randomized controlled trial, which is crossed with the "PREVenting the impairment of primary Osteoarthritis by high impact long-term Physical exercise regimen" Main Medical Trial (PrevOP-MMT), aims to evaluate a psychological adherence program (PrevOP-PAP), and is designed to support persons with knee osteoarthritis (OAK) in the uptake and maintenance of regular physical activity to reduce OAK symptoms. The PrevOP-PAP is based on the Health Action Process Approach (HAPA), a social-cognitive theory predicting health behavior change in individuals, extended here by social network characteristics and social exchange processes. It is expected that participants with OAK receiving the PrevOP-PAP will maintain higher levels of regular physical activity throughout a 24-month period and consequently report lower levels of OAK symptoms than participants of an active control condition.

Delayed recognition of an ipsilateral femoral neck and shaft fracture leading to preventable subsequent complications: a case report.

Background: Ipsilateral femoral shaft and neck fractures are rare injuries, affecting mostly young patients who sustained high-energy traumas. In 19-50% of cases, the femoral fracture is misdiagnosed or overlooked at the initial presentation, with reportedly increased risk of complications such as non-union and avascular necrosis. We present a case of an ipsilateral femoral neck and shaft fracture, which was missed at initial presentation despite radiographic and computed tomography (CT) scan evaluation.

Effects of dendritic polyglycerol sulfate on articular chondrocytes.

Introduction: Inflammatory processes driven by cytokines play a crucial role during osteoarthritis (OA) progression. Dendritic polyglycerol sulfate (dPGS) was analyzed in vitro for its effects on articular chondrocytes, cartilage and cytokines involved in the OA process.

Methods: The metabolic activity of cultured human articular chondrocytes stimulated for 24 h with dPGS (10(-3)-10(-6) mol/L) was monitored using AlamarBlue(®) assay.

Radiologic diagnostic procedures in severely injured patients - is only whole-body multislice computed tomography the answer?

Background: Whole-body multislice computed tomography (WB-MSCT) has become an important diagnostic tool in the early treatment phase of severely injured patients. The optimal moment of WB-MSCT's use during this treatment phase remains unclear. Many trauma centers use WB-MSCT in addition to conventional radiographs, while some trauma centers use WB-MSCT as the only radiological tool.

Chondrogenesis of human bone marrow mesenchymal stromal cells in highly porous alginate-foams supplemented with chondroitin sulfate.

To overcome the limited intrinsic cartilage repair, autologous chondrocyte or bone-marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cell (BM-MSC) was implanted into cartilage defects. For this purpose suitable biocompatible scaffolds are needed to provide cell retention, chondrogenesis and initial mechanical stability. The present study should indicate whether a recently developed highly porous alginate (Alg) foam scaffold supplemented with chondroitin sulfate (CS) allows the attachment, survival and chondrogenesis of BM-MSCs and articular chondrocytes.

In vitro characterization of self-assembled anterior cruciate ligament cell spheroids for ligament tissue engineering.

Tissue engineering of an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) implant with functional enthesis requires site-directed seeding of different cell types on the same scaffold. Therefore, we studied the suitability of self-assembled three-dimensional spheroids generated by lapine ACL ligament fibroblasts for directed scaffold colonization. The spheroids were characterized in vitro during 14 days in static and 7 days in dynamic culture.

The influence of IL-10 and TNFα on chondrogenesis of human mesenchymal stromal cells in three-dimensional cultures.

Chondrogenic differentiated mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are a promising cell source for articular cartilage repair. This study was undertaken to determine the effectiveness of two three-dimensional (3D) culture systems for chondrogenic MSC differentiation in comparison to primary chondrocytes and to assess the effect of Interleukin (IL)-10 and Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF)α on chondrogenesis by MSCs in 3D high-density (H-D) culture. MSCs were isolated from femur spongiosa, characterized using a set of typical markers and introduced in scaffold-free H-D cultures or non-woven polyglycolic acid (PGA) scaffolds for chondrogenic differentiation.

Embroidered polymer-collagen hybrid scaffold variants for ligament tissue engineering.

Embroidery techniques and patterns used for scaffold production allow the adaption of biomechanical scaffold properties. The integration of collagen into embroidered polylactide-co-caprolactone [P(LA-CL)] and polydioxanone (PDS) scaffolds could stimulate neo-tissue formation by anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) cells. Therefore, the aim of this study was to test embroidered P(LA-CL) and PDS scaffolds as hybrid scaffolds in combination with collagen hydrogel, sponge or foam for ligament tissue engineering.

Traumatic Dissection of Four Brain-Supplying Arteries without Neurologic Deficit.

Study Design Case report and review of the literature. Objectives Case report of a traumatic dissection of all major brain-supplying arteries resulting from a horseback-riding accident. Overview of the literature on diagnostic and therapeutic recommendations.

Postoperative radiotherapy in diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis: prophylaxis of recurrence after resection of osteophytes from C3 to C5 in a case of dysphagia.

In diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH), recurrence of hyperostosis after surgical removal is common. While both non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and radiotherapy have been used in the prevention of heterotopic ossification, only NSAIDs have been applied for prophylaxis in DISH. As a previously undescribed prophylaxis of recurrence in DISH, we report a case treated with local radiotherapy.

Regulation of osteoarthritis-associated key mediators by TNFα and IL-10: effects of IL-10 overexpression in human synovial fibroblasts and a synovial cell line.

Synovial fibroblasts (SF) contribute to the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis (OA), but the effects of intra-articular cytokines on SF are not completely understood. The aim of this study was to characterize the interplay between tumor necrosis factor (TNF)α and the anti-inflammatory interleukin (IL)-10. Non-immortalized human SF and SF of the human cell line K4IM were stimulated with recombinant TNFα, IL-10, or TNFα + IL-10 (10 ng/ml each) for 24 h or transduced with an adenoviral vector overexpressing human IL-10 (hIL-10) and subsequently treated with 10 ng/ml TNFα for 24 h.