Safety and Effectiveness of Orthopaedic Medical Staff in Providing Support in Combating the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Retrospective Investigation from Wuhan, China.

Objective: To evaluate whether it is safe and effective for orthopaedic medical staff to provide support to the work against COVID-19.

Methods: One hundred and twenty-two orthopaedic medical staff from the orthopaedic center of Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University were included in this retrospective investigation. A total of 43 surgeons and 69 nurses provided medical support in the treatment of COVID-19 patients from 1 January 2020 to 8 April 2020 in four different hospitals in Wuhan.

Programming changes in GLUT1 mediated the accumulation of AGEs and matrix degradation in the articular cartilage of female adult rats after prenatal caffeine exposure.

Osteoarthritis is associated with intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR) and abnormal glucose metabolism. Our laboratory previously reported that prenatal caffeine exposure (PCE) can induce intrauterine maternal glucocorticoid (GC) overexposure in IUGR offspring and increase susceptibility to osteoarthritis after birth. In the present study, we demonstrated the essential role of glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1) programming changes in the increased matrix degradation of articular cartilage and susceptibility to osteoarthritis in female PCE adult offspring.

Effects of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery in Total Knee Arthroplasty for Patients Older Than 65 Years.

Objectives: To explore the safety and efficacy of the enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) program for elderly total knee arthroplasty (TKA) patients.

Methods: A prospective controlled study was conducted for patients older than 65 years, who would undergo unilateral TKA with a minimum follow-up of 2 years. Patients were divided into an ERAS group (n = 106) and a traditional group (n = 141) based on the patients' willingness to participate in the ERAS program.

Research progress of epigenetic biomarkers in the early diagnosis and treatment of human diseases.

Abnormal epigenetic modifications are common in many diseases (such as tumors, senile and developmental diseases), and can influence the pathogenesis and progression of these diseases. Various studies demonstrated that abnormal epigenetic changes could be used as biomarkers for diagnosis of the disease status and prognosis of disease progression. The reversibility and controllability of epigenetic modifications also offer an opportunity to develop new strategies for the early prevention and treatment of diseases.

Survival outcome among patients with Ewing's sarcoma of bones and joints: a population-based cohort study.

Background: The aim here was to elucidate the current survival condition of patients diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma of the bones and joints and determine independent risk factors associated with the prognosis.

Design And Setting: Retrospective cohort study based on the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results (SEER) database in the United States.

Methods: We identified 397 patients who were diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma of the bones and joints between January 2004 and December 2013.

An intergenerational effect of neuroendocrine metabolic programming alteration induced by prenatal ethanol exposure in rats.

Prenatal ethanol exposure (PEE) induces hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis-related neuroendocrine metabolic programming alteration in the first generation (F1) rats. In this study, the HPA hormones and glucose/lipid phenotypes under basal state and stressed condition induced by a fortnight ice-water swimming were examined in F2 to verify the intergenerational effect. Under the basal state, serum corticosterone (CORT) and glucose of some PEE groups were lowered while those of serum triglycerides (TG) were increased comparing with controls.

Thermal Preconditioning May Prevent Tendon Adhesion by Up-Regulating HSP72 in Rats.

Background/aims: The study aims to determine the effects of thermal preconditioning on tendon adhesion by regulating the expression of heat shock protein 72 (HSP72) in rat models.

Methods: Sixty male Wistar rats were collected and randomly assigned into the thermal preconditioning and control groups. During the 4th and 8th weeks following surgery, 15 rats were sacrificed in each period respectively, and their tendon adhesion was observed and evaluated.

Early cellular responses of BMSCs genetically modified with bFGF/BMP2 co-cultured with ligament fibroblasts in a three-dimensional model in vitro.

Currently, a number of strategies including the implantation of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) and growth factors have been developed to regenerate the tendon-to-bone interface after performing anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction. However, the mechanisms behind the interactions of the implanted BMSCs and tendon cells remain to be elucidated. The aim of this study was to evaluate the early cellular responses of BMSCs genetically modified with basic growth factor growth factor (bFGF)/bone morphogenic protein 2 (BMP2) and ligament fibroblasts in a three-dimensional co-culture model.

Enhancement of tendon-to-bone healing after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction using bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells genetically modified with bFGF/BMP2.

Many strategies, including various growth factors and gene transfer, have been used to augment healing after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. The biological environment regulated by the growth factors during the stage of tendon-bone healing was considered important in controlling the integrating process. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) genetically modified with bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) on healing after ACL reconstruction.

Association study between growth differentiation factor 5 polymorphism and non-contact anterior cruciate ligament rupture in Chinese Han population.

Background: Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture is the most common ligamentous injury for active adolescents and young adults each year. However, the precise etiologies of ACL injury are not fully understood. The present study was to investigate +104T/C polymorphism of growth differentiation factor 5 (GDF5) gene in patients with ACL rupture, and evaluate the effects of polymorphism on GDF5 mRNA levels in ligament of patients with ACL rupture in central China.

Association between severity of knee osteoarthritis and serum and synovial fluid interleukin 17 concentrations.

Objective: To determine interleukin (IL)-17 concentrations in serum and synovial fluid from patients with knee osteoarthritis, and evaluate their correlation with disease severity.

Methods: Serum and synovial fluid were collected from patients with primary knee osteoarthritis; age- and sex-matched healthy control subjects provided serum samples. This study was conducted retrospectively.

Effect of Angelica sinensis Polysaccharides on Osteoarthritis In Vivo and In Vitro: A Possible Mechanism to Promote Proteoglycans Synthesis.

This study investigated the effect of Angelica sinensis polysaccharides (APS-3c) on rat osteoarthritis (OA) model in vivo and rat interleukin-1-beta- (IL-1 β -) stimulated chondrocytes in vitro. APS-3c was administrated into rat OA knee joints and had protective effects on rat OA cartilage in vivo. Primary rat articular chondrocytes were cotreated with APS-3c and IL-1 β   in vitro.

TNF/TNFR signal transduction pathway-mediated anti-apoptosis and anti-inflammatory effects of sodium ferulate on IL-1β-induced rat osteoarthritis chondrocytes in vitro.

Introduction: Sodium ferulate (SF) is a natural component of traditional Chinese herbs. Our previous study shows that SF has a protective effect on osteoarthritis (OA). The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of SF on the TNF/TNF receptor (TNFR) signal transduction pathway of rat OA chondrocytes.

Effect of nicotine on chondrogenic differentiation of rat bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells in alginate bead culture.

This study was carried out to explore environmental compound such as nicotine can cause adverse effect on chondrogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs). Rat BMSCs were capsulated in alginate beads incubated with a chondrogenic differentiation medium and while chondrogenic differentiation of rat BMSCs were cultured for 4 weeks treated with nicotine at concentrations of 25, 50 and 100 μM. The effect of nicotine on BMSCs viability was tested using MTT assay.

Three-dimensional CT angiography study on the relations between the vertebral artery and atlantoaxial joint.

Background: The vertebral artery (VA) and atlantoaxial joint (AAJ), with complicated structures, are located in the depths of the head-neck boundary area, the regional anatomy of which cannot be shown globally and directly. This study aims to evaluate three-dimensional CT angiography (3DCTA) in displaying the AAJ, atlantoaxial segment of the vertebral artery (ASVA) and the identification of their interrelations.

Methods: Sixty-eight subjects without pathology of the ASVA and AAJ were selected from head-neck CTA examination.

Protection by and anti-oxidant mechanism of berberine against rat liver fibrosis induced by multiple hepatotoxic factors.

1. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect and mechanism of berberine, an alkaloid extracted from the traditional Chinese medicine coptis, on rat liver fibrosis induced by multiple hepatotoxic factors. 2.