Three-dimensional evaluation of mandibular lingula: Comparisons of skeletal angle classifications and growth patterns.

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the position of the mandibular lingula (ML) in adult patients (aged between 18 and 35 years old) with different skeletal and growth patterns using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT).

Design: Cross-sectional.

Setting: Dentistry department of University.

Development of dewatering textile materials incorporating slit-pore geometries.

The use of engineering textile materials has emerged as a viable alternative to conventional methods of sludge dewatering in numerous application areas including municipal wastewater, mining, and pulp and paper. Previous studies have focused on the development of empirical ratios between dewatering performance and the porous properties of the textile material, the challenge is that the latter is difficult to characterize using currently available techniques. In this study, a series of dewatering filters were produced using advanced microfabrication techniques to create well-defined slit-pore geometries; a full-factorial design-of-experiments was employed to evaluate the effects of slit-pore dimensions and slit-pore spacing on the cake layer development and overall dewatering performance in constant-rate dewatering tests with municipal digestate that had been pre-treated with a commercial polymer flocculant.

Preclinical Studies on Biomaterial Scaffold use in Knee Ligament Regeneration: A Systematic Review.

Background: Knee joint trauma may result in damage of the intra-articular ligaments, with rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) a common and troublesome injury due to poor capabilities for spontaneous regeneration. Autograft and allograft surgical reconstructions are the mainstay of treatment, but have associated risks of failure, therefore tissue-engineering techniques aiming to regenerate the native ACL are being researched as a potential alternative treatment.

Objectives: This article aims to review the current evidence produced by ex vivo and in vivo studies investigating biomaterial scaffolding and mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) techniques in orthopaedic tissue engineering of ACL injuries.

Knee Ligament Injury and the Clinical Application of Tissue Engineering Techniques: A Systematic Review.

Background: The incidence of knee ligament injury is increasing and represents a significant cost to healthcare providers. Current interventions include tissue grafts, suture repair and non-surgical management. These techniques have demonstrated good patient outcomes but have been associated graft rejection, infection, long term immobilization and reduced joint function.

A Systematic Review of Clinical Studies Investigating Mesenchymal Stem Cells for Fracture Non-Union and Bone Defects.

Background: Fracture non-union is a significant problem with a wide range demographic and massive socioeconomic elements, as well as the clinical difficulties it presents. Conventional treatments with autograft and allograft bone grafting pose serious difficulties, thus, it is necessary to develop novel techniques with our ever increasing knowledge of bioengineering using natural materials.

Objective: To search for current evidence regarding the treatment of fracture non-union or bone defects using mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs).

Tissue Engineering in Achilles Tendon Reconstruction: A Systematic Review of Preclincal Studies.

Background: Tissue engineering is now being used in Achilles tendon (AT) repair in animal models. There are many preclinical studies that have used different types of stem cells for AT repair. However, there are no systematic reviews that evaluate all these studies to see which type of stem cell provides the most improvement for AT repair in animal models.

A Systematic Review of Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Spinal Cord Injury, Intervertebral Disc Repair and Spinal Fusion.

Spinal surgery presents a challenge for both neurosurgery and orthopaedic surgery. Due to the heterogeneous differentiation potential of mesenchymal stem cells, there is much interest in the treatment of spine surgery. Animal and human trials focussing on the efficacy of mesenchymal stem cells in spinal cord injury, spine fusion and disc degeneration were included in this systematic review.

The Regulation of Differentiation of Mesenchymal Stem-cells into Skeletal Muscle: A Look at Signalling Molecules Involved in Myogenesis.

Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs) are an attractive option for the development of treatment for musculoskeletal pathologies due to their wide availability, clinical safety and multiple techniques available. Understanding the control of MSC differentiation into skeletal muscle is vital for developing protocols and therapeutic applications that are safe and effective. This paper therefore aims to review the current understanding of factors that regulate the differentiation of MSCs into skeletal muscle.

A Systemic Review of Adult Mesenchymal Stem Cell Sources and their Multilineage Differentiation Potential Relevant to Musculoskeletal Tissue Repair and Regeneration.

Background: Adult mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were first isolated from bone marrow by Friedenstein in 1976. These cells were clonogenic, non-haematopoietic, and able to replicate extensively in vitro. The fields of regenerative medicine and tissue engineering have grown dramatically since their inception.

Intact social cognitive processes in outpatients with anorexia nervosa: a pilot study.

Objective: The aim of the study was to assess social cognition in community patients suffering from anorexia nervosa (AN) compared to healthy controls.

Methods: 25 women diagnosed with AN and 25 women matched for education level and age were involved in the study. Both subject groups were assessed using a set of validated experimental tasks, such as the facial expression recognition test, short recognition memory test for faces, 'Reading the mind in the eyes' test.

The Urgent Need for Evidence in Arthroscopic Meniscal Surgery.

Background: Arthroscopic surgery of the knee is one of the most frequently performed orthopaedic procedures. One-third of these procedures are performed for meniscal injuries. It is essential that this commonly performed surgery be supported by robust evidence.

Mechanical Stimulation Protocols of Human Derived Cells in Articular Cartilage Tissue Engineering - A Systematic Review.

Mechanical stimulation is a key factor in articular cartilage generation and maintenance. Bioreactor systems have been designed and built in order to deliver specific types of mechanical stimulation. The focus has been twofold, applying a type of preconditioning in order to stimulate cell differentiation, and to simulate in vivo conditions in order to gain further insight into how cells respond to different stimulatory patterns.

The Use of Growth Factors and Mesenchymal Stem Cells in Orthopaedics: In particular, their use in Fractures and Non-Unions: A Systematic Review.

Aim: The aim was to look at current evidence for treating non-unions or delayed fracture healing in regard to novel methods applying mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and growth factors (GF).

Methods: Pre-clinical and clinical trials focusing on the use of Mesenchymal Stem Cells and Growth Factors for fracture healing were included in this review. Published articles were identified using specific search terms in Medline, Cochrane Library, PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science.

The Effects of Ageing on Differentiation and Characterisation of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells.

Background: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) are unique in their ability to self-renew and differentiate into one of many lineage possibilities. It is therefore integral to preserve these qualities to prevent the far reaching effects of a defective stem cell. Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSC) are precursors for and can differentiate into osteoblasts, adipocytes and chondrocytes.

Emulsion/Surface Interactions from Quiescent Quartz Crystal Microbalance Measurements with an Inverted Sensor.

Interactions of three oil-in-water emulsion types with polystyrene-coated quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) sensor surfaces were probed with the QCM cell in both the conventional orientation (i.e., polystyrene surface on the bottom, "looking up") and the inverted orientation (polystyrene on top interior surface of sensor chamber, "looking down").

Orthopaedic approaches to proximal humeral fractures following trauma.

Proximal humeral fractures have been a topic of discussion in medical literature dating back as far as 3rd century BC. Today, these fractures are the most common type of humeral fractures and account for about 5-6% of all fractures in adults with the incidence rising rapidly with age. In broad terms the management of proximal humeral fractures can be divided into two categories: conservative versus surgical intervention.

Pilon fracture: a case report of a 45-year-old dental technician.

Pilon fractures are complex and difficult-to-treat fractures of the lower extremity that account for about 1% of all lower extremity fractures and up to 10% of tibial fractures. The injury is caused by high energy axial load either from motor vehicle accidents or a fall from height. The treatment of these fractures has caused controversy among surgeons due to mixed outcomes.

Weak gelation of hydrophobic guar by albumin in simulated human tear solutions.

This initial study shows that hydrophobic modification of guar polymers used in eye drops forms weak gels with human serum albumin (HSA), suggesting that modified guar may offer advantages for treatment of dry eye diseases that lead to elevated HSA concentrations in tears. Specifically, hydroxypropyl guar samples were oxidized and derivatized with linear alkyl amines to give a series of modified guar polymers (MGuar) bearing hydroxypropyl, N-alkylamide, and carboxyl moieties. MGuar interactions with lysozyme and HSA were measured by binding and rheological methods as functions of the alkyl chain length and the extent of hydrophobic modification.

On formulating ophthalmic emulsions.

The formulation of dilute, transparent ophthalmic emulsions (eye drops) with long shelf lives is a challenge because of the tendency of the emulsion droplets to aggregate, particularly in the presence of the water-soluble polymers typically used in eye drops. While many functions of eye drops, such as lubricity and residence time in the eye, are promoted by high concentrations of high molecular weight water-soluble polymers, emulsified lipids and drugs aggregate in the eye drop bottle if the polymer concentration is above the critical flocculation concentration (CFC). The purpose is to develop a simple approach to predict the CFC for polymers based on information readily available in the literature.

GPU-based acceleration of computations in nonlinear finite element deformation analysis.

The physics of deformation for biological soft-tissue is best described by nonlinear continuum mechanics-based models, which then can be discretized by the FEM for a numerical solution. However, computational complexity of such models have limited their use in applications requiring real-time or fast response. In this work, we propose a graphic processing unit-based implementation of the FEM using implicit time integration for dynamic nonlinear deformation analysis.

Evaluation of biological protein-based collagen scaffolds in cartilage and musculoskeletal tissue engineering--a systematic review of the literature.

The term tissue engineering is the technology that combines cells, engineering and biological/synthetic material in order to repair, replace or regenerate biological tissues such as bone, muscle, tendons and cartilage. The major human applications of tissue engineering are: skin, bone, cartilage, corneas, blood vessels, left mainstem bronchus and urinary structures. In this systematic review several criteria were identified as the most desirable characteristics of an ideal scaffold.

Recent Surgical and Medical Advances in the Treatment of Dupuytren's Disease - A Systematic Review of the Literature.

Dupuytren's disease (DD) is a type of fibromatosis which progressively results in the shortening and thickening of the fibrous tissue of the palmar fascia. This condition which predominantly affects white-northern Europeans has been identified since 1614. DD can affect certain activities of daily living such as face washing, combing hair and putting hand in a glove.

A systematic review of dynamometry and its role in hand trauma assessment.

The dynamometer was developed by American neurologists and came into general use in the late 19th century. It is still used in various ways as a diagnostic and prognostic tool in clinical settings. In this systematic review we assessed in detail the different uses of dynamometry, its reliability, different dynamometers used and the influence of rater experience by bringing together and evaluating all published literature in this field.

Adult mesenchymal stem cells and cell surface characterization - a systematic review of the literature.

Human adult mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) were first identified by Friedenstein et al. when observing a group of cells that developed into fibroblastic colony forming cells (CFU-F). Ever since, the therapeutic uses and clinical applications of these cells have increased research and interest in this field.