Introducing ActiveInference.jl: A Julia Library for Simulation and Parameter Estimation with Active Inference Models.

We introduce a new software package for the Julia programming language, the library ActiveInference.jl. To make active inference agents with Partially Observable Markov Decision Process (POMDP) generative models available to the growing research community using Julia, we re-implemented the pymdp library for Python.

Frontal plane mechanical leg alignment estimation from knee x-rays using deep learning.

Objective: Lower limb malalignment can complicate symptoms and accelerate knee osteoarthritis (OA), necessitating consideration in study population selection. In this study, we develop and validate a deep learning model that classifies leg alignment as "normal" or "malaligned" from knee antero-posterior (AP)/postero-anterior (PA) radiographs alone, using an adjustable hip-knee-ankle (HKA) angle threshold.

Material And Methods: We utilized 8878 digital radiographs, including 6181 AP/PA full-leg x-rays (LLRs) and 2697 AP/PA knee x-rays (2292 with positioning frame, 405 without).

Biomechanical testing of virtual meniscus implants made from a bi-phasic silk fibroin-based hydrogel and polyurethane via finite element analysis.

Objective: To investigate the suitability of different material compositions and structural designs for 3D-printed meniscus implants using finite element analysis (FEA) to improve joint function after meniscal injury and guide future implant development.

Design: This experimental study involved in-silico testing of a meniscus model developed from two materials: a specially formulated hydrogel composed of silk fibroin (SF), gelatine, and decellularized meniscus-derived extracellular matrix (MD-dECM), and polyurethane (PU) with stiffness levels of 54 and 205 MPa. Both single-material implants and a two-volumetric meniscus model with an SF/gelatine/MD-dECM core and a PU shell were analysed using FEA to simulate the biomechanical performance under physiological conditions.

[Blood Products and Stem Cells in Osteoarthritis Therapy].

The principle of regenerative medicine in the treatment of osteoarthritis pursues a functional restoration of cartilage tissue instead of just repairing cartilage defects. The use of blood products is intended to inhibit chronic inflammatory processes and promote tissue regeneration. Intraarticular injection of autologous platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is a prominent procedure.

Exploring Osteoarthritis Dynamics: Patient-Specific Cartilage Samples in an Organ-on-a-Chip Model.

Objective: This study aims to tackle the existing challenges associated with the prediction and optimization of pharmaceutical interventions for osteoarthritis (OA). The primary objective is to develop an innovative tool that provides objective and patient-specific information regarding the most affected tissue in OA, articular cartilage.

Design: We employed an organ-on-a-chip (OoC) approach to replicate the 3D structure of cartilage in an setup.

Phloridzin functionalized gelatin-based scaffold for bone tissue engineering.

Polyphenol-functionalized biomaterials are significant in the field of bone tissue engineering (BTE) due to their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and osteoinductive properties. In this study, a gelatin (Gel)-based scaffold was functionalized with phloridzin (Ph), the primary polyphenol in apple by-products, to investigate its influence on physicochemical and morphological, properties of the scaffold for BTE application. A preliminary assessment of the biological properties of the functionalized scaffold was also undertaken.

Attitude of aspiring orthopaedic surgeons towards artificial intelligence: a multinational cross-sectional survey study.

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the perspectives of aspiring orthopaedic surgeons on artificial intelligence (AI), analysing how gender, AI knowledge, and technical inclination influence views on AI. Additionally, the extent to which recent AI advancements sway career decisions was assessed.

Materials And Methods: A digital survey was distributed to student members of orthopaedic societies across Germany, Switzerland, and Austria.

Fully Automated Measurement of Cobb Angles in Coronal Plane Spine Radiographs.

scoliosis is a three-dimensional structural deformity characterized by lateral and rotational curvature of the spine. The current gold-standard method to assess scoliosis is the measurement of lateral curvature of the spine using the Cobb angle in coronal plane radiographs. The interrater variability for Cobb angle measurements reaches up to 10°.

Subchondral bone: An emerging target for the treatment of articular surface lesions of the knee.

Purpose: When dealing with the health status of the knee articular surface, the entire osteochondral unit has gained increasing attention, and in particular the subchondral bone, which plays a key role in the integrity of the osteochondral unit. The aim of this article was to discuss the current evidence on the role of the subchondral bone.

Methods: Experts from different geographical regions were involved in performing a review on highly discussed topics about the subchondral bone, ranging from its etiopathogenetic role in joint degeneration processes to its prognostic role in chondral and osteochondral defects, up to treatment strategies to address both the subchondral bone and the articular surface.

Orthopaedic surgeons display a positive outlook towards artificial intelligence: A survey among members of the AGA Society for Arthroscopy and Joint Surgery.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the perspective of orthopaedic surgeons on the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) and to evaluate the influence of experience, workplace setting and familiarity with digital solutions on views on AI.

Methods: Orthopaedic surgeons of the AGA Society for Arthroscopy and Joint Surgery were invited to participate in an online, cross-sectional survey designed to gather information on professional background, subjective AI knowledge, opinion on the future impact of AI, openness towards different applications of AI, and perceived advantages and disadvantages of AI. Subgroup analyses were performed to examine the influence of experience, workplace setting and openness towards digital solutions on perspectives towards AI.

Platelet-rich plasma injections for the management of knee osteoarthritis: The ESSKA-ICRS consensus. Recommendations using the RAND/UCLA appropriateness method for different clinical scenarios.

Purpose: The aim of this consensus was to develop evidence- and expert-based patient-focused recommendations on the appropriateness of intra-articular platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections in different clinical scenarios of patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA).

Methods: The RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method was used by the European Society of Sports Traumatology, Knee Surgery, and Arthroscopy (ESSKA), as well as the International Cartilage Regeneration and Joint Preservation Society (ICRS) to reach a consensus and produce recommendations for specific patient categories combining best available scientific evidence with the collective judgement of a panel of experts.

Results: Scenarios were defined based on first treatment vs first injective treatment vs second injective treatment, age (<50/50-65/66-80/>80), tibiofemoral vs patellofemoral involvement, OA level (Kellgren-Lawrence/KL 0-I/II-III/IV), and joint effusion (dry knee, minor-mild or major effusion).

Nutrition and movement to improve quality of life in patients with knee osteoarthritis: the NUMOQUA study protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

Background: Osteoarthritis (OA) has long been considered as a degenerative disease of cartilage tissue resulting from bodily wear and tear. However, there is accumulating evidence that inflammation plays a key role in the pathogenesis of OA. In knee OA, the most common form of OA, exercise therapy as an effective component of early treatment addresses functional deficits, pain and inflammation.

Effects of Blood-Derived Products on Cellular Senescence and Inflammatory Response: A Study on Skin Rejuvenation.

Blood-derived products, such as citrate platelet-rich plasma (CPRP) and hyperacute serum (HAS), are recognized for their rich growth factor content. When human dermal fibroblast (HDF) cells are exposed to combined mitogenic and DNA-damaging stimuli, it can lead to an increased burden of senescent cells and a modified senescence-associated secretory phenotype. In this study, the senescent state was comprehensively assessed through various methods, including phosphorylated histone H2AX (γH2AX) staining, p21 and p16 q-PCR, p21-western blot, growth curves, and senescence-associated ß-galactosidase staining.

Culture of Hoffa fat pad mesenchymal stem/stromal cells on microcarrier suspension in vertical wheel bioreactor for extracellular vesicle production.

Background: Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) are increasingly employed in regenerative medicine approaches for their immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory properties, which are encoded in their secretome including extracellular vesicles (EVs). The Hoffa fat pad (HFP) located infrapatellarly harbours MSCs that could assist in tissue homeostasis in osteoarthritic joints. Intraarticular injection therapies based on blood products could modulate the populations of released HFP-MSC-EVs in a quantitative manner.

The Impact of Obesity on the Health of the Older Population: A Cross-Sectional Study on the Relationship between Health-Related Quality of Life and Body Mass Index across Different Age Groups.

Unlabelled: Obesity is strongly associated with mortality and morbidity, but there is a lack of data on its impact on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) across different age groups. Therefore, this study's objective was to determine the association between body mass index (BMI) and HRQoL in the Austrian adult population based on age groups using the 36-Item Short Form (SF-36) survey.

Methods: The SF-36 survey was sent to 500 randomly assigned Austrian adults (response rate: 80.

Artificial intelligence-based analyses of varus leg alignment and after high tibial osteotomy show high accuracy and reproducibility.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the performance of an artificial intelligence (AI)-based software for fully automated analysis of leg alignment pre- and postoperatively after high tibial osteotomy (HTO) on long-leg radiographs (LLRs).

Methods: Long-leg radiographs of 95 patients with varus malalignment that underwent medial open-wedge HTO were analyzed pre- and postoperatively. Three investigators and an AI software using deep learning algorithms (LAMA™, ImageBiopsy Lab, Vienna, Austria) evaluated the hip-knee-ankle angle (HKA), mechanical axis deviation (MAD), joint line convergence angle (JLCA), medial proximal tibial angle (MPTA), and mechanical lateral distal femoral angle (mLDFA).

Mincing bovine articular cartilage with commercially available shavers reduces the viability of chondrocytes compared to scalpel mincing.

Purpose: The study aimed to compare the effect of mincing bovine articular cartilage with different shaver blades on chondrocyte viability.

Methods: Bovine articular cartilage was harvested either with a scalpel or with three different shaver blades (2.5 mm, 3.

The Combination of Glucocorticoids and Hyaluronic Acid Enhances Efficacy in IL-1β/IL-17-Treated Bovine Osteochondral Grafts Compared with Individual Application.

Patients with knee osteoarthritis often receive glucocorticoid (GC) or hyaluronic acid (HA) injections to alleviate symptoms. This study evaluated the impact of Triamcinolone Hexacetonide (a GC), HA, and a combination of both on bovine osteochondral grafts exposed to IL-1β and IL-17 in an ex vivo culture. Metabolic activity increased with GC treatment.

Infra-patellar fat pad-derived mesenchymal stem cells maintain their chondrogenic differentiation potential after arthroscopic harvest with blood-product supplementation.

Purpose: Mesenchymal stem cells/medicinal signaling cells (MSCs) possess therapeutic potential and are used in regenerative orthopaedics. The infra-patellar fat pad (IFP) is partially resected during knee arthroscopy (KASC) and contains MSCs. Heat, irrigation, and mechanical stress during KASC may decrease MSC's therapeutic potential.

Unicompartmental Knee Arthroplasty Provides Superior Clinical and Radiological Outcomes Compared to High Tibial Osteotomy at a Follow-Up of 5-8 Years.

Background: Knee Osteoarthritis (OA) is a debilitating disease. Initially, the medial compartments are affected in most cases. For this pathology, joint preservation is preferable.

Artificial-Intelligence-Aided Radiographic Diagnostic of Knee Osteoarthritis Leads to a Higher Association of Clinical Findings with Diagnostic Ratings.

Background: Radiographic knee osteoarthritis (OA) severity and clinical severity are often dissociated. Artificial intelligence (AI) aid was shown to increase inter-rater reliability in radiographic OA diagnosis. Thus, AI-aided radiographic diagnoses were compared against AI-unaided diagnoses with regard to their correlations with clinical severity.

Deep Learning for Fully Automated Radiographic Measurements of the Pelvis and Hip.

The morphometry of the hip and pelvis can be evaluated in native radiographs. Artificial-intelligence-assisted analyses provide objective, accurate, and reproducible results. This study investigates the performance of an artificial intelligence (AI)-based software using deep learning algorithms to measure radiological parameters that identify femoroacetabular impingement and hip dysplasia.

Isolation and Cultivation of Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Originating from the Infrapatellar Fat Pad Differentiated with Blood Products: Method and Protocol.

Adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells (ASCs) are a promising source for clinical application in regenerative orthopedics. ASCs derived from the infra-patellar fat pad (IFP)-a distinct adipose structure in the knee-show superior regenerative potential compared to subcutaneous-fat-derived cells. Furthermore, it has been shown that blood products enhance ASCs' viability.

Artificial intelligence-based computer-aided system for knee osteoarthritis assessment increases experienced orthopaedic surgeons' agreement rate and accuracy.

Purpose: The aims of this study were to (1) analyze the impact of an artificial intelligence (AI)-based computer system on the accuracy and agreement rate of board-certified orthopaedic surgeons (= senior readers) to detect X-ray features indicative of knee OA in comparison to unaided assessment and (2) compare the results to those of senior residents (= junior readers).

Methods: One hundred and twenty-four unilateral knee X-rays from the OAI study were analyzed regarding Kellgren-Lawrence grade, joint space narrowing (JSN), sclerosis and osteophyte OARSI grade by computerized methods. Images were rated for these parameters by three senior readers using two modalities: plain X-ray (unaided) and X-ray presented alongside reports from a computer-assisted detection system (aided).

Extracellular Vesicle Isolation and Characterization for Applications in Cartilage Tissue Engineering and Osteoarthritis Therapy.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) have the capacity for use in cartilage tissue engineering by stimulating tissue repair and microenvironmental reprogramming. This makes them ideal candidates for treating focal cartilage defects and cartilage degeneration in osteoarthritis (OA). Observational studies have reported beneficial biological effects of EVs, such as inhibition of inflammation, enhanced extracellular matrix deposition, and reduced cartilage degradation.