Biomechanical Analysis of Human Gait When Changing Velocity and Carried Loads: Simulation Study with OpenSim.

Walking is one of the main activities of daily life and gait analysis can provide crucial data for the computation of biomechanics in many fields. In multiple applications, having reference data that include a variety of gait conditions could be useful for assessing walking performance. However, limited extensive reference data are available as many conditions cannot be easily tested experimentally.

Influence of Backpack Carriage and Walking Speed on Muscle Synergies in Healthy Children.

Four to five muscle synergies account for children's locomotion and appear to be consistent across alterations in speed and slopes. Backpack carriage induces alterations in gait kinematics in healthy children, raising questions regarding the clinical consequences related to orthopedic and neurological diseases and ergonomics. However, to support clinical decisions and characterize backpack carriage, muscle synergies can help with understanding the alterations induced in this condition at the motor control level.

Whole Genome Expression Profiling of Semitendinosus Tendons from Children with Diplegic and Tetraplegic Cerebral Palsy.

Cerebral palsy (CP) is the most common movement disorder in children, with a prevalence ranging from 1.5 to 4 per 1000 live births. CP is caused by a non-progressive lesion of the developing brain, leading to progressive alterations of the musculoskeletal system, including spasticity, often leading to the development of fixed contractures, necessitating tendon lengthening surgery.

Recent developments in muscle synergy analysis in young people with neurodevelopmental diseases: A Systematic Review.

The central nervous system simplifies motor control by sending motor commands activating groups of muscles, known as synergies. Physiological locomotion can be described as a coordinated recruitment of four to five muscle synergies. The first studies on muscle synergies in patients affected by neurological diseases were on stroke survivors.

Blood Thiol Redox State in Chronic Kidney Disease.

Thiols (sulfhydryl groups) are effective antioxidants that can preserve the correct structure of proteins, and can protect cells and tissues from damage induced by oxidative stress. Abnormal levels of thiols have been measured in the blood of patients with moderate-to-severe chronic kidney disease (CKD) compared to healthy subjects, as well as in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients on haemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis. The levels of protein thiols (a measure of the endogenous antioxidant capacity inversely related to protein oxidation) and -thiolated proteins (mixed disulphides of protein thiols and low molecular mass thiols), and the protein thiolation index (the molar ratio of the -thiolated proteins to free protein thiols in plasma) have been investigated in the plasma or red blood cells of CKD and ESRD patients as possible biomarkers of oxidative stress.

Antioxidants in smokers.

Cigarette smoke (CS) is likely the most common preventable cause of human morbidity and mortality worldwide. Consequently, inexpensive interventional strategies for preventing CS-related diseases would positively impact health systems. Inhaled CS is a powerful inflammatory stimulus and produces a shift in the normal balance between antioxidants and oxidants, inducing oxidative stress in both the respiratory system and throughout the body.

Plasma Protein Carbonyls as Biomarkers of Oxidative Stress in Chronic Kidney Disease, Dialysis, and Transplantation.

Accumulating evidence indicates that oxidative stress plays a role in the pathophysiology of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and its progression; during renal replacement therapy, oxidative stress-derived oxidative damage also contributes to the development of CKD systemic complications, such as cardiovascular disease, hypertension, atherosclerosis, inflammation, anaemia, and impaired host defence. The main mechanism underlying these events is the retention of uremic toxins, which act as a substrate for oxidative processes and elicit the activation of inflammatory pathways targeting endothelial and immune cells. Due to the growing worldwide spread of CKD, there is an overwhelming need to find oxidative damage biomarkers that are easy to measure in biological fluids of subjects with CKD and patients undergoing renal replacement therapy (haemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis, and kidney transplantation), in order to overcome limitations of invasive monitoring of CKD progression.

Guided Growth of the Proximal Femur for the Management of Hip Dysplasia in Children With Cerebral Palsy.

Background: Progressive hip displacement is one of the most common and debilitating deformities seen in children with cerebral palsy (CP). The aim of this study was to evaluate the results of temporary medial hemiepiphysiodesis of the proximal femur (TMH-PF) using a transphyseal screw to control hip migration during growth in children with CP.

Methods: This was a retrospective study of children with CP and hip dysplasia, age 4 to 11 years and GMFCS levels III-V.

The Role of Taylor Spatial Frame in the Treatment of Blount Disease.

Background: Alteration of the posteromedial part of the proximal tibia is the main characteristic of Blount's disease and if left untreated, leg alignment and normal development of the lower limbs may be compromised.

Aim: To report treatment outcomes in children with Blount's disease using the Taylor Spatial Frame (TSF).

Materials And Methods: From January 2007 to December 2014, 16 young children (24 tibia) with a mean age of 7.

Effect of plano-valgus foot posture on midfoot kinematics during barefoot walking in an adolescent population.

Background: Plano-valgus is a common alteration of the paediatric foot, characterized by valgus hindfoot, foot pronation and drop of the medial longitudinal arch. Despite their importance in the diagnosis and classification of plano-valgus foot condition, little information is available on functional alterations of the major joints spanning the medial longitudinal arch - i.e.

Intra-Articular Cytokine Levels in Adolescent Patients after Anterior Cruciate Ligament Tear.

The treatment of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries in children and adolescents is challenging. Preclinical and clinical studies investigated ACL repairing techniques in skeletally immature subjects. However, intra-articular bioenvironment following ACL tear has not yet been defined in skeletally immature patients.

Plasma Protein Carbonylation in Haemodialysed Patients: Focus on Diabetes and Gender.

Patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) undergoing haemodialysis (HD) experience oxidative/carbonyl stress, which is postulated to increase after the HD session. The influence of diabetes mellitus and sex on oxidation of plasma proteins in ESRD has not yet been clarified despite that diabetic nephropathy is the most common cause of ESRD in developed and developing countries and despite the increasingly emerging differences between males and females in epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical manifestations, and outcomes for several diseases. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the possible effect of type 2 diabetes mellitus, gender, and dialysis filter on plasma level of protein carbonyls (PCO) in ESRD patients at the beginning and at the end of a single HD session.

Total Hip Arthroplasty in an Inveterate Femoral Neck Fracture in a Patient with Congenital Insensitivity to Pain with Anhidrosis.

Congenital insensitivity to pain with anhidrosis (CIPA) is an extremely rare disorder characterized by autonomic and sensory nerves malfunction with insensitivity to both deep and superficial painful stimuli, inability to sweat and produce tears, and mild to moderate mental retardation with self-mutilating behavior. Related consequences of inveterate musculoskeletal injuries represent a major issue for these patients, since pain cannot act as a protection mechanism. For the same reason, the patients are at risk during postoperative rehabilitation, which should be taken into account when selecting an orthopaedic implant.

Assessment of glutathione/glutathione disulphide ratio and S-glutathionylated proteins in human blood, solid tissues, and cultured cells.

Glutathione (GSH) is the major non-protein thiol in humans and other mammals, which is present in millimolar concentrations within cells, but at much lower concentrations in the blood plasma. GSH and GSH-related enzymes act both to prevent oxidative damage and to detoxify electrophiles. Under oxidative stress, two GSH molecules become linked by a disulphide bridge to form glutathione disulphide (GSSG).

Gait analysis on force treadmill in children: comparison with results from ground-based force platforms.

Gait analysis (GA) typically includes surface electromyographic (sEMG) recording from several lower limb muscles, optoelectronic measurement of joint rotations, and force recordings from ground-based platforms. From the latter two variables, the muscle power acting on the lower limb joints can be estimated. Recently, gait analysis on a split-belt force treadmill (GAFT) was validated for the study of adult walking.

Plasma protein-bound di-tyrosines as biomarkers of oxidative stress in end stage renal disease patients on maintenance haemodialysis.

Background: Patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) undergoing haemodialysis (HD) experience enhanced oxidative stress and systemic inflammation, which are risk factors for cardiovascular disease, the most common cause of excess morbidity and mortality for these patients. Different pathways producing different types of oxidative stress occur in ESRD. The purpose of our study was to determine the effect of HD on plasma levels of protein-bound dityrosine (di-Tyr), a biomarker of protein oxidation.

Knee arthrodesis by the Ilizarov method in the treatment of total knee arthroplasty failure.

Background: Currently, the main indication for knee arthrodesis is septic failure of a total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the results of knee arthrodesis by circular external fixation performed in the treatment of TKA failure in which revision arthroplasty was not indicated.

Methods: The study involved 19 patients who underwent knee arthrodesis by the Ilizarov method.

Thiol oxidation and di-tyrosine formation in human plasma proteins induced by inflammatory concentrations of hypochlorous acid.

Unlabelled: In this study, we assessed the oxidative damage occurring in plasma proteins when human blood was exposed to inflammatory concentrations of hypochlorous acid (HOCl). We used specific thiol labelling and Western blot analyses to determine protein thiol oxidation, as well as analytical gel filtration HPLC coupled to fluorescence detection to explore formation of high molecular weight (HMW) protein aggregates. Thiol-containing proteins oxidized by HOCl were identified by redox proteomics.

Protein Carbonylation in Human Smokers and Mammalian Models of Exposure to Cigarette Smoke: Focus on Redox Proteomic Studies.

Significance: Oxidative stress is one mechanism whereby tobacco smoking affects human health, as reflected by increased levels of several biomarkers of oxidative stress/damage isolated from tissues and biological fluids of active and passive smokers. Many investigations of cigarette smoke (CS)-induced oxidative stress/damage have been carried out in mammalian animal and cellular models of exposure to CS. Animal models allow the investigation of many parameters that are similar to those measured in human smokers.

Can we prevent hip dislocation in children with cerebral palsy? Effects of postural management.

Background: Hip dislocation is common in children with cerebral palsy (CP). At birth they do not have musculoskeletal deformities but they develop over time due to the combined effects of the movement disorder and impaired gross motor function. Early detection and treatment of a hip at risk is needed to modify the natural of hip development in CP.

I.S.Mu.L.T - Rotator Cuff Tears Guidelines.

Despite the high level achieved in the field of shoulder surgery, a global consensus on rotator cuff tears management is lacking. This work is divided into two main sessions: in the first, we set questions about hot topics involved in the rotator cuff tears, from the etiopathogenesis to the surgical treatment. In the second, we answered these questions by mentioning Evidence Based Medicine.

Botulinum Toxin Treatment for Limb Spasticity in Childhood Cerebral Palsy.

CP is the most common cause of chronic disability in childhood occurring in 2-2.5/1000 births. It is a severe disorder and a significant number of patients present cognitive delay and difficulty in walking.

Prevalence of Associated Lesions in Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: Correlation With Surgical Timing and With Patient Age, Sex, and Body Mass Index.

Background: Knee instability resulting from anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture is an important risk factor for the onset of meniscal tears and cartilage injuries. A delay of the ligament reconstruction further increases this risk. There is currently no agreement on the right time for surgical ACL reconstruction.

Plasma protein thiolation index (PTI) as a biomarker of thiol-specific oxidative stress in haemodialyzed patients.

The role of oxidative stress in patients with end stage renal disease (ESRD), which occurs at significantly higher levels than in the general population, is often underestimated in clinical practice. Emerging evidence highlights the strong correlation of oxidative stress with chronic inflammation and cardiovascular disease, which are highly prevalent in most patients on maintenance haemodialysis (HD) and are a major risk factor for mortality in this population. In this study, total plasma thiols and plasma S-thiolated proteins were measured in patients with ESRD, before and after a regular HD session, and compared to age-matched healthy subjects.