Publications by authors named "Rob Janssen"

In contrast to adult mammalian hearts, the adult zebrafish heart efficiently replaces cardiomyocytes lost after injury. Here we reveal shared and species-specific injury response pathways and a correlation between Hmga1, an architectural non-histone protein, and regenerative capacity, as Hmga1 is required and sufficient to induce cardiomyocyte proliferation and required for heart regeneration. In addition, Hmga1 was shown to reactivate developmentally silenced genes, likely through modulation of H3K27me3 levels, poising them for a pro-regenerative gene program.

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Purpose: Knee laxity can be experienced as knee instability which may lead to a limitation in the activity of patients. Current methods to determine knee instability are performed in a static setting, which does not always correlate with dynamic knee laxity during activities. Wearables might be able to measure knee laxity in a dynamic setting and could be of added value in the diagnosis and treatment of excessive knee laxity.

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Article Synopsis
  • High levels of a specific protein related to vitamin K deficiency were linked to worse outcomes in COVID-19 patients, indicating the potential importance of vitamin K in managing the disease.
  • A clinical trial was conducted with 40 hospitalized patients, where half received vitamin K2 supplements and the other half received a placebo, focusing on their impacts on vitamin K status and related health markers.
  • Results showed that vitamin K2 supplementation was safe and significantly improved vitamin K status but did not demonstrate a protective effect against the breakdown of elastic fibers in the body.
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Article Synopsis
  • The study aimed to determine if the type of hamstring graft (ST vs. STG) influences the risk of developing symptomatic cyclops lesions post-ACL reconstruction surgery.
  • It analyzed data from 1,416 patients over at least two years, finding that 3.2% developed cyclops lesions, with no significant difference between the graft types.
  • The results indicated female patients had a higher likelihood of developing cyclops lesions, and those with a double-quadruple STG graft were at increased risk compared to other configurations.
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Purpose: Graft failure rates after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR) in children and adolescents are higher compared to adults. Anterolateral augmentation procedures have recently generated increased focus regarding their ability to reduce graft failure rates. Concerns in skeletally immatures are potential growth disturbances and overconstraint after anterolateral augmentation.

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Aims: The aim of this study was to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of arthroscopic partial meniscectomy versus physical therapy plus optional delayed arthroscopic partial meniscectomy in young patients aged under 45 years with traumatic meniscal tears.

Methods: We conducted a multicentre, open-labelled, randomized controlled trial in patients aged 18 to 45 years, with a recent onset, traumatic, MRI-verified, isolated meniscal tear without knee osteoarthritis. Patients were randomized to arthroscopic partial meniscectomy or standardized physical therapy with an optional delayed arthroscopic partial meniscectomy after three months of follow-up.

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Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) rupture is a very common knee joint injury. Torn ACLs are currently reconstructed using tendon autografts. However, half of the patients develop osteoarthritis (OA) within 10 to 14 years postoperatively.

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Background: There are 2 treatment options for adolescent athletes with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries-rehabilitation alone (nonsurgical treatment) or ACL reconstruction plus rehabilitation. However, there is no clear consensus on how to include strength and neuromuscular training during each phase of rehabilitation.

Purpose: To develop a practical consensus for adolescent ACL rehabilitation to help provide care to this age group using an international Delphi panel.

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Background: Knowing the potential hamstring tendon length is relevant for planning ligament reconstructions in children and adolescents, as it is not uncommon to encounter small hamstring tendons intraoperatively. The aim of this study is to predict semitendinosus and gracilis tendon length based on anthropometric values in children and adolescents. The secondary aim is to analyse hamstring tendon autograft characteristics in a closed socket anterior cruciate ligament reconstructions and to evaluate the relationship with anthropometric variables.

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Current regenerative cartilage therapies are associated with several drawbacks such as dedifferentiation of chondrocytes during expansion and the formation of fibrocartilage. Optimized chondrocyte expansion and tissue formation could lead to better clinical results of these therapies. In this study, a novel chondrocyte suspension expansion protocol that includes the addition of porcine notochordal cell-derived matrix was used to self-assemble human chondrocytes from osteoarthritic (OA) and nondegenerate (ND) origin into cartilage organoids containing collagen type II and proteoglycans.

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Although defined by the presence of airflow obstruction and respiratory symptoms, patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are characterized by multimorbidity. Numerous co-occurring conditions and systemic manifestations contribute to the clinical presentation and progression of COPD; however, underlying mechanisms for multimorbidity are currently not fully elucidated. Vitamin A and vitamin D have been related to COPD pathogenesis.

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Background: Knee pain is highly prevalent worldwide, and this number is expected to rise in the future. The COVID-19 outbreak, in combination with the aging population, rising health care costs, and the need to make health care more accessible worldwide, has led to an increasing demand for digital health care applications to deliver care for patients with musculoskeletal conditions. Digital health and other forms of telemedicine can add value in optimizing health care for patients and health care providers.

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Objectives: Vitamin K deficiency consistently associates with worse clinical outcome in COVID-19 patients. However, whether this is due to increased expenditure during inflammation or poor vitamin K status prior to infection remained unknown.

Methods: Dp-ucMGP levels of 128 individuals were measured for the post-MONICA study and were compared to SARS-CoV-2 PCR testing results.

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Purpose: Meniscus tears are one of the most frequent orthopedic knee injuries, which are currently often treated performing meniscectomy. Clinical concerns comprise progressive degeneration of the meniscus tissue, a change in knee biomechanics, and an early onset of osteoarthritis. To overcome these problems, meniscal transplant surgery can be performed.

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Approximately 1% of active individuals participating in sports rupture their anterior cruciate ligaments (ACL) every year, which is currently reconstructed using tendon autografts. Upon reconstruction, clinical issues of concern are ACL graft rupture, persistent knee instability, limited return to sports, and early onset of osteoarthritis (OA). This happens because tendon autografts do not have the same compositional, structural, and mechanical properties as a native ACL.

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Background: Diagnosing anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries in children and adolescents are more challenging compared to adults. Delayed diagnosis may result in meniscal or chondral injuries. The aim of this study was to determine the diagnostic values of history taking, physical examination and KT-1000 arthrometer for suspect ACL injuries in children and adolescents.

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Objective: Osteoarthritis is one of the most common chronic conditions leading to disability among older people (age 60+ years). Knee osteoarthritis has a significant impact on daily functioning. Pain, stiffness, reduced strength, changes in posture, and reduced knee stability may result in reduced mobility.

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In the article "Kidney Function-Dependence of Vitamin K-Status Parameters: Results from the TransplantLines Biobank and Cohort Studies", Kremer et al. [..

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Objective: To compare outcomes from arthroscopic partial meniscectomy versus physical therapy in young patients with traumatic meniscal tears.

Methods: We conducted a multicentre, open-labelled, randomised controlled trial in patients aged 18-45 years, with a recent onset, traumatic, MRI-verified, isolated meniscal tear without knee osteoarthritis. Patients were randomised to arthroscopic partial meniscectomy or standardised physical therapy with an optional delayed arthroscopic partial meniscectomy after 3-month follow-up.

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Sobczyk and Gaunt genetically predicted circulating zinc, selenium, copper, and vitamin K levels-instead of directly measuring nutrients in blood-and hypothesized that these levels would associate with SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 severity [...

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Background: Pathology during COVID-19 infection arises partly from an excessive inflammatory response with a key role for interleukin (IL)-6. Both vitamin D and K have been proposed as potential modulators of this process.

Methods: We assessed vitamin D and K status by measuring circulating 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) and desphospho-uncarboxylated Matrix Gla-Protein (dp-ucMGP), respectively in 135 hospitalized COVID-19 patients in relation to inflammatory response, elastic fiber degradation and clinical outcomes.

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Integration of an implant with the surrounding tissue is a major challenge in cartilage regeneration. It is usually assessed with animal studies at the end-stage of implant development. To reduce animal experimentation and at the same time increase screening throughput and speed up implant development, this study examined whether integration of allogeneic cell-based implants with the surrounding native cartilage could be demonstrated in an human osteochondral culture model.

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Background: It is hypothesised that community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) patients with more severe disease or inflammation might benefit more from adjunctive corticosteroid treatment. Neutrophil count, lymphocyte count and neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) have been associated with inflammation and disease severity in CAP. We investigated the interaction between these parameters and adjunctive dexamethasone effects on clinical outcomes in CAP.

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Synopsis of recent research by authors named "Rob Janssen"

  • Rob Janssen's recent research primarily focuses on the rehabilitation and treatment of knee injuries, particularly in the context of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction and the associated risks and outcomes.
  • His studies examine various factors affecting knee stability, including the role of wearable sensor systems in assessing knee laxity during dynamic activities, and the impact of surgical techniques and graft choices on postoperative complications.
  • Additionally, Janssen investigates the role of vitamin K supplementation in improving clinical outcomes for hospitalized COVID-19 patients and its potential effects on multimorbidity within chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).