Open lower extremity fractures in the geriatric population.

Introduction: Open fractures in the elderly are distinct compared to younger populations. The purpose of this study is to follow a series of open fractures of the lower extremity in the geriatric population to better prognosticate outcomes.

Methods: We performed a retrospective chart review of patients over the age of 65 years old who were treated for an open, lower extremity fracture across two level I trauma medical systems.

Potential Benefits of Limited Clinical and Radiographic Follow-up After Surgical Treatment of Ankle Fractures.

Introduction: Ankle fractures are one of the most prevalent musculoskeletal injuries, with a significant number requiring surgical treatment. Postoperative complications requiring additional interventions frequently occur during the early postoperative period. We hypothesize that there is a limited need for routine clinical and radiographic follow-up once the fracture is deemed healed.

Preclinical evaluation of a novel implant for treatment of a full-thickness distal femoral focal cartilage defect.

A novel, nonresorbable, monolithic composite structure ceramic, developed using a partially stabilized zirconia ceramic common to implantable devices, was used in a cementless weight-bearing articular implant to test the feasibility of replacing a region of degenerated or damaged articular cartilage in the knee as part of a preclinical study using male mongrel dogs lasting up to 24 weeks. Gross/histological cartilage observations showed no differences among control, 12-week and 24-week groups, while pull-out tests showed an increase in maximum pull-out load over time relative to controls. Hence, the use of a novel ceramic implant as a replacement for a focal cartilage defect leads to effective implant fixation within 12 weeks and does not cause significant degradation in opposing articular cartilage in the time frame evaluated.

Rodent models for the study of articular fracture healing.

The goal of this study was to document the healing time course and expression of ex vivo cell-based gene delivery in articular fracture models in the mouse and rat. Articular medial intercondylar femoral osteotomy was performed in the stifle (knee) joints of hairless immunocompetent mice and medial or lateral similar osteotomy was performed in athymic nude rats. Genetically modified cells expressing luciferase were delivered in a three-dimensional alginate matrix directly into the osteotomy site.

Evaluation of permissiveness and cytotoxic effects in equine chondrocytes, synovial cells, and stem cells in response to infection with adenovirus 5 vectors for gene delivery.

Objective: To evaluate host cell permissiveness and cytotoxic effects of recombinant and modified adenoviral vectors in equine chondrocytes, synovial cells, and bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMD-MSCs).

Sample Population: Articular cartilage, synovium, and bone marrow from 15 adult horses.

Procedures: Equine chondrocytes, synovial cells, and BMD-MSCs and human carcinoma (HeLa) cells were cultured and infected with an E-1-deficient adenovirus vector encoding the beta-galactosidase gene or the green fluorescent protein gene (Ad-GFP) and with a modified E-1-deficient vector with the arg-gly-asp capsid peptide insertion and containing the GFP gene (Ad-RGD-GFP).

Gene-mediated osteogenic differentiation of stem cells by bone morphogenetic proteins-2 or -6.

Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMDMSC) hold promise for targeted osteogenic differentiation and can be augmented by delivery of genes encoding bone morphogenetic proteins (BMP). The feasibility of promoting osteogenic differentiation of BMDMSC was investigated using two BMP genes in monolayer and three-dimensional alginate culture systems. Cultured BMDMSC were transduced with E1-deleted adenoviral vectors containing either human BMP2 or BMP6 coding sequence under cytomegalovirus (CMV) promoter control [17:1 multiplicities of infection (moi)] and either sustained in monolayer or suspended in 1 mL 1.

Effects of the omega-3 fatty acid, alpha-linolenic acid, on lipopolysaccharide-challenged synovial explants from horses.

Objective: To determine the effects of pretreatment with alpha-linolenic acid, an omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid, on equine synovial explants challenged with lipopolysaccharide (LPS).

Animals: 8 mature mixed-breed horses (4 mares and 4 geldings).

Procedure: Synovial explants were assigned to receive 1 of 7 concentrations of alpha-linolenic acid, ranging from 0 to 300 microg/mL.

The effect of cranial cruciate ligament insufficiency on caudal cruciate ligament morphology: An experimental study in dogs.

Objectives: To investigate the effect of cranial cruciate ligament (CrCL) insufficiency on morphology of the canine caudal cruciate ligament (CdCL).

Study Design: In vivo experimental study.

Animals: Five adult foxhounds.