Safety and efficacy of Wharton's jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cells with teriparatide for osteoporotic vertebral fractures: A phase I/IIa study.

Osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (OVCFs) are serious health problems. We conducted a randomized, open-label, phase I/IIa study to determine the feasibility, safety, and effectiveness of Wharton's jelly-derived mesenchymal stem cells (WJ-MSCs) and teriparatide (parathyroid hormone 1-34) in OVCFs. Twenty subjects with recent OVCFs were randomized to teriparatide (20 μg/day, daily subcutaneous injection for 6 months) treatment alone or combined treatment of WJ-MSCs (intramedullary [4 × 10 cells] injection and intravenous [2 × 10 cells] injection after 1 week) and teriparatide (20 μg/day, daily subcutaneous injection for 6 months).

Magnesium hydroxide-incorporated PLGA composite attenuates inflammation and promotes BMP2-induced bone formation in spinal fusion.

Spinal fusion has become a common surgical technique to join two or more vertebrae to stabilize a damaged spine; however, the rate of pseudarthrosis (failure of fusion) is still high. To minimize pseudarthrosis, bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP2) has been approved for use in humans. In this study, we developed a poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) composite incorporated with magnesium hydroxide (MH) nanoparticles for the delivery of BMP2.

Safety and Tolerability of Stromal Vascular Fraction Combined with β-Tricalcium Phosphate in Posterior Lumbar Interbody Fusion: Phase I Clinical Trial.

The rates of pseudarthrosis remain high despite recent advances in bone graft substitutes for spinal fusion surgery. The aim of this single center, non-randomized, open-label clinical trial was to determine the feasibility of combined use of stromal vascular fraction (SVF) and β-tricalcium phosphate (β-TCP) for patients who require posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) and pedicle screw fixation. Two polyetheretherketone (PEEK) cages were inserted into the intervertebral space following complete removal of the intervertebral disc.

An Injectable Hyaluronan-Methylcellulose (HAMC) Hydrogel Combined with Wharton's Jelly-Derived Mesenchymal Stromal Cells (WJ-MSCs) Promotes Degenerative Disc Repair.

Intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration is one of the predominant causes of chronic low back pain (LBP), which is a leading cause of disability worldwide. Despite substantial progress in cell therapy for the treatment of IVD degeneration, significant challenges remain for clinical application. Here, we investigated the effectiveness of hyaluronan-methylcellulose (HAMC) hydrogels loaded with Wharton's Jelly-derived mesenchymal stromal cell (WJ-MSCs) in vitro and in a rat coccygeal IVD degeneration model.

Resolvin D3 Promotes Inflammatory Resolution, Neuroprotection, and Functional Recovery After Spinal Cord Injury.

Resolvins, a new family from the endogenous specialized pro-resolving mediators (SPMs), promote the resolution of the inflammatory response. Resolvin D3 (RvD3), a docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) product, has been known to suppress the inflammatory response. However, the anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective effects of RvD3 are not known in a model of spinal cord injury (SCI).

Efficacy of matrilin-3-primed adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cell spheroids in a rabbit model of disc degeneration.

Background: Chronic low back pain is a prevalent disability, often caused by intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration. Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) therapy could be a safe and feasible option for repairing the degenerated disc. However, for successful translation to the clinic, various challenges need to be overcome including unwanted adverse effects due to acidic pH, hypoxia, and limited nutrition.

Combined Treatment with Fasudil and Menthol Improves Functional Recovery in Rat Spinal Cord Injury Model.

Neuroprotective measures by preventing secondary spinal cord injury (SCI) are one of the main strategies for repairing an injured spinal cord. Fasudil and menthol may be potent neuroprotective agents, which act by inhibiting a rho-associated protein kinase (ROCK) and suppressing the inflammatory response, respectively. We hypothesized that combined treatment of fasudil and menthol could improve functional recovery by decreasing inflammation, apoptosis, and glial scar formation.

Therapeutic Potential of Tauroursodeoxycholic Acid for the Treatment of Osteoporosis.

Tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA) is a US FDA-approved hydrophilic bile acid for the treatment of chronic cholestatic liver disease. In the present study, we investigate the effects of TUDCA on the proliferation and differentiation of osteoblasts and its therapeutic effect on a mice model of osteoporosis. Following treatment with different concentrations of TUDCA, cell viability, differentiation, and mineralization were measured.

Correction: "Changes in the medical burden of pyogenic and tuberculous spondylitis between 2007 and 2016: A nationwide cohort study".

Background: This nationwide study aimed to compare the medical burdens of pyogenic spondylitis (PS) and tuberculous spondylitis (TS) between 2007 and 2016 in Korea.

Methods: We used a national database managed by the National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) with data from the years 2007 and 2016. A total of 9655 newly diagnosed patients with PS or TS were correspondingly enrolled in the PS or TS group.

3'-UTR Polymorphisms of Vitamin B-Related Genes Are Associated with Osteoporosis and Osteoporotic Vertebral Compression Fractures (OVCFs) in Postmenopausal Women.

As life expectancy increases, the prevalence of osteoporosis is increasing. In addition to vitamin D which is well established to have an association with osteoporosis, B vitamins, such as thiamine, folate (vitamin B9), and cobalamin (vitamin B12), could affect bone metabolism, bone quality, and fracture risk in humans by influencing homocysteine/folate metabolism. Despite the crucial role of B vitamins in bone metabolism, there are few studies regarding associations between B vitamin-related genes and osteoporosis.

CORM-2-Solid Lipid Nanoparticles Maintain Integrity of Blood-Spinal Cord Barrier After Spinal Cord Injury in Rats.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a devastating condition of the central nervous system that can lead to permanent motor and sensory deficits. Carbon monoxide-releasing molecule-2 (CORM-2) has been shown to have anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic, and angiogenic properties that may be useful for the treatment of SCI. However, it has a short carbon monoxide (CO) release half-life (approximately 1 min).

Risk of rod fracture according to cross-link position in pedicle subtraction osteotomy (PSO): A finite element study.

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of the cross-link position on the rod fracture phenomenon during pedicle subtraction osteotomy (PSO) surgery using finite element model (FEM).

Methods: A three-dimensional finite element model of a lumbar spine with sagittal imbalance was constructed using computed tomography data of a 65-year-old female patient. After simulating the standard PSO at the L4 level, we constructed four models, specifically a model without a cross-link and three models with a cross-link at three different sites.

Symptomatic posterior fossa and supratentorial subdural hygromas as a rare complication following transarticular screw fixation with posterior wiring for atlantoaxial instability: A case report.

Rationale: Atlantoaxial transarticular screw fixation has been an effective and appealing method for inducing fusion of the C1-C2 complex. This technique is usually performed with Gallie fusion. In performing Gallie fusion using sublaminar wiring, a major concern is the risk of dural tear associated with passing sublaminar wires through the epidural space.

Residence could influence the surgical outcome after corrective surgery in adult spinal deformity: comparison study between urban and rural area in Korea.

Purpose: Numerous factors affect the surgical outcomes in patients with adult spinal deformity (ASD). However, no study has examined the relationship between residence and physical factors and surgical outcomes in patients with ASD. Here, we analysed the impact of residence and physical factors on the post-operative outcomes of patients with ASD residing in urban (U) and rural (R) environments.

Unilateral versus bilateral percutaneous pedicle screw fixation in minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion.

Object: Clinical results for unilateral pedicle screw fixation after lumbar interbody fusion have been reported to be as good as those for bilateral instrumentation. However, no studies have directly compared unilateral and bilateral percutaneous pedicle screw fixation after minimally invasive surgery (MIS) for transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF). The purpose of this study was to determine whether unilateral percutaneous pedicle screw fixation is comparable with bilateral percutaneous pedicle screw fixation in 1-segment MIS TLIF.