Proteomic analysis of serum in a population-based cohort did not reveal a biomarker for Modic changes.

Introduction: Modic changes (MC) are bone marrow lesions of vertebral bones, which can be detected with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) adjacent to degenerated intervertebral discs. Defined by their appearance on T1 and T2 weighted images, there are three interconvertible types: MC1, MC2, and MC3. The inter-observer variability of the MRI diagnosis is high, therefore a diagnostic serum biomarker complementing the MRI to facilitate diagnosis and follow-up would be of great value.

Anterior variable angle locking neutralisation plate superiority over traditional tension band wiring for treating transverse patella fractures.

Purpose: This paper investigates the biomechanical benefits of using hybrid constructs that combine cannulated screws with tension band wiring (TBW) cerclage compared to cannulated screws with anterior Variable Angle locking neutralisation plates (VA LNP). These enhancements can bear heavier loads and maintain the repaired patella's integrity, in contrast to traditional methods.

Method: Eighteen fresh-frozen human cadaver patellae were carefully fractured transversely at their midpoints using a saw.

Thresholding approaches for estimating paraspinal muscle fat infiltration using T1- and T2-weighted MRI: Comparative analysis using water-fat MRI.

Background: Paraspinal muscle fat infiltration is associated with spinal degeneration and low back pain, however, quantifying muscle fat using clinical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques continues to be a challenge. Advanced MRI techniques, including chemical-shift encoding (CSE) based water-fat MRI, enable accurate measurement of muscle fat, but such techniques are not widely available in routine clinical practice.

Methods: To facilitate assessment of paraspinal muscle fat using clinical imaging, we compared four thresholding approaches for estimating muscle fat fraction (FF) using T1- and T2-weighted images, with measurements from water-fat MRI as the ground truth: Gaussian thresholding, Otsu's method, K-mean clustering, and quadratic discriminant analysis.

Understanding the etiopathogenesis of lumbar intervertebral disc herniation: From clinical evidence to basic scientific research.

Lumbar intervertebral disc herniation, as a leading cause of low back pain, productivity loss, and disability, is a common musculoskeletal disorder that results in significant socioeconomic burdens. Despite extensive clinical and basic scientific research efforts, herniation etiopathogenesis, particularly its initiation and progression, is not well understood. Understanding herniation etiopathogenesis is essential for developing effective preventive measures and therapeutic interventions.

Non-enzymatic glycation reduces glucose transport in the human cartilage endplate independently of matrix porosity or proteoglycan content.

Background: Intervertebral disc degeneration is associated with low back pain, which is a leading cause of disability. While the precise causes of disc degeneration are unknown, inadequate nutrient and metabolite transport through the cartilage endplate (CEP) may be one important factor. Prior work shows that CEP transport properties depend on the porosity of the CEP matrix, but little is known about the role of CEP characteristics that could influence transport properties independently from porosity.

An exploration of knowledge-organizing technologies to advance transdisciplinary back pain research.

Chronic low back pain (LBP) is influenced by a broad spectrum of patient-specific factors as codified in domains of the biopsychosocial model (BSM). Operationalizing the BSM into research and clinical care is challenging because most investigators work in silos that concentrate on only one or two BSM domains. Furthermore, the expanding, multidisciplinary nature of BSM research creates practical limitations as to how individual investigators integrate current data into their processes of generating impactful hypotheses.

Antibiotic Treatment Prior to Injury Abrogates the Detrimental Effects of LPS in Mice Susceptible to Osteoarthritis Development.

Post traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA) is a form of secondary osteoarthritis (OA) that develops in ~50% of cases of severe articular joint injuries and leads to chronic and progressive degradation of articular cartilage and other joint tissues. PTOA progression can be exacerbated by repeated injury and systemic inflammation. Few studies have examined approaches for blunting or slowing down PTOA progression with emphasis on systemic inflammation; most arthritis studies focused on the immune system have been in the context of rheumatoid arthritis.

Degradation-Resistant Hypoxia Inducible Factor-2α in Murine Osteocytes Promotes a High Bone Mass Phenotype.

Molecular oxygen levels vary during development and disease. Adaptations to decreased oxygen bioavailability (hypoxia) are mediated by hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) transcription factors. HIFs are composed of an oxygen-dependent α subunit (HIF-α), of which there are two transcriptionally active isoforms (HIF-1α and HIF-2α), and a constitutively expressed β subunit (HIFβ).

Influence of patient-specific factors when comparing multifidus fat infiltration between chronic low back pain patients and asymptomatic controls.

Introduction: Many studies have attempted to link multifidus (MF) fat infiltration with muscle quality and chronic low back pain (cLBP), but there is no consensus on these relationships.

Methods: In this cross-sectional cohort study, 39 cLBP patients and 18 asymptomatic controls were included. The MF muscle was manually segmented at each lumbar disc level and fat fraction (FF) measurements were taken from the corresponding advanced imaging water-fat images.

Utilization of Autologous Chondrocyte Implantation in the Knee Is Increasing While Reoperation Rates Are Decreasing Despite Increasing Preoperative Comorbidities.

Purpose: The primary purpose of this study was to assess the use of autologous chondrocyte implantation (ACI) procedures in the knee during last decade, and the secondary aims of the study were to determine reoperation rates after ACI and to identify associated risk factors.

Methods: A retrospective cohort study from 2010-2020 was performed using the PearlDiver database. The database was queried for the Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) code for ACI performed in any knee location, including the patellofemoral and tibiofemoral joints.

Disc geometry measurement methods affect reported compressive mechanics by up to 65.

Mechanical testing is a valuable tool for assessing intervertebral disc health, but the wide range of testing protocols makes it difficult to compare results from different studies. Normalizing mechanical properties by disc geometry allows for such comparisons, but there is little consistency in the methods by which disc geometry is measured. As such, we hypothesized that methods used to measure disc geometry would impact reported mechanical properties.

Non-enzymatic glycation of annulus fibrosus alters tissue-level failure mechanics in tension.

Advanced-glycation end products (AGEs) are known to accumulate in biological tissues with age and at an accelerated rate in patients with diabetes and chronic kidney disease. Clinically, diabetes has been linked to increased frequency and severity of back pain, accelerated disc degeneration, and an increased risk of disc herniation. Despite significant clinical evidence suggesting that diabetes-induced AGEs may play a role in intervertebral disc failure and substantial previous work investigating the effects of AGEs on bone, cartilage, and tendon mechanics, the effects of AGEs on annulus fibrosus (AF) failure mechanics have not yet been reported.

Relations Between Bone Quantity, Microarchitecture, and Collagen Cross-links on Mechanics Following In Vivo Irradiation in Mice.

Humans are exposed to ionizing radiation via spaceflight or cancer radiotherapy, and exposure from radiotherapy is known to increase risk of skeletal fractures. Although irradiation can reduce trabecular bone mass, alter trabecular microarchitecture, and increase collagen cross-linking, the relative contributions of these effects to any loss of mechanical integrity remain unclear. To provide insight, while addressing both the monotonic strength and cyclic-loading fatigue life, we conducted total-body, acute, gamma-irradiation experiments on skeletally mature (17-week-old) C57BL/6J male mice ( = 84).

Paraspinal muscle morphology and composition in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: A histological analysis.

Background: Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is a condition resulting in spinal deformity and tissue adaptation of the paraspinal muscles. Although prior studies have demonstrated asymmetries in fiber type and other energetic features of muscle on the concave side of the curve, muscle morphology, architecture, and composition have not been evaluated. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to compare differences in paraspinal muscle microarchitecture and composition between concave and convex sides of a scoliotic curve in individuals with AIS.

Lower extremity CT angiograms and their effect on kidney function in orthopedic trauma patients.

Objectives: To evaluate the frequency of unindicated CT Angiograms (CTAs) obtained at our institution and the association between contrast-induced nephropathy (CIN) and decreased glomerular filtration rate (GFR).

Design: Retrospective case series SETTING: Academic Level 1 trauma center PATIENTS/PARTICIPANTS: Patients aged 18 years and older with CTAs following lower-extremity (LE) trauma between 2010-2018.

Intervention: CTAs performed in 257 LEs and corresponding pre- and post-contrast renal function labs in these LE trauma patients.

Development of a standardized histopathology scoring system for human intervertebral disc degeneration: an Orthopaedic Research Society Spine Section Initiative.

Background: Histopathological analysis of intervertebral disc (IVD) tissues is a critical domain of back pain research. Identification, description, and classification of attributes that distinguish abnormal tissues form a basis for probing disease mechanisms and conceiving novel therapies. Unfortunately, lack of standardized methods and nomenclature can limit comparisons of results across studies and prevent organizing information into a clear representation of the hierarchical, spatial, and temporal patterns of IVD degeneration.

A perspective on the initiative to develop a multi-species histopathology series.

This perspective summarizes the genesis, development, and potential future directions of the multispecies histopathology series.

Biomechanical analysis of progressive rotator cuff tendon tears on superior stability of the shoulder.

Background: The biomechanical relationship between irreparable rotator cuff tear size and glenohumeral joint stability in the setting of superiorly directed forces has not been characterized. The purpose of this study was to quantify kinematic alterations of the glenohumeral joint in response to superiorly directed forces in a progressive posterosuperior rotator cuff tear model.

Methods: Nine fresh-frozen cadaveric shoulders (mean age; 58 years) were tested with a custom shoulder testing system.

Spine biomechanical testing methodologies: The controversy of consensus vs scientific evidence.

Biomechanical testing methodologies for the spine have developed over the past 50 years. During that time, there have been several paradigm shifts with respect to techniques. These techniques evolved by incorporating state-of-the-art engineering principles, in vivo measurements, anatomical structure-function relationships, and the scientific method.

Assessing the use of finite element analysis for mechanical performance evaluation of intervertebral body fusion devices.

Background: Intervertebral body fusion devices (IBFDs) are a widely used type of spinal implant placed between two vertebral bodies to stabilize the spine for fusion in the treatment of spinal pathologies. Assessing mechanical performance of these devices is critical during the design, verification, and regulatory evaluation phases of development. While traditionally evaluated with physical bench testing, empirical assessments are at times supplemented with computational models and simulations such as finite element analysis (FEA).

Pulsed Electromagnetic Fields Accelerate Sensorimotor Recovery Following Experimental Disc Herniation.

Study Design: An experimental animal study.

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMF) on recovery of sensorimotor function in a rodent model of disc herniation (DH).

Summary Of Background Data: Radiculopathy associated with DH is mediated by proinflammatory cytokines.

Influence of testing environment and loading rate on intervertebral disc compressive mechanics: An assessment of repeatability at three different laboratories.

In vitro mechanical testing of intervertebral discs is crucial for basic science and pre-clinical testing. Generally, these tests aim to replicate in vivo conditions, but simplifications are necessary in specimen preparation and mechanical testing due to complexities in both structure and the loading conditions required to replicate in vivo conditions. There has been a growing interest in developing a consensus of testing protocols within the spine community to improve comparison of results between studies.

Transient swelling behavior of the bovine caudal disc.

The intervertebral disc is an avascular composite structure, comprised of the nucleus pulposus (NP) and the annulus fibrosus (AF). Previous tissue-level experiments either examined relative differences in swelling capacity of the two disc regions at a single time point or tested explant structures that did not replicate in situ boundary conditions. Previous joint-level studies that investigated time-dependent fluid flow into the disc provided limited information about swelling-induced intradiscal strains with respect to time and boundary constraints.

Locked Dorsal Compression Plate Arthrodesis for Degenerative Arthritis of the Midfoot.

Midfoot arthrodesis is the accepted surgical treatment for symptomatic midfoot arthritis. The published literature has focused on joint-spanning static fixation. Several companies have developed diamond-shaped locked dorsal compression plates, which allow for longitudinal joint compression.