Intervertebral disc herniation effects on multifidus muscle composition and resident stem cell populations.

Background: Paraspinal muscles are crucial for vertebral stabilization and movement. These muscles are prone to develop fatty infiltration (FI), fibrosis, and atrophy in many spine conditions. Fibro-adipogenic progenitors (FAPs), a resident muscle stem cell population, are the main contributors of muscle fibrosis and FI.

Cell populations and muscle fiber morphology associated with acute and chronic muscle degeneration in lumbar spine pathology.

Many chronic musculoskeletal conditions are associated with loss of muscle volume and quality, resulting in functional decline. While atrophy has long been implicated as the mechanism of muscle loss in these conditions, recent evidence has emerged demonstrating a degenerative phenotype of muscle loss consisting of disrupted muscle fiber membranes, infiltration of cells into muscle fibers, and as previously describer, possible replacement of muscle fibers by adipose tissue. Here, we use human lumbar spine pathology as a model system to provide a more comprehensive analysis of the morphological features of this mode of muscle loss between early and late stages of disease, including an analysis of the cell populations found in paraspinal muscle biopsies from humans with acute vs chronic lumbar spine pathology.

Multiparametric MRI characterization of level dependent differences in lumbar muscle size, quality, and microstructure.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a diagnostic tool that can be used to noninvasively assess lumbar muscle size and fatty infiltration, important biomarkers of muscle health. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is an MRI technique that is sensitive to muscle microstructural features such as fiber size (an important biomarker of muscle health), which is typically only assessed using invasive biopsy techniques. The goal of this study was to establish normative values of level-dependent lumbar muscle size, fat signal fraction, and restricted diffusion assessed by MRI in a highly active population.

Pulsed electromagnetic fields reduce acute inflammation in the injured rat-tail intervertebral disc.

Pro-inflammatory cytokines are recognized contributors to intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration and discogenic pain. We have recently reported the anti-inflammatory effect of pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMF) on IVD cells in vitro. Whether these potentially therapeutic effects are sufficiently potent to influence disc health in vivo has not been demonstrated.

Use of Denosumab in Children With Osteoclast Bone Dysplasias: Report of Three Cases.

Denosumab has been used successfully to treat disease-associated osteoclast overactivity, including giant cell tumor of bone. Given its mechanism of action, denosumab is a potent potential treatment of other osteoclast bone dysplasias including central giant cell granuloma (CGCG), aneurysmal bone cyst (ABC), and cherubism. Relatively little is known about the safety and efficacy of denosumab in patients with these conditions, especially in children.

Radial variation in biochemical composition of the bovine caudal intervertebral disc.

Bovine caudal discs have been widely used in spine research due to their increased availability, large size, and mechanical and biochemical properties that are comparable to healthy human discs. However, despite their extensive use, the radial variations in bovine disc composition have not yet been rigorously quantified with high spatial resolution. Previous studies were limited to qualitative analyses or provided limited spatial resolution in biochemical properties.

A novel magnetic resonance imaging postprocessing technique for the assessment of intervertebral disc degeneration-Correlation with histological grading in a rabbit disc degeneration model.

Introduction: Estimation of intervertebral disc degeneration on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is challenging. Qualitative schemes used in clinical practice correlate poorly with pain and quantitative techniques have not entered widespread clinical use.

Methods: As part of a prior study, 25 New Zealand white rabbits underwent annular puncture to induce disc degeneration in 50 noncontiguous lumbar discs.

Intervertebral disc kinematics in active duty Marines with and without lumbar spine pathology.

Military members are required to carry heavy loads frequently during training and active duty combat. We investigated if operationally relevant axial loads affect lumbar disc kinematics in forty-one male active duty Marines with no previous clinically diagnosed pathology. Marines were imaged standing upright with and without load.

Subchondroplasty of the Ankle and Hindfoot for Treatment of Osteochondral Lesions and Stress Fractures: Initial Imaging Experience.

To describe the imaging findings of patients treated with subchondroplasty (SCP) of the ankle and hindfoot. Eighteen patients (10 men, 8 women; age mean 43.1 years [range 20.

Advancing cell therapies for intervertebral disc regeneration from the lab to the clinic: Recommendations of the ORS spine section.

Intervertebral disc degeneration is strongly associated with chronic low back pain, a leading cause of disability worldwide. Current back pain treatment approaches (both surgical and conservative) are limited to addressing symptoms, not necessarily the root cause. Not surprisingly therefore, long-term efficacy of most approaches is poor.

Publication trends in spine research from 2007 to 2016: Comparison of the Orthopaedic Research Society Spine Section and the International Society for the Study of the Lumbar Spine.

This study investigated current trends in spine publications of the membership of Orthopaedic Research Society Spine Section (ORS3) and the more global and clinically focused International Society for the Study of the Lumbar Spine (ISSLS). The PubMed database was probed to quantify trends in the overall number of articles published, the number of journals these articles were published in, and the number of active scientists producing new manuscripts. We also evaluated trends in flagship spine journals (, , and ) and in the The total number of active ORS3 and ISSLS authors and articles published have increased over the last 10 years.

Are more diverse parts of the mammalian skull more labile?

Morphological variation is unevenly distributed within the mammalian skull; some of its parts have diversified more than others. It is commonly thought that this pattern of variation is mainly the result of the structural organization of the skull, as defined by the pattern and magnitude of trait covariation. Patterns of trait covariation can facilitate morphological diversification if they are aligned in the direction of selection, or these patterns can constrain diversification if oriented in a different direction.

Anatomic Evaluation of the Sacroiliac Joint: A Radiographic Study with Implications for Procedures.

Background: Sacroiliac joint (SI) pain is increasingly being recognized as a source of low back pain. Injections and percutaneous type procedures are performed to treat symptomatic joints. However, there are limited studies available assessing the anatomy of the SI joint in vivo among patients with pain.

Initiation and promotion of endochrondral bone formation by bone morphogenetic proteins: potential implications for avian tibial dyschondroplasia.

The initiation and promotion of bone morphogenesis is regulated by bone morphogenetic proteins. Morphogenesis of the skeleton is the developmental cascade of pattern formation, establishment of mirror-image bilateral symmetry, initiation and promotion of endochondral bone differentiation, and growth culminating in functional weight bearing. Implantation of demineralized bone matrix initiates a developmental cascade of endochondral bone formation that is reminiscent of the sequential bone morphogenesis in the limb bud in the embryo.