Platelet-rich plasma injections for the management of knee osteoarthritis: The ESSKA-ICRS consensus. Recommendations using the RAND/UCLA appropriateness method for different clinical scenarios.

Purpose: The aim of this consensus was to develop evidence- and expert-based patient-focused recommendations on the appropriateness of intra-articular platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections in different clinical scenarios of patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA).

Methods: The RAND/UCLA Appropriateness Method was used by the European Society of Sports Traumatology, Knee Surgery, and Arthroscopy (ESSKA), as well as the International Cartilage Regeneration and Joint Preservation Society (ICRS) to reach a consensus and produce recommendations for specific patient categories combining best available scientific evidence with the collective judgement of a panel of experts.

Results: Scenarios were defined based on first treatment vs first injective treatment vs second injective treatment, age (<50/50-65/66-80/>80), tibiofemoral vs patellofemoral involvement, OA level (Kellgren-Lawrence/KL 0-I/II-III/IV), and joint effusion (dry knee, minor-mild or major effusion).

Relevance of individual bronchial symptoms for asthma diagnosis and control in patients with rhinitis: A MASK-air study.

Rationale: It is unclear how each individual asthma symptom is associated with asthma diagnosis or control.

Objectives: To assess the performance of individual asthma symptoms in the identification of patients with asthma and their association with asthma control.

Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we assessed real-world data using the MASK-air app.

Single-Agent Divarasib (GDC-6036) in Solid Tumors with a G12C Mutation.

Background: Divarasib (GDC-6036) is a covalent KRAS G12C inhibitor that was designed to have high potency and selectivity.

Methods: In a phase 1 study, we evaluated divarasib administered orally once daily (at doses ranging from 50 to 400 mg) in patients who had advanced or metastatic solid tumors that harbor a G12C mutation. The primary objective was an assessment of safety; pharmacokinetics, investigator-evaluated antitumor activity, and biomarkers of response and resistance were also assessed.

Early application of extracorporeal shock wave therapy improves pain control and functional scores in patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty: a randomized controlled trial.

Purpose: The use of biophysical stimuli produced by extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) can improve the rehabilitation treatment of patients undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA). The aim of our study is to evaluate the short-term efficacy of early postoperative ESWT in combination with physiotherapy in terms of pain reduction and motor function recovery of patients undergoing TKA and compare it with conventional physiotherapy treatment.

Methods: Fifty-six patients undergoing TKA were enrolled in the study from January 2019 to February 2020.

Adherence to inhaled corticosteroids and long-acting β2-agonists in asthma: A MASK-air study.

Introduction: Adherence to controller medication is a major problem in asthma management, being difficult to assess and tackle. mHealth apps can be used to assess adherence. We aimed to assess the adherence to inhaled corticosteroids+long-acting β2-agonists (ICS+LABA) in users of the MASK-air® app, comparing the adherence to ICS+formoterol (ICS+F) with that to ICS+other LABA.

Patient-centered digital biomarkers for allergic respiratory diseases and asthma: The ARIA-EAACI approach - ARIA-EAACI Task Force Report.

Biomarkers for the diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of patients with rhinitis and/or asthma are urgently needed. Although some biologic biomarkers exist in specialist care for asthma, they cannot be largely used in primary care. There are no validated biomarkers in rhinitis or allergen immunotherapy (AIT) that can be used in clinical practice.

Rhinitis associated with asthma is distinct from rhinitis alone: The ARIA-MeDALL hypothesis.

Asthma, rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis (AD) are interrelated clinical phenotypes that partly overlap in the human interactome. The concept of "one-airway-one-disease," coined over 20 years ago, is a simplistic approach of the links between upper- and lower-airway allergic diseases. With new data, it is time to reassess the concept.

Combined subchondral and intra-articular injections of bone marrow aspirate concentrate provide stable results up to 24 months.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical and imaging findings up to 24 months of follow-up in patients treated with combined subchondral and intra-articular bone marrow aspirate concentrate (BMAC) injections for the treatment of knee osteoarthritis (OA).

Methods: Thirty consecutive patients (19 males, 11 females) aged between 40 and 75 years (mean age 56.4 ± 8.

Meditating on Cancer Management at the Time of Immunotherapy.

The introduction of checkpoint inhibitors in the last decade has prompted a new era in medical oncology and has opened the door to novel frontiers in cancer treatment [...

A rapid recovery protocol for hip and knee replacement surgery: a report of the outcomes in a referral center.

Objective: The number of joint replacements is expected to dramatically increase, and the optimization of the available resources is fundamental to maintain high clinical standards while providing an efficient treatment to an increasing number of patients. The present study describes the outcomes of the application of a rapid recovery (RR) protocol in a referral center for hip and knee replacement surgery.

Patients And Methods: The medical records of every patient undergoing primary hip or knee replacement in 2019 were identified and all the relevant data were retrospectively extracted and compared to those of year 2016 (the last year before the onset of the rapid recovery protocol).

Oxygen-Ozone Therapy for Reducing Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines Serum Levels in Musculoskeletal and Temporomandibular Disorders: A Comprehensive Review.

To date, the application of oxygen-ozone (OO) therapy has significantly increased in the common clinical practice in several pathological conditions. However, beyond the favorable clinical effects, the biochemical effects of OO are still far from being understood. This comprehensive review aimed at investigating the state of the art about the effects of OO therapy on pro-inflammatory cytokines serum levels as a modulator of oxidative stress in patients with musculoskeletal and temporomandibular disorders (TMD).

Advances in Lung Cancer Imaging and Therapy.

This series of eight papers (five original articles, two reviews and one meta-analysis) is presented by international leaders covering various aspects of lung cancer management, starting with diagnostic imaging and analyzing the novel perspectives of therapy [...

A single step, centrifuge-free method to harvest bone marrow highly concentrated in mesenchymal stem cells: results of a pilot trial.

Purpose: The aims of the present study were: (1) to characterize the bone-marrow aspirate (BMA) obtained with a centrifuge-free process, employing a dedicated aspiration device; (2) to test the in vitro efficacy of BMA in a model of cartilage inflammation; and (3) to report the preliminary clinical results in a small cohort of patients affected by knee OA.

Methods: Ten patients (4 M, 6 W; mean age: 51.9 ± 9.

Ultrasound-Guided Meniscal Injection of Autologous Growth Factors: A Brief Report.

Meniscal degeneration is a common finding even in young patients' knees, and it is regarded as a predictor for the onset of early osteoarthritis (OA). When symptomatic, it represents a challenge since arthroscopic surgery provides unpredictable results: recent evidence has shown that partial meniscectomy is not better than conservative management up to 2 years of follow-up, and the removal of meniscal tissue may accelerate OA progression toward OA. Intra-articular injection of corticosteroids or hyaluronic acid may help in providing temporary symptomatic relief, but no influence should be expected on the quality of the meniscal tissue.

Impact of Antibiotic Therapy and Metabolic Parameters in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Patients Receiving Checkpoint Inhibitors.

Introduction: In the current study, we aimed to assess the impact of antibiotics (ATB) and metabolic parameters on clinical outcome of non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI).

Methods: Data from fifty NSCLC patients referred for ICI between December 2015 and May 2019 were analyzed. All patients underwent 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography computed tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT) and contrast-enhanced CT at baseline and for response assessment after 6-8 weeks.

IBS clinical management in Italy: The AIGO survey.

Background: Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is the most frequent functional gastrointestinal disorder, both in primary and secondary care.

Aims: (1) To describe diagnostic tools and treatments suggested to IBS patients by Italian gastroenterologists; (2) To evaluate patients' quality of life and psychological involvement and the relationship of these factors with symptom severity.

Methods: Twenty-six gastroenterologists recorded the demographic and clinical data of 677 IBS patients.

Edoxaban in atrial fibrillation patients with established coronary artery disease: Insights from ENGAGE AF-TIMI 48.

Background:: The relative efficacy and safety profile of the oral Factor Xa inhibitor edoxaban compared with warfarin in patients with atrial fibrillation and established coronary artery disease (CAD) has not been analyzed.

Materials And Methods:: In the ENGAGE AF-TIMI 48 trial, two edoxaban regimens were compared with warfarin in 21,105 patients with atrial fibrillation and CHADS ⩾2. We analyzed the primary trial endpoints (efficacy: stroke or systemic embolic event, safety: International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis major bleeding) in patients with versus without CAD, and used interaction testing to assess for treatment effect modification.

Immune function after major surgical interventions: the effect of postoperative pain treatment.

Introduction: Impaired immune function during the perioperative period may be associated with worse short- and long-term outcomes. Morphine is considered a major contributor to immune modulation.

Patients And Methods: We performed a pilot study to investigate postoperative immune function by analyzing peripheral blood mononuclear cells' functionality and cytokine production in 16 patients undergoing major abdominal surgery.

Continuous wound infusion of local anesthetic and steroid after major abdominal surgery: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Inflammatory response is one of the key components of pain perception. Continuous infusion (CWI) of local anesthetics has been shown to be effective in controlling pain and reducing postoperative morphine consumption, but the effect of adding a potent anti-inflammatory drug (such as a steroid) has never been addressed. In our study, we want to investigate the effect of CWI with local anesthetic + methylprednisolone on acute and persistent pain, correlating clinical data with biomarkers of inflammation and genetic background.