Both intra- and extravascular events were found attributing to the steroid-associated ON based on our experimental protocol with a single low-dose LPS injection and subsequent three injections of high-dose MPS. Both high ON incidence and no mortality in rabbits treated with this inductive protocol suggested its effectiveness for future studies on evaluation of therapeutic efficacy of interventions developed for prevention of steroid-associated ON.

With a relatively comprehensive review on the current understanding on the etiology and etiopathogenesis of AIS, the article would help to stimulate further innovative thoughts, research, and especially collaborative research in this area of great interest.

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Polymorphisms of the promoter of MTNR1B gene were associated with AIS, but not with the curve severity in AIS patients. This suggested that MTNR1B was an AIS predisposition gene.

The previously reported association with curve severity could not be replicated in our large series of Chinese AIS patients. The current study also did not show any association of the 2 SNPs with increased risk of having AIS.