Bone is one of the most dynamic tissues in the human body that can heal following injury without leaving a scar. However, in instances of extensive bone loss, this intrinsic capacity of bone to heal may not be sufficient and external intervention becomes necessary. Several techniques are available to address this problem, including autogenous bone grafts and allografts. However, all these techniques have their own limitations. An alternative method is the technique of distraction osteogenesis, where gradual and controlled distraction of two bony segments after osteotomy leads to induction of new bone formation. Although distraction osteogenesis usually gives satisfactory results, its major limitation is the prolonged duration of time required before the external fixator is removed, which may lead to numerous complications. Numerous methods to accelerate bone formation in the context of distraction osteogenesis have been reported. A viable alternative to autogenous bone grafts for a source of osteogenic cells is mesenchymal stem cells from bone marrow. However, there are certain problems with bone marrow aspirate. Hence, scientists have investigated other sources for mesenchymal stem cells, specifically adipose tissue, which has been shown to be an excellent source of mesenchymal stem cells. In this paper, the potential use of adipose stem cells to stimulate bone formation is discussed.

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ObjectivesBone fracture healing is regulated by a series of complex physicochemical and biochemical processes. One of these processes is bone mineralization, which is vital for normal bone development. Phosphatase, orphan 1 (PHOSPHO1), a skeletal tissue-specific phosphatase, has been shown to be involved in the mineralization of the extracellular matrix and to maintain the structural integrity of bone. In this study, we examined how PHOSPHO1 deficiency might affect the healing and quality of fracture callus in mice.MethodsTibial fractures were created and then stabilized in control wild-type (WT) and Phospho1-/- mice (n = 16 for each group; mixed gender, each group carrying equal number of male and female mice) at eight weeks of age. Fractures were allowed to heal for four weeks and then the mice were euthanized and their tibias analyzed using radiographs, micro-CT (μCT), histology, histomorphometry and three-point bending tests.ResultsThe μCT and radiographic analyses revealed a mild reduction of bone volume in Phospho1-/- callus, although it was not statistically significant. An increase in trabecular number and a decrease in trabecular thickness and separation were observed in Phospho1-/- callus in comparison with the WT callus. Histomorphometric analyses showed that there was a marked increase of osteoid volume over bone volume in the Phospho1-/- callus. The three-point bending test showed that Phospho1-/- fractured bone had more of an elastic characteristic than the WT bone.ConclusionOur work suggests that PHOSPHO1 plays an integral role during bone fracture repair and may be a therapeutic target to improve the fracture healing process.Cite this article: M. W. Morcos, H. Al-Jallad, J. Li, C. Farquharson, J. L. Millán, R. C. Hamdy, M. Murshed. PHOSPHO1 is essential for normal bone fracture healing: An Animal Study. Bone Joint Res 2018;7:397–405. DOI: 10.1302/2046-3758.76.BJR-2017-0140.R2.

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Study Design: Ambispective cohort study. Objective: Patients spend on average 3 to 7 days in hospital after lumbar fusion surgery. Patients who are unable to be discharged home may require a prolonged hospital stay while awaiting a bed at a rehabilitation facility, adding cost and imposing a considerable burden on the health care system. Our objective is to identify patient or procedure related predictors of discharge destination for patients undergoing posterior lumbar fusion. Methods: Analysis of data from the Canadian Spine Outcomes and Research Network. Patients who underwent lumbar fusion for degenerative pathology between 2008 and 2015 were identified. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent predictors of the discharge destination. Results: A total of 643 patients were identified from the database, 87.1% of the patients (N = 560) were discharged home while 12.9% (N = 83) required discharge to nonhome facilities. Using multivariate logistic regression analysis, the predictors for discharge to a facility rather than home were identified including: increasing age (odds ratio [OR] 1.045, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.017 -1.075, P < .002), increasing body mass index (BMI) (OR 1.069, 95% CI 1.021 -1.118, P < .004), increasing disability score (OR 1.025, 95% CI 1.004 -1.046, P < .02), living alone preoperatively (OR 1.916, 95% CI 1.004-3.654, P < .05), increasing operating time (OR 1.005, 95% CI 1.003 -1.008, P < .0001), need for blood transfusion (OR 3.32, 95% CI 1.687-6.528, P < .001), and multilevel fusion surgery (OR 1.142, 95% CI 1.007 -1.297, P < .04). Conclusions: Older age, high BMI, living alone, high disability score, extended surgical time, blood transfusion, and multilevel fusion are significant factors that increase the odds of being discharged to facilities other than home. Level of Evidence: Level 3.

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Late, low-dose radiotherapy is effective in preventing the progression of HO in patients who unexpectedly develop significant HO following THA.

Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) profoundly influences knee biomechanics. Using an arbitrary (often 3° to 5°) posterior tibial slope (PTS) in all cases seldom will restore native slope. This study examined whether the native PTS could be reproduced in cruciate-retaining TKA and how this would influence clinical outcome. Radiographic and clinical outcomes of 215 consecutive TKAs using the PFC sigma cruciate-retaining implant were evaluated. The tibial bone cut was planned to be made parallel to the native anatomical slope in the sagittal plane. The PTS was measured with reference to the proximal tibial medullary canal (PTS-M) and the proximal tibial anterior cortex (PTS-C) on true lateral radiographs using a picture achieving and communication system. Knee range of motion (ROM), Knee Society Score, Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), and Short Form Health Survey (SF-12) were evaluated. Mean preoperative PTS-M was 6.9°±3.3°, and mean postoperative PTS-M was 7.0°±2.4°. Mean preoperative PTS-C was 12.2°±4.2°, and mean postoperative PTS-C was 12.6°±3.4°. Preoperative and postoperative PTS were not significantly different for both techniques ( P >.05). An arbitrary 3° as an acceptable range for PTS-M was achieved in 144 knees (67%) (group 1), and 71 knees (33%) had a difference of more than 3° (group 2). Group 1 had a significantly larger gain in ROM ( P =.04) as well as improved Knee Society, WOMAC, and SF-12 physical scores compared with group 2 ( P <.01). The modified surgical technique reproduced the native tibial slope in cruciate-retaining TKA. Reproduction of the native PTS within 3° resulted in better clinical outcomes manifested by gain in ROM and knee functional outcome scores. [ Orthopedics . 2020; 43(1):e21–e26.]