Relationship of Calcification of Atherosclerotic Plaque and Arterial Stiffness to Bone Mineral Density and Osteoprotegerin in Postmenopausal Women Referred for Osteoporosis Screening

Arterial calcification leading to increased arterial stiffness, a powerful risk factor for cardiovascular disease, may underlie the association of osteoporosis with cardiovascular disease in postmenopausal women. Osteoprotegerin (OPG), an indirect inhibitor of osteoclastogenesis, may be involved in arterial calcification. We examined relationships between calcification of subclinical atherosclerotic plaque and arterial stiffness with bone mineral density (BMD) and OPG in a group of 54 postmenopausal women referred for routine osteoporosis screening by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometric scanning of the lumbar spine and hip. Presence of calcified and noncalcified plaque in carotid and femoral arteries was examined using ultrasonography. Pulse wave velocity (PWV), a measure of arterial stiffness, was determined by sequential tonometry over the carotid and femoral region. Fifty-nine percent of osteoporotic women had calcified (echogenic) plaque at one or more sites compared with 42% and 20% for women with osteopenia and normal BMD, respectively (P = 0.04). There was a significant negative correlation between PWV and hip BMD (r = -0.35, P = 0.01), which remained significant when age, mean arterial pressure, and serum lipids were taken into account (P = 0.05). No significant relationships were observed between serum concentrations of OPG and lumbar spine or total hip BMD or with the number of arterial sites with calcified or noncalcified plaque. However, there was a strong correlation between OPG and PWV (r = 0.44, P = 0.001), which remained significant when adjusted for age (P = 0.01). These findings suggest that decreased BMD is associated with arterial calcification and stiffening and raise the possibility that OPG is a marker of arterial stiffening, independent of any association with BMD.     

Synovial hemangioma in the knee of a 10-month-old boy

Synovial hemangioma is a benign vascular tumor. While mainly affecting the knee, it can also appear in other joints or tissues. The condition is very rare in children. A delay between debut and diagnosis due to its unspecific symptomatology is common. We report a case of a boy affected by an intra-articular synovial hemangioma of the knee with a debut at the early age of 10 months, the youngest reported in English literature.     

The extent of laceration of circumferential fibers with suture repair of the knee meniscus

Introduction Cannulas used with suture based meniscal repair techniques can potentially injure the load transmitting fibers of the meniscus. The subject of this study was to quantify this effect in a porcine in vitro model. Materials and methods From fresh frozen medial porcine menisci tissue specimens were harvested following the course of the peripheral circumferential fibers bundles. In the first part of the study the tissue samples were perforated with the cannulas of either a Fast Fix or a Rapidloc device or with an 18-gauge needle. The specimens were then visually inspected for fiber damage using low power microscopy and the mean size of the laceration was measured. Finally, the extent of the tissue laceration was indirectly determined using non-contact strain measurements of the samples before and after puncture. Results When advanced with the cutting edge perpendicular to the fibers, the cannulas consistently cut the fibers while those were rather separated with the opposite orientation. It could be shown that specimens with a mean width of 8.1 mm lost 25% of the load transmitting cross section when being perforated two times with a Fast Fix device (P < 0.001). This effect is negated when the cannula was oriented in line with the fibers. Conclusions Cannulas used for suture based meniscal repair can cause a substantial laceration of the meniscal tissue. The effect strongly depends on the orientation of the cutting edge of the cannula relative to the course of the fibers and can thus potentially be avoided by an appropriate handling and design. This study is a Winner of the AGA DonJoy award 2006.     

Vastus medialis cross-sectional area is associated with patella cartilage defects and bone volume in healthy women

OBJECTIVES: Although vastus medialis and vastus lateralis are important muscular determinants of patellofemoral joint function, it is unclear how these muscles relate to the structure of the patellofemoral joint. The aim of this cross-sectional study was to determine the relationship between the vasti muscles and patella cartilage volume and defects and patella bone volume. METHODS: One hundred and seventy-five women, aged 40-67 years, with no knee pain or clinical lower-limb disease had magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of their dominant knee. The cross-sectional areas of the distal vastus medialis and lateralis were measured 37.5mm superior to the quadriceps tendon insertion at the proximal pole of the patella. Patella cartilage volume and defects and patella bone volume were measured from these images using validated methods. RESULTS: There was no significant association between the distal vastus medialis cross-sectional area and patella cartilage volume. For every 1mm(2) increase in the distal vastus medialis cross-sectional area, there was an associated increased risk of patella cartilage defects [odds ratio (OR): 1.2; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.004, 1.5; P=0.05], and an associated increase in patella bone volume (OR: 3.9; 95% CI 2.0, 5.8; P<0.001) after adjustment for potential confounders. There was no significant relationship between vastus lateralis cross-sectional area and measures of patella cartilage or bone. CONCLUSION: An increased cross-sectional area of the distal portion of the vastus medialis muscle is associated with an increased risk of patella cartilage defects, and an increase in patella bone volume among healthy women. Although these results need to be confirmed in longitudinal studies, they suggest that an increase in the distal vastus medialis cross-sectional area is associated with structural change at the patellofemoral joint.     

A comparison of intra-articular hyaluronan injection accuracy rates between three approaches based on radiographic severity of knee osteoarthritis

OBJECTIVE: To compare the accuracy rates of intra-articular hyaluronic acid (HA) injections for osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee between the modified Waddell approach (an anteromedial approach with manipulative ankle traction at 30 degrees of knee flexion), an anteromedial approach with the subjects seated (hereinafter the seated anteromedial approach) and a lateral patellar approach based on the Kellgren-Lawrence (K-L) radiographic grade (II, III and IV). DESIGNS: Fifty patients with knee OA received HA injections through the three approaches. The accuracy rates were confirmed with a single radiograph after injections of a mixture of radiographic contrast medium. RESULTS: In the K-L grade IV cases (n=11), the accuracy rates through the modified Waddell approach (11 out of 11, 100%) were significantly higher than those through the seated anteromedial approach (six out of 11, 55%) and the lateral patellar approach (six out of 11, 55%) (P=0.035). No significant differences were detected in the accuracy rates of the participants classified as grade II (n=21) or III (n=18) cases between the modified Waddell approach (86% and 78%, respectively), the seated anteromedial approach (71% and 56%, respectively) and the lateral patellar approach (86% and 61%, respectively) (P>0.05). CONCLUSION: Although previous studies have been conducted on the accuracy of needle placement into the intra-articular space of the knee, no evaluations were performed with the results categorized by radiographic severity. This study highlighted the need for clinicians to change the approach employed for HA injections, according to the severity of knee OA.     

Does the hip powder of Rosa canina (rosehip) reduce pain in osteoarthritis patients?--a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

OBJECTIVE: Meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) - of a hip powder of Rosa canina (rosehip) preparation for symptomatic treatment of osteoarthritis (OA), in order to estimate the empirical efficacy as a pain reducing compound. METHOD: RCTs from systematic searches were included if they explicitly stated that OA patients were randomized to either rosehip or placebo. The primary outcome was reduction in pain calculated as effect size (ES), defined as the standardized mean difference (SMD). As secondary analysis the number of responders to therapy was analyzed as Odds Ratios (OR), and expressed as the Number Needed to Treat (NNT). Restricted Maximum Likelihood (REML) methods were applied for the meta-analyses using mixed effects models. RESULTS: The three studies (287 patients and a median trial-duration of 3 months) - all supported by the manufacturer (Hyben-Vital International) - showed a reduction in pain scores by rosehip powder (145 patients) compared to placebo (142 patients): ES of 0.37 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.13-0.60], P=0.002. Test for homogeneity seemed to support that the efficacy was consistent across trials (I(2)=0%). Thus it seems reasonable to assume that the three studies were measuring the same overall effect. It seemed twice as likely that a patient allocated to rosehip powder would respond to therapy, compared to placebo (OR=2.19; P=0.0009); corresponding to a NNT of six (95% CI: 4-13) patients. CONCLUSIONS: Although based on a sparse amount of data, the results of the present meta-analysis indicate that rosehip powder does reduce pain; accordingly it may be of interest as a nutraceutical, although its efficacy and safety need evaluation and independent replication in a future large-scale/long-term trial.     

Prevalence of bone attrition on knee radiographs and MRI in a community-based cohort

OBJECTIVES: Bone attrition probably constitutes remodeling of the bone, resulting in flattening or depression of the articular surfaces. Defining bone attrition is challenging because it is an accentuation of the normal curvature of the tibial plateaus. We aimed to define bone attrition on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the knee using information from both radiographs and MRIs, and to assess whether bone attrition is common prior to end stage disease osteoarthritis (OA) in the tibio-femoral joint. METHODS: All knees of participants in the community-based sample of the Framingham OA Study were evaluated for bone attrition in radiographs and MRIs. Radiographs were scored based on templates designed to outline the normal contours of the tibio-femoral joint. MRIs were analyzed using the semi-quantitative Whole-Organ Magnetic Resonance Imaging Scoring (WORMS) method. The prevalence of bone attrition was calculated using two different thresholds for MRI scores. RESULTS: Inter-observer agreement for identification of bone attrition was substantial for the radiographs (kappa=0.71, 95% CI 0.67-0.81) and moderate for MRI (kappa=0.56, 95% CI 0.40-0.72). Of 964 knees, 5.7% of the radiographs showed bone attrition. Of these, 91% of MRIs were also read as showing bone attrition. We selected a conservative threshold for bone attrition on MRI scoring (>/=2 on a 0-3 scale) based on agreement with attrition on the radiograph or when bone attrition on MRI co-occurred with cartilage loss on OA. Using this threshold for bone attrition on MRI, bone attrition was common in knees with OA. For example, in knees with mild OA but no joint space narrowing, 13 of 88 MRIs (14.8%) showed bone attrition. CONCLUSIONS: Using MRI we found that many knees with mild OA without joint narrowing on radiographs had bone attrition, even using conservative definitions. The validity of our definition of bone attrition should be evaluated in further studies. Bone attrition may occur in milder OA and at earlier stages of disease than previously thought.     

MRI of the knee after locked unreamed intramedullary nailing of tibia

We analysed the reason for knee pain after intramedullary (IM) nailing with standard MRI sequences at a mean of 27 months (range 2–45) after nail removal in eleven patients with a mean age of 30 years (range 15–52). Knee pain was assessed in four grades. All our patients had signal changes of fluid in the nail channel, areas of low signal intensity in Hoffa’s fat pad and subcutaneous low signal nodes in front of a thickened patellar ligament. Ten patients had low signal adhesions from the nail insertion towards the patellar ligament. Six patients had severe knee pain and even marked adhesions. Two patients had no knee pain; one of these two had minimal adhesions and the other one no adhesions. Five of the patients had a meniscal tear and/or local cartilage reduction. The degree of adhesions from the nail insertion in the tibia towards the patellar ligament was proportional to the degree of knee pain. No sign of acute inflammation was found. Abstract presented, in part, at the European Society of Musculoskeletal Radiology Annual Meeting, 13–14 June 2003, Aarhus, Denmark.     

The effect of simvastatin,ezetimibe and their combination on the lipid profile,arterial stiffness and inflammatory markers

OBJECTIVE: Arterial stiffness and highly sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP) serum level predict the risk for cardiovascular events. The most commonly used drugs for lowering cholesterol levels, the statins, also have anti-inflammatory effects and can decrease arterial stiffness. Ezetimibe is the first drug of a new class of cholesterol absorption inhibitors in common use and, to date, its effect on arterial stiffness has not yet been studied. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of simvastatin and ezetimibe, both singly and in combination, on arterial stiffness and hsCRP serum concentration in hypercholesterolemic patients. METHODS: Forty hypercholesterolemic patients were studied. Group1 comprised previously untreated patients, who received simvastatin at doses of 40 mg/day during the study; group 2 comprised patients previously treated with simvastatin at 40 mg/day, who received simvastatin at 80 mg/day during the study; group 3 consisted of patients previously untreated, who received ezetimibe at doses of 10 mg/day during the study; group 4 comprised patients previously treated with simvastatin at 40 mg/day, who received simvastatin at 40 mg/day and ezetimibe at 10 mg/day during the study. Arterial stiffness expressed as the Augmentation Index (AIx) (assessed by pulse wave analysis), the lipid profile and the hsCRP level were measured at baseline and after 3 months of treatment. RESULTS: The reduction in low-density lipoprotein (LDL) after treatment was significantly greater in groups 1 and 4 (39.9 and 35.7%) than in groups 2 and 3 (17.7 and 16.9%; p = 0.005). The AIx decreased significantly only in group 1 patients, from 30.2 +/- 8.3% before treatment to 21.6 +/- 6.5% after treatment (p < 0.001). Changes in hsCRP paralleled the changes in AIx, with a significant decrease in patients in group 1 only, from 2.8 +/- 2.5 mg/L before treatment to 1.6 +/- 1.5 mg/L after treatment (p = 0.016). CONCLUSION: Ezetimibe as a monotherapy had no effect on arterial stiffness or hsCRP, while the administration of simvastatin at 40 mg per day improved arterial stiffness and CRP. However, increasing the dose of simvastatin or administering ezetimibe in combination with simvastatin had no beneficial effects on arterial stiffness.     

Glucose, insulin, diabetes and mechanisms of arterial dysfunction

1. This commentary reviews and discusses the association between increased arterial stiffness and indices of glucose and insulin metabolism and diabetes mellitus (DM). 2. Diabetes mellitus is associated with increased cardiovascular events, is an established major independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease and is included in current risk assessment algorithms. Based on Framingham risk assessment, the incremental risk due to DM, at a given level of baseline risk in non-diabetics, is approximately equivalent to 10 years and, at any given level of other major risk factors, DM increases risk three- to fourfold. 3. Increased aortic stiffness has been shown to be an independent risk factor for both cardiovascular and overall mortality in high-risk groups and recently in the general population. Both DM1 and DM2 are associated with accelerated stiffening of the elastic arteries, over and above that associated with normal ageing, and DM can be considered as imparting added biological age and, thus, added cardiovascular risk. 4. Aortic stiffness provides a plausible mechanism relating diabetes to increase cardiovascular disease. 5. A proportion of the increased risk of cardiovascular events in DM is a sequel of stiff arteries. Direct measures of arterial stiffness, such as aortic pulse wave velocity, are likely to be better candidates than pulse wave analysis for refining interventions to improve outcomes in diabetes.