Usefulness of osteoprotegerin in assessing responses to neridronate treatment in Paget's disease of bone

Osteoprotegerin (OPG) is a protein that inhibits of osteoclastogenesis. The aim this study was to evaluate the response of serum OPG levels to neridronate treatment in patients with Paget's disease of bone resistant to previous therapy. Nine patients (4 men) affected by active Paget’s disease of bone (6 polyostotic, 3 monostotic) not responsive to clodronate were studied. Serum OPG, osteocalcin, total and bone isoenzyme of alkaline phosphatase (AP and BAP, respectively), and urinary deoxypyridinoline (DPD) were measured before and 5 months after neridronate treatment (100 mg/day, i.v. for two days). A scintigraphic activity index (SAI) was also calculated before treatment. Mean baseline OPG levels were within normal values and were not significantly different 5 months after neridronate treatment. In contrast, there were significant reductions in AP (41.9%, p<0.02) and BAP (38.8%, p<0.04). Serum OPG levels correlated with DPD (r=0.925) and SAI (r=0.689). Although OPG is an important regulator of bone metabolism, in our series of already treated patients it was not a sensitive marker for diagnosing Paget's disease and for monitoring the response to pharmacological treatment, whereas AP and BAP confirmed their clinical usefulness. This preliminary study requires confirmation by a study with a larger population.     

rhBMP-2对不同培养时间骨髓基质干细胞成骨能力的影响

目的：探讨不同培养阶段骨髓基质干细胞成骨能力的变化及BMP-2对其成骨能力的影响。方法：培养兔骨髓基质干细胞，测定第3代和第18代细胞碱性磷酸酶及骨钙素活性；测定BMP-2对不同培养时间骨髓基质干细胞成骨能力的影响；测定rhBMP-2对细胞增殖的影响。结果：细胞传至第18代后，分泌的骨钙素（OC）水平及ALP活力明显降低，与第3代细胞相比，差异显著（P〈0．05）。第3代细胞在rhBMP-2的诱导下，分泌的OC水平及ALP活力在原基础上进一步升高，与对照组相比，差异显著（P〈0.05）。结第18代细胞在rhBMP-2的诱导下，分泌的OC水平及ALP活力在原基础上升高，与对照组相比，差异不显著（P〉0．05）；随培养时间的延长，各组细胞数量均有所增加，rhBMP-2诱导组与对照组细胞无显著性差异（P〉0．05）。细胞的传代次数对细胞增殖无明显影响（P〉0．05）。结论：rhBMP-2对细胞增殖无影响。随着传代次数的增加，骨髓基质干细胞的成骨能力下降，rhBMP-2促进其成骨的能力亦下降。     

微创疗法在骨不连中的应用现状

骨不连是骨折术后常见并发症,据统计约有5%~10%的骨折可因各种原因发生骨折不愈合和迟缓愈合。骨不连的治疗方法虽很多,但治疗效果不一。近年来,随着影像学及内镜技术的发展以及在外科领域的成功实践,微创技术在骨科中的应用较为迅速,已取得了可喜成绩。根据近年来的文献,介绍微创技术在治疗骨不连方面的一些进展。     

应用显微外科技术治疗脊髓型颈椎病疗效分析

目的：探讨应用显微外科技术治疗脊髓型颈椎病的方法及疗效。方法：2003年1月～2004年10月对39例脊髓型颈椎病患者经颈前入路应用显微外科技术切除椎间盘、突出的髓核及骨赘．全部操作均在显微镜（10x）放大监视下应用高速磨钻、显微器械、1mm枪式椎板咬骨钳及微型刮匙配合进行。充分减压后作自体髂骨移植及钛板固定。结果：术中失血量平均每节段为80ml，术后咽喉部牵拉反应较轻．无并发症，33例患者术后症状即刻改善，2例术后3个月开始改善，4例术后6个月症状改善。无神经症状加重病例。经12～24个月随访，JOA评分由术前平均9．5分增加至13．4分，平均改善率为75．6％，影像学证实减压充分。椎体间植骨均愈合良好。结论：经颈前路应用显微外科技术治疗脊髓型颈椎病可明显提高组织分辨能力，操作精细．手术创伤小．提高了手术的安全性．疗效确切。     

A quantitative assessment of cross-sectional cortical bone remodeling in the femoral diaphysis following hip arthroplasty in elderly females

A quantitative assessment of cross-sectional cortical bone remodeling in the femoral diaphysis following hip arthroplasty was made by direct in vitro measurements of cross-sectional geometric properties. We obtained eight femora from four female cadavers ranging in age from 77 to 96 years. In three cases unilateral uncemented Austin Moore implants were used, and in one case a unilateral cemented Thompson prosthesis had been implanted. The time of implantation in the two specimens where this information could be obtained was greater than 40 months. Sections were made at 12 diaphyseal locations from the superior aspect of the lesser trochanter through the distal diaphysis. Section properties (areas and second moments of area, or area moments of inertia) were determined by tracing photographs of the cross-sections with a digitizer. In this sample of prosthetic femora, we found reductions in both total subperiosteal area (TA) and endosteal area (ENDA) relative to the contralateral unoperated side in most sections distal to the lesser trochanter. The average pairwise reduction in ENDA for this region was 21.1 mm2, reaching statistical significance in one distal diaphyseal section. The average decline in TA in this region was 10.2 mm2. Because the reduction in endosteal dimensions was generally greater than the reduction in subperiosteal dimensions, cortical area (CA) was maintained or increased throughout the distal 80% of this region in prosthetic femora with an average increase in CA of 9.3 mm2, reaching statistical significance in one mid-diaphyseal section. A completely different pattern of remodeling occurred in the two most proximal sections through the lesser trochanter and base of the femoral neck.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Parity and bone mineral density in middle-aged women

A retrospective study was carried out to determine the relationship between parity and bone mineral density (BMD) in middle-aged women. Eight hundred and twenty-five woman aged 41–76 years were recruited from four general practice registers in Cambridge. Subjects were unselected as to their health status. Each subject completed a detailed health questionnaire. Participation rate was 50%. The main outcome measure was BMD measured at the spine (L2–4,n=825) and hip (neck, intertrochanter and Ward's triangle;n=817) by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) using the Hologic QDR-1000 densitometer. It was found that the unadjusted mean BMD was significantly higher at all sites among the parous women (p=0.031 to <0.00001), and remained significantly higher at the femoral neck (p=0.025), intertrochanter (p=0.001) and Ward's triangle (p=0.045) after adjusting for age and body mass index (BMI). Similar findings were seen after stratifying for potential confounding variables. There was a consistent upward trend of BMD with increasing parity at all sites. Parity remained a significant independent predictor of BMD at all sites after controlling for age, BMI, menopausal status, oral contraceptive and hormone replacement therapy use, smoking status and breast-feeding status in multiple linear regression analyses. There was, on average, a 1.0% increase in BMD per live birth. Our findings therefore suggest a positive relationship between parity and bone mass.     

Determination of bone mineral density by dual x-ray absorptiometry in patients with uncemented total hip arthroplasty.

Bone remodeling is an expected sequela with total hip arthroplasty (THA). Although there are several methods of estimating bone response in THA patients from radiographs, there are no accurate and generally accepted methods for quantitative determinations in vivo. In this study, we describe an application of dual x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) for measuring bone mineral content and bone mineral density in the proximal femur following THA. DXA is a noninvasive technique with minimal radiation exposure (< 5 mrem). Various aspects of measurement error (accuracy and reliability) of this application of DXA were determined in a series of studies reported here. Accuracy error (how similar are the measured and actual values) was < 1% determined in bone phantoms of four densities. Precision error (how reproducible are the measurements) was also < 1% at all four densities in the phantoms and was only slightly elevated (0.9-1.5%) in repeated measurements of implanted cadaver femora. Precision error in vivo, determined both from multiple replicates on five patients and from duplicate scans on 30 patients, was further elevated but remained < 5%. Contributions to precision error, rotation of the leg, and interoperator variability were assessed; none was found to elevate precision error appreciably. We suggest that DXA is a feasible method for quantifying bone response following THA, and will allow discrimination of small changes (> 5%) not previously measurable.     

Calcium environment in bone mineral determined by EXAFS spectroscopy

Summary Extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectra were recorded, above the Ca K edge, from powdered mouse femurs. Spectra were interpreted on the basis of a model developed previously to explain the features of the EXAFS spectrum of fully crystalline hydroxyapatite. Eight shells of atoms surrounding Ca out of 0.57 nm were required to explain the appearance of the EXAFS spectrum of bone. Shell radii and Debye-Waller factors were systematically varied to obtain the best fit between observed and theoretical spectra, calculated using exact spherical wave theory. The results were closely similar to those obtained previously from the interpretation of EXAFS spectra from poorly crystalline hydroxyapatite prepared by maturation of amorphous calcium phosphate. However, there appears to be slightly more disorder in bone mineral, perhaps as a result of its accommodating carbonate ions     

Correlations between bone mineral density and demographic, lifestyle, and biochemical variables in community-dwelling Japanese women 69 years of age and over

Introduction A few epidemiologic studies have comprehensively attempted to identify risk factors for low bone mineral density (BMD) in elderly Asian women. The purpose of this study was to identify demographic, lifestyle, and biochemical factors correlated with BMD in elderly Japanese women 69 years of age and over.Methods The study design was cross-sectional. The subjects were 583 ambulatory women aged 69 years and over, and their average age was 74.3 (SD 4.4) years. Predictor variables were age, reproductive history, anthropometric indices, grip strength, calcium intake, lifestyle information, and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25(OH)₂D), osteocalcin (OC), and undercarboxylated osteocalcin (ucOC) values. The outcome variable was forearm BMD measured with a DTX-200 osteometer.Results Simple linear regression analyses showed that BMD was significantly positively associated with body height, weight, body mass index, grip strength, serum albumin concentration, and “housework,” and negatively associated with age, years since menopause, age at menarche, number of children, serum 1,25(OH)₂D concentration, serum OC concentration, and ucOC concentration. The stepwise multiple regression analysis showed that weight (β=0.00316, SE=0.00028, R²=0.180), age (β=−0.00321, SE=0.00050, R²=0.108), log-transformed serum OC (β=−0.0445, SE=0.0064, R²=0.053), log-transformed serum 1,25(OH)₂D (β=−0.0401, SE=0.0074, R²=0.050), “farmwork” (β=0.00904, SE=0.00426, R²=0.005), and serum 25(OH)D concentration (β=0.000281, SE=0.000120, R²=0.003) were significantly associated with BMD.Conclusion It was concluded that body weight is a major predictor of forearm BMD among the factors measured in this study in independent Japanese women 69 years of age and over and that serum 1,25(OH)₂D concentration may be associated with cortical BMD. Maintenance of body weight is very important for maintaining BMD in this population, unless a large weight aggravates obesity-related diseases. A follow-up study is needed to confirm these findings.     

A Case of Pelvic Osteomyelitis

A patient presenting with osteomyelitis of the pelvis is described. In this case it was difficult to establish a correct diagnosis by use of scintigraphic scanning, in spite of clear roentgenographic evidence of osteomyelitis.