Clinical effect of staged repair and reconstruction of multiple ligament injuries in knee joints / 中国骨伤

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To evaluate clinical outcomes of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) reconstruction under arthroscopy combined with limited open repair of medial collateral ligament (MCL) for the treatment of multiple ligament injuries of knee joints.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>From March 2006 and June 2012,the data of 14 patients (14 knees) with multiple injuries of ACL, PCL, and MCL were collected. There were 8 males and 6 females with an average age of (31.8 +/- 8.1) years old (ranged, 20 to 49 years old). All the patients were performed with X-ray and MRI examination, and the results showed that 10 patients had combined with injuries of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) and medial collateral ligament (MCL); 4 patients had ALC,PCL and posterolateral corner (PLC) injuries. Four patients had medial meniscus injuries and 2 patients had lateral meniscus injuries. The MCL,PLC and meniscus injuries were treated with operation on the first stage, and functional exercises were performed 3 weeks after fixation. The reconstruction operation of ACL and (or) PCL was performed at the second stage under arthroscopy 3 to 6 months later when the movement range of knee joint recovered to the normal level with obvious relaxation.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>All incisions healed by primary intention. All the patients were followed up with a mean duration of 48.9 months (ranged, 24 to 80 months). The Lysholm score was improved from preoperative 19.6 +/- 0.9 to the latest follow-up 87.1 +/- 2.8 (t=12.3, P<0.01). The International Knee Documentation Committee (IKDC) rating: 9 cases nearly recovered to normal, 5 cases were abnormal.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>For multiple ligament injuries in the knee, staged repair and reconstruction can effectively restore knee joint stability and function.</p>

Expressions of interleukin 18 and prostaglandin E2 and their correlation in the synoviocytes of patients with osteoarthritis / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To explore the expression of interleukin 18 (IL-18) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and their relationship in the synoviocytes of patients with osteoarthritis (OA).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The synovial tissues were obtained from 30 OA patients to isolate the synoviocytes for primary culture. The concentrations of IL-18 and PGE2 in the supernatants of synoviocyte culture were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The concentration of IL-18 averaged 51.559-/+27.614 pg/ml and PGE2 327.036-/+333.561 pg/ml in the supernatant of the synoviocytes. A significant positive correlation was noted between their expressions (r=0.863, P<0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>IL-18 may induce the production of PGE2, and their interactions they may play an important role in the pathogenesis of OA.</p>

Biological characteristics of human degenerative vertebral endplate cells / 南方医科大学学报

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To observe the morphology and phenotypes of cells extracted from the endplate in the intervertebral discs and identify the factors affecting their biological characteristic.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The intervertebral disc endplate were digested enzymatically, and the morphology of the obtained cells was examined under light microscope. Immunhistochemical analysis of collagen II and real-time PCR was carried out, and the morphologies, viability, cell growth, apoptosis and chondrocyte matrix production were compared between the cells isolated from the degenerative and normal vertebral endplates.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The cells in primary culture presented with spherical and oval morphology, and the cytoplasm was stained blue with toluidine blue. The morphologies of the cartilage endplate cells and the articular cells were almost identical. All the freshly isolated cells expressed collagen II. The degenerative vertebral endplate cells showed decreased expression of collagen II with increased apoptotic cells as compared with normal vertebral endplate cells.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The intervertebral disc endplate cells, like articular cartilage cells, express cartilage-specific matrix proteins. Degenerative vertebral endplate cells show decreased cell vitality with increases cell apoptosis.</p>