Relationship Between Serum MMP-2, Siglec-1, Th1/Th2 Cell Ratio, and Disease Activity in Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Objective: To investigate the association of serum MMP-2, Siglec-1, and Th1/Th2 cell ratio with disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods: Between August and November 2020, Peking University People's Hospital recruited 40 patients with RA and 40 healthy individuals. Various methods such as ELISA, flow cytometry, and RT-PCR were used to assess the levels of sCR1, MMP-2, MMP-9, and Siglec-1 in the participants. Correlation analysis was conducted between Siglec-1 expression and DAS28 and hs-CRP. T lymphocyte subsets; cytokines IFN-γ and IL-4, were assessed using flow cytometry and ELISA in both patient groups. Results: Rheumatoid arthritis was linked to lower levels of serum sCR1 and higher levels of MMP-2 and MMP-9 compared to healthy individuals (P < .05). The percentage of Siglec-1-positive cells in PBMCs was significantly higher in patients with RA than in the healthy group (P < .05), with monocytes being the predominant cells expressing Siglec-1. Patients with RA exhibited a significantly higher expression of Siglec-1 mRNA compared to those in a healthy condition (P < .05), and the expression of Siglec-1 in these patients was positively correlated with DAS28 and hs-CRP (P < .05). Study patients demonstrated a notably lower level of peripheral blood CD8+ cells and a higher CD4+/CD8+ ratio when compared to healthy individuals (P < .05). There was no statistically significant difference in CD3+CD4+ levels between the 2 groups (P > .05). Rheumatoid arthritis was associated with a higher level of peripheral blood IFN-γ and a lower IL-4 level than healthy individuals (P < .05). Conclusion: There was a strong link between sCRl, MMP-2, and MMP-9 and the progression of rheumatoid arthritis. These markers can effectively monitor disease activity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Siglec-1 is highly expressed in peripheral blood and can be used to track disease activity and inflammation in these patients. Regulating Th1/Th2-mediated homeostasis may help alleviate symptoms in individuals with rheumatoid arthritis.

Effect of Exercise Rehabilitation Combined with Alfacalcidol Administration on Patellofemoral Traumatic Dysfunction.

Objective: To investigate the efficacy and clinical value of alfacalcidol combined with exercise rehabilitation in therapy of the postoperative dysfunction of patients with patella fractures. Methods: In this study, 100 patients who underwent patella fracture surgery at Peking University People's Hospital between April 2018 and December 2019 were randomly selected and divided into a control group (n=50) and an experimental group (n=50) by lottery. The control group received exercise therapy, while the experimental group received alfacalcidol based on exercise rehabilitation. The functional assessment measure (FAM) score, visual analog scale (VAS) score, therapy efficiency, adverse effects, callus volume, and callus density were compared between the two groups. Results: The FAM score and therapy efficiency in the experimental group were significantly higher than in the control group [P < .001, RR: 95%CI (10.28, 5.12 to 15.52)], but the VAS score was lower [P < .001 RR: 95% CI (22.83, 1.99 to 3.31)]. Patients in the experimental group had fewer adverse effects [P < .001, RR: 95% CI (14.62, 6.49 to 32.92)] than those in the control group but significantly larger callus volume and density [both P < .001, RR: 95% CI (26.03, 3.21 to 4.07): (17.92, 2.83 to 3.34)]. Conclusion: Alfacalcidol combined with exercise rehabilitation therapy could significantly improve motor function, callus volume, and callus density in patients with patella fracture, resulting in a high applicable value in managing postoperative functional impairment of patellar fractures.

Multidimensional characteristics of musculoskeletal pain and risk of hip fractures among elderly adults: the first longitudinal evidence from CHARLS.

BACKGROUND: Hip fractures are a major public health concern among middle-aged and older adults. It is important to understand the associated risk factors to inform health policies and develop better prevention strategies. Musculoskeletal pain is a possible implicating factor, being associated with physical inactivity and risk of falls. However, the association between musculoskeletal pain and hip fractures has not been clearly investigated. METHODS: A nationally representative sample of the Chinese population was obtained from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). The study collected patient information on their demographic characteristics, socioeconomic status, other health-related behavior, and history of musculoskeletal pain and hip fractures. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to investigate the factors influencing the risk of hip fracture, including factors related to the individual and to musculoskeletal pain. P for trend test was performed to assess the trend of each continuous variable. The robustness and bias were assessed using the bootstrap method. Restricted cubic spline regression was utilized to identify linear or non-linear relationships. RESULTS: Among the 18,813 respondents, a total of 215 individuals reported that they have experienced a hip fracture. An increased risk of hip fracture was associated with the presence of waist pain and leg pain (P < 0.05), as well as with an increased number of musculoskeletal pain sites (P < 0.05). For individuals aged 65 and above, a significant association was found between age and the risk of hip fracture (P < 0.05). Furthermore, respondents with lower education level had a higher risk of hip fracture compared to those with higher education levels (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: In the Chinese population, the risk of hip fracture was found to be associated with both the location and extent of musculoskeletal pain, as well as with other factors such as age and demographic characteristics. The findings of this study may be useful for informing policy development and treatment strategies, and provide evidence for comparison with data from other demographic populations.

Preference of musculoskeletal pain treatment in middle-aged and elderly chinese people: a machine learning analysis of the China health and retirement longitudinal study.

BACKGROUND: Musculoskeletal pain is a major cause of physical disability, associated with huge socioeconomic burden. Patient preference for treatment is an important factor contributing to the choice of treatment strategies. However, effective measurements for evaluating the ongoing management of musculoskeletal pain are lacking. To help improve clinical decision making, it's important to estimate the current state of musculoskeletal pain management and analyze the contribution of patient treatment preference. METHODS: A nationally representative sample for the Chinese population was derived from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). Information on the patients' demographic characteristics, socioeconomic status, other health-related behavior, as well as history on musculoskeletal pain and treatment data were obtained. The data was used to estimate the status of musculoskeletal pain treatment in China in the year 2018. Univariate analysis and multivariate analysis were used to find the effect factors of treatment preference. XGBoost model and Shapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) method were performed to analyze the contribution of each variable to different treatment preferences. RESULTS: Among 18,814 respondents, 10,346 respondents suffered from musculoskeletal pain. Approximately 50% of musculoskeletal pain patients preferred modern medicine, while about 20% chose traditional Chinese medicine and another 15% chose acupuncture or massage therapy. Differing preferences for musculoskeletal pain treatment was related to the respondents' gender, age, place of residence, education level, insurance status, and health-related behavior such as smoking and drinking. Compared with upper or lower limb pain, neck pain and lower back pain were more likely to make respondents choose massage therapy (P < 0.05). A greater number of pain sites was associated with an increasing preference for respondents to seek medical care for musculoskeletal pain (P < 0.05), while different pain sites did not affect treatment preference. CONCLUSION: Factors including gender, age, socioeconomic status, and health-related behavior may have potential effects on people' s choice of treatment for musculoskeletal pain. The information derived from this study may be useful for helping to inform clinical decisions for orthopedic surgeons when devising treatment strategies for musculoskeletal pain.

Constrained Condylar Prostheses for the Treatment of Charcot Arthropathy: A Case Report and Literature Review.

BACKGROUND: Neuroarthropathy of the knee or Charcot knee, leading to chronic joint destruction, is a rare disease that is difficult to diagnose. The treatment of this condition is difficult and controversial. CASE PRESENTATION: A 74-year-old Asian woman has had bilateral knee pain for 22 years and deformity for 10 years, which has been aggravating for 2 months. Physical examination showed bilateral knee varus deformity greater than 15°, and -20 to 90° range of motion. X-ray revealed bilateral varus deformity with massive free body hyperplasia. Combined with medical history as syringomyelia, the patient was diagnosed with bilateral Charcot knees and bilateral joint replacements were performed using Legacy Constrained Condylar Knee prostheses (LCCK; Zimmer, USA). The patient reported satisfactory treatment outcomes, pain relief, and improved range of motion in both knees, without postoperative complications or prosthesis loosening at 2 year after operation. CONCLUSIONS: Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) may be considered a viable option for treating the Charcot knee. The use of constrained condylar prostheses can produce satisfactory results. Attention should be given to survival risks, complications, and other potential determining factors associated with TKA when devising a treatment strategy for the Charcot knee.

Global Cluster Analysis and Network Visualization in Prosthetic Joint Infection: A Scientometric Mapping.

OBJECTIVE: Prosthetic joint infection (PJI) is the main reason of failure of total joint arthroplasty (TJA). This study aimed to investigate the global trends and network visualization in research of PJI. METHODS: Publications in PJI search during 1980-2022 were extracted from the Science Citation Index-Expanded of Web of Science Core Collection database (WoSCC). The source data was investigated and analyzed by bibliometric methodology. For network visualization, VOS viewer and R software was used to perform bibliographic coupling, co-citation, co-authorship and co-occurrence analysis and to predict the publication trends in PJI research. RESULTS: There were 7288 articles included. The number of publications and relative research interests increased gradually per year globally. The USA made the highest contributions in the world and with the highest H-index and the most citations. Journal of Arthroplasty published the highest number of articles in this area. The Mayo Clinic, Thomas Jefferson University (Rothman Institute), Hospital Special Surgery and the Rush University were the most contributive institutions by network visualization. Included studies were divided into four clusters: bacterial pathogenic mechanism and antibacterial drugs study, TJA complications, risk factors and epidemiology of PJI, diagnosis of PJI, and revision surgical management. More articles in PJI could be published over the next few years. CONCLUSION: The number of publications about PJI will be increasing dramatically based on the global trends and network visualization. The USA made the highest contributions in PJI. Diagnosis and revision management may be the next hot spots in this field.

Global Cluster Analysis and Network Visualization in Musculoskeletal Pain Management: A Scientometric Mapping.

OBJECTIVE: Musculoskeletal pain is the most prominent clinical manifestation of more than 150 musculoskeletal disease conditions, and its effective long-term management poses a great challenge to healthcare systems globally. For this, it is important to understand current research progress on musculoskeletal pain management. The purpose of the present study is to provide a comprehensive insight into the current state of research and global trends in musculoskeletal pain management. METHODS: Publications on musculoskeletal pain management from 1972 to 2021 were retrieved from the Science Citation Index-Expanded (SCIE) database. Included articles were any article type related to aspects of musculoskeletal pain management, including etiology, mechanisms, epidemiology, treatment, outcomes, side effects, and patient compliance. Publication data were analyzed using bibliometric methods. The software VOSviewer was employed to perform bibliographic coupling, co-authorship, co-citation, and co-occurrence analysis, and to visualize publication tendencies in musculoskeletal pain management. RESULTS: A total of 5475 articles were included in this study. The number of global publications on musculoskeletal pain management has escalated annually. Based on the number of publications and citations from the published literature, as well as the H-index, the United States led global contributions in this area. The institutions making the highest contributions were the League of European Research Universities (LERU), the University of Sydney, and Harvard University. The journal BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders published the highest number of articles in this area. The published studies fall under six groups: "Prevention and rehabilitation," "Etiology and diagnosis," "Clinical study," "Epidemiology," "Mental health," and "Education." High-quality primary studies and epidemiology are predicted to be the next prevailing topics in this field of research. CONCLUSIONS: Based on current global trends, the number of publications on musculoskeletal pain management will continue to increase. Future studies will likely place more emphasis on high-quality randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and epidemiological studies.

Posterior-Stabilized Versus Cruciate-Retaining Prostheses for Total Knee Arthroplasty: An Overview of Systematic Reviews and Risk of Bias Considerations.

Background: Numerous systematic reviews have been published comparing the outcomes of patients undergoing posterior stabilized (PS) versus cruciate-retaining (CR) procedures in total knee arthroplasty (TKA), but with some overlaps and contradictions. The objectives of this study were (1) to perform an overview of current systematic reviews comparing PS versus CR in TKA, by evaluating their methodological quality and risk of bias, and (2) to provide recommendations through the best evidence. Methods: A systematic search of systematic reviews comparing PS and CR in TKA, published until June 2021 was conducted using the MEDLINE, EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases. Included systematic reviews were assessed for methodological quality and risk of bias by the AMSTAR2 instrument and ROBIS tool, respectively. The choice of best evidence was conducted according to the Jadad decision algorithm. Results: A total of eight systematic reviews were eligible for inclusion in this study. The Jadad decision algorithm suggested that reviews with the highest AMSTAR2 scores should be selected. According to the ROBIS tool, there were three reviews with a low risk of bias and five with a high risk of bias. Consequently, one systematic review conducted by Verra et al. with the highest AMSTAR2 score and low risk of bias was selected as the best evidence. Conclusions: Although current systematic reviews demonstrated some statistical differences in clinical presentation and functional outcomes between PS and CR, the current outcome indicators cannot be taken to provide recommendations for undergoing PS or CR. The decision for prosthesis selection could be made mostly based on the surgeon's preference, indications and other indicators.

Preference of Orthopedic Practitioners Toward the Use of Topical Medicine for Musculoskeletal Pain Management in China: A National Survey.

OBJECTIVE: Musculoskeletal pain is having growing impacts worldwide with clinical challenge in pain management. The purpose of the present study is to investigate the preferences of orthopedic surgeons of China for using medicine in musculoskeletal pain. METHODS: A questionnaire was developed, including the following domains, personal information, medication preference for pain treatment, and perceptions of topical medicine. Ten participants were selected to confirm the consistency of questionnaire. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in orthopedic physicians with different specialties in different regions of China via the online survey platform. The participants' survey results were analyzed one-way and multi-way using chi-square test and logistic regression. RESULTS: The pre-survey analysis results of 10 randomly selected investigators were a mean weighted kappa coefficient of 0.76 (range 0.61-0.89), which indicated the substantial consistency of the present questionnaire. A total of 1099 orthopedic surgeons (mean age, 41.67 ± 8.31 years) responded to our survey, most of whom were male (90.72%), and most of whom worked in level III hospitals (63.24%) and trained in modern medicine (71.43%). Most surgeons who participated in the survey had used topical analgesics in their clinical work (95.81%), and most preferred to use topical analgesics (39.50%) or a combination of oral analgesics (28.87%). Primary reasons for preferring topical analgesics were as follows: less adverse reactions (68.01%); ease of use (60.90%); and not interfering with other oral medications (49.60%). The preference for prescribing topical analgesics increased with the education level of the respondent, where statistically significant differences were seen (P < 0.05). In addition, the level of the respondent's hospital, type of hospital, the respondent's profession, and their participation in surgical work influenced their preferences for topical analgesics (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Orthopedic surgeons across China have different medication preferences in the treatment of musculoskeletal pain. The educational background of the physician largely influences the preference when selecting medications. To better improve the treatment of musculoskeletal pain, there is a need to improve the overall medical education of practitioners and to disseminate clinical practice guidelines.