Efficacy and Safety of Orally and Intravenously Administration of Tranexamic Acid in Patients with Elderly Femoral Neck Fracture.

OBJECTIVE: For elderly femoral neck fracture patients, anemia is one of the most common complications, increasing the risk of postoperative adverse events. Tranexamic acid (TXA) has been widely applied to the perioperative blood management. However, the optimal route of TXA administration in elderly femoral neck fracture remains unclear. The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of oral and intravenous (IV) application of TXA in elderly patients with femoral neck fracture undergoing total hip arthroplasty (THA) and hemiarthroplasty (HA). METHODS: All elderly patients aged over 65 years old diagnosed with femoral neck fracture admitted to the trauma orthopedics from August 1, 2020 to February 28, 2022 were enrolled in this prospective cohort study. Participants were divided into three groups: oral group: TXA 2g orally 2 h before incision; IV group: intravenous infusion of TXA 1g 15 min before incision; and control group: usual hemostatic method. The primary outcomes were total blood loss, allogeneic transfusion rate, and postoperative thromboembolic events. SPSS 23.0 (IBM, Armonk, NY, USA) was used for statistical analysis, and p ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: A total of 100 patients were enrolled, including 32 cases in the oral group, 34 cases in the IV group and 34 cases in the control group. Compared with the control group, the total perioperative blood loss in the oral and IV groups was significantly decreased (763.92 ± 358.64 mL vs 744.62 ± 306.88 mL vs 1250.60 ± 563.37 mL, p = 0.048). No significant difference was identified between the oral and IV groups (p = 0.970). The rate of allogeneic transfusion was lower in the oral and IV groups than in the control group, but the difference had no statistical significant (6 vs 5 vs 12, p = 0.108), However, subgroup analysis showed that the IV and oral groups in patients who underwent THA have significant lower transfusion rate compared with the control group (1 vs 3 vs 7, p = 0.02). During 6 months follow-up, no thromboembolic events were identified. Two patients (one from the oral group and one from the control group) died of respiratory failure. The cost of blood management from the oral group was significantly lower than IV (p < 0.001) and control groups (p = 0.009). CONCLUSION: Elderly patients with femoral neck fracture undergoing THA can benefit from both IV and oral administration of tranexamic acid. The results of these two administration routes are similar in safety and effectiveness. A similar tendency was observed in patients undergoing HA. Oral TXA is more cost-benefit compared with intravenous applications.

Investigation of collagen reconstruction mechanism in skin wound through dual-beam laser welding: Insights from multi-spectroscopy, molecular dynamics simulation, and finite element multiphysics simulation.

Since the mechanism underlying real-time acquisition of mechanical strength during laser-induced skin wound fusion remains unclear, and collagen is the primary constituent of skin tissue, this study investigates the structural and mechanical alterations in collagen at temperatures ranging from 40 °C to 60 °C using various spectroscopic techniques and molecular dynamics calculations. The COMSOL Multiphysics coupling is employed to simulate the three-dimensional temperature field, stress-strain relationship, and light intensity distribution in the laser thermal affected zone of skin wounds during dual-beam laser welding process. Raman spectroscopy, synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy and circular dichroism measurement results confirm that laser energy activates biological activity in residues, leading to a transformation in the originally fractured structure of collagen protein for enhanced mechanical strength. Molecular dynamics simulations reveal that stable hydrogen bonds form at amino acid residues within the central region of collagen protein when the overall temperature peak around the wound reaches 60 °C, thereby providing stability to previously fractured skin incisions and imparting instantaneous strength. However, under a 55 °C system, Type I collagen ensures macrostructural stability while activating biological properties at amino acid bases to promote wound healing function; this finding aligns with experimental analysis results. The COMSOL simulation outcomes also correspond well with macroscopic morphology after laser welding samples, confirming that by maintaining temperatures between 55 °C-60 °C during laser welding of skin incisions not only can certain instantaneous mechanical strength be achieved but irreversible thermal damage can also be effectively controlled. It is anticipated that these findings will provide valuable insights into understanding the healing mechanism for laser-welded skin wounds.

Injectable self-assembled GDF5-containing dipeptide hydrogels for enhanced tendon repair.

Owing to the tissue characteristics of tendons with few blood vessels and cells, the regeneration and repair of injured tendons can present a considerable challenge, which considerably affects the motor function of limbs and leads to serious physical and mental pain, along with an economic burden on patients. Herein, we designed and fabricated a dipeptide hydrogel (DPH) using polypeptides P11-4 and P11-8. This hydrogel exhibited self-assembly characteristics and could be administered in vitro. To endow the hydrogel with differentiation and regeneration abilities, we added different concentrations of growth differentiation factor 5 (GDF5) to form GDF5@DPH. GDF5@DPH promoted the aggregation and differentiation of tendon stem/progenitor cells and promoted the regeneration and repair of tendon cells and collagen fibers in injured areas. In addition, GDF5@DPH inhibited inflammatory reactions in the injured area. Owing to its injectable properties, DPH can jointly inhibit adhesion and scar hyperplasia between tissues caused by endogenous inflammation and exogenous surgery and can provide a favorable internal environment for the regeneration and repair of the injured area. Overall, the GDF5@DPH system exhibits considerable promise as a novel approach to treating tendon injury.

HMGB1 Modulates High Glucose-Induced Erroneous Differentiation of Tendon Stem/Progenitor Cells through RAGE/ß-Catenin Pathway.

The association of tendinopathy with diabetes has been well recognized. Tendon stem/progenitor cells (TSPCs) play critical roles in tendon repair, regeneration, and homeostasis maintenance. Diabetic TSPCs exhibit enhanced erroneous differentiation and are involved in the pathogenesis of diabetic tendinopathy, whereas the underlying mechanism of the erroneous differentiation of TSPCs remains unclear. Here, we showed that high glucose treatment promoted the erroneous differentiation of TSPCs with increased osteogenic differentiation capacity and decreased tenogenic differentiation ability, and stimulated the expression and further secretion of HMGB1 in TSPCs and. Functionally, exogenous HMGB1 significantly enhanced the erroneous differentiation of TSPCs, while HMGB1 knockdown mitigated high glucose-promoted erroneous differentiation of TSPCs. Mechanistically, the RAGE/ß-catenin signaling was activated in TSPCs under high glucose, and HMGB1 knockdown inhibited the activity of RAGE/ß-catenin signaling. Inhibition of RAGE/ß-catenin signaling could ameliorate high glucose-induced erroneous differentiation of TSPCs. These results indicated that HMGB1 regulated high glucose-induced erroneous differentiation of TSPCs through the RAGE/ß-catenin signaling pathway. Collectively, our findings suggest a novel essential mechanism of the erroneous differentiation of TSPCs, which might contribute to the pathogenesis of diabetic tendinopathy and provide a promising therapeutic target and approach for diabetic tendinopathy.

Accelerating the remodeling of collagen in cutaneous full-thickness wound using FIR soldering technology with bio-targeting nanocomposites hydrogel.

A novel composite wound dressing hydrogel by incorporating single-walled carbon nanotubes and indocyanine green into a dual-crosslinked hydrogel through Schiff base reaction was developed. The objective was to prevent wound infection and enhance the thermal effect induced by laser energy. The hydrogel matrix was constructed using oxidized gelatin, pre-crosslinked with calcium ions, along with carboxymethyl chitosan, crosslinked via Schiff base reaction. Optimization of the blank hydrogel's gelation time, swelling index, degradation rate, and mechanical properties was achieved by adding 0.1% SWCNT and 0.1% ICG. Among them, the SWCNT-loaded hydrogel BCG-SWCNT exhibited superior performance overall: a gelation time of 102 s; a swelling index above 30 after equilibrium swelling; a degradation rate of 100.5% on the seventh day; and a compressive modulus of 8.8 KPa. It displayed significant inhibition against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection in wounds. When combined with laser energy usage, the composite hydrogel demonstrated excellent pro-healing activity in rats.

Heterotopic mineralization (ossification or calcification) in aged musculoskeletal soft tissues: A new candidate marker for aging.

Aging can lead to various disorders in organisms and with the escalating impact of population aging, the incidence of age-related diseases is steadily increasing. As a major risk factor for chronic illnesses in humans, the prevention and postponement of aging have become focal points of research among numerous scientists. Aging biomarkers, which mirror molecular alterations at diverse levels in organs, tissues, and cells, can be used to monitor and evaluate biological changes associated with aging. Currently, aging biomarkers are primarily categorized into physiological traits, imaging characteristics, histological features, cellular-level alterations, and molecular-level changes that encompass the secretion of aging-related factors. However, in the context of the musculoskeletal soft tissue system, aging-related biological indicators primarily involve microscopic parameters at the cellular and molecular levels, resulting in inconvenience and uncertainty in the assessment of musculoskeletal soft tissue aging. To identify convenient and effective indicators, we conducted a comprehensive literature review to investigate the correlation between ectopic mineralization and age-related changes in the musculoskeletal soft tissue system. Here, we introduce the concept of ectopic mineralization as a macroscopic, reliable, and convenient biomarker for musculoskeletal soft tissue aging and present novel targets and strategies for the future management of age-related musculoskeletal soft tissue disorders.

Effect of femtosecond laser process parameters on the thermal denaturation degree of skin tissue.

The influence of femtosecond laser parameters on the degree of thermal denaturation was studied experimentally. The relationship between the degree of thermal denaturation and the characteristic parameters of skin microstructure and the secondary structure of skin tissue proteins in characterizing the degree of thermal damage was analyzed. The results showed the interaction of laser power, laser power, and scanning speed had a significant effect on the degree of thermal denaturation; greater degrees of thermal denaturation were associated with larger second-order moments of the texture angle of the skin microtissue and smaller entropy values and contrast, indicating a greater degree of thermal damage; and higher peak temperature, the lower peak intensity of Raman spectra, decrease in the percentage area of α-helix fitted curves and increase in the percentage area of ß-sheet and ß-turn fitted curves indicate that the protein is denatured to a large extent that means thermal damage is large.

The supplementation of Rothia as a potential preventive approach for bone loss in mice with ovariectomy-induced osteoporosis.

There is an inseparable link between bone metabolism and gut microbiota, and the supplementation of probiotics exhibits a significant role in maintaining the homeostasis of gut microbiota and inhibiting bone loss. This study aims to explore the preventive and therapeutic potentials and the specific mechanisms of Rothia on osteoporosis. The mice models of osteoporosis induced by ovariectomy (OVX) were built, and the regular (once a day) and quantitative (200 µL/d) gavage of Rothia was performed for 8 weeks starting from 1 week after OVX. Microcomputed tomography was used to analyze the bone mass and bone microstructure of mice in each group after sacrifice. Histological staining and immunohistochemistry were then applied to identify the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, intestinal permeability, and osteogenic and osteoclastic activities of mice. The collected feces of mice in each group were used for 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing to detect the alterations in composition, abundance, and diversity of gut microbiota. This study demonstrated that the gavage of Rothia alleviated bone loss in mice with OVX-induced osteoporosis, improved OVX-induced intestinal mucosal barrier injury, optimized intestinal permeability (zonula occludens protein 1 and occludin), reduced intestinal inflammation (tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-1ß), and regulated imbalance of gut microbiota. Based on "gut-bone" axis, this study revealed that regular and quantitative gavage of Rothia can relieve bone loss in mice with OVX-induced osteoporosis by repairing the intestinal mucosal barrier injury, optimizing the intestinal permeability, inhibiting the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, and improving the disorder of gut microbiota.

Efficacy and safety of tranexamic acid in elderly patients with femoral neck fracture treated with hip arthroplasty: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Elderly patients with femoral neck fracture have high perioperative blood loss according to the trauma and hip arthroplasty surgery. Tranexamic acid is a fibrinolytic inhibitor and has been widely used in hip fracture patients to against perioperative anemia. The aim of the present meta-analysis was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Tranexamic acid (TXA) in elderly patients with femoral neck fracture undergoing hip arthroplasty. METHODS: We performed search using Pubmed, EMBASE, Cochrane Reviews, and Web of Science databases to identify all relevant research studies published from inception to June 2022. Randomized controlled studies and high-quality cohort studies that reported the perioperative use of TXA in patients with femoral neck fractures treated with arthroplasty, and made a comparison with the control group were included. Meta-analysis was performed using Review Manager 5.3 to assess the efficacy and safety of TXA. Subgroup analysis was conducted to further investigate the impact caused by surgery types and administration routes on the efficacy and safety outcomes. RESULTS: Five randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and eight cohort studies published from January 2015 to June 2022 were included in this meta-analysis. The results showed significant reductions in the rate of allogeneic blood transfusion, total blood loss (TBL) and postoperative hemoglobin (Hb) drop in the TXA group compared with the control group, while no significant difference was found in the intraoperative blood loss, postoperative drainage, hospital length of stay (LOS), re-admission rate, and wound complications between the two groups. The incidence of thromboembolic events and mortality showed no significant difference. Subgroup analysis indicated that surgery types and administration routes did not change the overall tendency. CONCLUSION: The current evidence shows that both intravascular administration (IV) and topical administration of TXA can significantly decrease the perioperative transfusion rate and TBL without increasing the risk of thromboembolic complications in elderly patients with femoral neck fracture.

Experimental study on the mechanical properties and thermal damage of laser welding the ruptured flexor digitorum longus tendons.

To investigate the influence of laser parameters on the performance of tendon tissue, experiments were conducted and the process of laser-assisted tendon welding was studied. Several conclusions were drawn by analyzing the effects of laser parameters on the tensile strength, microstructure, and collagen content of tendon tissue incisions. The optimal parameters for laser welding tendon tissue were found to be a laser power of 5 W, a scanning speed of 150 mm/s, and a defocus amount of 0 mm, resulting in a laser energy density of 32.164 J/cm2 . At these parameters, the percentage of inactivated cells due to thermal damage was only 23.78%, and the tensile strength of the tendon tissue incisions reached 0.61 MPa. Additionally, the collagen content around the incision was measured to be 33.679%, composed of type I and type III collagens, with the latter accounting for 50.714% of the total collagen content.

Research on evolution process of full-layer incision of skin tissue under different laser incidences.

Considering difficulties of achieving vertical incidence of beam in different positions of skin, it is significant to study potential effects of incidence angles of laser on incisions. Surgical platform with a 1064 nm continuous fiber laser was established. Incident angle was adopted and real-time temperature fluctuations in laser operating area could be monitored. The rats were treated with laser at day 0 and day 3 after incision modeling, and H&E, Masson, Sirius Red, and Immuno-histochemical staining and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay were adopted at day 3, 7, 14 to analyze the performance of healing. Laser with energy density of 67.54 J/mm2 can effectively accelerate wound healing in vivo, in which a laser with incident angle around 60° can effectively avoid scar hyperplasia. Therefore, the use of low energy laser with a small deflection angle has a good clinical application prospect in promoting wound healing.

[Application and prospect of machine learning in orthopaedic trauma].

Objective: To review the current applications of machine learning in orthopaedic trauma and anticipate its future role in clinical practice. Methods: A comprehensive literature review was conducted to assess the status of machine learning algorithms in orthopaedic trauma research, both nationally and internationally. Results: The rapid advancement of computer data processing and the growing convergence of medicine and industry have led to the widespread utilization of artificial intelligence in healthcare. Currently, machine learning plays a significant role in orthopaedic trauma, demonstrating high performance and accuracy in various areas including fracture image recognition, diagnosis stratification, clinical decision-making, evaluation, perioperative considerations, and prognostic risk prediction. Nevertheless, challenges persist in the development and clinical implementation of machine learning. These include limited database samples, model interpretation difficulties, and universality and individualisation variations. Conclusion: The expansion of clinical sample sizes and enhancements in algorithm performance hold significant promise for the extensive application of machine learning in supporting orthopaedic trauma diagnosis, guiding decision-making, devising individualized medical strategies, and optimizing the allocation of clinical resources.

Machine learning applications for the prediction of extended length of stay in geriatric hip fracture patients.

BACKGROUND: Geriatric hip fractures are one of the most common fractures in elderly individuals, and prolonged hospital stays increase the risk of death and complications. Machine learning (ML) has become prevalent in clinical data processing and predictive models. This study aims to develop ML models for predicting extended length of stay (eLOS) among geriatric patients with hip fractures and to identify the associated risk factors. AIM: To develop ML models for predicting the eLOS among geriatric patients with hip fractures, identify associated risk factors, and compare the performance of each model. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted at a single orthopaedic trauma centre, enrolling all patients who underwent hip fracture surgery between January 2018 and December 2022. The study collected various patient characteristics, encompassing demographic data, general health status, injury-related data, laboratory examinations, surgery-related data, and length of stay. Features that exhibited significant differences in univariate analysis were integrated into the ML model establishment and subsequently cross-verified. The study compared the performance of the ML models and determined the risk factors for eLOS. RESULTS: The study included 763 patients, with 380 experiencing eLOS. Among the models, the decision tree, random forest, and extreme Gradient Boosting models demonstrated the most robust performance. Notably, the artificial neural network model also exhibited impressive results. After cross-validation, the support vector machine and logistic regression models demonstrated superior performance. Predictors for eLOS included delayed surgery, D-dimer level, American Society of Anaesthesiologists (ASA) classification, type of surgery, and sex. CONCLUSION: ML proved to be highly accurate in predicting the eLOS for geriatric patients with hip fractures. The identified key risk factors were delayed surgery, D-dimer level, ASA classification, type of surgery, and sex. This valuable information can aid clinicians in allocating resources more efficiently to meet patient demand effectively.

Comparison of temporary external and percutaneous k-wire fixations for treatment of ankle fracture-dislocations.

PURPOSE: Ankle fracture-dislocations are among the most severe injuries, and the use of an external fixator as a recommended fixation method has some disadvantages. The aim of this study was to compare the clinical outcomes and complication rates of external and K-wire fixations in the treatment of ankle fracture dislocations. METHODS: A total of 67 patients with ankle fracture-dislocations requiring temporary external or percutaneous K-wire fixation were included. The exclusion criteria were pilon fractures, open fractures, and those who required acute open reduction internal fixation (ORIF). The American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) ankle-hindfoot score, a 10-point visual analog scale (VAS) score (range 0-10), and complications before and after the definitive surgery were recorded. RESULTS: A significant difference between the two groups was not observed for age, sex, affected side, fracture type, smoking status, or diabetes. The average AOFAS scores were 83.2 and 83.3, the median VAS scores were 3 and 3, and the complication rates were 32.4% and 6.7% in the external and K-wire fixation groups, respectively (p = 0.010). However, skin necrosis, re-dislocation of the ankle, surgical wound infection, and posttraumatic ankle osteoarthritis frequency were not significantly different between the groups, except for pin-sites infection (p = 0.036). CONCLUSION: Ankle fracture-dislocations using percutaneous k-wire fixation showed a low rate of complications and favorable clinical outcomes. This method could be a good alternative treatment option for ankle fracture-dislocations.

Muscle-bone crosstalk via endocrine signals and potential targets for osteosarcopenia-related fracture.

Background: Osteosarcopenia is a syndrome coexisting sarcopenia and osteopenia/osteoporosis, with a high fracture risk. Recently, skeletal muscle and bone have been recognized as endocrine organs capable of communication through secreting myokines and osteokines, respectively. With a deeper understanding of the muscle-bone crosstalk, these endocrine signals exhibit an important role in osteosarcopenia development and fracture healing. Methods: This review summarizes the role of myokines and osteokines in the development and treatment of osteosarcopenia and fracture, and discusses their potential for osteosarcopenia-related fracture treatment. Results: Several well-defined myokines (myostatin and irisin) and osteokines (RANKL and SOST) are found to not only regulate skeletal muscle and bone metabolism but also influence fracture healing processes. Systemic interventions targeting these biochemical signals has shown promising results in improving the mass and functions of skeletal muscle and bone, as well as accelerating fracture healing processes. Conclusion: The regulation of muscle-bone crosstalk via biochemical signals presents a novel and promising strategy for treating osteosarcopenia and fracture by simultaneously enhancing bone and muscle anabolism. We propose that myostatin, irisin, RANKL, and SOST may serve as potential targets to treat fracture patients with osteosarcopenia. The translational potential of this article: Osteosarcopenia is an emerging geriatric syndrome where sarcopenia and osteoporosis coexist, with high fracture risk, delayed fracture healing, and increased mortality. However, no pharmacological agent is available to treat fracture patients with osteosarcopenia. This review summarizes the role of several myokines and osteokines in the development and treatment of osteosacropenia and fracture, as well as discusses their potential as intervention targets for osteosarcopenia-related fracture, which provides a novel and promising strategy for future osteosarcopenia-related fracture treatment.

Relationships among body weight, lipids and bone mass in elderly individuals with fractures: A case-control study.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of osteoporosis and low bone mass is steadily rising each year. Low body weight is commonly linked to diminished bone mass and serves as a robust predictor of osteoporosis. Nonetheless, the connection between body mass index (BMI), bone mineral density, and lipid profiles among the elderly remains elusive. AIM: To examine the association between BMI and bone mass, explore the correlation between lipid profiles and bone mass, and delve into the interplay between lipid metabolism and bone health. METHODS: The study included 520 patients aged ≥ 65 years (178 men and 342 women). Age, sex, weight, and height were recorded. Femoral neck bone mineral density and T scores were determined using a dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scanner. Blood calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), albumin (ALB), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels were measured. Patients were classified by sex (male and female), age (65-79 years and ≥ 80 years), and T score (normal bone mineral density, osteopenia and osteoporosis). RESULTS: Age, sex, BMI, and ALP and TG levels were independent risk factors for osteoporosis. For the 65-79- and ≥ 80-year-old groups, females presented lower T scores than males. Ca, P, ALB, ALP, TC, HDL and LDL levels were significantly different between men and women in the 65-79-year-old group. In addition, BMI and TG levels were significantly decreased in osteoporotic patients compared with patients with normal bone mass. TC levels declined in 65- to 79-year-old male and female osteoporosis patients. In the group of women aged ≥ 80 years, osteoporotic patients showed significantly increased ALP levels. Furthermore, we found positive correlations between BMI and TG levels in the male and female patient groups. However, we found no significant differences in ALB, Ca, P, HDL and LDL levels in osteoporotic patients compared to patients with normal bone mass. CONCLUSION: Osteoporotic patients showed significantly decreased BMI and TG levels compared with those with normal bone mass. BMI showed positive correlations with TG levels in male and female patients. These results indicate correlations between BMI and bone mass and between lipid profiles and bone mass.

Research on the effect of process parameters on the performance of femtosecond laser-bonded skin microstructure.

In this paper, the effect of the femtosecond laser process parameters on the texture characteristics of the microstructure was analyzed with the response surface method. The correspondence between the temperature of skin during laser bonding and microscopic tissue texture characteristics parameters was explored. The results show that the three process parameters of laser power, scanning speed, and scanning times and the interaction between the parameters have different patterns of influence on the four texture characteristics parameters of skin microstructure angular second-order moments, entropy, contrast, and relevance. Angular second-order moments and relevance of skin microstructure textures increase with increasing temperature, while entropy values and contrast decrease. It provides another way to evaluate the performance of femtosecond laser-bonded skin with microstructure.

Mortality following fragility hip fracture in China: a record linkage study.

Mortality risk declined over time. Patients with fragility hip fracture experienced an approximate ninefold excess mortality, peaking shortly after fracture, in comparison with that of the general population. Continuous efforts in lowering the occurrence of hip fracture have the potential to improve the survival of the elderly population in China. PURPOSE: Hip fractures in older adults often lead to an elevated risk of death. However, few studies investigated mortality risk following hip fracture in mainland China. This retrospective cohort study aimed to evaluate the crude mortality and excess mortality after fragility hip fractures in Lishui residents aged 50 years and older. METHODS: Patients having a fragility hip fracture between October 2013 and August 2019 were identified from the Lishui District Inpatient Data Collection and followed up until August 2020. Death information was ascertained from the linked death registry records. We calculated the follow-up mortality rate and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) as well as the standard mortality ratios (SMRs) in comparison with the mortality rates of Lishui residents. RESULTS: During the study period, a total of 808 patients (63.4% females) with an average age of 75 years were admitted for fragility hip fractures. The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd year follow-up mortality rates were 16.51, 6.06, and 5.03 per 100 person-year, respectively. The SMRs were 8.46 (6.94, 9.97), 5.74 (4.86, 6.63), and 4.63 (3.98, 5.27) for the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd year following fragility hip fracture. CONCLUSION: Although mortality risk declined over time, patients with fragility hip fracture experienced an approximate ninefold excess mortality, peaking shortly after fracture, in comparison with that of the general population. Continuous efforts in lowering the occurrence of hip fracture have the potential to improve the survival of the elderly population in China.

The Preventive Effects of Probiotic Prevotella histicola on the Bone Loss of Mice with Ovariectomy-Mediated Osteoporosis.

It has been demonstrated that the disturbance of gut microbiota (GM) is closely related to the reduction of bone mass and incidence of osteoporosis (OP). The aim of this study is to investigate whether the supplementation of Prevotella histicola (Ph) can prevent the bone loss in mice with ovariectomy (OVX)-mediated OP, and further explore relevant mechanisms. Regular (once a day for 8 consecutive weeks) and quantitative (200 µL/d) perfusion of Ph (the bacteria that orally gavaged) was conducted starting from 1 week after the construction of mice models. Bone mass and bone microstructure were detected by Micro-computed tomography (Micro-CT). Expressions of intestinal permeability, pro-inflammatory cytokines, and osteogenic and osteoclastic activities of mice were analyzed by histological staining and immunohistochemistry (IHC). 16S rRNA high throughput sequencing technique was applied to analyze the alterations of composition, abundance, and diversity of collected feces. Regular and quantitative perfusion of Ph mitigated the bone loss in mice with OVX-mediated OP. Compared with OVX + PBS group, perfusion of Ph repressed osteoclastogenesis and promoted osteogenesis, reduced release of pro-inflammatory cytokine cytokines (interleukin-1ß (IL-1ß) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)), and reversed expressions of tight junction proteins (zonula occludens protein 1 (ZO-1) and Occludin). Besides, the perfusion of Ph improved the composition, abundance, and diversity of GM. Collectively, this study revealed that regular and quantitative perfusion of Ph can improve the bone loss in mice with OVX-mediated OP by repairing intestinal mucosal barrier damage, optimizing intestinal permeability, inhibiting release of pro-osteoclastogenic cytokines, and improving disturbance of GM.

Is There a "Black Friday" for Geriatric Hip Fracture Surgery?

OBJECTIVES: Reports show an increase in the short-term mortality rates of hip fracture patients admitted on weekends. However, there are few studies on whether there is a similar effect in Friday admissions of geriatric hip fracture patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of Friday admission on mortality and clinical outcomes in elderly patients with hip fractures. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was performed at a single orthopaedic trauma centre and included all patients who underwent hip fracture surgery between January 2018 and December 2021. Patient characteristics, including age, sex, BMI, fracture type, time of admission, ASA grade, comorbidities, and laboratory examinations, were collected. Data pertaining to surgery and hospitalization were extracted from the electronic medical record system and tabulated. The corresponding follow-up was performed. The Shapiro-Wilk test was applied to evaluate the distributions of all continuous variables for normality. The overall data were analyzed by Student's t test or the Mann-Whitney U test for continuous variables and the chi-square test for categorical variables, as appropriate. Univariate and multivariate analyses were used to further test for the independent influencing factors of prolonged time to surgery. RESULTS: A total of 596 patients were included, and 83 patients (13.9%) were admitted on Friday. There was no evidence supporting that Friday admission had an effect on mortality and outcomes, including length of stay, total hospital costs and postoperative complications. However, the patients admitted on Friday had delayed surgery. Then, patients were regrouped into two groups according to whether surgery was delayed, and 317 patients (53.2%) underwent delayed surgery. The multivariate analysis showed that younger age (p = 0.014), Friday admission (p < 0.001), ASA classification III-IV (p = 0.019), femoral neck fracture (p = 0.002), time from injury to admission more than 24 h (p = 0.025), and diabetes (p = 0.023) were risk factors for delayed surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Mortality and adverse outcome rates for elderly hip fracture patients admitted on Friday were similar to those admitted at other time periods. However, Friday admission was identified as one of the risk factors for delayed surgery.