Meniscectomy-induced osteoarthritis in the sheep model for the investigation of therapeutic strategies: a systematic review.

PURPOSE: One of the major risk factors for OA is meniscectomy (Mx) that causes a rapid and progressive OA. Mx has been employed in various animal models, especially in large ones, to study preclinical safety and strategy effectiveness to counteract OA. The aim of the present study is to review in vivo studies, performed in sheep and published in the last ten years. METHODS: The search strategy was performed in three websites: www.scopus.com, www.pubmed.com, and www.webofknowledge.com, using "Meniscectomy and osteoarthritis in sheep" keywords. RESULTS: The 25 included studies performed unilateral total medial Mx (MMx), unilateral partial MMx, bilateral MMx, unilateral total lateral Mx (LMx), unilateral partial LMx, and bilateral LMx and MMx combined with anterior cruciate ligament transaction. The most frequently performed is the unilateral total MMx that increases changes in cartilage and subchondral bone more than the other techniques. Gross evaluations, histology, radiography, and biochemical tests are used to assess the degree of OA. The most widely tested treatments are related to scaffolds with or without mesenchymal stem cells. CONCLUSION: OA therapeutic strategies require the use of large animal models due to similarities with human joint anatomy. A protocol for future in vivo studies on post-traumatic OA is clarified.

Oxygen-Ozone Therapy for the Treatment of Knee Osteoarthritis: A Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials.

PURPOSE: To review the available literature on the application of oxygen-ozone therapy (OOT) in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis (KOA) to understand its therapeutic potential and to compare it with other conservative treatment options. METHODS: A systematic review of the literature was performed on the PubMed, Cochrane, Embase, ResearchGate, and PedRo Databases, with the following inclusion criteria: (1) randomized controlled trials (RCTs), (2) written in English, (3) published on indexed journals in the last 20 years (1998-2018), (4) dealing with the use of ozone intra-articular injection for the treatment of KOA. The risk of bias was assessed by the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool for RCTs. RESULTS: Eleven studies involving 858 patients in total (629 female and 229 male) were included. Patients in the control groups received different treatments: placebo in 1 trial; hyaluronic acid in 2 studies; hyaluronic acid and PRP in 1 trial; corticosteroids in 4; and hypertonic dextrose, radiofrequency, or celecoxib + glucosamine in the remaining 3 trials. In looking at the quality of the available literature, we found that none of the studies included reached "good quality" standard, 2 were ranked as "fair," and the rest were considered "poor." No major complications or serious adverse events were reported following intra-articular OOT, which provided encouraging pain relief at short term. On the basis of the available data, no clear indication emerged from the comparison of OOT with other established treatments for KOA. CONCLUSIONS: The analysis of the available RCTs on OOT for KOA revealed poor methodologic quality, with most studies flawed by relevant bias, thus severely limiting the possibility of drawing conclusions on the efficacy of OOT compared with other treatments. On the basis of the data available, OOT has, however, proven to be a safe approach with encouraging effects in pain control and functional recovery in the short-middle term. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Systematic review of Level I and III studies.

The role of alpha defensin in prosthetic joint infection (PJI) diagnosis: a literature review.

Prosthetic joint infection (PJI) management is not standardized worldwide and the outcome is frequently unsatisfactory.More and more arthroplasties are now being performed. An increasing number of highly virulent and antibiotic-resistant bacteria and an ageing population of patients presenting with many comorbidities make it necessary to focus on this important topic.Diagnosis of PJI remains challenging because the clinical signs and symptoms and elevation of systemic biomarkers (C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate) may be unclear.In the last few years, the clinical research has focused on synovial fluid biomarkers as a possible breakthrough in the complex scenario of PJI diagnosis.Synovial biomarkers have shown encouraging results and they should be used as diagnostic adjuncts to synovial white cell count and culture bacteriology. Synovial leukocyte esterase (LE) and synovial C-reactive protein (CRP) have been evaluated as good screening measures; however, the most promising synovial fluid biomarker in terms of sensitivity and specificity for PJI seems to be alpha defensin (AD).The laboratory-based alpha defensin enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) test demonstrated the highest ever reported accuracy for PJI diagnosis. However, an alpha defensin lateral flow test could have its place in ruling in a suspected PJI intraoperatively because of its high specificity and rapid results. Cite this article: EFORT Open Rev 2019;4:10-13. DOI: 10.1302/2058-5241.4.180029.

Innovative regenerative medicine in the management of knee OA: The role of Autologous Protein Solution.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the most common causes of chronic disability in adults due to pain and altered joint function. Although most patients report pain and functional limitation, symptoms, age of onset and disease progression are extremely variable. While inflammation could play a central role in the OA pathogenesis and progression, many underpinning mechanisms are still unclear. A number of proinflammatory mediators have been found in OA joints and could play a role, such as IL-1, IL-6, IL-7, IL-8, IL-15, IL-17, IL-18, TNF-alpha, macrophage chemotactic protein (MCP)-1, interferon-induced protein (IP)-10, monokine induced by interferon (MIG), oncostatin M (OSM), growth-related oncogene (GRO)-alpha, chemokine (C-C-motif) ligand 19 (CCL19), macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1beta, and TGF-alpha. Biological approaches have recently got increasing interest due to their anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties, regenerative potential, and high tolerability. The primary aim of this paper is to report the current concepts on regenerative medicine for knee OA with a particular focus on Autologous Protein solution (APS). APS is a blood derived product obtained by using a proprietary device, made of APS Separator, which isolates WBCs and platelets in a small volume of plasma, and APS Concentrator, which further concentrates platelets, WBCs and plasma proteins. The result is a peculiar formulation differing from other biologic products as it contains high levels of growth factors (EGF, IGF-1, PDGF-AB, PDGF-BB, VEGF, TGF-ß1) along with high concentrations of anti-inflammatory mediators (IL-1ra, sIL-1RII, sTNF-RI, sTNF-RII) and low levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines (Il-1ß and TNF-α). While emerging evidence supports the use of APS, as confirmed by in vitro studies and preliminary clinical results, the real clinical potential of APS and its benefits are still under investigation.

Clinical outcomes following arthroscopic treatment of femoro-acetabular impingement using a minimal traction approach and an initial capsulotomy. Minimum two year follow-up.

PURPOSE: Although the arthroscopic management of femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) is increasing, severe complications have been reported due to traction. We developed an arthroscopic technique based on an initial capsulotomy and a minimal traction approach. The main purpose of this study was to analyze the clinical outcomes of FAI treatment using this technique after at least two years of follow-up. METHODS: Forty-seven consecutive patients underwent surgery for FAI. There were two initial portals: a proximal anterolateral portal and a distal anterior instrumental portal. An anterior working space was created and a T-shaped incision was made in the anterior capsule to relieve joint distraction. Short traction (less than 20 mn) made it possible to approach the central compartment. Acetabuloplasty was performed in the presence of pincer impingement. Traction was then released. A head-neck femoral osteochondroplasty was performed in case of bump impingement. All patients underwent a mean 3.3 ± one years of follow-up based on two self-administered questionnaires: the Harris hip score and the QOL Oxford score. None of the patients were lost to follow-up. RESULTS: There were three complications: two ossifications and one case of injury to the femoral cutaneous nerve with good clinical outcomes at the final follow-up. Five patients (10%) underwent surgical revision after a mean 1.4 years of follow-up: three total hip arthroplasties, one peri-acetabular osteotomy, and one repeat arthroscopic hip debridement. The Harris score increased significantly from 60 ± 10 to 86 ± 15 (p < 0.0001) and the Oxford score improved from 34 ± 15 to 50 ± 11. Only 25% of patients had a "forgotten hip" at the final follow-up. CONCLUSION: Our clinical results were comparable to previously reported outcomes with other surgical techniques for the management of FAI. However, it should also be noted that despite these good clinical outcomes, the percentage of patients with a "forgotten hip" is low, and patients should be informed of this.