[Effect of autologous fibrin clot on tendon-bone healing after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction].

Objective: To observe the effect and significance of autologous fibrin clot on tendon-bone healing after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. Methods: Between October 2014 and January 2016, 34 patients (34 knees) with ACL injury were enrolled in the study. During ACL reconstruction, autologous fibrin clot was used in 17 cases (trial group) and was not used in 17 cases (control group). The anterior drawer test, Lachman test, and axial displa-cement test were positive in 2 groups before operation. There was no significant difference in gender, age, causes of injury, injury side, disease cause, and preoperative knee joint activity, Lysholm score, and American Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) score between 2 groups ( P>0.05), with comparable. The results of anterior drawer test, Lachman test, and axial displacement test were recorded and compared between 2 groups after operation. The knee joint activity, Lysholm score, and HSS score were used to evaluate the knee function recovery at 6, 24, and 48 weeks after operation; the graft signal intensity, graft signal to noise ratio, bone tunnel expansion, and graft tendon-bone node T2 value were measured. Results: All patients were followed up 48 weeks. Surgical incision healed at stage I. No joint infection and joint adhesion occurred. The drawer test, Lachman test, and axial shift test were negative in 2 groups. At 6, 24, and 48 weeks after operation, the Lysholm score of trial group was significantly higher than that of control group ( P<0.05); there was no significant difference in knee joint activity between 2 groups ( P>0.05). The HSS score of trial group was significantly higher than that of control group at 24 and 48 weeks ( P<0.05), but no significant difference was found at 6 weeks ( P>0.05). MRI measu-rement showed that there was significant difference in graft signal intensity, bone tunnel expansion, and graft signal to noise ratio between 2 groups at 6, 24, and 48 weeks after operation ( P<0.05). There was no significant difference in graft tendon-bone node T2 value between 2 groups ( P>0.05) at 48 weeks after operation, but difference was significant at 6 and 24 weeks ( P<0.05). Conclusion: Autologous fibrin clot can effectively enhance graft revascularization, and accelerate the process of tendon-bone healing after ACL reconstruction.

Influence of Artemisia annua extract derivatives on proliferation, apoptosis and metastasis of osteosarcoma cells.

Regarding the Artemisia annua extract derivatives called dihydroarteminin (DHA) as the object, we studied about its influence to the proliferation, apoptosis and metastasis of human osteosarcoma cells. First, we cultured in vitro the osteosarcoma cell strain and divided them into groups, then detected the cell proliferation, apoptosis and cell metastasis, etc by multiple measurement technique. Finally, we observed the influence of DHA to human osteosarcoma cells. Osteosarcoma cells were all sensitive to DHA, and the appropriate concentration range was 10~40µM. DHA could effectively restrain its protein expression, and there was a significant difference between experimental group and control group. These finding suggest that, the Artemisia annua extract derivatives (DHA) has a biological effect of observably restraining the proliferation and metastasis of human osteosarcoma cells and promoting the tumour cell apoptosis.

Association of SPP1 promoter variants with hip osteoarthritis susceptibility in Chinese population.

Three genetic variants in the promoter of SPP1 (secreted phosphoprotein 1) gene have been reported to affect transcriptional activity of SPP1, thus conferring an increased risk for some diseases. To testify if these variants are associated with risk of hip osteoarthritis (OA) as well, we performed a case-control study including 389 hip OA patients and 315 healthy controls. Genotypes of SPP1 were determined by DNA sequencing, and differential expressions of SPP1 in relation with genotypes were evaluated by RT-PCR and ELISA. The results showed that rs17524488 (delG>insG) increased the risk of hip OA, with the adjusted OR 1.48 (95% CI 1.18-1.85, P<0.01) for risk allele insG, 1.90 (95% CI 1.35-2.66, P<0.01) for delG/insG and 2.04 (95% CI 1.20-3.49, P<0.01) for insG/insG respectively. However, as for rs11730582 (T>C), the adjusted ORs were 1.18 (95% CI 0.94-1.49, P=0.148) for allele C, 1.26 (95% CI 0.90-1.75, P=0.158) for TC, and 1.31 (95% CI 0.77-2.24, P=0.293) for CC, indicating no association of rs11730582 with hip OA risk. The variant rs28357094 was not observed in the tested subjects. Furthermore, the delG/insG and insG/insG genotypes of rs17524488 both correlated with higher levels of SPP1 expression in articular cartilage (P<0.01 for all comparisons) as well as in in synovial fluid (P<0.01 for all comparisons) compared with delG/delG, while rs11730582 had no effect on the SPP1 expression (P>0.05 for all comparisons). These results collectively indicate that the genetic variant rs17524488 in SPP1 promoter confers high risk for hip OA in a Chinese population, possibly through enhancing SPP1 expression.

Changes of rabbit meniscus influenced by hyaline cartilage injury of osteoarthritis.

PURPOSE: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a common disease in the elderly population. Most of the previous OA-related researches focused on articular cartilage degeneration, osteophyte formation and synovitis etc. However, the role of the meniscus in these pathological changes has not been given enough attention. The goal of our study was to find the pathological changes of the meniscus in OA knee and determine their relationship. METHOD: 20 months old female Chinese rabbits received either knee damaging operations with articular cartilage scratch method or sham operation randomly on one of their knees. They were sacrificed after 1-6 weeks post-operation. Medial Displacement Index (MDI) for meniscus dislocation, hematoxylin and eosin (HE) for routine histological evaluation, Toluidine blue (TB) stains for evaluating proteoglycans were carried out. Immunohistochemical (IHC) staining was performed with a two-step detection kit. RESULTS: Histological analysis showed chondrocyte clusters around cartilage lesions and moderate loss of proteoglycans in the operation model, as well as MDI increase and all characteristics of OA. High expression of MMP-3 and TIMP-1 also were found in both hyaline cartilage and meniscus. CONCLUSION: Biomechanical and biochemistry environment around the meniscus is altered when OA occur. If meniscus showed degeneration, subluxation and dysfunction, OA would be more severe. Prompt repair or reconstruction of hyaline cartilage in weight bearing area when it injured could prevent meniscus degeneration and subluxation, then prevent the development of OA.