Evaluation of changes in kyphosis angle, apex and quality of life of patients with Scheuermann kyphosis using Kyphologic brace.

INTRODUCTION: Kyphosis treatment aims to prevent curve progression and deformity correction. This study aimed to evaluate the long-term beneficial effects of Kyphologic brace treatments in patients with Scheuermann kyphosis. METHODS: This retrospective case series study was performed on patients with Scheuermann kyphosis treated with a Kyphologic brace from 2013-2020. Demographic data, including age, gender, and duration of treatments, were extracted. Mean kyphosis angles before, one month and 1 year after treatments were collected. Patients were followed for at least 18 months after treatments. The location of kyphosis apex was also noted and classified into the following groups: upper thoracic, mid thoracic, lower thoracic, and thoracolumbar. RESULTS: 48 patients with Scheuermann kyphosis enrolled in the present study. The mean age of the patients was 12.95 ± 1.4 years. The average follow-up time in this study was 23.02 ± 11.8 months. The mean kyphosis angle before treatments was 63.66 ± 9.51°, which decreased significantly after one month (to 43.33 ± 8.7°) and after 1 year (to 37.6 ± 9.4°) of treatments with Kyphologic brace compared to before treatments (P < 0.001). The most common location of kyphosis apex was in mid-thoracic with 77% frequency. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, we showed that using a Kyphologic brace was associated with a significant reduction in kyphosis angle in patients. Our results emphasized the effectiveness of this brace in patients with Scheuermann kyphosis.

Evaluation of long term outcome of selective fusion in patients with idiopathic scoliosis.

BACKGROUND: Instrumented fusion is the standard treatment in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). In patients with both thoracic and lumbar curves there is a trend toward fusing the major curve and keeping the spine mobile with greater function in the future. To evaluate the results of selective fusion in patients with AIS, we aimed to do this research in eligible patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis referred to educational hospitals in Isfahan, Iran. METHODS: This is a retrospective cross-sectional study which was performed in 2019 in educational hospitals in Isfahan. The study population consisted of 21 patients with idiopathic scoliosis who had been treated with the selective fusion method in 2010-2018. Demographic data of patients including age, sex, and previous medical history and operation results were noted from medical documents of all patients. Cobb's angle measurements and assessments related to complications, Patients' satisfaction and outcome of the surgery were assessed using Patient Outcome Questionnaires developed by Scoliosis Research Society (SRS-22) and 36-Item Short Form Survey (SF-36) questionnaires. RESULTS: A total of 21 patients with idiopathic scoliosis were enrolled in the study. The lowest follow-up duration was 2 years and the longest duration was 10 years. We showed that the mean upper curve before interventions were 50.66±7.55 and the mean lower curve before interventions was 35.19±3.86. These amounts improved significantly after surgeries (P<0.001). Evaluation of thoracic apical vertebral translation (AVT) to thoracolumbar or lumbar AVT ratio also showed significant improvements (P<0.001). CONCLUSION: Patients undergoing selective fusion benefit from this surgical procedure. The upper and lower curves improved significantly and 85.8% of patients were satisfied with the surgery. Stopping fusion above the L2 in all patients left the lumbar spine mobile which is an important factor in patient satisfaction. We suggest that selective fusion be considered for surgical treatment of some patients with idiopathic scoliosis.

Association of IL-6 -174G > C and -572G > C Polymorphisms with Risk of Legg-Calve-Perthes Disease in Iranian Children.

BACKGROUND: Legg-Calve-Perthes disease (LCPD) is an idiopathic avascular necrosis of the capital femoral epiphysis of the femoral head with multifactorial etiology. The aim of this study was to analyze the association of IL-6 polymorphisms with LCPD risk in Iranian children. Methods: The study comprised of 45 children diagnosed with LCPD and 60 healthy subjects. The IL-6 -174 G > C and -597 G > C polymorphisms were genotyped by PCR-RFLP assay. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated on the risk genotypes and alleles. Results: The mutant homozygote genotype (CC) of IL-6 -174 G > C polymorphism was associated with increased risk of LCPD (OR 3.554; 95% CI: 0.1.578-8.004; p = 0.002). There was no significant association between IL-6 -597 G > C polymorphism and an increased risk of LCPD. Conclusions: Our results suggest that the IL-6 -174 G > C but not the IL-6 -597 G > C polymorphism may increase LCPD susceptibility in Iranian children.

Association of ESRα XbaI A > G, ESRα PvuII T > C and ESRß AlwNI T > C Polymorphisms with the Risk of Developing Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis: A Systematic Review and Genetic Meta-analysis.

Several association studies of genes polymorphisms on estrogen receptors-α and ß with respect to adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) have been published in the past two decades. However, the association with AIS, especially among different ethnic subgroups, still remains controversial. Thus, we investigated these inconclusive data by performing a meta-analysis to systematically evaluate the association. A literature search was conducted in the PubMed, ISI Web of Science, EMBASE, SCOPUS, EBSCO, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and Wanfang databases until January 20, 2018. The strength of relationship was assessed using odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CIs). A total of 12 case-control studies with 4,304 cases of AIS and 3,123 controls met our criteria. The pooled ORs indicated that the ESRα XbaI A > G, ESRα PvuII T > C and ESRß AlwNI T > C polymorphisms were not significantly associated with the risk of developing AIS in the overall analysis. However, we found a significant association between the ESRα XbaI A > G polymorphism and AIS under the homozygote model (GG versus AA; OR = 1.448, 95%CI: 1.052-1.993; p = 0.023). The present meta-analysis suggests that the ESRα XbaI A > G, ESRα PvuII T > C and ESRß AlwNI T > C polymorphisms may not be associated with the risk of developing AIS in the overall analysis. However, ESRα XbaI A > G might have an influence on the susceptibility to develop AIS among Asians. Considering the limited sample size and ethnicity, further larger studies are needed to provide a more precise estimation of the associations.

Association of the IL-6 -174G > C (rs1800795) Polymorphism with Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis: Evidence from a Case-Control Study and Meta-Analysis.

Recent epidemiological studies have identified that the -174G > C (rs1800795) polymorphism in the promoter region of the interleukin-6 ( IL-6 ) gene is associated with the risk of developing adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS), but they presented inconsistent and controversial results. Thus, we performed a case-control study and meta-analysis to derive a more precise estimation of the relationship between the IL-6 -174G > C polymorphism and the risk of developing AIS. A total of 80 patients with AIS and 80 matched healthy control subjects were genotyped using the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) assay. In addition, all eligible studies published up to June 2018 were identified through a search in the PubMed, EMBASE, Google Scholar, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) databases. We calculated the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CIs) to assess the association. A total of 10 eligible studies comprising 1,695 AIS cases and 2,097 healthy controls were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled data suggested a significant association between the IL-6 -174G > C polymorphism and the susceptibility to develop AIS, which was demonstrated under 4 genetic models, that is, the allelic (C versus G; OR = 0.671; 95%CI: 0.457-0.985; p = 0.042), heterozygous (CG versus GG; OR = 0.734; 95%CI: 0.554-0.973; p = 0.032), dominant (CC + CG versus GG; OR = 0.660; 95%CI: 0.440-0.990; p = 0.044) and recessive models (CC versus CG + GG; OR = 0.506; 95%CI: 0.264-0.970; p = 0.040). The stratification analysis by ethnicity revealed an increased risk of developing AIS in Caucasians, but not in Asians. The present meta-analysis, which is inconsistent with the previous meta-analysis, suggests that the IL-6 -174G > C polymorphism may increase the individual susceptibility to develop AIS, especially in Caucasians, and it could serve as a biomarker to predict the population at high risk of developing AIS.

Association of ESRα XbaI A > G, ESRα PvuII T > C and ESRβ AlwNI T > C Polymorphisms with the Risk of Developing Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis: A Systematic Review and Genetic Meta-analysis / Associação dos polimorfismos ESRα XbaI A > G, ESRα PvuII T > C e ESRβ AlwNI T > C com o risco de desenvolver escoliose idiopática da adolescência: Revisão sistemática e metanálise genética

Abstract Several association studies of genes polymorphisms on estrogen receptors-α and β with respect to adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) have been published in the past two decades. However, the association with AIS, especially among different ethnic subgroups, still remains controversial. Thus, we investigated these inconclusive data by performing a meta-analysis to systematically evaluate the association. A literature search was conducted in the PubMed, ISI Web of Science, EMBASE, SCOPUS, EBSCO, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and Wanfang databases until January 20, 2018. The strength of relationship was assessed using odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CIs). A total of 12 case-control studies with 4,304 cases of AIS and 3,123 controls met our criteria. The pooled ORs indicated that the ESRα XbaI A > G, ESRα PvuII T > C and ESRβ AlwNI T > C polymorphisms were not significantly associated with the risk of developing AIS in the overall analysis. However, we found a significant association between the ESRα XbaI A > G polymorphism and AIS under the homozygote model (GG versus AA; OR = 1.448, 95%CI: 1.052-1.993; p = 0.023). The present meta-analysis suggests that the ESRα XbaI A > G, ESRα PvuII T > C and ESRβ AlwNI T > C polymorphisms may not be associated with the risk of developing AIS in the overall analysis. However, ESRα XbaI A > G might have an influence on the susceptibility to develop AIS among Asians. Considering the limited sample size and ethnicity, further larger studies are needed to provide a more precise estimation of the associations.

Resumo Vários estudos de associação entre os polimorfismos genéticos nos receptores α e β de estrogênio e a escoliose idiopática da adolescência (EIA) foram publicados nas últimas duas décadas. No entanto, a associação com a EIA, especialmente em diferentes subgrupos étnicos, continua a ser controversa. Assim, o presente estudo investigou esses dados inconclusivos por meio de uma metanálise para avaliar sistematicamente essa associação. Uma pesquisa bibliográfica foi realizada nas bases de dados PubMed, ISI Web of Science, EMBASE, SCOPUS, EBSCO, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) e Wanfang até 20 de janeiro de 2018. A força de associação foi avaliada por meio de razões de probabilidades (RPs) e intervalos de confiança de 95% (ICs95%). Um total de 12 estudos de caso-controle, com 4.304 casos de EIA e 3.123 controles, atenderam aos critérios de inclusão do presente estudo. As RPs combinadas indicaram que os polimorfismos ESRα XbaI A > G, ESRα PvuII T > C e ESRβ AlwNI T > C podem não estar significativamente associados ao risco geral de desenvolvimento de EIA. No entanto, observou-se uma associação significativa entre o polimorfismo ESRα XbaI A > G e a EIA sob o modelo homozigótico (GG versus AA; RP = 1,448; IC95%: 1,052-1,993; p = 0,023). Esta metanálise sugere que os polimorfismos ESRα XbaI A > G, ESRα PvuII T > C e ESRβ AlwNI T > C podem não estar associados ao risco geral de desenvolvimento de EIA. No entanto, ESRα XbaI A > G pode influenciar a suscetibilidade de desenvolver EIA entre indivíduos asiáticos. Considerando o tamanho e a variação étnica limitada da amostra, outros estudos de maior escala são necessários para obter uma estimativa mais precisa das associações.

Association of the IL-6 -174G > C (rs1800795) Polymorphism with Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis: Evidence from a Case-Control Study and Meta-Analysis / Associação do polimorfismo IL-6 -174G > C (rs1800795) com escoliose idiopática da adolescência: Evidências de um estudo de caso-controle e metanálise

Abstract Recent epidemiological studies have identified that the -174G > C (rs1800795) polymorphism in the promoter region of the interleukin-6 (IL-6) gene is associated with the risk of developing adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS), but they presented inconsistent and controversial results. Thus, we performed a case-control study and meta-analysis to derive a more precise estimation of the relationship between the IL-6 -174G > C polymorphism and the risk of developing AIS. A total of 80 patients with AIS and 80 matched healthy control subjects were genotyped using the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) assay. In addition, all eligible studies published up to June 2018 were identified through a search in the PubMed, EMBASE, Google Scholar, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) databases. We calculated the odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CIs) to assess the association. A total of 10 eligible studies comprising 1,695 AIS cases and 2,097 healthy controls were included in the meta-analysis. The pooled data suggested a significant association between the IL-6 -174G > C polymorphism and the susceptibility to develop AIS, which was demonstrated under 4 genetic models, that is, the allelic (C versus G; OR = 0.671; 95%CI: 0.457-0.985; p = 0.042), heterozygous (CG versus GG; OR = 0.734; 95%CI: 0.554-0.973; p = 0.032), dominant (CC + CG versus GG; OR = 0.660; 95%CI: 0.440-0.990; p = 0.044) and recessive models (CC versus CG + GG; OR = 0.506; 95%CI: 0.264-0.970; p = 0.040). The stratification analysis by ethnicity revealed an increased risk of developing AIS in Caucasians, but not in Asians. The present meta-analysis, which is inconsistent with the previous meta-analysis, suggests that the IL-6 -174G > C polymorphism may increase the individual susceptibility to develop AIS, especially in Caucasians, and it could serve as a biomarker to predict the population at high risk of developing AIS.

Resumo Estudos epidemiológicos recentes identificaram que o polimorfismo -174G > C (rs1800795) na região promotora do gene interleucina-6 (IL-6) está associado ao risco de desenvolver escoliose idiopática da adolescência (EIA), mas apresentaram resultados inconsistentes e controversos. Assim, realizamos um estudo de caso-controle e metanálise para obter uma estimativa mais precisa da relação entre o polimorfismo IL-6 -174G > C e o risco de desenvolver EIA. Um total de 80 pacientes com EIA e 80 controles saudáveis pareados foram genotipados usando o ensaio de reação em cadeia de polimerase de polimorfismos de comprimento de fragmentos de restrição (RCP-PCFR). Além disso, todos os estudos elegíveis publicados até junho de 2018 foram identificados por meio de uma pesquisa nas bases de dados PubMed, EMBASE, Google Scholar e China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI). Calculamos as razões de probabilidades (RPs) e os intervalos de confiança de 95% (ICs95%) para avaliar a associação. Um total de 10 estudos elegíveis compreendendo 1.695 casos de EIA e 2.097 controles saudáveis foram incluídos na metanálise. Os dados agrupados sugeriram uma associação significativa entre o polimorfismo IL-6 -174G > C e a suscetibilidade a desenvolver EIA que foi demonstrada em quatro modelos genéticos, ou seja, alélico (C versus G; RP = 0,671; IC95%: 0,457-0,985; p = 0,042), heterozigótico (GC versus GG; RP = 0,734; IC95%: 0,554-0,973; p = 0,032), dominante (CC + GC versus GG; RP = 0,660; IC95%: 0,440-0,990; p = 0,044) e recessivo (CC versus CG + GG; RP = 0,506; IC95%: 0,264-0,970; p = 0,040). A análise de estratificação por etnia revelou um aumento do risco de desenvolver EIA em caucasianos, mas não em asiáticos. Esta metanálise, que é inconsistente com relação à metanálise anterior, sugere que o polimorfismo IL-6 -174G > C pode aumentar a suscetibilidade individual para desenvolver EIA, especialmente em caucasianos, e pode servir como um biomarcador para prever a população com alto risco de desenvolver EIA.

Association of eNOS 27-bp VNTR, 894G>T and 786T>C polymorphisms with susceptibility to Legg-Calve-Perthes Disease in Iranian children.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to analyze the association of eNOS polymorphisms with risk of Legg-Calve-Perthes Disease (LCPD). METHODS: The study comprised of 45 LCPD patients and 55 controls. The eNOS polymorphisms were genotyped with PCR and by PCR-RFLP. RESULTS: The eNOS 894G > T and -786T > C polymorphisms were significantly associated with an increased risk of LCPD. However, there was no significant association between eNOS 27-bp VNTR polymorphism and LCPD risk. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that the eNOS 894G > T and -786T > C polymorphisms may be a risk factor for LCPD in Iranian children, but not 27-bp VNTR polymorphism.

Association of rs2234693 and rs9340799 polymorphisms of estrogen Receptor-1 gene with radiographic defined knee osteoarthritis: A meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the association of ESR1 rs2234693 and rs9340799 polymorphisms with radiographic defined knee osteoarthritis (OA), a case-control and meta-analysis was performed. METHODS: A total of 25 case-control studies with 7,144 cases and 8,468 controls with were included. RESULTS: There was a significant association between rs2234693 polymorphism and radiographic knee OA under heterozygote model (CT vs. TT: OR = 1.164, 95% CI 1.053-1.286, p = 0.003). However, there was no association between rs9340799 and radiographic knee OA. In subgroup analysis by ethnicity, risk estimates were not augmented. CONCLUSIONS: Our results showed that the ESR1 rs2234693 polymorphism might be associated with radiographic defined knee OA, but not rs9340799.

Association of TNF-α-308 G > A and -238G > A polymorphisms with knee osteoarthritis risk: A case-control study and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: A comprehensive search on electronic databases was conducted to identify all eligible studies of TNF-α polymorphisms and knee osteoarthritis (OA). METHODS: Eight studies on TNF-α -308 G > A and three on TNF-α -238G > A polymorphism were identified. RESULTS: Overall, the pooled ORs indicated that neither TNF-α -238G > A nor -238G > A polymorphism was associated with knee OA risk. Similarly, in the stratified analysis by ethnicity, no significant association was found. CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis results inconsistent with the previous meta-analyses showed that the TNF-α -308 G > A and -238G > A polymorphisms may not be associated with the susceptibility to knee OA.

Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor-1 4G/5G Polymorphism Contributes to Osteonecrosis of the Femoral Head Susceptibility: Evidence from a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor-1 gene 4G/5G (PAI-1 4G/5G) polymorphism has been suggested to be associated with osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) susceptibility; however, the results are conflicting and inconclusive. We have carried out a comprehensive meta-analysis to derive a more precise estimation of the association. METHODS: A comprehensive search in PubMed, EMBASE, Google Scholar, and ISI Web of Knowledge databases was conducted to identify all eligible case-control publications investigating the association between PAI-1 4G/5G polymorphism and ONFH risk. Odds ratios (OR) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) were used to assess the association. RESULTS: A total of six studies with 456 cases and 1,019 controls were included in this review. Three studies were from Caucasian descendants and the three others were from East Asian descendants. Overall analysis suggests a significant association between PAI-1 4G/5G polymorphism and ONFH risk under the allele model (4G vs. 5G: OR =1.540, 95% CI =1.055-2.248, P=0.025) and the recessive model (4G4G vs. 4G5G+5G5G: OR=1.931, 95% CI: 1.162-3.207, P=0.011). When stratified by ethnicity, we have found a significant association between PAI-1 4G/5G polymorphism and ONFH risk among the Caucasian (4G5G vs. 5G5G: OR=1.806, 95% CI: 1.064-3.067, P=0.029) and East Asians (4G4G vs. 5G5G: OR=1.619, 95% CI: 1.025-2.556, P=0.039 and 4G4G vs. 4G5G+5G5G: OR=1.665, 95% CI: 1.207-2.297, P=0.002). CONCLUSION: The present meta-analysis suggested that PAI-1 4G/5G (rs1799889) polymorphism is a potential risk factor for development of ONFH. However, large-scale and well-designed case-control studies in different ethnicities are required to validate these results.