In this paper the latest studies on the role of estrogen for the development of osteoarthritis and osteoporosis in postmenopausal women are reviewed.Estrogen can influence the pathophysiology of osteoarthritis through its interactions with the estrogen receptors,type Ⅱ collagen,cytokines and reactive oxygen species.While in the process of osteoporosis,estrogen can not only influence the estrogen receptors,cytokmes,reactive oxygen species,but also affect the sex hormone binding globulin and estrogen receptor-related receptor.

BACKGROUND:Fracture healing in diabetic patients is usual y unsatisfactory because of hormones and metabolic disorder, and an eventual multiple organ dysfunction resulting from high blood glucose. OBJECTIVE:To dynamical y observe the changes of cytokines during the fracture healing process in diabetic rats before and after insulin treatment. METHODS:A total of 120 Sprague-Dawley rats were included in this study. Of them, 90 rats intravenously injected with 5%tetraoxypyrimidine to induce rat models of diabetes were randomized into insulin treatment and diabetes groups, respectively. The remaining 30 rats were intravenously injected with equal volume of saline and selected as control group. The next day, blood glucose was determined. Healing at 1, 4, and 8 weeks after fracture were observed by the X-ray film. Biomechanical strength of the injured right tibia was measured at 4, 6, and 8 weeks after modeling. Cytokines in the osteotylus were determined by immunohistochemical staining and in situ hybridization technique. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The X-ray films showed that the speed of fracture healing in the diabetes group was slower than insulin treatment and control groups. Biomechanical strength of the osteotylus in the diabetes group was significantly decreased compared with the insulin treatment and control groups. However, there were no significant differences in above-mentioned parameters between the control and insulin treatment groups. Bone morphogenetic protein 2, basic fibroblast growth factor, transforming growth factor-beta, and vascular endothelial growth factor were widely expressed in the osteotylus and their expressions in diabetes group were significantly lower and slower than those in the control and insulin treatment groups. There was no statistical difference between control and insulin treatment groups. These results indicate that osteotylus formation speed, biomechanical strength, and growth factor expressions at the fracture site in diabetes rats were decreased compared with normal rats. Insulin treatment can enhance cytokine levels at the fracture site, thereby promoting the osteoblast proliferation and fracture healing.

BACKGROUNDThe purpose of this retrospective study was to compare the surgical outcomes of simple discectomy and instrumented posterior lumbar interbody fusion (iPLIF) in patients with lumbar disc herniation and Modic endplate changes. Our hypothesis was that iPLIF could provide better outcome for patients with refractory lumbar disc herniation and Modic changes (LDH-MC).

METHODSNinety-one patients with single-segment LDH-MC were recruited. All patients experienced low back pain as well as radicular leg pain, and low back pain was more severe than leg pain. Forty-seven patients were treated with discectomy and 44 were treated with iPLIF. The outcomes of both low back pain and radicular leg pain using visual analogue scale (VAS) as well as the clinical outcome related to low back pain using Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score were assessed before and 18 months after surgery, respectively.

RESULTSBoth low back and leg pain were significantly improved 18 months after simple discectomy and iPLIF. Compared to patients undergoing simple discectomy, low back pain was significantly reduced in patients undergoing iPLIF, but there was no significant difference in leg pain between two groups. Solid fusion was achieved in all patients who underwent iPLIF.

CONCLUSIONSIn patients with LDH-MC, iPLIF can yield significantly superior outcome on the relief of low back pain compared to simple discectomy. Simple discectomy can relieve radicular leg pain as efficient as iPLIF. Accordingly, iPLIF seems to be a reliable treatment for patients with LDH-MC and predominant low back pain.

Adult ; Diskectomy ; standards ; Female ; Humans ; Intervertebral Disc Displacement ; surgery ; Low Back Pain ; surgery ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; surgery ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Spinal Fusion ; standards