Objective:To investigate the efficacy of an additional augmentative locking compression plate combined with bone graft for aseptic subtrochanteric fracture nonunion after intramedullary nailing.Methods:From October 2016 to October 2019, 32 patients (25 males and 7 females) were treated at Department of Orthopedics, The Sixth People's Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University for aseptic subtrochanteric fracture nonunion after intramedullary nailing. Their ages ranged from 27 to 68 years (average, 50.5 years) and their nonunion time from 9 to 24 months (average, 12.2 months). According to the Weber-Cech classification for nonunions, 9 cases belonged to the highly vascular type and 23 to the ischemic type. With the original intramedullary nails retained, all patients were fixated with an additional augmentative locking compression plate before simultaneous autologous iliac bone grafting. All patients were followed up regularly for fracture union, function of the affected hip and complications.Results:The 32 patients were followed up for 6 to 24 months (average, 12.9 months). All nonunions obtained clinical and imaging union. The clinical union time ranged from 3 to 8 months (average, 5.2 months), and the imaging union time from 6 to 10 months (average, 7.4 months). At the last follow-up, the therapeutic efficacy was evaluated as excellent in 28 cases and as good in 4, giving a good to excellent rate of 100%(32/32), according to the Sanders scoring for post-traumatic hip joint; the efficacy was evaluated as excellent in 21 cases, as good in 10 cases and as fair in one, giving a good to excellent rate of 96.9%(31/32), according to the Harris hip scoring. No such complications occurred as infection or loosening or breakage of internal fixation.Conclusion:An additional augmentative locking compression plate combined with bone graft is a reliable and effective treatment for aseptic subtrochanteric fracture nonunion after intramedullary nailing.

Objective To explore the possibility and effectiveness of minimally invasive osteotomy and cable osteosynthesis for the treatment of adolescent eubitus varus. Methods Eleven cases of adolescent cubitus varns(2 cases complicated with internal rotation of 10°)were treated with minimally invasive supracondylar wedged osteotomy to preserve the integrity of the contralateral codex and periosteum.Two screws were inserted above and below the fracture line.They were fixed with cable after the greenstick fracture and internal rotation were adjusted.Plastic bandage was applied for 1 week postoperatively before rehabilitation. Results Bone fractures healed in the 11 cases in 36.3 days averagely,without infection or nerve palsy.Before operation,the mean angles of varus,flexion and extension were 35°±5°,125°±10°and 10°±5°respectively.After a mean follow-up of 33.5 months,the mean valgus angle of the elbow was improved to 8°±2°(t=16.632,P<0.05),flexion to 130°±8°and extension to 8°±3°(P>0.05).Internal rotation deformity was also ameliorated in the 2 cases. Conclusion It is practical and effective to treat adolescent eubitus varus with minimally invasive osteotomy and cable osteosynthesis,for it can lead to stable fixation,short healing time,and does not affect the flexion and extension of the elbow joint.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of Smad4 on the fibrosis of tendon derived fibroblasts (TDFs) induced by transforming growth factor β1(TGF-β1) by targeted regulation of miRNA219-5P (miR219-5P). METHODS: The tendons donated by the volunteers were harvested to isolate and culture TDFs. The 3rd generation cells were used for experiment. Chemically synthesized miR219-5P mimics, miR219-5P inhibitor, and negative control sequences were transfected into TDFs. The gene expression of miR219-5P in TDFs was detected by real-time PCR, and the protein expression of Smad4 in TDFs was detected by Western blot at 48 hours after transfection. The combining sites of miR219-5P and Smad4 in 3'UTR district were predicted by informatics software. Wild type and mutant type reporter gene expression vectors were constructed and then targeted verification was carried out by the luciferase reporter gene test. Transfected TDFs were then induced by TGF-β1. The proliferation activity of the cells were measured by the cell counting kit 8 after culturing for 24, 48, and 72 hours. The expressions of fibrosis related proteins in TDFs were detected by Western blot at 72 hours. RESULTS: After TDFs were transfected by miR219-5P mimics, miR219-5P expression was significantly up-regulated, but the expressions of Smad4 was decreased subsequently (P<0.05). Intracellular expression of miR219-5P was inhibited by miR219-5P mimics inhibitor, however, the protein expression of Smad4 was significantly increased (P<0.05). Luciferase reporter gene test showed that luciferase activities were significantly decreased in pGL3-WT-Smad4+mimics group, but were significantly increased in pGL3-WT-Smad4+inhibitor group when compared with pGL3-WT-Smad4 transfected group (P<0.05), but no significant difference was found between GL3-MT-Smad4+mimics and pGL3-MT-Smad4+inhibitor groups (P>0.05). Cell proliferation and the fibrosis related proteins were increased in TGF-β1 induced TDFs, however, decreased in TGF-β1 induced TDFs after transfected by miR219-5P inhibitor (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: miR219-5P can significantly inhibit fibrosis of TDFs induced by TGF-β1 by down-regulating Smad4 expression.

Objective:To investigate the clinical effects and indications of tibial condylar valgus osteotomy (TCVO) in treating varus unicompartmental knee osteoarthritis.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted in 32 patients (45 knees) who suffered from varus unicompartmental knee osteoarthritis and underwent TCVO from June 2016 to June 2018. These patients were aged 65.8±8.3 (range from 52 to 79) years, including 12 males (18 knees) and 20 females (27 knees). All enrolled individuals presented obvious expansion of the lateral joint space with joint line convergence angle (JLCA) of 7.19°±2.69°. Based on the full-length standing X-ray imaging of the lower limbs at before and 2 years after surgery, the percentage of mechanical axis (%MA), femorotibial angle (FTA), hip-knee-ankle angle (HKA), lateral distal femoral angle (LDFA) and medial proximal tibial angle (MPTA) were measured and analyzed to evaluate the improvements of lower extremity alignments. The medial tibial plateau depression (MTPD), posterior proximal tibial angle (PPTA), JLCA and joint space width (JSW) were measured and analyzed to evaluate the congruency of the knee joint and shape of the tibial plateau based on positive and lateral radiographs of knee joint. In addition, visual analogue scale (VAS) and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities (WOMAC) score were evaluated to assess the clinical effects of TCVO pre-operatively and at 1 year or 2 years after surgery.Results:All patients were followed up for 33.4±7.4 (range from 25 to 40) months. Comparing to the preoperative radiological data, %MA at 2 years after surgery increased from 3.78%± 14.34% to 66.16%±9.90%, FTA from 185.41°±4.45° to 170.81°±2.87°, HKA from 169.69°±1.70° to 181.16°±2.39°, MPTA from 83.03°±3.20° to 90.84°±3.67° all with statistical significance ( P<0.05). There was no significant difference for PPTA between before (89.22°±1.52°) and 2 years (88.97°±1.57°) after surgery ( t=0.638, P=0.526). MTPD improved from -7.81°±3.27° to 5.78°±2.19° ( t=19.218, P<0.001). However, there was no significant difference for PPTA between before (81.63°±3.28°) and 2 years (82.25°± 2.21°) after surgery ( t=0.881, P=0.382). JLCA reduced from 7.19°±2.69° to 0.22°±2.09°. The medial and lateral JSW were corrected from 2.45±0.23 mm and 5.86±0.25 mm to 3.73±0.27 mm and 4.68±0.34 mm ( P<0.05), respectively. Additionally, VAS and WOMAC scores improved from 6.46±2.21 and 52.66±16.69 preoperatively to 2.94±1.72 and 19.31±14.87 at 1 year after surgery, and to 1.39±1.45 and 13.66±15.44 at 2 years after surgery, respectively ( P<0.05). Conclusion:Satisfactory early therapeutic outcomes could be achieved by TCVO in varus unicompartmental knee osteoarthritis with subluxated lateral joint and increased JLCA. TCVO can correct intra-articular varus deformity, adjust mechanical axis and relieve knee joint pain and dysfunction.