OBJECTIVESTo observe the regulation of Chinese herbal medicine, Modifified Qing'e Pill (, MQEP), on the expression of adiponectin, bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP2), osteoprotegerin (OPG) and other potentially relevant risk factors in patients with nontraumatic osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH).

METHODSA total of 96 patients with nontraumatic ONFH were unequal randomly divided into treatment group (60 cases) and control group (36 cases). The treatment group were treated with MQEP while the control group were treated with simulated pills. Both groups were given caltrate D. Six months were taken as a treatment course. Patients were followed up every 2 months. The levels of plasma adiponectin, BMP2, OPG, von Willebrand factor (vWF), von Willebrand factor cleaving protease (vWF-cp), plasminogen activator inhibitor 1 (PAI-1), tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), C-reactive protein (CRP), blood rheology, bone mineral density (BMD) of the femoral head and Harris Hip Score were measured before and after treatment.

RESULTSAfter 6 months of treatment, compared with the control group, patients in the treatment group had signifificantly higher adiponectin and BMP2 levels (P<0.01 and P=0.013, respectively), lower vWF, PAI-1 and CRP levels (P=0.019, P<0.01 and P<0.01, respectively), and lower blood rheology parameters. BMD of the femoral neck, triangle area and Harris Hip Score in the treatment group were signifificantly higher than those in the control group. Moreover, plasma adiponectin showed a positive association with BMP2 (r=0.231, P=0.003) and a negative association with PAI-1 (r=-0.159, P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONMQEP may play a protective role against nontraumatic ONFH by increasing the expression of adiponectin, regulating bone metabolism and improving the hypercoagulation state, which may provide an experimental base for its clinical effects.

Adiponectin ; metabolism ; Adult ; Blood Coagulation Factors ; metabolism ; Bone Density ; drug effects ; Bone Morphogenetic Protein 2 ; metabolism ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; therapeutic use ; Female ; Femur Head Necrosis ; blood ; drug therapy ; physiopathology ; Humans ; Male

OBJECTIVETo explore the clinical effects of internal fixation with lag screws plus an anti-sliding plate for the treatment of Hoffa fractures of the lateral femoral condyle.

METHODSFrom May 2006 to May 2014, 17 patients with Hoffa fractures of the lateral femoral condyle were treated with lag screws plus an anti-sliding plate. There were 13 males and 4 females, ranging in age from 27 to 59 years, with a mean of 32.5 years. All the fractures were fresh and closed fractures. According to the Letenneur's classification, 8 cases were type I, 4 cases were type II, 5 cases were type III. All the patients had no injuries of the cruciate ligament and the another part of the knee. Operative incision and fracture healing time were observed, knee joint function was evaluated by Letenneur system and HSS standard.

RESULTSThe patients were followed up from 10 to 24 months with a mean of 14.6 months. All incisions achieved primary healing, and no internal fixation breakage, malunion, femoral candyle necrosis, deep vein thrombosis of lower extremity were found. Fracture healing time was from 4 to 9 months with an average of 4.7 months. According to Letenneur's functional assessment, 10 patients got an excellent results, 4 good, 3 fair. Total HSS score was 91.1 +/- 4.7 on average,15 cases obtained excellent results, 2 good.

CONCLUSIONInternal fixation with lag screws and an anti-sliding plate can result in excellent effects for Hoffa fractures of the lateral femoral condyle. The key to a successful surgery is an anatomic reduction and rigid fixation of the fracture.

Adult ; Bone Plates ; Bone Screws ; Female ; Femoral Fractures ; physiopathology ; surgery ; Femur ; injuries ; surgery ; Fracture Fixation, Internal ; Fracture Healing ; Fractures, Closed ; physiopathology ; surgery ; Humans ; Ligaments, Articular ; surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged

The present study aimed at investigating the effects of Puerarin (PR), a major isoflavonoid isolated from the Chinese medicinal herb Puerariae radix, on bone metabolism and the underlying mechanism of action. The in vivo assay, female mice were ovariectomized (OVX), and the OVX mice were fed with a diet containing low, middle, and high doses of PR (2, 4, and 8 mg·d(-1), respectively) or 17β-estradiol (E2, 0.03 μg·d(-1)) for 4 weeks. In OVX mice, the uterine weight declined, and intake of PR at any dose did not affect uterine weight, compared with the control. The total femoral bone mineral density (BMD) was significantly reduced by OVX, which was reversed by intake of the diet with PR at any dose, especially at the low dose. In the in vitro assay, RAW264.7 cells were used for studying the direct effect of PR on the formation of osteoclasts. PR reduced the formation of tartrate resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP)-positive multi-nucleated cells in the RAW 264.7 cells induced by receptor activator for nuclear factor-κB Ligand (RANKL). MC3T3-E1 cells were used for studying the effects of PR on the expression of osteoprotegerin (OPG) and RANKL mRNA expression in osteoblasts. The expression of OPG mRNA and RANKL mRNA was detected by RT-PCR on Days of 5, 7, 10, and 12 after PR exposure. PR time-dependently enhanced the expression of OPG mRNA and reduced the expression of RANKL mRNA in MC3T3-E1 cells. In conclusion, our results suggest that PR can effectively prevent bone loss in OVX mice without any hyperplastic effect on the uterus, and the antiosteoporosis activity of PR may be related to its effects on the formation of osteoclasts and the expression of RANKL OPG in osteoblasts.
Animals ; Bone Density ; drug effects ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; Female ; Femur ; chemistry ; growth & development ; metabolism ; Humans ; Isoflavones ; administration & dosage ; Mice ; Osteoclasts ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Osteoporosis ; genetics ; metabolism ; physiopathology ; prevention & control ; Osteoprotegerin ; genetics ; metabolism ; Ovariectomy ; Pueraria ; chemistry ; RANK Ligand ; genetics ; metabolism

BACKGROUND: We retrospectively investigated the prevalence of femoral anterior notching and risk factors after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) using an image-free navigation system. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 148 consecutive TKAs in 130 patients beginning in July 2005. Seventy knees (62 patients) underwent conventional TKA, and 78 knees (68 patients) received navigated TKA. We investigated the prevalence of femoral anterior notching and measured notching depth by conventional and navigated TKA. Additionally, the navigated TKA group was categorized into two subgroups according to whether anterior femoral notching had occurred. The degree of preoperative varus deformity, femoral bowing, and mediolateral suitability of the size of the femoral component were determined by reviewing preoperative and postoperative radiographs. The resection angle on the sagittal plane and the angle of external rotation that was set by the navigation system were checked when resecting the distal femur. Clinical outcomes were compared using range of motion (ROM) and the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAX) scores between the two groups. RESULTS: The prevalence of anterior femoral notching by conventional TKA was 5.7%, and that for navigated TKA was 16.7% (p = 0.037). Mean notching depth by conventional TKA was 2.92 +/- 1.18 mm (range, 1.8 to 4.5 mm) and 3.32 +/- 1.54 mm (range, 1.55 to 6.93 mm) by navigated TKA. Preoperative anterior femoral bowing was observed in 61.5% (p = 0.047) and both anterior and lateral femoral bowing in five cases in notching group during navigated TKA (p = 0.021). Oversized femoral components were inserted in 53.8% of cases (p = 0.035). No differences in clinical outcomes for ROM or the HSS and WOMAX scores were observed between the groups. A periprosthetic fracture, which was considered a notching-related side effect, occurred in one case each in the conventional and navigated TKA groups. CONCLUSIONS: Surgeons should be aware of the risks associated with anterior femoral notching when using a navigation system for TKA. A modification of the femoral cut should be considered when remarkable femoral bowing is observed.
Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee/*methods ; Female ; *Femur/injuries ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Postoperative Complications/*epidemiology/physiopathology/radiography ; Prevalence ; Range of Motion, Articular ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the usefulness of dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) and diffusion MRI for the evaluation of femoral head ischemia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Unilateral femoral head ischemia was induced by selective embolization of the medial circumflex femoral artery in 10 piglets. All MRIs were performed immediately (1 hour) and after embolization (1, 2, and 4 weeks). Apparent diffusion coefficients (ADCs) were calculated for the femoral head. The estimated pharmacokinetic parameters (Kep and Ve from two-compartment model) and semi-quantitative parameters including peak enhancement, time-to-peak (TTP), and contrast washout were evaluated. RESULTS: The epiphyseal ADC values of the ischemic hip decreased immediately (1 hour) after embolization. However, they increased rapidly at 1 week after embolization and remained elevated until 4 weeks after embolization. Perfusion MRI of ischemic hips showed decreased epiphyseal perfusion with decreased Kep immediately after embolization. Signal intensity-time curves showed delayed TTP with limited contrast washout immediately post-embolization. At 1-2 weeks after embolization, spontaneous reperfusion was observed in ischemic epiphyses. The change of ADC (p = 0.043) and Kep (p = 0.043) were significantly different between immediate (1 hour) after embolization and 1 week post-embolization. CONCLUSION: Diffusion MRI and pharmacokinetic model obtained from the DCE-MRI are useful in depicting early changes of perfusion and tissue damage using the model of femoral head ischemia in skeletally immature piglets.
Animals ; Arteries/physiopathology ; Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging/*methods ; Disease Models, Animal ; Embolism/complications ; Epiphyses/*blood supply/*pathology ; Femur Head/*blood supply/*pathology ; Male ; Osteonecrosis/pathology ; Pelvic Bones/blood supply/pathology ; Reperfusion Injury/complications/*diagnosis ; Swine

OBJECTIVETo observe the efficacy of He-wei Jie-gu (Chinese characters) decoction on femoral intertrochanteric fractures after internal fixation in elderly.

METHODSFrom January 2010 to January 2012, 90 elderly patients with osteoporotic intertrochanteric fracture were randomly divided into two groups. The patients in experimental group were treated with open reduction and internal fixation, He-wei Jie-gu decoction and Caltrate D in oral, including 18 males and 27 females with an average age of (77.8±11.3) years old ranging from 65 to 89 years old;the time from injured to operation was 2 to 9 days with an average of (6.6±2.1) days; according to Evans-Jensen classification, 17 cases were in type I, 8 in type II, 15 in type III, 3 in type IV, 2 in type V. Meanwhile, the patients in control group were treated with open reduction and internal fixation, Caltrate D in oral, including 16 males and 29 females with an average age of (81.2±9.6) years old ranging from 67 to 91 years old; the time from injury to operation was 2 to 10 days with an average of (6.8±2.6) days; according to Evans-Jensen classification, 15 cases were in type I, 10 in type II, 14 in type III, 4 in type W, 2 in type V. The VAS score, hip BMD value before and after treatment, fracture healing and the Harris function score after operation were recorded and compared.

RESULTSAll patients were followed up from 3 to 9 months with an average of (5.6±2.8) months. Compared with the control group, the VAS score of the experimental group had an obviously reduction (F=98.138, P<0.01) after treatment; the hip BMD value at 3 months after treatment in the experimental group was higher than that of the control group (P<0.05); the fracture healing rate of the experimental group was higher than that of the control group (P<0.05); Harris score in 3 months of follow-up in the experimental group was higher than that of the control group (t=2.542, P<0.05); all the differences between two groups were statistically significant (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONHe-wei Jie-gu decoction can reduce postoperative pain and increase bone mineral density after internal fixation of femoral intertrochanteric fracture in elderly, promote the fracture healing and functional recovery in the hip joint.

Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Bone Density ; Combined Modality Therapy ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; administration & dosage ; Female ; Femur ; injuries ; surgery ; Fracture Fixation, Internal ; Hip Fractures ; surgery ; Humans ; Male ; Osteoporotic Fractures ; drug therapy ; physiopathology ; surgery ; Pain, Postoperative ; drug therapy ; physiopathology

BACKGROUND: The treatment of unstable intertrochanteric fractures in elderly is still controversial. The purpose of this study is to present treatment strategies for unstable intertrochanteric fractures with hemiarthroplasty using standard uncemented collared femoral stems and at the same time preserving the fractured calcar fragment. METHODS: Fifty-four patients aged 75 years or older with unstable intertrochanteric fractures were included in this prospective cohort study. All patients were treated with calcar preserving hemiarthroplasty using cementless collored femoral stems. Fractured calcar fragment was stabilized either by compaction between the implant and femur or fixed with cable grip system. Follow-up evaluations were performed at least 24 months and later. Palmer and Parker mobility score and visual analogue scale (VAS) pain score were assessed. We also analyzed radiographs of the operated hip at each follow-up visit. RESULTS: The patients were 15 males and 39 females with a mean age of 81.3 years (range, 75 to 93 years). The average operative time was 86.6 minutes. The mean transfused blood units were 1.2 units. The average duration of hospital stay was 5.3 days. The preoperative mean mobility score was 6.20. This score was found to be 4.96 on postoperative third day and 5.90 at 24 months postoperatively. The results of the statistical analysis revealed significant increase in the mobility scores at each follow-up after three days. Radiological interpretation revealed no loosening in the cable-grip systems, and no significant subsidence (> 5 mm) of prosthesis was observed. CONCLUSIONS: Calcar preservation arthroplasty is a good option for elderly patients with severe osteoporosis, frail constitution and the patients who are at higher risk for second operation due to unstable intertrochanteric fractures.
Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Hip/adverse effects/*methods ; Female ; Femur/pathology/radiography/surgery ; Hemiarthroplasty/adverse effects/*methods ; Hip/pathology/radiography/surgery ; Hip Fractures/physiopathology/radiography/*surgery ; Humans ; Male ; Pain Measurement ; Postoperative Complications ; Prospective Studies

BACKGROUND: This study investigated the effects of total knee arthroplasty (TKA) on bone mineral density (BMD) of the proximal femur in patients who underwent the procedure. METHODS: Forty-eight patients scheduled to undergo unilateral TKA because of primary knee osteoarthritis were included in this study, which was conducted at a medical center between October 2006 and October 2009. In these 48 patients, 96 hips were evaluated. Measurement of BMD was performed preoperatively and one month, three months, six months, and one year after unilateral TKA. Repeated measured analysis of variance and paired t-tests for comparison of two repeated samples were used to compare differences between time points (preoperation, one, three, six, and 12 months) and between the operative and nonoperative sides. RESULTS: Preoperatively, BMD of the femoral neck, trochanter, and total hip on the operative side were lower than on the nonoperative side; however, there was no statistical difference. BMD of both femoral neck areas was significantly lower than preoperative BMD at one month and three months after TKA. BMD of both trochanter areas was significantly lower than preoperative BMD at one month and three months after TKA. BMD of both total hips was significantly lower than preoperative BMD at three months after TKA. However, no statistical differences of changes in BMD were observed between the operative and nonoperative sides at each measurement time. CONCLUSIONS: According to our results, TKA was found to affect both proximal femurs during the acute period. However, TKA did not affect a change in BMD of the proximal femur during one year postoperative.
Aged ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee/*adverse effects ; Bone Density/*physiology ; Female ; Femur Neck/*physiopathology ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged

BACKGROUND: The relationship between osteoarthritis (OA) and osteoporosis (OP) is complicated and it may differ according to the site or stage of disease. The purpose of this cross-sectional study is to examine the relationship between the severity of radiological knee OA and the degree of OP in the ipsilateral proximal femur as denoted by bone mineral density (BMD) in a Korean population, especially among women. METHODS: One hundred ninety-five female patients who had knee pain and radiological knee OA were investigated with respect to the relationship of knee OA severity with BMD. The BMD of the proximal femur and spine was measured by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry, and the severity of knee OA was evaluated based on Kellgren-Lawrence (K-L) radiographic criteria, joint space narrowing (JSN) and mechanical axis of knee alignment. Partial correlation analysis and ANCOVA adjusted for confounding factors (age and body mass index) were performed to assess the relationship. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant relationship between the BMD of the proximal femur and JSN, and the BMD of the proximal femur was positively associated with increased joint space width. There was a lack of association between the spine BMD and JSN. The BMD of the proximal femur was also significantly lower in patients who had a higher K-L grade. CONCLUSIONS: The radiographic finding of severe OA in the knee is associated with decreased BMD of the ipsilateral proximal femur including the femoral neck, trochanter, intertrochanter, and region of the entire hip (neck, trochanter, and Ward's triangle).
Absorptiometry, Photon ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; *Bone Density ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Female ; Femur/physiopathology/*radiography ; Humans ; Knee Joint/physiopathology/radiography ; Middle Aged ; Osteoarthritis, Knee/physiopathology/*radiography ; Osteoporosis/physiopathology/*radiography ; Republic of Korea

PURPOSE: Transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) is a ligand-gated nonselective cation channel, which can be activated by capsaicin and other noxious stimuli. Recently, an association between bone pain and TRPV1 has been reported. However, the influence of osteoporosis on TRPV1 in the sensory system innervating the femur has not been reported. MATERIALS AND METHODS: TRPV1-immunoreactive (ir) in dorsal root ganglia (DRG) neurons labeled with neurotracer [Fluoro-Gold (FG)] innervating the femurs of Sprague Dawley rats were examined in control, sham, and ovariectomized (OVX) rats. We evaluated osteoporosis in the femurs and compared the proportion of TRPV1-ir DRG neurons innervating femur between the 3 groups of rats. RESULTS: OVX rats showed osteoporotic cancellous bone in the femur. FG labeled neurons were distributed from L1 to L6 DRG, but there was no significant difference in the proportion of labeled neurons between the 3 groups (p>0.05). The proportions of FG labeled TRPV1-ir DRG neurons were 1.7%, 1.7%, and 2.8% of DRG neurons innervating the femur, in control, sham-operated, and OVX rats, respectively. The proportion of TRPV1-ir neurons in DRG innervating the femur in OVX rats was significantly higher than that in control and sham-operated rats (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Under physiological conditions, DRG neurons innervating femurs in rats contain TRPV1. Osteoporosis increases the numbers of TRPV1-ir neurons in DRG innervating osteoporotic femurs in rats. These findings suggest that TRPV1 may have a role in sensory perception of osteoporotic femurs.
Animals ; Female ; Femur/*innervation/*metabolism ; Ganglia, Spinal/*metabolism ; Lumbar Vertebrae/*innervation/physiopathology ; Neurons ; Osteoporosis/complications ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Stilbamidines ; TRPV Cation Channels/*metabolism