Bin Yu

Background: Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) enzyme is one of the major mediators during inflammation reactions, and COX-2 gene polymorphisms of rs20417 and rs689466 have been reported to be associated with several inflammatory diseases. However, potential links between the two polymorphisms and risk of developing post-traumatic osteomyelitis remain unclear. The present study aimed to investigate associations between the rs20417 and rs689466 polymorphisms and susceptibility to post-traumatic osteomyelitis in Chinese population. Methods: A total of 189 patients with definite diagnosis of post-traumatic osteomyelitis and 220 healthy controls were genotyped for rs20417 and rs689466 using the SNaPshot genotyping method. Chi-square test was used to compare differences of genotype distributions as well as outcomes of five different genetic models between the two groups. Results: Significant association was found between rs689466 and post-traumatic osteomyelitis by recessive model (GG vs. AA + AG) (OR = 1.74, 95% CI: 1.098–2.755, p = .018). Although no statistical differences were identified of rs689466 between the two groups by allele model (p = .098) or homozygous model (p = .084), outcomes revealed a tendency that allele G may be a risk factor and people of GG genotype may be in a higher risk to develop post-traumatic osteomyelitis in Chinese population. However, no significant link was found between rs20417 and susceptibility to post-traumatic osteomyelitis in this Chinese cohort. Conclusions: To our knowledge, we reported for the first time that COX-2 gene polymorphism rs689466 may contribute to the increased susceptibility to post-traumatic osteomyelitis in Chinese population.

Objective: To investigate the optimal posterior screw placement and the geometry of safe zones for screw insertion in the talar neck.Methods: Computed tomography data for 15 normal feet were imported into Mimics 10.01 software for 3‐dimensional reconstruction; 4.0‐mm‐diameter screws were simulated from the lateral tubercle of the posterior process of the talus to the talar head. The range of screw paths trajectories and screw lengths at nine locations that did not breach the cortex of the talus were evaluated. In addition, the farthest (point a) and nearest point (point b) of the safe zone to the subtalar joint at each location, the anteversion angle (angle A), which is parallel to the sagittal plane, and the horizontal angle (angle B), which is perpendicular to the sagittal plane, were measured.Results: The safe zone was mainly between the 30% location and the 60% location; the width of each safe zone was 13.6° ± 1.4°; the maximum height of each safe zone was 7.8° ± 1.2°. The height of the safe zone was lowest at the 30% location (4.5°) and highest at the 50% location (7.3°). The mixed safe zone of all tali was between the 50% location and the 60% location. When a screw was inserted at point a, the safe entry distance (screw length) ranged from 48.8 to 49.5 mm, and when inserted to point b, the distance ranged from 48.2 to 48.9 mm. And inserting a 48.7 mm screw, 5.6° laterally and 7.4° superiorly, from the lateral tubercle of the posterior process of the talus towards the talar head is safest.Conclusion: The safe zone of posterior screw fixation have been defined applying to most talus, assuming the fractures are well reduced, this may strengthen the stability, shorten the operation time and reduce the incidence of surgical complications.

This study aimed to summarize clinical experience with Kingella kingae–associated pediatric osteoarticular infections (OAIs). We reviewed 566 cases in the English literature from 2000 to June 2014. More than 80% of the patients were diagnosed between 4 months and 4 years of age, and the male to female ratio was 1.14:1. The most frequent preceding illness was upper respiratory tract infections (82%). The top 3 OAIs types were septic arthritis (73.1%), osteomyelitis (15.7%), and spondylodiscitis (5.4%), and the most affected sites of these types were knee (46%), calcaneus (20%), and L4/5 disc (70%). All cases where polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique was used were PCR positive, no reported cases of positive cultures for K kingae with negative PCR. The duration of antibiotics use ranged from 2 to 4 weeks. Beta-lactam antibiotics were the most frequently used intravenously and orally. The clinical efficacy was favorable.

Purpose Although several studies have compared the clinical efficacy of an adductor canal block (ACB) to that of a femoral nerve block (FNB) for analgesia after total knee arthroplasty (TKA), disputes mainly exist in the recovery of quadriceps strength and mobilization ability between the two methods. The aim of the present study was to compare, in a systematic review and meta-analysis, the clinical efficacy of ACB with that of FNB. Methods We systematically searched randomized controlled trials comparing FNB with ACB for analgesia after TKA in Pubmed and the Cochrane Library from inception to April 30th 2015. There was no limitation of publication language. Trial quality was assessed using the modified Jadad scale, and eligible data were pooled for meta-analysis. Results Five studies of 348 patients were included. Outcomes showed that patients who received ACB had similar or better recovery of quadriceps strength and mobilization ability than those that underwent FNB. Similar efficacy was found between the two strategies regarding adductor strength, pain scores [at rest (p = 0.86), at or after knee flexion (p = 0.31)], opioid consumption (p = 0.99), opioid-associated adverse effects (p = 0.60), length of hospital stay (p = 0.42), patient satisfaction (p = 0.57), and success rate of blockade (p = 0.20). Conclusions The present study suggests that TKA patients who receive ACB can achieve similar or even better recovery of quadriceps strength and mobilization ability than those treated with FNB. Taken as a whole, ACB may be a better analgesia strategy after TKA at present.

Periosteal osteosarcoma (POS) is a rare primary malignant bone tumor arising from the surface of long bones. In addition, Marfan's syndrome (MFS) is an infrequent hereditary autosomal dominant connective tissue disorder with high penetrance and variable phenotypes, which primarily affects the ocular, skeletal and cardiovascular systems. The present study reported a case of POS and MFS co-occurring in a child. A 6-year-old girl with MFS presented with pain, swelling and deformity in the right thigh following a fall. The patient was diagnosed with a right femoral shaft fracture and underwent open internal fixation surgery at a local hospital. At 2 weeks following surgery, the patient's parents observed increased swelling in the right thigh and thus, revisited the clinic. X-ray examination revealed extensive osteotylus around the fracture site and the clinician decided to remove the internal fixation. Following removal of the implant, aggravated swelling and superficial venous engorgement were observed. The patient was then admitted to Nanfang Hospital, where magnetic resonance imaging was performed, which identified symptoms of an abnormal periosteal reaction with bone erosion, indicating POS. The patient underwent a wide resection of the tumor and the histopathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of POS. No recurrence was identified at 9 months postoperatively. In conclusion, the present case report may result in increased awareness of the possibility of malignant bone tumors in a hereditary patient with osteotylus overgrowth following fracture surgery; in addition, the present case indicated a possible correlation between POS and MFS.

To review clinical characteristics of pigmented villonodular synovitis (PVNS) in China. Electronic medical records (EMR) of four Chinese institutes were queried for patients with histologically proven PVNS between January 2005 and February 2014. Their data were collected including gender, age at diagnosis, clinical presentation, affected site, symptom duration, comorbidities, treatment strategy, recurrence and routine laboratories. A total of 237 patients with biopsy-proven PVNS were investigated. The gender ratio was 1.35 for a female predominance (101 males and 136 females). The average age was 36 years (range, 2 to 83 years). The median delay from initial clinical symptom to diagnosis was 18 months. Main affected areas were the knee (73.84%) and the hip (18.14%). Forty patients had a clear history of joint trauma. Six patients were concurrently diagnosed with PVNS and avascular necrosis (AVN). Five patients suffered from PVNS following implantation of orthopaedic devices including artificial prosthesis, plate and wire. One hundred and twenty-nine patients underwent arthroscopic synovectomy and 108 open synovectomy. Altogether 48 patients (26 males and 22 females) had recurrence of disease. The relapse rate was 24% (knee) and 6.98% (hip), 20.93% (open surgery) and 19.44% (arthroscopy), respectively. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP) rate were elevated in 45.83% and 38.41% of the patients respectively. To our knowledge, this study is the largest sample size of PVNS patients reported as well as the largest sample of PVNS with concurrent AVN reported to date. Our outcomes suggest that PVNS shows a female predominance, occurs mostly between 20–40 years and favors the knee and hip. Recurrence is frequent, particularly in the knee. Serum ESR and CRP may be elevated in some patients. Additionally, the present study supports the theory of an association between PVNS and orthopedic surgery, which is not limited to joint replacement.