Mandibular cortical bone structure as risk indicator in fractured and non-fractured 80-year-old men and women

Objective To investigate the association between mandibular cortex parameters and fracture in a group of 286 men and women, 79–80 years of age. Study design In a cross-sectional study, the mandibular cortex was evaluated with Klemetti’s index for cortical erosion. The cortical thickness was measured with a ruler adjusting for the magnification factor. The odds ratio (OR) for fracture when having a severely eroded cortex or a cortex thickness < 3 mm was calculated. Results A normal cortex was found in 65% of men, whereas only 7% had a severely eroded cortex. The OR for severely eroded cortex as fracture risk predictor was significant (2.32; 95% CI 1.3–4.2), also when the female group was evaluated separately. A significant difference was found between the mean thickness for men (3.96 mm) and women (2.92 mm), respectively. The OR for cortical thickness < 3 mm was significant (2.00; 95% CI 1.1–3.6) in the total group, but not when men and women were evaluated separately. Conclusions Among old women, the cortical parameters were significantly associated with prevalent fracture. In old men, other circumstances may be more important.

High incidence of fractures after R-CHOP-like chemotherapy for aggressive B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas

Purpose Patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) have a median age of 67, with 70% surviving over 5 years. Chemotherapy for aggressive NHL includes cyclophosphamide, anthracycline, and high doses of corticosteroids, which can impair bone health. By reviewing clinical characteristics and standard-of-care CT scans, we evaluate the prevalence and incidence of fractures and the clinical correlates of fractures in patients treated for aggressive B-cell NHL. Methods We retrospectively reviewed patients seen at the University of California San Francisco lymphoma clinic from January 1, 2016, to March 31, 2017 who had (1) aggressive B-cell NHL, (2) received first-line therapy with R-CHOP-like regimens, and had (3) CT scans pre- and post-treatment available for review. Associations between clinical variables and vertebral, rib, and pelvic fracture outcomes were assessed, and multivariate logistic regression models were used to identify predictors of prevalent and incident fractures. Results We identified 162 patients who met the inclusion criteria. Median age at diagnosis was 60 years. Of the 162 patients, 38 patients (28%) had prevalent fractures prior to receiving chemotherapy. Within 1 year after treatment, 16 patients (10%) developed new fractures. Having a prevalent fracture strongly predicted developing a new fracture after treatment, with incident fractures occurring in 12 of 38 patients with prevalent fractures versus 4 of 124 without prevalent fractures (odds ratio 10.45, p<0.0005). Conclusion Our results suggest that patients with aggressive B-cell NHL who receive R-CHOP-like therapy should be screened for fractures prior to treatment and those with existing fractures should be considered for therapy to decrease risk of new fractures.

‘As easy as riding a bike’: a systematic review of injuries and illness in road cycling

ObjectivesTo allow the implementation of effective injury and illness prevention programmes for road cyclists, we wanted to first identify the injury/illness burden to this group of athletes. We, therefore, undertook a systematic review of all reported injuries/illness in road cycling.DesignSystematic review.Data sourcesIdentification of articles was achieved through a comprehensive search of: MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, Web of Science and Cochrane Library from inception until January 2020.Eligibility criteria for selecting studiesStudies reporting injuries/illness in adults participating in road cycling. Cycling commuter studies were excluded from the analysis.MethodTwo review authors independently screened titles and abstracts for eligibility and trial quality. Initial search criteria returned 52 titles and abstracts to be reviewed, with 12 studies included after reviewing the full text articles.ResultsThe most common injuries sustained were abrasions, lacerations and haematomas accounting for 40–60% of the total injuries recorded. Fractures (6–15%) were the second most frequent type of injury. Head injuries (including concussions) accounted for 5–15% of injuries with musculotendinous injuries accounting for 2–17.5%. The upper limb was more frequently affected by injuries than the lower limb, with amateurs appearing to be at higher risk of injury/illness than professionals. Clavicle was the prevalent fracture, with patellofemoral syndrome the number one overuse diagnosis. No meta-analysis of the results was undertaken due to the inconsistent methods of reporting.ConclusionThis is the first systematic review of road cycling injuries. Injuries most often affected the upper limb, with clavicle being the most prevalent fracture and the most common overuse injury being patellofemoral syndrome.

Relationship of Prevalent Fragility Fracture in Dementia Patients: Three Years Follow up Study

Introduction: dementia increases the risk of falls by 2–3 times and cognitively impaired patients are three times more likely to have hip fracture following a fall when compared to cognitively intact individuals. However, there is not enough evidence that explores the relationship between dementia and fragility fractures. The aim of this study is to explore the relationships of prevalent fragility fracture in patients with dementia admitted with an acute illness to the hospital. Methods: the existing Health Board records were reviewed retrospectively for all patients admitted diagnosed with dementia in the year 2016. All patients were followed up for a maximum of three years. All of the the dementia patients were divided into three groups: group 1—“no fractures”; group 2—“all fractures”; group 3—“fragility fractures”. Clinical outcomes were analysed for hospital stay, discharge destination (new care home), post-discharge hip fracture data, and mortality. Results: dementia patients with a prevalent fracture were significantly older, 62% were women. A significantly higher proportion of dementia patients with prevalent fractures were care home residents and taking a significantly higher number of medications. The mean Charlson comorbidity index was similar in patients with or without fracture. Dementia patients with a prevalent fracture required a new care home and this is significantly higher when compared to those with no fracture. Mortality at one year and three year was not statistically different in patients with or without prevalent fractures. A significantly higher number (21.5%) of dementia patients with prevalent fragility fracture sustained a new hip fracture when compared to those with no prevalent osteoporotic fracture (2.9%) over the three years follow up (p < 0.0001). Conclusion: dementia patients with a prevalent fragility fracture is associated with a statistically significant higher risk of a new care home placement following acute hospital admission. This sub-group is also at risk of a new hip fracture in the next three years. Whilst clinical judgement remains crucial in the care of frail older people, it is prudent to consider medical management of osteoporosis in dementia if deemed to be beneficial following the comprehensive geriatric assessment.

Relationships between the Bone Expression of Alzheimer Disease-Related Genes, Bone Remodelling Genes and Cortical Bone Structure in Neck of Femur Fracture

Neck of femur (NOF) fracture is a prevalent fracture type amongst the ageing and osteoporotic populations, commonly requiring total hip replacement (THR) surgery. Increased fracture risk has also been associated with Alzheimer disease (AD) in the aged. Here, we sought to identify possible relationships between the pathologies of osteoporosis and dementia by analysing bone expression of neurotropic or dementia-related genes in patients undergoing THR surgery for NOF fracture. Femoral bone samples from 66 NOF patients were examined for expression of the neurotropic genes amyloid precursor protein (APP), APP-like protein-2 (APLP2), Beta Secretase Cleaving Enzyme-1 (BACE1) and nerve growth factor (NGF). Relationships were examined between the expression of these and of bone regulatory genes, systemic factors and bone structural parameters ascertained from plain radiographs. We found strong relative levels of expression and positive correlations between APP, APLP2, BACE1 and NGF levels in NOF bone. Significant correlations were found between APP, APLP2, BACE1 mRNA levels and bone remodelling genes TRAP, RANKL, and the RANKL:OPG mRNA ratio, indicative of potential functional relationships at the time of fracture. Analysis of the whole cohort, as well as non-dementia and dementia sub-groups, revealed structural relationships between APP and APLP2 mRNA expression and lateral femoral cortical thickness. These findings suggest that osteoporosis and AD may share common molecular pathways of disease progression, perhaps explaining the common risk factors associated with these diseases. The observation of a potential pathologic role for AD-related genes in bone may also provide alternative treatment strategies for osteoporosis and fracture prevention.

Glass fiber posts

Aim: Glass fiber posts are indicated in the rehabilitation of extensively damaged teeth; their cementation represents a critical step in restorative dentistry. The aim of this study was to quantify and compare the push-out bond strength of glass fiber posts cemented by conventional technique, two-step technique with luting agent and two-step technique associating bulk-fill composite and luting agent. Methods: Eighty maxillary bovine incisors were endodontically treated and divided into eight groups (n = 10) according to the luting agent (Rely X ARC and Duo-link) and cementation technique (conventional technique; two-step technique with luting agent; and two-step technique associating bulk-fill composite – Filtek Bulk-fill flow or Surefil SDR flow – and luting agent). Samples were submitted to pushout bond strength test, and the fracture pattern was evaluated through scanning electron microscope. Data were submitted to two-way ANOVA and Tukey’s test (α = 0.05). Results: When Rely X ARC was used, the conventional cementation technique obtained higher bond strength values than the twostep technique associated with Filtek Bulk-fill flow. When Duolink was used, the two-step technique associated with Filtek Bulk-fill flow presented higher bond strength values than the conventional technique. The most prevalent fracture patterns were adhesive between luting agent and dentin, and adhesive between bulk-fill composite and dentin. Conclusion: Two-step cementation technique associated with bulk-fill composite may be promising depending on the luting agent used.

Patients with end-stage kidney disease have markedly abnormal cortical hip parameters by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry

Background Patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) have higher fracture rates and post-fracture mortality than the general population, but bone mineral density by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) is less predictive of fracture in this patient group. Bone biopsy and high-resolution imaging indicate that cortical thickness (CT) is reduced and cortical porosity is increased in ESKD. The aim of this study was to assess cortical parameters using DXA in patients with ESKD. It was hypothesized that these parameters would show deterioration and be associated with fracture. Methods Using advanced hip analysis, normal age-related ranges were determined from 752 female and 861 male femur scans and were compared with scans of 226 patients with ESKD at the time of transplantation. Results Compared with controls, female patients had lower mean±SD CT (mms) at the femoral neck (FN) (2.59 ± 1.42 versus 5.23 ± 1.85), calcar (3.46 ± 1.07 versus 5.09 ± 1.30) and shaft (4.42 ± 1.21 versus 7.44 ± 2.07; P < 0.001 for each), and buckling ratios were higher (8.21 ± 4.6 versus 3.63 ± 1.42; P < 0.001), indicating greater FN instability. All findings were similar for men. Prevalent fracture was documented in 28.8% of patients; 12.4% vertebral only, 8.4% non-vertebral only and 8% vertebral plus non-vertebral. In adjusted models, each 1 SD reduction in FN CT and increase in the buckling ratio was associated with a respective 1.73 (1.22–2.46)- and 1.82 (1.49–2.86)-fold increase in the risk of prevalent vertebral fracture. Conclusions In patients with ESKD, DXA-derived cortical parameters are markedly abnormal compared with age- and sex-matched controls. These parameters should be assessed for incident fracture prediction and targeting treatment.

The Role of SPECT/CT and MRI in the Differential Diagnosis of Skeletal Damage (Case Report)

This article reveals a clinical case dedicated to a young woman, professional athlete, who made an appointment at NN Blokhin Russian Cancer Research Center for differential diagnostics of left tibia bone lesion, diagnosed by local health facilities. There were no patient complaints during routine check-up. Oncologist made an appointment for bone scan and second opinion on CT scan (was also made). Incidental findings on scintigraphy required further investigation. So a decision to perform a hybrid SPECT/CT of pelvis, MRI of pelvis and left talocrural joint was made. After complete examination non-osteogenic fibroma of left tibia bone was set as diagnose. Also there were several unexpected findings such as stress fracture of the navicular bone of the left foot, prevalent fracture of the left ischium without signs of consolidation and with the formation (developing) of a false joint and heterotopic ossification in soft tissues and ankylosis of the intervertebral joint L5/S1. This findings more likely to be posttraumatic complications.