[en] The purpose of this paper was to fabricate nanofibrous scaffolds containing ossein-hydroxyapatite complex (osteogenon) to mimic the native bone extracellular matrix. Polylactide (PLDL) and polycaprolactone (PCL) were used to prepare scaffolds using electrospinning. Unfortunately, both of these biodegradable polymers have poor cell recognition sites leading to poor cell affinity and adhesion, therefore, based on our previous experience, osteogenon-drug was used at the stage of fibers forming by electrospinning. We have compare the physicochemical parameters and mechanical properties of PLDL/osteo and PCL/osteo scaffolds as well as an osteogenon-drug influence on the microstructure of electrospun materials produced for potential application in bone tissue engineering. We have investigated the effect of the microstructure and the chemical composition of electrospun materials on adhesion, proliferation and morphology as well as on the process of differentiation of bone cells. The use of osteogenon improved mineralization, cell adhesion and the rate of cell differentiation. - Highlights: • Electrospinning of nanofibrous scaffolds containing ossein-hydroxyapatite complex. • The addition of Osteogenon enhanced the bioactivity and mineralization of scaffold. • Comparison of PLDL/osteo and PCL/osteo scaffolds properties has been done.

[en] Average tissue compositions have been derived for seven groups of soft tissues found in ''Reference Man''. The analyses took into account some 40 soft tissues comprising the adult human. Different groups of soft tissues were selected to provide average tissue compositions of practical value in radiation dosimetry. In addition, as more reliable skeletal tissue data are now available, an updated tabulation is given of average bone formulations. Elemental compositions and mass and electrical densities are tabulated for all of the derived systems. (author)

No abstract available

[en] Lesions of tendons and ligaments account for over 40% of the musculoskeletal lesions. Surgical techniques and materials for repair and regeneration are currently not satisfactory. The high rate of post-operative complications and failures mainly relates to the technical difficulties in replicating the complex multiscale hierarchical structure and the mechanical properties of the native tendons and ligaments. With the aim of overcoming the limitations of non-biomimetic devices, we developed a hierarchical structure replicating the organization of tendons and ligaments. The scaffold consists of multiple bundles made of resorbable electrospun nanofibers of Poly-L-Lactic acid (PLLA) having tailored dimensions, wrapped in a sheath of nanofibers able to compact the construct. The bundles in turn consist of electrospun nanofibers with a preferential direction. High-resolution x-ray tomographic investigation at nanometer resolution confirmed that the morphology of the single bundles and of the entire scaffold replicated the hierarchical arrangement in the natural tendons and ligaments. To confirm that these structures could adequately restore tendons and ligaments, we measured the tensile stiffness, strength and toughness. The mechanical properties were in the range required to replace and repair tendons and ligaments. Furthermore, human fibroblasts were able to attach to the scaffolds and showed an increase in cell number, indicated by an increase in metabolic activity over time. Fibroblasts were preferentially aligned along the electrospun nanofibers. These encouraging in vitro results open the way for the next steps towards in vivo regeneration of tendons and ligaments. (paper)

[en] The aim of this study was to use morphological as well as biochemical (T2 and T2* relaxation times and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI)) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for the evaluation of healthy cartilage and cartilage repair tissue after matrix-associated autologous chondrocyte transplantation (MACT) of the ankle joint. Ten healthy volunteers (mean age, 32.4 years) and 12 patients who underwent MACT of the ankle joint (mean age, 32.8 years) were included. In order to evaluate possible maturation effects, patients were separated into short-term (6-13 months) and long-term (20-54 months) follow-up cohorts. MRI was performed on a 3.0-T magnetic resonance (MR) scanner using a new dedicated eight-channel foot-and-ankle coil. Using high-resolution morphological MRI, the magnetic resonance observation of cartilage repair tissue (MOCART) score was assessed. For biochemical MRI, T2 mapping, T2* mapping, and DWI were obtained. Region-of-interest analysis was performed within native cartilage of the volunteers and control cartilage as well as cartilage repair tissue in the patients subsequent to MACT. The overall MOCART score in patients after MACT was 73.8. T2 relaxation times (∝50 ms), T2* relaxation times (∝16 ms), and the diffusion constant for DWI (∝1.3) were comparable for the healthy volunteers and the control cartilage in the patients after MACT. The cartilage repair tissue showed no significant difference in T2 and T2* relaxation times (p≥0.05) compared to the control cartilage; however, a significantly higher diffusivity (∝1.5; p<0.05) was noted in the cartilage repair tissue. The obtained results suggest that besides morphological MRI and biochemical MR techniques, such as T2 and T2* mapping, DWI may also deliver additional information about the ultrastructure of cartilage and cartilage repair tissue in the ankle joint using high-field MRI, a dedicated multichannel coil, and sophisticated sequences. (orig.)

No abstract available

[en] This is a report of some early work on the cells at risk portion of the dynamic microanatomical dosimetry program of the Bone Group. The cells lining the trabecular bone of thoracic vertebral bodies from beagles aged 568, 2942, 4117, 4277, 4629, and 4801 days were characterized. Histologic and sampling experience gained in this attempt indicates that further improvements are needed

[en] Desmoid tumor of bone, also termed desmoplastic fibroma or aggressive fibromatosis, is a rare, locally aggressive fibroblastic tumor. We present a 16-year-old male with a huge desmoid tumor involving the iliac wing. It was associated with enchondromatous nodules mimicking malignancy. The tumor in this patient was mistaken for chondrosarcoma and hemipelvectomy was performed. To our knowledge, such a case has not previously been documented fully in the English literature. The radiographic and pathologic findings and a possible mechanism of enchondromatous nodule formation in fibrous bone tumors are discussed. (orig.)

[en] Human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hBMMSCs) are multipotent stem cells that can differentiate into several specialized cell types, including bone, cartilage, and fat cells. The proliferative capacity of hBMMSCs paves the way for the development of regenerative medicine and tissue engineering. However, long-term in vitro culture of hBMMSCs leads to a reduced life span of the cells due to senescence, which leads eventually to growth arrest. To investigate the molecular mechanism behind the cellular senescence of hBMMSCs, microarray analysis was used to compare the expression profiles of early passage hBMMSCs, late passage hBMMSCs and hBMMSCs ectopically expressing human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT). Using an intersection analysis of 3892 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) out of 27,171 total genes analyzed, we identified 338 senescence-related DEGs. GO term categorization and pathway network analysis revealed that the identified genes are strongly related to known senescence pathways and mechanisms. The genes identified using this approach will facilitate future studies of the mechanisms underlying the cellular senescence of hBMMSCs

No abstract available