A femur phantom made of wax and a real human bone was used to study the dose during radiographical procedures. The depth dose inside the phantom was determined using DOSXYZnrc, a Monte Carlo simulation software. The results were verified with measurements using TLD-100H. It was found that for 2.5 mm aluminium filtered 84-kVp X-rays, the radiation dose in the bone reached 57 % higher than the surface dose, i.e. 3.23 mGy as opposed to 2.06 mGy at the surface. The use of real bone introduces variations in the bone density in the DOSXYZnrc model, resulting in a lower attenuation effect than expected from solid bone tissues.
Distraction osteogeneis over intramedullary nail has a benefit of decreasing the time for external fixation thus reducing the rate of associated complications. However, risk of panosteomyelitis is still the major worry. We are reporting two patients who underwent the procedure. The first case was a 13-year-old girl requiring 6 cm of femoral lengthening and the second case was a 17-year-old girl who required 5 cm of tibial lengthening. The healing index was 19.5 days/cm and 14.8 days/cm respectively, compared favorably to 30 days/cm with traditional method of distraction osteogenesis. There were mild pin tract infections and joint stiffness which responded to non-operative treatment.
Failure analysis was performed to investigate the failure of the femur fixation plate which was previously fixed on the femur of a girl. Radiography, metallography, fractography and mechanical testing were conducted in this study. The results show that the failure was due to the formation of notches on the femur plate. These notches act as stress raisers from where the cracks start to propagate. Finally fracture occurred on the femur plate and subsequently, the plate failed.
Fungal osteomyelitis is a rare opportunistic infection. It exhibits some clinical and radiological similarities to several other bone pathologies. A diagnostic delay may result in significant increase in morbidity. We report a case of a 37-year-old man with underlying hypogammaglobulinaemia presented with isolated cryptococcal osteomyelitis of the femur.
Disappearing bone disease is a rare condition and usually affects young adults. Its aetiology is not known. A case of a 12-year-old female child, who had a fall and sustained a fracture mid shaft of femur and supracondylar region, is reported. On follow-up subsequent X-ray showed extensive osteolysis which was progressively affecting the other side of the pelvic girdle and femur. She was put on trial of calcitonin 50 IU by nasal spray for six months but there was no improvement. However, during the past three and half years the disease process had progressively extended to the other side of pelvic girdle and femur with fatal outcome. To the knowledge of the authors such progression in a short time has not been reported in any case so far.
A morphology study was essential to the development of the cementless femoral stem because accurate dimensions for both the periosteal and endosteal canal ensure primary fixation stability for the stem, bone interface, and prevent stress shielding at the calcar region. This paper focused on a three-dimensional femoral model for Asian patients that applied preoperative planning and femoral stem design. We measured various femoral parameters such as the femoral head offset, collodiaphyseal angle, bowing angle, anteversion, and medullary canal diameters from the osteotomy level to 150 mm below the osteotomy level to determine the position of the isthmus. Other indices and ratios for the endosteal canal, metaphyseal, and flares were computed and examined. The results showed that Asian femurs are smaller than Western femurs, except in the metaphyseal region. The canal flare index (CFI) was poorly correlated (r < 0.50) to the metaphyseal canal flare index (MCFI), but correlated well (r = 0.66) with the corticomedullary index (CMI). The diversity of the femoral size, particularly in the metaphyseal region, allows for proper femoral stem design for Asian patients, improves osseointegration, and prolongs the life of the implant.
BACKGROUND: Previous animal models have demonstrated that tocotrienol is a potential treatment for postmenopausal osteoporosis. This study evaluated the antiosteoporotic effects of annatto-derived tocotrienol (AnTT) using a testosterone-deficient osteoporotic rat model.
METHODS: Forty rats were divided randomly into baseline, sham, orchidectomized, AnTT, and testosterone groups. The baseline group was euthanized without undergoing any surgical treatment or intervention. The remaining groups underwent orchidectomy, with the exception of the sham group. AnTT 60 mg/kg/day was given orally to the AnTT group, while the testosterone group received testosterone enanthate 7 mg/kg per week intramuscularly for 8 weeks. Structural changes in trabecular bone at the proximal tibia were examined using microcomputed tomography. Structural and dynamic changes at the distal femur were examined using histomorphometric methods. Serum osteocalcin and C-terminal of type 1 collagen crosslinks were measured. Bone-related gene expression in the distal femur was examined.
RESULTS: There were significant degenerative changes in structural indices in the orchidectomized group (P<0.05), but no significant changes in dynamic indices, bone remodeling markers, or gene expression (P>0.05) when compared with the sham group. The AnTT group showed significant improvement in structural indices at the femur (P<0.05) and significantly increased expression of bone formation genes (P<0.05). Testosterone was more effective than AnTT in preventing degeneration of bone structural indices in the femur and tibia (P<0.05).
CONCLUSION: AnTT supplementation improves bone health in testosterone-deficient rats by enhancing bone formation. Its potential should be evaluated further by varying the dosage and treatment duration.
KEYWORDS: bone remodeling; osteoporosis; testosterone; tocotrienol
Minimal available information concerning hip morphology is the motivation for several researchers to study the difference between Asian and Western populations. Current use of a universal hip stem of variable size is not the best option for all femur types. This present study proposed a new design process of the cementless femoral stem using a three dimensional model which provided more information and accurate analysis compared to conventional methods.
Antiresorptive agents have been used as primary or first-line therapy in managing patients with osteoporosis. Bisphosphonates in particular are used widely to reduce bone resorption, increase bone mineral density, improve bone quality and therefore reduce fracture risk. However, prolonged use of bisphosphonates may cause over-suppression of bone resorption, leading on to accumulation of micro-damage in bone. This in turn might lead on to atypical femoral fractures. A patient treated with alendronate sodium for 8 years, and presenting with bilateral atypical femoral diaphyseal fractures is reported. X-rays of both femurs showed typical horizontal fracture line involving the thick lateral cortex with short oblique fracture pattern over the medial cortex. This fracture pattern was further confirmed with intra-operative examination of the fracture ends. Histopathological examination of the endocortical fragment removed from the proximal fracture end showed absence of osteoclasts and osteoblasts. Bone mineral density with dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scan showed osteopenia over the femoral neck. Blood investigations did not show significant abnormalities. Bone turnover marker levels were not reliable, as presence of fracture might have altered the marker levels. Both femoral fractures united well. The patient reported here had complete pictures on X-ray examination, intra-operative findings, histopathological examination, DXA, as well as blood test results. Complete data should be collected from patients treated with alendronate sodium presenting with atypical femoral fractures to show any link between the use of alendronate sodium with atypical fracture of femur.
Since January 1999, ten patients had undergone surgical treatment for metastatic bony lesions of proximal femur at this centre. Seven of these patients were treated for complete pathological fractures, one for impending fracture and one for revision of internal fixation and loosening of hemiarthroplasty. Primary malignancies were located in breast in four cases, prostate in three and one in lung, thyroid and neurofibrosarcoma. Two patients had died within six months after surgery, four after 1 year while the remaining four were still alive. The mean duration of survival was eleven months. Nine patients had been ambulating pain free and there were no failure of reconstruction.
To compare changes over 48 weeks in bone mineral density (BMD) between participants randomized to lopinavir/ritonavir (LPV/r) + raltegravir (RAL) or LPV/r + 2-3 nucleoside/nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitors (N(t)RTIs) as second line therapy.