Addressing bone defects is a complex medical challenge that involves dealing with various skeletal conditions, including fractures, osteoporosis (OP), bone tumours, and bone infection defects. Despite the availability of multiple conventional treatments for these skeletal conditions, numerous limitations and unresolved issues persist. As a solution, advancements in biomedical materials have recently resulted in novel therapeutic concepts. As an emerging biomaterial for bone defect treatment, graphene oxide (GO) in particular has gained substantial attention from researchers due to its potential applications and prospects. In other words, GO scaffolds have demonstrated remarkable potential for bone defect treatment. Furthermore, GO-loaded biomaterials can promote osteoblast adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation while stimulating bone matrix deposition and formation. Given their favourable biocompatibility and osteoinductive capabilities, these materials offer a novel therapeutic avenue for bone tissue regeneration and repair. This comprehensive review systematically outlines GO scaffolds’ diverse roles and potential applications in bone defect treatment.

Cite this article: Bone Joint Res 2024;13(12):725–740.

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The presence of facet tropism has been correlated with an elevated susceptibility to lumbar disc pathology. Our objective was to evaluate the impact of facet tropism on chronic lumbosacral discogenic pain through the analysis of clinical data and finite element modelling (FEM).

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This study examined whether systemic administration of melatonin would have different effects on osseointegration in ovariectomized (OVX) rats, depending on whether this was administered during the day or night.

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The aim of this study was to determine the association between knee alignment and the vertical orientation of the femoral neck in relation to the floor. This could be clinically important because changes of femoral neck orientation might alter chondral joint contact zones and joint reaction forces, potentially inducing problems like pain in pre-existing chondral degeneration. Further, the femoral neck orientation influences the ischiofemoral space and a small ischiofemoral distance can lead to impingement. We hypothesized that a valgus knee alignment is associated with a more vertical orientation of the femoral neck in standing position, compared to a varus knee. We further hypothesized that realignment surgery around the knee alters the vertical orientation of the femoral neck.

Aims. Dystrophic calcification (DC) is the abnormal appearance of calcified deposits in degenerating tissue, often associated with injury. Extensive DC can lead to heterotopic ossification (HO), a pathological condition of ectopic bone formation. The highest rate of HO was found in combat-related blast injuries, a polytrauma condition with severe muscle injury. It has been noted that the incidence of HO significantly increased in the residual limbs of combat-injured patients if the final amputation was performed within the zone of injury compared to that which was proximal to the zone of injury. While aggressive limb salvage strategies may maximize the function of the residual limb, they may increase the possibility of retaining non-viable muscle tissue inside the body. In this study, we hypothesized that residual dead muscle tissue at the zone of injury could promote HO formation. Methods. We tested the hypothesis by investigating the cellular and molecular consequences of implanting devitalized muscle tissue into mouse muscle pouch in the presence of muscle injury induced by cardiotoxin. Results. Our findings showed that the presence of devitalized muscle tissue could cause a systemic decrease in circulating transforming growth factor-beta 1 (TGF-β1), which promoted DC formation following muscle injury. We further demonstrated that suppression of TGF-β signalling promoted DC in vivo, and potentiated osteogenic differentiation of muscle-derived stromal cells in vitro. Conclusion. Taken together, these findings suggest that TGF-β1 may play a protective role in dead muscle tissue-induced DC, which is relevant to understanding the pathogenesis of post-traumatic HO. Cite this article: Bone Joint Res 2020;9(11):742–750

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In the context of tendon degenerative disorders, the need for innovative conservative treatments that can improve the intrinsic healing potential of tendon tissue is progressively increasing. In this study, the role of pulsed electromagnetic fields (PEMFs) in improving the tendon healing process was evaluated in a rat model of collagenase-induced Achilles tendinopathy.

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Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) is a potential cause of hip osteoarthritis (OA). The purpose of this study was to investigate the expression profile of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) in the labral tissue with FAI pathology.

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Patients with metabolic syndrome (MetS) are known to be at increased risk of postoperative complications, but it is unclear whether MetS is also associated with complications after total hip arthroplasty (THA) or total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Here, we perform a systematic review and meta-analysis linking MetS to postoperative complications in THA and TKA.