Search Results (80)

Background/Objectives: The modified Budin radiographic technique is a practical alternative to CT for measuring femoral neck anteversion (FNA); however, the impact of hip abduction angle on its accuracy remains unclear. This experimental study examined how varying abduction angles affect agreement between modified Budin measurements and CT. Methods: Twenty-seven dry adult femora underwent CT scanning, and FNA was measured using a validated three-slice superimposition method as the reference standard. Modified Budin radiographs were obtained at 20°, 30°, and 40° of femoral abduction. Two orthopedic surgeons independently measured FNA on all images twice, with at least 15 days between measurements. Intra- and interobserver reliability were assessed using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Mean values per femur were analyzed. Agreement with CT was evaluated using Pearson correlation, Bland–Altman analysis, and absolute error comparisons across abduction angles. Results: Reliability was excellent across all modalities (ICC, 0.982–0.998). Mean CT-derived FNA was 10.0° ± 8.5°, compared with 9.1° ± 8.0° at 20°, 8.3° ± 7.8° at 30°, and 7.8° ± 7.5° at 40° of abduction (p < 0.001). Correlation with CT was strong at all positions, but systematic underestimation increased with abduction angle. Among the tested positions, 20° abduction showed the smallest bias, the narrowest limits of agreement, and the lowest absolute error. Conclusions: Hip abduction angle significantly influences the accuracy of the modified Budin view. Under controlled experimental conditions, 20° abduction provided the closest agreement with CT among the tested positions. These findings suggest that lower abduction angles may improve geometric accuracy, although clinical feasibility and performance must be confirmed in vivo before routine clinical application can be recommended. Full article

Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) represents the most common cause of chronic arthritis in childhood; however, not all early-onset arthropathies are inflammatory in origin. We report the case of a 4-year-old girl initially diagnosed with oligoarticular JIA and treated with methotrexate followed by a tumor necrosis factor inhibitor, without significant clinical improvement and despite persistently normal inflammatory markers. Clinical reassessment raised suspicion of a non-inflammatory arthropathy, supported by characteristic radiographic findings including metaphyseal flaring of the distal femora and proximal tibiae. Genetic analysis identified compound heterozygous pathogenic variants in the PRG4 gene, confirming the diagnosis of camptodactyly–arthropathy–coxa vara–pericarditis (CACP) syndrome (OMIM #208250). PRG4 encodes lubricin, a mucin-like glycoprotein essential for boundary lubrication of articular cartilage and maintenance of synovial joint homeostasis. Loss-of-function variants disrupt joint lubrication, leading to mechanical synovial hyperplasia and chronic non-inflammatory joint effusion. This case highlights common diagnostic pitfalls in pediatric rheumatology and underscores the importance of considering genetic causes of chronic arthropathy when clinical and laboratory features are atypical for inflammatory disease. Early molecular diagnosis prevents unnecessary immunosuppressive therapy and enables appropriate multidisciplinary management. Full article

Background: In type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), bone and microvascular complications may be linked. Methods: The University of California Davis (UCD) polygenic T2DM and Sprague Dawley healthy control (CTL) rats (N = 48) were divided equally into diabetic and age-matched groups: (1) pre-diabetes, (2) diabetes onset, (3) early-stage T2DM, and (4) late-stage T2DM. Body mass, HbA1c, fasted blood glucose and femoral and tibial lengths were measured. Bones were scanned (μCT; 15 µm) to assess trabecular microarchitecture and density and mid-shaft cortical thickness (Ct.Th, µm), density and porosity. Ossified vessel volume (OsVV, %) and thickness (OsV.Th, µm) were also analyzed. A GLM determined significance at p < 0.05. Body mass and HbA1c were higher (p < 0.05) in all T2DM groups and blood glucose became elevated (p < 0.05) in early-stage T2DM and late-stage T2DM. Results: Tibiae and femora were longer (p < 0.05) with diabetes. Tibial bone volume was lower (p < 0.05) in pre-diabetes (4 ± 1% vs. CTL, 9 ± 2%) and late-stage T2DM (5 ± 2% vs. CTL, 8 ± 2%), and femoral bone volume was lower (p < 0.05) in pre-diabetes (7 ± 1% vs. 12 ± 4%). Cortical density (tibia) was lower (p < 0.05) in pre-diabetes and early-stage T2DM. Trabecular density in the femur was lower (p < 0.05) in all T2DM groups and cortical density was reduced (p < 0.05) in pre-diabetes, diabetes onset, and late-stage T2DM. OsVV in both bones were lower (p < 0.05) during early-stage T2DM. Tibial OsV.Th was higher (p < 0.05) in pre-diabetes (69 ± 14 µm vs. CTL, 56 ± 13 µm) and late-stage T2DM (80 ± 10 µm vs. CTL, 59 ± 13 µm) and higher (p < 0.05) in the femur at diabetes onset (58 ± 14 µm vs. CTL, 40 ± 10 µm). Conclusions: Trabecular and cortical bone varied as diabetes progressed, and the thicker ossified vessels may represent microangiopathy. Full article

Background: low-quantity or degraded samples are often studied in forensic genetics. Therefore, it is important to efficiently obtain all the available DNA from the biological sample analyzed to provide the most reliable results. This is particularly challenging in bone marrow processing due to its hydrophobic molecular structure, as for other lipid-rich tissues, especially if rancid. In fact, during adipose tissue decomposition, the putrefaction of fatty acids can in some instances give a compact cerous consistency to the lipidic tissue, hardly susceptible to the nucleic acid extraction mechanisms. According to environmental circumstances, this condition is notably observable in submerged bodies or in putrefied bone marrow. Thus, this study is focused on developing an optimized nucleic acids extraction protocol for putrefied bone marrow. Methods: genetic analyses were performed on putrefied yellow bone marrow collected from 20 human femora recovered from bodies in different decomposition stages. The optimized method was developed by integrating additional steps, reagents and time intervals on a silica-based column commercial kit. This strategy was compared in DNA yield to a standard extraction protocol, represented by the same commercial kit, but following the manufacturer’s directions. Both these strategies were tested in nucleic acid isolation efficiency by performing DNA typing, including real-time PCR quantification, Short Tandem Repeats (STR) amplification and fragments analysis steps. The analytical parameters evaluated were allele count, DNA concentration (ng/µL) and Degradation Index (DI). Results: for allele count and DNA concentration parameters, the optimized protocol showed clear and significant qualitative and quantitative improvements compared with the standard protocol, supporting its potential applicability in forensic casework and laying the foundation for future studies. Conclusions: prior to appropriate laboratory internal validation, the optimized protocol can be used for tough lipid-rich tissues processing without the need to purchase a dedicated system and using a same commercial kit routinely adopted for other forensic genetics matrices. Full article

Fracture healing is a multistage regenerative process requiring the coordinated regulation of inflammation, osteogenesis, and bone remodeling, yet pharmacological agents that effectively modulate these processes remain limited. Adenophorae Radix (AR), a traditional medicinal herb used for tissue repair, has not been mechanistically investigated in skeletal regeneration. In this study, a mouse femoral fracture model was employed to evaluate the effects of short-term (7 days) and long-term (5 weeks) oral administration of AR. Bone regeneration was assessed using micro-computed tomography, histological staining, and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Network pharmacology and molecular docking were applied to predict bioactive AR constituents and their target pathways, followed by in vivo validation. Short-term AR treatment significantly upregulated osteogenic markers, including RUNX2 and osteocalcin, in the bone marrow, indicating early activation of osteoblast differentiation. Long-term administration enhanced bone mineral density, trabecular organization, and callus maturation. Network pharmacology analysis identified cycloartenol acetate, β-sitosterol, and mandenol as major active compounds targeting osteogenesis- and osteoclast-related pathways, converging on HIF1A, PTGS2, and PPARG. Molecular docking demonstrated strong binding affinities between these compounds and their predicted targets, which was supported by increased expression of HIF1A, PTGS2, and PPARG in AR-treated femora. Collectively, these findings suggest that AR promotes fracture healing by regulating osteogenic differentiation and bone remodeling through multi-target transcriptional networks. Full article

A fossil bird (MLP-PV 15-I-7-52) from Marambio (Seymour) Island, Antarctica, is described, representing the best-preserved skull reported for a Cretaceous neornithine and associated postcranial elements. Morphological analysis of the articular portion of the mandible, the pterygoid, and the femur supports the assignment of this specimen to the genus Vegavis. The palatine morphology exhibits a combination of plesiomorphic and autapomorphic characters within Neognathae. Substantial differences in the size relationship between the ala preacetabularis and the femur, as well as differences between the femora of V. iaai and MLP-PV 15-I-7-52, indicate that the latter represents a new species of Vegavis. In addition, a third species of Vegavis is proposed based on the AMNH FARB 30899 specimen, previously assigned to V. iaai, which exhibits substantial differences with the above-mentioned specimens, particularly in the mandibular morphology. Full article

Myocardial infarction (MI) and heart failure (HF) are associated with low bone mineral density (BMD). We aimed to investigate whether MI and HF directly cause bone loss using three different experimental models of cardiac injury. Firstly, terminal myocardial infarction was induced in adult wild-type mice by coronary ligation, followed by peripheral quantitative computed tomography (pQCT) and histomorphometric and biochemical analyses at 4 and 9 weeks post-infarction. Secondly, myocardial ischemia–reperfusion injury (I/R) was performed in 4- and 9-month-old rats, followed by bone phenotyping 4 weeks after injury. Finally, transverse aortic constriction (TAC) was performed in adult wild-type mice, double Fgf23/VDR (fibroblast growth factor-23/vitamin D receptor) mutants, and VDR-deficient mice to investigate bone changes in an HF model caused by afterload-induced cardiac hypertrophy, 4 and 6 weeks after TAC. We found unchanged BMD after MI, in both the terminal ischemia model in mice and in the myocardial I/R injury model in young and aged rats. On the other hand, TAC significantly reduced especially cortical BMD in femora. Global knockout of Fgf23 in Fgf23/VDR compound mutants did not rescue the TAC-induced skeletal phenotype. Collectively, our data demonstrate that TAC-induced HF, but not MI, is causing bone loss in mice in an FGF23-independent manner. Full article

Distinguishing peri-mortem trauma from heat-induced trauma is often a challenging aspect of forensic anthropology casework where fire has been used as a means of concealing evidence. This paper aims to explore the extent to which peri-mortem ballistic trauma characteristics are still present after burning and whether they can be distinguished from heat-induced fractures. This research used Sus domesticus femora and ribs that had been manually defleshed and shot with 7.92 × 57 mm Mauser ammunition at a shooting distance of 3 m, 10 m and 20 m. This type of firearm and ammunition were commonly used in a number of conflicts, such as the Spanish Civil War (1936–1939). The fracture patterns as a result of the ballistic trauma were analysed prior to placing the samples in an electric furnace, where they were heated at a peak temperature of 850 °C for 30 min. Post-burning, each fragment was analysed for ballistic and heat-induced trauma. Following reconstruction, entry and exit wound morphology and radiating fractures remained, with entry wounds being more clearly defined than exit wounds. Ballistic trauma characteristics such as bevelling were still apparent after burning. The results of this study reveal that pre-existing ballistic trauma is still identifiable after bones have been exposed to heat and it is possible to reconstruct the bones to gain a better interpretation. Full article

Background: Sex estimation from skeletal remains is important for forensic identification, but many methodologies focus on complete elements despite high fragmentation rates in operational contexts. The aim of this study was to develop and validate discriminant function equations for sex estimation between complete and fragmented Thai femora. Materials and Methods: A total of 560 adult femora (280 males and 280 females) were used for measurements of eight osteometric variables. Then, discriminant function analysis was applied to complete femora and anatomically isolated segments, including proximal, diaphyseal, and distal, with leave-one-out cross-validation. Results: All measurements showed significant sexual dimorphism, with percentage differences ranging from 6.56% to 42.27%. Complete femur stepwise analysis achieved 90.47% accuracy by using four optimally selected variables, performing comparably to eight-variable models. Isolated segment accuracies varied substantially: proximal segments achieved 89.64% accuracy, differing by only 0.83 percentage points from complete performance; distal segments demonstrated 86.25% accuracy from bicondylar width alone; and diaphyseal segments achieved 80.88%. Combined segment approaches demonstrated synergistic effects approaching complete femur performance. Conclusions: These population-specific equations provided validated methodologies for sex estimation from complete and fragmentary Thai femora. Anatomical region selection still maintained high classification accuracy despite skeletal incompleteness, in line with the fragmentary conditions commonly encountered in forensic and archeological contexts. Full article

Four species of the Cincticostella nigra (Uéno, 1928) complex (Ephemeroptera, Ephemerellidae) from Yunnan, China are described based on egg chorionic structure and nymph and winged stages, including C. wangi Selvakumar Martynov & Subramanian, 2021, C. funki Martynov, Selvakumar, Palatov & Vasanth, 2021, and two new species, viz., Cincticostella xiazhi Zi, Li & Jacobus, sp. nov. and Cincticostella yushui Zi, Li & Jacobus, sp. nov. The egg and winged stages of C. wangi and C. funki are described for the first time. Eggs of all four species have macroreliefs generally similar to one another and to other species in the genus. Male imagoes have preliminary species-level differences in the median convex lobes of the styliger plate and the shapes of the penis lobes themselves. The current delimitation of four complexes of Cincticostella is briefly discussed based on the nymph and winged stages. A partial phylogenetic reconstruction of Cincticostella based on the COI gene illustrates relations of representatives of the four complexes on the one hand and distinct delimitation of C. wangi, C. funki, C. xiazhi, sp. nov., and C. yushui, sp. nov. on the other. An updated list of species of Cincticostella is provided, along with a new key for the identification of nymphs of the C. nigra complex, which are distinguished primarily based on features of the abdominal terga, mesothoracic projections, tarsal claws, labrum emargination, setation of femora, and body color. Full article

This study analyzes the biomechanical performance of intramedullary nails made of titanium alloy (Ti-6Al-4V) and carbon fiber-reinforced polyetheretherketone (CFR-PEEK) for the treatment of proximal femoral fractures, with a focus on their effects under different bone density conditions representing young and osteoporotic bone. Using finite element models and analyses simulating mid-stance gait loading and incorporating muscle forces adjusted for age-related reduction, the load transfer and stress distribution were evaluated, along with the osteogenic index (OI) as a measure of biological stimulus for bone healing. Results showed that titanium nails produced lower bone stresses but caused significant proximal stress shielding, particularly in osteoporotic bone, which could impair healing. In contrast, CFR-PEEK nails exhibited higher and more uniformly distributed stresses along the femoral diaphysis and shifted the osteogenic stimulus into a range promoting more mature bone formation in both young and elderly femora. The composite material’s elastic modulus closer to bone and its orthotropic fiber arrangement contributed to these effects. The study concludes that CFR-PEEK nails offer a promising alternative to titanium by reducing stress shielding and enhancing the biomechanical environment favorable for fracture healing, especially in osteoporotic patients. Future work will include dynamic loading conditions and experimental validation to optimize implant design. Full article

Background/Objectives: Statins, widely prescribed for their lipid-lowering properties, also exert pleiotropic effects on various tissues, including bone. However, their osteogenic potential remains poorly defined due to variability in statin type, dosage, and experimental models. This study investigates the osteogenic effects of fluvastatin (FV) and simvastatin (SV) on the ex vivo embryonic chick femur model. Methods: Femora were cultured with logarithmic concentrations (0.1–10 µM) of FV or SV, followed by characterization via microcomputed tomography, histological analysis, and quantitative gene expression. Results: Both statins enhanced osteogenic outcomes at low concentrations (0.1–1 µM), as evidenced by increased bone volume fraction, trabecular organization, collagen matrix maturation, and mineral deposition. Molecular analysis revealed upregulation of key osteogenic markers—RUNX2, SPP1, and COL1A2—with no significant change in chondrogenic markers (SOX9, ACAN), indicating selective activation of osteogenic pathways. In contrast, higher-dose treatment (10 µM) attenuated these effects. Conclusions: These findings underscore the dose-dependent osteoinductive potential of statins and support their application in bone repair strategies within carefully defined therapeutic windows. Full article

Urbanization causes significant environmental and structural changes in habitats, one of them being increased fragmentation. Traits associated with increased locomotory capacity may be advantageous in such situations, as individuals with those traits may expand their home range or have a chance to escape the patch where conditions threaten their survival. Individuals of the forest specialist, flightless ground beetle Carabus convexus in urban habitats may respond to urbanization by increasing their locomotory capacity (increased muscle mass) with respect to their conspecifics in rural habitats. In order to test this hypothesis, morphological traits standardized for body size were assessed using linear mixed-effects models. Pronotum volume (as a proxy for muscle mass) showed no significant difference between urban and rural individuals. The size of the tibia and femur of the front, middle, and hind legs (a proxy for leg muscle mass) significantly differed between sexes, with males having significantly larger tibiae and femora than females. Furthermore, urban males had significantly larger hind tibiae than rural conspecifics. Sex-specific differences in tibia and femur size is expected because males usually have higher locomotory activity than females. Larger tibiae of urban males can be advantageous to extend their home range, ensuring that males find mating partners even in low-density urban populations. Full article

Background/Objectives: Osteoporosis is prevalent in the elderly and increases fracture risk. Bone density is commonly assessed using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA). The femoral cortical thickness index (CTI) also provides indirect information for osteoporosis. It remains unclear whether there are intra-individual differences and if a correlation to fracture risk of the CTI in fractured femora results due to fracture related malrotation during X-rays. The aim of this study was to investigate the individual bilateral CTI in patients with proximal femoral fractures. Methods: A retrospective analysis of 200 surgically treated patients (100 trochanteric, 100 femoral neck fractures) was performed. Measurements included the bilateral CTI at 10 and 15 cm below the lesser trochanter. Analysis of the correlation of those examinations, in comparison to the contralateral CTI at 15 cm, and correlation of the CTI with the body mass index (BMI) and age was performed. Results: Results showed significant differences (p < 0.001) in bilateral CTIs for both fracture types at 15 cm with a strong inter-rater reliability (ICC > 0.9). There was no significant correlation between age and CTI, as well as BMI and CTI in both cohorts (p > 0.1). Sex-specific subgroup analyses revealed that females exhibited significant differences in CTI between fractured and non-fractured sides (p < 0.001). Conclusions: In conclusion, CTI, and the modified CTI at 15 cm below the lesser trochanter in fractured proximal femora, is lower compared to the non-fractured side. The femoral CTI could help in daily clinical routines and circumstances, where more detailed risk prediction tools are lacking. Full article

Background: Cortical and marrow bone layer have different histomorphometric features. The traditional implant insertion technique provides for fixture stabilization through the cortical area. However, this approach has been found to result in an overstress of this bone layer, which may lead to resorption. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate bone healing by applying two different implant site preparation protocols across various bone densities. Materials and Methods: One implant was placed in each femur and tibia of the rabbits (four implants per animal), using two distinct site preparation methods: drilling alone or drilling followed by osteotomes (funnel technique). Three regions around the implant were evaluated: cervical, marrow, and apical. The study included 12 rabbits, divided into two groups of 6 animals each, which were euthanized at 3 and 6 weeks, respectively (n = 6 per group). Results: In the cervical region of both femur and tibia, no marginal bone resorption could be detected. Similar BIC% (bone-to-implant contact percentages) were observed for funnel and drill sites after 3 weeks and 6 weeks of healing. Differences, though not statistically significant, ranged between 2.8% and 4.7%. However, higher BIC% values were observed in the femora compared to the tibia in both periods. Conclusions: No marginal bone loss was observed in both techniques. No statistically significant differences in bone resorption or bone-to-implant contact around the implant collar were observed when comparing two implant site preparation protocols across various bone densities. The use of osteotome did not influence the healing in the marrow region. Full article