Search Results (6,554)

The aim of this meta-analysis was to synthesize current evidence on inter-limb asymmetries in youth athletes and to determine their magnitude, developmental determinants, and functional relevance. The review followed PRISMA 2020 guidelines, and the protocol was registered in PROSPERO. Six databases were searched from inception to October 2025. Studies assessing asymmetry as a between-limb difference in athletes aged 6–18 years were included. A total of 25 studies (N = 4125) were included qualitatively, with 24 included in the quantitative analyses. Meta-analyses were conducted for comparable outcomes (single-leg countermovement jump [SLCMJ], change of direction speed [COD], association with sprint performance, and maturation effects) using random-effects models and heterogeneity assessment (I², τ²). Mean asymmetry was 10.8% for SLCMJ (95% CI: 6.7–14.9; I² = 78%) and 7.4% for COD (95% CI: 0.5–14.2; I² = 64%). The association between asymmetry and sprint performance was small and not statistically significant (r = −0.27; 95% CI: −0.55 to 0.07). Maturation analysis showed a moderate effect (d = 0.35; 95% CI: 0.18–0.52), with peak asymmetry around peak height velocity (PHV). Heterogeneity was mainly explained by sport-specific demands and methodological differences. Asymmetries of approximately 10% are commonly observed in youth athletes in single-leg jump and change of direction tests, but their clinical relevance likely depends on sport-specific demands, maturation status, and testing modality, and should not be interpreted as a universal normative threshold. The lack of prospective injury data prevents the establishment of universal clinical thresholds. In conclusion, inter-limb asymmetries are common and developmentally dynamic in youth athletes, with functional relevance depending on biological and sport-specific context. Future research should prioritize methodological standardization and prospective designs. Full article

Osteoradionecrosis of the jaw (ORNJ) remains one of the most severe late complications of head and neck radiotherapy. Current evidence suggests that ORNJ is a progressive and biologically heterogeneous disorder driven by microvascular injury, chronic hypoxia, oxidative stress, fibro-atrophic remodeling, impaired bone turnover, immune dysregulation, and systemic susceptibility factors. Within this complex pathogenic network, heat shock protein 27 (HSP27) emerges as a biologically plausible but unexplored mediator. HSP27 regulates multiple stress-response pathways, including redox homeostasis, cytoskeletal stabilization, endothelial protection, apoptosis control, fibroblast activation, and osteoblast–osteoclast function, all of which overlap with key mechanisms implicated in ORNJ. However, no studies have directly investigated HSP27 expression, activation, or functional significance in irradiated mandibular tissues or ORNJ-specific cohorts. This review summarizes current knowledge of ORNJ pathobiology, examines potential mechanistic links with HSP27, and outlines future research priorities involving biomarker development, tissue-level characterization, preclinical modeling, and therapeutic targeting. Integrating HSP27 into ORNJ research may improve understanding of pathogenesis, risk stratification, and the development of novel preventive and therapeutic strategies. Full article

Background/Objectives: Oral mucosal injury is a frequent complication in oncologic and surgical settings, significantly affecting patient quality of life. Zinc L-carnosine (ZnC) is a cytoprotective compound with anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and epithelial reparative properties. This systematic review evaluated its protective and healing effects on oral mucosa. Methods: A systematic search followed PRISMA guidelines was conducted across PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library (2015–2026). Randomized and non-randomized controlled studies assessing ZnC in patients with or at risk of oral mucosal injury were included. Risk of bias was evaluated using RoB 2 and ROBINS-I tools. Meta-analyses were conducted under both common- and random-effects models. The certainty of evidence was evaluated according to the GRADE guidelines. Results: Eight studies (n = 544) were included. Six non-randomized studies showed moderate or serious risk of bias, while randomized trials presented some concerns. ZnC was administered in different formulations, including mouthwashes, lozenges, and mucoadhesive suspensions based on sodium alginate, polyacrylic acid, and carboxyvinyl polymer, and across different clinical settings. Meta-analysis showed a reduced incidence of severe oral mucositis (grade ≥3) under the Common Effect model (OR 0.48; 95% CI 0.32–0.72), although statistical significance was not maintained under random-effects models (OR 0.44; 95% CI 0.18–1.06). Similar results were observed for grade ≥2 mucositis. According to the GRADE assessment, the certainty of evidence was low for oral mucositis outcomes and very low for oral mucosal healing. Only one study suggested improved surgical wound healing. No serious adverse events were reported. Conclusions: ZnC may support oral mucosal protection and healing, particularly in preventing oral mucositis. However, substantial heterogeneity and limited high-quality randomized evidence restrict the strength of conclusions. Further well-designed randomized trials are needed. Full article

The rising burden of diabetic kidney disease (DKD) and its associated lipid abnormalities underscores the need for new mechanistic insights. Uromodulin, a kidney-enriched protein, has been associated with metabolic disorders in human studies, yet its functional role in systemic lipid metabolism remains elusive. In this study, transcriptomic datasets were analyzed to investigate uromodulin expression and biological function in DKD. Subsequently, a diabetic model was induced in UMOD^+/+ and UMOD^−/− rats using a combination of a high-fat diet, unilateral nephrectomy, and streptozotocin to assess renal and metabolic phenotypes. Public RNA-seq data indicated that uromodulin expression was downregulated in DKD and was enriched in the fatty acid metabolism pathway. At baseline, UMOD^−/− rats resembled UMOD^+/+ rats in terms of growth, routine serum lipids, and major organ function. However, in diabetes, UMOD^−/− rats exhibited higher mortality and pronounced hyperlipidemia. Hyperlipidemia occurred prior to the onset of renal dysfunction. Of note, this exacerbated lipid dysregulation represented a lipodystrophy-like phenotype rather than secondary changes in the pancreas, liver, or circulating cytokines (IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α). Moreover, UMOD^−/− rats displayed exacerbated tubular injury and enhanced renal lipid accumulation in DKD relative to UMOD^+/+ rats. Collectively, uromodulin protects diabetic rats from death, prevents epididymal white adipose tissue from browning, and attenuates kidney injury. Our findings identify uromodulin as a novel regulator of the kidney–adipose axis. Full article

Despite advances in liver machine perfusion (MP), ischemia–reperfusion injury (IRI) remains a major challenge in liver transplantation, with energetic stress and mitochondrial dysfunction recognized as key drivers of damage exacerbation. We investigated whether fractions enriched with extracellular vesicles (EVs) derived from mesenchymal stromal cells can preserve energetic homeostasis in rat livers undergoing normothermic MP (NMP). An established NMP rat model was used (n = 5 per group). After procurement, livers underwent NMP for 4 h, preceded or not by 30 min cold ischemia (CI). EVs (NMP + EVs and CI + NMP + EVs) or saline (NMP and CI + NMP) were randomly administered to the perfusion fluid. Perfusate samples were collected throughout the procedure, and biopsies were taken at the end of NMP. Ischemic livers exhibited succinate accumulation, flavin mononucleotide (FMN) release, activation of reverse electron transport, and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) depletion. EV treatment effectively counteracted these effects, restoring a metabolic profile comparable to that of non-ischemic livers. Moreover, EVs improved adenosine monophosphate/ATP ratios and prevented AMP-activated protein kinase activation, a key energy-stress sensor. Furthermore, EVs reduced oxidative stress markers, cell death mediators, and pro-inflammatory cytokines, indicating a broad cytoprotective and anti-inflammatory effect. These findings support the potential of EVs to preserve mitochondrial function, restore energy balance, and reduce inflammation, thereby improving liver cell viability during NMP. Full article

Background: Intraoperative vascular injuries during elective hip and knee arthroplasty are uncommon but limb-threatening complications. Real-world evidence on emergency on-call vascular management in this setting remains limited. We aimed to identify the intraoperative ischemia time threshold associated with progression to a more severe ischemic presentation (Rutherford IIb) at vascular consultation, in order to support early multidisciplinary activation and prevent irreversible ischemic limb damage. As a secondary aim, we described the clinical spectrum, treatment strategies, and 30-day outcomes of patients managed by a 24 h on-call vascular service (in-hospital coverage during working hours, formal on-call rota out of hours). Non-ischaemic events recorded in the series (e.g., isolated venous injuries and haemorrhagic complications) are documented as part of the overall clinical spectrum but were not the subject of specific time-related analysis. Methods: Single-centre retrospective analysis of 33 consecutive patients undergoing emergency vascular intervention for vascular injury during elective total knee (TKA) or total hip arthroplasty (THA) at a tertiary orthopaedic referral centre in Milan, Italy (January 2023—December 2025). The primary analytical objective was to identify the intraoperative ischemia time threshold associated with Rutherford IIb presentation at vascular consultation; 30-day limb salvage was the primary clinical outcome. Secondary outcomes included technical success, primary 30-day patency, postoperative ankle–brachial index (ABI), length of stay, and Clavien–Dindo complications. Non-ischaemic events (including isolated venous injuries and haemorrhagic complications) are documented as part of the clinical spectrum but were not subject to specific time-related analysis. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis assessed the discriminative role of intraoperative ischemia time for a Rutherford IIb presentation; univariate logistic regression explored predictors of postoperative complications. Results: Thirty-three patients (mean age 76.3 ± 6.3 years; 54.5% female; ≥2 comorbidities in 81.8%) underwent emergency vascular repair after TKA (60.6%) or THA (39.4%). Injuries were mixed arteriovenous (54.5%), purely venous (24.2%), or purely arterial (21.2%). Mean call-to-incision time was 45.4 ± 11.3 min. In the 25 ischemic cases, the mean intraoperative ischemia time was 130.4 ± 18.7 min. ROC analysis identified an optimal cut-off of 131 min for Rutherford IIb (AUC 0.851, 95% CI 0.679–0.982; p < 0.001), with sensitivity 81.8% and specificity 85.7%. Median ischemia time was significantly higher in IIb than IIa cases (144 vs. 124.5 min; p = 0.003). Technical success and 30-day limb salvage were 100% (95% CI 89.6–100); mean postoperative ABI 0.89 ± 0.03; primary 30-day patency 88.0% (95% CI 70.0–95.8), with secondary patency 100%. All postoperative complications were Clavien–Dindo grade 1; no Clavien–Dindo ≥ 2 events and no 30-day mortality were observed. Conclusions: A dedicated 24 h on-call vascular service achieves excellent 30-day limb salvage and patency in iatrogenic vascular injuries occurring during arthroplasty. An intraoperative ischemia threshold of 131 min identifies higher-risk presentations and supports rapid multidisciplinary activation in high-volume orthopaedic centres. Full article

Background: Normalized strength outcomes and limb symmetry indices (LSIs) are widely used but poorly characterized across testing conditions, and it is unclear if these vary by sex. This study aimed, first, to investigate sex-related differences in normalized knee flexor strength and LSI values across multiple strength-testing conditions in healthy recreational athletes, and, second, to descriptively examine associations among strength outcomes obtained under different testing conditions within female and male participants. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 52 healthy, recreationally active adults (26 females and 26 males) underwent bilateral knee flexor strength testing using three force plate-based isometric assessments, one static dynamometer-based isometric assessment, and three isokinetic dynamometer-based assessments. Differences were analyzed with a mixed analysis of variance (ANOVA), and associations were assessed using Pearson correlations. Results: Males showed higher normalized knee flexor strength than females across all testing conditions (main effect of sex: p < 0.001; partial η² = 0.334–0.371), with the magnitude of these sex-related differences varying across testing conditions (sex-by-testing condition interaction: p < 0.001; partial η² = 0.215–0.230). LSI values did not differ by sex (p = 0.896) and remained consistent across testing conditions (p = 0.385). Correlations were generally stronger within force plate-based and isokinetic dynamometer-based assessments (r = 0.528–0.922) than between different testing conditions. Conclusions: Sex-related differences were observed for normalized knee flexor strength but not for LSI values. Strength outcomes obtained under different testing conditions should not be considered directly interchangeable. Full article

Background: The left atrial appendage (LAA) is the predominant site of thrombus formation in atrial fibrillation. Current percutaneous LAA occlusion devices require permanent implants. A catheter-based, non-implant mechanical inversion strategy may offer an alternative approach to stroke prevention. Objectives: To assess the feasibility of vacuum-assisted catheter-based inversion of the LAA using transseptal aspiration in a swine model. Methods: A 59-kg domestic swine underwent transseptal access via the right femoral vein under fluoroscopy, transesophageal echocardiography (TEE), and intracardiac echocardiography (ICE). A 22-F aspiration catheter was advanced into the left atrium and positioned at the LAA apex. Negative pressure was generated manually with a 60-mL syringe attached to the aspiration port, and sequential suction–traction maneuvers were performed to induce LAA inversion. Procedural feasibility, hemodynamic stability, imaging changes, and gross pathology were assessed. Results: LAA suction and inversion were feasible. Sequential negative pressure applications resulted in complete inversion, confirmed by multiplane TEE. A mild, non-hemodynamically significant pericardial effusion occurred. Necropsy showed focal apex injury consistent with catheter stiffness and suction forces. Conclusions: Catheter-based vacuum-assisted LAA inversion was technically feasible in this acute swine experiment. However, chronic survival studies are required to evaluate durability of inversion, tissue healing, thrombogenicity, and long-term safety before clinical translation can be considered. Full article

The accumulation of training and competition loads represents a critical determinant of musculoskeletal injury risk in professional team sports, yet contemporary monitoring systems remain limited by their reliance on single-domain temporal analysis that overlooks the multi-scale rhythmic patterns inherent in athletic workload signals. This study introduces FDTM (frequency-aware dual-stream temporal model), a deep learning framework that jointly encodes time-domain dependencies and frequency-domain spectral signatures from digital athlete monitoring streams to predict individual injury risk over a forward-looking seven-game horizon. The framework integrates a stacked bidirectional long short-term memory branch augmented with temporal self-attention pooling, a spectral encoding branch employing discrete Fourier transform decomposition across high-frequency (weekly), mid-frequency (bi-weekly), and low-frequency (seasonal) bands, and a cross-modal gated attention fusion module that adaptively balances temporal and spectral representations conditioned on player context. We evaluate FDTM on three heterogeneous public sports datasets spanning basketball (NBA game-log corpus 2013–2023), Australian rules football (AFL Player Workload Dataset), and soccer (SoccerMon open monitoring corpus), comprising 612 athletes and 247,830 player-game observations across ten competitive seasons. FDTM achieves AUC-ROC values of 0.858, 0.833, and 0.821 on the three datasets respectively, outperforming the strongest deep-learning baseline (FEDformer) by 2.0 to 3.3 percentage points and the strongest non-spectral baseline (TCN) by 3.2 to 4.5 percentage points while maintaining a Brier score below 0.04. Ablation studies confirm that the spectral branch contributes 5.1 percent to overall discriminative performance. SHAP attribution analyses identify high-frequency weekly components as the dominant injury-relevant signal, followed by low-frequency seasonal trends and the cumulative acute-to-chronic workload temporal feature, with gating-weight visualizations revealing dynamic modality contributions consistent with established sports science theory. Direct spectral analysis of the raw workload signal confirms that injury-preceding windows exhibit significantly elevated weekly-band power across all three datasets (Mann–Whitney U test, p < 1 × 10⁻⁷), and the architectural advantage is shown to be robust across 30 independent training seeds. These findings suggest that frequency-aware modeling may serve as a transferable methodology for sports engineering applications in injury prevention, return-to-play planning, and individualized rehabilitation, pending further external validation in female athletes and additional team sports. Full article

Background: In-hospital falls are common adverse events associated with injuries, functional decline, prolonged length of stay, and increased healthcare costs, which require effective and sustained nursing interventions. Objective: To identify, through a Systematic Literature Review, which nursing care interventions are effective in reducing the incidence/rate of falls among inpatients in hospital settings. Methods: A systematic literature review was conducted using the JBI methodology. The review was guided by the PICO framework (P: inpatients; I: nursing care interventions; C: usual care; O: incidence of accidental falls). A comprehensive search was performed in the MEDLINE, CINAHL, and Scopus databases. Studies were included if they evaluated nursing-led or nursing-related interventions aimed at fall prevention and reported fall-related results. Eligible study designs included randomized controlled trials, quasi-experimental studies, observational studies, and quality improvement initiatives. Study selection, data extraction, and critical appraisal were conducted according to JBI recommendations. Results: Six studies were included (quasi-experimental, cohort, prospective/observational, and quality improvement projects). Two main themes emerged: (1) structured multifactorial and educational interventions and (2) technology-based interventions. Multifactorial approaches that combine risk assessment, education, communication, and environmental measures have been shown to improve adherence and reduce falls. Technology-based interventions, especially video monitoring, showed the most consistent reductions in fall rates, including fewer nighttime falls and decreased need for one-to-one observation. The included studies were methodologically heterogeneous in design, clinical setting, and outcome definitions, which precluded statistical pooling and warrants caution in the interpretation of the findings. Conclusions: Structured, standardized, multifactorial, and nursing-led approaches can contribute to reducing inpatient falls. However, more robust and comparable studies are required to consolidate practice-relevant recommendations. Full article

Sharps injuries and biological exposures remain a leading occupational safety risk in healthcare training environments. Preventing such injuries requires not only trainees’ declarative knowledge of biological hazards, but their threat appraisal—the cognitive process through which individuals evaluate personal risk and that motivates consistent adherence to standard precautions in practice. This cross-sectional study (N = 581) examined whether biological risk knowledge predicts cognitive threat appraisal in Italian health professions students surveyed prior to their first supervised clinical internship, and whether this relationship varies by gender. Drawing on Protection Motivation Theory (PMT), a multiple linear regression showed that biological risk knowledge significantly predicted personalized threat appraisal (β = 0.214, p < 0.001). Gender was also associated with threat appraisal, with female students reporting higher levels than male peers at equivalent knowledge levels (β = 0.184, p = 0.035). The overall model explained 16% of variance in threat appraisal (adjusted R² = 0.150), indicating that mandatory pre-placement occupational safety training is associated with risk appraisal activation, but only partially, and that a causal interpretation requires longitudinal confirmation. These findings suggest that knowledge transmission alone is insufficient to reduce biological risk exposure in clinical settings: appraisal-activating components—including scenario-based learning and near-miss incident review—should be integrated into occupational safety curricula for health professions students, with attention to gender differences in risk perception. Full article

Codonopsis lanceolata has long been used in traditional medicine across East Asia; however, recent scientific investigations have increasingly highlighted its broad therapeutic potential. This review provides an updated and comprehensive overview of the pharmacological properties of C. lanceolata and its bioactive constituents, focusing on their roles in disease prevention and therapy. Evidence from in vitro, in vivo, and limited clinical studies suggests that C. lanceolata possesses antidiabetic, anti-obesity, and anti-cancer properties while showing protective effects in experimental models of cardiovascular dysfunction, liver injury, neurodegenerative disorders, skeletal muscle atrophy, and pulmonary damage. Additionally, its immunomodulatory effects contribute to improved host defense and regulation of inflammatory responses. These diverse actions are mediated by mechanisms involving antioxidant activity, inhibition of inflammatory signaling, regulation of metabolic pathways, modulation of apoptosis, and maintenance of tissue integrity. Despite promising findings, challenges remain regarding extract standardization, identification of key active compounds, and the translation of preclinical results into clinical efficacy. Future research integrating molecular, pharmacokinetic, and clinical approaches is essential to clarify the therapeutic value and establish its potential as a nutraceutical or therapeutic agent. This review highlights the promising pharmacological potential and identifies key directions for future research to support its potential application in modern medicine. Full article

Background/Objectives: Despite the growing popularity of specialised training interventions aimed at developing motor abilities relevant to combat sports, scientific evidence regarding their effectiveness in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) remains limited. This study aimed to estimate the effects of the experimental Grappler Quest (GQ) training program on the motor fitness profile of BJJ athletes and to explore whether training experience was associated with the magnitude of training-related changes. Methods: In this randomised trial, 44 competitive male BJJ athletes were allocated to an experimental group (EXP; n = 22) or a control group (CON; n = 22). Both groups followed an 8-week training protocol: the EXP group performed the structured GQ program, consisting of small circuit-based workouts, including resistance, plyometric, gymnastic, and BJJ-related exercises, whereas the CON group followed a standard BJJ training cycle. The motor profile was assessed before and after the intervention (pretest vs. posttest) using selected motor tests. The prespecified primary outcomes were strength-endurance performance in the bench press and squat performed with 50% body mass. Other motor-performance outcomes were treated as secondary or exploratory. Associations between training experience and intervention-related changes were analysed exploratorily. Results: ANCOVA of adjusted post-intervention means indicated between-group differences favouring the EXP group. Large effects were observed for the primary strength-endurance outcomes: bench press at 50% body mass (η² = 0.52) and squat at 50% body mass (η² = 0.40). Large effects were also observed for selected secondary outcomes, including pull-ups with a judogi (η² = 0.39), trunk flexibility (η² = 0.49), and maximal straddle sitting position (η² = 0.37) (all p < 0.001). After Benjamini–Hochberg false discovery rate adjustment, most between-group differences remained statistically significant, although secondary outcomes should be interpreted cautiously. In EXP, improvements were observed across multiple outcomes, including 1RM bench press (mean gain $\tilde{\mathrm{x}}$ = 5.23 kg), 1RM squat ($\tilde{\mathrm{x}}$ = 4.27 kg), pull-ups ($\tilde{\mathrm{x}}$ = 1.91 reps), judo-gi hangs (bent arms $\tilde{\mathrm{x}}$ = 3.91 s; straight arms $\tilde{\mathrm{x}}$ = 4.90 s), and flamingo balance ($\tilde{\mathrm{x}}$ = 4.59 s) (all p < 0.001). In the EXP group, exploratory correlations suggested that shorter training experience was generally associated with greater conditioning-related improvements, whereas flexibility and balance showed the opposite pattern. Conclusions: The GQ intervention package was associated with greater improvements in the motor fitness profile than standard BJJ training. The findings support the potential usefulness of structured circuit-based conditioning as an adjunct to standard BJJ practice, particularly for strength-endurance development. However, the study does not allow the isolated effect of the specific GQ exercise content to be separated from the effect of adding a structured conditioning block, and no direct conclusions can be drawn regarding injury prevention or return-to-play outcomes. Full article

Corneal transparency depends on quiescence of stromal cells derived from neural crest cells and a well-controlled extracellular matrix. Disruption of this homeostasis causes fibrotic scarring, a leading cause of blindness. Transforming growth factor-β/Smad3 signaling drives corneal fibrogenesis, but the distinct roles of Smad2 versus Smad3 remain unclear. Smad2 ablation in neural crest cells using Wnt1-Cre mice triggers spontaneous severe corneal opacification along with massive stromal hypercellularity and fibrosis. The fibrotic phenotype occurs in the absence of injury, indicating that Smad2 is essential for balancing Smad3 activity in driving fibrotic signaling. Single-cell RNA sequencing and virtual knockout of Smad2 reveal prominent activation of Smad3-Yes-associated protein (YAP)/TEAD2-transcriptional program in Smad2-null corneas. Biochemical assays confirm that Smad2 loss results in increased Smad3 phosphorylation and formation of nuclear Smad3–YAP–TEAD2 complex. This trimeric complex induces the expression of collagen I, connective tissue growth factor, and cyclin D1. Importantly, pharmacologic inhibition of YAP/TEAD interaction with verteporfin blocks stromal hyperplasia and corneal fibrosis by suppressing the expression of fibrotic and cell cycle genes, which lead to restoration of corneal transparency in Smad2-neural crest-deficient mice. Our findings reveal a unique convergence of YAP/TEAD and TGF-β/Smad3 signaling that can be targeted with verteporfin to prevent corneal scarring and blindness. Full article

Background/Objectives: Improving the prevention and management of pressure injuries requires adequate nursing knowledge. In this context, understanding the current knowledge levels of nurses is important for informing educational and organizational strategies. This study aimed to assess the pressure injury knowledge of nurses at the national level and examine differences according to their educational, professional, and informational characteristics. Methods: A national cross-sectional quantitative study was conducted in public secondary-level hospitals in the Republic of Croatia. A total of 1139 participants from 19 hospitals across all four geographical regions of Croatia participated. The PZ-PUNKT instrument was used, and an analysis was conducted using descriptive and bivariate inferential statistics. Results: Participants with bachelor’s and master’s degrees achieved higher PZ-PUKT scores than those with secondary education (p = 0.026 to < 0.001), although the effect sizes were very small (ε² = 0.008–0.017). Significant differences were observed across clinical departments (p < 0.001; ε² = 0.03–0.04), whereas no statistically significant differences were found according to the frequency of working with patients with pressure injuries (p > 0.05). Participants who reported recently attending educational activities, consulting the professional literature, or searching for information achieved higher knowledge scores across all domains (p < 0.001); however, the effect sizes remained small (ε² = 0.034–0.060; rpb = 0.133–0.214). Conclusions: Although the observed effect sizes were generally small, higher knowledge scores were observed among nurses who reported recent engagement with educational activities, the professional literature, and information-seeking behaviors. No significant differences were identified according to the frequency of working with patients with pressure injuries. These findings provide a national overview of pressure injury knowledge among Croatian nurses and may inform future educational initiatives and research. Full article