Chondrosarcoma, a heterogeneous malignant bone tumor, commonly produces cartilage matrix, which generally has no response to conventional therapies. Studies have reported that MLN4924, a NEDD8-activating enzyme inhibitor, achieves antitumor effects against numerous malignancies. In this study, the suppressive effects of MLN4924 on human chondrosarcoma cell lines were investigated using in vitro and in vivo assays, which involved measuring cell viability, cytotoxicity, apoptosis, proliferation, cell cycles, molecule-associated cell cycles, apoptosis, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, and tumor growth in a xenograft mouse model. Our results demonstrated that MLN4924 significantly suppressed cell viability, exhibited cytotoxicity, and stimulated apoptosis through the activation of caspase-3 and caspase-7 in chondrosarcoma cell lines. Furthermore, MLN4924 significantly inhibited cell proliferation by diminishing the phosphorylation of histone H3 to cause G2/M cell cycle arrest. In addition, MLN4924 activated ER stress–related apoptosis by upregulating the phosphorylation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), enhancing the expression of GRP78 and CCAAT-enhancer-binding protein homologous protein (CHOP, an inducer of endoplasmic ER stress–related apoptosis) and activating the cleavage of caspase-4. Moreover, MLN4924 considerably inhibited the growth of chondrosarcoma tumors in a xenograft mouse model. Finally, MLN4924-mediated antichondrosarcoma properties can be accompanied by the stimulation of ER stress–related apoptosis, implying that targeting neddylation by MLN4924 is a novel therapeutic strategy for treating chondrosarcoma.

Spondylolisthesis refers to the displacement of a vertebral body relative to the vertrabra below it, which can cause radicular symptoms, back pain or leg pain. It usually occurs in the lower lumbar spine, especially in women over the age of 60. The prevalence of spondylolisthesis is expected to rise as the global population ages, requiring prudent action to promptly identify it in clinical settings. The goal of this study was to develop a computer-aided diagnostic (CADx) algorithm, LumbarNet, and to evaluate the efficiency of this model in automatically detecting spondylolisthesis from lumbar X-ray images. Built upon U-Net, feature fusion module (FFM) and collaborating with (i) a P-grade, (ii) a piecewise slope detection (PSD) scheme, and (iii) a dynamic shift (DS), LumbarNet was able to analyze complex structural patterns on lumbar X-ray images, including true lateral, flexion, and extension lateral views. Our results showed that the model achieved a mean intersection over union (mIOU) value of 0.88 in vertebral region segmentation and an accuracy of 88.83% in vertebral slip detection. We conclude that LumbarNet outperformed U-Net, a commonly used method in medical image segmentation, and could serve as a reliable method to identify spondylolisthesis.

Spinal sarcopenia is a complex and multifactorial disorder associated with a loss of strength, increased frailty, and increased risks of fractures and falls. In addition, spinal sarcopenia has been associated with lumbar spine disorders and osteoporosis, which renders making decisions on treatment modalities difficult. Patients with spinal sarcopenia typically exhibit lower cumulative survival, a higher risk of in-hospital complications, prolonged hospital stays, higher postoperative costs, and higher rates of blood transfusion after thoracolumbar spine surgery. Several studies have focused on the relationships between spinal sarcopenia, appendicular muscle mass, and bone-related problems—such as osteoporotic fractures and low bone mineral density—and malnutrition and vitamin D deficiency. Although several techniques are available for measuring sarcopenia, each of them has its advantages and shortcomings. For treating spinal sarcopenia, nutrition, physical therapy, and medication have been proven to be effective; regenerative therapeutic options seem to be promising owing to their repair and regeneration potential. Therefore, in this narrative review, we summarize the characteristics, detection methodologies, and treatment options for spinal sarcopenia, as well as its role in spinal disorders.

Robotic-arm-assisted unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (RUKA) was developed to increase the accuracy of bone alignment and implant positioning. This retrospective study explored whether RUKA has more favorable overall outcomes than conventional unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (CUKA). A total of 158 patients with medial compartment osteoarthritis were recruited, of which 85 had undergone RUKA with the Mako system and 73 had undergone CUKA. The accuracy of component positioning and bone anatomical alignment was compared using preoperative and postoperative radiograph. Clinical outcomes were evaluated using questionnaires, which the patients completed preoperatively and then postoperatively at six months, one year, and two years. In total, 52 patients from the RUKA group and 61 from the CUKA group were eligible for analysis. The preoperative health scores and Kellgren–Lawrence scores were higher in the RUKA group. RUKA exhibited higher implant positioning accuracy, thus providing a superior femoral implant angle, properly aligned implant placement, and a low rate of overhang. RUKA also achieved higher accuracy in bone anatomical alignment (tibial axis angle and anatomical axis angle) than CUKA, but surgical time was longer, and blood loss was greater. No significant differences were observed in the clinical outcomes of the two procedures.

There are no published reports that compare the outcomes of video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) and minimal access spinal surgery (MASS) in anterior spinal reconstruction. We conducted a retrospective case-control study in a single center and systematically reviewed the literature to compare the efficacy and safety of VATS and MASS in anterior thoracic (T) and thoracolumbar junctional (TLJ) spinal reconstruction. From 1995 to 2012, there were 111 VATS patients and 76 MASS patients treated at our hospital. VATS patients had significantly (p<0.001) longer operating times and significantly (p<0.022) higher thoracotomy conversion rates. We reviewed 6 VATS articles and 10 MASS articles, in which there were 625 VATS patients and 399 MASS patients. We recorded clinical complications and a thoracotomy conversion rate from our cases and the selected articles. The incidence of approach-related complications was significantly (p=0.021) higher in VATS patients. The conversion rate was 2% in VATS patients and 0% in MASS patients (p=0.001). In conclusion, MASS is associated with reduction in operating time, approach-related complications, and the thoracotomy conversion rate.

Little is known about the function of acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) in bone cells or osteoporotic vertebral fractures (OVF). This study delineated ASICs expression in adult human bone marrow-mesenchymal stem cells- (BM-MSC-) derived osteoblasts and in OVF bone cells. Adult BM-MSC-derived osteoblasts were isolated and cultured in different pH values. Osteogenic markers as alkaline phosphatase (ALP), osteopontin (OPN), and osteocalcin (OC) mRNA were assessed. Western blots method was applied to analyze ASICs protein expression in different pH values. Amiloride was added into the osteogenic media to analyze the Na⁺/K⁺ ATPase change. We harvested the vertebral cancellous bone through a bone biopsy needle in 26 OVF patients when performing percutaneous vertebroplasty. Six vertebral bone specimens obtained from 4 patients with high-energy vertebral fractures were used as the control. The reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction was performed to analyze the quantitative mRNA expression of ASICs. Osteogenic markers as ALP, OPN, and OC mRNA were higher expressed in increasing pH values throughout osteoblastogenesis. ASIC proteins were higher expressed in lower pH media, especially ASIC3, and ASIC4. The highest protein expression at days 7, 14, and 21 was ASIC2, ASIC4, and ASIC3, respectively. Expression of Na⁺/K⁺ ATPase was significantly decreased in cultured osteoblasts by addition of amiloride into the pH 6.9 osteogenic media. ASIC2 mRNA was most highly expressed with a 65.93-fold increase in the biopsied vertebral bone cells in OVF compared with the control. In conclusion, we found osteoblastogenesis was reduced in an acidic environment, and ASIC2, ASIC3, and ASIC4 were most highly expressed in turn during osteoblastogenesis within acidic media. ASIC2 was the most abundantly expressed gene in human bone cells in OVF compared with the control. ASIC2 could be crucial in the pathogenesis of osteoporosis and could serve as a therapeutic target for antiosteoporotic therapies.