Osteoarthritis (OA) is one of the most prevalent degenerative joint diseases in older adults and a leading cause of disability. Recent research studies have evidenced the importance of mi-croRNAs (miRs) in the pathogenesis of OA. In the present review, we focused on current literature findings on dysregulated miRs involved in the pathophysiology of OA. From the 35 case-control studies including OA patients compared to healthy controls, a total of 54 human miRs were identified to be dysregulated in OA. In total, 41 miRs were involved in the pathophysiological processes of OA, including apoptosis, inflammation, and proliferation, having either a protective or a progressive role in OA. The discovery of altered miR levels in OA patients compared to healthy controls determines a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in the pathophysiology of OA and could open novel horizons in the field of orthopedics.

Background: Schatzker type II fractures usually need to be grafted. Autograft bone from the iliac crest represents the gold standard, but it comes with high rates of morbidity on the donor side. Sticky bone is one of the regenerative therapies that aims to find new solutions to treat bone defects and to overcome the limitation of conventional options regarding bone grafts, due to their content in growth factors, which offer osteo-induction and osteo-conduction properties. Notably, regenerative dentistry has been at the forefront of applying these products in bone regeneration, demonstrating that PRF produces a highly promising “sticky bone” when combined with bone chips. To the best of our knowledge, this grafting technique has not been used in the orthopedic field to date. Methods: The subject was a 53-year-old woman with a Schatzker type II tibial plateau fracture, for which a new autologous bone grafting technique, i.e., sticky bone, was used for the treatment of the fracture. Results: This case reports the effectiveness of sticky bone as autologous bone graft used in Shatzker type II tibial plateau fracture. As an indispensable component of regenerative medicine, it seems to be an ideal biologic graft with a fibrin-rich structure that provides effective treatment in impressed tibial plateau fractures. Conclusion: Sticky bone showed promising results and should be considered in the future as an appropriate bone implant.

Background: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a prevalent joint condition causing pain and disability, especially in the elderly. Currently, OA diagnosis relies on clinical data and imaging, but recent interest in metabolomics suggests that early biochemical changes in biofluids, particularly synovial fluid (SF), could enable an earlier diagnosis and understanding of the disease. Methods: In this regard, we conducted a lipidomics study in 33 plasma and SF samples from OA patients and 20 OA-free controls to assess the diagnostic value of various lipid metabolites, using UHPLC-QTOF-ESI+MS. Results: In plasma samples, 25 metabolites had area-under-the-curve (AUC) values higher than 0.9, suggesting a very good diagnostic potential for phosphatidic acid PA (16:0/16:0), PA (34:0), phosphatidylethanolamine PE (34:2), glucosylceramide, phosphatidylcholine PC (32:1), and other metabolites while in SF 20, metabolites had AUC values higher than 0.8, the vast majority belonging to lipid metabolism as well. Conclusions: Although the results align with the previous literature, larger cohort studies are necessary to confirm the diagnostic value of the lipid metabolites.

Background: Pulmonary embolism (PE) remains a major cause of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Classical risk factors explain only part of the interindividual variability in thrombotic risk. Non-O blood groups are associated with higher plasma levels of von Willebrand factor and factor VIII, suggesting a potential prothrombotic mechanism. This systematic review and limited meta-analysis examined the relationship between ABO blood group and PE risk. Methods: Following PRISMA 2020 guidelines, PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science were searched through August 2025 for observational studies reporting ABO blood group and objectively confirmed PE in adults. Eligible designs included cohort, case–control, and registry-based studies. Two reviewers independently extracted data and assessed risk of bias using the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale. Comparable effect estimates were pooled using a random-effects model (DerSimonian–Laird method, inverse-variance weighting). Results: Four studies met inclusion criteria, comprising more than 300,000 participants from North America, Europe, and Asia. All reported a higher incidence of PE among non-O compared with O blood groups. Pooled analysis of two large population-based cohorts yielded a summary relative risk of 1.36 (95% CI 1.20–1.54; I² = 2.6%), indicating a modest but consistent association. Data on recurrence, severity, and mortality were limited and heterogeneous. Conclusions: Non-O blood groups are associated with an approximately 30–40% higher risk of PE across diverse populations. While evidence is insufficient for causal inference, ABO phenotype represents a biologically plausible and readily available marker that may complement multifactorial models of thromboembolic risk.

The influence of COVID-19 infection on the association between ABO blood groups and early outcomes in patients with acute pulmonary embolism (PE) remains uncertain. We conducted a retrospective, single-center cohort study including adult patients admitted with a first episode of acute pulmonary embolism (PE). The interaction between ABO blood group (non-O vs. O) and COVID-19 status was evaluated using multivariable logistic regression models adjusted for PE severity assessed by the Pulmonary Embolism Severity Index (PESI). A total of 211 patients were included, of whom 95 (45.0%) were COVID-19-positive. Among COVID-19-positive patients, non-O blood groups were associated with significantly higher odds of invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV) compared with group O (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 12.87, 95% CI 4.17–39.75), whereas no association was observed among COVID-19–negative patients (aOR 1.20, 95% CI 0.45–3.23). No interaction was identified for 24 h mortality (p = 0.721) or systemic thrombolysis (p = 0.306). Higher PESI class was independently associated with an increased risk of adverse outcomes. ABO blood group modified the association between COVID-19 infection and early respiratory outcomes in acute PE. These findings suggest a potential role of ABO-related differences in coagulation and endothelial biology in the clinical expression of COVID-associated PE and should be interpreted as hypothesis-generating.

Background: ABO blood group is a well-established determinant of venous thromboembolism risk, largely attributed to differences in circulating von Willebrand factor and factor VIII levels. However, its influence on disease severity and short-term outcomes in acute pulmonary embolism (PE) remains uncertain. Methodology: In this retrospective single-center cohort study, 317 consecutive adult patients hospitalized with a first episode of acute PE were included. ABO blood group was categorized as O versus non-O for the primary analysis. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality. Secondary outcomes included Pulmonary Embolism Severity Index (PESI) score, thrombus localization on computed tomographic pulmonary angiography (CTPA), systemic thrombolysis, respiratory support requirement, infectious complications, sepsis, and ischemic stroke. Multivariable logistic regression was used to evaluate the independent association between ABO blood group and mortality, adjusting for age, sex, cancer history, and heart failure history. Results: In-hospital mortality occurred in 35 patients (11.0%). Mortality was 14.5% in group O and 10.1% in non-O patients (crude OR 0.66, 95% CI 0.30-1.45; p=0.414). In adjusted analysis, non-O blood group was not independently associated with mortality (adjusted OR 0.67, 95% CI 0.30-1.49; p=0.324). Secondary analyses showed no consistent associations between ABO blood group and baseline severity markers, thrombus localization, or most in-hospital complications. Conclusions: In this cohort of patients with acute PE, ABO blood group was not independently associated with short-term mortality or clinically meaningful markers of disease severity, suggesting that ABO phenotype does not substantially influence prognostic stratification once pulmonary embolism is established.