Pelvic reconstruction after hemipelvectomy can greatly improve the weight-bearing stability of the supporting skeleton and improve patients’ quality of life. Although an autograft can be used to reconstruct pelvic defects, the most suitable choice of autograft, i.e., the use of either femur or tibia, has not been determined. We aimed to analyze the mechanical stresses of a pelvic ring reconstructed using femur or tibia after hemipelvectomy using finite element (FE) analysis.

Background/Aims: Chondrocyte apoptosis is largely responsible for cartilage degeneration in osteoarthritis (OA). Interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) is widely used as a chondrocyte apoptosis-inducing agent, while lactoferrin (LF) is an anabolic reagent which has the potential to inhibit chondrocyte apoptosis. We assessed the effects of LF on cartilage degeneration in IL-1β-induced chondrocytes and in a rat model of OA, and explored the potential molecular mechanisms involved. Methods: Human articular chondrocytes (HACs) were treated with IL-1β alone or in combination with LF. MTT and flow cytometric assays were used to detect changes after treatment with LF. Western blotting was used to examine the relevant molecules regulating apoptosis. Results: We found that IL-1β reduced the viability of HACs, whereas 200 μg/mL of LF significantly counteracted the inhibitory effect of IL-1β. LF significantly inhibited IL-1β-induced HAC apoptosis. The protein expression of the apoptotic markers Caspase-3 and PARP was also significantly reduced in the LF treatment group when analyzed by western blotting. Furthermore, we found that LF triggered CREB1 phosphorylation in IL-1β-induced HAC apoptosis through AKT1 signaling. In addition, LF promoted the repair of articular cartilage damage in a rat OA model with elevated p-CREB levels. Conclusions: These studies suggest that LF has an anti-apoptotic effect on IL-1β-induced chondrocytes, and thus may be a promising novel therapeutic agent for OA.

The calcanail system is a novel intramedullary approach for calcaneal fractures but is believed to be insufficient to treat complex fractures. We propose a modified Calcanail technique by adding a transfixation screw to improve stability. The aim of this study was to evaluate the biomechanical stability of the modified Calcanail system and compare it with the traditional Calcanail system and plate fixation. A Sanders type-IIIAB calcaneal fracture model was built and simulated fixation with the three implants. A vertical loading of 700 N was applied to the subtalar joint surfaces, and the posteroinferior calcaneal tuberosity was fixed. Construct stiffness, fracture migration, and von Mises stress were assessed. The results showed the modified Calcanail system demonstrated the highest construct stiffness, smallest migration, and lowest von Mises stress among three fixations. The study suggested that the modified Calcanail system can provide comparatively sufficient stability, that makes it preferable to treat complex calcaneal fractures.