Bones play an important role in maintaining exercise and protecting organs. Bone defect, as a common orthopedic disease in clinics, can cause tremendous damage with long treatment cycles. Therefore, the treatment of bone defect remains as one of the main challenges in clinical practice. Today, with increased incidence of bone disease in the aging population, demand for bone repair material is high. At present, the method of clinical treatment for bone defects including non-invasive therapy and invasive therapy. Surgical treatment is the most effective way to treat bone defects, such as using bone grafts, Masquelet technique, Ilizarov technique etc. In recent years, the rapid development of tissue engineering technology provides a new treatment strategy for bone repair. This review paper introduces the current situation and challenges of clinical treatment of bone defect repair in detail. The advantages and disadvantages of bone tissue engineering scaffolds are comprehensively discussed from the aspect of material, preparation technology, and function of bone tissue engineering scaffolds. This paper also summarizes the 3D printing technology based on computer technology, aiming at designing personalized artificial scaffolds that can accurately fit bone defects.

Persistent chronic oxidative stress is a primary pathogenic characteristics of diabetic foot ulcers. Puffball spores are a traditional Chinese medicine used to treat diabetic foot ulcers infections and bedsores. However, their effects against diabetic wounds and the mechanism underlying these effects remain largely unknown. The present study explored the effectiveness of puffball spores in diabetic wound treatment and the mechanisms underlying their effects. Sprague-Dawley rats with streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetes were treated with puffball spores to ascertain whether they accelerated wound healing.Real-time quantitative PCR, western blotting, hematoxylin-eosin and Masson’s trichrome staining, immunohistochemistry analysis, and immunofluorescence assays were performed. As indicated by wound and serum histology and biochemical analyses, the puffball spores accelerated wound healing by activating Akt/Nrf2 signaling and promoting the expression of its downstream antioxidant genes, markedly stimulating antioxidant activity and enhanceing angiogenesis and collagen deposition. Our findings showed that puffball spores could accelerate diabetic wound healing, enhance antioxidant ability, promote the expression of vascular markers, and suppress inflammation, thus providing a theoretical basis for the treatment of diabetic and refractory wounds.

Calvatia gigantea (CG) is widely used as a traditional Chinese medicine for wound treatment. In this study, we aimed to determine the effects of CG extract (CGE) on diabetic wound healing and the commensal wound microbiome. A wound model was established using leptin receptor-deficient db/db mice, with untreated mice as the control group and CGE-treated mice as the treatment group. The wound healing rate, inflammation and histology were analyzed. Additionally, wound microbiome was evaluated via 16S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene sequencing. CGE significantly accelerated the healing of diabetic ulcer wounds, facilitated re-epithelialization, and downregulated the transcription levels of the inflammatory cytokines, interleukin-1β and tumor necrosis factor-α. Furthermore, CGE treatment positively affected the wound microbiome, promoting diversity of the microbial community and enrichment of Escherichia–Shigella bacteria in the CGE-treated group. Overall, CGE enhanced diabetic wound healing by modulating the wound microbiome and facilitating macrophage polarization during inflammation. These findings suggest modulation of the commensal wound microbiome using medicinal plants as a potential therapeutic strategy for diabetic wounds.

Idiopathic scoliosis (IS) caused by an unknown etiology is prevalent in primary and secondary school students. Early detection and prevention are challenging because of the limited knowledge about controllable risk factors and imbalances in body mechanics. In this study, we examined the potential causative factors of IS and its correlation with foot mechanics among 7-14 year-old students in northern Jiangsu Province, China. Based on a stratified whole cluster sampling, 4387 students were examined, of whom of whom 165 were diagnosed with scoliosis. Through logistic regression analysis, the following risk factors were identified: age group, female gender, thinness, unsuitable desk and chair heights, heavy schoolbags, backpack carried on one shoulder, daily sedentary time ≥ 10 h, daily playing electronic products time ≥ 2 h, daily physical activity time < 1 h, sports programs with unilateral limb power, lumbar and back fatigue, unequal thickness of worn soles on both feet and flat foot. When compared to healthy people, IS patients exhibit foot biomechanics characterized by a diagonal distribution of bilateral weight-bearing and walking instability, as well as poor balance function if they have an abnormal foot type, as in the case of flat foot. Our study revealed that the detection rate of scoliosis in primary and secondary school students in northern Jiangsu Province, China, is relatively is on the high side, so it is necessary to strengthen education and screening, concentrate on female students, and provide guidance on how to develop a healthy lifestyle and learning habits. Assessment of plantar pressure distribution and postural symmetry is an effective means of predicting scoliosis. Plantar pressure analysis can serve as an additional tool for assessing the risk of scoliosis.