Osteomyelitis, a severe bone infection, poses a significant therapeutic challenge in both human and veterinary medicine, especially due to the increasing prevalence of antibiotic-resistant pathogens like methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Conventional treatments, including surgical debridement and systemic antibiotics, often prove inadequate due to the ability of bacteria to form biofilms and evade host immune responses. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), such as LL-37 and β-defensins, have emerged as a promising alternative therapeutic strategy. AMPs exhibit broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity, including efficacy against resistant strains, and possess immunomodulatory properties that can promote bone regeneration. This article comprehensively reviews AMP applications in treating osteomyelitis across both human and veterinary medicine. We discuss diverse therapeutic approaches, including free AMPs, their conjugation with biomaterials such as collagen and chitosan to enhance delivery and stability, and the development of AMP-based nanoparticles. Furthermore, we analyze preclinical and clinical findings, highlighting the efficacy and safety of AMPs in combating osteomyelitis in both human and animal patients. Finally, we explore future perspectives and challenges, such as optimizing delivery, stability, and efficacy, while minimizing cytotoxicity, and in translating AMP-based therapies into clinical practice to effectively manage this debilitating disease.

Background: Leg length discrepancy (LLD) is a common problem in the daily clinical practice of pediatric orthopedists. Surgical treatment using LLD temporary epiphysiodesis with eight-plate implants is a minimally invasive, safe, and well-tolerated procedure that provides good treatment effects with a relatively low percentage of complications. The main aim of this retrospective study was to determine the effect of epiphysiodesis on the shape of the proximal tibia. Methods: The retrospective study was based on medical records from 2010 to 2019. Radiographs taken before the epiphysiodesis and at 6-month intervals until the end of the treatment were investigated. A total of 60 patients treated for LLD were included in the study (24 girls, 36 boys). They were divided into three groups depending on the duration of the LLD treatment: group I (18 months), group II (30 months), and group III (42 months of treatment). Radiological parameters were assessed, including the roof angle (D), the slope angles (α and β), and the specific parameters of the tibial epiphysis, namely LTH (lateral tubercle height), MTH (medial tubercle height), and TW (tibial width). Results: The roof angle decreased in all the groups, which was accompanied by an increase in the β or α angle. LTH, MTH and TW also increased, and the differences before and after the treatment for the treated legs were statistically significant in all the studied groups. The greatest change in the shape of the articular surface of the proximal tibia occurred after 42 months of treatment. Conclusions: The study showed that epiphysiodesis affects the proximal tibial articular surface over prolonged treatment. Thus, there is a need for future long-term follow-up studies to elucidate the potential effects of LLD egalization.

Introduction: Macrophages are crucial immune cells that play a role in tissue repair and can exhibit pro- or anti-inflammatory behaviour based on environmental stimulation. Their functional phenotype can be affected by platelet-derived products as determined by those products’ composition. When the inflammatory response caused by implantation is excessive, it can lead to rejection of the implant. Therefore, a thorough evaluation of implant haemocompatibility is necessary to minimise undesirable consequences. Material and Methods: In an in vitro study, monocyte-derived macrophages (MDMs) were obtained from the whole blood of sheep after a silicon-doped diamond-like carbon–coated implant insertion. These MDMs were then exposed to autologous platelet-derived products for functional marker analysis. Results: Platelet-poor plasma (PPP) and pure platelet-rich plasma (P-PRP) stimulation increased arginase-1 activity, while leukocyte-rich PRP stimulation produced a mixed response involving higher O₂ ⁻ (6.49 ± 2.43 nM vs non-stimulated 3.51 ± 1.23 nM, P-value < 0.05) and NO (3.28 ± 1.38 μM vs non-stimulated 2.55 ± 0.32μM, P-value < 0.05) generation. Conclusion: Using PPP and P-PRP stimulation in post-implantation procedures may contribute to the polarisation of macrophages towards the M2-like pro-resolving phenotype, thereby accelerating wound healing. This would also prevent implant degradation due to an excessive inflammatory process.

Using NiTi alloys with shape memory for long-term medical implants requires modification of their surface due to the possible occurrence of corrosion. Hence, the surface of the staples used to join fractured bone within the craniofacial region was modified by applying a titanium oxy-nitrogen layer and a hydroxyapatite coating. Surface-modified clamps were tested in vivo using New Zealand white rabbits. After determining the mechanical characteristics of the bone and considering the initial state and surface modification, the diameter of the wire (used to make the clamps with the appropriate compression force) was selected. Implantation was performed on two groups of rabbits: experimental and control. In the experimental group, an intentionally induced bone fracture was treated in one tibia. On the second tibia, two additional clamps were applied to increase the possibility of a negative impact of the NiTi alloy on a living organism. After 6 weeks of application, a proper joining of the broken bone fragments was stated. Whereas after twelve weeks, no negative impact of the clamp material on a living organism, i.e., a rabbit, was found. Hence, the clamp with the modified surface can connect bone fragments in humans as well as small and medium-sized animals, with an extended range of use up to 12 weeks.

Ozone (O₃) is a reactive oxidant increasingly applied in biomedical settings, yet its dose-dependent effects on innate immune cells, particularly those from non-human species, remain insufficiently defined. Within a One Health framework, this study examined how two clinically relevant O₃ exposure regimens (30 µg/mL and 90 µg/mL) affect porcine neutrophils and monocytes isolated from peripheral blood. Cell viability, reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) production, and the activity of key enzymes (myeloperoxidase, elastase, alkaline phosphatase, arginase) were assessed at 1 h and 24 h post-exposure. The lower dose induced mild functional activation without compromising viability, whereas the higher dose triggered pronounced oxidative stress, enhanced degranulation, and reduced neutrophil viability by more than 60%. Neutrophils exhibited a stronger and more dynamic response than monocytes, which retained viability and differentiation capacity at 30 µg/mL but showed impaired function at 90 µg/mL. These findings highlight the dual nature of O₃, where controlled exposure may support immunomodulation, while excessive dosing disrupts cell function. Defining safe and effective therapeutic windows remains critical for future applications.

Background: A common problem in pediatric orthopedics is leg length discrepancy (LLD). In adulthood, this may result in overload and degenerative changes in the lumbar spine, hip, and knee joints of the longer limb, and the fixed equinus position of the foot of the shorter limb. Surgical treatment using temporary epiphysiodesis with eight-plate implants is a minimally invasive, safe, and patient-tolerated procedure in LLD. However, publications mainly describe the effects of treatment in the form of achieved equalization and there is little information about the occurrence of secondary deformations. Our study aimed to determine the effect of temporary growth plate blocking on the final axis after treatment. Methods: The study was based on an analysis of radiographs recorded from 2010 to 2019 and an assessment of parameters such as MAD (mechanical axis deviation), mMPTA (mechanical medial proximal tibial angle), and M/at (mechanical axis of the tibia). Results: Twenty-four girls and thirty-six boys treated with eight-plate implants were included in the investigation. The duration of the treatment was 18 months (group I), 30 months (group II), and 42 months (group III). Our study revealed that the most significant differences were observed in the MAD parameter. MAD changed in a statistically significant manner across all investigated groups, for both girls and boys, regardless of the treatment duration. Conclusions: The treatment of LLD with epiphysiodesis using eight-plate implants influences both the anatomical axis of the bones and the mechanical axis of the limb.