New therapies that accelerate musculoskeletal tissue recovery are highly desirable. Platelet-rich fibrin (PRF) is a leukocyte- and platelet-rich fibrin biomaterial that acts as a binding site for both platelets and growth factors. Through increasing the local concentration of growth factors at specific tissues, PRF promotes tissue regeneration. PRF has been frequently used in combination with bone graft materials to reduce healing times and promote bone regeneration during maxillofacial surgery. However, its benefits during muscle repair and recovery are less well-documented. Here, we perform a narrative review on PRF therapies and muscle injuries to ascertain its beneficial effects. We reviewed the factors that contribute to the biological activity of PRF and the published pre-clinical and clinical evidence to support its emerging use in musculoskeletal therapy. We include in vitro studies, in vivo animal studies and clinical articles highlighting both the success and failures of PRF treatment. PRF can promote the healing process when used in a range of orthopaedic and sports-related injuries. These include cartilage repair, rotator cuff surgery and anterior cruciate ligament surgery. However, conflicting data for these benefits have been reported, most likely due to inconsistencies in both PRF preparation protocols and dosing regimens. Despite this, the literature generally supports the use of PRF as a beneficial adjuvant for a range of chronic muscle, tendon, bone or other soft tissue injuries. Further clinical trials to confirm these benefits require consistency in PRF preparation and the classification of a successful clinical outcome to fully harness its potential.

Generally speaking, ceramic materials are insensitive to corrosion, compared to most other materials. The present study questions the fact that ceramics are inert. Two major aspects are to be considered: the stability of zirconia over time, the stable tetragonal phase transforming into an unstable monoclinic form; the multitude of manufacturing methods, using various additives, sintering additives, oxides mixing, impurities, grain boundaries, and porosities which strongly influence the corrosion behavior and chemical degradation. In case of the investigated ceramics two paths were pursued:a) Dissolutions of ceramics in a mixture of HNO₃ 60% and HF 40% ultrapure medium.b) Release of cations from ceramics in various mediums:dental bioceramics in a 0.07 M HCl medium and a 0.1% NaF+0.1% KF medium; ceramics used in jewelry and watchmaking applications in a HCl 0.07 M medium and an artificial sweat medium. By inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectrometry/mass spectrometry (ICP-OES/MS), traces of significant chemical elements were assessed: Hf, Cr, Y, As, Pb, Al, Fe, Cu, Se, Sb, La, Ni, Co, Sb, Ta, Te, Ba, Sm, Nb, Hg, Cd, Sr, As and Se. In ceramics used in jewelry and watchmaking applications the concentrations found vary from one ceramic to another, including toxic elements such as Te, Ba, As, Pb, Sm, Hg and Cd, therefore being technical zirconia ceramics which are not intended for the medical field. For ceramics used in jewelry and watchmaking applications a screening identification test for Ni, Co, Cu and Fe with strips of type Merckoquant^® (Merck, Kenilworth, NJ, USA) was also performed. The obtained data prove that the zirconia ceramics in question are far from being “inert”.

Rat experimentation is the first line of research by which a medical hypothesis is usually tested. Platelet Rich Fibrin (PRF) is a relatively new bio-material that has shown promise to enhance healing in the field of bone research and tissue engineering. In order to perform PRF based experiments on rats, a proper protocol of obtaining PRF from rats needs to be established. 35 Wistar rats were used to obtain PRF by using cardiac puncture blood draw and quick subsequent centrifugation. The PRF samples wereanalyzed and compared to standard literature PRF composition. PRF samples analysis showed persistent results pertaining to known PRF composition. Our experiment has shown that our protocol of obtaining PRF is capable of providing high quality PRF from rats.

Styles are invasive medical devices that are visible on images and are used in several medical specialties, including cardiology, neurology, orthopaedics, anaesthesia, oto-rhino-laryngology (ENT), and dentistry. With their thin and flexible design, they allow for the optimal positioning and precise guidance of medical devices such as nerve stimulation, defibrillation, electrode positioning, and catheter insertion. Generally, they are made of stainless steel, offering a combination of rigidity and flexibility. The aim of this study is to evaluate the sensitivity of austenitic stainless steel 304L used for the manufacture of J-stylets in uniform, pitting, crevice, and intergranular corrosion. We follow the manufacturing process step by step in order to analyse the risks of corrosion sensitisation and the cumulative effects of various forms of degradation, which could lead to a significant release of metal cations. Another objective of this study is to determine the optimal heat treatment temperature to minimise sensitivity to the intergranular corrosion of 304L steel. Uniform corrosion: Two samples were taken at each stage of the manufacturing process (eight steps in total), in the form of rods. After one hour of immersion, potentiodynamic polarisation curves were plotted up to ±400 mV vs. SCE. A coulometric analysis was also performed by integrating the anode zone between E (i = 0) and +400 mV vs. SCE. The values obtained by integration are expressed as mC/cm². The test medium used was a simulated artificial plasma solution (9 g/L NaCl solution). Intergranular corrosion: (a) Chemical test: Thirty rod-shaped samples were tested, representing the eight manufacturing steps, as well as heat treatments at 500 °C, 620 °C, and 750 °C, in accordance with ASTM A262 (F method). (b) Electrochemical Potentiokinetic Reactivation (EPR) according to ASTM G108–94 (2015). Two samples were tested for each condition: without heat treatment and after treatments at 500 °C, 620 °C, and 750 °C. Release of cations: The release of metal ions was evaluated in the following two media: artificial sweat, according to EN 1811:2011+A1:2015, and bone plasma, according to the Fitton-Jackson and Burks-Peck method. Six samples that had been heat-treated at 500 °C for one hour were analysed. Results, discussions: (a) Analysis of the polarisation curves revealed significant disturbances in the heat treatment steps, as well as the μC/cm² quantities, which were between 150,000 and 400,000 compared to only 40–180 for the other manufacturing steps; (b) Electrochemical Potentiokinetic reactivation (EPR) tests indicated that the temperature of 500 °C was a good choice to limit 304L steel sensitisation in intergranular corrosion; and (c) the quantities of cations released in EN 1811 sweat were of the order of a few μg/cm² week, as for Fe: 2.31, Cr: 0.05, and Ni: 0.12.

The biocompatibility of materials in contact with a living tissue becomes a puzzle in the overall picture of assessing the toxic effects of chemicals that come into contact with us. Allergic reactions to substances are a significant and growing health problem affecting large parts of the population in Europe. Wristwatches are objects worn in prolonged contact with the skin, being subject to localized corrosion, especially pitting and crevice types, in sulfide-chloride medium, and high wear in the bracelets joints. Watches of medium quality are usually made of stainless steels. The X2 CrNiMo 17-12-2 316L grade as well as X1 CrNiMo 20-25-5 Cu 1 or 904L are commonly used, having good resistance to generalized corrosion. The passive layer is nevertheless insufficient to ensure complete immunity in all cases of localized corrosion encountered during wear. For this reason, a high-corrosion-resistant steel: X1 CrNiMo 18-15-4 N 0.15 or 317LMN, from three different suppliers was evaluated. Metallographic characterization was carried out. The corrosion behavior evaluation was performed for the generalized corrosion, pitting and crevice corrosion and galvanic corrosion. Galvanic couples steel 317LMN-gold 18K alloy 3N and gold 18K 5M were used. The results of the generalized and pitting corrosion test indicated three basic groups. All of the 317LMNs were similar. The 316L variants tested noticeably worse. The 904Ls were difficult to discern, but certainly easier than the 316Ls and, possibly, at least comparable to the 317LMNs.

Titanium alloys are considered to be the most advanced materials for orthopedic implants due to the favorable combination of mechanical properties, low density, tissue tolerance, high strength-to-weight ratio, good resistance to corrosion by body fluids, biocompatibility, low density, nonmagnetic properties, and the ability to join with the bone. This is the reason why we decided to assess the resistance of two titanium alloys currently used for orthopedic implants, namely, Ti6Al7Nb and Ti6Al4V, as reference, to cyclic fatigue by dynamic tests with crevice corrosion stimulation. According to the results obtained, the examined electrochemical quantities, the visual and SEM observations, and EDX analysis reveal better corrosion behavior of the prostheses made of Ti6Al4V—anodized series compared to prostheses made of Ti6Al7Nb. The further comparison of two explanted proximal modules, made of Ti6Al7Nb and Ti6Al4V, to the same type of prostheses evaluated by cyclic fatigue dynamic tests with crevice corrosion stimulation reveals that there are significant similarities, in particular with regard to the electrolyte diffusion, deposition of products and corrosion. Cation extraction tests which were carried out for Ti6Al7Nb prostheses that have undergone particular surface treatments show significant differences depending on the surface treatment and demonstrate that orthopedic implant materials are not “inert.”