Degradation behavior of ZE21C magnesium alloy suture anchors and their effect on ligament-bone junction repair

Mg alloys with antitumor and anticorrosion properties for orthopedic oncology: A review from mechanisms to application strategies

As a primary malignant bone cancer, osteosarcoma (OS) poses a great threat to human health and is still a huge challenge for clinicians. At present, surgical resection is the main treatment strategy for OS. However, surgical intervention will result in a large bone defect, and some tumor cells remaining around the excised bone tissue often lead to the recurrence and metastasis of OS. Biomedical Mg-based materials have been widely employed as orthopedic implants in bone defect reconstruction, and, especially, they can eradicate the residual OS cells due to the antitumor activities of their degradation products. Nevertheless, the fast corrosion rate of Mg alloys has greatly limited their application scope in the biomedical field, and the improvement of the corrosion resistance will impair the antitumor effects, which mainly arise from their rapid corrosion. Hence, it is vital to balance the corrosion resistance and the antitumor activities of Mg alloys. The presented review systematically discussed the potential antitumor mechanisms of three corrosion products of Mg alloys. Moreover, several strategies to simultaneously enhance the anticorrosion properties and antitumor effects of Mg alloys were also proposed.

[Research progress of magnesium and magnesium alloy implants in sports medicine]

Objective

To review the research progress of magnesium and magnesium alloy implants in the repair and reconstruction of sports injury.

Methods

Relevant literature of magnesium and magnesium alloys for sports injury repair and reconstruction was extensively reviewed. The characteristics of magnesium and its alloys and their applications in the repair and reconstruction of sports injuries across various anatomical sites were thoroughly discussed and summarized.

Results

Magnesium and magnesium alloys have advantages in mechanical properties, biosafety, and promoting tendon-bone interface healing. Many preclinical studies on magnesium and magnesium alloy implants for repairing and reconstructing sports injuries have yielded promising results. However, successful clinical translation still requires addressing issues related to mechanical strength and degradation behavior, where alloying and surface treatments offer feasible solutions.

Conclusion

The clinical translation of magnesium and magnesium alloy implants for repairing and reconstructing sports injuries holds promise. Subsequent efforts should focus on optimizing the mechanical strength and degradation behavior of magnesium and magnesium alloy implants. Conducting larger-scale biocompatibility testing and developing novel magnesium-containing implants represent new directions for future research.

Stability, biomechanics and biocompatibility analysis following different preparation strategies of hierarchical zeolite coatings on titanium alloy surfaces

Traditional titanium alloy implant surfaces are inherently smooth and often lack effective osteoinductive properties. To overcome these limitations, coating technologies are frequently employed to enhance the efficiency of bone integration at the implant-host bone interface. Hierarchical zeolites, characterized by their chemical stability, can be applied to 3D-printed porous titanium alloy (pTi) surfaces as coating. The resulting novel implants with a "microporous-mesoporous-macroporous" spatial gradient structure can influence the behavior of adjacent cells; thereby, promoting the integration of bone at the implant interface. Consequently, a thorough exploration of various preparation methods is warranted for hierarchical zeolite coatings with respect to biocompatibility, coating stability, and osteogenesis. In this study, we employed three methods: in situ crystal growth, secondary growth, and layer-by-layer assembly, to construct hierarchical zeolite coatings on pTi, resulting in the development of a gradient structure. The findings of this investigation unequivocally demonstrated that the LBL-coating method consistently produced coatings characterized by superior uniformity, heightened surface roughness, and increased hydrophilicity, as well as increased biomechanical properties. These advantages considerably amplified cell adhesion, spreading, osteogenic differentiation, and mineralization of MC3T3-E1 cells, presenting superior biological functionality when compared to alternative coating methods. The outcomes of this research provide a solid theoretical basis for the clinical translation of hierarchical zeolite coatings in surface modifications for orthopedic implants.

Anchored sutures for fixation of the anterolateral thigh flap and prevention of orocutaneous fistula in oral and oropharyngeal cancer reconstruction

OBJECTIVE

This study aims to assess the efficacy of anchored sutures (AS) in securing the anterolateral thigh (ALT) flap during oral and oropharyngeal reconstructions, and its impact on the occurrence of orocutaneous fistula (OCF).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

A retrospective study was performed on patients who underwent ALT flap reconstruction in our department in the year 2022. The patients were divided into two groups based on whether the AS technique was used. The incidence of OCF was compared between the two groups, and AS-related complications were reported. Fisher's exact test was employed to assess the differences in baseline characteristics and the incidence of OCF between the two groups.

RESULTS

The study included 214 patients, with 156 in the conventional suture (CS) group and 58 in the AS group. The incidence of OCF in the AS group was significantly lower compared to that in the CS group (P = 0.039). However, there was a weak correlation between OCF and the AS technique (φ = -0.149). Among the 58 cases in the AS group, three (5.17%) experienced AS-related granuloma (ASRG) as complications.

CONCLUSION

The use of ALT flap reconstruction with the AS technique reduces the incidence of OCF; however, ASRG may be a potential complication.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

This study demonstrates the effectiveness of AS technique in securing ALT flaps, leading to a decreased risk of OCF in oral and oropharyngeal defect reconstruction.