Case typologies, chronic illness and primary health care

Rationale and aims and objectives: When assessing patients, clinicians use typologies developed through their idiosyncratic clinical experience. Our aim was to develop a typology, based on the patient’s perspective and not specific to one illness, with the potential to enhance person-centred clinical follow up of those living with chronic illness. Methods: We applied the qualitative comparative method to interview data from 37 people living with type 2 diabetes or with chronic back pain, recruited from UK General Practices. Informed by theory on time and complexity, analysis focused on the on-going adjustments made by individuals living with chronic illness (their dynamic) in current time. Health professionals (n=20) and people living with diabetes or living with back pain (n=14) refined and validated the typology in five focus groups. Results: We identified the following types of dynamic: Past Reminders, Stuck and Struggling, Becalmed, and Submerged. Among interviewees who provided data at different time points, we found some transformed from one dynamic type to another. Conclusion: This typology may aid personalization of treatment decisions and could be extended to other chronic illness

The role of peptides in bone healing and regeneration: A systematic review

Background: Bone tissue engineering and the research surrounding peptides has expanded significantly over the last few decades. Several peptides have been shown to support and stimulate the bone healing response and have been proposed as therapeutic vehicles for clinical use. The aim of this comprehensive review is to present the clinical and experimental studies analysing the potential role of peptides for bone healing and bone regeneration. Methods: A systematic review according to PRISMA guidelines was conducted. Articles presenting peptides capable of exerting an upregulatory effect on osteoprogenitor cells and bone healing were included in the study. Results: Based on the available literature, a significant amount of experimental in vitro and in vivo evidence exists. Several peptides were found to upregulate the bone healing response in experimental models and could act as potential candidates for future clinical applications. However, from the available peptides that reached the level of clinical trials, the presented results are limited. Conclusion: Further research is desirable to shed more light into the processes governing the osteoprogenitor cellular responses. With further advances in the field of biomimetic materials and scaffolds, new treatment modalities for bone repair will emerge

Complications, revision fusions, readmissions, and utilization over a 1-year period after bone morphogenetic protein use during primary cervical spine fusions

Nationwide estimates examining Bone Morphogenetic Protein (BMP) use with cervical spine fusions have been limited to perioperative outcomes