Monthly minodronate inhibits bone resorption to a greater extent than does monthly risedronate

AbstractAs a bisphosphonate, minodronate (MIN) is one of the strongest inhibitors of bone resorption. However, there have been no reports directly comparing the antiresorptive effects of monthly MIN with those of monthly risedronate (RIS). We enrolled 30 cases of osteoporosis (OP; 16 in the MIN group [mean age: 68.2 years] and 14 in the RIS group [mean age: 68.1 years]) to investigate the early effects of treatment by monthly MIN or RIS over a 4-month period using bone turnover marker values. Only female patients were enrolled to avoid gender bias. Urinary cross-linked N-telopeptide of type I collagen (NTX) before treatment and at 1, 2, and 4 months of therapy, as well as serum bone alkaline phosphatase and alkaline phosphatase before treatment and at 4 months afterwards, were evaluated. All bone turnover marker values were significantly decreased at 4 months in both groups. The changes in urinary NTX at the study end point for RIS and MIN were −30.1% and −63.1%, respectively. From 2 months of treatment, the antiresorptive effects on urinary NTX by MIN were significantly higher than those by RIS, indicating that MIN more immediately and strongly inhibited bone absorption. Thus, monthly MIN seems to suppress bone resorption faster and more strongly than RIS in OP treatment

Spinal Deformity and the Musculoskeletal Cohort Study of the General Older Population

Article信州医学雑誌 69(3) : 111-120(2021)departmental bulletin pape

Comparison in bone turnover markers during early healing of femoral neck fracture and trochanteric fracture in elderly patients

Healing of fractures is different for each bone and bone turnover markers may reflect the fracture healing process. The purpose of this study was to determine the characteristic changes in bone turnover markers during the fracture healing process. The subjects were consecutive patients with femoral neck or trochanteric fracture who underwent surgery and achieved bone union. There were a total of 39 patients, including 33 women and 6 men. There were 18 patients (16 women and 2 men) with femoral neck fracture and 21 patients (17 women and 4 men) with trochanteric fracture. Serum bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (BAP) was measured as a bone formation marker. Urine and serum levels of N-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen (NTX), as well as urine levels of C-terminal telopeptide of type I collagen (CTX) and deoxypyridinoline (DPD), were measured as markers of bone resorption. All bone turnover markers showed similar changes in patients with either type of fracture, but significantly higher levels of both bone formation and resorption markers were observed in trochanteric fracture patients than in neck fracture patients. BAP showed similar levels at one week after surgery and then increased. Bone resorption markers were increased after surgery in patients with either fracture. The markers reached their peak values at three weeks (BAP and urinary NTX), five weeks (serum NTX and DPD), and 2–3 weeks (CTX) after surgery. The increase in bone turnover markers after hip fracture surgery and the subsequent decrease may reflect increased bone formation and remodeling during the healing process. Both fractures had a similar bone turnover marker profile, but the extent of the changes differed between femoral neck and trochanteric fractures

Distinction of synthetic dl-α-tocopherol from natural vitamin E (d-α-tocopherol) by reversed-phase liquid chromatography. Enhanced selectivity of a polymeric C18 stationary phase at low temperature and/or at high pressure

© 2016 Elsevier B.V. Separation of diastereomers of DL-α-tocopherol was studied by reversed-phase liquid chromatography using three types of stationary phases, polymeric ODS, polymeric C30, and monomeric ODS. Polymeric ODS stationary phase (Inertsil ODS-P, 3 mmID, 20 cm) was effective for the separation of the isomers created by the presence of three chiral centers on the alkyl chain of synthetic DL-α-tocopherol. Considerable improvement of the separation of isomers was observed on ODS-P phase at high pressure and at low temperature. Complete separation of four pairs of diastereomers was achieved at 12.0 °C, 536 bar, while three peaks were observed when the separation was carried out either at 12.0 °C at low pressure or at 20 °C at 488 bar. Higher temperature (30.0 °C) with the ODS-P phase resulted in only partial separation of the diastereomers even at high pressure. Only slight resolution was observed for the mixture of diastereomers with the C30 stationary phase (Inertsil C30) at 12.0 °C and 441 bar, although the stationary phase afforded greater resolution for β- and γ-tocopherol than ODS-P. A monomeric C18 stationary phase did not show any separation at 12.0 °C and 463 bar. The results suggest that the binding site of the polymeric ODS-P phase is selective for flexible alkyl chains that provided the longest retention for the natural form, (R,R,R) form, and the enantiomer, (S,S,S) form, of DL-α-tocopherol

Low-Temperature Resistivity Anomalies in Periodic Curved Surfaces

Effects of periodic curvature on the the electrical resistivity of corrugated semiconductor films are theoretically considered. The presence of a curvature-induced potential affects the motion of electrons confined to the thin curved film, resulting in a significant resistivity enhancement at specific values of two geometric parameters: the amplitude and period of the surface corrugation. The maximal values of the two parameters in order to observe the corrugation-induced resistivity enhancement in actual experiments are quantified by employing existing material constants.Comment: 4 pages, 5 figure

Association of Self-reported Height Loss and Kyphosis with Loss of Teeth in Japanese Elderly

Study background: Height loss and kyphosis are useful surrogate markers of osteoporotic vertebral fractures in the elderly. Loss of teeth in the elderly also is associated with osteoporosis. These imply the possibility that self-reported these indices may be associated with loss of teeth in the elderly. This study aimed to clarify the associations of self-reported height loss and kyphosis with number of teeth lost in Japanese elderly. Subjects and Methods: Among patients who visited dispensing pharmacies in Matsumoto, Japan, 307 patients (75 men and 232 women) aged 50–97 years participated in the study. They completed a structured questionnaire including covariates related to loss of teeth. Self-reported height loss and kyphosis were simply defined as three categories: no; mild-to-moderate; severe. Results: Analyses of covariance adjusted for covariates revealed that there were no significant differences in the numbers of teeth lost in total, or during the past 1 year among the three self-reported height loss categories. Significant differences were observed in the total numbers of teeth lost among the three self-reported kyphosis categories (p<0.001). Subjects who were conscious of severe kyphosis had significantly larger number of teeth lost (mean ± SEM, 16.1 ± 1.8) than those who were conscious of no kyphosis (8.7 ± 0.6, p<0.001) and mild-to-moderate kyphosis (8.3 ± 0.7, p<0.001). Furthermore, there were significant differences in the number of teeth lost during the past 1 year among the three self-reported kyphosis categories (p=0.031). Subjects who were conscious of severe kyphosis had significantly greater number of teeth lost during the past 1 year (0.9 ± 0.2) than those who were conscious of no kyphosis (0.3 ±0.1, p=0.03). Conclusions: Our results suggest that Japanese elderly with self-reported severe kyphosis may lost more teeth than those without self-reported severe kyphosis

Myxopapillary Ependymoma of the Cauda Equina in a 5-Year-Old Boy

Myxopapillary ependymoma in childhood typically occurs in the central nervous system. There are few surgical cases of myxopapillary ependymoma of the cauda equina in children. We report a case of myxopapillary ependymoma of the cauda equina in a 5-year-old boy, who presented with leg pain and abnormal gait. Subtotal resection surgery was performed. Following the subtotal tumor resection, follow-up magnetic resonance imaging evaluation showed a recurrent tumor. As a result, we performed a second subtotal tumor resection and followed with postoperative radiation therapy. No further evidence of the disease has been noted elsewhere in the patient in over ten years of follow-up. Myxopapillary ependymoma of the cauda equina in a young boy was improved by subtotal tumor resection and postoperative radiation therapy

Comparison of Spinous Process-Splitting Laminectomy versus Conventional Laminectomy for Lumbar Spinal Stenosis

Study DesignSeventy-five patients who had been treated for lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) were reviewed retrospectively.PurposeInvasion into the paravertebral muscle can cause major problems after laminectomy for LSS. To address these problems, we performed spinous process-splitting laminectomy. We present a comparative study of decompression of LSS using 2 approaches.Overview of LiteratureThere are no other study has investigated the lumbar spinal instability after spinous process-splitting laminectomy.MethodsThis study included 75 patients who underwent laminectomy for the treatment of LSS and who were observed through follow-ups for more than 2 years. Fifty-five patients underwent spinous process-splitting laminectomy (splitting group) and 20 patients underwent conventional laminectomy (conventional group). We evaluated the clinical and radiographic results of each surgical procedure.ResultsJapanese Orthopaedic Association score improved significantly in both groups two years postoperatively. The following values were all significantly lower, as shown with p-values, in the splitting group compared to the conventional group: average operating time (p=0.002), postoperative C-reactive protein level (p=0.006), the mean postoperative number of days until returning to normal body temperature (p=0.047), and the mean change in angulation 2 years postoperatively (p=0.007). The adjacent segment degeneration occurred in 6 patients (10.9%) in the splitting group and 11 patients (55.0%) in the conventional group.ConclusionsIn this study, the spinous process-splitting laminectomy was shown to be less invasive and more stable for patients with LSS, compared to the conventional laminectomy

Mini Open Foraminotomy for Cervical Radiculopathy: A Comparison of Large Tubular and TrimLine Retractors

Study DesignRetrospective chart review.PurposeA comparison of mini open foraminotomy (MOF) for cervical radiculopathy using either large tubular (LT) or TrimLine (TL) retractors.Overview of LiteraturePosterior foraminotomy relieves compression of the cervical nerve root in radiculopathy patients. However, invasion of the paravertebral muscle may cause major problems in these patients. To address these problems, we performed MOF.MethodsTwenty cervical radiculopathy patients (16 male and 4 female) who underwent MOF between May 2004 and August 2011 were assigned to LT and TL groups. Each group contained 10 subjects. Surgical and clinical outcomes were compared.ResultsThe average operating time in the TL group was significantly shorter than that in the LT group. The final follow-up mean neck disability indices significantly improved compared to the preoperative values (LT group, 12.0±7.8 vs. 28.0±9.4; TL group, 6.0±5.9 vs. 21.9±10). The final follow-up neck pain visual analog scale (VAS) scores also decreased significantly from the preoperative of 8.0±1.5 and 2.5±2.5 to the final follow-up values of 2.2±2.2 and 1.0±2.5 in the LT and TL groups, respectively. The recovery rate for the neck pain VAS score was 70.0±31.9 in the LT group and 87.0±32.0 in the TL group, thus suggesting no significant difference between the two groups.ConclusionsMOF with the TL retractor is an easy and safe procedure. Furthermore, the use of the TL retractor allows for a minimally invasive and effective surgical treatment of cervical radiculopathy patients