Effects of laterally wedged insoles on symptoms and disease progression in medial knee osteoarthritis: a protocol for a randomised, double-blind, placebo controlled trial

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Whilst laterally wedged insoles, worn inside the shoes, are advocated as a simple, inexpensive, non-toxic self-administered intervention for knee osteoarthritis (OA), there is currently limited evidence to support their use. The aim of this randomised, double-blind controlled trial is to determine whether laterally wedges insoles lead to greater improvements in knee pain, physical function and health-related quality of life, and slower structural disease progression as well as being more cost-effective, than control flat insoles in people with medial knee OA.</p> <p>Methods/Design</p> <p>Two hundred participants with painful radiographic medial knee OA and varus malalignment will be recruited from the community and randomly allocated to lateral wedge or control insole groups using concealed allocation. Participants will be blinded as to which insole is considered therapeutic. Blinded follow up assessment will be conducted at 12 months after randomisation. The outcome measures are valid and reliable measures recommended for OA clinical trials. Questionnaires will assess changes in pain, physical function and health-related quality-of-life. Magnetic resonance imaging will measure changes in tibial cartilage volume. To evaluate cost-effectiveness, participants will record the use of all health-related treatments in a log-book returned to the assessor on a monthly basis. To test the effect of the intervention using an intention-to-treat analysis, linear regression modelling will be applied adjusting for baseline outcome values and other demographic characteristics.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>Results from this trial will contribute to the evidence regarding the effectiveness of laterally wedged insoles for the management of medial knee OA.</p> <p>Trial registration</p> <p>ACTR12605000503628; NCT00415259.</p

Evidence for a retroviral insertion in TRPM1 as the cause of congenital stationary night blindness and leopard complex spotting in the horse

Leopard complex spotting is a group of white spotting patterns in horses caused by an incompletely dominant gene (LP) where homozygotes (LP/LP) are also affected with congenital stationary night blindness. Previous studies implicated Transient Receptor Potential Cation Channel, Subfamily M, Member 1 (TRPM1) as the best candidate gene for both CSNB and LP. RNA-Seq data pinpointed a 1378 bp insertion in intron 1 of TRPM1 as the potential cause. This insertion, a long terminal repeat (LTR) of an endogenous retrovirus, was completely associated with LP, testing 511 horses (χ²=1022.00, p<<0.0005), and CSNB, testing 43 horses (χ2=43, p<<0.0005). The LTR was shown to disrupt TRPM1 transcription by premature poly-adenylation. Furthermore, while deleterious transposable element insertions should be quickly selected against the identification of this insertion in three ancient DNA samples suggests it has been maintained in the horse gene pool for at least 17,000 years. This study represents the first description of an LTR insertion being associated with both a pigmentation phenotype and an eye disorder.Rebecca R. Bellone … David L. Adelson, Sim Lin Lim … et al

Influence of root embedment material and periodontal ligament simulation on fracture resistance tests Influência do material de inclusão e da simulação do ligamento periodontal nos ensaios de resistência à fratura

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of the embedment material and periodontal ligament simulation on fracture resistance of bovine teeth. Eighty bovine incisor teeth were randomized into 8 groups (n = 10), embedded in acrylic or polystyrene resin using 4 types of periodontal ligament simulation: 1 - absence of the ligament; 2 - polyether impression material; 3 - polysulfide impression material; 4 - polyurethane elastomeric material. The specimens were stored at 37°C and 100% humidity for 24 hours. Specimens were submitted to tangential load on the palatal surface at 0.5 mm/minute crosshead speed until fracture. The fracture modes were analyzed as follows: 1 - coronal fracture; 2 - cemento-enamel junction fracture; 3 - partial root fracture; 4 - total root fracture. Statistical analyses by two-way ANOVA and Tukey's test were applied (p < 0.05). The results showed that root embedment method and periodontal ligament simulation have a significant effect on fracture resistance. Artificial periodontal ligament modified the fracture modes.<br>O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a influência do material de inclusão e da simulação de ligamento periodontal na resistência à fratura de dentes bovinos. Oitenta incisivos bovinos foram divididos em 8 grupos (n = 10) e, então, incluídos em cilindros com dois materiais, resina acrílica ou resina de poliestireno, usando-se quatro tipos de simulação do ligamento periodontal: 1 - ausência do ligamento; 2 - material de moldagem à base de poliéter; 3 - material de moldagem à base de polissulfeto; e 4 - material elastomérico à base de poliuretano. As amostras foram armazenadas em 100% de umidade a 37°C por 24 horas e então submetidas a carregamento tangencial na superfície palatina com velocidade de 0,5 mm/minuto até a fratura. Os padrões de fratura foram analisados de acordo com: 1 - fraturas coronais; 2 - fratura da junção esmalte-cemento; 3 - fratura parcial da raiz; 4 - fratura radicular total. A análise estatística empregou análise de variância fatorial e teste de Tukey (p < 0,05). Os resultados mostram que o método de inclusão e a simulação do ligamento periodontal tiveram efeito significativo na resistência à fratura. O ligamento periodontal artificial modificou os padrões de fratura