The sternocleidomastoid muscle variations: a mini literature review

The sternocleidomastoid muscles (SCM) are prominent paired muscles of the neck connecting proximally the manubrium sterni and the clavicle to the mastoid process and the occipital bone distally. Following their points of attachment sternomastoid, sternooccipital, cleidomastoid and cleidooccipital portions of this muscle have been described. Altogether 23 case reports from year 2000 till 2020 with 29 subjects related to the SCM supernumerary variations were searched and analyzed where parameters such as supernumerary proximal variation types (sternal vs. clavicular), insertional variation, unilaterality/ bilaterality of the variation, study type, reported gender of the subjects and the country of research were extracted. The research shows that 48.3% of the subjects had bilateral presentation of SCM variations. If present unilaterally, three quarters of the cases were on the left side. The most frequent variation is located at the clavicular side of the proximal SCM head whereas isolated sternal sided proximal head variation or an insertional variation alone are very rare. Interestingly, with 96.6%, most of cases in the literature were discovered in cadavers during anatomical dissections. Male gender represented with 82.8% higher prevalence than females. The higher male prevalence in the body donor system, predominantly in the Asian continent could play a decisive role in the outcome as more than half of the reported cases stemmed from India in this period. Importantly, the knowledge of different anatomical variations of the SCM is highly relevant for surgical, clinical or radiological approaches in the neck

Rare malformations associated with partial anomalous pulmonary venous return: a cadaveric case report

A unique partial anomalous pulmonary venous return in combination with other rare malformations such as annular pancreas and a persistent umbilical vein was discovered in a female Caucasian cadaver during an anatomical dissection at the Paracelsus Medical University in Nuremberg, Germany. The pulmonary anomaly comprised the aberrant left superior pulmonary vein connecting the superior lobe of the left lung with the left brachiocephalic vein resulting in a left to right shunt. An annular pancreas without any signs causing duodenal compression was additionally found. To complete the constellation of malformations, a persistent umbilical vein within the round ligament fissure of the liver was also observed, connecting to an inferior branch of the extrahepatic left ramus of the portal vein. This rare constellation of malformations has been illustrated and thoroughly discussed with the currently available literature to develop a hypothesis for the genetic and developmental background

Tubular composite scaffolds produced via Diffusion Induced Phase Separation (DIPS) as a shaping strategy for anterior cruciate ligaments reconstruction

Injuries of tendons and ligaments are common, especially among the young population. Anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries do not heal due to its limited vascularization and hence, surgical intervention is usually required. The ideal scaffold for ligament tissue engineering (TE) should be biocompatible and possess mechanical and functional characteristics comparable to the native ACL. The Diffusion Induced Phase Separation (DIPS) technique allows the preparation of homogenous porous tubular scaffold with micro-pores using a rather simple procedure. Composites based on biodegradable polymers and bioglass have attracted much attention in tissue reconstruction and repair because of their biological and physicochemical advantages. In this work a new approach in ACL TE will be proposed focussing on the development of a suitable technique for in vitro seeding of lapine ACL fibroblasts into tubular-shaped instructive Poly-lactic-acid (PLLA) scaffolds, supplemented or not with bioglass (BG) 1393, produced via DIPS. Tubular composite scaffold (diameters: 1.2 and 2 mm, +/- BG) were obtained through a dip coating around a cylindrical support followed by a DIPS. An 8%wt PLLA/dioxane solution was prepared with 5%wt of BG-1393 as filler. Preliminary in vitro cell culture trials were carried out by seeding lapine ACL fibroblasts inside the scaffolds (2 cm as length) employing different seeding strategies in order to find the best way that allows to obtain a homogeneous fibroblast distribution inside the tubes. (1) First trials consisted in the inoculating of the cell suspension inside the tubes and maintaining them in dynamical culture. (2) The second one was done by suspending the cells in a fibrin gel polymerized within the tubes by using of thrombin. (3) The third approach was carried out by using cell spheroids (three-dimensional self-assembled cell agglomerates). Cell attachment, viability and morphology were examined by live-death and Hematoxylin/Eosin stainings after 1, 7, 14 d and vimentin immunolabelings (7 d). Scanning electron microscopical analysis revealed that the internal surface of the tubes was homogeneously structured with micropores sized around 5 µm and a mean thickness of the wall of 60 µm. The results showed cell adhesion to the wall of the tubes with all seeding techniques applied even though with fibrin gel it was more homogenous. Furthermore, colonized areas expanded with culture time and the majority of cell survived irrespectively of seeding techniques. (1) In inoculation phase, many cells left the scaffold and attached on the plate. Even after the dynamic culture (rotating device) most cells covered only half the tube inner surface. (2) In the second trial, a fibrin gel was used to achieve a homogenous cell distribution during seeding. In the early stage (48 h) cells remained captured inside the fibrin, but after 7 d they become elongated and migrated from the fibrin to the inner tube surface forming a compact cell layer. So, the fibrin appears helpful to achieve an immediate high cell seeding efficiency and an almost homogeneous cell distribution inside the tubes. (3) Although using the spheroid technique the scaffold internal surface was not homogeneously colonized with cells, after 7 d cell migration to the inner scaffold surface from the attaching spheroids could be observed. In longitudinal sections cells were elongated like typical ligament fibroblasts parallel to the longitudinal tube axis. Therefore, it can be affirmed that employment of tubular scaffolds produced by DIPS could be a promising approach of ligament TE. In the future, it would be interesting to evaluate the effectiveness of seeding by combining the spheroids and the fibrin gel

Dendritic polyglycerol anions for the selective targeting of native and inflamed articular cartilage

The destruction of articular cartilage is a critical feature in joint diseases. An approach to selectively target the damaged tissue is promising for the development of diagnostic and therapeutic agents. We herein present the interaction of dendritic polyglycerol (dPG) anions with native and inflamed cartilage. Confocal laser scanning microscopy revealed the inert character of dPG and low functionalized dPG bisphosphonate (dPGBP7%) toward cartilage in vitro. An enhanced binding was observed for highly functionalized dPG bisphosphonate, sulfate, and phosphate, which additionally showed a higher affinity to IL-1β treated tissue. The mixed anion containing sulfate and bisphosphonate groups exhibited an exceptionally high affinity to cartilage and strongly bound to collagen type II, as shown by a normalized fluorescence-based binding assay. All polyglycerol anions, except dPGBP7%, were taken up by chondrocytes within 24 h and no cytotoxicity was found up to 10−5 M. In a rheumatoid arthritis model, dPGBP7% accumulated in mineralized compartments of inflamed joints and showed an increasing affinity to cartilage with higher clinical scores, as evident from histological examinations. For dPGS no interaction with bone but a strong binding to cartilage, independent of the score, was demonstrated. These results make dPG anions promising candidates for the selective targeting of cartilage tissue

FANTOM5 CAGE profiles of human and mouse samples

In the FANTOM5 project, transcription initiation events across the human and mouse genomes were mapped at a single base-pair resolution and their frequencies were monitored by CAGE (Cap Analysis of Gene Expression) coupled with single-molecule sequencing. Approximately three thousands of samples, consisting of a variety of primary cells, tissues, cell lines, and time series samples during cell activation and development, were subjected to a uniform pipeline of CAGE data production. The analysis pipeline started by measuring RNA extracts to assess their quality, and continued to CAGE library production by using a robotic or a manual workflow, single molecule sequencing, and computational processing to generate frequencies of transcription initiation. Resulting data represents the consequence of transcriptional regulation in each analyzed state of mammalian cells. Non-overlapping peaks over the CAGE profiles, approximately 200,000 and 150,000 peaks for the human and mouse genomes, were identified and annotated to provide precise location of known promoters as well as novel ones, and to quantify their activities

Harpgophytum procumbens for osteoarthritis and low back pain: A systematic review

BACKGROUND: The objective of this review is to determine the effectiveness of Harpagophytum procumbens preparations in the treatment of various forms of musculoskeletal pain. METHODS: Several databases and other sources were searched to identify randomized controlled trials, quasi-randomized controlled trials, and controlled clinical trials testing Harpagophytum preparations in adults suffering from pain due to osteoarthritis or low back pain. RESULTS: Given the clinical heterogeneity and insufficient data for statistical pooling, trials were described in a narrative way, taking into consideration methodological quality scores. Twelve trials were included with six investigating osteoarthritis (two were identical trials), four low back pain, and three mixed-pain conditions. CONCLUSIONS: There is limited evidence for an ethanolic Harpagophytum extract containing less than <30 mg harpagoside per day in the treatment of knee and hip osteoarthritis. There is moderate evidence of effectiveness for (1) the use of a Harpagophytum powder at 60 mg harpagoside in the treatment of osteoarthritis of the spine, hip and knee; (2) the use of an aqueous Harpagophytum extract at a daily dose of 100 mg harpagoside in the treatment of acute exacerbations of chronic non-specific low back pain; and (3) the use of an aqueous extract of Harpagophytum procumbens at 60 mg harpagoside being non-inferior to 12.5 mg rofecoxib per day for chronic non-specific low-back pain (NSLBP) in the short term. Strong evidence exists for the use of an aqueous Harpagophytum extract at a daily dose equivalent of 50 mg harpagoside in the treatment of acute exacerbations of chronic NSLBP

Time evolution of in vivo articular cartilage repair induced by bone marrow stimulation and scaffold implantation in rabbits

Purpose: Tissue engineering techniques were used to study cartilage repair over a 12-month period in a rabbit model. Methods: A full-depth chondral defect along with subchondral bone injury were originated in the knee joint, where a biostable porous scaffold was implanted, synthesized of poly(ethyl acrylate-co-hydroxyethyl acrylate) copolymer. Morphological evolution of cartilage repair was studied 1 and 2 weeks, and 1, 3, and 12 months after implantation by histological techniques. The 3-month group was chosen to compare cartilage repair to an additional group where scaffolds were preseeded with allogeneic chondrocytes before implantation, and also to controls, who underwent the same surgery procedure, with no scaffold implantation. Results: Neotissue growth was first observed in the deepest scaffold pores 1 week after implantation, which spread thereafter; 3 months later scaffold pores were filled mostly with cartilaginous tissue in superficial and middle zones, and with bone tissue adjacent to subchondral bone. Simultaneously, native chondrocytes at the edges of the defect started to proliferate 1 week after implantation; within a month those edges had grown centripetally and seemed to embed the scaffold, and after 3 months, hyaline-like cartilage was observed on the condylar surface. Preseeded scaffolds slightly improved tissue growth, although the quality of repair tissue was similar to non-preseeded scaffolds. Controls showed that fibrous cartilage was mainly filling the repair area 3 months after surgery. In the 12-month group, articular cartilage resembled the untreated surface. Conclusions: Scaffolds guided cartilaginous tissue growth in vivo, suggesting their importance in stress transmission to the cells for cartilage repair.This study was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation through MAT2010-21611-C03-00 project (including the FEDER financial support), by Conselleria de Educacion (Generalitat Valenciana, Spain) PROMETEO/2011/084 grant, and by CIBER-BBN en Bioingenieria, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina. The work of JLGR was partially supported by funds from the Generalitat Valenciana, ACOMP/2012/075 project. CIBER-BBN is an initiative funded by the VI National R&D&i Plan 2008-2011, Iniciativa Ingenio 2010, Consolider Program, CIBER Actions and financed by the - Instituto de Salud Carlos III with assistance from the European Regional Development Fund.Sancho-Tello Valls, M.; Forriol, F.; Gastaldi, P.; Ruiz Sauri, A.; Martín De Llano, JJ.; Novella-Maestre, E.; Antolinos Turpín, CM.... (2015). 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Intersection of inflammation and herbal medicine in the treatment of osteoarthritis

Herbal remedies and dietary supplements have become an important area of research and clinical practice in orthopaedics and rheumatology. Understanding the risks and benefits of using herbal medicines in the treatment of arthritis, rheumatic diseases, and musculoskeletal complaints is a key priority of physicians and their patients. This review discusses the latest advances in the use of herbal medicines for treating osteoarthritis (OA) by focusing on the most significant trends and developments. This paper sets the scene by providing a brief introduction to ethnopharmacology, Ayurvedic medicine, and nutrigenomics before discussing the scientific and mechanistic rationale for targeting inflammatory signalling pathways in OA by use of herbal medicines. Special attention is drawn to the conceptual and practical difficulties associated with translating data from in-vitro experiments to in-vivo studies. Issues relating to the low bioavailability of active ingredients in herbal medicines are discussed, as also is the need for large-scale, randomized clinical trial