BackgroundKnee osteoarthritis (KOA) is a major health problem especially in the aging population. There is a need for safe treatment that restores the cartilage and reduces the symptoms. The use of stem cells is emerging as a possible option for the moderate and severe cases. This study aimed at testing the safety of autologous bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) expanded in vitro when given intra-articularly to patients with stage II and III KOA. As a secondary end point, the study tested the ability of these cells to relieve symptoms and restore the knee cartilage in these patients as judged by normalized knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) and by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).MethodsThirteen patients with a mean age of 50 years suffering from KOA stages II and III were given two doses of BM-MSCs 1 month apart totaling 61 × 106 ± 0.6 × 106 by intra-articular injection in a phase I prospective clinical trial. Each patient was followed for a minimum of 24 months for any adverse events and for clinical outcome using normalized KOOS. Cartilage thickness was assessed by quantitative MRI T2 at 12 months of follow-up.ResultsNo severe adverse events were reported up to 24 months follow-up. Normalized KOOS improved significantly. Mean knee cartilage thickness measured by MRI improved significantly.ConclusionBM-MSCs given intra-articularly are safe in knee osteoarthrosis. Despite the limited number of patients in this study, the procedure described significantly improved the KOOS and knee cartilage thickness, indicating that they may enhance the functional outcome as well as the structural component.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02118519

BackgroundThis study aimed to investigate the prevalence of temporomandibular disorder (TMD) among students of the University of Jordan.MethodsInformation about the symptoms of TMD and the possible risk factors were collected using specifically designed questionnaires. The collected data sets were treated statistically using the SPSS release 14 package.ResultsThe results of the present investigation showed that pain in or about the ears or cheeks was the most prevalent symptom whereas locking of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) was the least prevalent. Nearly one-third of the investigated sample (31.4%, 346/1103) had no symptoms of TMD whereas 68.6% (757/1103) had at least one symptom. Students of health science studies had significantly the highest risk in developing TMJ clicking compared to students studying pure science or humanitarian studies.ConclusionsTMD is of a high prevalence among students of the University of Jordan, particularly among students of health and science studies, which signify the role of stress in the development and/or progression of TMD. The findings of this study are alarming and entailing further investigations to identify risk factors associated with TMD in order to establish measures for prevention and treatment.KeywordsTMD; Clicking; Health sciences; Humanitarian studies

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first clinical study addressing the use of autologous PL as a treatment measure for knee osteoarthrosis (KOA). There are no studies published regarding the treatment of KOA by intra-articular injections of PL. The previous studies were on the use of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) treatment for KOA. Platelet-rich plasma use has been in place for several years, however, a standardized protocol has not yet been established. Platelet lysate represents a safe, economical, easy to prepare, and easy to apply source of growth factors in the treatment of KOA. A head-to-head study is needed to compare PRP with PL in KOA.

SUMMARY:The foramen magnum is morphometrically typified by two perpendicular diameters and a distinct margin. This important anatomical landmark is subject to high interindividual variation. The objective of this study was to evaluate the dimensions and morphology of the foramen magnum in a Jordanian population. In this retrospective study, 247 individuals were consecutively sampled using the institutional picture archiving and communication system. The anteroposterior and transverse diameters of the foramen magnum were measured; the foramen magnum index was calculated; and, the shape of the foramen magnum was visually assessed. The sex-pooled anteroposterior and transverse diameters were 35.1 ± 3.2 mm and 29.3 ± 2.5 mm, respectively. The sex-pooled foramen magnum index was 1.20 ± 0.10. The diameters were significantly different (P<0.001) and positively correlated (r=0.52, P<0.001). Participant age was negatively correlated with the anteroposterior (r s =-0.15, P=0.02) and transverse (r s =-0.14, P=0.03) diameters. After controlling for participant age, there was a statistically significant difference in the anteroposterior diameter (P<0.001), the transverse diameter (P<0.001), and the foramen magnum index (P=0.02) between sexes. The foramen magnum was most commonly irregular in shape (36 % of all cases). In contrast to previous studies, we report, for the first time, a negative correlation between age and the diameters of the foramen magnum. In addition, a predominance of irregularly shaped foramen magnum was found. The finding makes an already heterogenous group of published data even more variable, prompting reconsideration of the role of visual assessment in morphometric studies.

SummaryData of 17 male patients with a final diagnosis of transient osteoporosis (TO) of the hip seen at the radiology department of a university hospital over a period of 7 years were retrospectively studied. Comparison of the proportion of doctors among TO cases with that among other hip joint pathologies revealed a significant difference.PurposeThe objective of this study is to present clinical and radiological findings of hip TO and to assess the association of the condition with patients' occupation.Materials and methodsData of 17 male patients with a final diagnosis of transient osteoporosis of the hip seen at the radiology department of a university hospital over a period of 7 years were retrospectively studied.ResultsThe diagnosis of transient hip osteoporosis was in accordance with the published literature for clinical, imaging findings, and laboratory results. Among the 17 cases of male transient hip osteoporosis, 65% were physicians and 12% were commercial pilots. Comparison of the proportion of doctors among TO cases with that among other hip joint pathologies revealed a significant difference. Abnormal low hormone levels of testosterone and 25-cholicalciferol (vitamin D) were detected in three and two patients, respectively.ConclusionThe preponderance of physicians among patients with transient hip osteoporosis has not been previously reported. Etiological contribution of endocrine pathology and type of occupation to the causation of transient osteoporosis merits further research.