Magnetic scaffolds are becoming increasingly attractive in tissue engineering, due to their ability to enhance bone tissue formation by attracting soluble factors, such as growth factors, hormones and polypeptides, directly to the implantation site, as well as their potential to improve the fixation and stability of the implant. Moreover, there is increasing evidence that the synergistic effects of magnetic scaffolds and magnetic fields can promote bone repair and regeneration. In this manuscript we review the recent innovations in bone tissue engineering that exploit magnetic biomaterials combined with static magnetic fields to enhance bone cell adhesion and proliferation, and thus bone tissue growth.
Introduction Rupture of the plantar fascia is a rare condition. It can also occur spontaneously and with no history of disease of the plantar fascia, above all in athletes. This review aims to systematically analyze all cases described in the literature regarding the rupture of the plantar fascia, evaluating incidence, risk factors, and treatments, considering which procedures show the best outcomes and the highest success rate. Materials and methods A systematic review of PubMed, Google Scholar, and Cochrane review computerized databases was performed, focusing on articles about cases of rupture of the plantar fascia; 18 studies fulfilled all the criteria and were analyzed. There were no randomized controlled trials. Results A total of 155 patients (157 foot) were included in this systematic review. Considering all the studies included, 12 patients had a spontaneous rupture, 138 patients had a diagnosis of plantar fasciitis, and 130 patients were treated with local injections of corticosteroid before the rupture. Only 2 cases of bilateral rupture were reported. In all, 15 studies reported conservative treatment, with a total of 154 patients (156 feet) included. Operative treatment was reported in 3 studies, with 3 patients (3 feet) treated. Conclusions Ruptures of the plantar fascia are very rare in asymptomatic patients and more common in patients treated with injection of steroids in the plantar fascia. Conservative treatment, although not standardized in the literature, led to good outcomes in most cases. Chronic ruptures of the fascia should be considered for operative treatment. Levels of Evidence: Level III
Hallux and first MTP joint have a fundamental role in the transfer of the weight-bearing load during the normal ambulation. The aim of this paper is to review and analyze the available literature about the percutaneous surgical management of the hallux valgus to highlight its strengths and weakness, also comparing with other minimal invasive techniques. A systematic search of PubMed and Google Scholar databases has been performed, covering the period between 1981 and 2016. Various combinations of the keyword terms "PDO," "hallux valgus," "bunion," "percutaneous," "surgery," "non-invasive," "minimal invasive," "burr," "osteotomy," "distal," "linear," "saw" have been used.Four papers, published from 2005 to 2015, fulfilled the inclusion criteria. A total of 464 hallux valgus has been treated with a properly percutaneous distal first metatarsal osteotomy. Mean AOFAS score, retrieved from the 4 studies included in our review, has been recorded. There are different aspects that the foot and ankle non-experienced surgeon has to consider about percutaneous surgery: limitation of the tools, radioexposure, lack of direct visual control of the osteotomy and higher costs and patient risk due to surgical time.
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