Purpose Fragility ankles fractures in the geriatric population are challenging to manage, due to fracture instability, soft tissue compromise, and patient co-morbidities. Traditional management options include open reduction internal fixation, or conservative treatment, both of which are fraught with high complication rates. We aimed to present functional outcomes of elderly patients with fragility ankle fractures treated with retrograde ankle fusion nails. Methods A retrospective observational study was performed on patients who underwent intramedullary nailing with a tibiotalocalcaneal nail. Twenty patients met the inclusion criteria of being over sixty and having multiple co-morbidities. Patient demographics, AO/OTA fracture classification, intra-operative and post-operative complications, time to mobilisation and union, AOFAS and Olerud-Molander scores, and patient mobility were recorded. Results There were seven males and thirteen females, with a mean age of 77.82 years old, five of whom are type 2 diabetics. Thirteen patients returned to their pre-operative mobility state, and the average Charlson Co-morbidity Index (CCI) was 5.05. Patients with a low CCI are more likely to return to pre-operative mobility status (p = 0.16; OR = 4.00). All patients achieved radiographical union, taking on average between 92.5 days and 144.6 days. The mean post-operative AOFAS and Olerud-Molander scores were 53.0 and 50.9, respectively. There were four cases of superficial infection, four cases of broken or loose distal locking screws. There were no deep infections, periprosthetic fractures, nail breakages, or non-unions. Conclusion Tibiotalocalcaneal nailing is an effective and safe option for managing unstable ankle fractures in the elderly. This technique leads to lower complication rates and earlier mobilisation than traditional fixation methods.

Tendon and ligament injury poses an increasingly large burden to society. This systematic review explores whether mesenchymal stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles (MSC-EVs) can facilitate tendon/ligament repair in vivo. On 26 May 2021, a systematic search was performed on PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Embase, to identify all studies that utilised MSC-EVs for tendon/ligament healing. Studies administering EVs isolated from human or animal-derived MSCs into in vivo models of tendon/ligament injury were included. In vitro, ex vivo, and in silico studies were excluded, and studies without a control group were excluded. Out of 383 studies identified, 11 met the inclusion criteria. Data on isolation, the characterisation of MSCs and EVs, and the in vivo findings in in vivo models were extracted. All included studies reported better tendon/ligament repair following MSC-EV treatment, but not all found improvements in every parameter measured. Biomechanics, an important index for tendon/ligament repair, was reported by only eight studies, from which evidence linking biomechanical alterations to functional improvement was weak. Nevertheless, the studies in this review showcased the safety and efficacy of MSC-EV therapy for tendon/ligament healing, by attenuating the initial inflammatory response and accelerating tendon matrix regeneration, providing a basis for potential clinical use in tendon/ligament repair.

Purpose Extended reality (XR) is defined as a spectrum of technologies that range from purely virtual environments to enhanced real-world environments. In the past two decades, XR-assisted surgery has seen an increase in its use and also in research and development. This scoping review aims to map out the historical trends in these technologies and their future prospects, with an emphasis on the reported outcomes and ethical considerations on the use of these technologies. Methods A systematic search of PubMed, Scopus, and Embase for literature related to XR-assisted surgery and telesurgery was performed using Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines. Primary studies, peer-reviewed articles that described procedures performed by surgeons on human subjects and cadavers, as well as studies describing general surgical education, were included. Non-surgical procedures, bedside procedures, veterinary procedures, procedures performed by medical students, and review articles were excluded. Studies were classified into the following categories: impact on surgery (pre-operative planning and intra-operative navigation/guidance), impact on the patient (pain and anxiety), and impact on the surgeon (surgical training and surgeon confidence). Results One hundred and sixty-eight studies were included for analysis. Thirty-one studies investigated the use of XR for pre-operative planning concluded that virtual reality (VR) enhanced the surgeon’s spatial awareness of important anatomical landmarks. This leads to shorter operating sessions and decreases surgical insult. Forty-nine studies explored the use of XR for intra-operative planning. They noted that augmented reality (AR) headsets highlight key landmarks, as well as important structures to avoid, which lowers the chance of accidental surgical trauma. Eleven studies investigated patients’ pain and noted that VR is able to generate a meditative state. This is beneficial for patients, as it reduces the need for analgesics. Ten studies commented on patient anxiety, suggesting that VR is unsuccessful at altering patients’ physiological parameters such as mean arterial blood pressure or cortisol levels. Sixty studies investigated surgical training whilst seven studies suggested that the use of XR-assisted technology increased surgeon confidence. Conclusion The growth of XR-assisted surgery is driven by advances in hardware and software. Whilst augmented virtuality and mixed reality are underexplored, the use of VR is growing especially in the fields of surgical training and pre-operative planning. Real-time intra-operative guidance is key for surgical precision, which is being supplemented with AR technology. XR-assisted surgery is likely to undertake a greater role in the near future, given the effect of COVID-19 limiting physical presence and the increasing complexity of surgical procedures.

Cartilage defects are a predisposing factor for osteoarthritis. Conventional therapies are mostly palliative and there is an interest in developing newer therapies that target the disease’s progression. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been suggested as a promising therapy to restore hyaline cartilage to cartilage defects, though the optimal cell source has remained under investigation. A PRISMA systematic review was conducted utilising five databases (MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Scopus, Web of Science) which identified nineteen human studies that used adipose tissue-derived MSC (AMSC)-based therapies, including culture-expanded AMSCs and stromal vascular fraction, to treat cartilage defects. Clinical, imaging and histological outcomes, as well as other relevant details pertaining to cartilage regeneration, were extracted from each study. Pooled analysis revealed a significant improvement in WOMAC scores (mean difference: −25.52; 95%CI (−30.93, −20.10); p < 0.001), VAS scores (mean difference: −3.30; 95%CI (−3.72, −2.89); p < 0.001), KOOS scores and end point MOCART score (mean: 68.12; 95%CI (62.18, 74.05)), thus showing improvement. The studies in this review demonstrate the safety and efficacy of AMSC-based therapies for cartilage defects. Establishing standardised methods for MSC extraction and delivery, and performing studies with long follow-up should enable future high-quality research to provide the evidence needed to bring AMSC-based therapies into the market.

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