Wakana Togami

Effects of the water‐holding capability of polyvinyl formal sponges on osteogenic ability in in vivo experiments

In this study, dextran-coated polyvinyl formal (PVF) sponges with high water-holding capability were developed to increase the osteogenic response in the PVF sponge. The study aimed to estimate the effect of the increased water-holding capability of the sponges on osteogenic capacity at a bone defect site in the rabbit femur epiphysis. Bone formation was evaluated using radiography, microcomputed tomography (CT), and histological analysis at 2, 4, and 6 weeks after implantation. As shown by radiography and micro-CT findings, the dextran-coated PVF sponge without water-holding capability showed little bone formation at all evaluated time points. However, the dextran-coated PVF sponge with high water-holding capability showed increasing bone formation around the implant at 4 and 6 weeks after implantation. Furthermore, as shown by micro-CT quantitative analysis, the grafted PVF sponge with high water-holding capability showed significantly greater values for percentage of bone volume per total volume and mean bone mineral density compared with the grafted PVF sponge without water-holding capability at 4 and 6 weeks after implantation. These results suggest that the dextran-coated PVF sponge with high water-holding capability promoted osteogenesis in vivo. The PVF sponge might be a new biomaterial to be used as a fill material for bone defects.

Corresponding scapular pain with the nerve root involved in cervical radiculopathy.

Purpose. To correspond scapular pain with the nerve root involved in cervical radiculopathy. Methods. In the anatomic study, 11 Japanese adult cadavers were dissected to examine the numbers and courses of the cutaneous nerves from C3 to C8 dorsal rami. In the clinical study, 14 men and 11 women aged 34 to 77 years who presented with scapular pain as well as pain, numbness or motor weakness in the upper limbs secondary to cervical radiculopathy were assessed. The involved nerve roots were identified based on the symptoms and signs in the arm and/or fingers, the radiological diagnosis, and the pain response to cervical nerve root blocks. The sites and characteristics of radicular pain were assessed. Results. In the anatomic study of 22 cutaneous nerves from medial branches of dorsal rami, 18 involved the C5 nerve root, 0 the C6 root, one the C7 root, and 8 the C8 root. In the clinical study, the radicular pain often occurred in the suprascapular region involving the C5 root, in the suprascapular to posterior deltoid region involving the C6 root, in the interscapular region involving the C7 root, and in the interscapular and scapular regions involving the C8 root. All patients with C5 or C8 radiculopathy had both superficial and deep pain, whereas almost all patients with C6 or C7 radiculopathy had deep pain only. No patient had superficial pain only. Conclusion. Cervical radiculopathy can cause scapular pain. Pain sites and characteristics are related to the affected nerve root.

Effects of water-holding capability of the PVF sponge on the adhesion and differentiation of rat bone marrow stem cell culture.

The aim of the study is to estimate the effects of the water-holding capability of the polyvinyl formal (PVF) sponges on osteogenic response in vitro experiments. The rat bone marrow stem cells (BMCs) were seeded and cultured for up to 4 weeks under static conditions in osteogenic media to evaluate the adhesion, proliferation, differentiation, and mineralization on the Dextran-coated PVF sponges with or without water-holding capability. The BMCs seeded onto the PVF sponges with water-holding capability showed more significant increases in DNA content, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, osteocalcin content, and calcium deposition than those without water-holding capability. These results suggest that the Dextran-coated PVF sponges with high water-holding capability would have potential uses as both a new scaffold to bone tissue engineering and as a new biomaterial.