Ricerc@Sapienza

Bone metastases are a frequent complication of advanced cancer. Interactions between cancer cells and marrow stromal cells and bone turnover mechanisms are crucial in metastases growth and the pathogenesis of bone damage. Metastatic tumour cells stimulate the bone remodelling and indirectly induce the osteocytes to release several growth factors that promote the proliferation of stromal, haematopoietic and neoplastic cells in a sort of vicious circle.

Purpose of Review: Opioids have been shown to be associated with an increased risk of fracture. The purpose of this paper is to review recent research into the effects of opioids on bone formation and bone healing in animal models and in human studies. Recent Findings: Most opioids, such as morphine and fentanyl, negatively affected bone remodeling and bone healing in animal models. Conversely, remifentanil has been recently shown to promote in vitro osteoblast differentiation and to inhibit differentiation and maturation of osteoclasts, therefore reducing bone resorption.

Background: Osteoid osteoma is a benign and painful musculoskeletal tumour that usually affects children. Current standard treatment is CT-guided radiofrequency ablation, a minimally invasive percutaneous procedure, with clinical success rates ranging between 85% and 98%. Though minimally invasive, however, this type of procedure is not free from complications.

The native groups of Patagonia have relied on a hunter-gatherer economy well after the first Europeans and North Americans reached this part of the world. The large exploitation of marine mammals (i.e., seals) by such allochthonous groups has had a strong impact on the local ecology in a way that might have forced the natives to adjust their subsistence strategies. Similarly, the introduction of new foods might have changed local diet. These are the premises of our isotopic-based analysis.

Purpose: To demonstrate that magnetic resonance (MR) imaging-guided high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) is a safe, effective, and durable treatment option for the management of osteoid osteoma in children and young adults. Materials and Methods: This prospective study was institutional review board approved and is registered with clinicaltrials.gov (identification number NCT02302651). Written informed consent was obtained from patients or their parents.

Scaffolds are three-dimensional porous structures that must have specific requirements to be applied in tissue engineering. Therefore, the study of factors affecting scaffold performance is of great importance. In this work, the optimal conditions for cross-linking preformed chitosan (CS) scaffolds by the tripolyphosphate polyanion (TPP) were investigated. The effect on scaffold physico-chemical properties of different concentrations of chitosan (1 and 2% w/v) and tripolyphosphate (1 and 2% w/v) as well as of cross-linking reaction times (2, 4, or 8 h) were studied.

Fibrous dysplasia of bone (FD) (OMIM #174800) is an uncommon skeletal disorder with a broad spectrum of clinical presentation. On one end of the spectrum, patients may present in adulthood with an incidentally discovered, asymptomatic radiographic finding of no clinical significance. On the other end of the spectrum, patients present early in life with disabling disease. The disease may involve one bone (monostotic FD), multiple bones (polyostotic FD), or the entire skeleton (panostotic FD) [1–3].

The 3rd International Meeting on Bone Marrow Adiposity (BMA) was held at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland, on August 31st and September 1st, 2017. This brief monograph summarizes the scientific contents of the meeting and highlights the birth of the International Bone Marrow Adiposity Society (BMAS).

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