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Biomedical subjects

Mitsuo Ochi

Publications and source records attributed to Mitsuo Ochi.

At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

Electromyographic analysis of the knee during jump landing in male and female athletes.

Many noncontact anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries in female athletes occur at foot strike during jump landing when the knee is extended. This study was undertaken to determine the activation level of the quadriceps and hamstring muscles electromyographically. Fifteen healthy volunteers (eight women and seven men), all of whom were collegiate basketball players, participated in the study. The maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) of the vastus medialis (VM) at a knee flexion angle of 15-45 degrees was significantly higher in women than in men. There was no significant difference in overall mean hamstring activity in men and women over the same knee flexion range. However, when the knee flexion angle was 15 degrees , 20 degrees , and 25 degrees , hamstring activity was significantly lower in female athletes. These results suggest that female athletes have a higher risk of ACL injury during jump landing due to increased anterior tibial translation force with quadriceps muscle activity. Female athletes require greater hamstring activation, and it is suggested that exercising this muscle will increase its activity when the knee is extended, thus preventing ACL injury during actual sport motions.

Adult↗

Effective repair of a fresh osteochondral defect in the rabbit knee joint by articulated joint distraction following subchondral drilling.

PURPOSE: Joint distraction has been used to treat osteoarthritis and was found to delay the need for arthrodesis or joint replacement. However, there has been little basic research on articulated joint distraction for the repair of osteochondral defects. We investigated the effects of joint distraction with motion after drilling on a fresh osteochondral defect in the weight bearing area of the rabbit knee joint. METHODS: A full thickness osteochondral defect was created in the weight bearing area of both medial femoral condyles of an adult Japanese white rabbit. After drilling of the defect, the experimental knee joint was distracted for 1.5 mm using a pair of external fixators to decrease compression force. The contralateral knee joint was used as a control with no apparatus. Gross findings and histological evaluation were assessed to study morphology of the repaired cartilage. RESULTS: A partial repair with cartilage-like tissue was observed in the joints of the experimental group at 4 weeks. While cartilage-like tissue stained with Safranin O was found in the experimental group at 8 and 12 weeks, destructive changes were observed in the control joints. Morphological changes were evaluated using the histological grading scale [Wakitani S, Goto T, Pineda SJ, et al. Mesenchymal cell-based repair of large, full-thickness defect of articular cartilage. J Bone Joint Surg Am 1994;76(4):579-92]. There was no significant difference between experimental and control groups at 4 weeks (mean 11.2 and 13.8 points, respectively). However, the mean scores of the experimental groups at 8 and 12 weeks (mean 6.8 and 7.5, respectively) were significantly better than those of the control groups at the same time points (mean 14 points each). Between the experimental groups, the scores at 8 and 12 weeks were both significantly better than those at 4 weeks. CONCLUSION: A combination of subchondral drilling, joint motion and distraction by an articulated external fixator promoted repair of a fresh osteochondral defect in the weight bearing area. Although distraction for 4 weeks was not a long enough period to repair the defect, distraction for 8 and 12 weeks resulted in a good outcome.

Animals↗

Role of simple cold storage in preventing epiphyseal growth plate impairment after replantation surgery in immature rats.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of ischemia time on longitudinal bone growth after replantation, and to evaluate the usefulness of simple cold storage of an amputated limb in preventing epiphyseal growth-plate impairment. A hind-limb replantation model was produced with 5-week-old rats after various ischemia times. With more than 6 hr of warm ischemia, growth disturbance was observed, and extensive necrosis was histologically apparent in the central region of the growth plate of the proximal tibia, even at 1 week postoperatively. Destruction of the growth plate was complete at 4 weeks after surgery. By simple cold storage of the amputated limb, growth disturbance was not observed, even following ischemia for 9 hr, and no abnormal findings were observed histologically. Segmental necrosis and destruction of the growth plate observed histologically suggested the possibility of indirect impairment of the epipyseal chondrocytes due to disturbance of the epiphyseal arterial system, attributable to ischemia. The study confirmed experimentally that cold storage of the amputated part may prevent longitudinal bone-growth disturbance after extension of ischemia time.

Amputation, Traumatic↗

Thioredoxin gene expression in rat knee articular cartilage after full-thickness injury.

To study the expression of the antioxidative protein thioredoxin (TRX) in intact and injured articular cartilage, we examined the presence of trx mRNA in rat knee joints by in situ hybridization. Our results showed that in the intact knee, most cells, including articular cartilage chondrocytes, expressed trx mRNA. We examined joints at 1, 7, 14, and 28 days after the infliction of full-thickness cartilage injuries on distal femoral condyles. At 1 day after injury, no significant changes were observed in the wound or in trx expression pattern. However, at 7 to 28 days after injury, the wound became filled with repair tissue. Also, trx expression was detected in differentiating mesenchymal cells in the deeper zones of the wound but not in fibroblast-like cells in the upper part of the repair tissue, toward the joint cavity. This lack of TRX expression in the fibroblast-like cells may underlie the susceptibility of the repair tissue fibrocartilage to oxidative stress.

Animals↗

The cellular origin of cartilage-like tissue after periosteal transplantation of full-thickness articular cartilage defects: an experimental study using transgenic rats expressing green fluorescent protein.

BACKGROUND: Periosteal transplantation is commonly used for the treatment of articular cartilage defects. However, the cellular origin of the regenerated tissue after periosteal transplantation has not been well defined. The objective of this study was to investigate the cellular origin of the regenerated tissue after periosteal transplantation. METHOD: Free periosteum was harvested from the tibia of 10-week-old adolescent enhanced green fluorescent protein (GFP-) expressing transgenic Sprague Dawley (SD) rats and was transplanted to full-thickness articular cartilage defects of the patellar groove in normal 10-week-old adolescent SD rats. The periosteum was sutured to the defect with the cambium layer facing the joint cavity. 8 SD rats were killed at 4 weeks and 8 SD rats were killed at 8 weeks after surgery. The repaired tissue was assessed histologically and histochemically. GFP-positive cells derived from the donor periosteum could easily be detected in the repaired tissue by use of a fluorescent microscope. RESULTS: At both 4 and 8 weeks after transplantation, the entire area of the defects had been repaired, with the regenerated tissue being well stained histologically with safranin-O. Most cells in the whole area of the regenerated tissue were GFP-positive, indicating that very few of the cells were GFP-negative cells originating from the recipient rats. INTERPRETATION: This experiment demonstrates that most cells in regenerated tissue after periosteal transplantation using adolescent animals do not originate from recipient cells but from the periosteal cells of the donor.

Animals↗

Reconstructed patellar tendon length after proximal tibia prosthetic replacement.

A common problem after proximal tibia prosthetic reconstruction is insufficient extensor mechanism or extensor lag. Maintaining the reconstructed patellar tendon length is an important way to minimize extensor lag. We measured the patellar tendon length and extensor lag serially. From 1994-2003, seven consecutive patients with malignant bone tumors of the proximal tibia had prosthetic reconstruction. The extensor mechanism was reconstructed by reattachment of the patellar tendon to the prosthesis with a synthetic material and augmented by a gastrocnemius flap. The patellar tendon length was measured according to the Insall-Salvati ratio. The ratios at 30 degrees knee flexion decreased immediately postoperatively, and reverted to almost the same preoperative values within 18 months. The mean ratios at 60 degrees knee flexion are significantly greater than 30 degrees at 6 months postoperatively. These findings indicate that the patellar tendon stretched, whereas the extensor lag improved continuously for 12 months postoperatively. In the revision at 22 months postoperatively, although the patellar tendon was not reattached to the replaced prosthesis, the ratio and the extensor lag had not worsened. These results show that providing strong continuity of the patellar tendon, gastrocnemius flap, and leg extensors can decrease the extensor lag, although the patellar tendon stretches.

Adolescent↗

Anatomical reconstruction of the lateral ligaments of the ankle with a gracilis autograft: a new technique using an interference fit anchoring system.

BACKGROUND: Few anatomical and minor invasive procedures have been reported for surgical reconstruction of the lateral ligaments to treat lateral instability of the ankle. Furthermore, there are no standards according to which ligaments should be reconstructed. HYPOTHESIS: A new technique for anatomically reconstructing the lateral ligaments of the ankle using an interference fit anchoring system and determining which ligaments need to be reconstructed according to the results of standard stress radiography of the talocrural and subtalar joints will be effective for treating lateral instability of the ankle. STUDY DESIGN: Case series; level of evidence, 4. METHODS: Twenty-one patients with lateral instability of the ankle underwent surgery using the proposed interference fit anchoring system. Standard stress radiographs of the subtalar joint were performed, and if the talocalcaneal angle was less than 10 degrees , only the anterior talofibular ligament was reconstructed; if there was a 10 degrees or greater opening of the talocalcaneal angle, both the anterior talofibular ligament and the calcaneofibular ligament were reconstructed. RESULTS: In the 17 patients who received only the anterior talofibular ligament reconstruction, the mean talar tilt angle on standard stress radiography of the talocrural joint was 14.5 degrees +/- 1.7 degrees before surgery and 2.6 degrees +/- 0.8 degrees 2 years after surgery (P < .0001). For the 4 patients who had both the anterior talofibular ligament and calcaneofibular ligament reconstructed, the mean talar tilt angle was 16.5 degrees +/- 1.5 degrees before surgery and 3.0 degrees +/- 0.5 degrees 2 years after surgery (P = .0015). The overall mean talocalcaneal angle on standard stress radiography of the subtalar joint was 11.3 degrees +/- 1.4 degrees before surgery and 3.5 degrees +/- 0.8 degrees 2 years after surgery (P = .0060). CONCLUSION: The proposed system has several advantages, including anatomical reconstruction with normal stability and range of motion restored, the need for only a small incision during the reconstruction, and sufficient strength at the tendon graft-bone tunnel junction, in comparison with the tension strength of the lateral ligaments of the ankle.

Adolescent↗

Hyperbaric oxygen as an adjuvant for athletes.

There has recently been a resurgence in interest in hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) treatment in sports therapy, especially in Japan. Oxygen naturally plays a crucial role in recovery from injury and physiological fatigue. By performing HBO treatment, more oxygen is dissolved in the plasma of the pulmonary vein via the alveolar, increasing the oxygen reaching the peripheral tissues. HBO treatment is therefore expected to improve recovery from injury and fatigue. HBO treatment has been reported to reduce post-injury swelling in animals, and in humans; swelling was also mitigated, but to a lesser extent. Positive results have also been reported regarding tissue remodelling after injury, with injuries involving bones, muscles and ligaments showing improved recovery. Furthermore, HBO treatment has effectively increased recovery from fatigue. This was clearly seen at the Nagano Winter Olympics, where sports players experiencing fatigue were successfully treated, enabling the players to continue performing in the games. Despite its potential, HBO treatment does have its risks. Increasing oxygen levels in tissues poses a risk to DNA through oxidative damage, which can lead to pathological changes in the CNS and the lungs. Regarding the operating of HBO systems, safer administration should be advised. Further research into HBO treatment is required if this therapy is to become more widespread. It should become possible to tailor treatment to an individual's condition in order to use HBO treatment efficiently.

Animals↗

Transplant of mesenchymal stem cells and hydroxyapatite ceramics to treat severe osteochondral damage after septic arthritis of the knee.

We describe a 21-year-old man with a large osteochondral defect of the knee after septic arthritis, successfully treated by transplant of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) from bone marrow and a new type of interconnected porous hydroxyapatite ceramic (IP-CHA). We confirmed successful cartilage-like tissue regeneration by a second arthroscopy. Biopsy of the repaired tissue revealed cartilage-like regeneration and bone formation. We were able to regenerate new bone and cartilage-like tissue in a one-stage operation, without sacrificing autologous bone or other tissue. This cultured MSC and IP-CHA hybrid material transplant represents a novel treatment for a severe osteochondral defect after septic arthritis.

Adult↗

Magnetically labeled human natural killer cells, accumulated in vitro by an external magnetic force, are effective against HOS osteosarcoma cells.

We evaluated the efficacy of a novel natural killer (NK) cell delivery system in vitro, and also investigated the antitumor effect of the accumulated cells on HOS osteosarcoma cells. Human peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated and co-cultured with inactivated K562 erythroleukaemic cells in the presence of IL-2 for 5 days. CD3- CD56+ NK cells were labeled with immunomagnetic beads and separated using a magnetic cell sorting system. Purity and cytotoxicity against K562 cells and HOS cells of the magnetically labeled NK cells were measured. To evaluate whether magnetically labeled NK cells could be accumulated in a specific area by magnetic force, the NK cells were placed in chamber slides in the presence, or not, of an external magnetic force of a neodymium magnet (diameter: 1.5 mm, height: 3 mm, total magnetic flux density: 0.282 T). Moreover, to investigate the antitumor effect on HOS cells, the magnetically labeled NK cells were added to HOS cells in chamber slides in the presence, or not, of an external magnetic force for various times. HOS cells were subsequently stained with Papanicolaou for histological examination. It was found that the magnetically labeled NK cells were highly purified and had cytotoxicity against target cells. The NK cells were accumulated effectively by the magnetic field and, when the NK cells were added to HOS cells in a chamber slide with a magnet placed beneath, a significantly larger number of HOS cells detached from the magnet zone than from other zones. Apoptosis was detected in most detached HOS cells. In conclusion, these findings indicate that magnetically accumulated NK cells efficiently induced apoptosis in HOS cells, suggesting that magnetic targeting therapy using magnetically labeled NK cells holds promise as an immunotherapy for osteosarcoma.

Antineoplastic Agents↗

Neural progenitor cells promote corticospinal axon growth in organotypic co-cultures.

The CNS is limited in regeneration following injury in adult mammals. Recent studies show that the transplantation of the neuronal progenitor cells is useful in promoting regeneration. However, the mechanisms of action of the transplanted neural progenitor cells have not been clarified. In this study, we used organotypic co-cultures with neonatal brain cortex and spinal cord as an in vitro assay system for assessing the factors that regulate corticospinal axonal growth. Our results show that the transplantation of neural progenitor cells enhanced corticospinal axon growth in these co-cultures. In addition, neural progenitor cell conditioned medium also significantly promoted axonal growth. These findings strongly suggest that factors derived from neural progenitor cells participate in the effect on axonal growth.

Age Factors↗

Morphological changes of the ligamentum flavum as a cause of nerve root compression.

The ligamentum flavum is considered to be one of the important causes of radiculopathy in lumbar degenerative disease. Although there have been several reports anatomically examining the positional relationship between the ligamentum flavum and nerve root, there are few reports on ventral observation. The purpose of this study is to clarify the shape of the ligamentum flavum seen ventrally, and to obtain anatomic findings related to nerve root compression. The subjects were 18 adult embalmed cadavers, with an average age of 78 years at the time of death. The ventral shapes of the ligamentum flavum were observed. The relationships between the morphological change of the ligamentum flavum and nerve root compression or radiographic findings were statistically evaluated. Among the shapes of the ligamentum flavum, bulging of the ligament was most frequently observed. Proximal bulging indicates the type with the cranial portion bulging from the subarticular zone to the foraminal zone of the ligamentum flavum. In this type associated with a decrease in disc height, nerve root compression was frequently observed. Thus, we could more realistically grasp the relationship between bulging morphology of the ligamentum flavum and nerve root compression.

Aged↗

Intravenously injected neural progenitor cells of transgenic rats can migrate to the injured spinal cord and differentiate into neurons, astrocytes and oligodendrocytes.

Transplantation of neural progenitor cells (NPCs) has been reported recently to promote regeneration of the injured spinal cord. In the majority of these reports, cell transplantation was performed by local injection with a needle. However, direct injection might be too invasive for clinical use; therefore, the authors investigated a new method of delivering NPCs for the treatment of spinal cord injury. In this study, NPCs were obtained from E15 fetal hippocampus of transgenic rats expressing green fluorescent protein and 100,000 cells were transplanted intravenously into each animal 24h after contusion injury. It was found that the injected NPCs migrated to the lesion site widely and demonstrated nestin at an early phase after transplantation. These NPCs differentiated into neurons, astrocytes and oligodendrocytes, and survived at least for 56 days. These results indicated that intravenously injected neural stem cells migrated into the spinal cord lesion while preserving their potential as NPCs, and that this procedure is a potential method of delivering cells into the lesion for the treatment of spinal cord injury.

Animals↗

The pathology of ligamentum flavum in degenerative lumbar disease.

STUDY DESIGN: A pathologic study of the ligamentum flavum in degenerative lumbar disease. OBJECTIVES: To elucidate the clinical significance of each pathologic finding of the ligamentum flavum. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: In many reports, researchers observed the ligamentum flavum removed partially during surgery and did not evaluate the whole image of the ligamentum flavum. In addition, there are only a few reports that examined the possible association between various histologic findings and clinical findings. And, thus, there are many unclear points in the clinical significance indicated by each pathologic finding. METHODS: The study participants were 50 patients with degenerative lumbar diseases who underwent surgical decompression with removal of the ligamentum flavum of the affected spinal level. Tissue specimens of the removed ligamentum flavum in cross section were prepared, and changes in the elastic fibers and collagen fibers were evaluated in three grades to evaluate the whole image. In addition, we observed the presence or absence of any focal lesions and statistically analyzed the possible association between these histologic findings and clinical symptoms or image findings. RESULTS: In regard to the association between histologic findings and clinical symptoms or image findings, calcification was observed in significantly older patients, who tended to have low scores in preoperative JOA score, and was frequently observed in patients with cauda equina symptoms. Patients with ossification had a significantly greater % slip, and chondroid cells were frequently observed in patients with spondylolisthesis. CONCLUSION: Various pathologic findings provided important foundations for discussing the pathogenesis of lesions in ligamentum flavum. Calcification was frequently observed in elderly patients and those with cauda equina symptoms, and these patients tended to have severer preoperative symptoms. Chondroid cells were frequently observed in patients with spondylolisthesis, and patients with ossification had a greater % slip, suggesting involvement of mechanical load in ossification of ligaments. The pathologic findings were significantly related to the clinical features, and these findings will be profitable for understanding the pathogenesis of degenerative lumbar disease.

Aged↗

Involvement of ATP, increase of intracellular calcium and the early expression of c-fos in the repair of rat fetal articular cartilage.

To compare the potential of adult and fetal animals to repair articular cartilage, we investigated the early process after creating superficial defects in the femoral knee cartilage in rat models. In fetuses at 19 days of gestation, both chondrocytes and the extracellular matrix responded notably by 48 h after artificial injury. Staining patterns with safranin O revealed that, by 1 h after injury, some components of the extracellular matrix around the wound were modified, and the change spread from the limited region to the entire knee cartilage within 24 h. The chondrocytes in the area surrounding the wound transiently expressed increased level of c-fos from 1 h to 6 h. The wound remained 1 day after birth, i.e., 72 h after injury, but was completely repaired 10 days after birth. In contrast, neither visible responses nor transient c-fos expression was observed in 12-week-old adult articular cartilage 48 h after injury. We also examined the relationships between the intracellular Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]i) and the induction of c-fos expression in the cartilage. Applications of ATP or Ca2+ ionophore A23187, both of which increase [Ca2+]i, induced immediate expression of c-fos in primary cultured chondrocytes: 1 microM ATP elicited an increase of [Ca2+]i in chondrocytes in fetal cartilage slices, but 1 mM was required in adult cartilage slices. Our findings show the presence of a signaling pathway that is apparently active in the repair of fetal but not adult articular cartilage and that involves the intercellular transfer of ATP, increase of [Ca2+]i, and expression of c-fos in cartilage.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗