Runt related transcription factor 2 (RUNX2) is a key regulator of osteoblast differentiation. Several variations within the RUNX2 gene have been found to be associated with significant changes in BMD, which is a major risk factor for fracture. In this study we report that an 18 bp deletion within the polyalanine tract (17A>11A) of RUNX2 is significantly associated with fracture. Carriers of the...

Organs with different levels of stiffness support the musculoskeletal system. Light microscopy cannot evaluate organ stiffness, whereas scanning acoustic (SAM) discriminates based on speed-of-sound (SOS) because sound waves pass faster in stiffer tissues. This study aimed to SOS imaging for orthopedic diseases using formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded sections. SAM uses unstained light microscopic...

Cranial vault and facial sutures interpose between mineralized bones of the skull, and may function analogously to appendicular and cranial base growth plates. However, unlike growth plates that are composed of chondrocyte lineage, cranial and facial sutures possess heterogeneous cell lineages such as mesenchymal cells, fibroblasts, and osteoblasts, in addition to vascular-derived cells. Despit...

Human chondrodysplasias are a group of conditions that affect the cartilage. It involves the growth, organization and development of the skeleton. The majority of bones in the skeleton are generated through two different mechanisms: the intramembranous and the endochondral ossifications. In the intramembranous process, mesenchymal cells originating from the neural crest and the cephalic mesoder...

Intramembranous tympanic membrane cholesterol granuloma (CG) occurs infrequently. Here, the authors report a case of CG in the tympanic membrane presenting as a blue eardrum in the right ear. In addition, a pinhole perforation noted in the anterosuperior area revealed a brown discharge. High-resolution temporal bone CT showed a bulging mass shadow in the middle ear and a soft tissue dense lesio...