Treatment of cervical suppurative spondylitis with primary anterior debridement and bone graft fusion combined with secondary posterior fixation / 中华骨科杂志

Objective:To investigate the safety and clinical efficacy of primary anterior lesion removal and bone graft fusion combined with secondary posterior fixation in the treatment of cervical suppurative spondylitis.Methods:Retrospective analysis was performed on the data of twenty cervical suppurative spondylitis patients treated with primary anterior lesion removal and bone graft fusion combinedwith secondary posterior fixation in our hospital from May 2016 to December 2020, including 14 males and 6 females. Aging from 40 to 87 years, with an average of 60.2±12.6 years. The laboratory tests of preoperative blood culture, such as white blood cell count (WBC), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and hypersensitive C-reactive protein (CRP) were performed.The selection and duration of antibiotic usewere guided according to bacterial culture and laboratory test results. visual analogue scale (VAS) score, Japanese Orthopeadic Association (JOA) score and Frankle classification of neurological function were evaluated before surgery, 3 months after surgery, and 12 months after surgery, so were the Cobb angle and segmental angle of cervical lordosis. Single factor repeated measure ANOVA was used for statistical analysis of data.Results:Surgeries were performed successfully for all the 20 patients. 9 cases of Staphylococcus aureus, 4 cases of Streptococcus and 2 case of Escherichia coli were detected by pathogen examination. The remaining 5 cases were negative in bacterial culture. All 20 patients were followed up for 18.3±6.7 months. WBC, ESR and CRP at 3 and 12 months after surgery were significantly lower than those before surgery ( F value: 17.90, 30.65, 18.64, P<0.001). The VAS at 3 months after surgery 1.35±0.49 and 12 months after surgery 1.15±0.48 were significantly lower than that before surgery 4.95±1.10 ( F=176.12, P<0.001). The JOA score at 3 months after surgery 15.40±1.93 and 12 months after surgery 16.06±1.36 were significantly better than that before surgery 11.45±2.78 ( F=65.33, P<0.001). The Cobb Angle of C 2-C 7 cervical lordosis after surgery 14.45°±4.36° and 12 months after surgery (13.70°±3.15°) were significantly larger than that before surgery (8.25°±4.36°) ( F=72.54, P<0.001). Cobb angle of the lesion segment after surgery (3.60°±1.90°) and 12 months after surgery (2.90°±1.44°) were significantly better than that before surgery (-3.55°±5.74°) (negative value indicated kyphosis) ( F=42.49, P<0.001). Bone fusion was observed in all graft areas at 12 months of follow-up. Conclusion:The treatment of cervical suppurative spondylitis with primary anterior lesion removal and bone graft fusion combined with secondary posterior fixation can effectively obtain intraspinal decompression, improve pain and nerve function, as well as restore cervical stability and correct kyphosis, with satisfactory clinical efficacy.

Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion plus plating for unstable Hangman's fractures / 中华创伤杂志

Objective To investigate the clinical effectiveness of anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF)plus plating in the treatment of unstable Hangman's fractures.Methods A retrospective case series study was carried out to analyze 12 patients who received ACDF plus plate internal fixation for unstable Hangman's fracture admitted to Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital affiliated to Zhejiang University School of Medicine from July 2014 to July 2018.There were nine males and three females,aged 24-70 years with an average of 46.2 years.According to Levine-Edwards typing,there were seven patients of type Ⅱ,four patients of type Ⅱ A and one patient of type Ⅲ.There were two patients of grade D and 10 patients of grade E according to the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) classification.The operation time,intraoperative blood loss and the operational complications were recorded.At 3 days,1,3,6,12 and 24 months after operation,the height of intervertebral disc,physiological curvature of cervical spine,fracture healing and bone graft fusion were evaluated.The recovery of neurological function was assessed by ASIA,and the neck pain relief and function improvement was assessed by visual analogue scale (VAS) and the neck disability index (NDI).Results All patients were followed for 6-48 months(mean,27.7 months).The operation time ranged from 50-100 minutes,with an average of 72.5 minutes.The intraoperative blood loss was 30-120 ml (mean,65.8 ml).No serious complications occurred during and after operation.Two patients had dysphagia after operation,and the symptoms were relieved at the follow-up of 3 months.All patients achieved bony fusion of C2-3 within the 6 month follow-up.No subsidence or migration of cages and significant loss of intervertebral space height were observed.The patient's neck and occipital pain was relieved obviously,and the flexion,extension and rotation of cervical spine were good.The neurologic dysfunction of two patients of ASIA Grade D recovered after surgery,and the final ASIA grade was E.The VAS score was decreased from 5.0 (4.0,6.0)points preoperatively to 1.0(0,1.0)points at the last follow-up (P ＜0.01).The NDI score was improved from (28.5 ± 6.4) points preoperatively to (5.3 ± 2.7) points at the last follow-up (P＜0.01).Conclusion ACDF combined with plate internal fixation can provide immediate postoperative stability,high fusion rate,less complications,less pain,and satisfactory function recovery.

Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion plus plating for unstable Hangman's fractures / 中华创伤杂志

Objective@#To investigate the clinical effectiveness of anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF)plus plating in the treatment of unstable Hangman's fractures.@*Methods@#A retrospective case series study was carried out to analyze 12 patients who received ACDF plus plate internal fixation for unstable Hangman's fracture admitted to Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital affiliated to Zhejiang University School of Medicine from July 2014 to July 2018. There were nine males and three females, aged 24-70 years with an average of 46.2 years. According to Levine-Edwards typing, there were seven patients of type Ⅱ, four patients of type Ⅱ A and one patient of type Ⅲ. There were two patients of grade D and 10 patients of grade E according to the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) classification. The operation time, intraoperative blood loss and the operational complications were recorded. At 3 days, 1, 3, 6, 12 and 24 months after operation, the height of intervertebral disc, physiological curvature of cervical spine, fracture healing and bone graft fusion were evaluated. The recovery of neurological function was assessed by ASIA, and the neck pain relief and function improvement was assessed by visual analogue scale (VAS) and the neck disability index (NDI).@*Results@#All patients were followed for 6-48 months(mean, 27.7 months). The operation time ranged from 50-100 minutes, with an average of 72.5 minutes. The intraoperative blood loss was 30-120 ml (mean, 65.8 ml). No serious complications occurred during and after operation. Two patients had dysphagia after operation, and the symptoms were relieved at the follow-up of 3 months. All patients achieved bony fusion of C2-3 within the 6 month follow-up. No subsidence or migration of cages and significant loss of intervertebral space height were observed. The patient's neck and occipital pain was relieved obviously, and the flexion, extension and rotation of cervical spine were good. The neurologic dysfunction of two patients of ASIA Grade D recovered after surgery, and the final ASIA grade was E. The VAS score was decreased from 5.0 (4.0, 6.0)points preoperatively to 1.0(0, 1.0)points at the last follow-up (P<0.01). The NDI score was improved from (28.5±6.4)points preoperatively to (5.3±2.7)points at the last follow-up (P<0.01).@*Conclusion@#ACDF combined with plate internal fixation can provide immediate postoperative stability, high fusion rate, less complications, less pain, and satisfactory function recovery.

Influence of age on the Surgical risk and prognosis in elderly patients with lumbar spinal stenosis / 中华骨科杂志

Objective To evaluate the influence of age on the surgical risk and prognosis for elderly patients who suffered from lumbar spinal stenosis.Methods A total of 129 patients above 70 years old with lumbar stenosis from January 2015 to August 2018 were divided into 4 groups by age:younger than 69 years,70-74 years,75-79 years and 80 years and above.50 patients below 69 years old were chosen at random as control group.Different parameters such as operation methods,predicted complication rate (POSSUM score),actual complication rate,number of operation levels,operation time,surgical blood loss,occult blood loss,total hospital stay,postoperative hospital stay,hospital cost and the ODI score in 3 months followup were recorded.The surgical risk and prognosis of elderly patients were analyzed by comparing the differences of above parameters between different age groups.Results There was no significant correlation between different age groups and surgical methods (F=15.637,P=0.208).The operation time and surgical blood loss both showed no significant difference between 4 groups.The predicted incidence of complications (POSSUM score) in group older than 80 years old (38.5％+12.34％) and 75-79 years old (41.1％+ 11.82％) were higher than the group younger than 69 years old (28.4％+ 15.44％).There was no significant difference between the two groups over 75 years old,and there was no significant difference between the 70-74 years old group and the other three groups.The actual incidence of complications was 43.75％ in group over 80 years old,42.86％ in group 75-79 years old and 42.03％ in group 70-74 years old.The actual complication rate of the group younger than 69 years was lower than other three groups,and the three other groups showed no significant difference between each other.The totally hospital stay and numbers of operation levels in groups 75-79 and 80 years and above were higher than groups 70-74 and 69 years and below.There was no significant difference in those parameters between groups 75-79 and 80 years and above,and between groups 70-74 years and 69 years and below.The ODI scores between 4 groups also showed no significant difference.Conclusion The risk of surgery for lumbar disc stenosis patients older than 75 years has increased,but the patient's surgical outcome has not decreased.Old age should not be a key factor in determining whether a patient is suitable for surgery.

Comparison of long-term effect between minimally invasive and open approaches in one-level posterior lumbar inter-body fusion: a 10-12 year prospective study / 中华骨科杂志

Objective To compare the long-term effect between minimally invasive (MIS) and open approaches in one-level posterior lumbar interbody fusion (O-PLIF) after more than 10 years follow up. Methods All 131 patients (lumbar spine le-sions) in our hospital were randomized into MIS-PLIF group and O-PLIF group from March 2006 to March 2008. In MIS-PLIF group, there are 66 patients, 34 males and 32 females, with the average of 52.3 ± 6.7 years old (range from 40 to 63). In O-PLIF group, there are 65 patients, 29 males and 36 females, with the average of 51.1 ± 6.9 years old (range from 46 to 63). Regarding March 2018 as last follow-up, differences in intervertebral disc height and segmental lordosis restoration of the operation segment , lumbar lordosis restoration, multifidus cross section area (CSA), multifidus atrophy rate, fusion rate, visual analogue scale (VAS) for back and leg pain, Oswestry Disability Index(ODI), Japanese Orthopaedic Association cores (JOA) and postoperative long-term compli-cations were evaluated between the two groups. The related risk factors of postoperative long-term complications were evaluated in further analysis. Results Complete follow-up data were available on 37 patients in MIS-PLIF group and 35 patients in O-PLIF group, with the follow-up rate of 56.1％and 53.8％respectively,and with the mean follow-up time of 134.5 ±8.4 and 137.1±5.8 months respectively. At three time nodes of one year after operation, five years after operation and last follow-up after operation, there were significant differences in lumbar lordosis restoration (one year after operation and last follow-up after operation)( 5.0°± 2.3° vs. 3.9°±1.4°;4.7°±2.4° vs. 3.7°±1.5°), multifidus CSA (965.4±164.9 mm2 vs. 884.9±168.2 mm2;891.1±155.9 mm2 vs. 783.2± 163.0 mm2; 764.8 ± 148.3 mm2 vs. 643.5 ± 150.0 mm2), multifidus atrophy rate (8.5％± 2.5％ vs. 16.6％± 5.8％; 15.6％± 3.5％ vs. 26.2％±7.4％;27.6％±6.5％vs. 39.3％±9.3％), postoperative VAS for back pain (2.2±1.0 vs. 2.9±1.2;1.7±0.9 vs. 2.2±1.0;1.4±1.0 vs. 2.2±1.2), JOA score (22.3±3.8 vs. 19.9±4.2;23.1±4.3 vs. 19.3±3.9;22.4±4.2 vs. 19.6±4.0) and ODI (11.6％±4.8％vs. 22.0％± 7.7％;9.4％±3.9％vs. 12.3％±4.9％;8.6％±4.0％vs. 11.0％±4.6％) between the two groups (P<0.05). However, there were no sig-nificant differences in segmental lordosis, intervertebral height restoration, lumbar lordosis restoration (one year after operation), fusion rate or postoperative VAS for leg pain between MIS-PLIF and O-PLIF(P>0.05). Intractable back pain and adjacent segment disease were the major postoperative long-term complications for MIS-PLIF group (3 cases and 2 cases) and O-PLIF group (10 cas-es and 7 cases), and the difference was statistically significant in the intractable back pain incidence rate ( 8.5％vs. 28.6％,χ2=5.090, P=0.024), but not in the adjacent segment disease(5.4％vs. 20％,χ2=0.002, P=0.061). What's more, patients with intracta-ble back pain suffered more obviously multifidus atrophy than patients without intractable back pain at three time nodes of one year after operation (19.4±4.4％vs. 10.9±5.1％, P<0.05), five years after operation (30.2±5.4％vs. 18.7±6.7％, P<0.05) and last fol-low-up after operation (44.5±5.7％vs. 30.8±8.9％, P<0.05) . Conclusion In the long-term follow up, compared with O-PLIF, MIS-PLIF had advantages in better maintenance of lumbar lordosis, protection of the multifidus muscle, reduced lower back pain, JOA score, ODI score and intractable back pain incidence rate. Multifidus atrophy may be a related risk factor of intractable back pain.

Relationship between basivertebral foramen and retropulsed bone fragment in thoracolumbar burst fracture / 中华骨科杂志

Objective To clarify the relationship between the basivertebral foramen (BF) and the retropulsed bone fragment (RBF) in thoracolumbar burst fracture (TLBF) and further explain the mechanism of RBF formation.Methods From June 2013 to June 2016,Sixty-two patients suffering from TLBF with RBF were collected.The characteristics of RBF as well as the parameters of vertebral body were studied using CT reconstruction imaging.In the transverse images,the lengths of RBF (RL) and vertebral body (VL) were measured.In median sagittal images,the heights and widths of RBF (RH,RW) and vertebral body (VH,VW) were also obtained.The ratios of different parameters of RBF and vertebral body (RL/VL,RW/VW,RH/VH) were calculated,and then defined the location relationship of RBF and BF.Eight frozen cadaveric spine were selected and evaluated by Micro-CT scans.Each vertebral body was divided into three layers (Superior,Middle,Inferior).Each layer was further divided into 9 regions (R1-R9),named as SR1-SR9,MR1-MR9,IR1-IR9.Microarchitecture parameters of each region in each layer,including bone volume fraction (BV/TV),bone mineral density (BMD),trabecular connectivity (Corn.D),and trabecular number (Tb.N) and thickness (Tb.Th) were calculated,and their differences were also analyzed to see if the trabecular bone distribution would be affected by BF.In vitro study,burst fractures were simulated on cadaveric spines by using bursting fracture simulator,aiming to observe the RBF morphology and imaging findings to future investigate the relationship between RBF and BF.Results The length and height of RBF were close to half of vertebral body length and height (RL/VL:0.497±0.059,RH/VH:0.485±0.036).The width of RBF was usually one-third of vertebral body width (RW/VW:0.319±0.025),which indicated that the fracture block was often located in the posterior of vertebral body above the BF.BV/TV,Tb.N in the MR2 and MR5 regions were lowest than other regions and the SMI of MR2 and MR5 was largest than others.SR5 was the lowest region in superior lawyer that was corresponded to regions most affected by burst fracture.In simulated burst fractures,the fracture line of RBF went across the vertex or upper surface of the BF and the lower boundaries of RBF were also the upper bound of the BF.Moreover,the damage sites of posterior longitudinal ligament were mainly located at the edge of the BF.Conclusion At the bone defect region,the BF is the weakest area in the vertebral body which may affect the distribution of trabecular bone surrounding it.When subjected to vertical violence,these regions undergo fracture first which impact the anterior and lower boundaries of RBF.Ultimately,RBF was produced upon the BF,involving all or part of the upper bound of the BF.

Relationship between basivertebral foramen and retropulsed bone fragment in thoracolumbar burst fracture / 中华骨科杂志

Objective To clarify the relationship between the basivertebral foramen (BF) and the retropulsed bone fragment (RBF) in thoracolumbar burst fracture (TLBF) and further explain the mechanism of RBF formation.Methods From June 2013 to June 2016,Sixty-two patients suffering from TLBF with RBF were collected.The characteristics of RBF as well as the parameters of vertebral body were studied using CT reconstruction imaging.In the transverse images,the lengths of RBF (RL) and vertebral body (VL) were measured.In median sagittal images,the heights and widths of RBF (RH,RW) and vertebral body (VH,VW) were also obtained.The ratios of different parameters of RBF and vertebral body (RL/VL,RW/VW,RH/VH) were calculated,and then defined the location relationship of RBF and BF.Eight frozen cadaveric spine were selected and evaluated by Micro-CT scans.Each vertebral body was divided into three layers (Superior,Middle,Inferior).Each layer was further divided into 9 regions (R1-R9),named as SR1-SR9,MR1-MR9,IR1-IR9.Microarchitecture parameters of each region in each layer,including bone volume fraction (BV/TV),bone mineral density (BMD),trabecular connectivity (Corn.D),and trabecular number (Tb.N) and thickness (Tb.Th) were calculated,and their differences were also analyzed to see if the trabecular bone distribution would be affected by BF.In vitro study,burst fractures were simulated on cadaveric spines by using bursting fracture simulator,aiming to observe the RBF morphology and imaging findings to future investigate the relationship between RBF and BF.Results The length and height of RBF were close to half of vertebral body length and height (RL/VL:0.497±0.059,RH/VH:0.485±0.036).The width of RBF was usually one-third of vertebral body width (RW/VW:0.319±0.025),which indicated that the fracture block was often located in the posterior of vertebral body above the BF.BV/TV,Tb.N in the MR2 and MR5 regions were lowest than other regions and the SMI of MR2 and MR5 was largest than others.SR5 was the lowest region in superior lawyer that was corresponded to regions most affected by burst fracture.In simulated burst fractures,the fracture line of RBF went across the vertex or upper surface of the BF and the lower boundaries of RBF were also the upper bound of the BF.Moreover,the damage sites of posterior longitudinal ligament were mainly located at the edge of the BF.Conclusion At the bone defect region,the BF is the weakest area in the vertebral body which may affect the distribution of trabecular bone surrounding it.When subjected to vertical violence,these regions undergo fracture first which impact the anterior and lower boundaries of RBF.Ultimately,RBF was produced upon the BF,involving all or part of the upper bound of the BF.

Application of cortical bone trajectory screw in the revision of lumbar disease / 中华骨科杂志

Objective To evaluate and discuss the clinical outcomes and advantages of midline lumbar fusion (MIDLF) with cortical bone trajectory (CBT) screw in the reoperation of lumbar disease. Methods From June 2014 to August 2015, a total of 12 patients, 5 male and 7 female with an average age of 68.5±5.6 years old (ranged from 56-76 years). The indications of reoper-ation including:5 cases of adjacent segment disease, 2 cases of discogenic back pain after lumbar dynamic stabilization, 5 cases of recurrent disc herniation. The interval time from primary surgery to second surgery was 3-9.5 years (average 6.0±2.0 years). Dis-ease level:L2/31 case, L3/42 cases, L4/57 cases, L5/S12 cases. All cases were got the X-ray, CT scan and MRI examination before surgery. The operative duration, blood loss, complications were all evaluated. Back and leg pain were recorded by visual analogue scale (VAS) scores. Functional recovery was evaluated by Oswestry disability index (ODI). Results Operative time was 110-210 min, and mean duration was (158.3±36.4) min. Blood loss was 150-310 ml, and mean loss was (231.7±51.0) ml. There was 1 case of cerebrospinal fluid leakage which treated with pillow supine for 1 week after surgery, and strengthened the prevention of antibi-otics, incision healing, with no headache and other low intracranial pressure of dizziness, the remaining patients had no intraopera-tive and postoperative complications. The time of follow-up was 12-25 months, with an average of (17.9 ± 4.6) months. The back pain of VAS score of preoperative was 3.9±1.4, and the last follow-up was 1.9±0.5, the difference was statistically significant (t=4.506, P=0.001). The VAS score of preoperative leg pain (4.9±1.4) was significant higher than the last follow-up (1.2±0.6, t=9.134, P=0.000). The preoperative ODI was 32.9±3.4, and last follow-up was 13.3±3.2, and the difference was statistically significant (t=15.002, P=0.000). Conclusion MIDLF was applicable with good clinical outcome and technical advantages in current cases, and it might be a choice of reoperation for lumbar disease.

The indirect decompression effect of oblique lateral interbody fusion in the treatment of degenerative lumbar stenosis / 中华骨科杂志

Objective To investigate the indirect decompression effect of oblique lateral interbody fusion (OLIF) in the treatment of mild to moderate degenerative lumbar stenosis.Methods From October 2014 to November 2016,23 patients with mild to moderate lumbar spinal stenosis underwent OLIF combined with or without posterior pedicle screw fixation;9 males and 14 females with average age of 59.2±11.6 years old;8 cases at L3,4 segment and 15 cases at L4,5 segment.All cases were followed up for more than 6 months.Thin layer scanning of CT and two-dimensional reconstruction images were used to measure the vertical diameter and area of intervertebral foramen.Intervertebral disc height and spinal canal anteroposterior diameter were measured on median sagittal MRI sequence,and the anteroposterior diameter and the cross-sectional area of the spinal canal were measured on cross-sectional MRI sequence.The clinical effects were assessed by the visual analogue score (VAS) and the Oswestry disability index (ODI) for low back pain,lower limb pain and lower limb numbness.Results Compared with those measurements pre-operatively,the post-operative intervertebral disc height increased by 78.6％±13.4％.The post-operative left vertical diameter of intervertebral foramen increased by 36.7％±7.8％,and the post-operative left area of intervertebral foramen increased by 36.6％± 8.7％,and the post-operative right vertical diameter of intervertebral foramen increased by 40.7％±9.6％,and the post-operative right area of intervertebral foramen increased by 40.0％±8.9％.The post-operative anteroposterior diameter of sagittal spinal canal were increased 32.6％ ± 5.9％,and the post-operative anteroposterior diameter of cross-sectional spinal canal were increased 34.4％±6.8％,and the post-operative cross-sectional area of the spinal canal were increased 47.5％±7.2％.All of the differences were statistically significant between pre-operative and post-operative measurements.The VAS score for low back pain was 6.2± 1.7 pre-operatively,and 1.1±0.5 post-operatively.The ODI for low back pain was 81.2％± 18.2％ pre-operatively,and 6.1％±2.0％ post-operatively.The VAS score for lower limb pain was 5.6±1.4 pre-operatively,and 0.8±0.3 post-operatively.And the VAS score for lower limb numbness was 6.6±2.0 pre-operatively,and 3.4± 1.2 post-operatively.All of the differences were statistically significant between pre-operative and post-operative evaluations.Conclusion There were obvious radiological evidences and remarkable clinical effect of indirect decompression using OLIF technique in treatment of mild to moderate lumbar spinal stenosis at early post-operative stage.However further long-term follow-up studies with multicenter large sample were still needed.

Early complications associated with oblique lateral interbody fusion in the treatment of degenerative lumbar diseases / 中华骨科杂志

Objective To evaluate the early clinical outcomes and complications of oblique lateral interbody fusion (OLIF) in the treatment of degenerative lumbar diseases.Methods All of 83 patients,29 males and 54 females with ages from 32 to 83 (average 60.8± 13.7 y),underwent OLIF with or without posterior pedicle screw-rod instrumentations from October 2014 to February 2017.The index diagnosis was discogenic back pain in 17 cases,spondylolisthesis in 23,lumbar spinal canal stenosis in 25,and degenerative lumbar spinal kyphoscoliosis in 18 cases.The distribution of operative level was 5 at L1,2,13 at L2,3,38 at L3,4,and 69 at L4,5.The mean number of fusion level for each case was 1.5 segments.The operative duration,blood loss during operation,intra-operative and post-operative complications,the length of post-operative hospital stay were recorded.Clinical outcomes were evaluated using visual analogue scale (VAS) and Oswestry disability index (ODI).All patients were followed up for at least 3 months.Lumbar X-ray and CT scans were taken and the clinical outcomes were re-assessed during follow-up.Results Fifty-one in the 83 patients underwent supplementary posterior pedicle screw-rod instrumentation with OLIF procedures.The operation lasted for 43-295 min,with a mean duration of (153 ± 72) min.Mean operation time for each OLIF segment was 43± 12 min.Blood loss during the operation was 30-800 ml,with a mean of 125±74 ml.Mean blood loss for each OLIF segment was 27±13 min.Average length of stay was 5.6 ± 3.2 d,ranging from 3-15 d.The VAS for back pain and leg pain and ODI scores were decreased apparently for each patient.The total incidence of complications was 22.9％ (19/83),including 6.0％ (5/83) of intra-operative complications (4 cases of cage subsidence,1 case of segmental artery injury) and 16.9％ (14/83) of post-operative ones.The latter consisted of ipsilateral hip flexor weakness in 6,ipsilateral anterolateral thigh pain in 2,ipsilateral lateral thigh numbness in 1,contralateral pain in flexion of hip in 1,ipsilateral sympathetic chain injury in 2,and pain in area of iliac bone donor site in 2.All symptoms were released or disappeared during follow-up.Conclusion OLIF as a novel minimally invasive technique can act as a safe and effective treatment for degenerative lumbar diseases,which can also reduce approach-related complications.

Clinical value of oblique lateral interbody fusion in the treatment of adult degenerative scoliosis / 中华骨科杂志

Objective To evaluate the clinical outcomes of oblique lateral interbody fusion (OLIF) in the treatment of adult degenerative scoliosis (ADS).Methods From January 2015 to May 2016,17 ADS patients,4 males and 13 females were enrolled with ages from 46 to 80 (average 69.5±9.2 years).The Cobb angle of all was greater than 10°.According to Lenke-Silva classification systems:Ⅰ level,2 cases,decompression alone;Ⅱ level,2 cases,decompression and limited instrumented spinal fusion;Ⅲ levels,4 cases,decompression and lumbar curve instrumented fusion;Ⅳ levels,5 cases,decompression with anterior and posterior spinal instrumented fusion;Ⅴ level,4 cases,thoracic instrumentation and fusion extension.The operation time,blood loss,blood transfusion,and preoperative and postoperative complications were recorded.Clinical and radiological outcomes were evaluated using visual analogue scale (VAS),Oswestry disability questionnaire (ODI) scores,sagittal vertical axis (SVA) and coronal Cobb.All cases were followed up in 3,6,12 and 24 months.Results All of 17 cases underwent OLIF,one level 4 cases,two levels 2 cases,three levels 7 cases and four levels 4 cases.Alone OLIF was 5 cases (2 case of Ⅰ level,1 case of Ⅱ level,1 case of Ⅲ level and 1 case of Ⅳ level).OLIF combined with posterior approach was 12 cases and the interval time were 1-2 weeks,the mean were 1.7±0.5 weeks.Among these 12 cases,posterior fixation was 6 cases,posterior fixation and decompression was 2 cases,and L5/S1 interbody fusion was 4 cases.The operation lasted for 50-460 min,with a mean duration of 230.6± 132.0 min.Blood loss during the operation was 30-640 ml,with a mean of 306.5±213.8 ml.No patient had blood transfusion.The follow-up was 12-28 months and the mean was 17.9±4.5 months.The preoperative Cobb angles were 16.2°-37.7°,the mean was 29.1°±6.4°.The postoperative Cobb angle were 1.5°-10.2°,and the mean were 5.6°±2.4°.The Cobb of all cases improved significantly.The SVA was returned to the normal level in 4 cases of Lenke-Silva V level.The VAS and ODI score decreased from 7.1 ±0.7 preoperatively to 2.4±0.9 at last follow-up,and from 37.9±2.5 to 10.9±3.0,respectively,and both of them were improved significantly.2 cases of OLIF had cage malposition.Left hip flexor weakness occurred in 5 cases and recovered completely within 2 weeks.Left anterior thigh pain occurred in 1 case and disappeared within 2 weeks.Left sympathetic chain injury happened in 1 case and recovered at last follow-up.Conclusion OLIF as a management of ADS showed excellent short-term outcomes.Clinical and radiological results,such as VAS,ODI and Cobb angle,were improved in all cases.OLIF will be a good choice for the treatment of ADS.

Surgery approach for thoracolumbar burst fracture in response to posterosuperior fracture fragment of injured vertebral body / 中华创伤杂志

Objective To investigate the radiographic characteristics of posterosuperior fracture fragment of the injured vertebral body and its effects on the results of surgical treatment in thoracolumbar burst fractures.Methods A total of 45 patients with acute thoracolumbar burst treated by either anterior or posterior surgery from January 2014 to December 2015 were analyzed by retrospective casecontrol study.There were 24 males and 21 females with a mean age of 33.6 years (range,23-52 years).Fractured segments included T12 in six cases,L1 in 15,L2 in 14,L3 in 5,and L4 in 5.Based on AO classification,there were ten cases of A3 fractures and 35 cases of Ag fractures,among which four cases of A4 were combined with B2 injuries.Eleven patients underwent anterior surgery and 34 patients posterior surgery.The operation time and intraoperative blood loss were recorded.The following parameters were also measured pre-and post-operatively,namely the displacement and inversion angle of posterosuperior fracture fragment,Cobb angle,anteroposterior diameter (APD) of spinal canal,and American spinal injury association (ASIA) neurological scale.Results All patients were followed up for 11-24 months (mean,17 months).There were no complications except for one case of implant loosening at three months after anterior surgery.The average operation time was 138.3 minutes and intraoperative blood loss was 293.7 ml in anterior surgery while the average operation time was 77.5 minutes and intraoperative blood loss was 54.7 ml in posterior surgery (P ＜ 0.05).Compared with postoperative situation,the canal APD was increased by 55.5％ in anterior surgery and the corresponding increase was 14.9％ in posterior surgery (P ＜ 0.01).There was no significant difference between two groups in Cobb angle correction.Compared with situation before surgery,the postoperative ASIA grading was improved in 73％ of the patients in anterior surgery and while it was enhanced in 24％ of the patients in posterior surgery (P ＜ 0.05).On the aspect of spinal canal decompression,anterior surgery had obvious decompression effects.The canal APD of anterior surgery was 94.4％,which was larger than 88.5％ in posterior surgery,although the difference was not significant.Notably,when the fragment displacement was ≤ 8 mm,posterior surgery could achieve 97.4％ APD which was comparable with that of anterior surgery.In contrast,when the fragment displacement was ＞ 8 mm,the APD was much smaller in posterior surgery with only 78.5％ (P ＜ 0.05).Similarly,when the fragment inversion was ≤25° or ＞ 25°,the APD was significantly different in anterior surgery and posterior surgery (95.4％ vs.80.8％) (P ＜ 0.05).Conclusions Although posterior surgery for thoracolumbar burst fractures is easy to perform and has short operation time and little intraoperative blood loss,it cannot always guarantee adequate decompression of spinal canal.When the posterosuperior fragment displacement is ＞ 8 mm or when its inversion is ＞ 25°,stand-alone posterior indirect reduction technique is likely to lead to inadequacy of canal restoration.In this case,anterior surgery should be considered in order to achieve more complete canal decompression.Therefore,this radiographic characteristic of the posterosuperior fragment could serve as an approach reference for thoracolumbar burst fractures.

Application of cortical bone trajectory screw in the revision of lumbar disease / 中华骨科杂志

Objective To evaluate and discuss the clinical outcomes and advantages of midline lumbar fusion (MIDLF) with cortical bone trajectory (CBT) screw in the reoperation of lumbar disease. Methods From June 2014 to August 2015, a total of 12 patients, 5 male and 7 female with an average age of 68.5±5.6 years old (ranged from 56-76 years). The indications of reoper-ation including:5 cases of adjacent segment disease, 2 cases of discogenic back pain after lumbar dynamic stabilization, 5 cases of recurrent disc herniation. The interval time from primary surgery to second surgery was 3-9.5 years (average 6.0±2.0 years). Dis-ease level:L2/31 case, L3/42 cases, L4/57 cases, L5/S12 cases. All cases were got the X-ray, CT scan and MRI examination before surgery. The operative duration, blood loss, complications were all evaluated. Back and leg pain were recorded by visual analogue scale (VAS) scores. Functional recovery was evaluated by Oswestry disability index (ODI). Results Operative time was 110-210 min, and mean duration was (158.3±36.4) min. Blood loss was 150-310 ml, and mean loss was (231.7±51.0) ml. There was 1 case of cerebrospinal fluid leakage which treated with pillow supine for 1 week after surgery, and strengthened the prevention of antibi-otics, incision healing, with no headache and other low intracranial pressure of dizziness, the remaining patients had no intraopera-tive and postoperative complications. The time of follow-up was 12-25 months, with an average of (17.9 ± 4.6) months. The back pain of VAS score of preoperative was 3.9±1.4, and the last follow-up was 1.9±0.5, the difference was statistically significant (t=4.506, P=0.001). The VAS score of preoperative leg pain (4.9±1.4) was significant higher than the last follow-up (1.2±0.6, t=9.134, P=0.000). The preoperative ODI was 32.9±3.4, and last follow-up was 13.3±3.2, and the difference was statistically significant (t=15.002, P=0.000). Conclusion MIDLF was applicable with good clinical outcome and technical advantages in current cases, and it might be a choice of reoperation for lumbar disease.

The study and application of intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring in oblique lateral interbody fusion combined with posterior transpedicle internal fixation / 中华骨科杂志

Objective To investigate a reliable and practicable model of intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring (IONM) in oblique lateral interbody fusion (OLIF) combined with posterior transpedicle internal fixation.Methods A total of 34 consecutive patients who underwent OLIF combined with posterior transpedicle internal fixation with IONM at the SRRSH from November 2014 to July 2016 were collected and follow-up at least for 3 months postoperative.The intraoperative somatosensory evoked potentials (SEP),motor evoked potentials (MEP),dermatomal somatosensory evoked potential (DSEP) and spontaneous electromyography (sEMG) were used and evaluated,besides,triggered electromyography (tEMG) was used to monitor the implantation of pedicle screws,the possible reasons and treating procedures of monitoring alerts were summarized.Results A total of 34 cases of patients were effectively monitored during OLIF combined with posterior transpedicle internal fixation.SEP monitoring was successful in all patients,and no abnormal SEPs were observed in all cases.DSEP monitoring was successful in 20 cases (58.8％),and no abnormal DSEPs were observed in these patients.MEP was successfully monitored in all cases,eliminating the anesthesia factor,no abnormal MEPs were observed in all cases.The sensitivity and positive predictive value of SEP,MEP,DSEP were 0％.3 cases had abnormal sEMG reactions during the channel establishment which disappeared after adjustment of channel,and 2 cases which appeared abnormal wave recovered after brief observation.Among the 5 patients with abnormal wave,one case got numbness,one patient felt pain in front of the thigh postoperative.Among the other 29 patients without abnormal wave during channel establishment,one case appeared numbness.These 3 patients with neurologic symptoms recovered in 3 months after conservative treatment.The sensitivity and specificity of sEMG was 66.7％ and 90.3％ respectively,negative predictive value and positive predictive value were 96.6％ and 40％ respectively.6 screws got tEMG response after tapping even the intensity was less than 10mA,which showed broken codex of pedicle according to postoperative CT scan.Cornclusion Intraoperative application of sEMG monitoring in OLIF can obviously reduce the incidence of the neurological deficit,which was an effective method,tEMG monitoring during lumbar pedicle screw fixation can detect the mal-positioned screws and protect the nerve roots.SEP,MEP and DSEP did not seem well suited for OLIF.

An important factor for cage retropulsion after lumbar interbody fusion——the injury of the posterior part of endplate cranial-adjacent to fusion / 中华骨科杂志

Objective To investigate causes and treatment strategy of cage retropulsion after lumbar interbody fusion,in particular the correlations between the injury of the posterior part of endplate cranially adjacent to fusion and cage retropulsion.Methods Data of 7 patients with cage migration after lumbar interbody fusion from August 2011 to July 2014 in our hospital were retrospectively analyzed.There were 4 males and 3 females,aged from 45-74 years (average,53.6 years).All patients took X-ray and CT scans examinations 3 d postoperatively,and they were followed up at 3,6,12 months after operation.The characteristics of the patients and the injury of the endplate adjacent to fusion were analyzed to identify possible risk factors of cage retropulsion.Moreover,corresponding managements were performed and outcomes were recorded.Results All 7 cases of cage retropulsion occurred within 3 months post-operatively (rang,15-67 d).Posterior part of the endplate superiorly neighboring to fusion was found injured on the decompression side in all cases with cage retropulsion,and that led to an increase in the posterior intervertebral space height at the fusion segment.Other factors,including pear-shape type endplate,and improper operative manipulations may add the risk of cage retropulsion.These 7 patients complained mild back pain or no back pain,and received corresponding treatments including bed rest,activity limitation,and oral administration of anti-inflammatory analgesics.The clinical symptoms and degrees of cage retropulsion were not aggravated during follow-up.Conclusion The injury of the posterior margin of end-plate superiorly neighboring to fusion on the decompression side which caused increased posterior intervertebral space height may be key to postoperative cage retropulsion.Prevention of possible iatrogenic injury to the endplate may be effective to reduce the risk of cage retropulsion.

Comparative study of three surgical procedures of lumbar interbody fusion for adult low-grade isthmic spondylolisthesis / 中华骨科杂志

Objective To compare the clinical and radiographic outcomes of 3 kinds of lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF,PLIF,TLIF) for adult low-grade isthmic spondylolisthesis at L4.5 and L5S1 levels.Methods Data of seventy patients with lowgrade isthmic spondylolisthesis who had undergone different lumbar interbody fusion (LIF) procedures according to the assessment of the clinical manifestation,neurological symptoms,plane of the common iliac vessels and the width of vascular window by three-dimensional computed tomography angiography between May 2004 and May 2014 were retrospectively reviewed.21 patients had undergone anterior LIF (ALIF)(13 males and 8 females with an average of 43.29±8.15 years old (range,29-53 years old);L4,5 in ten,L5S1 in 11;Meyerding grade Ⅰ 10 cases,grade Ⅱ 11 cases);25 patients had undergone posterior LIF (PLIF) (12 males and 13 females,with an average of 44.04±12.71 years old (range,25-64 years old);L4.5 in 12,L5S1 in 13;Meyerding grade Ⅰ 15 cases,grade Ⅱ 10 cases) and 24 patients had undergone transforaminal LIF (TLIF) (12 males and 12 females with an average of 45.00± 9.36 years old (range,34-62 years old);L4,5 in 12,L5S1 in 12;Meyerding grade Ⅰ 11 cases,grade Ⅱ 13 cases).Results All patients were followed up for 24-37 months (average,25.6±8.7 months).The visual analogue scale (VAS) in all groups were decreased from 7.05±0.87 (ALIF),6.60±1.39 (PLIF),6.75±1.11 (TLIF) pre-operation to 0.90±0.70,0.96±0.68,1.04±0.62 24 months after operation.Oswestry disability index (ODI) scores were decreased from 78.53％±6.25％,79.80％±6.55％,79.92％±8.10％ preoperation to 17.14％±3.01％,21.32％±4.40％,22.46％±3.87％.Perioperative data including operation time,blood loss,postoperative blood drainage,length of stay showed no significant difference between ALIF group and TLIF group,but showing significant difference comparing with PLIF group.The imageological results showed that ALIF procedure increased whole lumbar lordosis (WL) and disc height (DH),showing no significant difference comparing with PLIF group,but showing significant difference comparing with TLIF group.The ALIF procedure increased segmental lordosis angle (SL),showing significant difference comparing with PLIF group and TLIF group.The PLIF procedure decreased spondylolisthesis index (SI),showing significant difference comparing with A/TLIF group,but showing no significant difference between ALIF group and TLIF group.There was no significant difference showed comparing the L1 axis S1 distance (LASD) and sacral slope (SS),in three groups.The graft fusion was achieved in all patients after 6-8 months postoperatively without instrument failure or displacement.Conclusion Three surgical procedures of lumbar interbody fusion for adult low-grade isthmic spondylolisthesis showed silimar clinical efficacy.The ALIF procedure is superior in its capacity to restore WL,DH,and SL,and the P/TLIF procedure are superior in correcting the vertebral slippage and spinal cord decompression.

Influence of short-segment pedicle fixation of thoracolumbar fractures by Wiltse approach on the multifidus muscle / 中华骨科杂志

Objective To analyze the influence of Wiltse approach and conventional transmuscular approach on the mul?tifidus muscle by imageology, histology and electrophysiology assessment following short?segment pedicle fixation on thoracolum?bar fractures. Methods 76 patients with thoracolumbar fractures without neurological deficits who had undergone short?segment pedicle fixation between June 2010 and August 2012. Wiltse approach 36 cases, conventional transmuscular approach 40 cases. The perioperative parameters, Visual Analogue Scale scores (VAS), and radiologic parameters, esp the imageology, histology and electrophysiology changes of multifidus muscle were compared. Results 20 cases were fellowed up over 1 year in the Wiltse ap?proach group (20/36, 56%). 25 cases were fellowed up over 1 year in the conventional transmuscular approach group (25/40, 62.5%). No significant differences were found in terms of gender, age, fracture type, injured segment and follow?up period. Till the last follow?up, all patients with vertebral fractures were healed. No loosening or breaking of internal fixation was observed. Com?pared to the conventional transmuscular approach, the Wiltse approach was significantly advantageous in terms of operation time, the amount of bleeding, hospital stays and VAS scores after the surgery but the length of incision, besides, the Wiltse approach group had less incidence of multifidus atrophy and less fatty infiltration, and in conventional transmuscular approach group electro?myography demonstrated that the multifidus muscles median frequency values and average amplitude value were significantly low?er than Wiltse approach group. Conclusion The Wiltse approach for thoracolumbar fractures, retaining the posterior ligament complex, is an effective and minimally invasive treatment, with less trauma, less bleeding, less operation time, the advantages of re?liable clinical results. Especially less incidence of multifidus atrophy and less fatty infiltration.

The application of Micro-CT in the microstructure of vertebrae / 中华骨科杂志

With the aging of population, the incidence of osteoporosis and intervertebral disc degeneration increased remarkably.As a consisting part of spine, vertebrae play important roles in spinal diseases.The microstructure of vertebrae is closely associated with not only its biomechanical properties, but also its adjacent intervertebral discs.A detailed understanding of vertebrae's microstructure can help us understand the initial mechanism, progression and prognosis of vertebrae and its adjacent discs' diseases.On the other hand, traditional examinations are less effective in detecting vertebrae's microstructure.Being a noninvasive, high-resolution and bony-sensitive neo-technology, Micro-CT has obvious advantages in detecting vertebrae's microstructure.Many researches have reported the usage of Micro-CT in reveling microstructures while they also raised problems.Thus, herein we searched the related information of vertebrae's microstructure scanning with Micro-CT, explained its basic mechanism, reviewed its progress in technology and arithmetic, and concluded the latest developments.Depending on the microstructure revealed by Micro-CT, achievements in biomechanical properties of vertebrae and intervertebral disc degeneration have been made,and related problems have been summarized.Also, new applications of Micro-CT in spinal diseases are discussed for acquiring reasonable clinical data in the future.

Precise locating fluoroscopy reduces radiation exposure during the surgical procdure for thoracolumbar fracture / 中华骨科杂志

Objective To study the effect of precise locating technique of C?arm fluoroscopy in order to reduce the radia?tion exposure during the surgical procdure for thoracolumbar fracture. Methods From March 2010 to Octorber 2012, a total of 92 cases with thoracolumbar fracture underwent postierior internal fixation procdures with pedicle instrumentation. C?arm fluoros?copy was used in 44 cases with precise locating technique, while in 48 cases with traditional methods. In precise locating group,C?arm fluoroscopy was used after anesthesia. Once an ideal view was got, the position parameters of C?arm fluoroscopy machine were recorded. The machine was positioned according to the recording for the secondary fluoroscopy. Pre?operative and intra?operative number of times of exposure, length of exposure time, time for fluoroscopy and total operating time were recorded and compared be?tween two groups. Results Pre?operative number of times of exposure, exposure time, and time for fluoroscopy in precise locating group were (5.51±2.47), (2.26±1.05) s and (9.83±3.67) min,which were higher than those of (4.02±2.42), (1.78±0.98) s and (8.29± 3.52) min in traditional group. However, intra?operative number of times of exposure, exposure time, and time for fluoroscopy in precise locating group were (5.26±3.64), (2.24±1.24) s and (10.39±4.82) min,which were lower than those of (9.74±4.38), (4.21± 2.38) s and (24.69±6.35) min in traditional group,and total number of times of exposure, exposure time, time for fluoroscopy and total operating time in precise locating group were(10.77±4.16), (4.50±1.83) s, (20.22±5.03) min and(70.52±18.33)min,which were also lower than those of (13.76±5.31), (5.99±3.27) s , (32.98±7.83) min and(81.86±21.57)min in traditional group. Conclu?sion Precise locating technique of C?arm fluoroscopy reduces the radiation exposure during the surgical procdure for thoracolum?bar fracture.

Diagnostic value of the nerve root sedimentation sign for lumbar spinal stenosis / 中华骨科杂志

Objective To evaluate the diagnostic value of the nerve root sedimentation sign for lumbar spinal stenosis and improve morphological classification.Methods This is a retrospective radiologic study.From November 2012 to November 2013,511 patients who carried out MR examination due to backache together with intermittent claudication were selected.Cross-section MRI images at the narrowest layer of canalis spinalis were chosen.The patients were further divided into 7 groups,A1,A2,A3,A4,B,C,and D based on Schizas.The dural sac cross-sectional area (DSCA) of each group was measured.The groups without difference were merged.A new method to grade nerve root sedimentation was developed.Then,the correlation and consistency of nerve root sedimentation dichotomy,Schizas classification,new nerve root sedimentation classification and DSCA classification were compared.The differences of patients' Oswestry disability index (ODI) which adopted new classification method were compared.Results Results show there are no statistical significance between groups A1 and A2,groups A4 and B,or groups C and D in DSCA.After the merger,new nerve root sedimentation classification includes negative,a,b,and c.The correlation between nerve root sedimentation dichotomy and DSCA method is rs=0.579,and the consistency is κ=0.254.The correlation between new nerve root sedimentation classification method and DSCA method is rs=0.722,and the consistency is κ=0.381.The scores improve compared with the first two classification methods.ODI score difference of each group which adopted new nerve root sedimentation classification method has statistical signiftcance (F=17.972,P=0.000).Pairwise comparison shows only group c differs significantly from other groups (P＜0.05).Conclusion The new nerve root sedimentation classification method is more effective than nerve root sedimentation dichotomy and Schizas grading.It reflects the severity degree of patients'clinical symptoms to some extent.