ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Anterior cervical decompression and fusion has been widely used in the treatment of multi-level cervical spondylotic myelopathy, but accompanied with lots of complications.OBJECTIVE: To investigate the efficacy of zero-profile interboby fixation system for multi-level cervical spondylotic myelopathy.METHODS: Seventy-one patients with multi-level cervical spondylotic myelopathy were randomly divided into two groups, and the patients in group A accepted zero-profile interboby fixation system, and group B accepted cage interboby fixation system. The Japanese Orthopaedic Association score, fusion rate, as well as the incidence of dysphagia and esophageal fistula were detected to compare the efficacy between two groups.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) All cases were followed-up for 3-34 months, average of 17.5 months. The excellent and good rate at the last follow-up showed no significant difference between two groups. (2) The final fusion rate did not differ significantly between two groups, but the fusion rate in the group A was significantly higher than that in the group B at 6 and 9 months postoperatively (P < 0.05). (3) There was one patient with mild dysphagia in the group A (3％), three mild, five medium, and two severe dysphagia in the group B (29％), which showed significant difference between two groups (P < 0.05). No internal fixation loosening occurred in the group A, but three cases in the group B. The blood loss, operation time and radiology times in the group A were significantly lower than those in the group B (P < 0.05). (4) These results suggest that the effect of these two surgical methods in promoting functional recovery of spinal cord and final fusion rate show no significant differences; however, the zero-profile interboby fixation system exhibits better postoperative stability and interim fusion rate, with lower incidence of dysphagia.
ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To establish a mouse model of spinal metastasis of human prostate cancer using fluorescence-labeled PC-3 cells to allow direct observation by in vivo imaging.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>PC-3 cells were infected with a lentivirus carrying green fluorescence protein (GFP) gene. The GFP-positive cell clone was expanded and prepared into cell suspension for injection into the inferior vena cava of nude mice. The tumor growth and metastasis in the mice was directly observed using an in vivo fluorescence imaging system. The tumor-bearing mice were sacrificed after 3 months for histological examination with HE staining.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The labeled cells showed stable GFP expression both in vitro and in vivo. One week after cell injection, green fluorescence signals were detected by the in vivo fluorescence imaging system in the lower back of the mice, and at 4 weeks, the fluorescent tumor mass increased with a bone metastasis rate of 19% (3/16). Dissection of the mice at 3 months revealed lumbar tumor infiltration in 3 mice, showing a consistent result with in vivo fluorescence imaging.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The nude mouse model of spinal bone metastasis of human prostate cancer established using GFP-labeled PC-3 cells facilitates further study of bone metastasis of prostate cancer.</p>