Interpretation of the World Society of Emergency Surgery Guidelines for Diagnosis and Treatment of Acute Left Colonic Diverticulitis in the Elderly (2022 edition) / 中华外科杂志

Acute colonic diverticulitis is one of the most common clinical conditions encountered by surgeons in the acute setting. Acute left colonic diverticulitis in the elderly presents with unique epidemiological features when compared with younger patients. Elderly patients have a lower risk of recurrent episodes, higher in-hospital and postoperative mortality. An international multidisciplinary panel of experts from the World Society of Emergency Surgery (WSES) formulated the guidelines for diagnosis and treatment of acute left colonic diverticulitis in the elderly (2022 edition). This article aims to interpret the guidelines statements on the following topics: diagnosis, management, non-surgical therapy and surgical technique.

Chinese expert consensus on diagnosis, treatment and prevention of venous thrombus embolism associated with chest trauma (2022 version) / 中华创伤杂志

Chest trauma is one of the most common injuries. Venous thromboembolism (VTE) as a common complication of chest trauma seriously affects the quality of patients′ life and even leads to death. Although there are some consensus and guidelines on the prevention and treatment of VTE at home and abroad, the current literatures lack specificity considering the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of VTE in patients with chest trauma have their own characteristics, especially for those with blunt trauma. Accordingly, China Chest Injury Research Society and editorial board of Chinese Journal of Traumatology organized relevant domestic experts to jointly formulate the Chinese expert consensus on the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of chest trauma venous thromboembolism associated with chest trauma (2022 version). This consensus provides expert recommendations of different levels as academic guidance in terms of the characteristics, clinical manifestations, risk assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of chest trauma-related VTE, so as to offer a reference for clinical application.

Analysis of extended thymectomy for the treatment of myasthenia gravis of 527 cases / 中华胸心血管外科杂志

Objective:To summarize the surgical treatment experience of extended thymectomy for myasthenia gravis(MG), and to explore the surgical treatment of MG.Methods:Retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 527 MG patients undergoing extended thymectomy in our hospital from June 1996 to October 2017, including 242 males and 285 females, aged 5 to 77 years, with a mean age of(52.6±13.7) years old. The course of illness was 12 days to 18 years. There were 22 cases of hyperthyroidism, 7 cases of pure red blood cell aplastic anemia, 1 case each of hypothyroidism, irritable bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis and thrombocytopenia syndrome. There were 272 cases of MG in Osserman Ⅰ, 72 cases inⅡa, 78 cases inⅡb, 81 cases in Ⅲ, and 24 cases in Ⅳ, respectively. The muscle fatigue test and neostigmine test of all patients were positive, and the diagnosis was confirmed by chest CT examination. Meanwhile, summarize the perioperative data and postoperative follow-up.Results:3 cases died during the postoperative period, all of which were thymoma with MG, including 2 cases of Osserman Ⅲ MG and 1 case of Ⅳ MG; 15 cases of postoperative myasthenia crisis, including 2 OssermanⅡb cases, 11 Osserman Ⅲ cases and 2 Osserman Ⅳ cases, also including 7 cases of tracheotomy; 70 cases of plasma exchange, of whom 2 cases of hypotonic syndrome and 2 cases of lower extremity venous thrombosis. The postoperative pathological types were followed by thymic hyperplasia 293 cases(55.60%), thymoma 207 cases(39.28%), thymic cyst 24 cases(4.55%) and thymic atrophy 3 cases(0.57%) in descending order. 378 cases were followed up with an average follow-up of(85.9±58.5)months; MG with complete remission, partial remission, no change and deterioration accounted for 135(35.71%), 192(50.79%), 41(10.85%) and 10(2.65%)cases, respectively. Complete remission rate ranked as Osserman typeⅠ>Ⅱa>Ⅳ>Ⅱb>Ⅲ, the deterioration rate from high to low was Osserman type Ⅲ>Ⅳ>Ⅰ. 18 OssermanⅠcases showed no effects, whose preoperative course of disease> 5-10 years; 1 OssermanⅠcase was worsening who initially was diagnosed with ophthalmic MG and underwent video-assisted thoracoscopic thymectomy. The left thymus lobe was left unresected and developed 6 years later. Another operation was performed to remove the left lobe thymus, confirming the compensatory hypertrophy of the left lobe thymus. Among the worsening patients, 6 died, all of them were thymoma with MG, including 5 cases of type Ⅲ and one case of type Ⅳ. The cause of death was omyasthenia crisis(3 cases), sudden respiratory arrest after 3 months of rapid stopping of brompistigmine(2 cases)and cholinergic crisis(1 case).Conclusion:Standardized extended thymectomy is an effective method for the treatment of MG. Earlier surgery for ocular muscle type MG can effectively reduce the risk of generalization. MG with Osserman Ⅱb or higher is prone to myasthenia crisis. Comprehensive treatments should be taken to reduce MG-related risks. Myasthenia crisis can occur repeatedly in severe patients in the long term after surgery, requiring regular medication and comprehensive MG treatments.

Diagnosis and surgical treatment of locally advanced thymic epithelial tumors / 中华胸心血管外科杂志

The clinical treatment of locally advanced thymic epithelial tumors still faces many challenges, a multidisciplinary treatment model based on surgery is the main treatment method. In recent years, the surgical treatment of locally advanced thymic epithelial tumors has progressed rapidly, especially in the field of minimally invasive treatment. But controversies still exist and there are concepts needed to be clarified and principles to abide by. This article focuses on current status and recent progress in diagnosis and treatments of locally advanced thymic epithelial tumors.

Ankle stretching can improve stroke survivors′ ankle biomechanics, balance, walking and ability in the activities of daily living / 中华物理医学与康复杂志

Objective:To observe the effect of ankle stretching on ankle biomechanics, balance, walking ability and ability in the activities of daily living among stroke survivors.Methods:Eighteen hemiplegic stroke survivors were randomly divided into an experimental group ( n=9) and a control group ( n=9). In addition to routine medication and rehabilitation training, the experimental group received 20 minutes of ankle joint stretching daily while the control group underwent an additional twenty minutes of routine rehabilitation training. Before and after the treatment, both groups′ ankle joint stiffness (K), muscle strength, active range of motion (AROM) and passive range of motion (PROM) were evaluated. They were also assessed using the modified Ashworth scale (MAS), the Fugl-Meyer lower extremity assessment (FMA-LE), the Berg balance scale (BBS), the 6-minute walking test (6MWT) and the modified Barthel Index (MBI). Results:After two weeks of treatment significant improvement was observed in the AROM and muscle strength of both groups in dorsiflexion and plantarflexion. The average BBS and FMA-LE scores of both groups had also improved significantly. Significant improvement in the average PROM of plantarflexion and the K of dorsiflexion, as well as in average MBI score was observed only in the treatment group. After two weeks the treatment group′s average muscle strength in plantarflexion and dorsiflexion was significantly better than the control group′s.Conclusions:Stretching can reduce ankle stiffness, improve the range of motion, muscle strength, and ability of in the activities of daily living after a stroke.

Analysis of risk factors for intercostal muscular avulsion after Nuss procedure for pectus excavatum / 中华胸心血管外科杂志

Objective:To explore the incidence and risk factors of intercostal muscular avulsion for pectus excavatum after Nuss procedure.Methods:From April 2012 to April 2019, the clinical data were analyzed retrospectively for 159 hospitalized cases of Nuss procedure for pectus excavatum in Xi'an Children' s Hospital. The age ranged from 3.2 to 17.0 years old, mean(6.8±3.4) years old; 124 males, 35 females. Haller index ranged from 2.7 to 7.5(mean 4.0±1.0); intercostal muscular avulsion was 13 cases, 9 males, 4 females.The age ranged from 3.4 to 18.4 years old, mean(4.8±1.5) years old. Follow-ups were conducted for at least 20 months.Analyzed retrospectively the relevant data included age, gender, haller index, t test and χ2 test was used for statistical analysis.Results:There were statistically significant differences between intercostal muscle avulsion and age after funnel chest operation ( P=0.001), and between intercostal muscle avulsion and typing( P=0.034). Children at young ages and asymmetric pectus excavatum were prone to intercostal muscle avulsion. There were no significant differences in gender, Haller index, surgical method and intercostal muscle avulsion( P>0.05). Conclusion:The cause of intercostal muscle avulsion after postoperative complication of pectus infundibulis Nuss is mostly related to age. Children at young ages, especially asymmetric pectus excavatum are prone to intercostal muscle avulsion. We recommend surgery after the age of 6 for avoid intercostal muscle avulsion after funnel chest operation.

MRI Predictors of Malignant Transformation in Patients with Inverted Papilloma: A Decision Tree Analysis Using Conventional Imaging Features and Histogram Analysis of Apparent Diffusion Coefficients

Objective@#Preoperative differentiation between inverted papilloma (IP) and its malignant transformation to squamous cell carcinoma (IP-SCC) is critical for patient management. We aimed to determine the diagnostic accuracy of conventional imaging features and histogram parameters obtained from whole tumor apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values to predict IP-SCC in patients with IP, using decision tree analysis. @*Materials and Methods@#In this retrospective study, we analyzed data generated from the records of 180 consecutive patients with histopathologically diagnosed IP or IP-SCC who underwent head and neck magnetic resonance imaging, including diffusion-weighted imaging and 62 patients were included in the study. To obtain whole tumor ADC values, the region of interest was placed to cover the entire volume of the tumor. Classification and regression tree analyses were performed to determine the most significant predictors of IP-SCC among multiple covariates. The final tree was selected by cross-validation pruning based on minimal error. @*Results@#Of 62 patients with IP, 21 (34%) had IP-SCC. The decision tree analysis revealed that the loss of convoluted cerebriform pattern and the 20th percentile cutoff of ADC were the most significant predictors of IP-SCC. With these decision trees, the sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and C-statistics were 86% (18 out of 21; 95% confidence interval [CI], 65–95%), 100% (41 out of 41; 95% CI, 91–100%), 95% (59 out of 61; 95% CI, 87–98%), and 0.966 (95% CI, 0.912–1.000), respectively. @*Conclusion@#Decision tree analysis using conventional imaging features and histogram analysis of whole volume ADC could predict IP-SCC in patients with IP with high diagnostic accuracy.

Intravoxel Incoherent Motion Magnetic Resonance Imaging for Assessing Parotid Gland Tumors: Correlation and Comparison with Arterial Spin Labeling Imaging

Objective@#To compare and correlate the findings of intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM) magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and arterial spin labeling (ASL) imaging in characterizing parotid gland tumors. @*Materials and Methods@#We retrospectively reviewed 56 patients with parotid gland tumors evaluated by MR imaging. The true diffusion coefficient (D), pseudo-diffusion coefficient (D*), and fraction of perfusion (f) values of IVIM imaging and tumor-to-parotid gland signal intensity ratio (SIR) on ASL imaging were calculated. Spearman rank correlation coefficient, chi-squared, Mann-Whitney U, and Kruskal-Wallis tests with the post-hoc Dunn-Bonferroni method and receiver operating characteristic curve assessments were used for statistical analysis. @*Results@#Malignant parotid gland tumors showed significantly lower D than benign tumors (p = 0.019). Within subgroup analyses, pleomorphic adenomas (PAs) showed significantly higher D than malignant tumors (MTs) and Warthin’s tumors (WTs) (p < 0.001). The D* of WTs was significantly higher than that of PAs (p = 0.031). The f and SIR on ASL imaging of WTs were significantly higher than those of MTs and PAs (p < 0.05). Significantly positive correlation was found between SIR on ASL imaging and f (r = 0.446, p = 0.001). In comparison with f, SIR on ASL imaging showed a higher area under curve (0.853 vs. 0.891) in discriminating MTs from WTs, although the difference was not significant (p = 0.720). @*Conclusion@#IVIM and ASL imaging could help differentiate parotid gland tumors. SIR on ASL imaging showed a significantly positive correlation with f. ASL imaging might hold potential to improve the ability to discriminate MTs from WTs.

MRI Predictors of Malignant Transformation in Patients with Inverted Papilloma: A Decision Tree Analysis Using Conventional Imaging Features and Histogram Analysis of Apparent Diffusion Coefficients

Objective@#Preoperative differentiation between inverted papilloma (IP) and its malignant transformation to squamous cell carcinoma (IP-SCC) is critical for patient management. We aimed to determine the diagnostic accuracy of conventional imaging features and histogram parameters obtained from whole tumor apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values to predict IP-SCC in patients with IP, using decision tree analysis. @*Materials and Methods@#In this retrospective study, we analyzed data generated from the records of 180 consecutive patients with histopathologically diagnosed IP or IP-SCC who underwent head and neck magnetic resonance imaging, including diffusion-weighted imaging and 62 patients were included in the study. To obtain whole tumor ADC values, the region of interest was placed to cover the entire volume of the tumor. Classification and regression tree analyses were performed to determine the most significant predictors of IP-SCC among multiple covariates. The final tree was selected by cross-validation pruning based on minimal error. @*Results@#Of 62 patients with IP, 21 (34%) had IP-SCC. The decision tree analysis revealed that the loss of convoluted cerebriform pattern and the 20th percentile cutoff of ADC were the most significant predictors of IP-SCC. With these decision trees, the sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and C-statistics were 86% (18 out of 21; 95% confidence interval [CI], 65–95%), 100% (41 out of 41; 95% CI, 91–100%), 95% (59 out of 61; 95% CI, 87–98%), and 0.966 (95% CI, 0.912–1.000), respectively. @*Conclusion@#Decision tree analysis using conventional imaging features and histogram analysis of whole volume ADC could predict IP-SCC in patients with IP with high diagnostic accuracy.

Effects of Functional Electrical Stimulation-assisted Cycling on Motor Function and Cardiopulmonary Fitness in Subacute Stroke Patients / 中国康复理论与实践

Objective:To explore the effects of functional electrical stimulation (FES)-assisted rehabilitation cycling on motor function, cardiopulmonary fitness and activities of daily living in patients with subacute stroke. Methods:From January, 2016 to April, 2019, 60 patients with first-onset stroke at subacute stage were divided into control group (n = 30) and experimental group (n = 30). The experimental group and the control group received cycling training with or without FES based on the routine treatment for four weeks. They were assessed with Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA) and modified Barthel Index (MBI), and measured peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak) before and after treatment. Results:The scores of FMA and MBI, and VO2peak increased in both groups after treatment (|t| > 7.889, P < 0.001), and the scores of FMA and VO2peak increased more in the experimental group than in the control group (|t| > 3.332, P < 0.01). Conclusion:FES-assisted rehabilitation cycling could promote the recovery of motor function, cardiopulmonary fitness and activities of daily living in subacute stroke patients.

Effect of Curricular Reforms of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation in Medical Engineering Interdisciplinary Crossing on Eight-year Medical Students / 中国康复理论与实践

Objective:To observe the effect of curricular reforms of physical medicine and rehabilitation in medical engineering interdisciplinary on learning of eight-year medical students. Methods:The eight-year medical students studying Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation in Tsinghua University in 2018 and 2019 were enrolled into control group (n = 20) and observation group (n = 18), respectively. The control group used routine courses and studied with teachers of rehabilitation medicine; while the observation group added neuroscience theory and new advances, the development of functional magnetic resonance and application in rehabilitation medicine, new technology and progress in medical engineering in the course, and studied with teachers of electronic engineering, mechanical engineering and medicine. Their performances were compared. The observation group was surveyed with self-designed questionaire. Results:The performance of paper test, general test and total test were higher in the observation group than in the control group (t > 2.694, P < 0.01). The questionnaire showed that the observation group could better understand the course of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and the development of medical engineering interdisciplinary crossing and translational research within physical medicine and rehabilitation, and they thought it was more necessary to study the new course after the curriculum finished (|Z| > 2.304, P < 0.05). The proportion of students who were interested and very interested in medical engineering interdisciplinary crossing and translational research within physical medicine and rehabilitation increased from 77.78% to 94.44% (P = 0.222), and the the proportion of students who were probably and very probably engaged in physical medicine and rehabilitation increased from 61.11% to 83.33% (P =0.043). Conclusion:The curricular reforms in medical engineering interdisciplinary crossing could raise the interest and improve the test performance of eight-year students with physical medicine and rehabilitation.

Thyroid-Associated Orbitopathy: Evaluating Microstructural Changes of Extraocular Muscles and Optic Nerves Using Readout-Segmented Echo-Planar Imaging-Based Diffusion Tensor Imaging

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to investigate the ability of readout-segmented echo-planar imaging (rs-EPI)-based diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) in assessing the microstructural change of extraocular muscles (EOMs) and optic nerves in patients with thyroid-associated orbitopathy (TAO) as well as in evaluating disease activity.MATERIALS AND METHODS: We enrolled 35 TAO patients and 22 healthy controls (HCs) who underwent pre-treatment rs-EPI-based DTI. Mean, axial, and radial diffusivity (MD, AD, and RD) and fractional anisotropy (FA) of the medial and lateral EOMs and optic nerve for each orbit were calculated and compared between TAO and HC groups and between active and inactive TAO groups. Factors such as age, sex, disease duration, mediation, and smoking history between groups were also compared. Logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the predictive value of significant variables for disease activity.RESULTS: Disease duration was significantly shorter in active TAOs than in inactive ones (p < 0.001). TAO patients showed significantly lower FA and higher MD, AD, and RD than HCs for both medial and lateral EOMs (p < 0.001), but not the AD value of lateral EOMs (p = 0.619). Active patients had significantly higher FA, MD, and AD than inactive patients for medial EOMs (p < 0.005), whereas only FA differed significantly in the lateral EOMs (p = 0.018). The MD, AD, and RD of optic nerves were significantly lower in TAO patients than HCs (p < 0.05), except for FA (p = 0.129). Multivariate analysis showed that the MD of medial EOMs and disease duration were significant predictors for disease activity. The combination of these two parameters showed optimal diagnostic efficiency for disease activity (area under the curve, 0.855; sensitivity, 68.4%; specificity, 96.9%).CONCLUSION: rs-EPI-based DTI is promising in assessing microstructural changes of EOMs and optic nerves and can help to indicate the disease activity of TAO, especially through the MD of medial EOMs.

Limitation standard of toxic aconitines in proprietary Chinese medicines using on-line extraction electrospray ionization mass spectrometry

Development of rapid analytical methods and establishment of toxic component limitation standards are of great importance in quality control of traditional Chinese medicine. Herein, an on-line extraction electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (oEESI-MS) coupled with a novel whole process integral quantification strategy was developed and applied to direct determination of nine key aconitine-type alkaloids in 20 proprietary Chinese medicines (APCMs). Multi-type dosage forms (, tablets, capsules, pills, granules, and liquid preparation) of APCM could be determined directly with excellent versatility. The strategy has the characteristics of high throughput, good tolerance of matrix interference, small amount of sample (∼0.5 mg) and reagent (∼240 μL) consumption, and short analysis time for single sample (<15 min). The results were proved to be credible by high performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, respectively. Moreover, the limitation standard for the toxic aconitines in 20 APCMs was established based on the holistic weight toxicity (HWT) evaluation and the severally, and turned out that HWT-based toxicity evaluation results were closer to the real clinical applications. Hence, a more accurate and reliable APCM toxicity limitation was established and expected to play an important guiding role in clinics. The current study extended the power of ambient MS as a method for the direct quantification of molecules in complex samples, which is commonly required in pharmaceutical analysis, food safety control, public security, and many other disciplines.

Comparison of measurement methods of lower limb length in hip arthroplasty for femoral neck fracture / 中国骨伤

OBJECTIVE@#To compare the accuracy of three methods for measuring the length of both lower limbs in hip arthroplasty for femoral neck fracture in the elderly, and to introduce a "shoulder to shoulder" anatomical location marking method for femur.@*METHODS@#From January 2017 to January 2019, 90 elderly patients with femoral neck fracture were treated with hip replacement, including 39 males and 51 females, aged 65 to 96(78.0±7.4) years, 56 cases of total hip and 34 cases of hemi hip. According to garden classification, there were 7 cases of typeⅡ, 63 cases of type Ⅲ and 20 cases of type Ⅳ. The patients were divided into three groups according to different measurement methods:contralateral contrast method (group A) of 19 cases, shuck test method (group B) of 28 cases, and "shoulder to shoulder" anatomical marker localization method (Group C) of 43 cases. The accuracy of the three methods was compared by measuring the length difference of lower limbs in vitro and imaging.@*RESULTS@#All patients completed the operation successfully. After total hip arthroplasty, the length of lower limbs in group A was(12.9±8.6) mm, and that in group B was(10.3±4.4) mm. After hemiarthroplasty, the length of lower limbs in group A was (13.2±7.2) mm, group B was (8.7±3.5) mm, and group C was (6.3±2.8) mm; the measurement results of unequal length of lower limbs after total hip arthroplasty were(12.9±8.1) mm in group A, (9.6±4.0) mm in group B and (6.6±2.6) mm in group C. The results of factorial analysis of variance showed that the differences among the three groups were statistically significant (@*CONCLUSION@#The "shoulder to shoulder" anatomic localization marking method can reduce the length of lower limbs simply, effectively and accurately in the elderly patients with femoral neck fracture hip replacement.

Extended thymectomy by subxiphoid approach video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery(VATS) for myasthenia gravis:clinical analysis of 64 cases / 中华胸心血管外科杂志

To investigate the clinical efficacy of extended thymectomy by subxiphoid approach video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery(VATS) for myasthenia gravis. Methods We retrospectively analyzed the clinical date of 64 cases of myasthenia gravis treated by subxiphoid approach VATS in the same surgical team from September 2015 to April 2018. The patients were equally divided into 4 groups(A, B, C and D) according to the date of operation. Comparisons were made among the four groups in operation time, blood loss during operation, rate of conversion to thoracotomy, postoperative complications, postoperative hospital stay, duration and amount of postoperative chest tube drainage, frequenlly of surgery. The operative effect of different stage was analyzed. Results There were no intraoperative deaths. 1 patient(group A) was converted to thoracotomy. 3 patients(2 cases of group A; 1 case of group D) had lung infection. 1 patient(group B) developed myasthenia crisis after surgery, and the rest patients showed obvious improvement in postoperative myasthenia symptoms. No significant differences were found in postoperative complications, rate of conversion to thoracotomy, postoperative hospital stay, duration and amount of postoperative chest tube drainage among the 4 groups(P >0. 05). The operation time was significantly longer in group A(186. 25 ± 25. 79) min than the other 3 groups [B(128. 75 ± 16. 28) min, C(135. 00 ± 21. 29) min, D(128. 75 ± 19. 62)min], P <0. 05. The blood loss in surgery was significsntly more in group A(110. 00 ±38. 82)ml than that in the other 3 groups[B(63. 75 ±28. 26)ml, C(58. 13 ±27. 86)ml, D(58. 75 ±25. 00)ml], P <0. 05, while no statistical difference was found among group B, C and D. The frequency of surgery was increased from 1. 6 cases in group A to 2. 3, 2. 7 and 2. 7 cases one month in B, C and D, respectively. Conclusion The results of the present study have shown that subxiphoid approach VATS thymectomy is safe and feasible for the treatment of MG patients. For thoracic surgeons with certain experience in thoracoscopic technique, a plateau of the surgical skill of the subxiphoid opproach can be reached after learning curve procedures.

Biomechanics Characteristics and Its Correlation with Proprioception of Ankle Post Sprain / 中国康复理论与实践

Objective:To quantitatively evaluate the biomechanical properties and proprioception by comparing the range of motion (ROM), muscle strength, stiffness and proprioception of ankle joint in patients with ankle sprain, in order to provide therapeutic strategy for the patients with ankle sprain. Methods:From April to July, 2019, 21 patients with ankle sprain were included. The ROM and muscle strength of bilateral ankle joint were recorded, and the stiffness was evaluated by ankle joint training assistant system, at the end of dorsiflexion and plantarflexion, and plantarflexion 20°. The proprioception of ankle was quantitatively evaluated, including motion perception threshold (MPT) and passive position sense (PAPS). The ROM, muscle strength, joint stiffness, MPT and PAPS were compared, and the correlation among ROM, joint stiffness and proprioception were analyzed. Results:Compared with the unaffected side, the dorsiflexion and plantarflexion ROM decreased (|t| > 2.817, P < 0.05), the dorsiflexion and plantarflexion muscle strength decreased (|t| > 5.785, P < 0.01), the stiffness at the end of plantarflexion increased (t = 3.036, P = 0.007) in the affected side. However, there was no significant difference in stiffness at the end of dorsiflexion and dorsiflexion 20° between two sides (t < 0.874, P > 0.05), nor in MPT and PAPS (t < 0.695, P > 0.05). The plantarflexion ROM on the affected side was negatively correlated with the stiffness at the end of plantarflexion (r = -0.466, P < 0.05) and MPT (r = -0.613, P < 0.05), and MPT was positively correlated with the stiffness at the end of plantarflexion (r = 0.469, P < 0.05). Conclusion:The dorsiflexion and plantarflexion ROM and muscle strength decreased in the patients with ankle sprain, while the stiffness at the end of plantarflexion increased, which was related to proprioception. Quantitative measurements of ankle joint biomechanics and proprioception contributed to making ankle rehabilitation strategies. Rehabilitation after ankle sprain included training for ROM and muscle strength, and plantarflexion stretch to improve the plantarflexion stiffness, which may promote the recovery of proprioception and ankle function.

Feasibility and efficacy of indocyanine green used in laparoscopic gastrectomy for advanced gastric cancer patients / 中华肿瘤杂志

Objective@#To identify the feasibility and efficacy of indocyanine green (ICG) used in laparoscopic gastrectomy for advanced gastric cancer patients.@*Methods@#From December 2018 to August 2019, the clinical data of 82 patients preoperatively diagnosed as advanced gastric cancer undergoing laparoscopic radical gastrectomy were retrospectively analyzed. These patients were divided into ICG group(n=38) and a historical control group (non-ICG group, n=44). The number of retrieved lymph nodes, operation time, blood loss, hospital stay, fever time, evacuation time and complications were compared between these two groups.@*Results@#The operation time [(172.8±45.8) min vs (162.6±45.7) min], blood loss [(80.1±91.9) ml vs (78.6±89.8) ml], hospital stay [(7.0±2.0) d vs (7.5±2.4) d], fever time [(2.3±1.2) d vs (2.9±1.9) d], evacuation time [(3.4±0.8) d vs (3.4±1.1) d] and incidence of complications (5.3% vs 9.1%) were not significantly different between the ICG and historical control groups (P>0.05). The number of retrieved lymph nodes in ICG group was significantly increased compared with that of the historical control group (46.5 vs 33.0, P=0.005).@*Conclusions@#The ICG method applied in lymph node dissection of laparoscopic radical gastrectomy is safe. Moreover, ICG might elevate the efficiency of regional lymph node dissection.

Endoscopic treatment for ureterovesical junction stenosis in patients with kidney transplantation: 13 cases report / 北京大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To evaluate the safety and efficacy of endoscopic treatment for ureterovesical junction (UVJ) stenosis in patients with kidney transplantation.@*METHODS@#A retrospective study was conducted among the patients with kidney transplantation diagnosed as UVJ stenosis from 2012 March to 2018 July in Urology and Lithotripsy Center, Peking University People's Hospital. Only the patients who received endoscopic treatment were included, with staged or same-session nephrostomy followed by a retrograde ureteroscopy to evaluate the ureteral stenosis. Incisions with laser, mono- or bipolar energy, or balloon dilation were used to manage the stenosis depending on different situations. Demographic characteristics and clinical data were gathered and analyzed, including age, gender, preoperative serum creatinine, hemoglobin, operation time, success rate, postoperative serum creatinine, hemoglobin, postoperative complications rate, and long-term stenosis recurrence rate.@*RESULTS@#In this study, 13 patients were included (9 males and 4 females). All the UVJ stenoses were diagnosed with preoperative ultrasound, CT scan, MRI, or urethrography. The mean age was 45 years (range 34-57 years). The mean preoperative serum creatinine was 243 μmol/L. Four patients developed UVJ stenosis 1 month after kidney transplantation, while the rest developed long-term stenosis. Fifteen operations were performed in all, of which 14 cases were successful while one failed. The first 8 cases received first-stage nephrostomy and second-stage endoscopic management of the stenosis, while the last 7 cases received the same session surgery. The mean operation time was 95.4 min vs. 68.9 min, and the immediate success rate was 87.5% vs. 100.0% in the first 8 cases and last 7 cases, respectively. The mean decrease of postoperative hemoglobin was 0.6 g/L and mean postoperative serum creatinine was 105 μmol/L. No postoperative fever, severe hematuria, and urine leak were observed. The mean postoperative hospital stay was 2.8 days. Three patients were able to remove ureteral stents and no recurrence was found with a follow-up time of 9, 17, and 82 months. The long-term stenosis recurrence rate was 76.9% (10/13).@*CONCLUSION@#Endoscopic approach for the treatment of UVJ stenosis in patients with kidney transplantation was safe and efficient in our study cohort. However, long term stenosis recurrence rate was high and needed to be paid attention to.

Utility of Readout-Segmented Echo-Planar Imaging-Based Diffusion Kurtosis Imaging for Differentiating Malignant from Benign Masses in Head and Neck Region

OBJECTIVE: To compare the diagnostic performance of readout-segmented echo-planar imaging (RS-EPI)-based diffusion kurtosis imaging (DKI) and that of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) for differentiating malignant from benign masses in head and neck region. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between December 2014 and April 2016, we retrospectively enrolled 72 consecutive patients with head and neck masses who had undergone RS-EPI-based DKI scan (b value of 0, 500, 1000, and 1500 s/mm2) for pretreatment evaluation. Imaging data were post-processed by using monoexponential and diffusion kurtosis (DK) model for quantitation of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), apparent diffusion for Gaussian distribution (Dapp), and apparent kurtosis coefficient (Kapp). Unpaired t test and Mann-Whitney U test were used to compare differences of quantitative parameters between malignant and benign groups. Receiver operating characteristic curve analyses were performed to determine and compare the diagnostic ability of quantitative parameters in predicting malignancy. RESULTS: Malignant group demonstrated significantly lower ADC (0.754 ± 0.167 vs. 1.222 ± 0.420, p < 0.001) and Dapp (1.029 ± 0.226 vs. 1.640 ± 0.445, p < 0.001) while higher Kapp (1.344 ± 0.309 vs. 0.715 ± 0.249, p < 0.001) than benign group. Using a combination of Dapp and Kapp as diagnostic index, significantly better differentiating performance was achieved than using ADC alone (area under curve: 0.956 vs. 0.876, p = 0.042). CONCLUSION: Compared to DWI, DKI could provide additional data related to tumor heterogeneity with significantly better differentiating performance. Its derived quantitative metrics could serve as a promising imaging biomarker for differentiating malignant from benign masses in head and neck region.

Effects of Health Education Patterns on Chronic Nonspecific Low Back Pain: Three-month Follow-up / 中国康复理论与实践

@#Objective To observe the effects of different health education patterns on chronic nonspecific low back pain (CNLBP). Methods From September, 2016 to April, 2017, 75 patients with CNLBP after rehabilitation were randomly divided into control group (n=45) and Back School group (n=30). The Back School group received group teaching including physiological and anatomy of lumbar spine, ergonomics, healthy posture and function exercise, once a week for four weeks. While the control group received the booklets including the same contents. They were self-assessed with Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), and the 36-item Short Form (SF-36) before education, and one and three months of follow-up in clinics, or with call back services and Wechat. The recur-rence frequency was recorded. Results The score of VAS increased in both groups in the follow-up, but increased less in the Back School group (Z>2.645, P<0.01). The recurrence frequency was less in the Back School group (Z=-2.082, P<0.05), with more ODI score (Z=2.265, P<0.05) after three months of follow-up. The bodily pain score of SF-36 was more in the Back School group after one and three months of follow-up (t>2.273, P<0.05). Conclusion Health education with Back School may benefit to maintain the curative effects and function, reduce recur-rence, and improve the quality of life of CNLBP patients.