Do Obliquity and Position of the Oblique Lumbar Interbody Fusion Cage Influence the Degree of Indirect Decompression of Foraminal Stenosis?

Objective@#: Oblique lumbar interbody fusion (OLIF) is a surgical technique that utilizes a large interbody cage to indirectly decompress neural elements. The position of the cage relative to the vertebral body could affect the degree of foraminal decompression. Previous studies determined the position of the cage using plain radiographs, with conflicting results regarding the influence of the position of the cage to the degree of neural foramen decompression. Because of the cage obliquity, computed tomography (CT) has better accuracy than plain radiograph for the measurement of the obliquely inserted cage. The objective of this study is to find the correlation between the position of the OLIF cage with the degree of indirect decompression of foraminal stenosis using CT and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). @*Methods@#: We review imaging of 46 patients who underwent OLIF from L2-L5 for 68 levels. Segmental lordosis (SL) was measured in a plain radiograph. The positions of the cage were measured in CT. Spinal canal cross-sectional area (SCSA), and foraminal crosssectional area (FSCA) measurements using MRI were taken into consideration. @*Results@#: Patients’ mean age was 69.7 years. SL increases 3.0±5.1 degrees. Significant increases in SCSA (33.3%), FCSA (43.7% on the left and 45.0% on the right foramen) were found (p<0.001). Multiple linear regression analysis shows putting the cage in the more posterior position correlated with more increase of FSCA and decreases SL correction. The position of the cage does not affect the degree of the central spinal canal decompression. Obliquity of the cage does not result in different degrees of foraminal decompression between right and left side neural foramen. @*Conclusion@#: Cage position near the posterior part of the vertebral body increases the decompression effect of the neural foramen while putting the cage in the more anterior position correlated with increases SL.

Experimental research on substance P content of hypothalamus and dorsal root ganglia in rats with lumbar vertebrae Gucuofeng model / 中国骨伤

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To detect the effects of lumbar vertebrae Gucuofeng on the substance P content of hypothalamus and dorsal root ganglia in rat models.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A hundred and twenty SPF level SD male rats with the weight of 350 to 450 g were randomly divided into rotary fixation group (RF group), simple fixation group (SF group) and sham-operation group (Sham group). The external link fixation system was implanted into the L4-L6 of rats in RF group and SF group; and in RF group, that the L5 spinous process was rotated to the right resulted in L4, L5, L6 spinous process not collinear; in SF group, the external link fixation system was simply implanted and not rotated. The rats of Sham group were not implanted the external link fixation system and only open and suture. The substance P content of hypothalamus and dorsal root ganglia were detected at 1, 4, 8, 12 weeks after operation.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Substance P content of hypothalamus in RF group and SF group was lower than Sham group at 1, 4, 8 weeks after operation (P<0.05). Substance P content of dorsal root ganglia was higher than Sham group at 1, 4, 8, 12 weeks after operation (P<0.05). There was no significant differences in the substance P content of hypothalamus among three groups at 12 weeks after operation (P>0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Lumbar vertebrae Gucuofeng can inhibit the analgesic activity of substance P in hypothalamus and promote the synthesis and transmission of substance P in dorsal root ganglia, so as to cause or aggravate the pain.</p>

Radiological study on rat lumbar vertebral semidislocation model / 浙江大学学报·医学版

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the impact of fixation in part lumbar segment on rat model with radiography.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>One hundred and twenty SPF male SD rats (350～450g) were randomly divided into simple fixation group (SF group), rotary fixation group (RF group) and sham-operation group (Sham group). The external link fixation system was implanted into the L4-L6 of SF group and RF group rats. In RF group, L5 spinous process of rats was rotated to the right side, making the L4, L6 and L5 spinous process not in a straight line. In SF group, the external link fixation system was implanted simply and not rotated. The anterior and posterior diameter in the intervertebral space and the distance between spinous processes were examined 1, 4, 8 and 12 weeks after fixation.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The anterior diameter in the intervertebral space between L3-L4, L4-L5, L5-L6, and L6-S1 of SF groups 4 weeks after fixation were 28.11 ± 3.94, 25.73 ± 4.70, 29.51 ± 6.34 and 34.97 ± 4.65 pixels; the posterior diameter were 7.39 ± 1.63, 6.65 ± 1.76, 7.02±1.52 and 9.62 ± 2.50 pixels; the distance between spinous process were 39.33 ± 11.74, 14.11 ± 5.75, 21.32 ± 6.84 and 77.43 ± 13.69 pixels, the values were less than those in Sham groups (P<0.05). The anterior and posterior diameter in the intervertebral space and the distance between spinous process of SF groups 8 and 12 weeks after fixation continuously decreased compared with Sham group rats (P<0.05). The results of RF groups were consistent with the measurement of SF groups, the anterior and posterior diameter in the intervertebral space and the distance between spinous process of RF group rats were less than those in Sham groups 4, 8 and 12 weeks after fixation (P<0.05). Osteophyte formation was observed in SF and RF groups 8 weeks after fixation.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The fixation in part lumbar segment can result in the decrease of intervertebral space and the formation of osteophytes.</p>

Experimental research on whole blood viscosity changes at different time points in rats model with lumbar vertebrae semidislocation / 中国骨伤

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate whole blood viscosity changes at different time points in rats model with lumbar vertebrae semidislocation, study Shi's theroy of qi and blood and "Gucuofeng and Jinchucao" [symbols: see text], also reveal pathological physiology characteristics of spinal disorder.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Thirty-six SPF male rats weighted 350 to 450 g were randomly divided into rotatory fixation group (RF group), simple fixation group (SF group) and Sham group (Sham group), 12 rats in each group. Exterior vertebrae implanted through L4-L6 segments of lumbar vertebrae in RF and SF group were connected fixed device. In RF group, L5 spinous process were rotated to right, and caused L5 spinous process was non collinear with L4 and L6; in SF group, external fixed device were simple connected without rotation. At 1, 4, 8 and 12 weeks after fixation, whole blood viscosity changes were tested.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>At 4 and 8 weeks after fixation, high (150/s), medium (60/s) and lower (10/s) shear rate in RF and SF group were higher than that of Sham group (P<0.05). At 1 and 12 weeks, there was no sigificant differences among three groups in whole blood viscosity (P>0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>"Gucuofeng and Jinchucao" [symbols: see text] vertebrae could raise whole blood viscosity, increase degree of bloos stasis and induce or aggravate spinal disorder in further.</p>

Emphasis on teaching team building practice in an experimental teaching demonstration enter / 中华医学教育探索杂志

Shanghai University of TCM was the first Chinese medicine university that established field-grade experimental teaching center in China.And both of the Chinese medicine and Chinese herbs experimental teaching centers became national experimental teaching demonstration centers.There is general improvement in laboratories conditions,so the experimental teaching team building is the critical factor of improving experimental teaching quality.The experimental teaching team of Shanghai University of TCM consists of excellent teachers as its backbone,and lecturers and technicians from fields in traditional Chinese medicine Chinese herbs and clinical practices.The team members cooperate with each other by setting up experimental teaching research groups to improve teaching quality,which plays an important role in building experimental teaching demonstration center.

Application of SP and OSCE in the Clinical Skill Evaluation to Medical Students / 浙江中医药大学学报

In the clinical skill evaluation,SP and the new technology OSCE for medical educational evaluation brought by SP can offer a vivid and complete exam atmosphere for the medical students,which have been widely applied by medical colleges and schools at home and abroad,with real,effective,reliable characteristics and broader development prospect. To induce the technology into TCM clinical evaluation is in accordance with the requirements of TCM educational development,which can make students better grasp clinical various basic skills within limited studying periods.

Genetic characterization of three CRF01_AE full-length HIV type 1 sequences from Fujian Province, China / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>One of the major characteristics of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) is its unusually high degree of genetic variability, which involves in genetic diagnosis, subtyping, vaccine design, and epidemiology. HIV-1 CRF01_AE is a main prevalent HIV-1 recombinant strain in China. In this study, three full-length CRF01_AE genomes from Fujian Province, China were cloned, sequenced, and analyzed; and the further genetic diversity defining and epidemiologic analysis were carried out.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Proviral DNA was extracted from non-cultured peripheral blood mononuclear cells, the near full-length HIV-1 genome was amplified and the PCR products were cloned into pCR-XL-TOPO vector and sequenced. 5'-long terminal repeat (LTR) and 3'-LTRs were amplified by additional independent PCR and cloned into pMD18T vector. Gene-based phylogenic tree was constructed and genetic distances were calculated by MEGA 3.1. Simplot was used for Bootscan analysis.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The phylogeny and genetic distance analysis of the three near full-length sequences confirmed that these three samples clustered with CRF01_AE isolates, more close to Thailand CRF01_AE strain CM240, and were distantly related to African CRF01_AE strain 90CF402. Analysis of their genomic organization revealed the presence of nine potential open reading frames. There were no major deletions, rearrangements, or insertions in the three sequences, but an in-frame stop codon was found in tat gene of Fj051. LTRs of the three sequences contained a few nucleotides mutation. We did not find new mosaic recombinant in the three sequences. The V3 motif was GPGQ in all the three sequences, and there were only few amino acids differences in all three V3 loop sequences.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>This report reveals the background of the three full-length CRF01_AE genomes, the most dominantly circulating HIV-1 strain in Fujian Province, China. The work is essential for the design and development of an effective AIDS vaccine for the region.</p>

Questionnaire survey of the post-graduate thesis quality of Shanghai University of TCM / 中华医学教育探索杂志

The quality of thesis is one of the key indicators of post-graduate education. To get the general current situation of the students’thesis quality in our University(Shanghai University of TCM),we designed a questionaire which mainly focus on topic selection,instructions from adviser, scientific research training,opening report,intermediate stage examination,thesis evaluation and presentation,etc. And we distributed it to post-graduate students and their advisers in TCM University widely. We got a general view of our current post-graduate thesis,made some strategies and suggestion for thesis improvement.