Analysis of influence of MR signs on Harris score in ARCO stages 2-4 femoral head necrosis / 中国骨伤

OBJECTIVE@#To analysis and determine MR signs of Harris score ARCO stages 2-4 in osteonecrosis of femoral head (ONFH).@*METHODS@#Thirty-four patients with ONFH of ARCO stages 2 to 4 who underwent routine MR, T2 mapping, 3D-SPACE sequence examination and Harris score were retrospectively collected from January 2019 to June 2020, and 3 patients were excluded, and 31 patients were finally included, including 23 males and 8 females, aged from 18 to 62 years old with an average of(40.0±10.8) years old. Among them 21 patients with bilateral femoral head necrosis, totally 52 cases, including 17 with ARCO stage 2 patients, 24 ARCO stage 3, and 11 ARCO stage 4. MR imaging signs (femoral head collapse depth, ONFH index, bone marrow edema, hyperplasia, grade and T2 value of cartilage injury, and joint effusion) were scored and measured on the picture archiving and communication system (PACS) workstation, and the cartilage quantitative parameter T2 value was calculated and measured on Siemens postprocessing workstation. Pearson correlation analysis was used to evaluate the correlation between various MR signs and Harris score, and then multiple linear regression analysis was used to examine impact of MR signs on Harris hip score.@*RESULTS@#Femoral head collapse depth(r=-0.563, P=0.000), grade of cartilage injury(r=-0.500, P=0.000), and joint effusion (r=-0.535, P=0.000) were negatively correlated with Harris score by Pearson correlation analysis. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that joint effusion(β=-6.198, P=0.001) and femoral head collapse depth(β=-4.085, P=0.014) had a significant negative impact on Harris hip score.@*CONCLUSION@#Femoral head collapse depth and joint effusion both had significant negative relationship with Harris hip score. It is recommended to routinely evaluate femoral head collapse depth and joint effusion quantitatively and gradedly, so as to efficiently and accurately assist clinical diagnosis and treatment.

Efficacy of O-arm combined with CT three-dimensional navigation system assisted versus manual screw placement in the treatment of lower cervical fracture and dislocation / 中华创伤杂志

Objective:To compare the clinical efficacies of O-arm combined with CT three-dimensional navigation system assisted screw placement versus manual screw placement in treating lower cervical fracture and dislocation.Methods:A retrospective cohort study was used to analyze the clinical data of 41 patients with lower cervical fracture and dislocation, who were treated in Honghui Hospital, Xi′an Jiaotong University from May 2021 to February 2022. The patients included 26 males and 15 females, aged 31.5-48.6 years [(41.5±15.0)years]. The injured segments were C 3 in 3 patients, C 4 in 12, C 5 in 13, C 6 in 10 and C 7 in 3. Nineteen patients were treated with cervical pedicle screws by O-shaped arm combined with CT three-dimensional navigation system (navigation group, 76 screws) and 22 by bare hands (traditional group, 88 screws). The total operation time, effective operation time, single nail placement time, single screw correction times, screw distance from anterior cortex, intraoperative blood loss, intraoperative fluoroscopic radiation dose, incision length and length of hospital stay were compared between the two groups, and the height of intervertebral space, Cobb angle, interbody slip distance and American Spinal injury Association (ASIA) grade were compared before operation and at 3 days after operation. Visual analogue score (VAS), Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) score, and neck dysfunction index (NDI) were evaluated before operation, at 3 days, 3 months after operation and at the last follow-up. Accuracy of screw placement and incidence of complications (adjacent facet joint invasion, infection, screw loosening) were detected as well. Results:All the patients were followed up for 11.1-13.9 months [(12.5±1.4)months]. The total operation time, intraoperative blood loss, intraoperative fluoroscopic radiation dose and incision length in the navigation group were more or longer than those in the traditional group (all P<0.05). The effective operation time, single nail placement time, single nail correction times and screw distance from anterior cortex in the navigation group were markedly less or smaller than those in the traditional group (all P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the length of hospital stay between the two groups ( P>0.05). There were significant improvements in the height of intervertebral space, Cobb angle and interbody slip distance between the two groups at 3 days after operation (all P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the height of intervertebral space, Cobb angle, interbody slip distance or ASIA grade between the two groups before operation or at 3 days after operation (all P>0.05). Compared with pre-operation, the VAS, JOA score and NDI were significantly improved in both groups at 3 days, 3 months after operation and at the last follow-up (all P<0.05), with further improvement with time. There was no significant difference in VAS between the two groups before operation or at 3 months after operation (all P>0.05), but it was markedly lower in the navigation group compared with the traditional group at 3 days after operation and at the last follow-up (all P<0.05). There were no significant differences in JOA score or NDI between the two groups before operation or at 3 days and 3 months after operation (all P>0.05), but both were lower in the navigation group compared with the traditional group at the last follow-up (all P<0.05). The accuracies of placement of grade 0 and grade 0+1 screws were 92.0% (70/76) and 96.6% (73/76) in the navigation group, respectively, which were markedly higher than 88.7% (78/88) and 93.5% (82/88) in the traditional group (all P<0.05). The rates of adjacent facet joint invasion of A, B, and C degrees were 71.2% (54/76), 28.8% (22/76) and 0% (0/76) in the navigation group, respectively, while the invasion rates were 60.5% (53/88), 32.3% (28/88) and 7.3% (7/88) in the traditional group ( P<0.05). No screw loosening was noted in the navigation group, but the screw loosening rate was 9.1% (8/88) in the traditional group ( P<0.01). Conclusion:Compared with manual screw placement, O-arm combined with CT three-dimensional navigation system assisted screw placement for lower cervical fracture and dislocation has the advantages of shorter effective operation time, quicker screw placement, stronger screw holding force, better cervical stability, slighter postoperative pain, higher screw placement accuracy, and lower facet joint invasion and screw loosening rates.

Efficacy comparison of robot-assisted and free-hand long segment screw fixation combined with wedge osteotomy in the treatment of type IV chronic symptomatic osteoporotic thoracolumbar fractures / 中华创伤杂志

Objective:To compare the clinical efficacies of robot-assisted and free-hand long segment screw fixation combined with wedge osteotomy in the treatment of type IV chronic symptomatic osteoporotic thoracolumbar fractures (CSOVCFs).Methods:A retrospective cohort study was conducted to analyze the clinical data of 72 patients with type IV CSOVCFs who were admitted to Honghui Hospital of Xi′an Jiaotong University from May 2019 to December 2021, including 22 males and 46 females; aged 61-82 years [(71.2±12.3)years]. Fracture segments were located at T 11-T 12 in 37 patients and at L 1-L 2 in 31. A total of 32 patients were treated with robot-assisted long segment screw fixation combined with wedge osteotomy (robot group) and 36 with free-hand long segment screw fixation combined with wedge osteotomy (free-hand group). The operation time, intraoperative bleeding volume, dosage of radiation exposure, intraoperative needle adjustment, time of single pedicle screw placement and accuracy of pedicle screw placement were compared between the two groups. The kyphotic Cobb angle, sagittal vertical axis (SVA), thoracic kyphosis (TK), lumbar kyphosis (LL), visual analogue scale (VAS) and Oswestry disability index (ODI) were measured preoperatively, at 3 days postoperatively and at the last follow-up. The incidences of facet joint violation, deviation in guide needle placement, cerebrospinal leak and proximal junctional kyphosis (PJK) were observed. Results:All patients were followed up for 12-26 months [(18.2±5.1)months]. The operation time and time of single pedicle screw placement showed no significant differences between the two groups (all P>0.05). The intraoperative bleeding volume was (502.5±58.3)ml in the robot group, less than that in the free-hand group [(690.2±45.9)ml]. The dosage of radiation exposure was (32.6±10.8)μSv in the robot group, lower than that in the free-hand group [(48.6±15.2)μSv]. The intraoperative needle adjustment was (2.1±0.3)times in the robot group, higher than that in the free-hand group [(20.7±5.8)times], and the accuracy of pedicle screw placement was 99.7% in the robot group, less than that in the free-hand group (91.8%) (all P<0.01). Compared with pre-operation, the kyphotic Cobb angle, SVA, TK and LL were significantly improved in both groups at postoperative 3 days and at the last follow-up (all P<0.05). Compared with postoperative 3 days, the kyphotic Cobb angle, SVA and TK were increased at the last follow-up within the two groups, but with no significant differences (all P>0.05). Compared with postoperative 3 days, the LL was decreased within the two groups at the last follow-up, but with no significant differences (all P>0.05). The VAS and ODI in the two groups were significantly lower at postoperative 3 days and at the last follow-up when compared with those before operation (all P<0.05), and both values were significantly lower at the last follow-up than those at postoperative 3 days (all P<0.05). There were no significant differences in the VAS or ODI at all time points between the two groups (all P>0.05). The incidence of facet joint violation in the robot group was 1.6%, markedly lower than that in the free-hand group (9.6%) ( P<0.01). The incidences of deviation in guide needle placement, cerebrospinal leak and PJK showed no differences between the two groups (all P>0.05). Conclusion:For type IV CSOVCFs, the robot-assisted long segment screw fixation combined with wedge osteotomy can better reduce intraoperative blood loss, decrease radiation exposure, improve accuracy of pedicle screw placement, and reduce facet joint violation when compared with free-hand long segment screw fixation combined with wedge osteotomy.

Case series of unilateral double-channel endoscope-assisted bone graft fusion and internal fixation in the treatment of recurrent lumbar disc herniation / 西安交通大学学报(医学版)

【Objective】 To explore the clinical effect of unilateral double-channel endoscope-assisted bone graft fusion and internal fixation (ULIF) in the treatment of recurrent lumbar disc herniation. 【Methods】 The clinical data of 22 patients with recurrent lumbar disc herniation treated by ULIF in our hospital from August 2020 to October 2020 were analyzed retrospectively. The study indicators included intraoperative blood loss, operation time, bed rest time, and hospital stay. The follow-up data included visual analogue score (VAS) of low back pain, Japanese Orthopaedic Association score (JOA), OSwestry disability index (ODI) score, as well as 36 concise health status survey (SF-36) scores before operation, and 1 week and 6 months after operation. 【Results】 The average operation time was (179.15±42.06) minutes, the average intraoperative blood loss was (132.67±41.92) mL, the average bed rest time was (1.51±0.42) days, and the average hospital stay was (4.82±1.13) days. The VAS score of low back pain at 1 week after operation was lower than that before operation (all P<0.000 1), and further decreased during the follow-up. The ODI score, JOA score and SF-36 score of postoperative follow-up were significantly different from those before operation (P<0.05). The satisfaction rate was 86.4% at 1 week after operation and 95.4% at 6 months after operation. The proportion of significant clinical efficacy at 1 week after operation and postoperative 6 months was 18.2% and 63.6%, respectively. 【Conclusion】 ULIF has the advantages of short-term recovery, less intraoperative blood loss, short bed rest and hospital stay, and good medium-term clinical effect. It is a safe and reliable minimally invasive technique for spinal surgeons in the treatment of recurrent lumbar disc herniation.

Risk factors for cement displacement after percutaneous vertebral augmentation for osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture / 中华创伤杂志

Objective:To explore the risk factors of cement displacement after percutaneous vertebral augmentation in patients with osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture (OVCF).Methods:A case-control analysis was made on clinical data of 1 538 patients with OVCF admitted to Honghui Hospital Affiliated to Xi′an Jiaotong University from January 2016 to June 2021. There were 377 males and 1 161 females, aged from 45-115 years [(71.7±10.8)years]. Percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) or percutaneous vertebroplasty (PKP) was performed. Patients were divided into cement displacement group ( n=78) and cement non-displacement group ( n=1 460) according to the radiographic outcomes. Factors related to cement displacement were analyzed by univariate analysis, including age, gender, body mass index (BMI), preoperative bone mineral density, underlying diseases, involved vertebral segments, surgical methods, surgical approaches, cement leakage (anterior edge), viscosity of cement, dispersion ratio of cement, degree of cement interweaving, sagittal position of cement, targeted location of cement, distance from cement to upper and lower endplates and duration of brace wearing. Independent risk factors for bone cement displacement were identified by multivariate Logistic regression analysis. Results:Univariate analysis showed that bone cement displacement was significantly correlated with BMI, preoperative bone mineral density, involved vertebral segments, operation methods, cement leakage (anterior edge), viscosity of cement, dispersion ratio of cement, degree of cement interweaving, sagittal position of cement, targeted location of cement, distance from cement to upper and lower endplates and duration of brace wearing (all P<0.05), but there was no correlation with gender, age, underlying diseases or surgicales approach (all P>0.05). Multivariate Logistic analysis showed that the preoperative bone mineral density ( OR=2.45, 95% CI 1.81-7.50, P<0.01), operation methods ( OR=4.56, 95% CI 1.86-8.44, P<0.01), cement leakage (anterior edge) ( OR=5.77, 95% CI 2.85-9.20, P<0.01), viscosity of cement ( OR=7.36, 95% CI 1.01-1.77, P<0.01), dispersion ratio of cement ( OR=6.84, 95% CI 1.69-13.39, P<0.01), degree of cement interweaving ( OR=8.97, 95% CI 2.29- 14.97, P<0.01), sagittal position of cement ( OR=6.39, 95% CI 1.06-9.47, P<0.01), targeted location of cement ( OR=7.93, 95% CI 1.64-11.84, P<0.01), distance from cement to upper and lower endplates ( OR=6.78, 95% CI 1.84-6.96, P<0.01) and duration of brace wearing ( OR=9.55, 95% CI 2.26- 9.38, P<0.01) were significantly correlated with bone cement displacement after percutaneous vertebral augmentation. Conclusion:Low bone mineral density preoperatively, PKP, cement leakage into the vertebral anterior edge, low viscosity of cement, small dispersion ratio of cement, small degree of cement interweaving, cement filling in the anterior 1/3 and anterior middle 2/3 of the vertebral body in sagittal plane, non-targeted injection of cement, long distance from cement to upper and lower endplates and short duration of brace wearing are independent risk factors of cement displacement after percutaneous vertebral augmentation for OVCF.

Puncture assisted by a "TINAVI" orthopaedic robot versus freehand puncture in vertebroplaty for osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture of the upper thoracic vertebra / 中华创伤骨科杂志

Objective:To compare the clinical efficacy between puncture assisted by a "TINAVI" orthopaedic robot versus freehand puncture in vertebroplaty for osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture(OVCF) of the upper thoracic vertebra.Methods:A retrospective study was conducted of the 19 patients (20 vertebral bodies) with OVCF of the upper thoracic vertebra who had been treated at Department of Spine Surgery, Honghui Hospital from January 2018 to March 2019 by robotic vertebroplasty (robot group) and of another 21 counterpart patients (21 vertebral bodies) who had been treated by conventional vertebroplasty from January 2016 to December 2017 (freehand group). Puncture was conducted by a "TINAVI" orthopaedic robot in the robotic vertebroplasty but freehand in the conventional vertebroplasty. The robot group had 5 males and 14 females, aged from 62 to 88 years; the freehand group had 6 males and 15 females, aged from 64 to 83 years. The 2 groups were compared in terms of operation time, bone cement volume, postoperative complications (cement leakage, infection and embolism), visual analogue scale (VAS), Oswestry disability index (ODI), anterior height (AH) and kyphosis angulation (KA) of the injured vertebra at day 1 and last follow-up after surgery.Results:The 2 groups were comparable because there were no significant differences between them in the preoperative general data ( P>0.05). Vertebroplasty via unilateral puncture approach was completed uneventfully in the 19 patients (20 vertebral bodies) in the robot group and in the 21 patients (21 vertebral bodies) in the freehand group. The 40 patients were followed up for 6 to 12 months (mean, 8.3 month). The operation time [(37.9±8.2) min], bone cement volume [(2.3±0.9) mL] and rate of cement leakage (10.0%, 2/20) in the robot group were all significantly less or lower than those in the freehand group [(46.2±9.4) min, (4.2±1.3) mL and 42.9% (9/21)] ( P<0.05). No infection or embolism was observed in either group. There were no significant differences between the 2 groups in VAS, ODI, AH or KA of the injured vertebra at day 1 or last follow-up after surgery ( P>0.05). Conclusion:In vertebroplaty for OVCF of the upper thoracic vertebra, compared with conventional freehand puncture, puncture assisted by a "TINAVI" orthopaedic robot can lead to satisfactory clinical efficacy because it reduces operation time, volume of bone cement injection, and thus incidence of bone cement leakage.

Graded surgery for old thoracolumbar osteoporotic fractures / 中华创伤杂志

Objective To investigate the effect of graded surgical treatment according to injury classification on old thoracolumbar vertebral compression fractures ( OVCFs) . Methods A retrospective case series study was conducted to analyze the clinical data of 238 patients with old thoracolumbar OVCFs admitted to the Honghui Hospital affiliated to the College of Medicine, Xi'an Jiaotong University from February 2013 to November 2016. There were 49 males and 189 females, aged 63-78 years, with an average age of 66. 8 years. The bone density T value was ( -3. 8 ± 0. 3)SD. The injured segments were located at T7-T9 in 35 patients, T10-L2 in 171, and L3-L4 in 32. A total of 16 patients had neurological injury, including 14 with grade C and two with grade D according to the American Spinal Injury Association ( ASIA) neurological function classification. According to the patient's clinical manifestations and imaging complexity, the patients were assigned with I to V grades for individualized surgical treatment. Among them, 86 patients with grade I were treated with vertebral augmentation; 60 patients with grade II received posterior reduction and internal fixation combined with vertebral augmentation when necessary;44 patients with grade III were treated with posterior decompression and reduction and internal fixation;30 patients with grade IV received posterior osteotomy and orthopedic fusion; 18 patients with grade V were treated based on the major symptoms. The visual analogue score ( VAS ) , Oswestry dysfunction index ( ODI) , vertebral sagittal index, and the American Spinal Injury Association ( ASIA) grading before operation and at the last follow-up as well as the postoperative complications were recorded. Results All patients were followed up for 12-38 months with an average of 18. 5 months. The VAS of patients with grade I to V improved from preoperative (8. 0 ± 0. 7)points, (8. 1 ± 0. 7)points, (8. 3 ± 0.89)points,(8.1±0.7)points,(8.2±0.2)pointsto(2.1±0.8)points,(2.0±0.8)points,(2.2± 0. 8)points, (2. 3 ± 0. 8)points, (2. 2 ± 0. 8)points at the last follow-up (P<0. 05);ODI was improved from preoperative 69. 5 ± 3. 0, 70. 1 ± 2. 0, 70. 3 ± 2. 1, 69. 9 ± 1. 9, 70. 0 ± 2. 2 to 39. 8 ± 2. 2, 39. 1 ± 2. 4, 40. 1 ± 2. 1, 39. 0 ± 2. 3, 39. 5 ± 2. 3 at the last follow-up (P<0. 05);the vertebral sagittal index improved from (89. 7 ± 2. 1)％, (74. 4 ± 8. 3)％, (75. 0 ± 6. 7)％, (72. 3 ± 5. 2)％, (71. 1 ± 2. 1)％to (85.2 ±7.4)％, (84.2 ±5.5)％, (85.1 ±4.4)％, (86.2 ±3.5)％, (83.4 ±1.7)％ (P<0.05). For 16 patients with nerve injury, the ASIA grading was improved from preoperative grade C in 14 patients and grade D in two patients to grade D in four patients and grade E in 12 patients at the last follow-up. A total of 11 patients ( seven patients with grade I, one with grade II, two with grade IV, and one patient with grade V) had vertebral height loss in the later stage, but only two patients underwent secondary surgery for severe low back pain. Conclusions For obsolete thoracolumbar OVCFs, the concept of graded surgery can effectively guide the treatment strategies of these patients. Different surgical schemes for patients with different conditions can effectively alleviate the pain, restore spinal stability, correct kyphosis deformity, relieve nerve compression and promote functional recovery.

A flexible vertebroplasty device used in vertebroplasty for osteoporotic thoracic compression fractures / 中华创伤骨科杂志

Objective To compare the curative effects between our self-designed flexible vertebroplasty device and the conventional straight bone cement injector in the treatment of osteoporotic thoracic compression fractures.Methods A retrospective case-control study was conducted to analyze the clinical data of 140 patients with osteoporotic thoracic compression fracture who had been admitted to Department of Spine Surgery,Xi'an Honghui Hospital from June 2016 to January 2017.They were 61 males and 79 females,aged from 55 to 88 years (average,70.3 years).Their fractured vertebrae distributed from T5 to T12.Our self-designed flexible vertebroplasty device was used in 67 of them (group A) while the conventional straight bone cement injector in the other 73 patients (group B).The 2 groups were compared in terms of operative time,amount of bone cement injected,distribution ratio of bone cement on the contralateral side,bone cement leakage,and visual analogue scale (VAS),anterior height ratio of the fractured vertebra and kyphosis cobb angle at 1 d,1 and 2 years after operation.Results The 2 groups were comparable due to their insignificant differences in preoperative general data (P ＞ 0.05).All the patients were followed up for more than 2 years,with an average of 26.7 months.There were no significant differences between the 2 groups in operation time (28.1 ±4.2 min versus 26.3 ±3.2 min) or in bone cement leakage [34.3％ (23/67) versus 17.8％ (13/73)] (P ＞ 0.05).However,group A was significantly higher than group B in amount of bone cement injection (5.6 ± 1.2 mL versus 4.9 ± 1.1 mL) and in distribution ratio of bone cement on the contralateral side (71.5％ ± 11.3％ versus 65.7％ ± 12.9％),significantly lower than group B in VAS at 1 and 2 years after operation (2.8±0.7 and 3.0±0.9 versus 3.1 ±0.8 and 3.4±0.8) and in kyphosis cobb angle at 1and 2 years after operation (25.2°±5.2° and 26.8°±5.5° versus 27.7°±4.9° and 29.1°±1.6°),and significantly higher than group B in anterior height ratio of the fractured vertebra at 1 and 2 years after operation (39.2％ ± 8.1％ and 37.1％ ± 7.2％ versus 35.4％ ± 7.8％ and 33.2％ ± 8.4％) (all P ＜0.05).There were no significant differences between the 2 groups in VAS,anterior height ratio of the fractured vertebra or kyphosis cobb angle at one day after operation (P ＞ 0.05).Conclusions Compared with the conventional straight bone cement injector,our self-designed flexible vertebroplasty device can lead to better contralateral distribution of bone cement,more effective maintenance of the height of injured vertebra,and better long-term analgesic effect in the treatment of osteoporotic thoracic compression fractures.

Abnormal brain activity in rats with sustained hypobaric hypoxia exposure: a resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging study / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

Background@#Hypobaric hypoxia (HH) exposure at high altitudes can result in a decline in cognitive function, which may have a serious impact on the daily life of people who migrate to high altitudes. However, the specific HH-induced changes in brain function remain unclear. This study explored changes in brain activity in rats exposed to a sustained HH environment using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).@*Methods@#Healthy male rats (8 weeks old) were randomly divided into a model group and a control group. A rat model of cognitive impairment induced by sustained HH exposure was established. The control and model groups completed training and testing in the Morris water maze (MWM). A two-sample t-test for between-group difference comparisons was performed. Repeated measures analyses of variance for within-group comparisons were performed and post-hoc comparisons were made using the Tukey test. Between-group differences in spontaneous brain activity were assessed using a voxel-wise analysis of resting-state fMRI (rs-fMRI), combined with analyses of the fractional amplitude of low frequency fluctuations (fALFF) in statistical parametric mapping.@*Results@#In the MWM test, the escape latencies of the model group were significantly longer compared with those of the control group (control group vs. model group, day 1: 21.6 ± 3.3 s vs. 40.5 ± 3.4 s, t = -11.282; day 2: 13.5 ± 2.2 s vs. 28.7 ± 5.3 s, t = -7.492; day 3: 10.5 ± 2.8 s vs. 22.6 ± 6.1 s, t = -5.099; day 4: 9.7 ± 2.5 s vs. 18.6 ± 5.2 s, t = -4.363; day 5: 8.8 ± 2.7 s vs. 16.7 ± 5.0 s, t = -3.932; all P < 0.001). Within both groups, the escape latency at day 5 was significantly shorter than those at other time points (control group: F = 57.317, P < 0.001; model group: F = 50.718, P < 0.001). There was no within-group difference in average swimming speed (control group, F = 1.162, P = 0.956; model group, F = 0.091, P = 0.880). Within the model group, the time spent within the original platform quadrant was significantly shorter (control group vs. model group: 36.1 ± 5.7 s vs. 17.8 ± 4.3 s, t = 7.249, P < 0.001) and the frequency of crossing the original platform quadrant was significantly reduced (control group vs. model group: 6.4 ± 1.9 s vs. 2.0 ± 0.8 s, t = 6.037, P < 0.001) compared with the control group. In the rs-fMRI study, compared with the control group, rats in the model group showed widespread reductions in fALFF values throughout the brain.@*Conclusions@#The abnormalities in spontaneous brain activity indicated by the fALFF measurements may reflect changes in brain function after HH exposure. This widespread abnormal brain activity may help to explain and to provide new insights into the mechanism underlying the impairment of brain function under sustained exposure to high altitudes.

A flexible vertebroplasty device used in vertebroplasty for osteoporotic thoracic compression fractures / 中华创伤骨科杂志

Objective@#To compare the curative effects between our self-designed flexible vertebroplasty device and the conventional straight bone cement injector in the treatment of osteoporotic thoracic compression fractures.@*Methods@#A retrospective case-control study was conducted to analyze the clinical data of 140 patients with osteoporotic thoracic compression fracture who had been admitted to Department of Spine Surgery, Xi’an Honghui Hospital from June 2016 to January 2017. They were 61 males and 79 females, aged from 55 to 88 years (average, 70.3 years). Their fractured vertebrae distributed from T5 to T12. Our self-designed flexible vertebroplasty device was used in 67 of them (group A) while the conventional straight bone cement injector in the other 73 patients (group B). The 2 groups were compared in terms of operative time, amount of bone cement injected, distribution ratio of bone cement on the contralateral side, bone cement leakage, and visual analogue scale (VAS), anterior height ratio of the fractured vertebra and kyphosis cobb angle at 1 d, 1 and 2 years after operation.@*Results@#The 2 groups were comparable due to their insignificant differences in preoperative general data (P>0.05). All the patients were followed up for more than 2 years, with an average of 26.7 months. There were no significant differences between the 2 groups in operation time (28.1±4.2 min versus 26.3±3.2 min) or in bone cement leakage [34.3%(23/67) versus 17.8%(13/73)] (P>0.05). However, group A was significantly higher than group B in amount of bone cement injection (5.6±1.2 mL versus 4.9±1.1 mL) and in distribution ratio of bone cement on the contralateral side (71.5%±11.3% versus 65.7%±12.9%), significantly lower than group B in VAS at 1 and 2 years after operation (2.8±0.7 and 3.0±0.9 versus 3.1±0.8 and 3.4±0.8) and in kyphosis cobb angle at 1 and 2 years after operation (25.2°±5.2° and 26.8°±5.5° versus 27.7°±4.9° and 29.1°±1.6°), and significantly higher than group B in anterior height ratio of the fractured vertebra at 1 and 2 years after operation (39.2%±8.1% and 37.1%±7.2% versus 35.4%±7.8% and 33.2%±8.4%) (all P< 0.05). There were no significant differences between the 2 groups in VAS, anterior height ratio of the fractured vertebra or kyphosis cobb angle at one day after operation (P>0.05).@*Conclusions@#Compared with the conventional straight bone cement injector, our self-designed flexible vertebroplasty device can lead to better contralateral distribution of bone cement, more effective maintenance of the height of injured vertebra, and better long-term analgesic effect in the treatment of osteoporotic thoracic compression fractures.

Abnormal brain activity in rats with sustained hypobaric hypoxia exposure: a resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging study / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

BACKGROUND@#Hypobaric hypoxia (HH) exposure at high altitudes can result in a decline in cognitive function, which may have a serious impact on the daily life of people who migrate to high altitudes. However, the specific HH-induced changes in brain function remain unclear. This study explored changes in brain activity in rats exposed to a sustained HH environment using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).@*METHODS@#Healthy male rats (8 weeks old) were randomly divided into a model group and a control group. A rat model of cognitive impairment induced by sustained HH exposure was established. The control and model groups completed training and testing in the Morris water maze (MWM). A two-sample t-test for between-group difference comparisons was performed. Repeated measures analyses of variance for within-group comparisons were performed and post-hoc comparisons were made using the Tukey test. Between-group differences in spontaneous brain activity were assessed using a voxel-wise analysis of resting-state fMRI (rs-fMRI), combined with analyses of the fractional amplitude of low frequency fluctuations (fALFF) in statistical parametric mapping.@*RESULTS@#In the MWM test, the escape latencies of the model group were significantly longer compared with those of the control group (control group vs. model group, day 1: 21.6 ± 3.3 s vs. 40.5 ± 3.4 s, t = -11.282; day 2: 13.5 ± 2.2 s vs. 28.7 ± 5.3 s, t = -7.492; day 3: 10.5 ± 2.8 s vs. 22.6 ± 6.1 s, t = -5.099; day 4: 9.7 ± 2.5 s vs. 18.6 ± 5.2 s, t = -4.363; day 5: 8.8 ± 2.7 s vs. 16.7 ± 5.0 s, t = -3.932; all P < 0.001). Within both groups, the escape latency at day 5 was significantly shorter than those at other time points (control group: F = 57.317, P < 0.001; model group: F = 50.718, P < 0.001). There was no within-group difference in average swimming speed (control group, F = 1.162, P = 0.956; model group, F = 0.091, P = 0.880). Within the model group, the time spent within the original platform quadrant was significantly shorter (control group vs. model group: 36.1 ± 5.7 s vs. 17.8 ± 4.3 s, t = 7.249, P < 0.001) and the frequency of crossing the original platform quadrant was significantly reduced (control group vs. model group: 6.4 ± 1.9 s vs. 2.0 ± 0.8 s, t = 6.037, P < 0.001) compared with the control group. In the rs-fMRI study, compared with the control group, rats in the model group showed widespread reductions in fALFF values throughout the brain.@*CONCLUSIONS@#The abnormalities in spontaneous brain activity indicated by the fALFF measurements may reflect changes in brain function after HH exposure. This widespread abnormal brain activity may help to explain and to provide new insights into the mechanism underlying the impairment of brain function under sustained exposure to high altitudes.

Study on ecologic microorganisms in lesions of acute guttate psoriasis induced by upper respiratory tract infection / 天津医药

Objective To investigate the characteristics of lesions of acute guttate psoriasis induced by upper respiratory tract infection, and to compare the difference in the different species between patients and healthy controls. Methods A total of 11 cases of acute guttate psoriasis induced by upper respiratory tract infection and 11 cases of healthy control without skin lesions of any dermatosis were included in this study. The 16SrDNA sequencing technology was used for analyzing data. The aseptic cotton swabs were used for sampling. DNA extraction and quality inspection were then performed. PCR amplification, library construction, microbial gene extraction, purification and recovery process were also performed. Then the gene samples were sent to be sequenced and to annotate the species. Finally, the data were analyzed by α and β diversity analysis to find the differences in microbial species and the diversity of microbial community. LEfSe analysis was used to find the species with significant difference, and the results were verified by the rank test. Results There was no significant difference in α diversity analysis between the two groups. There was a trend of difference in β diversity analysis between the two groups. However, LEfSe analysis (LED Score was 4) and rank test (P＜0.05) found that acinetobacter was a statistically significant different species and played a major role in the lesions of acute guttate psoriasis. Conclusion The skin lesions of microbiota is developing from one steady state to another one in the primary or recurrent acute guttate psoriasis patients with the history of upper respiratory infection. The different species of acinetobacter may play a key role in this change. However there is no significant difference in the overall microbial community between two groups.

Incidence of vascular anomalies and variants associated with unilateral venous pulsatile tinnitus in 242 patients based on dual-phase contrast-enhanced computed tomography / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>A comprehensive assessment of various vascular anomalies and variants associated with venous pulsatile tinnitus (PT) by radiography is essential for therapeutic planning and improving the clinical outcome. This study evaluated the incidence of various vascular anomalies and variants on the PT side and determined whether these lesions occurred as multiple or single entities.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The dual-phase contrast-enhanced computed tomography images of 242 patients with unilateral venous PT were retrospectively reviewed. The vascular anomalies and variants on the symptomatic and asymptomatic sides were analyzed, and the incidences of anomalies or variants on each side were compared. The number of anomalies and variants on the symptomatic side in each patient was calculated.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>(1) A total 170 patients (170/242) had more than one anomaly or variant on the symptomatic side, and 58 patients (58/242) had a single lesion on tomography. (2) There was a statistically significant difference in the incidence of dehiscent sigmoid plate (P = 0.000), lateral sinus stenosis (P = 0.014), high jugular bulb (P = 0.000), sigmoid sinus diverticulum (P = 0.000), jugular bulb diverticulum (P = 0.000), dehiscent jugular bulb (P = 0.000), and a large emissary vein (P = 0.006) between the symptomatic and asymptomatic sides. (3) Dehiscent sigmoid plate (86.4%) was the most frequent lesion on the symptomatic side, followed by lateral sinus stenosis (55.8%), high jugular bulb (47.1%), sigmoid sinus diverticulum (34.3%), jugular bulb diverticulum (13.6%), dehiscent jugular bulb (13.6%), large emissary vein (4.1%), sinus thrombosis (1.2%), and petrosquamosal sinus (0.8%).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Various vascular anomalies and variants occur more frequently on the venous PT side. Preliminary findings suggest that venous PT patients may have multiple vascular anomalies or variants on the symptomatic side.</p>

Carbon-coated artificial femoral head replacement for unstable and osteoporotic femoral fractures in the elderly / 中国组织工程研究

BACKGROUND:Elderly patients are more prone to unstable and osteoporotic fractures. In the clinical surgical treatment, different programs can be taken. Internal fixation was done previously. However, the precise choice of the methods of unstable and osteoporotic femoral fractures in the elderly was stil controversial. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the clinical effect of carbon-coated artificial femoral head replacement in the treatment of elderly patients with unstable and osteoporotic femoral fractures. METHODS:A retrospective analysis was performed in the Honghui Hospital Affiliated to Health Science Center, Xi’an Jiaotong University from February 2013 to February 2014 in 83 cases of unstable and osteoporotic femoral fractures. These patients were divided into control group (42 cases) and observation group (41 cases) according to treatment methods. Conventional internal fixation and artificial femoral head replacement were conducted. Operation time, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative bed time and hospital stay were observed in the two groups. Patients were fol owed up for 12 months. Recovery of hip function and complications were observed and compared between the two groups. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:No significant difference in operation time and intraoperative blood loss was detected between the observation group and the control group (P>0.05). Postoperative bed time and hospital stay were significantly shorter in the observation group than in the control group (P<0.05). The excel ent and good rate of hip joint function was significantly higher in the observation group than in the control group, but the complication rate was significantly lower in the observation group than in the control group (P<0.05). These findings suggest that carbon-coated artificial femoral head replacement for unstable and osteoporotic femoral fractures in the elderly obtained good repair effects, had smal injury to the patient and less complications. Moreover, it can better improve hip function.

Effect of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells on the Smad expression of hepatic fibrosis rats

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the impact of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells on Smad expression of hepatic fibrosis rats.@*METHODS@#A total of 48 adult female SD rats were randomly divided into three groups, normal control group (n=10), observation group (n=19) with liver fibrosis model rats injected with BMSCs cells; model group (n=19), with liver fibrosis model rats injected with physiological saline. Serum index, TGF-β1 and Smad expression were detected.@*RESULTS@#Type III procollagen, IV collagen, hyaluronic acid, laminin levels of observation group were significantly lower than those of model group (P<0.05). The content and expression of TGF-β1 in serum and liver tissue of observation group were significantly lower than those of model group(P<0.05). Compared with normal control group, the Smad3, Smad4 mRNA and protein expression of model group were significantly increased, the Smad7 mRNA and protein expression were significantly reduced (P<0.05). Compared with model group, Smad3, Smad4 mRNA and protein expression of observation group were significantly reduced, and Smad7 mRNA expression were significantly increased (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSIONS@#BMSCs can regulate Smad expression to some extent, and reduce the degree of liver fibrosis.

Biomechanical effects of bone cement volume on the endplates of augmented vertebral body: a three-dimensional finite element analysis / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Previous studies have suggested that percutaneous vertebroplasty might alter vertebral stress transfer, leading to adjacent vertebral failure. However, no three-dimensional finite element study so far accounted for the stress distributions on different cement volumes. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the stress distributions on the endplate under different loading conditions after augmentation with various volumes of bone cement.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>L2-L3 motion segment data were obtained from CT scans of the lumbar spine from a cadaver of a young man who had no abnormal findings on roentgenograms. Three-dimensional model of L2-L3 was established using Mimics software, and finite element model of L2-L3 functional spinal unit (FSU) was established using Ansys10.0 software. For simulating percutaneous vertebral augmentation, polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) was deposited into the bipedicle of the L2 vertebra. The percentage of PMMA volume varied between 15% and 30%. The stress distributions on the endplate of the augmented vertebral body were calculated under three different loading conditions.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In general, the stress level monotonically increased with bone cement volume. Under each loading condition, the stress change on the L2 superior and inferior endplates in three kinds of finite element models shows monotonic increase. Compared with the stress-increasing region of the endplate, the central part of the L2 endplate was subject to the greatest stress under three kinds of loading conditions, especially on the superior endplate and under flexion.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>The finite element models of FSU are useful to optimize the planning for vertebroplasty. The bone cement volume might have an influence on the endplate of the augmentation, especially the superior endplate. It should be noted that the optimization of bone cement volume is patient specific; the volume of the bone cement should be based on the size, body mineral density, and stiffness of the vertebrae of individual patients.</p>

Effect of Rougan Huaqian granules combined with human mesenchymal stem cell transplantation on liver fibrosis in cirrhosis rats

OBJECTIVE@#To observe the effect of Rougan Huaqian granules combined with human mesenchymal stem cell (hMSC) transplantation on the liver fibrosis in carbon tetrachloride-induced cirrhosis rats.@*METHODS@#Sixty SD rats were randomly divided into five groups. The rats in control group received intraperitoneal injection of saline, while those in model control group, treatment group A, group B and group C received intraperitoneal injection of carbon tetrachloride oily solution to induce liver cirrhosis within 8 weeks. Then, the rats in the model control group, treatment group A, treatment group B, treatment group C received vein tail injection of saline, Rougan Huaqian granules, hMSC suspension and Rougan Huaqian granules combined with hMSC suspension.@*RESULTS@#The treatment groups had significantly different liver function (AST levels), liver fibrosis index (laminin and HA), hepatic sinusoidal wallsα-smooth muscle actin, IV collagen and laminin protein expression and I, III collagen from the model group (P<0.05). The transplanted cells showed human hepatocyte-like cells differentiation trend in the liver.@*CONCLUSIONS@#The Rougan Huaqian granules combined with hMSC transplantation can alleviate liver fibrosis in cirrhosis rats.

A single nucleotide polymorphism in the human bone morphogenetic protein-2 gene (109T > G) affects the Smad signaling pathway and the predisposition to ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament of the spine / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Although various systemic and local factors such as abnormal carbohydrate or calcium metabolism, aging, and hormonal disturbances have been suggested as causes of ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL), the etiology of OPLL is not fully understood. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether bone morphogenetic protein (BMP)-2 is a candidate gene to modify the susceptibility of OPLL and the mechanism of signal transduction in ossification.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>A total of 420 OPLL patients and 506 age- and sex-matched controls were studied. The complete coding sequence of the human BMP-2 gene was analyzed using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and direct sequencing. All single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were detected and genotyped. BMP-2 expression vectors containing positive polymorphisms were constructed and transfected into the C3H10T1/2 cells. The expression of BMP-2 and the Smad signal pathway in positive cell clones were detected by Western blotting. The alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity was determined using quantitative detection kits.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The frequencies for the 109T > G and 570A > T polymorphisms were different between the case and control groups. The "TG" genotype in 109T > G polymorphism is associated with the occurrence of OPLL, the frequency of the "G" allele is significantly higher in patients with OPLL than in control subjects (P < 0.001). The "AT" genotype in 570A > T polymorphism is associated with the occurrence of OPLL, the frequency of the "T" allele is significantly higher in patients with OPLL than in control subjects (P = 0.005). Western blotting analysis revealed that the expression of P-Smad1/5/8 protein transfected by wild-type or mutant expression vectors were significantly higher than control groups (P < 0.05), but there was no statistical difference in each experimental group (P > 0.05). The expression of Smad4 protein transfected by wild-type or mutant expression vectors was significantly higher than control groups (P < 0.05). The expression of Smad4 protein transfected by pcDNA3.1-BMP2 (109G) and pcDNA3.1-BMP2 (109G, 570T) was significantly higher than the other experimental groups (P < 0.05). The increase in ALP activity has been detected in pcDNA3.1-BMP2 (109G) and pcDNA3.1-BMP2 (109G, 570T) transfected cells up to 4 weeks after stable transfection. Activity of ALP was (30.56 ± 0.46) nmol×min(-1)×mg(-1) protein and (29.62 ± 0.68) nmol×min(-1)×mg(-1) protein, respectively. This was statistically different compared with the other experimental groups (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>BMP-2 is the predisposing gene of OPLL. The "TG" genotype in the 109T > G and the "AT" genotype in the 570A > T polymorphisms are associated with the occurrence of OPLL. The 109T > G polymorphism in exon-2 of the BMP-2 gene is positively associated with the level of Smad4 protein expression and the activity of ALP. The Smad mediated signaling pathway plays an important role during the pathological process of OPLL induced by SNPs of BMP-2 gene.</p>

Magnetic resonance imaging findings in sporadic Möbius syndrome / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Although neuroradiological findings of Möbius syndrome have been reported as a result of brain and brainstem abnormalities, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) now permits the direct imaging of the cranial nerve (CN) and branches in the orbits. This study presents the MRI findings in patients with sporadic Möbius syndrome.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Prospectively, CNs were imaged in the cistern using head coils and three dimensional fast imaging employing steady-state acquisition (3D-FIESTA), yielding a 0.5 mm(2) resolution in planes of 0.8 mm thickness in seven patients with sporadic Möbius syndrome. The cavernous and intraorbital segment of the CN and the extraocular muscles (EOMs) were imaged with T1 weighting in all patients. The cavernous segment was imaged in coronal planes, while the intraorbit in quasicoronal planes were imaged using surface coils. Intraorbital resolution was 0.16 mm(2) within 2.0 mm thick planes.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>In the seven patients, the CN were absent or showed hypoplasia in the cistern, cavernous sinus, and orbit. Abducens (CN VI) and facial (CN VII) nerves were absent on the affected sides. Unilateral CN IX (glossopharyngeal nerve) in two cases displayed dysplasia. Branches from the inferior division of CN III were observed to innervate the lateral rectus (LR) bilaterally in three cases and unilaterally in one case, and had intimate continuity with the LR muscle in two cases bilaterally and two cases unilaterally. Hypoplasia of EOMs was shown in five cases. Dysplasia of the medulla on the left side was found in one patient.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Direct imaging of CNs and EOMs by MRI is useful in diagnosis of Möbius syndrome. It can directly demonstrate the abnormalities of the CN and orbital structures. The absence or hypoplasia of CN VI and CN VII may be the most common radiologic features in sporadic Möbius syndrome, and hypoplasia of CN IX may be an associated feature. The abnormality of EOMs and aberrant innervations in the orbit should be observed, and may be important for the study of the etiology.</p>

Primary spinal melanoma: a case report and literature review / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

This case report describes a 44-year-old woman with primary spinal cord malignant melanoma localized in the lumbar region. This is a very rare lesion. The patient presented with back pain and slight weakness in her lower extremities. Magnetic resonance imaging showed hyperintense signals on T1-weighted images and hypointense signals on T2-weighted images. The entire tumor was removed surgically. The patient's postoperative clinical examination revealed mild neurological improvements. Histopathological investigations confirmed the tumor was a malignant melanoma. When treating common lesions of the lumbar spinal cord with a benign appearance, surgeons should be aware of the potential for malignant tumors.