Posterior pedicle screw fixation combined with transpedicular bone grafting for treatment of single-level thoracolumbar fractures with the aid of a vertebroplasty tool.

OBJECTIVE: This study was performed to assess the efficacy of a novel tool to assist transpedicular bone grafting in short-segment pedicle screw fixation combined with pedicle fixation at the level of the fractured vertebra (six-screw fixation). METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 80 patients (40 in the control group and 40 in the tool-aided group) with single-level thoracolumbar fractures. Patients in the control group underwent traditional six-screw fixation combined with transpedicular bone grafting. In the tool-aided group, we introduced a novel vertebroplasty tool to assist transpedicular bone grafting. Basic information and related indicators were recorded. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in the patients' baseline characteristics or surgical outcomes between the control group and tool-aided group. Both traditional surgery and tool-aided surgery restored the height of the fractured vertebrae and decreased the Cobb angle, visual analog scale score, and Oswestry Disability Index. However, tool-aided surgery more effectively restored the height of the fractured vertebrae and reduced the visual analog scale score and Oswestry Disability Index than did traditional surgery. CONCLUSION: Vertebroplasty tool-aided surgery facilitated more precise and successful grafting of bone into damaged vertebrae than did traditional surgery and therefore might be recommended for treating single-level thoracolumbar fractures.

Prediction of prognosis in sepsis patients by the SOFA score combined with miR-150.

BACKGROUND: The sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) score, designed to evaluate sepsis-associated organ dysfunction in intensive care unit (ICU) patients, is associated with the prognosis of sepsis patients. MicroRNA-150 (miR-150) is one of the first miRs to be detected in patients with sepsis and other critical illnesses, and to have an association with the prognosis of critical illness and sepsis. OBJECTIVES: To assess the predictive value of the combination of the SOFA score and miR-150 levels for the prognosis of sepsis patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We retrospectively included 437 adult patients with sepsis who were divided into a death group (n = 138, 31.6%) and a survival group (n = 299, 68.4%), according to their survival status at the 28-day follow-up. Binary logistic regression was performed to identify independent associations. Receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve was employed to assess the predictive values. The Z-test was used to compare the area under curve (AUC). RESULTS: Multivariate analysis demonstrated that miR-150 (odds ratio (OR): 0.549, 95% confidence interval (95% CI) [0.372, 0.826], p < 0.001), the SOFA score (OR: 1.216, 95% CI [1.039, 1.807], p = 0.008), age, procalcitonin (PCT), and septic shock were independently associated with 28-day mortality of sepsis patients following the adjustment for chronic renal failure, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), serum creatinine (SCr), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), and total bilirubin (TBil). The AUC of miR-150, the SOFA score and their combination in predicting the 28-day mortality of sepsis patients was 0.762 (standard error (SE): 0.023, 95% CI [0.717, 0.808]), 0.735 (SE: 0.025, 95% CI [0.687, 0.784]) and 0.886 (SE: 0.015, 95% CI [0.857, 0.916]), respectively. The AUC of their combined prediction was significantly greater than the independent prediction (0.886 compared to 0.762, Z = 4.516, p < 0.001; 0.886 compared to 0.735, Z = 5.179, p < 0.001). The sensitivity and specificity of combination prediction were 86.2% and 80.6%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of the SOFA score and miR-150 could improve the prediction of prognosis in sepsis patients.