Full-Endoscopic Transforaminal Debridement and Decompression for Brucellar Thoracic Spinal Epidural Abscess: A Minimally Invasive Alternative to Open Surgery.

OBJECTIVE: Thoracic spinal epidural abscess (SEA) is a rare but dangerous condition, and traditional surgical methods are accompanied by extensive trauma and approach-related complications. Here we introduce the technique of full-endoscopic transforaminal debridement and decompression and evaluate its feasibility for treating brucellar thoracic SEA. METHODS: We performed thoracic full-endoscopic transforaminal decompression and debridement on two patients with neurological deficits caused by brucellar SEA, which is mainly composed of granulation tissue rather than pus. Postoperative MRI was conducted to confirm the presence of any residual abscess compressing the nerves. Frankel grading was employed to assess the recovery of neurological function, and complications were documented. RESULTS: There were no occurrences of dural tear, postoperative hematoma, or pulmonary complications. Their neurological function had significantly improved after surgery, and postoperative MRI confirmed no residual abscess compressing the spinal cord. During the 2-year follow-up, one patient achieved complete recovery (from Frankel-C to Frankel-E), while another patient improved from Frankel-A to Frankel-D. Neither patient experienced infection recurrence, instability, nor kyphotic deformity. CONCLUSION: We described the novel application of transforaminal endoscopic surgery in brucellar thoracic granulomatous SEA and preliminarily indicated the feasibility of this technique as a minimally invasive alternative to open surgery.

Awake Unilateral Biportal Endoscopic Decompression Under Local Anesthesia for Degenerative Lumbar Spinal Stenosis in the Elderly: A Feasibility Study with Technique Note.

Purpose: Here, we introduce a novel strategy of awake unilateral biportal endoscopic (UBE) decompression, which applies conscious sedation combined with stepwise local anesthesia (LA) as an alternative to general anesthesia (GA). The study aims to evaluate the feasibility of awake UBE decompression for degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis (DLSS) in elderly patients. Patients and Methods: This retrospective study included 31 consecutive patients who received awake UBE decompression for DLSS in our institution from January 2021 to March 2022. Clinical results were evaluated using patient-reported outcomes measures (PROM) including visual analog scale for leg pain (VAS-LP), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), and modified MacNab criteria. The anesthesia effectiveness and intraoperative experience were evaluated by intraoperative VAS and satisfaction rating system. Results: UBE decompression was successfully performed in all patients under LA combined with conscious sedation. 26 (83.9%) patients rated the intraoperative experience as satisfactory (excellent or good) and 5 (16.1%) as fair. The mean intraoperative VAS was 3.41±1.26. The VAS and ODI at each follow-up stage after surgery were significantly improved compared to preoperative scores (p < 0.01). At the last follow-up, 28 patients (90.3%) classified the surgical outcome as good or excellent, and 3 (9.7%) as fair. There were no serious complications or adverse reactions observed in the study. Conclusion: Our preliminary results suggest that awake UBE decompression is a feasible and promising alternative for elderly patients with DLSS.

Ultrasound-guided Jamshidi needle puncture to reduce radiation exposure during percutaneous pedicle screw placement: study protocol for a randomised controlled trial.

INTRODUCTION: Percutaneous pedicle screw placement (PPSP) is a minimally invasive procedure highly dependent on fluoroscopic guidance, which results in increased radiation exposure and prolonged operative time. Ultrasound can image the lumbar paravertebral anatomy and the needle trajectory in real time, which may help reduce the use of fluoroscopy and radiation dose in PPSP. We will conduct a parallel randomised controlled trial to mainly investigate the effect of ultrasound guidance in radiation reduction during PPSP. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: A total of 42 patients will be recruited and randomly assigned to the intervention group and the control group at a 1:1 ratio. In the intervention group, we will use ultrasound in combination with fluoroscopy to guide the insertion of the Jamshidi needles. In the control group, PPSP will be performed under conventional fluoroscopic guidance. The primary outcomes are the cumulative fluoroscopy time (s), radiation dose (mGy) and exposure times of screw placement. The secondary outcomes are insertion time of guidewire, rate of pedicle perforation, rate of facet joint violation, visual analogue scale for back pain, Oswestry Disability Index and complications. The participants, outcome assessors and data analysts will be blinded to allocation. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The trial was approved by the research ethics committee of Shengjing Hospital, China Medical University. The results will be presented at academic seminars and submitted for publication in peer-reviewed journals.This study involves human participants and was approved by Research Ethics Committee of Shengjing Hospital, China Medical University reference number：2022PS704K. Participants gave informed consent to participate in the study before taking part. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ChiCTR2200057131.

Traffic Patrolling Routing Problem with Drones in an Urban Road System.

The remarkable development of various sensor equipment and communication technologies has stimulated many application platforms of automation. A drone is a sensing platform with strong environmental adaptability and expandability, which is widely used in aerial photography, transmission line inspection, remote sensing mapping, auxiliary communication, traffic patrolling, and other fields. A drone is an effective supplement to the current patrolling business in road traffic patrolling with complex urban buildings and road conditions and a limited ground perspective. However, the limited endurance of patrol drones can be directly solved by vehicles that cooperate with drones on patrolling missions. In this paper, we first proposed and studied the traffic patrolling routing problem with drones (TPRP-D) in an urban road system. Considering road network equations and the heterogeneity of patrolling tasks in the actual patrolling process, we modeled the problem as a double-layer arc routing problem (DL-ARP). Based on graph theory and related research work, we present the mixed integer linear programming formulations and two-stage heuristic solution approaches to solve practical-sized problems. Through analysis of numerical experiments, the solution method proposed in this paper can quickly provide an optimal path planning scheme for different test sets, which can save 9%-16% of time compared with traditional vehicle patrol. At the same time, we analyze several relevant parameters of the patrol process to determine the effect of coordinated traffic patrol. Finally, a case study was completed to verify the practicability of the algorithm.

How prosthetic design influences knee kinematics: a narrative review of tibiofemoral kinematics of healthy and joint-replaced knees.

INTRODUCTION: To improve the total knee arthroplasty (TKA) prosthesis design, it is essential to study the kinematics of the tibiofemoral joint. Many studies have been conducted in this area; however, conflicting results and incomparable testing methods make it difficult to draw definitive conclusions or compare research from studies. The goal of this article is to introduce what is known about both healthy and prosthetic tibiofemoral joint kinematics. AREAS COVERED: Healthy tibiofemoral joint kinematics are reviewed in vivo by different activities, and the kinematics of existing knee prosthetic design features are considered separately. These features include but are not limited to cruciate retaining, posterior cruciate substituting, mobile-bearing, and high flexion. EXPERT COMMENTARY: The type of activity that is being performed has a great influence on the kinematics of healthy knees, and the influences of different TKA prosthetic design features on the kinematics are complex and varied. Moreover, the TKA postoperative functional performance is influenced by many factors, and prosthetic design is among them, but not the only one that defines the performance.