Global, regional, and national impact of air pollution on stroke burden: changing landscape from 1990 to 2021.

BACKGROUND: Exposure to air pollution contributes to cardiovascular disease-related deaths and morbidity, including stroke. However, few studies have examined the global stroke burden linked to air pollution. This study aimed to evaluate the global stroke morbidity and mortality associated with air pollution from 1990 to 2021. METHOD: With the Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD) 2021, the numbers, and age-standardized rates (ASRs) of deaths and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) for air pollution-related stroke were reported globally. Further subgroup analyses were conducted by age, sex, region and country, and stroke subtypes. A linear regression model explored global temporal trends and a cluster analysis examined temporal trends across GBD regions. To predict trends until 2040, the age-period-cohort (APC) model and the Bayesian age-period-cohort (BAPC) model were applied. RESULTS: In 2021, there were 1,989,686 (95% uncertainty interval [95% UI], 1,530,479-2,493,238) deaths and 44,962,167 (95% UI, 35,020,339 - 55,467,024) DALYs due to air pollution-related stroke. The ASRs increased with age, peaking generally over 85 years. Males, the Central African region, and Guinea-Bissau showed higher stroke burdens Intracerebral hemorrhage was the most lethal subtype, with an ASR of 11.69 (95% UI 8.94-14.69) for deaths and 276.93 (95% UI 212.21-344.36) for DALYs. From 1990 to 2021, the crude number of deaths and DALYs increased by 13.4% and 6.3%, respectively, for the global stroke burden but showed a declining trend when age-standardized. Most GBD regions in Asia and Africa experienced an increasing stroke burden linked to air pollution, while Europe and America showed a decreasing trend. Predictions indicated a gradual reduction in ASRs, with higher rates in males from 2020 to 2040. CONCLUSIONS: The global stroke burden associated with air pollution remained significant despite a decreasing trend until 2021. Although future predictions suggested a reduction, the crude counts for stroke burden remained substantial, with significant regional disparities. This warranted the implementation of public health policies and ongoing efforts.

The natural course, treatment outcomes, and long-term prognosis of cervical spinal cord arteriovenous shunts.

OBJECTIVE: The highly intricate nature of the cervical spinal cord can cause arteriovenous shunts in these segments that may be associated with heightened clinical risks and treatment complexities. In this article, the authors aimed to provide a comprehensive analysis of the detailed natural course, treatment, and clinical outcomes of cervical spinal cord arteriovenous shunts (SCAVSs) based on the largest cohort to date. METHODS: Two hundred forty consecutive patients were included. Data on clinical presentation, angioarchitecture, treatment, and follow-up were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS: The cohort demonstrated a greater prevalence of acute onset (63.3% vs 36.7%). Spontaneous recovery was observed in 63.7% of patients after onset, with a significantly elevated recovery rate observed among patients experiencing acute onset (72.4% vs 48.9%, p < 0.001). The risks of acute and gradual clinical deterioration after onset was 11.9%/year and 13.4%/year, respectively. Microsurgery was performed in 39.6% of patients, while the remaining 60.4% exclusively underwent embolization. The complete obliteration rate was 65.3% after microsurgery and 21.4% after embolization. The rate of treatment-related deterioration was 14.7% after microsurgery and 6.2% after embolization. After partial treatment, the acute and gradual deterioration rates were 4.1%/year and 6.6%/year, respectively. Lack of spontaneous recovery after onset was an independent predictor of embolization-related deterioration (OR 17.905, p = 0.007) and long-term gradual deterioration after partial treatment (HR 2.325, p = 0.021). After a median follow-up period of 32.55 months, prognosis was unfavorable in 16.7% of patients, with the sole independent risk factor being the absence of spontaneous recovery after onset (OR 2.476, p = 0.018). CONCLUSIONS: The outcomes of patients with cervical SCAVS were generally favorable, even in patients with only partial obliteration of the lesions. However, patients who did not show a trend toward spontaneous recovery after onset had a significantly elevated risk of unfavorable prognosis, highlighting the need for prompt clinical intervention.

Cervical Sagittal Alignment and Related Factor Analysis and Prediction Model in Patients Undergoing Revision Surgery After Anterior Cervical Fusion.

INTRODUCTION: Patients with myelopathy or radiculopathy commonly undergo anterior cervical fusion surgery (ACFS), which has a notable failure rate on occasion. The goal of this study was to compare revision and nonrevision surgery patients in cervical sagittal alignment (CSA) subsequent to ACFS; additionally, to identify the best CSA parameters for predicting clinical outcome after ACFS; and furthermore, to create an equation model to assist surgeons in making decisions on patients undergoing ACFS. METHODS: The data of 99 patients with symptomatic cervical myelopathy/radiculopathy who underwent ACFS were analyzed. Patients were divided into group A (underwent revision surgery after the first surgery failed) and group B (underwent only the first surgery). We measured and analyzed both preoperative and postoperative CSA parameters, including C2 slope, T1 slope, cervical lordosis C2-C7 (CL), C2-C7 sagittal vertical axis (C2C7 SVA), occiput-C2 lordosis angle (C0-C2), and chin brow vertical angle, and we further computed the correlation between the CSA parameters and created a prediction model. RESULTS: The (T1S-CL)-C2S mismatch differed significantly between groups A and B ([9.95 ± 9.95] 0 , [3.79 ± 6.58] 0 , P < 0.05, respectively). A significant correlation was observed between C2 slope and T1CL in group B relative to group A postoperatively (R 2 = 0.42 versus R 2 = 0.09, respectively). Compared with group B, patients in group A had significantly higher C2C7SVA values, more levels of fusion, and more smokers. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and discrimination of the model were, respectively, 73.5%, 84%, 78.8%, and 85.65%. CONCLUSION: The causes of revision surgery in cervical myelopathic patients after anterior cervical corpectomy and fusion/anterior cervical diskectomy and fusion are multifactorial. (T1S-CL)-C2S mismatch and high C2C7SVA are the best cervical sagittal parameters that increase the odds of revision surgery, and the effect is more enhanced when comorbidities such as smoking, low bone-mineral density, and increased levels of fusion are taken into account.

MIBPred: Ensemble Learning-Based Metal Ion-Binding Protein Classifier.

In biological organisms, metal ion-binding proteins participate in numerous metabolic activities and are closely associated with various diseases. To accurately predict whether a protein binds to metal ions and the type of metal ion-binding protein, this study proposed a classifier named MIBPred. The classifier incorporated advanced Word2Vec technology from the field of natural language processing to extract semantic features of the protein sequence language and combined them with position-specific score matrix (PSSM) features. Furthermore, an ensemble learning model was employed for the metal ion-binding protein classification task. In the model, we independently trained XGBoost, LightGBM, and CatBoost algorithms and integrated the output results through an SVM voting mechanism. This innovative combination has led to a significant breakthrough in the predictive performance of our model. As a result, we achieved accuracies of 95.13% and 85.19%, respectively, in predicting metal ion-binding proteins and their types. Our research not only confirms the effectiveness of Word2Vec technology in extracting semantic information from protein sequences but also highlights the outstanding performance of the MIBPred classifier in the problem of metal ion-binding protein types. This study provides a reliable tool and method for the in-depth exploration of the structure and function of metal ion-binding proteins.

[Trametenolic acid inhibits migration and invasion of hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2.2.15 cells via RhoC/ROCK1 pathway].

This study investigated the effect of trametenolic acid(TA) on the migration and invasion of human hepatocellular carcinoma HepG2.2.15 cells by using Ras homolog gene family member C(RhoC) as the target and probed into the mechanism, aiming to provide a basis for the utilization of TA. The methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium(MTT) assay was employed to examine the proliferation of HepG2.2.15 cells exposed to TA, and scratch and Transwell assays to examine the cell migration and invasion. The pull down assay was employed to determine the impact of TA on RhoC GTPase activity. Western blot was employed to measure the effect of TA on the transport of RhoC from cytoplasm to cell membrane and the expression of RhoC/Rho-associated kinase 1(ROCK1)/myosin light chain(MLC)/matrix metalloprotease 2(MMP2)/MMP9 pathway-related proteins. RhoC was over-expressed by transient transfection of pcDNA3.1-RhoC. The changes of F-actin in the cytoskeleton were detected by Laser confocal microscopy. In addition, the changes of cell migration and invasion, expression of proteins in the RhoC/ROCK1/MLC/MMP2/MMP9 pathway, and RhoC GTPase activity were detected. The subcutaneously transplanted tumor model of BALB/c nude mice and the low-, medium-, and high-dose(40, 80, and 120 mg·kg~(-1), respectively) TA groups were established and sorafenib(20 mg·kg~(-1)) was used as the positive control. The tumor volume and weight in each group were measured, and the expression of related proteins in the tumor tissue was determined by Western blot. The results showed that TA inhibited the proliferation of HepG2.2.15 cells in a concentration-dependent manner, with the IC_(50) of 66.65 and 23.09 µmol·L~(-1) at the time points of 24 and 48 h, respectively. The drug administration groups had small tumors with low mass. The tumor inhibition rates of sorafenib and low-, medium-and high-dose TA were 62.23%, 26.48%, 55.45%, and 62.36%, respectively. TA reduced migrating and invading cells and inhibited RhoC protein expression and RhoC GTPase activity in a concentration-dependent manner, dramatically reducing RhoC and membrane-bound RhoC GTPase. The expression of ROCK1, MLC, p-MLC, MMP2, and MMP9 downstream of RhoC can be significantly inhibited by TA, as confirmed in both in vitro and in vivo experiments. After HepG2.2.15 cells were transfected with pcDNA3.1-RhoC to overexpress RhoC, TA down-regulated the protein levels of RhoC, ROCK1, MLC, p-MLC, MMP2, and MMP9 and decreased the activity of RhoC GTPase, with the inhibition level comparable to that before overexpression. In summary, TA can inhibit the migration and invasion of HepG2.2.15 cells. It can inhibit the RhoC/ROCK1/MLC/MMP2/MMP9 signaling pathway by suppressing RhoC GTPase activity and down-regulating RhoC expression. This study provides a new idea for the development of autophagy modulators targeting HSP90α to block the proliferation and inhibit the invasion and migration of hepatocellular carcinoma cells via multiple targets of active components in traditional Chinese medicines.

Isolated spinal artery aneurysm: etiology, clinical characteristics, and outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: Isolated spinal aneurysms (ISAs) are rare causes of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), which encompass a highly heterogeneous group of clinical entities with multifarious pathogeneses, clinical characteristics, and treatment strategies. Therefore, knowledge about the ISAs remains inadequate. In this study, the authors present a comprehensive analysis of clinical data associated with ISAs at their institutions to enhance the understanding of this disease. METHODS: Patients with ISAs confirmed by spinal angiography or surgery at the authors' institutions between 2015 and 2022 were included. Data regarding clinical presentation, lesion location, aneurysm morphology, comorbidities, treatment results, and clinical outcomes were reviewed. RESULTS: Seven patients with ISAs were included in the study. Among them, 4 patients (57.1%) experienced severe headache, and 3 patients (42.9%) reported sudden-onset back pain. Additionally, lower-extremity weakness and urinary retention were observed in 2 of these patients (28.6%). Four of the aneurysms exhibited fusiform morphology, whereas the remaining were saccular. All saccular aneurysms in this series were attributed to hemodynamic factors. Conservative treatment was administered to 3 patients, 2 of whom underwent follow-up digital subtraction angiography, which showed spontaneous occlusion of both aneurysms. Four patients ultimately underwent invasive treatments, including 2 who underwent microsurgery and 2 who received endovascular embolization. One patient died of recurrent SAH, while the remaining 6 patients had a favorable prognosis at the latest follow-up assessment. CONCLUSIONS: The morphology of aneurysms may be associated with their etiology. Saccular ISAs are usually caused by pressure due to abnormally increased blood flow, whereas fusiform lesions may be more likely to be secondary to vessel wall damage. The authors found that a saccular spinal aneurysm in young patients with a significant dilated parent artery may be a vestige of spinal cord arteriovenous shunts. ISAs can be managed by surgical, endovascular, or conservative procedures, and the clinical outcome is generally favorable. However, the heterogeneous nature of the disease necessitates personalized treatment decision-making based on specific clinical features of each patient.

Multi-rod posterior correction only with halo-femoral traction for the management of adult neuromuscular scoliosis (> 100°) with severe pelvic obliquity: a minimum 5-year follow-up.

BACKGROUND: Many patients with neuromuscular scoliosis (NMS) experience a variety of difficult medical problems that aggravate the development effects of progressive scoliosis and pelvic obliquity (PO). The objective of the current study was to assess the safety and effectiveness of multi-rod posterior correction only (MRPCO) with halo-femoral traction (HFT) for the management of adult NMS (> 100°) with severe PO. METHODS: From 2012 to 2017, 13 adult patients who suffered from NMS (> 100°) with severe PO underwent MRPCO with HFT. The radiography parameters in a sitting position, such as the coronal Cobb angle of the main curve, the PO and the trunk shift (TS), were measured at the preoperative, postoperative and final follow-up stages. The preoperative and final follow-up assessment of the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) was taken. RESULTS: The average follow-up span was 68.15 ± 6.78 months. There was decreased postoperative coronal Cobb angle with an average mean of 125.24° ± 11.78° to 47.55° ± 12.10°, with a correction rate of 62.43%; the PO was reduced to 6.25° ± 1.63° from 36.93° ± 4.25° with a correction rate of 83.07%; the TS was reduced to 2.41 cm ± 1.40 cm from 9.19 cm ± 3.07 cm. There was significant improvement in all parameters compared to the preoperative data. The VAS score reduced from 4.77 ± 0.93 to 0.69 ± 0.75, and the ODI score reduced from 65.38 ± 16.80 to 28.62 ± 12.29 at the final follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment of adult NMS (> 100°) with severe PO could be safe and effective with MRPCO with HFT. In order to obtain the optimum sitting balance, this could reduce the prevalence of complications and rectify the curvature and the correction of PO.

BMP6 participates in the pathogenesis of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis by regulating osteopenia.

Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is a complex disease characterized by three-dimensional structural deformities of the spine. Its pathogenesis is associated with osteopenia. Bone-marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) play an important role in bone metabolism. We detected 1919 differentially expressed mRNAs and 744 differentially expressed lncRNAs in BMSCs from seven patients with AIS and five patients without AIS via high-throughput sequencing. Multiple analyses identified bone morphogenetic protein-6 (BMP6) as a hub gene that regulates the abnormal osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs in AIS. BMP6 expression was found to be decreased in AIS and its knockdown in human BMSCs significantly altered the degree of osteogenic differentiation. Additionally, CAP1-217 has been shown to be a potential upstream regulatory molecule of BMP6. We showed that CAP1-217 knockdown downregulated the expression of BMP6 and the osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs. Simultaneously, knockout of BMP6 in zebrafish embryos significantly increased the deformity rate. The findings of this study suggest that BMP6 is a key gene that regulates the abnormal osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs in AIS via the CAP1-217/BMP6/RUNX2 axis.

Research progress on the regulation of bone marrow stem cells by noncoding RNAs in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.

Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is a common spinal deformity in young women, but its pathogenesis remains unclear. The primary pathogenic factors contributing to its development include genetics, abnormal bone metabolism, and endocrine factors. Bone marrow stem cells (BMSCs) play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of AIS by regulating its occurrence and progression. Noncoding RNAs (ncRNAs) are also involved in the pathogenesis of AIS, and their role in regulating BMSCs in patients with AIS requires further evaluation. In this review, we discuss the relevant literature regarding the osteogenic, chondrogenic, and lipogenic differentiation of BMSCs. The corresponding mechanisms of ncRNA-mediated BMSC regulation in patients with AIS, recent advancements in AIS and ncRNA research, and the importance of ncRNA translation profiling and multiomics are highlighted.

Isolated neural arch tuberculosis with tuberculomas: case report.

We reported a case of atypical spinal tuberculosis on the posterior elements of lumbar spine in a 52-year-old female. It was easy to be misdiagnosed as spinal tumor due to its imaging characteristics. We performed puncture biopsy to initially consider tuberculosis, and then the patient was accepted surgical treatment. The intraoperative removed specimen was sent to pathological examination, microbial culture, Xpert MTB/RIF and metagenomic next-generation sequencing (mNGS) and then the diagnosis of neural arch tuberculosis was confirmed. After operation, the patient obtained stable effect by anti-tuberculosis drug treatment. In a word, the uncommon case had an important reference significance for the diagnosis of atypical spine tuberculosis and differentiation from spinal tumors. It is critical to make right preliminary diagnosis by appropriate examination as it determined the next diagnosis and treatment in special and rare clinical cases.

PECAM1 plays a role in the pathogenesis and treatment of bone metastases.

Bone is the third most common metastatic site for all primary tumors, the common primary focus of bone metastases include breast cancer, prostate cancer, and so on. And the median survival time of patients with bone metastases is only 2-3 years. Therefore, it is urgent to develop new targets to diagnose and treat bone metastases. Based on two data sets GSE146661 and GSE77930 associated with bone metastases, it was found that 209 genes differentially expressed in bone metastases group and control group. PECAM1 was selected as hub-gene for the follow-up research after constructing protein-protein interaction (PPI) network and enrichment analysis. Moreover, q-PCR analysis verified that the expression of PECAM1 decreased in bone metastatic tumor tissues. PECAM1 was believed to be possibly related to the function of osteoclasts, we knocked down the expression of PECAM1 with shRNA in lymphocytes extracted from bone marrow nailed blood. The results indicated that sh-PECAM1 treatment could promote osteoclast differentiation, and the sh-PECAM1-treated osteoclast culture medium could significantly promote the proliferation and migration of tumor cells. These results suggested that PECAM1 may be a potential biomarker for the diagnosis and treatment of bone metastases of tumor.

The pre-surgical role of halo-traction in patients with cervical infection associated with refractory kyphosis: a retrospective study.

To minimize surgical complications and staged procedures halo-traction is often used during deformity corrections. But the use of halo-traction in the treatment of refractory cervical kyphosis secondary to infections has never been reported. This study investigated the role of halo-traction in the treatment of cervical infection patients associated with refractory kyphosis. We retrospectively reviewed 48 patients with cervical infection associated with refractory kyphosis who were treated in our spine department. Patients were divided into two groups, the traction group (A) and the non-traction group (B). Group A underwent preoperative halo-traction followed by surgery, while group B underwent surgery alone. Between the two groups, we analyzed the kyphosis deformity correction, level of fusions, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), functional improvement by Neck disability index (NDI) score, and complications. Group A had a better correction of kyphosis deformity compared to group B (27.01 ± 11.54)0 versus (18.08 ± 10.04)0 (P = 0.01, Z = - 2.44). No statistically significant differences between the two groups in terms of functional improvement, level of fusions, ESR and CRP. Group B had 3 revision surgery cases. Preoperative halo-traction followed by surgery is superior in kyphosis correction in the treatment of patients with cervical infections with refractory kyphosis.

Filum terminale arteriovenous shunt with nidus structure: a report of rare condition and treatment consideration.

BACKGROUND:  In the literature, filum terminale arteriovenous shunts (FTAVSs) always feature a single shunt point. Nidus-type FTAVSs have rarely been reported, and the best treatment strategy is unclear. This is a report of one exceptional case of a nidus-type FTAVS and surgical treatment of the lesion. CASE DESCRIPTION: The patient suffered from cauda equina syndrome for 9 months. Magnetic resonance imaging and spinal angiography revealed a nidus-type FTAVF at the L2 level. Surgical resection was performed in the hybrid operating room, and the nidus was completely resected with the assistance of intraoperative methylene blue angiography and neurophysiological monitoring. The postoperative neurological function was stable. CONCLUSIONS: A nidus-type arteriovenous shunt could originate from the FT, and in such cases, complete surgical resection with intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring in a hybrid operating room should be suggested.

Expert Consensus on Pathological Diagnosis of Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma (2022 version).

Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA) can originate from the large bile duct group (segment bile ducts and area bile ducts), small bile duct group (septal bile ducts and interlobular bile ducts), and terminal bile duct group (bile ductules and canals of Hering) of the intrahepatic biliary tree, which can be histopathological corresponding to large duct type iCCA, small duct type iCCA and iCCA with ductal plate malformation pattern, and cholangiolocarcinoma, respectively. The challenge in pathological diagnosis of above subtypes of iCCA falls in the distinction of cellular morphologies, tissue structures, growth patterns, invasive behaviors, immunophenotypes, molecular mutations, and surgical prognoses. For these reasons, this expert consensus provides nine recommendations as a reference for standardizing and refining the diagnosis of pathological subtypes of iCCA, mainly based on the 5th edition of the World Health Organization Classification of Tumours of the Digestive System.

Abnormal TNS3 gene methylation in patients with congenital scoliosis.

BACKGROUND: Congenital scoliosis (CS) is a congenital deformity of the spine resulting from abnormal and asymmetrical development of vertebral bodies during pregnancy. However, the etiology and mechanism of CS remain unclear. Epigenetics is the study of heritable variations in gene expression outside of changes in nucleotide sequence. Among these, DNA methylation was described first and is the most characteristic and most stable epigenetic mechanism. Therefore, in this study, we aim to explore the association between genome methylation and CS which are not been studied before. METHODS: Two pairs of monozygotic twins were included, with each pair involving one individual with and one without CS. Agilent SureSelect XT Human Methyl-Sequencing was used for genome methylation sequencing. MethylTarget was used to detect methylation levels in target regions. Immunohistochemistry was performed to visualize expression of associated genes in candidate regions. RESULTS: A total of 75 differentially methylated regions were identified, including 24 with an increased methylation level and 51 with a decreased methylation level in the CS group. Nine of the differentially methylated regions were selected (TNS3, SEMAC3, GPR124, MEST, DLK1, SNTG1, PPIB, DEF8, and GRHL2). The results showed that the methylation level of the promoter region of TNS3 was 0.72 ± 0.08 in the CS group and 0.43 ± 0.06 in the control group (p = 0.00070 < 0.01). There was no significant difference in the degree of methylation of SEMAC3, GPR124, MEST, DLK1, SNTG1, PPIB, DEF8, or GRHL2 between the two groups. Immunohistochemistry showed significantly decreased TNS3 expression in the cartilage of the articular process in CS (CS: 0.011 ± 0.002; control: 0.018 ± 0.006, P = 0.003 < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Compared with the control group, high-level methylation of the TNS3 promoter region and low TNS3 expression in the cartilage layer of the articular process characterize CS. Thus, DNA methylation and TNS3 may play important roles in the pathogenesis of CS.

Retrospective analysis of deformed complex vertebral osteotomy in children with severe thoracic post-tubercular angular kyphosis.

BACKGROUND: Many surgical options have been described to manage post-tubercular kyphosis, but the standard approach for treating severe post-tubercular angular kyphosis in children has not been established yet. The present study was performed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of deformed complex vertebral osteotomy (DCVO) for the treatment of severe thoracic post-tubercular angular kyphosis (> 70°) in children. METHODS: Deformed complex vertebrae indicated that multiple deformed and fused vertebrae were usually involved with two or more vertebral bodies and the partial or total fusion of many segments' facet joints and intervertebral discs. Thus, DCVO indicated that a wider posterior wedge-shaped and three-column osteotomy was performed within deformed complex vertebrae to correct a more extensive range of angles. From 2010 to 2017, 15 children who suffered from severe thoracic post-tubercular angular kyphosis underwent DCVO. Deformed complex vertebrae involved two vertebral bodies in 9 patients and three vertebral bodies in 6 patients. The Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) were assessed preoperatively and at the final follow up. This was a retrospective study analysing the outcome after grade 4/5 spinal osteotomies in deformed complex vertebrae. RESULTS: The mean duration of surgery was 239 ± 37.81 min. The average period of follow-up was 31.6 ± 6.98 months. The preoperative mean kyphosis of deformed complex vertebrae was 83.39° ± 9.04°; the mean thoracic kyphosis (TK) and lumbar lordosis (LL) were 81.09° ± 8.51° and 80.51° ± 7.64°, respectively; the mean sagittal vertical axis (SVA) was 3.83 cm ± 1.43 cm. The postoperative mean kyphosis of deformed complex vertebrae was reduced to 19.98° ± 2.47° (P < 0.001) with a mean kyphosis correction of 63.41°; at the final follow up, it was 18.4° ± 2.29° (P < 0.001) without obvious loss of correction. The postoperative mean TK, LL, and SVA were reduced to 24.05° ± 3.84°, 46.9° ± 3.53°, and 0.6 cm ± 0.34 cm, respectively (P < 0.001 for all); and there was no obvious loss of sagittal alignment and balance at the final follow up (p = 0.982, p = 0.604, p = 0.754). Complicated with neural dysfunction preoperatively, 5 Frankel's grade D cases showed complete neurological recovery at final follow up. VAS score reduced from 3.6 ± 1.18 to 0.87 ± 0.64 (P < 0.001); and ODI score reduced from 22.21 ± 6.93 to 5.02 ± 2.6 (P < 0.001) at the final follow up. CONCLUSIONS: DCVO was an individualized osteotomy for treating severe thoracic post-tubercular angular kyphosis in children and could be safe and effective in reducing the incidence of complications and significantly improving kyphosis correction.

Posterior-only debridement, bone fusion, single-segment versus short-segment instrumentation for mono-segmental lumbar or lumbosacral pyogenic vertebral osteomyelitis: minimum five year follow-up outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Pyogenic vertebral osteomyelitis (PVO), which is a potentially life-threatening condition and is associated with significant morbidity and mortality, is a cause of back pain that can lead to neurologic deficits if not diagnosed in time and effectively treated. The objective of this study is to compare the efficacy of posterior single-segment and short-segment fixation combined with one-stage posterior debridement and fusion for the treatment of mono-segmental lumbar or lumbosacral PVO. METHODS: Charts of all patients with mono-segmental lumbar or lumbosacral PVO were treated by single-stage posterior debridement, bone graft fusion, and pedicle screw fixation from April 2012 to January 2016. All patients were divided into two groups: sinlge-segment fixation (Group A, n = 31) and short-segment fixation (Group B, n = 36). These patients were followed up for a minimum of five years. The clinical efficacy was evaluated and compared on average operation time, blood loss, visual analog scale (VAS), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-Reactive protein (CRP), neurological function recovery and local lordotic angle. RESULTS: All 67 patients were completely cured during the follow-up. All patients had significant improvement of neurological condition and pain relief at the final follow-up. The VAS was 7.1 ± 0.7 in group A and 7.2 ± 0.6 in group B pre-operatively, which decreased to 2.1 ± 0.6 and 2.0 ± 0.7, respectively, at three months after surgery, then reduced to 0.4 ± 0.5 and 0.5 ± 0.5, respectively, at the final follow-up. ESR, CRP returned to normal limits in all patients 3 months after surgery. The mean blood loss and operation time in group A were less than that in group B (P < 0.05). The local lordotic angle in group A was increased from preoperative - 1.7 ± 7.9° to postoperative 5.8 ± 7.1°, with angle loss of 1.5 ± 0.8° at the final follow-up, respectively (P < 0.05). The local lordotic angle in group B was increased from preoperative - 1.6 ± 7.8° to postoperative 13.5 ± 6.2°, with angle loss of 1.3 ± 0.8° at the final follow-up, respectively (P < 0.05). In the mean postoperative local lordotic angle, there was significant difference between the two groups at the time of immediate postoperative period or the final follow-up (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Posterior-only debridement, interbody graft using titanium mesh cage, posterior single-segment instrumentation and fusion represent a safe and effective treatment option for selected patients with mono-segmental lumbar and lumbosacral PVO. This approach may preserve more lumbar normal motor units with less blood loss and operation time when compared with that of short-segment fixation. But short-segment fixation was superior to the single-segment fixation in the correction of kyphosis.

Strategy and Efficacy of Surgery for Congenital Cervicothoracic Scoliosis with or without Hemivertebra Osteotomy.

OBJECTIVE: Cervicothoracic scoliosis will cause severe deformities in the early stage, and its structure is complex and the surgical methods are varied. The purpose of this research is to explore the indication and analyze the corrective effect of the two different posterior approach surgical strategies, including correction with fusion and hemivertebra osteotomy, for congenital cervicothoracic scoliosis deformities in children and adolescents. METHODS: This was a retrospective study of 21 patients with cervicothoracic scoliosis who received surgical treatment from January 2010 to June 2020, including nine cases of posterior hemivertebra osteotomy and fusion surgery and 12 cases of posterior correction and fusion alone. The Cobb angle, T1 tilt angle, clavicular angle, neck tilt angle, radiographic shoulder height, sagittal vertical axis, coronal balance distance, and local kyphosis angle were measured preoperatively, postoperatively, and at the last follow-up. Posterior approach hemivertebra resection or correction with fusion surgery was adopted based on the different individual characteristics of deformity such as main curve Cobb angle, growth potential, and flexibility. Patients were divided into two groups (osteotomy group and nonosteotomy group) according to whether a hemivertebra osteotomy was performed, and the corrective results in the two groups were compared. Paired-sample t tests or independent-sample t tests were used. RESULTS: The median follow-up after surgery of the 21 patients was 36 months (range, 18-72 months). The Cobb angle was corrected from 45.81° ± 14.23° preoperatively to 10.48° ± 5.56° postoperatively (correction rate, 77.78% ± 8.93%). The T1 tilt angle decreased from 15.26° ± 7.08° preoperatively to 3.33° ± 2.14° postoperatively (correction rate,73.42% ± 21.86%). The radiographic shoulder height was corrected from 1.13 ± 0.74 cm preoperatively to 0.52 ± 0.42 cm postoperatively (correction rate, 39.51% ± 35.65%). The clavicular angle improved from 2.52° ± 1.55° preoperatively to 1.16° ± 0.96° postoperatively (correction rate, 47.18% ± 35.84%). No significant differences were found at the last follow-up (p > 0.05). The Cobb angle of the main curve, T1 tilt angle, clavicular angle, cervical tilt angle, and shoulder height difference were similar in the two groups (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Posterior approach hemivertebra resection or correction with fusion surgery can be used in the treatment of congenital cervicothoracic scoliosis with satisfactory results, and the surgeon can make an individualized surgical plan according to individual characteristics of deformity.

Proximal Junction Kyphosis in Adult Scoliosis: Best Postoperative Radiological Predictors-A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background: Proximal junction kyphosis (PJK) is the postsurgical radiographic event seen in the surgical plane after the fusion of a spinal deformity. Unfavorable health outcomes have been reported in symptomatic PJK patients compared to non-PJK patients. Methods: The data for adult scoliosis patients who underwent curve correction were extracted from the hospital database. Pelvic and spinal parameters were measured and calculated to compare four predictive formulae for occurrences of PJK. Formula 1. Restoration of hypothetical values of lumbar lordosis (LL) and thoracic kyphosis (TK) according to pelvic incidence (PI). Formula 2. Evaluation of global sagittal alignment. Formula 3. Restoration of the apex of LL to its hypothetical position according to the spine shape. Formula 4. Evaluation of positive-sum and negative-sum of (LL + TK). Results: A total number of cases were 52. There were 14 cases of PJK. The incidence of PJK was 26.9%, and the mean age for PJK cases was 63.2 ± 5.2. The excellent predictor for occurrences of PJK was formula 3. Postsurgical sagittal apexes of lumbar lordosis were located in their hypothetical position in 24 cases, and 12.5% of these cases developed PJK. While sagittal apexes were not located in their hypothetical position in 28 patients, PJK occurred in 39.3% of them (P=0.03, OR: 4.53, (95% CI: 1.09-18.9)). The second good predictor for occurrences of PJK was formula 2 (GSA >45° versus GSA <45° OR = 2.5, (95% CI: 0.67-9.38), P=0.17). The other two formulae (1 and 4) were not good predictors for occurrences of PJK. Conclusion: Among the four proposed formulae for predicting occurrences of PJK, the position of the sagittal apex of lumbar lordosis is an excellent predictor of the development of PJK, followed by GSA. Hypothetical values of LL and TK, and positive or negative-sum of (LL + TK), are weak predictors for occurrences of PJK.