Anterior cervical X-shape-corpectomy and fusion vs. anterior cervical corpectomy and fusion for two-level cervical spondylosis.

PURPOSE: Anterior cervical X-shape-corpectomy and fusion (ACXF) is a novel cervical surgery, designed as partial alternative to the classic technique, anterior cervical corpectomy and fusion (ACCF). The aim of this study was to evaluate the early-stage outcomes of ACXF in treating two-level cervical spondylosis (CS) through comparisons with ACCF. METHODS: A retrospectively comparative study was conducted in two cohorts of patients who underwent single-vertebral ACXF or ACCF to treat two-level CS during September 2019 and October 2021. Clinical and radiological data of all the patients were collected from pre-operation to 1 year after the surgery, following by intra- and intergroup analyses and comparisons. RESULTS: Fifty-seven patients were included, with 24 undergoing ACXF and 33 undergoing ACCF. ACXF group had significantly shorter drainage duration (2.13 ± 0.61 days vs. 3.48 ± 1.30 days, P < 0.001) and less drainage volume (30.21 ± 26.88 ml vs. 69.30 ± 37.65 ml, P < 0.001) than ACCF group. Both techniques significantly improved all the clinical parameters (P < 0.01) with comparable effects (P > 0.05). Each complication rate in ACXF group was lower than that in ACCF group without significant difference (P > 0.05). ACXF showed a significantly smaller transverse decompression range than ACCF (11.93 ± 1.27 mm vs. 16.29 ± 1.88 mm, P < 0.001). Postoperatively, ACXF yielded a comparable fusion rate (P > 0.05) and a significantly lower subsidence rate (P < 0.01) than ACCF technique at all time points. CONCLUSIONS: ACXF is a potential surgical alternative for certain patients with two-level CS, as it provides both adequate decompression range and fewer adverse events than ACCF. The further modifications on ACXF worth exploration.

Effects of nurses-led multidisciplinary-based psychological management in spinal surgery: a retrospective, propensity-score-matching comparative study.

BACKGROUND: Patients in spine surgery often have emotional disorders which is caused by multi-factors. Therefore, a multidisciplinary and multimodal intervention program is required to improve emotional disorders during the perioperative period. However, related studies were rare. This study aimed to confirm that the multidisciplinary-based psychological management leading by nurses was effective in treating emotional disorders and show the assignments of the members of the multidisciplinary team with the orientations of nurses. DESIGN: A retrospective, comparative study. METHOD: This study was a retrospective cohort research and compared the results between the intervention group and control group using the Huaxi Emotional Distress Index (HEI) which was used to evaluate emotional disorders. The intervention group consisted of patients who underwent surgery between January 2018 and December 2020 after psychological management was implemented. The control group consisted of patients with regular care who underwent surgery between January 2015 and December 2017. To improve comparability between the two groups, baseline data from the recruited patients were analyzed using propensity-score-matching (PSM) based on age, sex, marital status, education, and disease region. RESULTS: A total of 539 (11.5%) people developed emotional disorders, of which 319 (6.8%), 151 (3.2%) and 69 (1.5%) had mild, moderate mood and severe emotional disorders, respectively. 2107 pairs of patients were matched after PSM. Scores of HEI in the intervention group were heightened compared with those in the control group (P<0.001) after matching. Moreover, the incidence of emotional disorders in patients decreased after implementing psychological management (P = 0.001). The severity of emotional disorders was alleviated with statistical significance as well (P = 0.010). CONCLUSIONS: Nurses-led Multidisciplinary-Based psychological management was able to reduce the incidence of emotional disorders and improve the severity of these in spine surgery patients.

Control of the annular spatial profile of high harmonics using a Bessel-Gaussian beam carrying the nonzero orbital angular momentum.

We propose to generate vortex high harmonics in the extreme ultraviolet (XUV) with a controllable spatial profile by using a Bessel-Gaussian (BG) beam carrying a nonzero orbital angular momentum (OAM). Such BG beam has quite a different intensity profile at the focus compared to the generally used BG beam without carrying the OAM. We show that the BG beam is capable of generating single-ring structured high harmonics, which is quite different from an Laguerre-Gaussian (LG) beam with a similar intensity distribution at the laser focus. We reveal that favorable phase-matching conditions can be achieved off-axis and away from the laser focus because a single-atom intrinsic phase due to the short electron trajectory can be well compensated by a geometric phase of the BG beam. We thus give a general rule that vortex high harmonics with a single annular profile can be efficiently generated when a gas medium is located at 1.5zred to 2.0zred before or after the laser focus of the BG beam, here zred is a reduced length. We also show the validity of this rule when the BG beam carries a higher OAM. This work is expected to be useful for synthesizing attosecond vortex pulses.

Anterior bone loss: A common phenomenon which should be considered as bone remodeling process existed not only in patients underwent cervical disk replacement but also those with anterior cervical diskectomy and fusion.

OBJECTIVE: Anterior bone loss (ABL) was considered as a non-progressive process secondary only to motion-preserving implant and has been noticed recently in cervical disk replacement (CDR) let alone patients with anterior cervical diskectomy and fusion (ACDF). Our purpose is to reveal this unnoticed phenomenon in ACDF and further explore its clinical and radiological outcomes. METHODS: A total of 77 patients underwent ACDF with a minimum follow-up of at least one year were retrospectively reviewed. The average follow-up time was 22.51 ± 16.31 months. There were 50 patients in group A with ABL, while there were 27 patients in group B without ABL. ABL was measured and classified into four grades according to Kieser's methods. Clinical evaluation, radiological parameters and fusion rate were recorded. RESULTS: The incidence of bone ABL was 64.9% of Zero-P and 55.2% of endplates. The incidence of upper and lower endplates was 61% and 49%, respectively, and such difference was not significant. Mild ABL occurred in 22%, moderate ABL in 38% and severe ABL of 40% patients underwent ACDF with ABL. ABL would not affect both clinical outcomes and fusion rate. However, ABL would result in a higher incidence of subsidence. CONCLUSION: ABL should be considered as a common phenomenon that both CDR and ACDF owned a non-progressive process which confined in one year. ABL would result in a higher incidence of subsidence. Luckily, this phenomenon does not have an effect on postoperative clinical and fusion rate.

Impact of bone-implant gap size on the interfacial osseointegration: an in vivo study.

BACKGROUND: The bone-implant gap resulted from morphological mismatch between cervical bony endplates and implant footprint may have adverse impact on bone-implant interfacial osseointegration of cervical disc arthroplasty (CDA). The purpose of the study was to evaluate the impact of bone-implant gap size on the interfacial osseointegration in a rabbit animal model. METHODS: A series of round-plate implants with different teeth depth (0.5 mm, 1.0 mm, 1.5 mm and 2.0 mm) was specifically designed. A total of 48 New Zealand white rabbits were randomly categorized into four groups by the implants they received (0.5 mm: group A, 1.0 mm: group B, 1.5 mm: group C, 2.0 mm: group D). At 4th and 12th week after surgery, animals were sacrificed. Micro-CT, acid fuchsin and methylene blue staining and hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining were conducted. RESULTS: At 4th week and 12th week after surgery, both micro-CT and HE staining showed more new bone formation and larger bone coverage in group A and group B than that in group C and group D. At 12th week, the bone biometric parameters were significantly superior in group C when compared with group D (p < 0.05). At 12th week, hard tissue slicing demonstrated larger portion of direct contact of new bone to the HA coating in group A and group B. CONCLUSIONS: Bone-implant gap size larger than 1.0 mm negatively affected bone-implant osseointegration between compact bone and HA coated implant surface.

Role of fractional high harmonics with non-integer OAM on the generation of a helical attosecond pulse train.

Extreme-ultraviolet pulses of attosecond duration carrying orbital angular momentum (OAM) can be produced by spectrally filtering vortex high harmonics generated in a gas medium. Here we reveal that fractional high harmonics (FHHs) with non-integer OAM generated by a short duration Laguerre-Gaussian laser beam are origins for the change of helical attosecond pulse train (APT) with azimuthal angle. We show that these harmonics have gap and minimum structures in the annular intensity profile and discontinue phase distribution along azimuthal angle. And each FHH can be expressed as a superposition of OAM modes with integer topological charges. Features of FHH can be identified by coherently combining selected OAM modes. We also uncover that these features are formed after FHH is propagated in gas medium and in vacuum. We finally demonstrate that the generation of FHHs and the dependence of helical APTs on azimuthal angle are changed by varying the macroscopic condition.

Diagnostic accuracy and potential covariates of artificial intelligence for diagnosing orthopedic fractures: a systematic literature review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: To systematically quantify the diagnostic accuracy and identify potential covariates affecting the performance of artificial intelligence (AI) in diagnosing orthopedic fractures. METHODS: PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library were systematically searched for studies on AI applications in diagnosing orthopedic fractures from inception to September 29, 2021. Pooled sensitivity and specificity and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUC) were obtained. This study was registered in the PROSPERO database prior to initiation (CRD 42021254618). RESULTS: Thirty-nine were eligible for quantitative analysis. The overall pooled AUC, sensitivity, and specificity were 0.96 (95% CI 0.94-0.98), 90% (95% CI 87-92%), and 92% (95% CI 90-94%), respectively. In subgroup analyses, multicenter designed studies yielded higher sensitivity (92% vs. 88%) and specificity (94% vs. 91%) than single-center studies. AI demonstrated higher sensitivity with transfer learning (with vs. without: 92% vs. 87%) or data augmentation (with vs. without: 92% vs. 87%), compared to those without. Utilizing plain X-rays as input images for AI achieved results comparable to CT (AUC 0.96 vs. 0.96). Moreover, AI achieved comparable results to humans (AUC 0.97 vs. 0.97) and better results than non-expert human readers (AUC 0.98 vs. 0.96; sensitivity 95% vs. 88%). CONCLUSIONS: AI demonstrated high accuracy in diagnosing orthopedic fractures from medical images. Larger-scale studies with higher design quality are needed to validate our findings. KEY POINTS: • Multicenter study design, application of transfer learning, and data augmentation are closely related to improving the performance of artificial intelligence models in diagnosing orthopedic fractures. • Utilizing plain X-rays as input images for AI to diagnose fractures achieved results comparable to CT (AUC 0.96 vs. 0.96). • AI achieved comparable results to humans (AUC 0.97 vs. 0.97) but was superior to non-expert human readers (AUC 0.98 vs. 0.96, sensitivity 95% vs. 88%) in diagnosing fractures.

Posterior two-step distraction and reduction for basilar invagination with atlantoaxial dislocation: a novel technique for precise control of reduction degree without traction.

PURPOSE: The pathological changes of basilar invagination (BI) and atlantoaxial dislocation (AAD) include vertical and horizontal dislocations. Current surgical techniques have difficulty in accurately controlling the degree of reduction in these two directions and often require preoperative traction, which increases patients' pain, hospital stay, and medical cost. This study aimed to introduce a novel technique for accurately reducing horizontal and vertical dislocation without preoperative traction and report the radiological and clinical outcomes. METHODS: From 2010 to 2020, patients with BI and AAD underwent posterior two-step distraction and reduction (TSDR) and occipitocervical fixation. Radiological examination was used to evaluate the reduction degree (RD) and compression. Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) score was used to evaluate clinical outcome. RESULTS: A total of 55 patients with BI and AAD underwent TSDR and occipitocervical fusion. The clinical symptoms of 98.2% of them improved. JOA score increased significantly after the operation. Appropriate (50% ≤ RD < 80%) or satisfactory (RD ≥ 80%) horizontal reduction was achieved in 92.7% of patients, and 90.9% obtained appropriate or satisfactory vertical reduction. Thirty-one patients did not undergo preoperative skull traction. There was no significant difference in radiological outcomes or JOA scores between the traction and non-traction groups. However, the length of hospital stay in the traction group was longer than that in the non-traction group. CONCLUSION: TSDR enables horizontal and vertical reduction. It is a safe, simple, and effective technique for patients with BI and AAD. Despite the absence of preoperative skull traction, the degree of reduction and clinical outcomes were satisfactory.

Effect of facet joint distraction on the functional and radiological outcomes after anterior cervical disc replacement.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to explore: 1) whether the extent of facet joint distraction affects functional outcomes following single-level anterior cervical disc replacement (ACDR) for cervical spondylotic radiculopathy and 2) whether the extent of facet joint distraction correlates with the cervical sagittal parameters. METHODS: We performed a retrospective analysis on 70 patients who had undergone a single-level ACDR to treat cervical spondylotic radiculopathy between January 2014 and December 2018. Pre- and post-operative lateral cervical spine X-ray radiographs were collected to determine radiographic parameters, including C0-C2 angle, C2-C7 angle, C7 Slope (C7S), T1 Slope (T1S), C2-C7 sagittal vertical axis (SVA), C2-C7 range of motion (ROM), Segmental ROM, disc height (DH) and inter-facet distance (ID). And the extend of facet joint distraction was evaluated by the two indexes: degree of intervertebral distraction (DID) defined and degree of facet joint distraction (DFJD). The visual analog scale (VASneck) and the Neck Disability Index scores (NDI) were adopted to demonstrate functional outcomes. Patients with the functional outcome improvement below the average were set as the positive group in the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, to find an optimal cut-off value of extent of facet joint distraction. RESULTS: VASneck and NDI scores improved significantly from pre- to post-operation among the entire cohort, and DFJD had a statistically significant negative correlation with ΔVASneck (p < 0.001) and ΔNDI (p < 0.001). According to ROC curve analysis, the cut-off value of DFJD for differing the appropriate and excessive distraction groups was set at 29.16% (sensitivity = 70.73%, specificity = 67.86%). Between these two groups, the ΔT1S, ΔROM, ΔVASneck, and ΔNDI were significantly different (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Single-segment ACDR may improve the functional outcome of patients with cervical spondylotic radiculopathy. However, those whose DFJD was greater than 29.16% had worse VASneck and NDI scores, as well as a lower ΔT1S and a lower ΔROM.

Classification of three-level hybrid surgery for the treatment of cervical degenerative disc disease: a retrospective study of 108 patients.

INTRODUCTION: According to the different numbers and locations of cervical disc arthroplasty (CDA) and anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF), three-level hybrid surgery (HS) has many constructs. The purpose of the present study was to introduce a classification system for three-level HS and compare the two types with each other and with ACDF. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted involving patients with three-level cervical degenerative disc disease (CDDD) who underwent ACDF or HS in our hospital between June 2012 and May 2019. According to the different numbers and locations of ACDFs and CDAs, we classified the three-level HS into two types (type I: one-level CDA and two-level ACDF, and type II: two-level CDA and one-level ACDF). The differences of clinical and radiological outcomes were compared with each other and with three-level ACDF. RESULTS: A total of 108 patients were analyzed. The Neck Disability Index (NDI) of the ACDF group at 3 months postoperatively was significantly higher than that in the type I and type II groups (p < 0.05). The cervical lordosis was significantly lower in the ACDF group than that in the type I and II groups at 3 days, 6, 12 months postoperatively and the final follow-up (p < 0.05). The range of motion (ROM) of the total cervical spine decreased significantly in all three groups at 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively and at the final follow-up (p < 0.05). The ACDF group was observed with the most severe loss of ROM of the total cervical spine, followed by the type I group. The type II group could preserve the most ROM of the total cervical spine. The ROM of adjacent segments increased most in the ACDF group, followed by the type I group. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with ACDF, three-level HS may yield a faster recovery rate and superior radiological outcomes, such as a superiority in maintaining the cervical curvature and ROM of the total cervical spine and a smaller increase in the ROM of adjacent segments. The advantages were most remarkable in the type II group.

Cervical sagittal alignment after Prestige LP cervical disc replacement: radiological results and clinical impacts from a single-center experience.

BACKGROUND: Cervical disc replacement (CDR) has been widely used to treat one- and two-level cervical degenerative disc disease. Studies have shown the effectiveness of CDR in preserving range of motion (ROM) and delaying adjacent segment degeneration (ASD). Cervical sagittal alignment is an important factor affecting favorable clinical outcomes in cervical spine surgery. This study aimed to explore whether cervical sagittal alignment can be maintained after CDR and to identify the impact of cervical sagittal alignment on outcomes after CDR. METHODS: This was a single-center, retrospective study. 132 patients who underwent one-level CDR were included. Cervical sagittal alignments, including cervical lordosis (CL), segmental alignment (SA), sagittal vertical axis (SVA), T1 slope (T1s), and T1s minus CL (T1s-CL), were measured. The effects of cervical sagittal alignment on the CDR outcomes were analyzed. Patients were divided into the heterotopic ossification (HO) group and ASD group to determine the potential impacts of cervical sagittal parameters. RESULTS: The cervical sagittal alignment parameters, except for the SVA, were significantly improved after CDR and showed decreasing trends at the last follow-up. Significantly higher CL and T1s were found in patients with better ROM after CDR. SVA ≥ 20 mm increased the risk of anterior HO (odds ratio = 2.945, P = 0.007). Significantly kyphotic SA and lower T1s values were found in the ASD patients than in the non-ASD patients (P < 0.05). Patients with ASD at the inferior level showed significantly worse CL (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: CDR had limited function of improving cervical sagittal alignment. Poor cervical sagittal alignment after CDR was associated with HO, ASD, and less ROM.

Change in the postoperative intervertebral space height and its impact on clinical and radiological outcomes after ACDF surgery using a zero-profile device: a single-Centre retrospective study of 138 cases.

BACKGROUND: The effects of postoperative intervertebral height (IH) changes on the clinical and radiological outcomes after anterior cervical decompression and fusion (ACDF) surgery using a zero-profile device remain unclear. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed patients who had undergone ACDF using a zero-profile device from March 2012 to February 2016 at our institution. Based on the postoperative IH variation, the patients were divided into group A with postoperative IH 0 to 2 mm, group B with postoperative IH 2 to 4 mm, and group C with postoperative IH greater than 4 mm. Clinical efficacy was evaluated using JOA, VAS, and NDI scores in the groups. Imaging parameters including the IH, cervical lordosis, fusion rate, intervertebral foramen (IVF) diameter and complications such as subsidence, dysphagia, and ASD were also compared across the three groups. RESULTS: The average IH increased significantly from 6.72 mm preoperatively to 10.46 mm 1 week after surgery, and then gradually decreased to 7.48 mm at the final follow-up. The fusion rate was 61.90% in group A, 63.23% in group B, 53.57% in group C at 3 months, 73.81% in group A, 79.41% in group B, 67.86% in group C at 6 months, 90.48% in group A, 95.59% in group B, 92.86% in group C 1 year after surgery, and at the last follow-up, the fusion rate of three groups was all 100%. The IVF diameter was 6.52 ± 1.80 mm in group A, 9.55 ± 2.36 mm in group B, and 9.34 ± 1.62 mm in group C. ASD at the superior and inferior levels affected 11.90 and 16.67% patients in group A, 5.88 and 7.38% in group B, and 14.28 and 10.71% in group C. Regarding the 3 groups, the subsidence rates were 7.14, 4.41, and 14.29%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: No clear correlation was found between IH changes and clinical efficacy within a year of surgery. However, the IH may affect various complications after ACDF. If postoperative IH changes are maintained at 2 to 4 mm after a year, a satisfactory imaging parameters and relatively low complications may be achieved after ACDF surgery using a zero-profile device.

Partial uncinatectomy combined with anterior cervical discectomy and fusion for the treatment of one-level cervical radiculopathy: analysis of clinical efficacy and sagittal alignment.

BACKGROUND: Biomechanical studies have demonstrated that uncovertebral joint contributes to segment mobility and stability to a certain extent. Simultaneously, osteophytes arising from the uncinate process are a common cause of cervical spondylotic radiculopathy (CSR). For such patients, partial uncinatectomy (UT) may be required. However, the clinical efficacy and sagittal alignment of partial UT during anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) have not been fully elucidated. METHODS: A total of 87 patients who had undergone single level ACDF using a zero-profile device from July 2014 to December 2018 were included. Based on whether the foraminal part of the uncovertebral joint was resected or preserved, the patients were divided into the ACDF with UT group (n = 37) and the ACDF without UT group (n = 50). Perioperative data, radiographic parameters, clinical outcomes, and complications were compared between the two groups. RESULTS: The mean follow-up was 16.86 ± 5.63 and 18.36 ± 7.51 months in the ACDF with UT group and ACDF without UT group, respectively (p > 0.05). The average preoperative VAS arm score was 5.89 ± 1.00 in the ACDF with UT group and 5.18 ± 1.21 in the ACDF without UT group (p = 0.038). However, the average VAS arm score was 4.22 ± 0.64, 4.06 ± 1.13 and 1.68 ± 0.71, 1.60 ± 0.70 at 1 week post operation and at final follow up, respectively, (p > 0.05). We also found that the C2-7 SVA and St-SVA at the last follow-up and their change (last follow-up value - preoperative value) in the ACDF with UT group were significantly higher than ACDF without UT group (p < 0.05). No marked differences in the other cervical sagittal parameters, fusion rate or complications, including dysphagia, ASD, and subsidence, were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Our result indicates that ACDF using a zero-p implant with or without partial UT both provide satisfactory clinical efficacy and acceptable safety. However, additional partial UT may has a negative effect on cervical sagittal alignment.

Multivariate analysis of factors associated with spinal cord area in single-door cervical laminoplasty with miniplate fixation.

OBJECTIVES: To explore the factors associated with the increased spinal cord area in single-door cervical laminoplasty (SDCL) with miniplate fixation. METHODS: A retrospective study enrolled 83 patients underwent SDCL with miniplate fixation and the patient characteristics such as age, gender, tobacco use, alcohol use, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, diagnosis, operative level, etc., were obtained. The opening angle, door shaft position and spinal canal area of the patients were measured after surgery. The sagittal canal diameter (SCD), the C2-7 Cobb angle, the cervical curvature index (CCI), the range of motion (ROM) and the spinal canal area were measured before and after operation. The increased cervical spinal cord area was also measured before and after surgery, and the correlation between the above indicators and the increased cervical spinal cord area was studied through Pearson's correlation analysis and multivariate logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: There were 34 patients in small spinal cord area increment group (SAI group), 29 patients in middle spinal cord area increment group (MAI group) and 20 patients in large spinal cord area increment group (LAI group). The preoperative diagnosis(P = 0.001), door shaft position (P = 0.008), preoperative spinal canal area (P = 0.004) and postoperative spinal canal area (P = 0.015) were significant different among the 3 groups. The multivariate analysis showed that the preoperative diagnosis (OR = 2.076, P = 0.035), door shaft position (OR = 3.425, P = 0.020) and preoperative spinal canal area (OR = 10.217, P = 0.009) were related to increased spinal cord area. CONCLUSIONS: The preoperative diagnosis, door shaft position and preoperative spinal canal area might be associated with increased spinal cord area after cervical laminoplasty with miniplate fixation. Preoperative symptoms are mostly caused by compression of the spinal cord, so spinal cord area enlargement can bring a better recovery in patients alongside long-term. Spine surgeons should pay more attention to the accuracy of the preoperative diagnosis, the preoperative measurement of spinal canal area and the door shaft position during the operation.

Pretic-I was a safe and effective artificial cervical disc prosthesis--a retrospective and comparative study with 5-year follow-up.

BACKGROUND: The newly designed cervical disc prosthesis, Pretic-I, had been finished its limited clinical use for over 5 years. At a short-term follow-up of 2 years, we obtained satisfactory clinical results. The long-term clinical efficacy and safety of Pretic-I will now be analyzed. METHODS: Peri-operative parameters included intra-operative blood loss, operation time, off-bed time. Clinical parameters included visual analogue scale (VAS) for arm and neck, neck disability index (NDI), and Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score. Radiological parameters included C2-7 Cobb angle, Shell angle, and the range of motion (ROM) of C2-7, functional segment unit (FSU), and adjacent FSU. The CDA-related complications included adjacent segment degeneration (ASDeg), adjacent segment disease (ASDis), heterotopic ossification (HO), prosthesis subsidence, prosthesis displacement, and dysphagia. RESULTS: A total 64 patients from two independent centers received a single-level CDA with Discover (n = 32) and Pretic-I (n = 32), and all of patients finished a 5-year follow-up. There're no significant differences between two groups in peri-operative parameters. The clinical parameters improved greatly in Pretic-I group (p<0.0001), and there's no statistical difference from Discover group. Furthermore, Pretic-I could slightly improve the cervical curvature (15.08 ± 11.75 to 18.00 ± 10.61, p = 0.3079) and perfectly maintain the Shell angle (3.03 ± 3.68 to 2.23 ± 4.10, p = 0.1988), cervical ROM (52.48 ± 14.31 to 53.30 ± 11.71, p = 0.8062) and FSU ROM (12.20 ± 4.52 to 10.73 ± 4.45, p = 0.2002). The incidence of high-grade HO (Grade III-IV) at the final follow-up was significantly lower in Pretic-I group than in Discover group (12.50% vs. 34.38%, p = 0.0389, Statistical Power = 95.36%). The incidences of other CDA-related complications in Pretic-I group were also well-accepted, comparable to the Discover group, without significant differences. CONCLUSION: CDA with Pretic-I demonstrated a well-accepted and sustained clinical outcome, with a significantly lower incidence of high-grade HO. This newly designed prosthesis is expected to become an alternative choice for cervical disc prosthesis in the future.

Preliminary results in anterior cervical discectomy and fusion with the uncovertebral joint fusion cage in a goat model.

OBJECTIVE: To preliminarily evaluate the safety and efficacy of the uncovertebral joint fusion cage in a goat model of cervical spine interbody fusion. METHODS: Twenty-four healthy adult goats were randomly assigned to one of the two following groups: Group A, goats were implanted with an uncovertebral joint fusion cage combined with a local autograft and Group B, goats were implanted with a non-profile cage filled with a local autograft. The goats were prospectively evaluated for 24 weeks and then were sacrificed for evaluation. X-rays, CT and micro-CT scanning, and undecalcified bone histological analysis were used for the evaluation of fusion. RESULTS: 75.0% (9/12) of the goats in Group A were evaluated as having fusion at 12 weeks, compared to 41.7% (5/12) in Group B. 83.3% (10/12) of the goats in Group A were evaluated as having fusion at 24 weeks compared to 58.3% (7/12) in Group B. The fusion grading scores in Group A were significantly higher than that in Group B both at 12 weeks and 24 weeks (P < 0.05). Micro-CT scanning and undecalcified bone histological analysis showed that new bone formation can be obviously found in the bilateral uncovertebral joint. The bone volume fraction (BV/ TV) in Group A (23.59 ± 4.43%) was significantly higher than Group B (16.16 ± 4.21%), with P < 0.05. CONCLUSIONS: Preliminary results of this study demonstrated that uncovertebral joint fusion cage is effective for achieving early bone formation and fusion without increase of serious complications.

Comparison of Patient-Reported Postoperative Dysphagia in Patients Undergoing One-Level Versus Two-Level Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion with the Zero-P Implant System.

To investigate whether dysphagia differs between one-level and two-level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) with the Zero Profile (Zero-P) Implant System. A retrospective analysis of 208 patients who underwent ACDF with the Zero-P Implant System and had at least one year of follow-up was performed from January 2013 to December 2018. The patients were divided into two groups based on the number of operated levels (one-level group, N = 86; two-level group, N = 122). Dysphagia was assessed based on the Bazaz grading system. The incidence of dysphagia and the severity of dysphagia at each follow-up were compared between the two groups. The patients were divided into two groups (nondysphagia group, N = 160; dysphagia group, N = 48), and covariates were obtained for multivariate analysis, including demographic parameters, surgical parameters, and radiographic parameters. The results showed that the incidence and severity of postoperative dysphagia in the two-level group were significantly greater at 1 week, 1 month and 3 months postoperatively than those in the one-level group. The results of ordinal logistic regression showed that older age, two-level surgery, greater prevertebral soft tissue swelling (PSTS) and the difference between the postoperative and preoperative C2-7 angle (dC2-7A) were significantly associated with a higher incidence of dysphagia after ACDF with the Zero-P. Two-level ACDF with the Zero-P can result in a significantly greater incidence and severity of transient postoperative dysphagia. Older age, greater PSTS and the dC2-7A were also associated with postoperative dysphagia after ACDF with the Zero-P.

High-Temperature Requirement A1 Protease as a Rate-Limiting Factor in the Development of Osteoarthritis.

Preserving the mature articular cartilage of joints is a critical focus in the prevention and treatment of osteoarthritis. We determined whether the genetic inactivation of high-temperature requirement A1 (HtrA1) can significantly attenuate the degradation of articular or condylar cartilage. Two types of mouse models of osteoarthritis were used, a spontaneous mutant mouse model [type XI collagen-haploinsufficient (Col11a1+/-) mice] and two post-traumatic mouse models [destabilization of the medial meniscus (DMM) on the knee and a partial discectomy (PDE) on the temporomandibular joint]. Three different groups of mice were generated: i) HtrA1 was genetically deleted from Col11a1+/- mice (HtrA1-/-;Col11a1+/-), ii) HtrA1-deficient mice (HtrA1-/-) were subjected to DMM, and iii) HtrA1-/- mice were subjected to PDE. Knee and temporomandibular joints from the mice were characterized for evidence of cartilage degeneration. The degradation of articular or condylar cartilage was significantly delayed in HtrA1-/-;Col11a1+/- mice and HtrA1-/- mice after DMM or PDE. The amount of collagen type VI was significantly higher in the articular cartilage in HtrA1-/-;Col11a1+/- mice, compared with that in Col11a1+/- mice. The genetic removal of HtrA1 may delay the degradation of articular or condylar cartilage in mice.

Association between anterior bone loss and anterior heterotopic ossification in hybrid surgery.

BACKGROUND: Hybrid surgery (HS) has become an alternative procedure for the treatment of multilevel cervical degenerative disc disease with satisfactory outcomes. However, some adverse outcomes have recently emerged, such as heterotopic ossification (HO) and anterior bone loss (ABL). Furthermore, HO was found mostly located in the posterior and lateral of the cervical intervertebral disc space. The mechanism of anterior heterotopic ossification (AHO) formation may be different, and its relationship with ABL was uncertain. METHODS: Radiographical and clinical outcomes of ninety-seven patients who had undergone contiguous two-level HS between December 2010 and December 2017 and with a minimum of 2-year follow-up were analyzed. Postoperative radiographs were evaluated and compared to the initial postoperative films to determine the incidence of ABL and AHO. RESULTS: The overall incidence rate of ABL was 44.3% (43/97). It was identified in 70.6% of AHO cases (33.3% mild, 41.7% moderate, 25.0% severe) and 38.8% of non-AHO cases (38.7% mild, 45.2% moderate, 16.1% severe). A significant association between ABL and AHO occurrence was found (P = 0.016). There was no significant difference in prosthesis-endplate depth ratio or disc space angle change between the AHO group and the non-AHO group (P > 0.05). Compared with data preoperatively, clinical outcome scores significantly improved after surgery in both the AHO and non-AHO groups, with no significant differences between the two groups (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: ABL was common in HS, and it related to AHO. The formation of AHO could be an integral part of postoperative bone remodeling, as well as ABL.

The effect of the difference in C2-7 angle on the occurrence of dysphagia after anterior cervical discectomy and fusion with the zero-P implant system.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the effect of the difference in C2-7 angle on dysphagia after anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) with the Zero-P Implant System. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of 181 patients who underwent ACDF with the Zero-P Implant System and had at least one year of follow-up from January 2011 to November 2018 was performed. All patients were divided into a non-dysphagia group and a dysphagia group to explore the effect of the difference between postoperative and preoperative C2-7 angle (dC2-7A) on postoperative dysphagia. At the same time, other possible related factors including the difference between postoperative and preoperative O-C2 angle (dO-C2A), sex, age, body mass index (BMI), intraoperative time, estimated blood loss, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, smoking, alcohol consumption, prevertebral soft-tissue swelling (PSTS), the highest segment involved in the surgery and the levels of surgery segments were analyzed. RESULTS: In total, the non-dysphagia group comprised 139 patients and the dysphagia group comprised 42 patients. The single-factor analysis showed that smoking, PSTS and dC2-7A were significantly different between the two groups (P < 0.05). Spearman's correlation coefficient showed no significant correlation between the degree of dysphagia and dC2-7A (P > 0.05). The results of the multiple-factor analysis with an ordinal logistic regression model showed that smoking, PSTS and dC2-7A were significantly associated with the incidence of dysphagia (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The postoperative C2-7 angle has an important effect on the occurrence of dysphagia in patients undergoing Zero-P implant system interbody fusion surgery.