Comparison of percutaneous endoscopic thoracic decompression and posterior thoracic laminectomy for treating thoracic ossification of the ligamentum flavum: a retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Thoracic spinal stenosis (TSS) caused by ossification of the ligamentum flavum (OLF) is generally treated by surgical decompression. In this study, we compared the efficacy and safety of percutaneous endoscopic thoracic decompression (PETD) and posterior thoracic laminectomy (PTL) for treating thoracic ossification of the ligamentum flavum (TOLF). METHODS: Twenty consecutive patients with TSS caused by TOLF who were treated between April 2016 and May 2020 were included in this retrospective study. They were divided into the PETD (n = 11) and PTL (n = 9) groups. The mean follow-up period was 19.6 months. The visual analogue scale (VAS) score, the modified Japanese Orthopedic Association (mJOA) score and the recovery rate (RR) were used to evaluate the clinical outcomes. RESULTS: There were significant differences between PETD group and PTL group in operative time (min) (95.0 ± 18.8 vs 131.1 ± 19.0), postoperative drainage (mL) (20.2 ± 7.9 vs 586.1 ± 284.2), hospital stay (days) (4.4 ± 1.2 vs 10.4 ± 2.6) (P < 0.05 for all). However, both groups had similar and significant improvement in VAS and mJOA scores. The RR of two groups achieved the same improvement (81.8% VS 77.8%, P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The use of PETD and PTL for treating TOLF both achieved favorable outcomes. PETD is both minimally invasive and achieves similar postoperative symptom relief to PTL. Therefore, PETD could be considered as an effective alternative to traditional open surgery for TOLF in single-segment lower thoracic spine.

A comparison study of percutaneous endoscopic decompression and posterior decompressive laminectomy in the treatment of thoracic spinal stenosis.

BACKGROUND: Percutaneous endoscopic decompression (PED) is considered a minimally invasive and safe procedure in lumbar degenerative disease. Few authors report the success of PED for thoracic spinal stenosis (TSS) with thoracic myelopathy. The objective of this study was to compare the outcome of PED versus posterior decompressive laminectomy (PDL) for TSS. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 30 consecutive patients who underwent surgery for single-level TSS from January 1, 2015 to May 1, 2019.These patients were divided into PED (n = 16) and PDL(n = 14) group. Preoperative demographic characteristics and perioperative outcomes were reviewed. Pre- and postoperative neurological status was evaluated using the modified Japanese Orthopaedic Association (mJOA) score and the recovery rate (RR). RESULTS: The patients' mean age was 57.3 years (27-76) in PED group and 58.8 years (34-77) in PDL group. No statistical difference was found between two groups with regards to neurological status at pre-operative and final follow-up. The RR in PED group achieved the same improvement as PDL group (87.5% vs 85.7%, P > 0.05), while the PED brought advantages in operative time(m) (86.4 vs 132.1, p < 0.05), blood loss (mL) (18.21 vs 228.57, p < 0.05),drainage volume(mL) (15.5 vs 601.4, p < 0.05), and hospital stay (d) (3.6 vs 5.6, p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Both PED and PDL showed favorable outcome in the treatment of TSS. Besides, PED had advantages in reducing traumatization. In terms of perioperative quality of life, PED could be an efficient supplement to traditional posterior decompressive laminectomy in patients with TSS.

A comparison study of posterior cervical percutaneous endoscopic ventral bony decompression and simple dorsal decompression treatment in cervical spondylotic radiculopathy caused by cervical foraminal and/or lateral spinal stenosis: a clinical retrospective study.

BACKGROUND: Percutaneous endoscopic cervical decompression (PECD) is an ideal minimally invasive decompression technique for the treatment of cervical spondylotic radiculopathy (CSR). However, the mainstream is the resection of dorsal bone and removal of free nucleus pulposus. The necessity of excision of ventral osteophytes and hyperplastic ligaments in the treatment of CSR caused by cervical foraminal and/or lateral spinal stenosis (CFa/oLSS) to be discussed. METHODS: We performed a retrospective study of 46 patients with CSR caused by CFa/oLSS from January 2017 to November 2018. These patients received posterior percutaneous endoscopic cervical decompression-ventral bony decompression (PPECD-VBD)(23 cases, classified as VBD group) or posterior percutaneous endoscopic cervical decompression-simple dorsal decompression (PPECD-SDD)(23 cases, classified as SDD group). Following surgery, we recorded Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Neck Disable Index (NDI), Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) Scores and myodynamia. We further evaluated the changes of cervical curvature and cervical spine motion in the VBD group and recorded the operation time and complications during the follow-up of each patient. RESULTS: All patients underwent successful operations, with an average follow-up time of 16.53 ± 9.90 months. The excellent and good rates in the VBD and SDD groups were 91.29 and 60.87%, respectively. In the SDD group, neck-VAS, arm-VAS, and NDI scores were significantly higher than those of the VBD group at 1 day, 6 months, and 12 months after surgery (P < 0.05), while the JOA scores and improvement rate of JOA were significantly lower than those of the VBD group (P < 0.05). There were no significant differences in terms of angular displacement (AD), horizontal displacement (HD), segmental angle (SA) and cervical curvature (CA) before and after the operation in the VBD group (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: PPECD-VBD was significantly better than PPECD-SDD as well as PPECD-VBD had no significant effects on cervical spine stability or cervical curvature.

Oblique lateral interbody fusion to treat lumbar spinal stenosis in a patient with situs inversus totalis: a case report.

Oblique lateral interbody fusion (OLIF) is a minimally invasive spinal surgery that is popular for lumbar degeneration and spinal deformity treatment because it causes minimal damage to the stability of the intervertebral structures. However, when encountering abnormal anatomical structures caused by situs inversus, surgical routes must be adjusted to avoid serious complications. A 42-year-old woman with lumbar spinal stenosis presented to our hospital. Preoperative X-ray and computed tomography indicated situs inversus totalis, with the abdominal aorta and inferior vena cava reversed. We established an appropriate surgical approach for OLIF via the right abdomen according to the characteristics of the anatomical structures. Postoperative X-rays showed adequate positioning of the interbody fusion cage and internal fixation screws. At the 3-month follow-up, the patient reported resolution of her symptoms. Vascular variations caused by situs inversus totalis can affect the course of OLIF. Understanding the unique anatomical structure in such patients is crucial for successful surgery and to avoid intraoperative complications.

Prognostic Nomogram and a Risk Classification System for Predicting Overall Survival of Elderly Patients with Fibrosarcoma: A Population-Based Study.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to develop a nomogram model and risk classification system to predict overall survival in elderly patients with fibrosarcoma. METHODS: The study retrospectively collected data from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database relating to elderly patients diagnosed with fibrosarcoma between 1975 and 2015. Independent prognostic factors were identified using univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses on the training set to construct a nomogram model for predicting the overall survival of patients at 3, 5, and 10 years. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and calibration curves were used to evaluate the discrimination and predictive accuracy of the model. Decision curve analysis was used for assessing the clinical utility of the model. RESULT: A total of 357 elderly fibrosarcoma patients from the SEER database were included in our analysis, randomly classified into a training set (252) and a validation set (105). The multivariate Cox regression analysis of the training set demonstrated that age, surgery, grade, chemotherapy, and tumor stage were independent prognostic factors. The ROC showed good model discrimination, with AUC values of 0.837, 0.808, and 0.806 for 3, 5, and 10 years in the training set and 0.769, 0.779, and 0.770 for 3, 5, and 10 years in the validation set, respectively. The calibration curves and decision curve analysis showed that the model has high predictive accuracy and a high clinical application. In addition, a risk classification system was constructed to differentiate patients into three different mortality risk groups accurately. CONCLUSION: The nomogram model and risk classification system constructed by us help optimize patients' treatment decisions to improve prognosis.

Percutaneous transforaminal endoscopic discectomy for different types of lumbar disc herniation: A retrospective study.

OBJECTIVE: To introduce the concept of 'nerve root as the core' and to investigate the surgical procedure and curative effect of percutaneous translaminar endoscopic discectomy (PTED) surgery in the treatment of different types of lumbar disc herniation (LDH). METHODS: This retrospective study analysed the clinical data from patients with LDH that underwent single-segment PTED surgery. They were divided into three groups based on LDH location: central canal zone group, lateral recess zone group and foraminal/far lateral zone group. Different working cannula placement methods were used for the different types of LDH. All patients were followed for at least 12 months. Clinical and follow-up data were compared between the three groups. RESULTS: A total of 130 patients were enrolled in the study: 44 (33.8%) in the central canal zone group, 72 (55.4%) in the lateral recess zone group and 14 (10.8%) in the foraminal/far lateral zone group. All three groups of patients achieved good postoperative results. The improvements in leg pain and disability were most marked in the first postoperative month in all three groups. CONCLUSION: PTED achieved adequate decompression for different types of LDH. The concept of 'nerve root as the core' facilitated the accurate placement of the working cannula.

Diagnostic and prognostic factors, and two nomograms for endometrial cancer patients with bone metastasis: A large cohort retrospective study.

ABSTRACT: Patients with endometrial cancer (EC) who develop bone metastasis (BM) always imply a poorer prognosis. However, reliable predictive models associated with BM from EC are currently limited.We retrospectively analyzed data on 54,077 patients diagnosed with primary EC in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to determine independent predictors of BM from EC. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were used to determine independent prognostic factors for EC with BM. Based on independent predictors and prognostic factors, we constructed a diagnostic nomogram and prognostic nomogram separately. Besides, calibration curves, receiver operating characteristic curves, and decision curve analysis were used to evaluate the models.A total of 54,077 patients with EC from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database were included in this study, 364 of whom had BM. Multivariate analysis in the logistic model showed that lung metastasis, liver metastasis, brain metastasis, N stage, T stage, histologic grade, and race were risk factors for BM from EC. Multivariate analysis in the Cox model showed that liver metastasis, brain metastasis, chemotherapy, surgery, and histologic type had a significant effect on overall survival. Moreover, the receiver operating characteristic curve, calibration curve, and decision curve analysis indicated the good performance of both diagnostic and prognostic nomograms.Two clinical prediction model was constructed and validated to predict individual risk and overall survival for EC with BM, respectively. Diagnostic nomogram and prognostic nomogram are complementary, improving the clinician's ability to assess the patient's prognosis and enhancing prognosis-based decision making.

Comparison of Percutaneous Transforaminal Endoscopic Decompression and Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion in the Treatment of Single-Level Lumbar Disc Herniation with Modic Type I Changes.

BACKGROUND: Modic changes (MC) are generally considered to be related to degenerative disc disease, and there is no uniform standard for surgical methods for lumbar disc herniation (LDH) accompanied by Modic type I changes (MC I). The purpose of this study was to observe the clinical results of percutaneous transforaminal endoscopic decompression (PTED) and transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) for treatment of LDH accompanied by MC I. METHODS: Of the 53 consecutive patients included, 29 underwent PTED and 24 underwent TLIF. All patients were followed up for at least 24 months. Preoperative demographic characteristics, perioperative outcomes, and clinical outcomes were recorded. Visual analog scale (VAS) scores, Oswestry disability index (ODI) scores, and modified Macnab criteria were used to assess clinical results. RESULTS: The mean age was 53.7±9.2 years in the PTED group and 53.6±9.6 years in the TLIF group. The scores of VAS legs, VAS back and ODI in the two groups after operation were significantly improved compared with those before operation (P<0.05). Notably, the VAS back pain score and ODI in the PTED group showed an increasing trend with time. And the VAS back pain scores and ODI of the two groups were statistically different at 1 year and 2 years postoperatively (P<0.05). In addition, compared with the TLIF group, the PTED group showed less operation time, blood loss, and postoperative hospital stay (P<0.05). At the final follow-up, the excellent rates were 91.7% and 86.2% in the fusion and PTED groups, respectively. CONCLUSION: Both PTED and TLIF procedures significantly improved the clinical symptoms of single-level LDH patients with MC I. Compared with TLIF, MC I may affect the improvement of low back pain and functional status after PTED.

Foraminoplasty at the Base of the Superior Articular Process with Bone Drilling for Far-Downward Discs in Percutaneous Endoscopic Lumbar Discectomy: A Retrospective Study.

PURPOSE: Percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy (PELD) is usually used to treat lumbar disc herniation (LDH). This study aims to describe PELD by foraminoplasty in the treatment of far-downward migrated LDH and to demonstrate the clinical efficacy by a retrospective evaluation. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between January 2017 and July 2018, 41 patients with far-downward migrated LDH were treated with PELD by foraminoplasty at the base of the superior articular process (SAP). Clinical efficacy was evaluated with a visual analogue scale (VAS) score, the Oswestry disability index (ODI), and the modified Macnab criteria. Postoperative follow-up data (1 month, 6 months, 18 months) were recorded. RESULTS: The surgical levels included L2/3 (1 patient), L3/4 (1 patient), L4/5 (17 patients), and L5/S1 (22 patients). The VAS and ODI scores indicated a significant improvement 18 months after surgery (mean ± standard deviation, VAS, 6.9±1.3 versus 0.5±0.8; ODI, 66.3±12.2 versus 14.0±8.2, respectively). Based on the modified Macnab criteria, 92.7% of patients had a good-to-excellent rate. There were three patients with a dural tear, and one patient had recurrent disc herniation. CONCLUSION: PELD by foraminoplasty at the base of the superior articular process is a good method for treating far-downward migrated LDH.

Percutaneous transforaminal endoscopic decompression for lumbar spinal stenosis with degenerative spondylolisthesis in the elderly.

OBJECTIVES: Percutaneous transforaminal endoscopic decompression (PTED) under local anesthesia is rarely performed for lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) with degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis (DLS) because of the limited field of vision, inherent instability, etc. The objective of this study was to describe the procedure of the PTED technique and to demonstrate the early clinical outcomes. PATIENTS AND METHODS: From January 2017 to January 2019, 40 consecutive patients aged 60 and older were diagnosed with LSS with DLS in our institution and underwent PTED. All patient were followed up to 1 year postoperatively. The clinical outcomes were evaluated using the visual analogue scale (VAS), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) and modified MacNab criteria. RESULTS: The mean age was 70.2 ± 7.1 years. Follow-up ranged from 12 to 24 months. The mean ± SD values of the preoperative VAS leg pain and ODI scores were 7.5 ± 1.1 and 67.3 ± 9.3, respectively. The scores improved to 2.2 ± 1.1 and 20.7 ± 8.1 at 12 months postoperatively. The outcomes of the modified MacNab criteria showed that 87.5 % of patients obtained a good-to-excellent rate. The percent slippage of spondylolisthesis before surgery (10.8 ± 2.6 %) and at the end of follow-up (11.0 ± 2.4 %) was not significantly different. One patient had a dural tear and intracranial hypertension, and one patient had tibialis anterior weakness. CONCLUSION: PTED under local anesthesia could be an effective treatment method for LSS with DLS in elderly patients. However, potential complications still require further evaluation.

Synergistic Effect of Cobalt and Iron in Layered Double Hydroxide Catalysts for the Oxygen Evolution Reaction.

Co-based layered double hydroxide (LDH) catalysts with Fe and Al contents in the range of 15 to 45 at % were synthesized by an efficient coprecipitation method. In these catalysts, Fe3+ or Al3+ ions play an essential role as trivalent species to stabilize the LDH structure. The obtained catalysts were characterized by a comprehensive combination of surface- and bulk-sensitive techniques and were evaluated for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) on rotating disk electrodes. The OER activity decreased upon increasing the Al content for the Co- and Al-based LDH catalysts, whereas a synergistic effect in Co- and Fe-based LDHs was observed, which resulted in an optimal Fe content of 35 at %. This catalyst was spray-coated on Ni foam electrodes and showed very good stability in a flow-through cell with a potential of approximately 1.53 V at 10 mA cm-2 in 1 m KOH for at least 48 h.