3D skin bioprinting as promising therapeutic strategy for radiation-associated skin injuries.

Both cutaneous radiation injury and radiation combined injury (RCI) could have serious skin traumas, which are collectively referred to as radiation-associated skin injuries in this paper. These two types of skin injuries require special managements of wounds, and the therapeutic effects still need to be further improved. Cutaneous radiation injuries are common in both radiotherapy patients and victims of radioactive source accidents, which could lead to skin necrosis and ulcers in serious conditions. At present, there are still many challenges in management of cutaneous radiation injuries including early diagnosis, lesion assessment, and treatment prognosis. Radiation combined injuries are special and important issues in severe nuclear accidents, which often accompanied by serious skin traumas. Mass victims of RCI would be the focus of public health concern. Three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting, as a versatile and favourable technique, offers effective approaches to fabricate biomimetic architectures with bioactivity, which provides potentials for resolve the challenges in treating radiation-associated skin injuries. Combining with the cutting-edge advances in 3D skin bioprinting, the authors analyse the damage characteristics of skin wounds in both cutaneous radiation injury and RCI and look forward to the potential value of 3D skin bioprinting for the treatments of radiation-associated skin injuries.

Skin Wound following Irradiation Aggravates Radiation-Induced Brain Injury in a Mouse Model.

Radiation injury- and radiation combined with skin injury-induced inflammatory responses in the mouse brain were evaluated in this study. Female B6D2F1/J mice were subjected to a sham, a skin wound (SW), 9.5 Gy 60Co total-body gamma irradiation (RI), or 9.5 Gy RI combined with a skin puncture wound (RCI). Survival, body weight, and wound healing were tracked for 30 days, and mouse brain samples were collected on day 30 after SW, RI, RCI, and the sham control. Our results showed that RCI caused more severe animal death and body weight loss compared with RI, and skin wound healing was significantly delayed by RCI compared to SW. RCI and RI increased the chemokines Eotaxin, IP-10, MIG, 6Ckine/Exodus2, MCP-5, and TIMP-1 in the brain compared to SW and the sham control mice, and the Western blot results showed that IP-10 and p21 were significantly upregulated in brain cells post-RI or -RCI. RI and RCI activated both astrocytes and endothelial cells in the mouse brain, subsequently inducing blood-brain barrier (BBB) leakage, as shown by the increased ICAM1 and GFAP proteins in the brain and GFAP in the serum. The Doublecortin (DCX) protein, the "gold standard" for measuring neurogenesis, was significantly downregulated by RI and RCI compared with the sham group. Furthermore, RI and RCI decreased the expression of the neural stem cell marker E-cadherin, the intermediate progenitor marker MASH1, the immature neuron cell marker NeuroD1, and the mature neuron cell marker NeuN, indicating neural cell damage in all development stages after RI and RCI. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining further confirmed the significant loss of neural cells in RCI. Our data demonstrated that RI and RCI induced brain injury through inflammatory pathways, and RCI exacerbated neural cell damage more than RI.

Combined pelvic and acetabular injuries: clinical features and treatment strategies of a unique injury pattern.

BACKGROUND: To explore the clinical characteristics of patients with unstable pelvic fractures combined with acetabular fractures and to discuss the treatment strategies for such patients to help guide treatment. METHODS: We retrospectively assessed 24 patients admitted to our hospital from June 2018 to June 2022 with unstable pelvic fractures combined with acetabular fractures, including 15 male patients and 9 female patients with a mean age of 44.8 years. According to the Tile pelvic fracture classification, 15 cases were type B, and 9 cases were type C. The acetabular fractures were classified using the Letournel-Judet classification. There were 8 transverse fractures, 4 transverse and posterior wall fractures, 3 anterior and posterior hemitransverse fractures, 6 both-column fractures, 2 T-shaped fractures and 1 anterior column fracture. We recorded the cause of the patient's injury and vital signs on admission and assessed the patient's treatment strategy and prognosis. RESULTS: All patients completed the surgery successfully, and the follow-up ranged from 6 to 42 months, with a mean of 23 months. The healing time for pelvic fractures ranged from 11 to 21 weeks, with a mean of 14.8 weeks, and the postoperative displacement of the posterior pelvic ring ranged from 1.2 to 9.0 mm, with a mean of 3.5 mm. The final clinical outcome at follow-up was evaluated using the Majeed scale: excellent in 11 cases, good in 10 cases and fair in 3 cases; the excellent rate was 87.5%. The time to healing of the acetabular fracture ranged from 13 to 25 weeks, with a mean of 15.9 weeks, and the postoperative displacement of the acetabular fracture ranged from 0.6 to 5.2 mm, with a mean of 1.9 mm. Hip function was assessed at the final follow-up using a modified Merle D' Aubigné and Postel scale: there were 9 excellent, 11 good and 4 acceptable scores; an excellent rate of 83.3% was achieved. CONCLUSION: Patients with unstable pelvic fractures combined with acetabular fractures suffer severe trauma and complex mechanisms of injury. Treatment needs to be individualized, taking into account the patient's physiological status, fracture classification and degree of displacement.

Surgical Treatment of Adams Type IV Anterolateral Fracture of the Ulna Coronoid Process.

OBJECTIVE: Anterolateral coronal fractures are so rare that the mechanism of injury, the type of combined fracture and ligament injury, and the optimal treatment are unknown. To study the outcome of surgical treatments for anterolateral (AL) fracture of the ulna coronoid process (Adams Type IV) and summarize the characteristics of this type of fracture and to guide clinical applications. METHODS: From February 2015 to April 2021, 32 patients were included in the study. All patients had standard radiography with anteroposterior and lateral views, computed tomography, and intraoperative fluoroscopy. All patients were treated surgically. Surgery-related information, including surgical approach, operation duration, blood loss, and repairing the lateral collateral ligament and the medial collateral ligament integrity, were recorded. The patient's clinical details, such as the final range of motion (ROM), the Broberg-Morrey scores and the visual analogue scale (VAS) at the last follow-up, were described. The chi-square test or Fisher's exact test was used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: We divided patients into two groups according to the anterolateral coronoid fracture morphology. In the intact group, 20 patients with an intact anterolateral coronoid fracture fragment. In the comminuted group, 12 patients with comminuted anterolateral coronoid fracture fragments extended the less sigmoid notch of the ulna. There was no difference in age, sex, total incision length, follow-up duration, and recovery with rehabilitation among the two groups (all Ps >0.05). The other follow-up outcomes, such as elbow ROM (Flexion, Extension, Posterior rotation, Anterior rotation), VAS score, or Broberg-Morrey scores, were not different between the two groups (all Ps >0.05). Both groups achieved relatively satisfactory clinical outcomes, and the Broberg-Morrey score and index excellence rate reached 84.38%. There is a statistical difference in the history of elbow dislocation (P = 0.017), radial head fracture type (P = 0.041), operation duration (P = 0.014) and blood loss at operation (P = 0.029) between the two groups. Cannulated screws, anchors, and sutures were used as point fixation in the coronoid process of the ulna. There was a statistical difference between the two groups in the choice of internal fixation (P = 0.020). CONCLUSIONS: For anterolateral ulnar coronoid fractures with different degrees of comminution, effective and reliable surgical treatment can achieve better results and fewer complications.

Deteriorative Effects of Radiation Injury Combined with Skin Wounding in a Mouse Model.

Radiation-combined injury (RCI) augments the risk of morbidity and mortality when compared to radiation injury (RI) alone. No FDA-approved medical countermeasures (MCMs) are available for treating RCI. Previous studies implied that RI and RCI elicit differential mechanisms leading to their detrimental effects. We hypothesize that accelerating wound healing improves the survival of RCI mice. In the current study, we examined the effects of RCI at different doses on lethality, weight loss, wound closure delay, and proinflammatory status, and assessed the relative contribution of systemic and local elements to their delayed wound closure. Our data demonstrated that RCI increased the lethality and weight loss, delayed skin wound closure, and induced a systemic proinflammatory status in a radiation dose-dependent manner. We also demonstrated that delayed wound closure did not specifically depend on the extent of hematopoietic suppression, but was significantly influenced by the toxicity of the radiation-induced systemic inflammation and local elements, including the altered levels of proinflammatory chemokines and factors, and the dysregulated collagen homeostasis in the wounded area. In conclusion, the results from our study indicate a close association between delayed wound healing and the significantly altered pathways in RCI mice. This insightful information may contribute to the evaluation of the prognosis of RCI and development of MCMs for RCI.

Update in combined musculoskeletal and vascular injuries of the extremities.

Combined musculoskeletal and vascular injuries of the extremities are conditions in which a multidisciplinary approach is a sine qua non to ensure life initially and limb viability secondarily. Vascular injuries as part of musculoskeletal trauma are usually the result of the release of a high energy load in the wound site so that the prognosis is determined by the degree of soft-tissue damage, duration of limb ischemia, patient's medical status and presence of associated injuries. The management of these injuries is challenging and requires a specific algorithm of action, because they are usually characterized by increased morbidity, amputation rate, infection, neurological and functional deficits, and they could be life threatening. Although vascular injuries are rare and occur either isolated or in the context of major combined musculoskeletal trauma, the high index of suspicion, imaging control, and timely referral of the patient to organized trauma centers ensure the best functional outcome of the extremity in such challenging cases. Even after a successful initial treatment of a combined trauma pattern, long-term follow-up is crucial to prevent and detect early possible complications. The purpose of this manuscript is to provide an update on diagnosis and treatment of combined musculoskeletal and vascular injuries of the extremities, from an orthopedic point of view.

[Surgical treatment of combined neck injury]. / Khirurgicheskoe lechenie mnozhestvennykh povrezhdenii shei.

The authors report acute neck injury followed by damage to larynx, trachea and pharynx. Features of treatment of this lesion are analyzed.

Do Clinical Outcomes and Failure Rates Differ in Patients With Combined ACL and Grade 2 MCL Tears Versus Isolated ACL Tears?: A Prospective Study With 14-Year Follow-up.

BACKGROUND: A combined injury to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and medial collateral ligament (MCL) is a common injury pattern encountered during clinical practice. Recent systematic reviews have found no consensus on the optimal method of managing this combined ligament injury pattern, and no long-term studies with modern techniques are available in the literature. PURPOSE: To compare 2 groups of patients who underwent isolated ACL reconstruction in terms of failures and clinical scores at long-term follow-up. In the first group were patients with isolated ACL tears (ACL group), while the second was composed of patients with combined ACL and MCL grade 2 tears (ACL + MCL group). STUDY DESIGN: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. METHODS: A total of 57 patients (37 in the ACL group and 20 in the ACL + MCL group) underwent isolated ACL reconstruction with a double-bundle technique between January and December 2005. Patients were contacted for scores on the International Knee Documentation Committee subjective form, Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index, and Tegner activity scale as well as data regarding ipsilateral or contralateral revision ACL surgery. A 2-way analysis of variance for repeated measures was used to statistically assess the differences between the groups. RESULTS: Overall, 49 patients (86%) completed the survey and were therefore included in the study. The minimum follow-up was 14.6 years (range, 14.1-15.2 years). There was a significant reduction in both groups of all the outcome scores between the intermediate and final-follow-up. The number of failures was 3 of 31 (9.7%) in the ACL group and 1 of 18 (5.5%) in the ACL + MCL group; this difference was not significant. Moreover, there were no clinical differences between the groups in terms of graft failures, contralateral lesions, and clinical scores. CONCLUSION: At 14-year follow-up, no clinical difference or increased failure rate was observed between the study groups, suggesting that isolated ACL reconstruction could represent an appropriate treatment for a combined ACL and MCL grade 2 lesion.

[Study on serum metabolomics of combined injury induced by gas explosion in rats].

Objective: To analyze the changes of serum metabolomics in rats with combined injuries caused by gas explosion and explore its possible mechanism. Methods: In April 2018, the large coal mine gas explosion test roadway and explosion test system were used to simulate the gas explosion experiment. All 32 SD rats were randomly divided into four groups, control group (not involved in the explosion) , close range (40 m) group, medium range (160 m) group and long range (240 m) group, 8 in each group. The respiratory function at 2 hours and the neural behavior at 48 hours were detected after the explosion. The rats were anesthetized and sacrificed after 48 hours, and the serum, lung, liver and other tissues of the rats were isolated and histopathological changes of lung and liver tissues were observed by HE staining. Serum samples were detected by liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry (UPLC-Orbitrap Elite/MS) , and metabolic spectrum differences between groups were evaluated by principal component analysis. Differential metabolites were screened and identified, and metabolic pathways were analyzed. Results: Compared with control group, respiratory function indexes (respiratory frequency, minute ventilation, peak inspiratory flow rate, peak expiratory flow rate and 1/2 tidal volume expiratory flow) of rats in different explosion groups were significantly decreased (P<0.05) , but respiration pause, inspiratory time and 2/3 tidal volume required time were significantly increased (P<0.05) in 2 hours after the explosion. However, the residence times of the neurobehavioral indicators of the 40 m group and 160 m group were significantly increased (P<0.05) , and the movement distances were significantly decreased (P<0.05) in 48 hours after the explosion. HE staining results showed that the lung and liver tissues of the rats in the gas explosion group structurally damaged, and the cells were disordered, with inflammatory cell infiltration, bleeding and edema. Metabonomics analysis showed that there were significant differences in metabolic profiles between groups. A total of 18 differential metabolites were identified in serum samples, including aconitum acid, citric acid, niacinamide and pyruvate, which involved in 12 major metabolic pathways, including the glutamic acid and glutamine metabolism, phenylalanine, tyrosine and tryptophan biosynthesis, glyoxylic acid and dicarboxylic acid metabolism, phenylalanine metabolism, nicotinic acid and nicotinamide metabolism, citric acid cycle (TCA cycle) . Conclusion: Gas explosion can cause multi-organ system damage in rats, the mechanism of which may be related to the biosynthesis of alanine, tyrosine and tryptophan, metabolism of niacin and niacinamide, metabolism of acetaldehyde and dicarboxylic acid, and TCA cycle, etc.

Combined injury: irradiation with skin or bone wounds in rodent models.

A radiation combined injury is defined as an injury that occurs in the setting of irradiation, such as those expected after a nuclear accident, radiation dispersal device release (a 'dirty bomb'), or a nuclear weapon detonation. There is much research on irradiation-associated burns and their healing, but there is less known about other injuries sustained in the context of irradiation. Animal models are limited in their correlations to clinical situations but can support research on specific questions about injuries and their healing. Mouse models of irradiation with skin or bone wounds are validated as highly reproducible and quantitative. They show dose-dependent impairment of wound healing, with later recovery. Irradiation-induced delay of bone wound healing was mitigated to different extents by single doses of gramicidin S-nitroxide JP4-039, a plasmid expressing manganese superoxide dismutase, amifostine/WR2721, or the bifunctional sulfoxide MMS-350. These models should be useful for research on mechanisms of radiation dermal and osseous damage and for further development of new radioprotectors. They also provide information of potential relevance to the effects of clinical radiation therapies.

Characteristics of Visual Evoked Potential in Different Parts of Visual Impairment. / 不同部位损伤致视力障碍的视觉诱发电位特征.

OBJECTIVES: To study the quantitative and qualitative differences of visual evoked potential (VEP) in monocular visual impairment after different parts of visual pathway injury. METHODS: A total of 91 subjects with monocular visual impairment caused by trauma were selected and divided into intraocular refractive media-injury group (eyeball injury group for short), optic nerve injury group, central nervous system injury and intracranial combined injury group according to the injury cause and anatomical segment. Pattern Reversal visual evoked potential (PR-VEP) P100 peak time and amplitude, Flash visual evoked potential (F-VEP) P2 peak time and amplitude were recorded respectively. SPSS 26.0 software was used to analyze the differences of quantitative (peak time and amplitude) and qualitative indexes (spatial frequency sweep-VEP acuity threshold, and abnormal waveform category and frequency) of the four groups. RESULTS: Compared with healthy eyes, the PR-VEP P100 waveforms of the intraocular eyeball injury group and the F-VEP P2 waveforms of the optic nerve group showed significant differences in prolonged peak time and decreased amplitude in injured eyes (P<0.05). The PR-VEP amplitudes of healthy eyes were lower than those of injured eyes at multiple spatial frequencies in central nervous system injury group and intracranial combined injury group (P<0.05).The amplitude of PR-VEP in patients with visual impairment involving central injury was lower than that in patients with eye injury at multiple spatial frequencies. The frequency of VEP P waveforms reaching the threshold of the intraocular injury group and the optic nerve injury group were siginificantly different from the intracranial combined injury group, respectively(P<0.008 3), and the frequency of abnormal reduction of VEP amplitude of threshold were significantly different from the central nervous system injury group, respectively(P<0.008 3). CONCLUSIONS: VEP can distinguish central injury from peripheral injury, eyeball injury from nerve injury in peripheral injury, but cannot distinguish simple intracranial injury from complex injury, which provides basic data and basis for further research on the location of visual impairment injury.

Lower neck injury criteria for THOR and Hybrid III dummies in rear impact.

OBJECTIVE: The objectives of the study are to derive lower-neck-injury probability curves under rear impact loading from matched pair Hybrid III and THOR dummy tests. METHODS: Twelve whole-body and 15 isolated head-neck rear-impact sled tests were conducted using the 2 dummies. They were positioned on a rigid seat that was attached to an acceleration sled. The dummies were positioned with the head parallel to the ground, torso against the seat back, and legs stretched such that there was no axial rotation. The acceleration pulse matched the previous in-house human cadaver tests. The 6-axis lower-neck load cell was used in both dummies. For the isolated rear-impact tests, the head-neck was excised from the dummies, and the lower-neck load cell was mounted to the top of the sled with the head parallel to the ground and such that the acceleration vector was in the rear impact mode. Lower-neck loads and lower-neck-injury criteria (LNij) were obtained using the load cell data and survival analysis was used to develop injury-assessment-risk values and curves for both dummies. The LNij criteria were determined for both dummies using the intercept value corresponding to the 90% probability level for the forces and moments. RESULTS: The lognormal and Weibull distributions were the optimal distributions for the Hybrid III and THOR devices. At the 50% risk level, the mean LNij was 1.1 and NCIS was 0.77 for the Hybrid III, and 1.5 and 0.30 for the THOR device. The quality indices were in the fair range and good range for the 2 dummies, respectively, at this risk level. CONCLUSIONS: The lower neck based LNij injury assessment risk curves and reference values, IARCs and IARVs, serve as the first dataset for injury assessments, and the THOR may be a better test device for assessing injures in rear impact environments.

[Nursing of one patient with extremely severe burn-blast combined injury complicated with acute kidney injury caused by dust explosion].

On January 31, 2018, a 21-year-old male patient with extremely severe burn-blast combined injury complicated with acute kidney injury caused by dust explosion of crospovidone was admitted to the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine. The following nursing measures were carried out, aiming at the condition of the patient. We strengthened the management of fluid intake and output volume, prevented hypothermia and unplanned disembarkation during the period of continuous renal replacement therapy with burn shock and acute kidney injury. For traumatic pneumothorax, we took a good care of the closed chest drainage tube and implemented a ventilation strategy of low tide and low positive end expiratory pressure. During the infection with carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae, the environmental disinfection of the care unit was optimized and polymyxin B drug care was done. After 71 days of comprehensive treatment and nursing care, the patient recovered and was discharged from hospital. This case suggests that, in view of the renal function and lung function of patients with extremely severe burn-blast combined injury, individualized treatment and nursing measures are helpful to improve the cure rate and prognosis.

Wound Trauma Exacerbates Acute, but not Delayed, Effects of Radiation in Rats: Mitigation by Lisinopril.

The goal of this study is to understand and mitigate the effects of wounds on acute radiation syndrome (ARS) and delayed effects of acute radiation exposure (DEARE), for preparedness against a radiological attack or accident. Combined injuries from concomitant trauma and radiation are likely in these scenarios. Either exacerbation or mitigation of radiation damage by wound trauma has been previously reported in preclinical studies. Female WAG/RijCmcr rats received 13 Gy X-rays, with partial-body shielding of one leg. Within 2 h, irradiated rats and non-irradiated controls were given full-thickness skin wounds with or without lisinopril, started orally 7 days after irradiation. Morbidity, skin wound area, breathing interval and blood urea nitrogen were measured up to 160 days post-irradiation to independently evaluate wound trauma and DEARE. Wounding exacerbated morbidity in irradiated rats between 5 and 14 days post-irradiation (during the ARS phase), and irradiation delayed wound healing. Wounding did not alter delayed morbidities from radiation pneumonitis or nephropathy after 30 days post-irradiation. Lisinopril did not mitigate wound healing, but markedly decreased morbidity during DEARE from 31 through 160 days. The results derived from this unique model of combined injuries suggest different molecular mechanisms of injury and healing of ARS and DEARE after radiation exposure.

Major trauma and severe burn: a synergistic mortality: case report and literature review / Traumatismo grave y quemadura severa: una mortalidad sinérgica: reporte de un caso y revisión bibliográfica

CASE PRESENTATION: A 42-year-old man was transferred to our institution after a highenergy accident (an explosion). He presented second-degree burns on 20% of the total body surface area (TBSA), affecting the lower hemiabdomen and the lower right limb. He also presented a supraintercondylar open fracture of the right femur (Gustilo I). The burns were treated with debridement and coverage withmesh graft, while the fracture required an early transitory transarticular external fixation with delayed definitive osteosynthesis. Our patient presented good local and systemic evolution. We can offer a eleven-month follow-up. DISCUSSION: The literature supports that the combination of trauma and burn injuries is a relatively rare pattern, which may explain the lack of knowledge and studies on this subject. This double injury has demonstrated a synergistic effect on mortality. The management of soft tissues in the coexistence of an open fracture and a burn in the same limb is a challenge. The method and timing of the treatment of the fracture directly impacts the treatment of the burn (and vice versa), and most authors tend to treat the fracture first. All of the studies reviewed emphasized the importance of the multidisciplinary approach. CONCLUSIONS: We have presented a complex case combining major trauma and severe burns. Although there is a lack of studies in the literature on this subject, the papers state that this is an unusual pattern with a synergistic effect on mortality. In our experience, the management of soft tissues and the multidisciplinary approach play a central role, as it is also stated in the literature. The management of these patients is still controversial, and more studies are needed.

PRESENTACIÓN DEL CASO: Hombre de 42 años trasladado a nuestra institución tras un accidente de alta energía (explosión). Presentaba quemaduras de segundo grado del 20% de la superficie corporal total (SCT), afectando el hemiabdomen inferior y la extremidad inferior derecha. También presentaba una fractura abierta supraintercondílea de fémur derecho (Gustilo I). Las quemaduras fueron tratadas mediante desbridamiento y cobertura mediante injerto mallado, mientras que la fractura requirió un fijador externo transarticular precoz de forma transitoria con una osteosíntesis definitiva diferida. Nuestro paciente presentó buena evolución local y sistémica. Podemos ofrecer un seguimiento a 11 meses. DISCUSIÓN: La bibliografía defiende que la lesión combinada de traumatismo y quemadura es un patrón relativamente raro, pudiendo explicar la falta de conocimiento y publicaciones al respecto. Este doble insulto ha demostrado un efecto sinérgico en la mortalidad. El manejo de las partes blandas cuando coexisten una fractura abierta y una quemadura en la misma extremidad es un desafío. El método y el momento de tratamiento de la fractura impactan de forma directa en el tratamiento de la quemadura (y viceversa); y la mayoría de los autores tienden a tratar en primer lugar la fractura. Todos los estudios analizados enfatizan la importancia del abordaje multidisciplinario. CONCLUSIONES: Hemos presentado un caso complejo combinando traumatismo grave y quemaduras severas. Aunque haya una falta de bibliografía, los estudios afirman que se trata de un patrón inusual con un efecto sinérgico sobre la mortalidad. En nuestra experiencia, el manejo de las partes blandas y el abordaje multidisciplinario tienen un rol central, tal y como defienden también los artículos publicados. El manejo de estos pacientes sigue siendo controvertido, y son necesarios más estudios.

Management of combined massive burn and blast injury: A 20-year experience.

INTRODUCTION: Blast injuries are complex types of physical trauma resulting from direct or indirect exposure to an explosion, which can be divided into four classes: primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary. Primary blast injury results in damage, principally, in gas-containing organs such as the lungs (blast lung injury, BLI). BLI is defined as radiological and clinical evidence of acute lung injury occurring within 12h of exposure to an explosion and not due to secondary or tertiary injury. BLI often combines with cutaneous thermal injury, a type of quaternary blast injury, either in terrorist bomb attacks or in civilian accidental explosions. This report summarizes our experience in the management of combined massive burn and BLI at a Shanghai Burn Center in China. METHODS: A retrospective observational analysis of clinical data was performed for massive burn patients with or without BLI during a 20-year interval. Patient characteristics, causes of injury, clinical parameters, management, and outcomes were recorded and evaluated. RESULTS: A total of 151 patients (120 males and 31 females) with severe burn injury (≥50% TBSA) treated at the Burn Center of Changhai Hospital in Shanghai between July 1997 and June 2017 were enrolled in this study. Their mean age was 38.6±17.8 (3-75) years. Among them, 28 patients had combined BLI and burn injury and 39 patients had no BLI or smoke inhalation injury (non-BLI-SII). No significant difference was observed in the burn area or full-thickness burn area between the two groups. The lowest PaO2/fraction of inspired oxygen (FiO2) ratio during the first 24h in BLI patients was significantly lower than that in non-BLI-SII patients. Exudative changes were observed by X-ray radiography in all BLI patients but not in non-BLI-SII patients within 6h after injury. A significantly higher proportion of colloids were used for fluid resuscitation in BLI patients than that in non-BLI-SII patients. A higher proportion and longer time of mechanical ventilation were needed for BLI patients than those for non-BLI-SII patients, and a higher proportion of patients received sedative agents in the BLI group than those in the non-BLI-SII group. The first escharectomy was performed relatively later in BLI patients than in non-BLI-SII patients because of more time taken by BLI patients to recover from lung injury. The length of ICU and hospital stay in BLI patients was significantly longer than that in non-BLI-SII patients. No significant difference in the overall mortality was detected between these two groups. CONCLUSION: It is a formidable challenge for clinicians to diagnose and manage massive burn patients combined with BLI. A comprehensive treatment approach is strongly recommended, including fluid resuscitation, airway management, mechanical ventilation, and surgical treatment. Given the high mortality of massive burn patients combined with BLI even in a recognized burn center, more prospective studies are encouraged to assess more effective strategies for the treatment of such patients.

Regional Injury Classification and Treatment of Open Pelvic Fractures.

OBJECTIVES: To propose the regional injury classification of open pelvic fracture and summarize the characteristics of its treatment. METHODS: Clinical data for 67 open pelvic fractures treated from January 2001 to December 2017 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 48 male and 19 female patients. The patients were aged from 12 to 68 years old, and their pelvic fractures were categorized according to Tile classification (type A: 23 cases; type B: 19 cases; type C: 25 cases). Main injury distribution: pubic perineum, 29 cases; ilioinguinal, 20 cases; and sacroiliac, 7 cases. There were 5 cases of ilioinguinal-perineum and 6 cases of sacroiliac-perineum injury. Based on the region of the injury, the mortality and combined injury of each group were observed. The relationship between regional injury groups and death was examined. RESULTS: Following active treatment, 28 patients died. The mortality rate was 41.8% (28/67), with 39 patients surviving. The average follow-up time was 6 months (3 months to 1 year after discharge). Majeed pelvic fracture score: the score was excellent in 12 cases, good in 14 cases, fair in 9 cases, and poor in 4 cases; there was an excellent and good rate of 66.7%. Open pelvic fracture regional injury classification includes: the perineal type (type I); the ilioinguinal type (type II); the sacroiliac type (type III); and the composite type (type IV). All types were independent of each other, and the mortality of open pelvic fractures was positively correlated with this classification, with a correlation coefficient of 0.620 (P = 0.001 < 0.05; the difference was statistically significant). In this study, cystourethral injury, anorectal injury, and infection were the main combined injuries of type I. The type II and III injuries were mainly iliac vascular injuries. The main combined injuries of type IV were infection, injury of ilium vessels and its branches. There was a statistical difference among the combined injuries of each subtype (P = 0.001 < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The criteria for regional classification were clear, the mortality of the four subtypes increased gradually, and the incidence of combined injury of each subtype varied. Each subtype had different therapeutic characteristics.

[Research progress of surgical treatment for anterior shoulder dislocation and combined injuries].

OBJECTIVE: To summarize the research progress of surgical treatment for anterior shoulder dislocation and combined injuries. METHODS: The related literature was reviewed, and the surgical treatment options for the anterior shoulder dislocation and its combined injuries were summarized. RESULTS: Anterior shoulder dislocation can combine with anteroinferior capsular ligament complex injury (Bankart injury), bony Bankart defect, and Hill-Sachs lesion. For Bankart and bony Bankart injuries, arthroscopic repair or coracoid osteotomy combined with bony graft reconstruction can be performed. For Hill-Sachs lesion, conservative treatment, soft tissue repair, or bony reconstruction should be selected based on the extent of the bone defect. For bipolar injury, the Bankart repair, Remplissage, or arthroplasty should be selected based on the extent of the glenoid defect. CONCLUSION: With the development of arthroscopy and the improvement of the surgical concept, there is a complete set of surgical options for various injuries of the anterior shoulder dislocation. When choosing a surgical procedure, the patient's specific injury and age, exercise level, and other relating factors should be comprehensively assessed in order to achieve the best results.

Usage of density analysis based on micro-CT for studying lung injury associated with burn-blast combined injury.

BACKGROUND: Burn-blast combined injury is a kind of injury caused by heat and blast at the same time. The lung injury after burn-blast combined injuries is of primary importance, and investigation of lung injury is needed in the clinical care of patients. Computed tomography (CT) is one of the standard tools used to observe the anatomical basis and pathophysiology of acute lung injury. METHODS: We applied a method of fast 3D (three-dimensional) reconstruction to calculate the density value of the lung injury by CT analysis. Blast-injury group (BL group), burn-injury group (B group), burn-blast combined injury group (BBL group), and sham control group (C group) were established. Each group had 16 rats. The three-dimensional images of the lung tissue were obtained at 6h, 24h, and 48h according to the CT value. The average density of the whole lung, left lung, and right lung were measured. The lung tissues were paraffin-embedded and HE stained. Smith scoring was performed according to the pathological findings. RESULTS: In the BBL group, the density of the lung tissue was higher than those of the BL group and B group (P<0.01). The lung tissue density values at 24h after injury were higher than those at 6h and 48h after injury (P<0.01). Pathological results confirmed the changes of density analysis of the lung tissue. CONCLUSION: The results have indicated that density analysis through a CT scan can be used as a way to evaluate lung injury in a burn-blast injury.

[Changes in serum levels of the key factors of angiogenesis in different outcomes of combined injuries in children]. / Izmeneniia kontsentratsii v syvorotke krovi kliuchevykh faktorov angiogeneza pri razlichnykh iskhodakh sochetannoi travmy u detei.

AIM: To study the changes in the key angiogenic factors VEGF-A and angiogenin (ANG) in children with different outcomes of combined injuries. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Contents of VEGF-A and ANG in blood serum were determined by enzyme immunoassay. The study included 40 patients, 21 boys and 19 girls. Patients were divided into 4 groups according to the outcome of injury: 1 - the recovery or mild residual symptoms; 2 - disabled; 3 - vegetable state; 4 - death. Patients were examined at different times after injury: 1-6 days, 7-11 days, 12-19 and 20-33 days. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: In the first days after injury, the content of VEGF-A in patients of 1-3 groups was at the level of the reference group, moreover, in patients of the 3rd group it was close to the top edge. In group 4, the content of VEGF-A was maximal in the first days after injury and then gradually decreased to the point of death. In groups 1 and 3, the level of VEGF-A increased significantly starting from the 2nd week while in group 2 this indicator was slightly increased approaching later (up to 33 days of observation) to the upper values in the reference group. In the 3rd group, the content of VEGF-A reached the plateau on the 19th day after injury and was higher than the reference data, but lower than in patients of the 1st group. No correlation between the changes in ANG content at different times after combined injuries and outcome was found. There was a trend towards decreased levels of ANG, especially after 3-4 weeks after injury. The data obtained are important for the control over processes of vascular and tissue reparation after injury and for searching for effective ways of treatment of altered angiogenesis in such patients.