Clinical assessment of reformed lumbar microdiscectomy.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical outcomes of the reformed lumbar microdiscectomy preserving more ligamentum flavum than the traditional microdiscectomy does. A prospective, randomized, controlled clinical study was conducted. Patients with unilateral lumbar disc herniation were randomly divided into two groups. The control group underwent traditional lumbar microdiscectomy, and the test group patients underwent the same procedure but with a curved incision of the lumbodorsal fascia and with more preservation of the ligamentum flavum. Visual analogue scale (VAS) scores and Oswestry scale scores were used to appraise the outcomes. Both groups' clinical parameters were significantly improved after the operation. The VAS scores in the test group showed a less intensity than that in the control group at 3 days, 12 weeks after the operation (P < 0.05), while at 1 year, showed no significant difference. Both groups' postoperative leg pain was significantly relieved (P < 0.05). The VAS scores for leg pain had no significant difference between the two groups at any testing time point after the surgery (P > 0.05). The Oswestry scale scores showed a better lumbar function state in the test group than that in the control group at 12 weeks and 1 year after the operation (P < 0.05). In both groups, there was no patient who had a lumbar disc reherniation. Preserving more ligamentum flavum is helpful to improve the clinical outcomes, and this improvement maybe resulted from the prevention of the fibrosis-related complication and the stability of the spine.

CircRNA hsa_circ_0005909 Promotes Cell Proliferation of Osteosarcoma Cells by Targeting miR-338-3p/HMGA1 Axis.

OBJECTIVE: Osteosarcoma (OS) is the most common malignant bone tumor in the pediatric population. The main goal of this study is to investigate the role of hsa_circ_0005909 and the underlying signaling pathway involved in OS. METHODS: Cell proliferation was measured using a CCK-8 assay kit and clone formation assay. Change of RNA and protein expression was determined using RNA extract and quantitative real time PCR (RT-qPCR) assay and Western blotting, respectively. CircInteractome was used to predict the target of circRNA and starBase v2.0 was used to predict the target of miRNAs. Luciferase assay was used to confirm the predicted results from CircInteractome, starBase v2.0, and MirTarget2. RESULTS: Expression of circ_0005909 was upregulated in both OS tissues and cell lines. The predicted results from CircInteractome, starBase v2.0, and MirTarget2 demonstrated that circ_0005909 could sponge miR-338-3p and that HGMA1 was the direct target of miR-338-3p. Cell viability and cell clones were inhibited by knockdown of circ_0005909 but increased by dual inhibition of circ_0005909 and miR-338-3p. Phosphorylation of ERK, Akt, and PI3K was inhibited by sh-circ_0005909, while this inhibition was repressed by co-transfection of sh-circ_0005909 and HGMA1. CONCLUSION: Expression of circ_0005909 was upregulated in both OS tissues and cell lines which upregulated expression of HGMA1 through sponging miR-338-3p, resulting in the activation of MAPK-ERK and PI3K-Akt signaling pathways to promote the development of OS.