A diagnostic model for differentiating tuberculous spondylodiscitis from pyogenic spondylodiscitis based on pathogen-confirmed patients.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to distinguish tuberculous spondylodiscitis (TS) from pyogenic spondylodiscitis (PS) based on laboratory, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) findings. Further, a novel diagnostic model for differential diagnosis was developed. METHODS: We obtained MRI, CT and laboratory data from TS and PS patients. Predictive models were built using binary logistic regression analysis. The receiver operating characteristic curve was analyzed. Both internal and external validation was performed. RESULTS: A total of 81 patients with PS (n = 46) or TS (n = 35) were enrolled. All patients had etiological evidence from the focal lesion. Disc signal or height preservation, skip lesion or multi segment (involved segments ≥ 3) involvement, paravertebral calcification, massive sequestra formation, subligamentous bone destruction, bone erosion with osteosclerotic margin, higher White Blood Cell Count (WBC) and positive result of tuberculosis infection T cell spot test (T-SPOT.TB) were more prevalent in the TS group. A diagnostic model was developed and included four predictors: WBC<7.265 * (10^9/L), skip lesion or involved segments ≥ 3, massive sequestra formation and subligamentous bone destruction. The model showed good sensitivity, specificity, and total accuracy (91.4%, 95.7%, and 93.8%, respectively); the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was 0.981, similar to the results of internal validation using bootstrap resampling (1000 replicates) and external validation set, indicating good clinical predictive ability. CONCLUSIONS: This study develop a good diagnostic model based on both CT and MRI, as well as laboratory findings, which may help clinicians distinguish between TS and PS.

Analysis of D-dimer levels for the detection of deep venous thrombosis for patients with spinal metastasis undergoing decompression with fixation.

BACKGROUND: Deep venous thrombosis (DVT) after spinal surgery has recently attracted increasing attention. Patients with spinal metastases who undergo decompression with fixation are at a high risk of developing DVT. D-dimer levels indicate the risk of DVT, and the purpose of our study was to investigate D-dimer levels as a predictor of DVT perioperatively. METHODS: We prospectively evaluated 100 patients with spinal metastases. D-dimer tests were performed twice: once before surgery and one day postoperatively. DVT was diagnosed by duplex ultrasonographic assessment of both lower extremities. Pulmonary embolisms (PEs) were diagnosed using multidetector computed tomography and pulmonary angiography. Perioperative serum D-dimer levels were compared between the DVT (+) and DVT (-) groups. The cutoff value of the D-dimer level was calculated using receiver operating characteristic analysis. RESULTS: Preoperative and postoperative DVT prevalences were 8.0% (8/100) and 6.6% (6/91), respectively, and none of the patients developed PE. Before surgery, there was no significant differences in D-dimer levels between the pre-DVT (+) and pre-DVT (-) groups. After surgery, the D-dimer level one-day postoperatively for the post-DVT (+) group (17.6 ± 11.8 mg/L) was significantly higher than that of the post-DVT (-) group (5.0 ± 4.7 mg/L). The cutoff value of the postoperative D-dimer level was 9.51(mg/L), and the sensitivity and specificity for the optimum threshold were 83.3% and 89.4%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that preoperative D-dimer level may not be a predictor of DVT. Preoperative ultrasound examinations should be routinely performed in patients with spinal metastases. Postoperative D-dimer levels greater than 9.51(mg/L) are a predictive factor for the early diagnosis of DVT after spine surgery. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Our study was registered on Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (No.ChiCTR2000029737). Registered 11 February 2020 - Retrospectively registered, https://www.chictr.org.cn/index.aspx.

Toxic effects of nanopolystyrene and cadmium on the intestinal tract of the Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis).

Nanopolystyrene (NP) and cadmium (Cd) are ubiquitous contaminants in aquatic systems. The present study aimed to investigate the toxic effects of exposure to ambient concentrations of NP and/or Cd on the intestinal tract of the Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis). Exposure to NP and/or Cd induced oxidative stress, as evidenced by a significant increase in lipid peroxide content (LPO), total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), and peroxidase activity (POD), and significant decreases in superoxide dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-PX) activities in E. sinensis. In addition, exposure to NP and/or Cd imbalanced the homeostasis of the intestinal microbiota, as demonstrated by the significantly increased abundance of Spiroplasma. Transcriptomic and metabolomic analyses were performed to investigate the mechanisms underlying intestinal toxicity. Our results showed that ferroptosis, ABC transporters, phosphotransferase system, apoptosis, and leukocyte transendothelial migration were disturbed after exposure to NP and/or Cd. In particular, Cd exposure affected mucin type O-glycan biosynthesis, purine metabolism, and neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction. Intriguingly, co-exposure to NP and Cd might mitigate intestinal toxicity by decreasing oxidative stress and affecting these pathways. Taken together, our study clearly demonstrates that exposure to NP and/or Cd at environmentally relevant concentrations causes intestinal toxicity in E. sinensis.

Exposure to nanopolystyrene and phoxim at ambient concentrations causes oxidative stress and inflammation in the intestines of the Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis).

Nanopolystyrene (NP) and phoxim (PHO) are common environmental pollutants in aquatic systems. We evaluated the toxic effects of exposure to ambient concentrations of NP and/or PHO in the intestines of the Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis). Our study showed that histopathological changes were observed in the intestines. Specifically, NP and/or PHO exposure increased intraepithelial lymphocytes. Furthermore, NP and/or PHO exposure induced oxidative stress, as evidenced by a significant decrease in superoxide dismutase activity (SOD), peroxidase activity (POD), and total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC). Pro-inflammatory gene expression and transcriptome analysis demonstrated that NP and/or PHO exposure induced the intestinal inflammatory response. Transcriptome results showed that NP and/or PHO exposure upregulated the NF-κB signaling pathway, which is considered a key pathway in the inflammatory response. Additionally, the expression of pro-inflammatory genes significantly increased after a single exposure to NP or PHO, but it exhibited a significant decrease after the co-exposure. The downregulation of these genes in the co-exposure group likely suggested that the co-exposure mitigated intestinal inflammation response in E. sinensis. Collectively, our findings mainly showed that NP and/or PHO exposure at ambient concentrations induces oxidative stress and inflammatory response in the intestines of E. sinensis.

Small non-coding RNAome changes during human chondrocyte senescence as potential epigenetic targets in age-related osteoarthritis.

Chondrocyte senescence is a decisive component of age-related osteoarthritis, however, the function of small noncoding RNAs (sncRNAs) in chondrocyte senescence remains underexplored. Human hip joint cartilage chondrocytes were cultivated up to passage 4 to induce senescence. RNA samples were extracted and then analyzed using small RNA sequencing and qPCR. ß-galactosidase staining was used to detect the effect of sncRNA on chondrocyte aging. Results of small RNA sequencing showed that 279 miRNAs, 136 snoRNAs, 30 snRNAs, 102 piRNAs, and 5 rasiRNAs were differentially expressed in senescent chondrocytes. The differential expression of 150 sncRNAs was further validated by qPCR. Transfection of sncRNAs and ß-galactosidase staining were also performed to further revealed that hsa-miR-135b-5p, SNORA80B-201, and RNU5E-1-201 have the function to restrain chondrocyte senescence, while has-piR-019102 has the function to promote chondrocyte senescence. Our data suggest that sncRNAs have therapeutic potential as novel epigenetic targets in age-related osteoarthritis.

Scutellarin-mediated autophagy activates exosome release of rat nucleus pulposus cells by positively regulating Rab8a via the PI3K/PTEN/Akt pathway.

To provide a basis for promising exosome-based therapies against intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD), our present research aimed to identify a mechanism underlying the vesicle release from nucleus pulposus cells (NPCs). Scutellarin (SC) is a natural chemotherapeutic agent isolated from Erigeron breviscapus with a variety of biological activities. Here, we observed the significantly elevated autophagy levels in rat NPCs under the stimulation of SC, leading to a concomitant enhancement of intracellular vesicle release, which could be attributed to the inactivation of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN)/protein kinase B (Akt) pathway. To ensure that exosome release was driven by SC via the autophagic pathway, we implemented gain-of-function and loss-of-function studies by additionally using insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and small-interfering RNA of autophagy-related gene 5 (ATG5), and the exosome secretion decreased in the case of attenuated autophagy. Evidently, the treatment with SC exerted the remarkable upregulation of Rab8a through the overexpression of ATG5. After the respective knockdown of ATG5 and Rab8a, the increased release of exosomes induced by SC was reversed, whereas the number of intracellular vesicles was restored. Overall, it can be concluded that SC contributes to the autophagy activation in NPCs by acting on the PI3K/PTEN/Akt pathway, which upregulates the expression of Rab8a and promotes the release of exosomes, inspiring novel therapeutic strategies in preventing IDD that might be fruitfully investigated.

RNAi silencing of the 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase (HMGR) gene inhibits vitellogenesis in Chinese mitten crab Eriocheir sinensis.

The sesquiterpenoid methyl farnesoate (MF), a de-epoxide form of insect juvenile hormone III (JH III), plays an essential role in regulating many crucial physiological processes in crustaceans including vitellogenesis and reproduction. 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase (HMGR) is an important rate-limiting enzyme in the mevalonate pathway, which is critical for the synthesis of JH III and MF. In the present study, a full-length cDNA encoding HMGR (EsHMGR) in Eriocheir sinensis was isolated and characterised. Sequence analysis of EsHMGR revealed that it belongs to Class I HMGR family proteins with HMG-CoA-binding and NADPH-binding domains, both important for HMGR activity. In addition to its ubiquitous tissue expression, expression of EsHMGR was highly specific to the ovary, the main site of Vg synthesis. During ovarian development, EsHMGR expression in ovary displayed a stage-specific pattern, and was correlated with expression of vitellogenin (EsVg) in hepatopancreas, which suggests that EsHMGR possibly involved in vitellogenesis. To further investigate the functional role of EsHMGR in vitellogenin biosynthesis in E. sinensis, RNA interference-mediated gene silencing was carried out both in vitro and in vivo. Quantitative PCR results showed that injection of EsHMGR double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) led to a significant decrease in EsVg expression levels in ovary and hepatopancreas both in vitro and in vivo. Taken together, the results suggest that EsHMGR is involved in vitellogenin biosynthesis in female E. sinensis, which may provide a new resource for HMGR enzymes participating in reproduction in crustaceans.

PR11-364P22.2/ATF3 protein interaction mediates IL-1ß-induced catabolic effects in cartilage tissue and chondrocytes.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a degenerative joint disease which lacks effective medical treatment due to ill-defined molecular mechanisms underlying the pathology. Inflammation is a key factor that induces and aggravates OA. Therefore, the current study aims to explore roles of the dysregulated long non-coding RNAs in the pro-inflammatory cytokine IL-1ß-mediated catabolic effects in cartilage tissue and chondrocytes. We identified RP11-364P22.2 as dysregulated in OA patient-derived cartilage tissues and highly responsive to IL-1ß stimulus. RNA pull-down coupled with mass spectrometry demonstrated that RP11-364P22.2 physically binds to activating transcription factor 3 (ATF3) and thus increases the protein stability and facilitates its nuclear translocation. Loss- and gain-of-function assays indicated that the interaction between RP11-364P22.2 and ATF3 is indispensable for the detrimental effects of IL-1ß including growth inhibition, apoptosis induction as well as degradation of the key chondrocyte structural proteins of type II collage and Aggrecan and synthesis of the extracellular matrix-degrading enzyme MMP13 in chondrocytes. In vivo, depletion of the RP11-364P22.2 effector ATF3 drastically prevented OA development in the rats with surgical destabilization of the medial meniscus (DMM). These results highlight the important roles of lncRNAs in the pathogenesis of OA and indicate the RP11-364P22.2/ATF3 regulatory axis as a potential therapeutic target of inflammation-induced OA.

Autophagy regulates exosome secretion in rat nucleus pulposus cells via the RhoC/ROCK2 pathway.

Our present study investigated whether exosome secretion of nucleus pulposus cells (NPCs) is regulated by autophagy. Different autophagic states of NPCs were induced by rapamycin (Rap), bafilomycin A1 (Baf) and other agents, and it was found that exosomes were secreted in an autophagy-dependent manner. Activation or inhibition of autophagy increased or decreased, respectively, the amount of exosomes that were released into the extracellular space. In addition, in order to confirm that Rap-promoted release of exosomes was mediated by autophagy rather than other pathways, we used autophagy associated gene 5 (ATG5) small-interfering RNA (siRNA) to silence the expression of ATG5 gene, which is indispensable for autophagy. The results showed that siRNA against ATG5 (siATG5) induced an accumulation of intraluminal vesicles (ILVs) in NPCs and a concomitant decrease in the amount of exosomes isolated from supernatant. Ras homolog gene (Rho) and Rho-associated coiled-coil forming protein kinase (ROCK) family molecules are capable of cytoskeletal remodeling and affecting vesicle transport. Therefore, we carried out targeted interventions and evaluated the effects of the RhoC/ROCK2 pathway on the secretion of exosomes within autophagic environment. Knockdown of RhoC and ROCK2 with corresponding siRNA significantly inhibited the secretion of exosomes originating from ILVs in NPCs, even when NPCs were subsequently treated with Rap. Taken together, our findings suggest that autophagy positively regulates expression levels of RhoC and ROCK2, and that the RhoC/ROCK2 pathway exerts a key function on NPCs-derived exosome secretion.

A comparative analysis of pregnancy outcomes of patients with uterine fibroids after high intensity focused ultrasound ablation and laparoscopic myomectomy: a retrospective study.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to retrospectively compare and analyze pregnancy outcomes of patients with uterine fibroids after high intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) ablation and laparoscopic myomectomy (LM). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study group consisted of 346 patients with uterine fibroids who wished to conceive, in which 152 patients received HIFU ablation treatment (HIFU group) and 194 patients received LM treatment (LM group). The parents' baseline characters were recorded and the pregnancy outcomes were evaluated in a median follow-up time of 42 months (range: 16 ∼ 81) after the treatment, and the differences of the two groups were compared. RESULTS: Patients with uterine fibroids in HIFU group had a significant shorter pregnancy interval than that in LM group (10 months VS. 13 months, p < .05). No significant differences were observed in pregnancy rate, miscarriage rate, live birth rate, natural pregnancy rate, cesarean section rate, and perinatal complications rate between the HIFU group and the LM group (p > .05). When stratified by age, infertility history, fibroid types, fibroid numbers, and fibroid sizes, there was no statistically significant difference in pregnancy rate between the HIFU group and the LM group (p > .05). CONCLUSIONS: Based on the results from this study, both HIFU and LM can be safely used to treat patients who wish to conceive. The pregnancy outcomes of post-HIFU are similar to that of post-LM.

High-intensity focused ultrasound in the management of adenomyosis: long-term results from a single center.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the long-term clinical outcomes of patients with adenomyosis treated by high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU). MATERIALS AND METHODS: From June 2012 to January 2020, 2311 patients with adenomyosis were treated with HIFU at our center, 1982 patients who have complete clinical data were retrospectively reviewed. Among the patients who completed the follow-up, 485 were treated with HIFU alone, 289 were treated with HIFU followed by GnRH-a, 255 were treated with HIFU combined with Mirena and 594 were treated with HIFU combined with GnRH-a and Mirena. The dysmenorrhea severity pain score and average menorrhagia severity score before and at 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, 2 years, 3 years and 5 years after HIFU were compared. The adverse effects were recorded. In addition, the efficacy between patients treated with GnRH-a and/or Mirena were compared. RESULTS: After HIFU ablation, the dysmenorrhea severity pain score and the menorrhagia severity score were significantly decreased at each follow-up time point. However, it was observed that as the follow-up time increased, the effective rate of HIFU treatment in improving dysmenorrhea and menorrhagia decreased. The 6 months and 3 years follow-up results showed that the efficacy of HIFU combined with Mirena and HIFU combined with GnRH-a and Mirena were significantly higher than HIFU alone and HIFU combined with GnRH-a (p < 0.05). The major complications were rare. CONCLUSION: HIFU is a safe and effective treatment for patients with adenomyosis. HIFU combined with Mirena or HIFU combined with GnRH-a and Mirena can significantly enhance the long-term treatment results.

Peptide vaccine-conjugated mesoporous carriers synergize with immunogenic cell death and PD-L1 blockade for amplified immunotherapy of metastatic spinal.

The clinical treatment of metastatic spinal tumor remains a huge challenge owing to the intrinsic limitations of the existing methods. Programmed cell death protein 1 (PD1)/programmed cell death ligand 1 (PD-L1) pathway blockade has been explored as a promising immunotherapeutic strategy; however, their inhibition has a low response rate, leading to the minimal cytotoxic T cell infiltration. To ameliorate the immunosuppressive microenvironment of intractable tumor and further boost the efficacy of immunotherapy, we report an all-round mesoporous nanocarrier composed of an upconverting nanoparticle core and a large-pore mesoporous silica shell (UCMS) that is simultaneously loaded with photosensitizer molecules, the IDO-derived peptide vaccine AL-9, and PD-L1 inhibitor. The IDO-derived peptide can be recognized by the dendritic cells and presented to CD8+ cytotoxic T cells, thereby enhancing the immune response and promoting the killing of the IDO-expressed tumor cells. Meanwhile, the near-infrared (NIR) activated photodynamic therapy (PDT) could induce immunogenic cell death (ICD), which promotes the effector T-cell infiltration. By combining the PDT-elicited ICD, peptide vaccine and immune checkpoint blockade, the designed UCMS@Pep-aPDL1 successfully potentiated local and systemic antitumor immunity and reduced the progression of metastatic foci, demonstrating a synergistic strategy for cancer immunotherapy.

Changes in gene expression of adipose tissue CD14+ cells in patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus and their relationship with environmental factors. / 2åž‹ç³–å°¿ç— æ‚£è€ è„‚è‚ªç»„ç»‡CD14+ç»†èƒžåŸºå› è¡¨è¾¾çš„å˜åŒ–åŠå ¶ä¸ŽçŽ¯å¢ƒå› å­çš„å ³ç³».

OBJECTIVES: To study the gene expression of adipose tissue CD14+ cells in patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) based on chip data, screen differentially expressed genes, and analyze their relationship with the environmental factors. METHODS: The data of GSE54350 were obtained from the public database of gene expression profiling. The data were pre-processed by Network Analyst, String 11.0, Cytoscape 3.7.1, and other analytical software. The differentially expressed genes were analyzed by gene ontology biological function and kyoto encycopedia of genes and genomes (KEGG) signaling pathway to establish differential gene protein interaction network, transcription factor-gene regulatory network, microRNA-gene regulatory network, environmental factors-gene regulatory network, and other interaction systems. RESULTS: The gene expression pattern of CD14+ cells in adipose tissue of obese T2DM patients was significantly different from that of obese non-T2DM patients. There were 19 differentially expressed genes with up-regulation. The differentially expressed genes were mainly involved in ARP2/3 complex regulation of actin cytoskeleton, positively associated with biological processes such as protein complex assembly, and involved in the phagocytic Fcγ receptor signaling pathways and receptor family signaling pathways. The protein-protein interaction networks showed that TNF was the core protein node. The microRNA-gene regulatory network showed that hsa-mir-124-3p interacted with differentially expressed genes; TNF, KYNU, RCAN1 and other related genes all interacted with environmental factors. CONCLUSIONS: The gene expression of adipose tissue CD14+ cells are significantly changed in obese T2DM patients. TNF may play an important role in the process of obesity affecting the immune status of T2DM patients. Multiple microRNAs, transcription factors, and environmental factors also play a role in the above process. This study provides new material and new ideas for further exploration of the impact of obesity on T2DM patients.

Expression of the kisspeptin/gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) system in the brain of female Chinese sucker (Myxocyprinus asiaticus) at the onset of puberty.

The kisspeptin-kisspeptin receptor (kissr)-gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) system plays a key role in regulating the onset of puberty in mammals. However, the role of this system in fish is still unclear. We examined the relative gene expression patterns for kiss1, kiss2, kissr2, sGnRH, and pjGnRH in all parts of the brains of Chinese sucker (Myxocyprinus asiaticus) females at the prepubertal and pubertal stages by using real-time PCR. We also analyzed the expression of kiss1 and GnRH1 via immunofluorescence. Two variants of kisspeptin; a variant of kissr (kissr2); and two variants of GnRH, pjGnRH (GnRH1), and sGnRH (GnRH3), were expressed in all parts of the brain. The mRNA expression of kiss1 was higher in the telencephalon, mesencephalon, and diencephalon at the pubertal stage than at the prepubertal stage, and the expression of kiss2 was higher in only the telencephalon. The expression of kissr2 was higher in all parts of the brain, except the medulla, at the pubertal stage than at the prepubertal stage. pjGnRH was highly expressed in all parts of the brain at the pubertal stage, whereas sGnRH expression showed no distinct changes, except in the epencephalon. Strong kiss1 and weak GnRH-1 immunoreactivity was observed in the pineal gland, lateral tuberal nucleus (NLT), and ventral part of the NLT in the diencephalon of the Chinese sucker females at the pubertal stage. Our results suggest that the kiss1-kissr2-pjGnRH system was expressed highly at the onset of pubertal female Chinese sucker.

Risk Factors for Incidence and Prognosis in Chondrosarcoma Patients with Pulmonary Metastasis at Initial Diagnosis.

BACKGROUND The incidence and prognostic factors of chondrosarcoma patients have been reported in early studies. However, the association between risk factors and the incidence or prognosis of chondrosarcoma patients with pulmonary metastasis remains unclear. Therefore, we assessed these risk factors among chondrosarcoma patients with pulmonary metastasis. MATERIAL AND METHODS From 1365 chondrosarcoma patients in the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database, we collected the information of 69 patients with pulmonary metastasis at the initial diagnosis of chondrosarcoma from 2010 to 2016. We investigated the incidence, risk factors, and prognostic factors for pulmonary metastasis patients by using multivariate logistic regression and multivariate Cox regression analyses. RESULTS Data from a total of 69 (6.8%) chondrosarcoma patients with pulmonary metastasis at initial diagnosis were extracted. Patients with the following characteristics were positively associated with higher risk of pulmonary metastasis: dedifferentiated subtype, high grade of malignancy, extracompartmental tumor (Enneking B), presence of regional lymph nodes, local recurrence, large tumor size (larger than 15 cm), and being married. Older patients (older than 67 years), and patients with clear cell chondrosarcoma or large tumor size (larger than 15 cm) exhibited the worse prognosis and survival (overall and cancer-specific). Resection of the primary tumor tended to be correlated with a better prognosis. CONCLUSIONS The incidence of pulmonary metastasis in chondrosarcoma was approximately 6.8%, with poor prognosis. Identifying risk factors and their associations with the incidence and prognosis in chondrosarcoma patients with pulmonary metastasis could provide a reference for clinical surveillance and guide the design of personalized treatment plans.

Multi-segmental lumbar spinal stenosis treated with Dynesys stabilization versus lumbar fusion in elderly patients: a retrospective study with a minimum of 5 years' follow-up.

INTRODUCTION: Middle- and long-term outcomes of multi-segmental lumbar spinal stenosis treated with Dynesys stabilization (DS) have rarely been reported. Older age and multi-segmental degeneration may be positive factors in achieving satisfactory outcomes following DS. The present study aimed to compare the middle- and long-term outcomes of DS with lumbar fusion for treatment of multi-segmental lumbar spinal stenosis (ms-LSS) in elderly patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study retrospectively analyzed patients with ms-LSS treated by DS or lumbar fusion from January 2011 to April 2013. Twenty-two patients were included in the Dynesys group, and 44 patients treated by lumbar fusion and rigid fixation were included in the fusion group. Clinical outcomes were assessed by VAS and ODI. Radiological outcomes were measured by range of motion (ROM) of stabilized segments and the proximal adjacent segment, intervertebral disc height (DH) and L1-S1 lumbar lordosis angle (LL). Modified Pfirrmann grade score was used to access disc degeneration. OUTCOMES: The mean follow-up time of the Dynesys group and fusion group was 68.50 ± 6.40 and 70.14 ± 7.26 months, respectively. Baseline data were similar between the two groups. There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of improvement of clinical outcomes (VAS and ODI). DS preserved a certain degree of ROM (3.74 ± 2.00) of surgical segments. ROM of proximal adjacent segment underwent an increase in both groups at the final follow-up. The DH of the surgical segments and proximal adjacent segment in both groups was significantly lower than that before surgery (P = 0.000). LL of both groups improved (P = 0.000), and there was no significant difference between the two groups. The modified Pfirrmann score of proximal adjacent segment of both groups increased at the final follow-up. The fusion group underwent a more significant increase (P = 0.000), whereas the inter-group difference showed no significance (P = 0.090). CONCLUSION: DS is a safe and effective surgical treatment of multi-segmental lumbar spinal stenosis in the elderly population. DS preserves a certain degree of mobility of surgical segments.

Characteristics of cervical sagittal parameters in healthy cervical spine adults and patients with cervical disc degeneration.

BACKGROUND: The cervical sagittal parameters of the normal population and the impact of disc degeneration on cervical sagittal alignment have not been clearly defined yet. This study is applied to investigate the characteristics and relationships of cervical sagittal parameters in normal adults and patients with cervical disc degeneration. METHODS: We reviewed 50 normal control subjects (normal group, NG) and 50 patients with cervical disc degeneration (degeneration group, DG), who had both cervical MRI and radiographs obtained together, between January 2010 and September 2015. Data including C2-7 lordosis (CL), T1 slope (T1S), thoracic inlet angle (TIA), neck tilt (NT), C2-7 sagittal vertical axis (C2-7 SVA), cervical tilting, and cranial tilting on cervical radiographs were collected and analyzed. RESULTS: T1S in the NG was significantly greater than in the DG (P < 0.05), while NT and C2-7 SVA in the NG were significantly lower than in the DG (P < 0.01 and P < 0.05, respectively). T1S positively correlated with CL in both groups (Pearson correlation coefficients of 0.588 in the NG and 0.504 in the DG). No significant difference was seen in TIA between the NG and DG. CONCLUSIONS: T1S was involved in the occurrence and development of cervical disc degeneration, and TIA could be considered as a constant morphological parameter in both the normal population and cervical disc degeneration patients.

A prospective randomized trial comparing anterior cervical discectomy and fusion versus plate-only open-door laminoplasty for the treatment of spinal stenosis in degenerative diseases.

OBJECTIVE: For three or more involved cervical levels, there is a debate over which approach yields the best outcomes for the treatment of multilevel cervical degenerative disease. Our objective is to compare the radiological and clinical outcomes of two treatments for multilevel cervical degenerative disease: anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) versus plate-only open-door laminoplasty (laminoplasty). METHODS: Patients were randomized on a 1:1 randomization schedule with 17 patients in the ACDF group and 17 patients in the laminoplasty group. Clinical outcomes were assessed by a visual analog scale (VAS), Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) scores, operative time, blood loss, rates of complications, drainage volume, discharge days after surgery, and complications. The cervical spine curvature index (CI) and range of motion (ROM) were assessed with radiographs. RESULTS: The mean VAS score, the mean JOA score, and the rate of complications did not differ significantly between groups. The laminoplasty group had greater blood loss, a longer operative time, more drainage volume, and a longer hospital stay than the ACDF group. There were no significant differences in the CI and ROM between the two groups at baseline and at each follow-up time point. ROM in both groups decreased significantly after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Both ACDF and laminoplasty are effective and safe treatments for multilevel cervical degenerative disease. ACDF causes fewer traumas than laminoplasty.

Single-Level Rigid Fixation Combined with Coflex: A Biomechanical Study.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this biomechanical in vitro study was to compare the kinematics and intradiscal pressure achieved with 2 methods: L4-L5 pedicle screw-rod fixation (PSRF) with an upper L3-L4 Coflex device and L4-L5 PSRF alone. The results were used to characterize the biomechanics of the topping-off operation with a Coflex device for the lumbar motion segment adjacent to single-level rigid fixation. MATERIAL/METHODS: Six human cadaveric spine specimens were biomechanically tested in vitro (6 males, 0 females). The 3-dimensional specimen motion in response to applied loads during flexibility tests was determined. Loads were applied along anatomic axes to induce flexion-extension, lateral bending, and axial rotation. All specimens were first studied with intact lumbar motion segments, then with L4-L5 PSRF alone, and finally with L4-L5 PSRF with an upper L3-L4 Coflex device. A non-paired comparison of the 3 configurations under 3 different conditions was made. RESULTS: PSRF, with or without a Coflex device, significantly increased the range of motion (ROM) in the upper adjacent motion segments in all directions of loading. The intradiscal pressure (IDP) changed slightly. A correlation analysis showed that the ROM and IDP are significantly positively correlated. The application of the upper motion segment of the Coflex device provided greater stability in all directions of motion than did PSRF alone, particularly for extension (p<0.05), while use of a Coflex device did not significantly decrease the IDP compared with PSRF alone (p>0.05). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that L4-L5 PSRF with an L3-L4 Coflex device is more stable than L4-L5 PSRF alone. PSRF with an upper Coflex device is a promising alternative to PSRF alone. Based on these biomechanical tests, it might be considered a protective method to prevent adjacent segment degeneration (ASD), although some limitations with this in vitro study must be addressed in the future.

Recurrent adamantinoma in the thoracolumbar spine successfully treated by three-level total en bloc spondylectomy by a single posterior approach.

PURPOSE: Adamantinoma is a low-grade primary malignant bone tumour with slow growth and local recurrence. Its occurrence in the spine is extremely rare, particularly with multilevel involvement. This paper wants to present the first case involving a patient with recurrent thoracolumbar spinal adamantinoma, who underwent a successful three-level spondylectomy for en bloc resection. METHODS: A 24-year-old man with osteolytic masses of T11 and T12 vertebral bodies was performed curettage by a posterior approach in 2008. The pathology report showed the excised neoplasm was a rare adamantinoma. This patient underwent a tumorectomy again because of its local recurrence nearly 3 years later. In 2012, it was unfortunately revealed that the excised tumour had relapsed and had spread to the L1 vertebral body. Due to its repeated recurrence and aggressive lesion, total en bloc spondylectomy (TES) for this malignant tumour was thought to be the best option for preventing repeated recurrence and possible cure. TES for T11-L1 thoracolumbar spine was performed and spinal reconstruction was completed with instrumentation and a titanium mesh cage through a one-stage single posterior approach. RESULTS: After three-level TES, neurological deficits of the patient demonstrated good recovery and no evidence of adamantinoma recurrence or deformity was found at 2-year follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first case involving multilevel thoracolumbar spinal adamantinoma with repeated recurrence to be successfully treated by three-level TES by a single posterior approach.