Clinical guidelines for diagnosis and treatment of cervical spondylotic myelopathy with the integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine(2023) / 中国骨伤

The "Clinical Guidelines for Diagnosis and Treatment of Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy with the Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine" were formulated by the Orthopedic and Traumatology Professional Committee of the Chinese Association of Integrative Medicine in accordance with the principles of evidence-based medicine and expert consensus, and provide clinicians with academic guidance on clinical diagnosis and treatment of CSM. The main content includes diagnostic points, disease grading assessment, TCM syndrome differentiation, surgical indications and timing, integrated traditional Chinese and Western medicine treatment, and postoperative rehabilitation. This guideline proposes for the first time that the treatment of CSM should follow the principle of grading, clarify the timing and methods of surgical treatment, establish common TCM syndrome differentiation and classification, attach importance to postoperative integrated rehabilitation of Chinese and Western medicine, and strengthen daily follow-up management. It hopes to promote the standardization, effectiveness, and safety of clinical treatment of CSM.

Evaluation of the clinical effect of acupuncture in treatment of neck pain in cervical spondylosis based on propensity score matching / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To observe the clinical effect and safety of acupuncture in treatment of neck pain due to cervical spondylosis.@*METHODS@#According to the patients' preference and acceptance for the interventions of neck pain induced by cervical spondylosis, an acupuncture group (221 cases) and a non-acupuncture group (251 cases) were divided. After the control of confounding factors with propensity score matching, 218 cases were included in either acupuncture group or non-acupuncture group. In the acupuncture group, acupuncture was applied to Dazhui (GV 14), Baihui (GV 20), ashi points, bilateral neck-Jiaji (EX-B 2), Fengchi (GB 20), Houxi (SI 3), Shenmai (BL 62), etc. The treatment was given once daily, one course of intervention was composed of 5 treatments and 3 courses were included. In the non-acupuncture group, the oral administration of imrecoxib tablets and cobalt tablets was prescribed for 2 weeks. Before and after treatment, the scores of Northwick Park questionnaire (NPQ) and the simplified McGill pain questionnaire (SF-MPQ) were observed, and the safety was assessed in patients of the two groups.@*RESULTS@#After treatment completion, the scores of NPQ and SF-MPQ were all reduced when compared with those before treatment in each group (P<0.001), and the scores of NPQ and SF-MPQ in the acupuncture group were lower than those of the non-acupuncture group (P<0.001). The incidence of adverse reactions was 6.0% (13/218) in the acupuncture group and was 10.1% (22/218) in the non-acupuncture group, without statistical significance in comparison (P>0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#Acupuncture is effective and safe in the relief of neck pain and the improvement of comprehensive quality of life in the patients with cervical spondylosis.

Manifestations and distribution rules of jingjin lesions in neck-type cervical spondylosis / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the manifestations of jingjin (sinews/fascia) lesions and summarize their distribution rules in the patients with neck-type cervical spondylosis so as to provide the evidences for the development of clinical diagnosis and treatment scheme of acupuncture for cervical spondylosis.@*METHODS@#A total of 120 patients with neck-type cervical spondylosis were collected. The meridian diagnostic method was used to examine the upper back of each patient, the manifestation category of jingjin lesions, locations and the affected muscle regions of twelve meridians were recorded.@*RESULTS@#(1) The punctate lesions of jingjin were detected in 15 regions, and the highest frequency of lesion occurred in the region from the inner upper corner of the scapula to Quyuan (SI 13) (113 cases, 94.2% of lesion frequency). The lesion frequency of 10 regions was ≥50.0%. The punctate lesions were mainly distributed in the muscle regions of hand-shaoyang (349 cases) and foot-taiyang (333 cases). (2) The linear lesions of jingjin were detected in 10 regions, and the highest frequency of lesion occurred in the region from the inner upper corner of the scapula to Quyuan (SI 13) (77 cases, 64.2% of lesion frequency). The lesion frequency of 2 regions was ≥50.0%. The linear lesions occurred mainly in the muscle region of foot-taiyang (251 cases). (3) Eight regions were examined to be the planar lesions of jingjin, and the highest frequency of lesion was found in the site of Jianjing (GB 21) (84 cases, 70.0% of lesion frequency). The lesion frequency of 3 regions was ≥50.0%. The muscle region of foot-taiyang (260 cases) was predominated in the planar lesions. (4) The distribution of all of the punctate, linear and planar lesions of jingjin was analyzed statistically. It was found that 25 regions were involved and those with the high lesion frequency were distributed in the area from the inner upper corner of the scapula to Quyuan (SI 13), the sites of Jianjing (GB 21) and Dazhui (GV 14), transverse processes of C3 to C5 and the area from the lateral border of the scapula to the teres minor, separately. The muscle regions of foot-taiyang, hand-shaoyang and hand-yangming were involved in various kinds of jingjin lesions.@*CONCLUSION@#Jingjin lesions in patients with neck-type cervical spondylosis can be divided into three categories, namely, punctate, linear and planar lesions; of which, the punctate lesions are dominated. A majority of jingjin lesions is related to the muscle region of foot-taiyang, and the lesion frequency is higher compared with the lesions to the muscle regions of hand-shaoyang and hand-yangming. Jingjin lesions are commonly distributed in the area from the inner upper corner of the scapula to Quyuan (SI 13).

Effect of adjacent segmental facet joint degeneration on adjacent segment disease after lumbar fusion and fixation / 中国骨伤

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the effect of facet joint degeneration in adjacent segments on the incidence of adjacent segment disease (ASD) after lumbar fusion and fixation.@*METHODS@#A retrospective analysis was performed on 138 patients who underwent L5S1 posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) from June 2016 to June 2019. Patients were divided into a degeneration group (68 cases) and a non-degenerative group (70 cases) based on the presence or absence of L4,5 facet joint degeneration before surgery (graded using the Weishaupt standard). Age, gender, body mass index (BMI), follow-up time, and preoperative L4,5 intervertebral disc degeneration (graded using the Pfirrmann standard) were collected for both groups. Clinical outcomes were evaluated using the visual analogue scale (VAS) and Oswestry disability index (ODI) at 1 and 3 months after surgery. The incidence and time of ASD after surgery were analyzed.@*RESULTS@#There were no significant differences between the two groups in age, gender, BMI, follow-up time, or preoperative L4,5 intervertebral disc degeneration. Both groups showed significant improvement in VAS and ODI at 1 and 3 months after surgery (P<0.001), with no significant difference between the groups(P>0.05). However, there was a statistically significant difference in the incidence and timing of ASD between the groups (P<0.05). The degeneration group had 2 cases of ASD in gradeⅠdegeneration, 4 cases of ASD in gradeⅡdegeneration, and 7 cases of ASD in grade Ⅲ degeneration. There was a statistically significant difference between the number of patients with grade Ⅲ degeneration and those with gradesⅠandⅡASD (P<0.0167, Bonferroni correction).@*CONCLUSION@#Preoperative degeneration of adjacent articular processes will increase the risk of ASD after lumbar fusion fixation, whereas gradeⅢ degeneration will further increase the risk.

Cervical spondylosis of nerve root type with qi stagnation and blood stasis treated with warming needle with different lengths of moxa stick: a randomized controlled trial / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To compare the clinical efficacy on cervical spondylosis of nerve root type with qi stagnation and blood stasis treated with warming needle with different lengths of moxa stick.@*METHODS@#Six hundred patients with cervical spondylosis of nerve root type with qi stagnation and blood stasis were randomly divided into 4 groups: a 4 cm length group (150 cases, 5 cases dropped off, 2 cases suspended), a 3 cm length group (150 cases, 6 cases dropped off, 2 cases suspended), a 2 cm length group (150 cases, 6 cases dropped off), and a routine acupuncture group (150 cases, 6 cases dropped off). Warming needle with moxa stick in the length of 4 cm, 3 cm and 2 cm was delivered in the 4 cm length group, the 3 cm length group and the 2 cm length group, respectively. In the routine acupuncture group, simple acupuncture was applied. The acupoints selected in the above groups included Dazhui (GV 14) and bilateral Jiaji (EX-B 2) of C5 and C7, Fengchi (GB 20), Jianzhen (SI 9), Quchi (LI 11), Zhongzhu (TE 3), etc. In each group, the intervention was delivered once daily and 5 times a week. One course of intervention was composed of 2 weeks and 2 courses were required. The TCM syndrome score, the score of clinical assessment scale for cervical spondylosis (CASCS), the score of the brachial plexus traction test of the affected upper limb, F wave occurrence rate and conduction velocity of the ulnar nerve, the median nerve and the radial nerve of the affected upper limb were compared before and after treatment in the patients of each group. The levels of serum inflammatory factors, i.e. interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) and hypersensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), were measured before and after treatment in the patients of each group. The clinical cfficacy was evaluated in the 4 groups.@*RESULTS@#After treatment, the results of TCM syndrome evaluation, i.e. the scores of neck pain, activity limitation and upper limb numbness and pain, as well as the total scores; and the scores of brachial plexus traction test were reduced when compared with those before treatment in each group (P<0.01, P<0.05). The scores of subjective symptoms and adaptability, and the total scores of CASCS were elevated in comparison with those before treatment in each group (P<0.01, P<0.05). In the 4 cm length group, compared with the other 3 groups, the scores of neck pain and activity limitation for TCM syndrome evaluation, and its total score were lower (P<0.05, P<0.01); and the scores of subjective symptoms and adaptability, and the total score of CASCS were higher (P<0.05, P<0.01). The score of the brachial plexus traction test in the 4 cm length group was lower than that of the routine acupuncture group (P<0.05). After treatment, F wave occurrence rates and conduction velocity of median nerve and radial nerve were increased when compared with those before treatment in each group (P<0.05, P<0.01). F wave occurrence rate and conduction velocity of the radial nerve in the 4 cm length group were higher than those of the other 3 groups (P<0.05), and those of the median nerve were higher when compared with the routine acupuncture group (P<0.05). After treatment, the levels of serum IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α were all reduced when compared with those before treatment in each group (P<0.01, P<0.05); the level of serum IL-6 in the 4 cm length group was lower than those of the other 3 groups and serum level of TNF-α was lower compared with that in the routine acupuncture group (P<0.05). The total effective rate of the 4 cm length group was 78.3% (112/143), which was higher when compared with the 3 cm length group (67.6%, 96/142), the 2 cm length group (65.3%, 94/144) and the routine acupuncture group (53.5%, 77/144), respectively (P<0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#Warming needle with moxa stick of 4 cm in length effectively relieves the clinical symptoms of cervical spondylosis of nerve root type with qi stagnation and blood stasis, improves the nerve function of the upper limbs, and reduces the inflammatory responses caused by nerve compression. The clinical efficacy of this therapy with moxa stick of 4 cm in length is superior to the warming needle with moxa sticks of 3 cm and 2 cm, as well as the routine acupuncture.

Experimental study of improved sclerotherapy injection in rat model of vertebral arteriocervical spondylopathy / 中国骨伤

OBJECTIVE@#To improve the rat model of cervical spondylosis of vertebral artery type (CSA) induced by injecting sclerosing agent. To evaluate the efficacy of injecting sclerosing agent to induce CSA.@*METHODS@#Forty Health SPF SD rats(20 males and 20 females), were randomly divided into two groups:the model group (20) and the blank group (20). All the animals were followed up for 4 weeks for the observation of general situation, transcranial Doppler(TCD) detection of blood flow velocity, pulsatility index and resistive index of the vertebral artery, measurement of mental distress by open-field test.@*RESULTS@#One to two days after establish the animal model, rats in the model group appeared apathetic with decreased autonomic activities, trembling, squinting, increased eye excrement, etc., and no rats died during the experiment. The mean blood flow velocity of the model group was lower than that of the blank group (P<0.05), and the pulsatilit index and resistive index of the model group were higher than that of the blank group (P<0.05). The mental distress of the model group was significantly higher than that of the blank group.@*CONCLUSION@#The modified injection of sclerosing agent is a practical method to establish the rat model of CSA, with high success rate, high stability, low mortality and simple operation.

Comparative analysis of clinical efficacy between posterior percutaneous endoscopic discectomy and anterior cervical discectomy and fusion in the treatment of cervical spondylotic radiculopathy / 中国骨伤

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the clinical efficacy of posterior percutaneous endoscopic discectomy(PPECD) in the treatment of cervical spondylotic radiculopathy.@*METHODS@#A total of 56 patiens with single segment cervical spondylotic radiculopathy from December 2017 to October 2020, were randomly divided into observation group and control group. In observation group, there were 16 males and 11 females, including 8 cases of C4,5, 13 cases of C5,6 and 6 cases of C6,7 performed posterior percutaneous endoscopic discectomy, aged from 34 to 61 years old with an average of (51.15±6.29) years old. In control group, there were 19 males and 10 females with single segment cervical spondylotic radiculopathy including 10 cases of C4,5, 14 cases of C5,6 and 5 cases of C6,7 performed anterior cervical discectomy and fusion, aged from 40 to 65 years old with an average of (53.24±5.31) years old. The operative time, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative time of lying in bed and length of postoperative hospital stay were recorded. Visual analogue scale(VAS) and neck disability index(NDI) were used to evaluate the clinical efficacy. Cervical plain films or MRIs, CTs were taken for re-visiting patients.@*RESULTS@#All patients were followed up more than 2 years. The observation group patients were followed up, the duration ranged from 24 to 42 months with an average of (30.48±4.91) months. The control group patients were followed up, the duration ranged from 25 to 47 months, with an average of (32.76±4.53) months. Compared with control group, operative time, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative time of lying in bed and length of postoperative hospital stay were decreased(P<0.05). Compared with pre-operation, VAS of neck and upper limb and NDI at the latest follow-up between two groups were significantly improved(P<0.05). Compared with control group, VAS of neck and upper limb at 1 day after operation in observation group were significantly reduced(P<0.05). There was no significant difference in VAS of neck and upper limb and NID at 1, 3 months and the latest follow-up after operation between two groups(P>0.05). In the observation group, one patient's deltoid muscle strength was weakened to grade 4 after operation, and returned to normal after 12 weeks of conservative treatment. In control group, there was 1 case of postoperative adjacent spondylosis with symptoms of spinal compression after 2 years operation, then underwent cervical artificial intervertebral disc replacement. And there was 1 case of dysphagia after operation in control group and improved after 1 year. There was no significant difference in incidence of complications between two groups.@*CONCLUSION@#PPECD has advantages of shortening operative time, decreasing intraoperative blood loss, reducing postoperative time of lying in bed and length of postoperative hospital stay. However, applicable age range of patients and long-term clinical efficacy needs further study.

Diagnosis and treatment of 11 patients with cevical spondylotic amyotrophy / 中国骨伤

OBJECTIVE@#To explore clinical features, treatment methods and clinical effects of cervical spondylosis with proximal muscular atrophy.@*METHODS@#Eleven patients with proximal-type cervical spondylotic amyotrophy were retrospectively studied from September 2016 to November 2020, including 7 males and 4 females, aged 38 to 68 years old. Clinical symptoms, MRI and neuroelectrophysiological manifestations were analyzed, and patients were treated with conservative treatment or anterior cervical decompression fusion surgery, respectively. The efficacy was evaluated by manual muscle test (MMT) before and after treatment, and patients' satisfaction was followed up at the same time.@*RESULTS@#All patients were followed up for 6 to 19 months. All 11 patients were unilateral, mainly manifested by atrophy of deltoid muscle, supraspinatus muscle and infraspinatus muscle, and may be accompanied by ipsilateral neck and shoulder pain at early stage. MRI showed lesions at C4,5, C5,6 segments were more common. Electrophysiological examination showed the affected muscle was denervated, and amplitude of compound muscle action potential (CMAP) of innervated nerve on the affected side was lower than that on the healthy side. All patients were obtained bone fusion. One patient who were underwent anterior cervical corpectomy and fusion (ACCF) occurred developed contralateral C5 nerve root paralysis after operation, which recovered completely after 10 weeks of symptomatic treatment. At 12 months after operation, the efficacy was evaluated according to MMT, 3 patients were treated conservatively, 2 patients excellent and 1 good;in 8 patients treated by operation, 3 patients were excellent, 4 good, and 1 moderate.@*CONCLUSION@#The incidence of cervical spondylosis with proximal muscular atrophy is low, which is manifested as unilateral proximal muscle atrophy and may be accompanied by ipsilateral neck and shoulder pain in the early stage. Combined with MRI and neuroelectrophysiological examination, misdiagnosis could be reduced. In the early stage of disease, especially in the case of nucleus pulposus protrusion leading to nerve compression, conservative treatment could be taken. When the conservative treatment is ineffective or the pain cannot be tolerated, anterior decompression surgery is recommended, and the overall effect is satisfactory.

Correlation between the Severity of the Lumbar Degenerative Disease and Sagittal Spinopelvic Alignment / Correlação entre a gravidade da doença degenerativa lombar e o alinhamento espinopélvico

Abstract Objective To evaluate the impact of the severity of lumbar degenerative disease (LDD) on sagittal spinopelvic alignment. Methods In total, 130 patients (mean age: 57 years; 75% female) with LDD-associated low-back pain were prospectively included. The severity of the LDD was defined by the following findings on anteroposterior and lateral lumbar spine radiographs: osteophytosis; loss of of height of the intervertebral disc; terminal vertebral plate sclerosis; number of affected segments; deformities; and objective instability. The disease was classified as follows: grade 0-absence of signs of LDD in the lumbar spine; grade I - signs of LDD in up to two segments; grade II - three or more segments involved; grade III - association with scoliosis, spondylolisthesis, or laterolisthesis. Spinopelvic radiographic parameters, including pelvic incidence (PI), lumbar lordosis (LL), discrepancy between the PI and LL (PI-LL), pelvic tilt (PT), and sagittal vertical axis (SVA), were analyzed according to the LDD grades. Results The radiographic parameters differed according to the LDD grades; grade-III patients presented higher SVA (p= 0.001) and PT (p= 0.0005) values, denoting greater anterior inclination of the trunk and pelvic retroversion when compared to grade-0 andgrade-I subjects. In addition, grade-III patients had higher PI-LL values, which indicates loss of PI-related lordosis, than grade-I subjects (p= 0.04). Conclusion Patients with more severe LDD tend to present greater spinopelvic sagittal misalignment compared to patients with a milder disease.

Resumo Objetivo Avaliar o impacto da graduação da doença degenerativa lombar (DDL) sobre o alinhamento sagital espinopélvico. Métodos Ao todo, 130 pacientes (dade média: 57 anos; 75% do sexo feminino) com dor lombar associada a DDL foram prospectivamente incluídos. A gravidade da DDL foi definida pelos seguintes achados nas radiografias anteroposterior e de perfil da coluna lombar: osteofitose; perda de altura do disco intervertebral; esclerose na placa vertebral terminal; número de segmentos afetados; deformidades; e instabilidade objetiva. Os pacientes foram graduados segundo a DDL da seguinte maneira: grau 0-ausência de sinais de DDL na coluna lombar; grau I - sinais de DDL em até dois segmentos; grau II - envolvimento em três ou mais segmentos; grau III - quando associada a escoliose, espondilolistese ou laterolistese. Parâmetros radiográficos espinopélvicos, como incidência pélvica (IP), lordose lombar (LL), discrepância entre a IP e a LL (IP-LL), versão pélvica (VP), e eixo vertical sagital (EVS) foram analisados de acordo com os graus de DDL. Resultados Houve diferença nos parâmetros radiográficos comparando-se os graus de DDL, com os pacientes de grau III apresentando maiores valores de EVS (p= 0,001) e VP (p= 0,0005), o que denota maior inclinação anterior do tronco e maior retroversão pélvica do que os pacientes de graus 0 e I. Pacientes de grau III também apresentaram maiores valores de IP-LL, o que denota perda da lordose relativa ao valor da IP, do que pacientes grau I (p= 0,04). Conclusão Pacientes com DDL mais grave demonstraram uma tendência a maior desalinhamento sagital espinopélvico comparados com pacientes com graus mais leves.

Correlation analysis of cervical spine dysfunction, pain and muscle strength in office workers / 中华劳动卫生职业病杂志

Objective: To expore the correlation between neck disability, neck pain and muscle strength in cervical pondylosis of office worker, and to provide scientific basis for the prevention and treatment of cervical spondylosis. Methods: In April 2021 ,234 patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy treated in the Subsidiary Rehabilitation Hospital of Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine from April 2015 to April 2017 were selected, the correlation between Neck Disability Index (NDI) score, neck pain and muscle strength was analyzed using the Spearman rank correlation method. Mann-Whitney U test was used to compare the difference of maximum muscle strength of isometric contraction. Results: NDI score was negatively correlated with neck flexion, extension, and muscle strength in the left and right flexion directions (r(s)=-0.164, -0.169, -0.222, -0.176, P=0.012, 0.010, 0.001 , 0.007). In mild and moderate functional disorder patients, the muscle strength in flexion, extension and left and right flexion direction was greater, the difference was statistically significant (P <0.01). Conclusion: There is a negative correlation between cervical functional disorder and cervical muscle strength in office workers, suggesting that strengthening cervical muscle strength may be a way to improve cervical spine function.

Clinical symptoms and imaging findings of cervical instability in young adult / 中国骨伤

OBJECTIVE@#To explore clinical symptoms and X-ray imaging features of cervical instability in young adult represented by postgraduates with a master's degree in medicine.@*METHODS@#Totally 91 postgraduates with a master's degree in medicine were investigated from September to December 2021, including 45 males and 46 females;aged from 22 to 30 years old with an average of (25.30±2.18) years old. The cervical spondylosis-related discomfort symptoms of the subjects were collected and examined by the examiner for neck and shoulder tenderness point examination and cervical vertebra positive and lateral and functional X-ray radiography. According to the results of X-ray examination, the subjects were divided into stable cervical group and unstable cervical group.@*RESULTS@#Among 91 subjects, there were 50 patients with cervical instability, accounting for 54.90% of total number of subjects. The cervical curvature was abnormal in 78 patients, accounting for 85.70% of total number of subjects. Among 50 patients with cervical instability, 50 patients were diagnosed as cervical instability on the basis of angular displaxement(AD)≥ 11 °, including 13 cases of C3,4 instability, 30 cases of C4,5 instability and 7 cases of C5,6 instability;and 5 cases were diagnosed as cervical instability based on horizontal displacement(HD)≥ 3.5 mm, including 1 case of C3,4 instability and 4 cases of C4,5 instability. Compared with stable cervical group, the number of discomfort symptoms of neck pain, headache and shoulder pain in instability group was significantly higher than that of in stable cervical group(P<0.05);and the number of tenderness in spinous process space of C4,5 and C5,6, 2 cm adjacent to the spinous process of C2-C5 and the superior angle of the scapula (the stop point of levator scapulae) in the instability group was significantly higher than that in the stable cervical group (P<0.05);and the cervical curvature in the instability group was significantly lower than that in stable cervical group(P<0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#The incidence of cervical instability in young adult represented by postgraduates with a master's degree in medicine is high, they are mainly diagnosed as cervical instability on the basis of vertebral angular displacement ≥ 11°, and the instability segments are concentrated on C3,4, C4,5 and C5,6 segments, the occurrence of cervical instability is often accompanied by abnormalities of cervical curvature. Most of clinical manifestations are head, neck and shoulder pain, especially neck pain in unstable segment.

Comparison of vesselplasty and percutanous kyphoplasty in the treatment of Kümmell disease / 中国骨伤

OBJECTIVE@#To compare the efficacy between vesselplasty and percutanous kyphoplasty (PKP) in the treatment of Kümmell disease.@*METHODS@#The clinical data of patients with Kümmell disease from July 2018 to December 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. According to the different therapeutic methods, the patients were divided into vesselplasty group and PKP group. There were 20 patients in vesselplasty group, including 2 males and 18 females, aged from 54 to 83 years with an average of (67.40±7.44)years, 1 case of T10 fracture, 3 cases of T12 fracture, 9 cases of L1 fractures, 5 cases of L2 fractures and 2 cases of L3 fractures. There were 20 patients in PKP group, including 3 males and 17 females, aged from 56 to 81 with an average of(67.20±7.01) years, 2 cases of T10 fracture, 1 case of T11 fracture, 6 cases of T12 fracture, 10 cases of L1 fracture and 1 case of L3 fracture. Visual analogue scale(VAS), Cobb angle, anterior vertebral height were recorded before operation, 1 day after operation and 1 year after operation. Oswestry Disability Index(ODI) was recorded before operation, 1 month after operation and 1 year after operation. And bone cement leakage rate was compared between two groups after operation.@*RESULTS@#All the patient were followed up for more than 1 year. In vesselplasty group, VAS score was 1.20±0.41, ODI was(13.50±3.10)%, Cobb angle was(17.20±3.12)° and anterior vertebral height was(20.20±1.35) mm at 1 year after operation. In PKP group, VAS score was 1.15±0.40, ODI was (13.20±3.00)%, Cobb angle was (17.10±3.19)° and anterior vertebral height was (20.10±1.37) mm at 1 year after operation. These index was significantly better than pre-operation through intra-group comparison(P<0.05), and there was no statistically difference between the two groups(P>0.05). There were 20 cases (20 vertebrae) in vesselplasty group, of which 1 case had bone cement leakage at the upper endplate, with a leakage rate of 5%(1/20). In PKP group, there were 20 cases (20 vertebrae), 3 cases of upward endplate leakage(3/7), 1 case of downward endplate leakage(1/7), 1 case of leakage to the front of the vertebral body(1/7), 2 cases of leakage to the side of the vertebral body(2/7), with a leakage rate of 35% (7/20). The difference between two groups was statistically significant(P<0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#Vesselplasty in the treatment of Kümmell disease can better reduce leakage rate of bone cement and reduce complications.

Manual therapy combined with posterior percutaneous endoscopic cervical decompression for the treatment of cervical spondylotic radiculopathy / 中国骨伤

OBJECTIVE@#To explore the clinical efficacy and safety of manual therapy combined with posterior percutaneous endoscopic cervical decompression(PECD) in the treatment of intractable cervical spondylotic radiculopathy.@*METHODS@#From May 2016 to May 2018, 23 CSR patients who responded poorly to conservative treatment for at least 6 weeks underwent the combination management. Firstly, the patients received the posterior percutaneous endoscopic cervical decompression routine care for the following 4 weeks and manual therapy for another 4 weeks. A total of 23 patients were followed up, including 14 males and 9 females, the age ranged from 29 to 78 years old with an average of (50.30±12.28) years, the course of disease was 3 to 24 months with an average of (9.74±5.76) months. The lesion segment involved C4,5 in 4 cases, C5,6 in 13 cases, C6,7 in 6 cases. The visual analogue scale (VAS), neck disability index (NDI), changes of cervical physiological curvature and interbody stability, adverse events were observed before and after operation. The follow-up time points were before operation, 1 day after operation and 1, 3 and 6 months after operation.@*RESULTS@#All patients successfully completed the operation and manual treatment for 4 to 8 times. Among the 29 cases, 23 patients were followed up for more than 6 months. There was no spinal cord and nerve root injury during the treatment and follow-up. Operation time was from 80 to 120 min with a median of 90 min;intraoperative blood loss was from 35 to 80 ml with a median of 50 ml. NDI, VAS of neck, shoulder and arm each period after operation were significantly lower than those before PECD(P<0.05), while there were no significant improvement in cervical physiological curvature and target segment intervertebral space height(P>0.05);there was no significant change in interbody stability (P>0.05). After received the manual therapy, NDI significantly decreased (P<0.05), however, there was no significant difference in VAS of neck, shoulder and arm, physiological curvature of cervical spine and intervertebral space height of target segment compared with that before manual treatment (P>0.05);there was no significant change in interbody stability (P>0.05).@*CONCLUSION@#Manual therapy combined with PECD in the treatment of intractable cervical spondylotic radiculopathy can not only quickly improve the symptoms, but also alleviate the residual symptoms after PECD safely and effectively, and can not cause obvious signs of accelerated instability of cervical adjacent segments in the short term.

Effect of wheat-grain moxibustion on the expression of Beclin-1/GRP78 in spinal dorsal horn in rats with cervical spondylotic radiculopathy / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To observe the effect of wheat-grain moxibustion at "Dazhui" (GV 14) on the expressions of Beclin-1 and GRP78 in spinal dorsal horn in rats with cervical spondylotic radiculopathy (CSR), and to explore the possible analgesic mechanism of wheat-grain moxibustion for CSR.@*METHODS@#A total of 48 SD rats were randomly divided into a sham operation group, a model group, a wheat-grain moxibustion group and a wheat-grain moxibustion+3-MA group, 12 rats in each group. The CSR model was prepared by spinal cord insertion method. Three days after modeling, the rats in the model group were intraperitoneally injected with 1 mL of 0.9% sodium chloride solution; the rats in the wheat-grain moxibustion group were treated with wheat-grain moxibustion at "Dazhui" (GV 14, 6 cones per time) on the basis of the model group; the rats in the wheat-grain moxibustion+3-MA group were intraperitoneally injected with 3-MA solution and wheat-grain moxibustion at "Dazhui" (GV 14, 6 cones per time). The three groups were intervened for 7 days, once a day. The gait score and mechanical pain threshold were observed before treatment and 7 days into treatment; after the treatment, the expressions of mRNA and protein of Beclin-1 in spinal dorsal horn were detected by real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR and immunohistochemistry; the expression of GRP78 protein in spinal dorsal horn was detected by Western blot method; the autophagosomes and ultrastructure in spinal dorsal horn neurons were observed by electron microscope.@*RESULTS@#After the treatment, compared with the sham operation group, in the model group, the gait score was increased and the mechanical pain threshold was decreased (P<0.01), and the expression of GRP78 protein in spinal dorsal horn was increased (P<0.01). Compared with the model group and the wheat-grain moxibustion+3-MA group, in the wheat-grain moxibustion group, the gait score was decreased and mechanical pain threshold was increased (P<0.01), and the expression of GRP78 protein in spinal dorsal horn was decreased, and the expressions of mRNA and protein of Beclin-1 were increased (P<0.01). Under electron microscope, the ultrastructure of spinal dorsal horn neurons in the wheat-grain moxibustion group was not significantly damaged, and its structure was basically close to normal, and the number of autophagosomes was more than the other three groups.@*CONCLUSION@#Wheat-grain moxibustion at "Dazhui" (GV 14) has analgesic effect on CSR rats. The mechanism may be related to moderately up-regulate the expression of Beclin-1, enhance autophagy and reduce endoplasmic reticulum stress.

Buckling of the Ligamentum Flavum as a Rare Complication of Anterior Cervical Corpectomy and Fusion: A Case Report

Introduction and Importance Neurological deterioration due to buckling of the ligamentum flavum (LF) is an uncommon complication after anterior cervical corpectomy or discectomy with fusion. Case Presentation In this report, we present the case of a 66-year-old male who underwent anterior cervical partial corpectomy of C5 and discectomy of prolapsed C5- C6 with fusion. Postsurgery, the patient displayed signs of neurological deterioration. Upon immediate cervical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), posterior canal stenosis and severe compression with cord signal due to LF buckling were detected. A posterior laminectomy procedure and canal decompression at the C5-C6 level with bone fusion were performed. Clinical Discussion Patient presented with walking difficulty, then walking disability, followed by bilateral upper and lower limb paresthesia with burning sensation. Examination showed ⅘ muscle strength in both handgrips. Further investigation showed brisk deep tendon reflexes, positive Hoffman sign unilaterally, equivocal Babinski sign, and progressive quadriparesis. Magnetic resonance imaging showed mild and diffuse building of some cervical discs, with spinal cord progression. We performed an anterior cervical corpectomy and fusion (ACCF) and anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF); a titanium mesh with plates and screws was used for fusion, with removal of a calcified and herniated subligamentous disc. Postoperatively, upper and lower limb strength deteriorated; immediate cervical and thoracic MRI showed LF buckling, which caused canal stenosis and severe compression. Urgent posterior laminectomy and canal decompression with bone fusion was scheduled on the same day. The patient underwent physiotherapy and regained upper and lower limb strength and his ability to walk. Conclusion This indicates the possibility of neurological deterioration as a result of LF buckling, whichmay be a result of LF thickening accompanied by hyperextension in the cervical region. In this regard, immediate imaging following signs of neurological complications after anterior cervical corpectomy or discectomy warrants early detection, which results in a better prognosis.

Research on the improved image tracking algorithm of athletes' cervical health / Pesquisa sobre o algoritmo de rastreamento de imagem aprimorado da saúde do colo do útero de atletas / Investigación sobre el algoritmo de seguimiento de imágenes mejorado de la salud cervical de los atletas

ABSTRACT Objective: With the increasing number and youth of patients with cervical spondylosis, people pay more and more attention to the cervical spine. Early diagnosis, intervention and treatment play an important role in the recovery of cervical spondylosis. With the continuous development of computer technology, the improvement of various modeling theories, and the application of image processing methods in orthopedics, new ideas are opened to observe cervical vertebra motion health. Methods: In this paper, the measurement of cervical motion is achieved by machine vision. A method of parameter measurement based on the constraint relationship of lower cervical motion is proposed. Based on image preprocessing, the left edge of the cervical vertebra was extracted and analyzed. Results: With the horizontal coordinate of registration point as the reference line, the changing trend of the angle between the left edge curve and the reference line of C4 and C5 vertebrae in the process of spontaneous flexion and extension of the cervical vertebrae was observed, and the movement rate of the cervical vertebrae was analyzed. Conclusions: It was found that the speed of the cervical vertebrae in the process of movement of the patients with cervical spondylosis showed jumping changes. Level of evidence II; Therapeutic studies - investigation of treatment results.

RESUMO Objetivo: Com o aumento do número e da juventude dos pacientes com espondilose cervical, as pessoas prestam cada vez mais atenção à coluna cervical. O diagnóstico, intervenção e tratamento precoces desempenham um papel importante na recuperação da espondilose cervical. Com o desenvolvimento contínuo da tecnologia computacional, o aprimoramento de várias teorias de modelagem e a aplicação de métodos de processamento de imagens na ortopedia, novas ideias se abrem para observar a saúde do movimento das vértebras cervicais. Métodos: Neste trabalho, a mensuração do movimento cervical é realizada por meio de visão artificial. É proposto um método de medição de parâmetro baseado na taxa de restrição de movimento cervical inferior. Com base no pré-processamento da imagem, a borda esquerda da vértebra cervical foi extraída e analisada. Resultados: Com a coordenada horizontal do ponto de registro como linha de referência, a tendência de mudança do ângulo entre a curva da borda esquerda e a linha de referência das vértebras C4 e C5 foi observada no processo de flexão espontânea e extensão do vértebras, vértebras cervicais e a taxa de movimento das vértebras cervicais. Conclusões: Verificou-se que a velocidade das vértebras cervicais no processo de movimentação de pacientes com espondilose cervical apresentou alterações de salto. Nível de evidência II; Estudos terapêuticos- investigação dos resultados do tratamento.

RESUMEN Objetivo: Con el número creciente y la juventud de pacientes con espondilosis cervical, las personas prestan cada vez más atención a la columna cervical. El diagnóstico, la intervención y el tratamiento tempranos juegan un papel importante en la recuperación de la espondilosis cervical. Con el desarrollo continuo de la tecnología informática, la mejora de varias teorías de modelado y la aplicación de métodos de procesamiento de imágenes en ortopedia, se abren nuevas ideas para observar la salud del movimiento de las vértebras cervicales. Métodos: En este trabajo, la medición del movimiento cervical se logra mediante visión artificial. Se propone un método de medición de parámetros basado en la relación de restricción del movimiento cervical inferior. Sobre la base del preprocesamiento de imágenes, se extrajo y analizó el borde izquierdo de la vértebra cervical. Resultados: Con la coordenada horizontal del punto de registro como línea de referencia, se observó la tendencia cambiante del ángulo entre la curva del borde izquierdo y la línea de referencia de las vértebras C4 y C5 en el proceso de flexión y extensión espontánea de las vértebras cervicales, y Se analizó la tasa de movimiento de las vértebras cervicales. Conclusiones: Se encontró que la velocidad de las vértebras cervicales en el proceso de movimiento de los pacientes con espondilosis cervical mostró cambios de salto. Nivel de evidencia II; Estudios terapéuticos- investigación de los resultados del tratamiento.

Impact of the grade of degenerative lumbar disease on the occurrence of spinal deformity / Impacto da graduação da doença degenerativa lombar sobre a ocorrência de deformidade da coluna vertebral / Impacto de la graduación de la enfermedad degenerativa lumbar sobre la ocurrencia de deformidad de la columna vertebral

ABSTRACT Objective: To evaluate the impact of the severity of degenerative lumbar disease (DLD) on the occurrence of spinal deformity, as well as on the choice of treatment, whether conservative or surgical. Methods: This is a retrospective analysis of a prospective database. One hundred and thirty patients with low back pain and/or pain radiating to the lower limbs were included in the study and were graded on a DLD scale that considers total spine (panoramic) X-ray findings. The rates of adult spinal deformity (ASD) for the different degrees of the DLD scale were compared using the Chi-square test. The choice of treatment type, conservative or surgical, was also compared among the degrees of the DLD scale using Fisher's exact test. Results: The ASD rate was zero in grade 0 patients, 24% in grade I, 35% in grade II and 44% in grade III (P = 0.02). Grade III patients were more likely to be diagnosed with ASD (OR = 2.22; P <0.05; 95% CI = 0.90-5.45) compared to the other DLD grades. Only 7.7% of the patients were chosen for surgical treatment and there was no difference by the DLD scale grade. Conclusion: There was correlation between the DLD grading scale and the occurrence of ASD, with at least twice the chance of this diagnosis in DLD scale grade III as compared to the other grades. The treatment of choice was conservative in a very small number of patients analyzed, with no difference between the different grades of the DLD grading scale. Level of Evidence III; Retrospective analysis of prospective database (cohort).

RESUMO Objetivo: Avaliar o impacto da gravidade da doença degenerativa lombar (DDL) sobre a ocorrência de deformidade vertebral, assim como sobre a escolha do tratamento - conservador ou cirúrgico. Métodos: Trata-se de uma análise retrospectiva de um banco de dados prospectivo. Cento e trinta pacientes com dor lombar e/ou dor irradiada para o membro inferior foram incluídos no estudo e graduados por uma escala de DDL que considera achados radiográficos da coluna total (panorâmica). A taxa de ocorrência de deformidade da coluna vertebral no adulto (DCVA) foi comparada entre os graus da escala da DDL pelo teste de Qui-quadrado. A escolha do tipo de tratamento, conservador ou cirúrgico, foi comparada entre os graus de DDL pelo teste exato de Fisher. Resultados: A taxa de ocorrência de DCVA foi zero nos pacientes com grau 0, 24% nos pacientes com grau I, 35% nos pacientes com grau II e 44% nos pacientes com grau III (P = 0,02). Os pacientes com grau III tiveram maior probabilidade de ser diagnosticados com DCVA (OR = 2,22; P < 0,05; IC de 95% = 0,90-5,45) comparados com os dos indivíduos com outros graus. Apenas 7,7% dos pacientes foram escolhidos para tratamento cirúrgico, sem diferença quanto ao grau da escala de DDL. Conclusões: Houve correlação entre a escala de graduação da DDL e a ocorrência de DCVA, sendo ao menos duas vezes maior a chance dessa ocorrência no grau III comparado com os demais graus. Na imensa minoria dos pacientes, o tratamento escolhido foi o conservador, sem diferença entre os distintos graus de DDL. Nível de evidência III; Análise retrospectiva de banco de dados prospectivo (coorte).

RESUMEN Objetivo: Evaluar el impacto de la gravedad de la enfermedad degenerativa lumbar (EDL) sobre la ocurrencia de la deformidad vertebral, así como sobre la elección del tratamiento - conservador o quirúrgico. Métodos: Se trata de un análisis retrospectivo de un banco de datos prospectivo. Ciento treinta pacientes con dolor lumbar y/o dolor irradiado para los miembros inferiores fueron incluidos en el estudio y graduados por una escala de EDL que considera hallazgos radiográficos de la columna total (panorámica). La tasa de ocurrencia de deformidad de la columna vertebral en el adulto (DCVA) fue comparada entre los grados de la escala de EDL mediante el test de Chi-cuadrado. La elección del tipo de tratamiento, conservador o quirúrgico, también se comparó entre los grados de EDL mediante el test exacto de Fisher. Resultados: La tasa de ocurrencia de DCVA fue cero en los pacientes con grado 0, 24% en los pacientes con grado I, 35% en grado II y 44% en grado III (P = 0,02). Los pacientes con grado III tuvieron mayor probabilidad de ser diagnosticados con DCVA (OR = 2,22; P<0,05; IC de 95% =0,90-5,45) en comparación con los individuos con otros grados. Sólo 7,7% de los pacientes fueron escogidos para tratamiento quirúrgico, sin diferencia sobre el grado de la escala EDL. Conclusiones: Hubo correlación entre la escala de graduación de EDL y la ocurrencia de DCVA, siendo al menos dos veces mayor la posibilidad de esa ocurrencia en el grado III en comparación con los demás grados. En la inmensa minoría de pacientes, el tratamiento escogido fue el conservador, sin diferencia entre los diferentes grados de EDL. Nivel de evidencia III; Análisis retrospectivo de banco de datos prospectivo (cohorte).

Effect of acupuncture on pain-emotion related brain regions in patients with cervical spondylosis of cervical type: a fMRI study / 中国针灸

OBJECTIVE@#To observe the changes of functional connectivity of brain pain-emotion regulation region in patients with cervical spondylosis of cervical type by functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).@*METHODS@#Thirty-two subjects were selected. Of them, 16 patients with cervical spondylosis of cervical type were divided into an observation group and 16 healthy subjects into a control group. The patients in the observation group were treated with acupuncture at Tianzhu (BL 10), Jingbailao (EX-HN 15), Jianzhongshu (SI 15) and @*RESULTS@#In the observation group, the VAS score was (1.94±1.12) after the treatment, which was lower than (5.62±1.20) before treatment (@*CONCLUSION@#Pain involves the formation and expression of "pain-emotion-cognition". Acupuncture can systematically regulate the brain functional connections between cognitive regions such as dorsal prefrontal lobe and anterior cingulate gyrus and emotional regions such as insula and VTA in patients with cervical spondylosis of cervical type, suggesting that acupuncture has a multi-dimensional and comprehensive regulation effect on pain.

Imaging study of soft tissue swelling after anterior cervical corpectomy / 中国骨伤

OBJECTIVE@#To study the changes of anterior soft tissue swelling after anterior cervical subtotal corpectomy, titanium mesh fusion and internal fixation.@*METHODS@#From November 2015 to July 2018, 151 patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy were treated with anterior single corpectomy, titanium mesh fusion and internal fixation, including 109 males and 42 females, aged 44 to 81 (59.77±8.34) years. Through postoperative follow up observation, the C@*RESULTS@#All patients were followed up for 15 to 40(28.00±3.52) months. One week after the operation, the swelling of anterior soft tissue reached the peak, and then decreased. At 8 months after the operation, the swelling of anterior soft tissue on C@*CONCLUSION@#Anterior subtotal cervical corpectomy, titanium mesh bone graft fusion and internal fixation can cause swelling of the anterior soft tissue. One week after operation, we should pay more attention to the aggravation of the swelling of the anterior soft tissue to avoid the occurrence of dysphagia, respiratory obstruction, asphyxia and other complications.