[Comparative study of different clinical approaches for gluteal muscle syndrome with silver needle].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical efficacy of silver needle lumbar and sacral spine approach in treating gluteal muscle syndrome. METHODS: Eighty-seven patients with gluteal muscle syndrome treated with silver needles in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine of our hospital from September 2017 to September 2019 were selected. Except for symptoms of waist and hip pain and discomfort, all selected patients were examined by CT or MRI to confirm pathological imaging changes such as inflammatory exudation of the gluteal muscle. The 87 patients with gluteal muscle syndrome were divided into 2 groups according to the digital table method, and 42 patients in the lumbosacral approach group, including 19 males and 23 females, aged (50.70±12.45) years old, and disease duration of (1.63±1.27) years;45 cases in the buttock approach group, including 20 males and 25 females, aged (52.80±12.18) years old, with a course of disease of (1.78±1.22) years. The lumbosacral approach group was treated with spinal L1 to S2 bilateral articular process joints and L3 transverse process acupuncture needles, and the buttock approach group was treated with the gluteus medulla wing starting point and femoral trochanter stop. The VAS scores, soft tissue tenderness thresholds, and hip abductor muscle strength of the affected group were measured before and 4 weeks after treatment in the two groups. The clinical efficacy was also evaluated 4 weeks after treatment. RESULTS: After 4 weeks, the VAS score of the lumbosacral approach group was 1.26±0.70, and the buttock approach group was 1.18±0.74, which were significantly lower than those before treatment, but there was no statistical difference between the groups (P>0.05). The soft tissue tenderness threshold and ipsilateral hip abductor muscle strength were (5.51±0.70) kg and (10.34±2.19) kg in the lumbosacral approach group, and (4.78±1.05) kg, (9.33±1.42) kg in the buttock approach group. The results in the lumbosacral approach group was better than those in the buttock approach group(P<0.05). The clinical efficacy of the lumbosacral approach group:16 cases got an excellent result, 20 good, 5 fair and 1 poor;in the buttock approach group, 13 excellent, 17 good, 12 fair and 3 poor. The clinical efficacy between the two groups had statistical difference (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: In the treatment of gluteus medius syndrome with silver needle, lumbosacral approach and buttock approach can effectively relieve the pain. Compared with the improvement of soft tissue tenderness threshold and hip abductor muscle strength, the upper lumbosacral approach is more prominent, and the overall clinical effect is more significant.

Self-Sufficient and Highly Efficient Gold Sandwich Upconversion Nanocomposite Lasers for Stretchable and Bio-applications.

Multifunctional lanthanide-doped upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) have spread their wings in the fields of flexible optoelectronics and biomedical applications. One of the ongoing challenges lies in achieving UCNP-based nanocomposites, which enable a continuous-wave (CW) laser action at ultralow thresholds. Here, gold sandwich UCNP nanocomposites [gold (Au1)-UCNP-gold (Au2)] capable of exhibiting lasing at ultralow thresholds under CW excitation are demonstrated. The metastable energy-level characteristics of lanthanides are advantageous for creating population inversion. In particular, localized surface plasmon resonance-based electromagnetic hotspots in the nanocomposites and the huge enhancement of scattering coefficient for the formation of coherent closed loops due to multiple scattering facilitate the process of stimulated emissions as confirmed by theoretical simulations. The nanocomposites are subjected to stretchable systems for enhancing the lasing action (threshold ∼ 0.06 kW cm-2) via a light-trapping effect. The applications in bioimaging of HeLa cells and antibacterial activity (photothermal therapy) are demonstrated using the newly designed Au1-UCNP-Au2 nanocomposites.