Retrospective Analysis of the Efficacy and Safety of Endoscopic Spinal Tuberculosis Focus Removal versus Posterior Pedicle Lesion Removal, Bone Grafting, and Internal Fixation Combined with Drug Chemotherapy for Thoracolumbar Tuberculosis.

Objective: This study aims to investigate the clinical efficacy of endoscopic spinal tuberculosis focus removal, posterior pedicle lesion removal, bone grafting, and internal fixation combined with drug chemotherapy in treating thoracolumbar tuberculosis. It also seeks to summarize strategies for preventing complications and provide a reference for clinical treatment. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 105 patients with spinal tuberculosis treated in our hospital from January 2018 to December 2022. Patients were divided into two groups: Group A (n=38), who underwent endoscopic spinal tuberculosis focus removal, and Group B (n=67), who underwent posterior pedicle lesion removal, bone grafting, and internal fixation. All patients received preoperative quadruple anti-tuberculosis drug chemotherapy (Isoniazid, Rifampicin, Pyrazinamide, Ethambutol) for 2-4 weeks. We recorded and compared parameters such as operation time, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative drainage, recovery time, hospital stay, blood transfusion, and complications. We also compared pre- and postoperative lumbar VAS, ODI, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, Procalcitonin, D-Dimer, Neutrophil to Lymphocyte ratio, hemoglobin, total protein, and Cobb angle to evaluate kyphotic deformity and correction. Results: Preoperative data including age, sex, body mass index, segment involvement, past medical history, smoking history, preoperative erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, Procalcitonin, D-Dimer, Neutrophil to Lymphocyte ratio, hemoglobin, total protein, lumbar VAS score, lumbar ODI score, and spinal Cobb's angle showed no significant difference between the groups (P>0.05). Main postoperative indicators revealed that Group A had significantly lower lumbar VAS scores, higher hemoglobin and total protein levels, and a lower recurrence rate than Group B at the last follow-up (P<0.05). Secondary postoperative indicators showed that Group A required significantly less blood transfusion, had shorter operative time, less intraoperative blood loss, shorter postoperative hospitalization time, and lower Cobb Angle than Group B (P<0.05). Conclusion: Endoscopic spinal tuberculosis focus removal can achieve comparable safety to posterior pedicle lesion removal, bone grafting, and internal fixation, with shorter operation time, less intraoperative bleeding, lower postoperative recurrence rate, and less postoperative drainage. This method can effectively improve blood sedimentation, lumbar function, restore Cobb angle, and reduce pain, making it worthy of promotion and application.

Comparison of clinical outcomes and complications between endoscopic and minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion for lumbar degenerative diseases: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: This study compares the efficacy and complications of endoscopic transforaminal lumbar fusion (Endo-TLIF) and minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar fusion (MIS-TLIF) in treating lumbar degenerative diseases. It aims to provide reference data for clinical decision-making. METHODS: We identified randomized controlled studies and non-randomized controlled studies on Endo-TLIF and MIS-TLIF for treating lumbar degenerative diseases based on specific inclusion and exclusion criteria. Data were managed with Endnote X9 software and meta-analyzed using Revman 5.3 software. Extracted outcomes included lower back VAS score, lower extremity pain VAS score, low back pain ODI score, complication rate, fusion rate, time to surgery, blood loss, and length of hospital stay. RESULTS: ① Thirteen high-quality studies were included in this meta-analysis, totaling 1015 patients-493 in the Endo-TLIF group and 522 in the MIS-TLIF group. ② Meta-analysis results revealed no significant differences in preoperative, postoperative 6-month, and final follow-up waist VAS scores, lower limb pain VAS score, ODI index, complications, and fusion rate between the two groups (P > 0.05). The MIS-TLIF group had a shorter operative time (MD = 29.13, 95% CI 10.86, 47.39, P = 0.002) than the Endo-TLIF group. However, the Endo-TLIF group had less blood loss (MD = - 76.75, 95% CI - 111.59, - 41.90, P < 0.0001), a shorter hospital stay (MD = - 2.15, 95% CI - 2.95, - 1.34, P < 0.00001), and lower lumbar VAS scores both immediately postoperative (≤ 2 week) (MD = - 1.12, 95% CI - 1.53, - 0.71, P < 0.00001) compared to the MIS-TLIF group. CONCLUSION: Meta-analysis results indicated that Endo-TLIF is similar to MIS-TLIF in terms of long-term clinical outcomes, fusion rates, and complication rates. Although MIS-TLIF has a shorter operation time, Endo-TLIF can significantly reduce blood loss and hospital stay duration. Endo-TLIF offers the advantages of less surgical trauma, reduced blood loss, faster recovery, and early alleviation of postoperative back pain.

The significance of reduction of valgus-intercalated femoral neck fracture with valgus angle > 15°and the selection of internal fixation by finite element analysis.

BACKGROUND: Currently, consensus is lacking on the necessity of internal fixation after reducing valgus-intercalated femoral neck fractures with abduction > 15°. This study employs finite element analysis to compare the biomechanical differences between the femoral neck dynamic cross nail system (FNS) and inverted cannulated screw (ICS), aiming to provide a foundation for clinical procedures. METHODS: Human femur CT scan data were processed using MimICS21.0 and Geomagic 2021 software, imported into Solidworks2021 to create fracture models, based on Garden I abduction and Valgus-intercalated femoral neck fractures. The internal fixation model was divided into two groups: A-Anatomic reduction group; B-Valgus-intercalated femoral neck fracture group. ANSYS software facilitated meshing, material assignment, and data calculation for stress and displacement comparisons when ICS and FNS were applied in reduction or non-reduction scenarios. RESULTS: Without internal fixation, peak femur stress in both groups was 142.93 MPa and 183.62 MPa. Post FNS fixation, peak stress was 254.11 MPa and 424.81 MPa; peak stresses for the two FNS models were 141.26 MPa and 248.33 MPa. Maximum displacements for the two FNS groups were 1.91 mm and 1.26 mm, with peak fracture-end stress at 50.751 MPa and 124.47 MPa. After ICS fixation, femur peak stress was 204.76 MPa and 274.08 MPa; maximum displacements were 1.53 mm and 1.15 mm. ICS peak stress was 123.88 MPa and 174.61 MPa; maximum displacements were 1.17 mm and 1.09 mm, with peak fracture-end stress at 61.732 MPa and 104.02 MPa, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Our finite element study indicates superior mechanical stability with internal fixation after reducing valgus-intercalated femoral neck fractures (> 15°) compared to in situ fixation. Additionally, ICS biomechanical properties are more suitable for this fracture type than FNS.

Effect of different cement distribution in bilateral and unilateral Percutaneous vertebro plasty on the clinical efficacy of vertebral compression fractures.

BACKGROUND: The ramifications of osteoporotic fractures and their subsequent complications are becoming progressively detrimental for the elderly population. This study evaluates the clinical ramifications of postoperative bone cement distribution in patients with osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (OVCF) who underwent both bilateral and unilateral Percutaneous Vertebroplasty (PVP). OBJECTIVE: The research aims to discern the influence of bone cement distribution on the clinical outcomes of both bilateral and unilateral Percutaneous Vertebroplasty. The overarching intention is to foster efficacious preventive and therapeutic strategies to mitigate postoperative vertebral fractures and thereby enhance surgical outcomes. METHODS: A comprehensive evaluation was undertaken on 139 patients who received either bilateral or unilateral PVP in our institution between January 2018 and March 2022. These patients were systematically classified into three distinct groups: unilateral PVP (n = 87), bilateral PVP with a connected modality (n = 29), and bilateral PVP with a disconnected modality (n = 23). Several operational metrics were juxtaposed across these cohorts, encapsulating operative duration, aggregate hospital expenses, bone cement administration metrics, VAS (Visual Analogue Scale) scores, ODI (Oswestry Disability Index) scores relative to lumbar discomfort, postoperative vertebral height restitution rates, and the status of the traumatized and adjacent vertebral bodies. Preliminary findings indicated that the VAS scores for the January and December cohorts were considerably reduced compared to the unilateral PVP group (P = 0.015, 0.032). Furthermore, the recurrence of fractures in the affected and adjacent vertebral structures was more pronounced in the unilateral PVP cohort compared to the bilateral PVP cohorts. The duration of the procedure (P = 0.000) and the overall hospitalization expenses for the unilateral PVP group were markedly lesser than for both the connected and disconnected bilateral PVP groups, a difference that was statistically significant (P = 0.015, P = 0.024, respectively). Nevertheless, other parameters, such as the volume of cement infused, incidence of cement spillage, ODI scores for lumbar discomfort, post-surgical vertebral height restitution rate, localized vertebral kyphosis, and the alignment of cement and endplate, did not exhibit significant statistical deviations (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: In juxtaposition with unilateral PVP, the employment of bilateral PVP exhibits enhanced long-term prognostic outcomes for patients afflicted with vertebral compression fractures. Notably, bilateral PVP significantly curtails the prevalence of subsequent vertebral injuries. Conversely, the unilateral PVP cohort is distinguished by its abbreviated operational duration, minimal invasiveness, and reduced overall hospitalization expenditures, conferring it with substantial clinical applicability and merit.

Efficacy and Safety Study of Low-Molecular-Weight Heparin and Fondaparinux Sodium After Hip Arthroplasty: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Background: Low molecular heparin(LMWH) and sodium sulfadiazine heparin(FPX) are commonly used to prevent deep vein thrombosis(DVT) after total hip arthroplasty(THA). In this study, we compared the role of these drugs in preventing DVT after THA. Methods: Patients who underwent unilateral THA at the Sixth Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University from April 2020 to December 2022 were retrospectively analyzed for inclusion in this study. According to the anticoagulant drugs used, the patients were divided into LMWH group (n=106) and FPX group (n=97). Changes in perioperative coagulation-related indices, hemoglobin, blood loss And the postoperative complications. Results: The preoperative indexes of the two groups of patients, the difference was not statistically significant (P>0.05); the indexes of Intraoperative blood loss, Visible blood loss, Hidden blood loss, and Total blood loss of the two groups of patients were compared, and the difference was not significant (P>0.05); PT activity and INR in the LMWH group were significantly lower than those in the FPX group on the 1st and 5th postoperative days, and the differences were significant (P<0.05); Platelets, Hemoglobin, Hematocrit, D-dimer, and Fibrinogen were compared between the two groups on the 1st and 5th postoperative days, and the differences were not significant (P<0.05). The differences were not significant (P>0.05). The differences in blood transfusion rate and blood volume between the two groups were not significant (P>0.05); the total hospitalization cost of the LMWH group was significantly lower than that of the FPX group, and the difference was significant (P<0.05); and the differences in the incidence of postoperative complications between the two groups were not significant (P>0.05). Conclusion: In this study, we found that the efficacy and safety of FPX and LMWH in preventing VTE after THA were basically the same, and the total cost of hospitalization in the LMWH group was significantly lower than that in the FPX group; however, due to the limited inclusion of the sample size, high-quality, large-sample, long-term follow-up clinical studies are necessary.

Efficacy and safety of using aminocaproic acid and tranexamic acid during the perioperative period for treating trochanteric fractures in elderly femurs.

BACKGROUND: Tranexamic acid (TXA) has long been the antifibrinolytic hemostatic drug of choice for orthopedic surgery. In recent years, the hemostatic effect of epsilon aminocaproic acid (EACA) has gradually been recognized by orthopedic surgeons and has begun to be used in hip and knee arthroplasty with little mention of the comparison of these two drugs; Therefore, this study compared the efficacy and safety of EACA and TXA in the perioperative period of elderly patients with trochanteric fractures to verify whether EAC could be a "qualified alternative" to TXA and to provide theoretical support for the clinical application of TXA. METHODS: Two hundred and forty-three patients who received proximal femoral nail antirotation (PFNA) for trochanteric fractures from January 2021 to March 2022 at our institution were included and divided into the EACA group (n = 146) and the TXA group. (n = 97) determined by the drugs used in the perioperative period The main observations were blood loss and blood transfusion.The second second outcome was blood routine, coagulation, Hospital complications and complications after discharge. RESULTS: The perioperative EACA patients had significantly lower significant blood loss (DBL) than the TXA group (p < 0.0001) and statistically significant lower C-reactive protein in the EACA group than in the TXA group on postoperative day 1 (p = 0.022). Patients on perioperative TXA had better postoperative day one (p = 0.002) and postoperative day five erythrocyte width than the EACA group (p = 0.004). However, there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups in the remaining indicators in both drugs: blood items, coagulation indicators, blood loss, blood transfusion, length of hospital(LOH), total hospital expense, and postoperative complications (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The hemostatic effects and safety of EACA and TXA in the perioperative application of trochanteric fractures in the elderly are essentially similar, and EACA can be considered for use as an alternative to TXA, increasing the flexibility of physicians to use it in the clinical setting. However, the limited sample size included necessitated a high-quality, large sample of clinical studies and long-term follow-up.

Meta-Analysis of Estrogen in Osteoarthritis: Clinical Status and Protective Effects.

Context: Osteoarthritis (OA) impacted over 5-million people worldwide in 2018, with an incidence second only to diabetes and hypertension. Clinical research has had difficulty in finding methods to treat OA quickly and effectively. More and more researchers have begun to explore the effects of estrogen (ER) on OA. Objective: The study intended to conduct a meta-analysis of studies using ER in OA, aiming to confirm the potential value of ER, laying a foundation for follow-up research, and providing new choices for the treatment of OA. Design: The research team performed a literature review searching PubMed for clinical studies on the application of ER for the OA treatment or on the improvement of joint pain that: (1) were published after the year 2000, and (2) had participants who used ER compared to other treatment methods. The research team selected studies for analysis after independent screening by two members of the team, based on inclusion and exclusion criteria and a methodological quality evaluation. The meta-analysis used RevMan V5.3 software. Intervention: The research team included eight studies with 11 689 participants, with 5776 participants who received ER treatments becoming the intervention group, and with 5913 participants who received other treatments becoming the control group. Outcome Measures: The outcome measures included the selected studies' results related: (1) to changes in the bone marker, collagen cross-linked C-telopeptide type I (CTX-1); (2) to the levels of bone Gla protein (BGP); (3) to joint-pain relief, and (4) to subjective scores on the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC), a visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain, and the Short-Form 36 (SF-36). Results: The meta-analysis found that the CTX-II level was significantly lower (P < .0001) and the BGP level was significantly higher (P = .07) in the EG group than the levels in the control group. Similarly, the number of participants with joint pain in the ER group was significantly lower than that of the control group (P = .01), and a significant difference existed between the groups in the subjective scores (P = .02). Conclusion: ER can exert varying degrees of positive effects on OA and can effectively ameliorate the pathological process in OA patients, and it may become an alternative for OA treatment in the future, providing patients with better health and life quality.