Polyamide Membranes with Tunable Surface Charge Induced by Dipole-Dipole Interaction for Selective Ion Separation.

Nanofiltration (NF) has the potential to achieve precise ion-ion separation at the subnanometer scale, which is necessary for resource recovery and a circular water economy. Fabricating NF membranes for selective ion separation is highly desirable but represents a substantial technical challenge. Dipole-dipole interaction is a mechanism of intermolecular attractions between polar molecules with a dipole moment due to uneven charge distribution, but such an interaction has not been leveraged to tune membrane structure and selectivity. Herein, we propose a novel strategy to achieve tunable surface charge of polyamide membrane by introducing polar solvent with a large dipole moment during interfacial polymerization, in which the dipole-dipole interaction with acyl chloride groups of trimesoyl chloride (TMC) can successfully intervene in the amidation reaction to alter the density of surface carboxyl groups in the polyamide selective layer. As a result, the prepared positively charged (PEI-TMC)-NH2 and negatively charged (PEI-TMC)-COOH composite membranes, which show similarly high water permeance, demonstrate highly selective separations of cations and anions in engineering applications, respectively. Our findings, for the first time, confirm that solvent-induced dipole-dipole interactions are able to alter the charge type and density of polyamide membranes and achieve tunable surface charge for selective and efficient ion separation.

Breast cancer nipple discharge exosomal microRNAs are stable under degradative conditions.

We have previously shown that microRNAs (miRNAs) in nipple discharge are potential diagnostic biomarkers. In particular, exosomes are present in nipple discharge. Herein, we sought to elucidate the protective role of exosomes on miRNAs in nipple discharge and investigate the stability of miRNAs encapsulated in exosomes under degradative conditions. A novel TTMAAlPc-RNA complex method was used to measure the RNase concentration in colostrum and nipple discharge. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction was performed to test the stability of exogenous synthetic miRNAs (cel-lin-4-5p and cel-miR-2-3p) and endogenous miRNAs (hsa-miR-4732-5p, hsa-miR-3646, hsa-miR-4484, and kshv-miR-K12-5-5p). RNase was present and functional in colostrum and nipple discharge. Endogenous miRNAs were more stably expressed compared to exogenous miRNAs at room temperature and 4°C. Triton X-100 (1%, 30 min) destroyed the exosomal membrane, causing RNA degradation in colostrum but not in nipple discharge. Therefore, we confirmed that exosomes in colostrum and nipple discharge could protect miRNAs from degradation by RNase. Exosomes in nipple discharge may be more resistant to Triton X-100 lysis compared to those in the colostrum. Exosomal miRNAs in nipple discharge in breast cancer are stable under degradative conditions. Differential Triton X-100 sensitivity of exosomes of nipple discharge and colostrum warrants further investigation.

Formation of Environmentally Persistent Free Radicals on Microplastics under Light Irradiation.

Microplastics (MPs) are presumed to be inert during aging under ambient conditions. In this study, four types of virgin MPs, including polystyrene (PS), phenol-formaldehyde resin (PF), polyethylene (PE), and polyvinyl chloride (PVC), were aged under simulated solar light irradiation. Surprisingly, several environmentally persistent free radicals (EPFRs), which are considered to be a type of emerging contaminant, were detected on the irradiated PS and PF, rather than PE and PVC, by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. Depending on the photoaging duration time, the characteristic g-factors of the EPFRs produced on PS and PF were 2.0044-2.0049 and 2.0043-2.0044, respectively. The generated EPFRs on PS and PF decayed rapidly at the initial stage and then slowly disappeared with the elapsed aging time. Analyses by attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and gel permeation chromatography (GPC) suggested that MPs might experience chemical chain scission, O2/H2O addition, and EPFR formation under the light irradiation. Accompanying with the formation of EPFRs, reactive oxygen species, such as O2•- and •OH, were also observed. The findings provide a novel insight to evaluate the potential hazards of MPs to organisms and ecosystems.

Pharmacological Characterization of H05, a Novel Serotonin and Noradrenaline Reuptake Inhibitor with Moderate 5-HT2A Antagonist Activity for the Treatment of Depression.

Multitarget antidepressants selectively inhibiting monoaminergic transporters and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) 2A receptor have demonstrated higher efficacy and fewer side effects than selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. In the present study, we synthesized a series of novel 3-(benzo[d][1,3]dioxol-4-yloxy)-3-arylpropyl amine derivatives, among which compound H05 was identified as a lead, exhibiting potent inhibitory effects on both serotonin (Ki = 4.81 nM) and norepinephrine (NE) (Ki = 6.72 nM) transporters and moderate 5-HT2A antagonist activity (IC50 = 60.37 nM). H05 was able to dose-dependently reduce the immobility duration in mouse forced swimming test and tail suspension test, with the minimal effective doses lower than those of duloxetine, and showed no stimulatory effect on locomotor activity. The administration of H05 (5, 10, and 20 mg/kg, by mouth) significantly shortened the immobility time of adrenocorticotropin-treated rats that serve as a model of treatment-resistant depression, whereas imipramine (30 mg/kg, by mouth) and duloxetine (30 mg/kg, by mouth) showed no obvious effects. Chronic treatment with H05 reversed the depressive-like behaviors in a rat model of chronic unpredictable mild stress and a mouse model of corticosterone-induced depression. Microdialysis analysis revealed that the administration of H05 at either 10 or 20 mg/kg increased the release of 5-HT and NE from the frontal cortex. The pharmacokinetic (PK) and brain penetration analyses suggest that H05 has favorable PK properties with good blood-brain penetration ability. Therefore, it can be concluded that H05, a novel serotonin and NE reuptake inhibitor with 5-HT2A antagonist activity, possesses efficacious activity in the preclinical models of depression and treatment-resistant depression, and it may warrant further evaluation for clinical development.

Combined Organic Fouling and Inorganic Scaling in Reverse Osmosis: Role of Protein-Silica Interactions.

We investigated the relationship between silica scaling and protein fouling in reverse osmosis (RO). Flux decline caused by combined scaling and fouling was compared with those by individual scaling or fouling. Bovine serum albumin (BSA) and lysozyme (LYZ), two proteins with opposite charges at typical feedwater pH, were used as model protein foulants. Our results demonstrate that water flux decline was synergistically enhanced when silica and protein were both present in the feedwater. For example, flux decline after 500 min was far greater in combined silica scaling and BSA fouling experiments (55 ± 6% decline) than those caused by silica (11 ± 2% decline) or BSA (9 ± 1% decline) alone. Similar behavior was observed with silica and LYZ, suggesting that this synergistic effect was independent of protein charge. Membrane characterization by scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy revealed distinct foulant layers formed by BSA and LYZ in the presence of silica. A combination of dynamic light scattering, transmission electron microscopy , and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analyses further suggested that BSA and LYZ facilitated the formation of aggregates with varied chemical compositions. As a result, BSA and LYZ were likely to play different roles in enhancing flux decline in combined scaling and fouling. Our study suggests that the coexistence of organic foulants, such as proteins, largely alters scaling behavior of silica, and that accurate prediction of RO performance requires careful consideration of foulant-scalant interactions.

Relating Silica Scaling in Reverse Osmosis to Membrane Surface Properties.

We investigated the relationship between membrane surface properties and silica scaling in reverse osmosis (RO). The effects of membrane hydrophilicity, free energy for heterogeneous nucleation, and surface charge on silica scaling were examined by comparing thin-film composite polyamide membranes grafted with a variety of polymers. Results show that the rate of silica scaling was independent of both membrane hydrophilicity and free energy for heterogeneous nucleation. In contrast, membrane surface charge demonstrated a strong correlation with the extent of silica scaling (R2 > 0.95, p < 0.001). Positively charged membranes significantly facilitated silica scaling, whereas a more negative membrane surface charge led to reduced scaling. This observation suggests that deposition of negatively charged silica species on the membrane surface plays a critical role in silica scale formation. Our findings provide fundamental insights into the mechanisms governing silica scaling in reverse osmosis and highlight the potential of membrane surface modification as a strategy to reduce silica scaling.

Healing improvement after rotator cuff repair using gelatin-grafted poly(L-lactide) electrospun fibrous membranes.

BACKGROUND: Rotator cuff tears (RCTs) are a common cause of shoulder pain and disability in middle and older age. Despite improvements in the understanding of this disease process and advances in surgical treatment, rotator cuff (RC) repair failure rates remain high. Insufficient healing capacity is likely the main factor for failure of reconstruction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We fabricated implantable biodegradable gelatin-grafted poly(L-lactide) (PLLA) fibrous membranes using electrospinning technology and evaluated them using in vitro cell proliferation assays. Then, we established chronic rat RCT models and randomly assigned rats into one of three groups. In group 1 (n = 48), the detached supraspinatus tendon was repaired to its anatomic footprint (transosseous repair). In groups 2 and 3, the rats underwent transosseous repair and were implanted with either pure PLLA membranes (n = 48) or gelatin-PLLA membranes (n = 48) to augment the repairs. The animals were killed at 2, 4, and 8 wk postoperatively, which was followed by histomorphometric and biomechanical evaluation. RESULTS: Histologic observations revealed that gelatin-PLLA membranes have excellent biocompatibility and biodegradability. At 2, 4, and 8 wk postoperatively, the gelatin-PLLA membranes significantly increased the area of glycosaminoglycan staining at the tendon-bone interface compared with the control group (P < 0.05) and significantly improved collagen organization, as measured by birefringence under polarized light at the healing enthesis compared with the control and PLLA groups (P < 0.05). Biomechanical testing revealed that the gelatin-PLLA group had a greater ultimate load to failure and stiffness than the control group at 4 and 8 wk (P < 0.05). The gelatin-PLLA membranes had the highest stress of the healing enthesis. CONCLUSIONS: Local application of gelatin-PLLA fibrous membranes to the healing tendon-bone interface after RC repair in a rat chronic RCT model was found to strengthen the healing enthesis, increase the area of fibrocartilage, and improve collagen organization compared with repair alone. Augmentation with gelatin-grafted PLLA may enhance healing after RC repair and might eventually lead to improvement of clinical surgical outcomes.

Asymmetric Triple-Functional Janus Membrane for Blood Oxygenation.

The oxygenation membrane, a core material of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), is facing challenges in balancing anti-plasma leakage, gas exchange efficiency, and hemocompatibility. Here, inspired by the asymmetric structural features of alveolus pulmonalis, a novel triple-functional membrane for blood oxygenation with a Janus architecture is proposed, which is composed of a hydrophobic polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) layer to prevent plasma leakage, an ultrathin polyamide layer to enhance gas exchange efficiency with a CO2 :O2 permeance ratio of ≈10.7, and a hydrophilic polyzwitterionic layer to improve the hemocompatibility. During the simulated ECMO process, the Janus oxygenation membrane exhibits excellent performance in terms of thrombus formation and plasma leakage prevention, as well as adequate O2 transfer rate (17.8 mL min-1 m-2 ) and CO2 transfer rate (70.1 mL min-1 m-2 ), in comparison to the reported oxygenation membranes. This work presents novel concepts for the advancement of oxygenation membranes and demonstrates the application potential of the asymmetric triple-functional Janus oxygenation membrane in ECMO.

Encapsulation of bacteria in different stratified extracellular polymeric substances and its implications for performance enhancement and resource recovery.

Simultaneous recovery of biopolymers and enhanced bio-reactor performance are promising options for sustainable wastewater treatment, and the bioactivity of sludge after biopolymer extraction is thus critical for the performance of the system. To this end, stratified extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), including slime, loosely bound EPS (LB-EPS), and tightly bound EPS (TB-EPS), were extracted, and the bioactivities of the consequent extraction residues were assessed using aerobic respirogram, kinetic, and flow cytometry (FCM). After the initial weak extraction of slime, the particle size distribution of the sludge significantly decreased, and subsequent extractions of LB-EPS and TB-EPS produced an equivalent size distribution. In contrast, the fractal dimension decreased after each extraction, suggesting that LB-EPS and TB-EPS affected the compactness of flocs rather than the size. The aerobic bacteria distribution estimated using respirogram shows that slime mainly encapsulated heterotrophs while LB-EPS mainly encapsulated nitrifiers. In addition, the ammonia-nitrogen affinity coefficient decreased from 1.79 to 0.28 mg/L when slime was removed, thereby encouraging the activities of autotrophic nitrifiers. Further removal of LB-EPS induced high energy dispersion as the maintenance coefficient m and the metabolic dispersion index µ/m increased from 0.11 to 0.22 and 0.44 to 0.63, respectively. Meanwhile, the yield rate decreased from 0.77 to 0.66. Although pellets that resulted from TB-EPS extraction were not aerobically active as described by respirogram and growth curves, they were still metabolically active as measured by live/dead cell counting and redox sensor green signal. These pellets used more energy for maintenance as indicated by the high maintenance coefficient than those residual after either slime or LB-EPS extraction. In addition, the variation in bacteria community distribution across flocs was related to the variation in temperatures, suggesting that the inner part of a floc might be hotter than the outer side. Therefore, compared to bacteria in the raw sludge, the viable bacteria bounded in LB-EPS and TB-EPS convert more energy to heat rather than growth. These results indicate that energy was dispersed as metabolic heat for the LB-EPS extracted sludge, and removal of LB-EPS favored thermogenesis and sludge reduction. Based on the above findings, a simultaneously EPS-recovery and performance enhancement configuration is thus proposed, which holds great promise for the integration of next-generation wastewater treatment plants.

A triple-coated ligament graft to facilitate ligament-bone healing by inhibiting fibrogenesis and promoting osteogenesis.

Absence of ligament-bone healing due to poor bioactivity and hyperplasia of fibrous tissue caused by immune response severely impairs ligament grafts' functional duration in anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. While osteogenic modification is a popular technique for promoting ligament-bone integration, inadequate osseointegration remains a common experience, due to occupying fibrous hyperplasia and impaired osteogenesis potential. In the present study, a triple-nano-coating polyethylene terephthalate (PET) graft was developed by polydopamine self-assembly, chondroitin sulfate (CS) chemical-grafting and BMP-2 physical-immobilization to facilitate robust ligament-bone healing, The CS/polydopamine-modified PET (C-pPET) graft was demonstrated to inhibit fibrogenesis by regulating polarization of macrophages and promoting the secretion of anti-inflammatory factors. Moreover, the immunoregulatory function of CS cooperated with BMP-2 to facilitate osteogenic differentiation of stem cells, promoting the expression of ALP, Runx2, OCN and COL I. Bone regeneration was significantly enhanced at early-middle stage in the BMP-loaded pPET (B/pPET) group, while occurring at middle-late stage in the C-pPET group. Continuous new bone formation and optimal ligament-bone healing were observed in the B/C-pPET group via sequential and synergistic immune osteogenesis by CS and cytokine osteogenesis by BMP-2. Thus, the present study revealed a practical avenue for the promotion of ligament-bone healing through the development of a triple-nano-coating engineered ligament combining immunoregulatory anti-fibrogenesis and sequential-synergistic osteogenesis, which holds a great potential for improving the clinical efficacy of ligament graft in ACL reconstruction. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: A triple-nano-coating polyethylene terephthalate (PET) graft was developed by polydopamine self-assembly, chondroitin sulfate (CS) chemical-grafting and BMP-2 physical-immobilization to facilitate robust ligament-bone healing. This study demonstrated that the multifunctional ligament grafts could reshape the local immune microenvironment by regulating macrophage phenotype and immune cytokine secretion to inhibit the fibrous hyperplasia and regulate stem cell towards osteogenic differentiation to promote bone regeneration. The present study demonstrates that efficient ligament-bone healing is achieved via the combination of immunoregulatory anti-fibrogenesis and dual osteogenesis of immunoregulation and cytokine induction.

[Comparison of two types of T-shaped coronectomy applied in extraction of impacted mandibular third molars].

PURPOSE: To compare the clinical efficiency of two types of T-shaped coronectomy applied in extraction of impacted mandibular third molars. METHODS：One hundred and twenty patients meeting with the criteria were randomly divided into 2 groups. Two types of T-shaped coronectomy were applied in extraction of impacted mandibular third molars. Indexes including operation time, intraoperative anxiety, postoperative pain and limitation of mouth opening were recorded and analyzed with SPSS 22.0 software package. RESULTS: Patients with transverse method experienced more time in operation [(17.41±3.72) vs (15.22±2.53) min], with less intraoperative anxiety (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in postoperative pain and limitation of mouth opening(P>0.05) between two methods. CONCLUSIONS: Transverse T-shaped method can alleviate intraoperative anxiety, while longitudinal method is more conducive to shortening operation time.

Trade-off in membrane distillation with monolithic omniphobic membranes.

Omniphobic membranes are attractive for membrane distillation (MD) because of their superior wetting resistance. However, a design framework for MD membrane remains incomplete, due to the complexity of omniphobic membrane fabrication and the lack of fundamental relationship between wetting resistance and water vapor permeability. Here we present a particle-free approach that enables rapid fabrication of monolithic omniphobic membranes for MD desalination. Our monolithic omniphobic membranes display excellent wetting resistance and water purification performance in MD desalination of hypersaline feedwater containing surfactants. We identify that a trade-off exists between wetting resistance and water vapor permeability of our monolithic MD membranes. Utilizing membranes with tunable wetting resistance and permeability, we elucidate the underlying mechanism of such trade-off. We envision that our fabrication method as well as the mechanistic insight into the wetting resistance-vapor permeability trade-off will pave the way for smart design of MD membranes in diverse water purification applications.

[Diagonal root separation method for extracting impacted double-root mandibular third molars].

Double-root mandibular third molars are the common types of mandibular third molars that are prone to impac-tion. Based on the summary of clinical cases and experience, the commonly used crown-root separation technique is improved as diagonal root separation technique that divides the roots by the line connecting the distal axis angle to the root furcation. This new method improves the efficiency of the operation and reduces surgical trauma. This paper details the surgical method, minimally invasive mechanics, and key points of this technique, compares the technique with the crown-root separation tech-nique, and discusses their joint applications.

Flexible bipolar nanofibrous membranes for improving gradient microstructure in tendon-to-bone healing.

Enthesis is a specialized tissue interface between the tendon and bone. Enthesis structure is very complex because of gradient changes in its composition and structure. There is currently no strategy to create a suitable environment and to regenerate the gradual-changing enthesis because of the modular complexities between two tissue types. Herein, a dual-layer organic/inorganic flexible bipolar fibrous membrane (BFM) was successfully fabricated by electrospinning to generate biomimetic non-mineralized fibrocartilage and mineralized fibrocartilage in tendon-to-bone integration of enthesis. The growth of the in situ apatite nanoparticle layer was induced on the nano hydroxyapatite-poly-l-lactic acid (nHA-PLLA) fibrous layer in simulated body solution, and the poly-l-lactic acid (PLLA) fibrous layer retained its original properties to induce tendon regeneration. The in vivo results showed that BFM significantly increased the area of glycosaminoglycan staining at the tendon-bone interface and improved collagen organization when compared to the simplex fibrous membrane (SFM) of PLLA. Implanting the bipolar membrane also induced bone formation and fibrillogenesis as assessed by micro-CT and histological analysis. Biomechanical testing showed that the BFM group had a greater ultimate load-to-failure and stiffness than the SFM group at 12weeks after surgery. Therefore, this flexible bipolar nanofibrous membrane improves the healing and regeneration process of the enthesis in rotator cuff repair. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: In this study, we generated a biomimetic dual-layer organic/inorganic flexible bipolar fibrous membrane by sequential electrospinning and in situ biomineralization, producing integrated bipolar fibrous membranes of PLLA fibrous membrane as the upper layer and nHA-PLLA fibrous membrane as the lower layer to mimic non-mineralized fibrocartilage and mineralized fibrocartilage in tendon-to-bone integration of enthesis. Flexible bipolar nanofibrous membranes could be easily fabricated with gradient microstructure for enthesis regeneration in rotator cuff tears.

Posterior C1-C2 screw-rod fixation and autograft fusion for the treatment of os odontoideum with C1-C2 instability.

OBJECTIVE: To report our experience treating os odontoideum with C1-C2 instability via C1-C2 screw-rod fixation and autograft fusion and to explore the clinical efficacy of such a treatment strategy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients who were diagnosed with os odontoideum with C1-C2 instability and treated by posterior C1-C2 screw-rod fixation and fusion. Neurological deficits were measured with the Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) scoring system and neck pain was assessed using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) score. Fusion was determined based on the presence of bridging bone in computed tomography (CT) imaging, whereas stability was determined based on the lack of movement in dynamic radiographs. RESULTS: Thirty-two patients (18 males) were included in the study. The surgery was successfully accomplished in all patients. Thirty (93.8%) patients had confirmed C1-C2 bony fusion in CT images and all patients (100%) were stable in dynamic radiographs. The mean preoperative JOA score was 14.3±1.4 (range 11-16); at the final visit, it increased to 16.2±0.8 (range 14-17) (p<0.001). The mean preoperative VAS score was 3.8±0.7 (range 3-5) and decreased at the final visit to 1.0±0.6 (range 0-2) (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Our treatment strategy (C1-C2 screw-rod fixation and autograft fusion) can achieve excellent clinical results with minor complications for patients with os odontoideum with C1-C2 instability.

Biomaterials based strategies for rotator cuff repair.

Tearing of the rotator cuff commonly occurs as among one of the most frequently experienced tendon disorders. While treatment typically involves surgical repair, failure rates to achieve or sustain healing range from 20 to 90%. The insufficient capacity to recover damaged tendon to heal to the bone, especially at the enthesis, is primarily responsible for the failure rates reported. Various types of biomaterials with special structures have been developed to improve tendon-bone healing and tendon regeneration, and have received considerable attention for replacement, reconstruction, or reinforcement of tendon defects. In this review, we first give a brief introduction of the anatomy of the rotator cuff and then discuss various design strategies to augment rotator cuff repair. Furthermore, we highlight current biomaterials used for repair and their clinical applications as well as the limitations in the literature. We conclude this article with challenges and future directions in designing more advanced biomaterials for augmentation of rotator cuff repair.

Water-compatible surface imprinting of 'Saccharin sodium' on silica surface for selective recognition and detection in aqueous solution.

In this work, a saccharin sodium imprinted nanoparticles composite material has been successfully synthesized in aqueous solution. This molecular imprinted material has promising practical utility in the detection of saccharin sodium. First, we synthesized SiO2 nanoparticles, followed by the modification of functional amino group. Then we used functionalized SiO2@NH2 as the cores, saccharin sodium as the template, acrylic acid (AA) as the functional monomer and ammonium persulphate (APS) as the initiator. Molecularly imprinted nanoparticles (MIPs) were synthesized by surface-imprinted polymerization under airtight tubes at 60 °C for 12 h. MIPs were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA). The binding experiments were shown to have relatively high adsorption capacity (8.965 mg g(-1)) and selective recognition ability over structurally related compounds. Therefore, MIPs provide a sensitive and selective approach and offer the potential to become a new key for the detection of saccharin sodium.

Value of porous titanium alloy plates for chest wall reconstruction after resection of chest wall tumors.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the value of porous titanium alloy plates for chest wall reconstruction after resection of chest wall tumors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 8 patients with chest wall tumors admitted in our hospital from Jan. 2006 to Jan. 2009 were selected and underwent tumor resection, then chest wall repair and reconstruction with porous titanium alloy plates for massive chest wall defects. RESULTS: All patients completed surgery successfully with tumor resection-induced chest wall defects being 6.5 x 7 cm ~ 12 x 15.5 cm in size. Two weeks after chest wall reconstruction, only 1 patient had subcutaneous fluidify which healed itself after pressure bandaging following fluid drainage. Postoperative pathological reports showed 2 patients with costicartilage tumors, 1 with squamous cell carcinoma of lung, 1 with lung adeno-carcinoma, 1 with malignant lymphoma of chest wall, 2 with chest wall metastasis of breast cancers and 1 with chest wall neurofibrosarcoma. All patients had more than 2 ~ 5 years of follow-up, during which time 1 patient with breast cancer had surgical treatment due to local recurrence after 7 months and none had chest wall reconstruction associated complications. The mean survival time of patients with malignant tumors was (37.3 ± 5.67) months. CONCLUSIONS: Porous titanium alloy plates are safe and effective in the chest wall reconstruction after resection of chest tumors.

[Treatment of osteoporotic vertebral fractures with percutaneous balloon kyphoplasty using calcium phosphate cement].

OBJECTIVE: To assess the clinical outcomes of balloon kyphoplasty assisted with calcium phosphate cement (CPC) in treating osteoporotic vertebral fractures (OVF). METHODS: From January 2009 to January 2011, 26 patients with osteoporotic vertebral fractures were treated with balloon kyphoplasty assisted with CPC, including 31 vertebrae. There were 15 males and 11 females with an average age of (71.67 +/- 4.36) years old (ranged from 60 to 89 years). Course of disease was from 0.5 to 7 days with an average of 3.2 days. Clinical outcomes were assessed by the visual analogue scale (VAS) and the oswestry disability index (ODI). Vertebral height loss and kyphotic angle were measured by X-rays. RESULTS: All patients were followed up for 10 to 24 months with an average of 18 months. Before operation, 24 hours after operation and at final follow-up, VAS scores were 7.91 +/- 1.20, 3.22 +/- 1.12, 1.92 +/- 0.83, respectively; ODI scores were 40.00 +/- 1.15, 17.00 +/- 2.12, 13.00 +/- 1.42, respectivesly; vertebral heights were (18.21 +/- 3.21), (23.82 +/- 3.10), (21.85 +/- 3.24) mm, respectivesly; vertebral kyphosis angles were (18.21 +/- 3.21) degrees, (7.42 +/- 3.13) degrees, (10.01 +/- 3.11) degrees, respectivesly. There was significant difference between preoperation and 24 hours after operation, and between final follow-up and preoperation (P < 0.05). There was no significant difference between final follow-up and 24 hours after operation (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Balloon kyphoplasty assisted with calcium phosphate cement (CPC) is effective for the treatment of osteoporotic vertebral fractures (OVF), which can expeditiously relieve pain and effectively rebuild height of vertebral body and kyphotic angle, and also has advantages of minimal trauma and good security.