Comparative transcriptome profiling reveals RNA splicing alterations and biological function in patients exposed to occupational noise.

Genetic factors play an important role in susceptibility to noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). Alternative splicing (AS) is an essential mechanism affecting gene expression associated with disease pathogenesis at the post-transcriptional level, but has rarely been studied in NIHL. To explore the role of AS in the development of NIHL, we performed a comprehensive analysis of RNA splicing alterations by comparing the RNA-seq data from blood samples from NIHL patients and subjects with normal hearing who were exposed to the same noise environment. A total of 356 differentially expressed genes, including 23 transcription factors, were identified between the two groups. Of particular note was the identification of 56 aberrant alternative splicing events generated by 41 differentially expressed genes between the two groups, with exon skipping events accounting for 54% of all the differentially alternative splicing (DAS) events. The results of functional enrichment analysis showed that these intersecting DAS genes and differentially expressed genes were significantly enriched in autophagy and mitochondria-related pathways. Together, our findings provide insights into the role of AS events in susceptibility and pathogenesis of NIHL.

Identification of hub biomarkers and immune cell infiltration characteristics of polymyositis by bioinformatics analysis.

Background: Polymyositis (PM) is an acquirable muscle disease with proximal muscle involvement of the extremities as the main manifestation; it is a category of idiopathic inflammatory myopathy. This study aimed to identify the key biomarkers of PM, while elucidating PM-associated immune cell infiltration and immune-related pathways. Methods: The gene microarray data related to PM were downloaded from the Gene Expression Omnibus database. The analyses using Gene Ontology (GO), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes, gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA), and protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks were performed on differentially expressed genes (DEGs). The hub genes of PM were identified using weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) algorithm, and the diagnostic accuracy of hub markers for PM was assessed using the receiver operating characteristic curve. In addition, the level of infiltration of 28 immune cells in PM and their interrelationship with hub genes were analyzed using single-sample GSEA. Results: A total of 420 DEGs were identified. The biological functions and signaling pathways closely associated with PM were inflammatory and immune processes. A series of four expression modules were obtained by WGCNA analysis, with the turquoise module having the highest correlation with PM; 196 crossover genes were obtained by combining DEGs. Subsequently, six hub genes were finally identified as the potential biomarkers of PM using LASSO algorithm and validation set verification analysis. In the immune cell infiltration analysis, the infiltration of T lymphocytes and subpopulations, dendritic cells, macrophages, and natural killer cells was more significant in the PM. Conclusion: We identified the hub genes closely related to PM using WGCNA combined with LASSO algorithm, which helped clarify the molecular mechanism of PM development and might have great significance for finding new immunotherapeutic targets, and disease prevention and treatment.

Mitochondrial Oxidative Stress Enhances Vasoconstriction by Altering Calcium Homeostasis in Cerebrovascular Smooth Muscle Cells under Simulated Microgravity.

OBJECTIVE: Exposure to microgravity results in postflight cardiovascular deconditioning in astronauts. Vascular oxidative stress injury and mitochondrial dysfunction have been reported during this process. To elucidate the mechanism for this condition, we investigated whether mitochondrial oxidative stress regulates calcium homeostasis and vasoconstriction in hindlimb unweighted (HU) rat cerebral arteries. METHODS: Three-week HU was used to simulate microgravity in rats. The contractile responses to vasoconstrictors, mitochondrial fission/fusion, Ca 2+ distribution, inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor (IP 3R) abundance, and the activities of voltage-gated K + channels (K V) and Ca 2+-activated K + channels (BK Ca) were examined in rat cerebral vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). RESULTS: An increase of cytoplasmic Ca 2+ and a decrease of mitochondrial/sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca 2+ were observed in HU rat cerebral VSMCs. The abundance of fusion proteins (mitofusin 1/2 [MFN1/2]) and fission proteins (dynamin-related protein 1 [DRP1] and fission-mitochondrial 1 [FIS1]) was significantly downregulated and upregulated, respectively in HU rat cerebral VSMCs. The cerebrovascular contractile responses to vasoconstrictors were enhanced in HU rats compared to control rats, and IP 3R protein/mRNA levels were significantly upregulated. The current densities and open probabilities of K V and BK Ca decreased and increased, respectively. Treatment with the mitochondrial-targeted antioxidant mitoTEMPO attenuated mitochondrial fission by upregulating MFN1/2 and downregulating DRP1/FIS1. It also decreased IP 3R expression levels and restored the activities of the K V and BK Ca channels. MitoTEMPO restored the Ca 2+ distribution in VSMCs and attenuated the enhanced vasoconstriction in HU rat cerebral arteries. CONCLUSION: The present results suggest that mitochondrial oxidative stress enhances cerebral vasoconstriction by regulating calcium homeostasis during simulated microgravity.

Military medical research on internal diseases in modern warfare: new concepts, demands, challenges, and opportunities.

Battlefield internal medicine aims at the treatment of combatants and noncombatants with various internal diseases on the battlefield. The military medical research on battlefield internal diseases focuses on the pathogenesis, clinical management, and prevention of internal diseases under military war conditions. In both wartime and peacetime, the soldiers suffer from more internal diseases than surgical wounds. With the introduction of high-tech weapons, including chemical, physical, and biological agents, a large number of special internal illnesses and casualties will appear in future wars. The battles often occur in special environments, such as high or low temperatures, plateau or polar areas, and micro- or hyper-gravity. The current theories of battlefield internal medicine are mainly derived from wars decades ago and cannot meet the needs of military medical support under the conditions of modern warfare. Therefore, the military medical research on battlefield internal medicine should be based on contemporary military situations, focus on the purpose of treating battlefield internal diseases, and adhere to the actual needs of the troops in peacetime and wartime. We should investigate the pathogenesis of battlefield internal diseases and explore the threats that may arise in future wars to ensure the advancement of battlefield internal medicine. This review highlights new concepts, demands, challenges, and opportunities for the further development of military medical research on battlefield internal medicine.

Allele-specific expression and alternative splicing in horse×donkey and cattle×yak hybrids.

Divergence of gene expression and alternative splicing is a crucial driving force in the evolution of species; to date, however the molecular mechanism remains unclear. Hybrids of closely related species provide a suitable model to analyze allele-specific expression (ASE) and allele-specific alternative splicing (ASS). Analysis of ASE and ASS can uncover the differences in cis-regulatory elements between closely related species, while eliminating interference of trans-regulatory elements. Here, we provide a detailed characterization of ASE and ASS from 19 and 10 transcriptome datasets across five tissues from reciprocal-cross hybrids of horse×donkey (mule/hinny) and cattle×yak (dzo), respectively. Results showed that 4.8%-8.7% and 10.8%-16.7% of genes exhibited ASE and ASS, respectively. Notably, lncRNAs and pseudogenes were more likely to show ASE than protein-coding genes. In addition, genes showing ASE and ASS in mule/hinny were found to be involved in the regulation of muscle strength, whereas those of dzo were involved in high-altitude adaptation. In conclusion, our study demonstrated that exploration of genes showing ASE and ASS in hybrids of closely related species is feasible for species evolution research.

Activation of SphK1 by K6PC-5 Inhibits Oxygen-Glucose Deprivation/Reoxygenation-Induced Myocardial Cell Death.

In the current study, we evaluated the potential effect of a novel sphingosine kinase 1 (SphK1) activator, K6PC-5, on oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD)/reoxygenation-induced damages to myocardial cells. We demonstrated that K6PC-5 increased intracellular sphingosine-1-phosphate (S1P) content and remarkably inhibited OGD/reoxygenation-induced death of myocardial cells (H9c2/HL-1 lines and primary murine myocardiocytes). SphK1 inhibitors, B-5354c and SKI-II, or SphK1-siRNA knockdown not only aggregated OGD/reoxygenation-induced cytotoxicity but also nullified the cytoprotection by K6PC-5. On the other hand, overexpression of SphK1 alleviated H9c2 cell death by OGD/reoxygenation, and K6PC-5-mediated cytoprotection was also enhanced in SphK1 overexpressed cells. Molecularly, OGD/reoxygenation activated the mitochondrial death pathway, evidenced by reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, mitochondrial membrane potential reduction, and p53-cyclophilin D (Cyp-D) association, which were all alleviated by K6PC-5 or overexpression of SphK1, but exacerbated by SphK1 knockdown. Furthermore, OGD/reoxygenation induced prodeath ceramide production in myocardial cells, which was largely suppressed by K6PC-5. In the meantime, adding a cell-permeable short-chain ceramide (C6) mimicked OGD/reoxygenation actions and induced ROS production and the mitochondrial death pathway in myocardial cells. Together, we conclude that K6PC-5 inhibits OGD/reoxygenation-induced myocardial cell death probably through activating SphK1. The results of the study indicate a potential benefit of K6PC-5 on ischemic heart disease.

Anatomical references for tibial sagittal alignment in total knee arthroplasty: a comparison of three anatomical axes based on 3D reconstructed CT images.

BACKGROUND: This study was designed to analyze three tibial axis reference lines including the anterior tibial cortex (ATC) line, the fibular line (FL), and the anatomical axis of tibia (AAT) line, to determine which line most closely parallels the mechanical axis (MA) of the tibia in the sagittal plane. The clinical relevance of the study is that through finding a reliable landmark on the leg, a surgeon may minimize posterior tibial slope measurement errors thereby and improving the technique for assuring proper alignment of total knee arthroplasty. METHODS: The material for this study included CT scans of the tibia from 85 consecutive patients and 168 knees (78 without osteoarthritis (OA) and 90 knees with OA). Measurements of the angles between the tibial mechanical axis and each of three reference lines in the sagittal plane were carried out using 3D imaging software. RESULTS: Mean angles of 168 knees were as follows: aMT (3.96±0.85)°, aMF (0.70±0.58)°, and aMA (1.40±0.66)°, (aMT: an angle between MA and ATC, aMF: an angle between MA and FL, aMA: an angle between MA and AAT. All abovementioned angles were measured in the sagittal plane of tibia) and the aMF was significantly smaller than the others (P < 0.0001). The mean value of the medial tibial slope angle vs. the MA was (9.19±3.97)°, and this was significantly larger than the mean lateral slope angle of (6.62±4.23)° (P < 0.0001). The difference between aMF without OA and with OA was not statistically significant (P = 0.5015) and the association between the aMT and aMA was strong (r = 0.82, P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: FL was more closely parallel to the MA of tibia, and more showed less variation between OA and non- OA controls than ATC and AAT lines. Furthermore, the amount of posterior slope in medial plateau was greater than that in lateral plateau. The findings of this analysis suggest that when using the anterior tibial cortex line as is commonly done with extramedullary tibial resection guides, the tibial resection should be sloped approximately four degrees more posteriorly.

[Cementless total hip arthroplasty for the management of advanced tuberculous coxitis].

OBJECTIVE: The question of whether a total joint arthroplasty should be attempted in a patient with a current or previous infection of tuberculosis continues to arouse controversy. The aim of this report was to evaluate the clinical outcomes of cementless total hip arthroplasty for the treatment of advanced tuberculosis of hip. METHODS: A total of 14 patients with advanced tuberculosis of hip treated by cementless total hip arthroplasty were retrospectively analyzed. For the patients with a definite diagnosis of tuberculosis and elevated levels of CRP (C-reactive protein) and ESR (erythrocyte sedimentation rate) before surgery, preoperative antituberculous medications were prescribed for at least 2 weeks. The inflamed soft tissues and destroyed bones were completely curetted out at the time of operation. Twelve of 14 patients received one-stage cementless total hip arthroplasty after a thorough debridement. For the remaining 2 patients, two-stage strategy was taken with cement articulating spacer implanted after a thorough debridement and followed by cementless total hip arthroplasty at 6-8 months later. All patients were prescribed antituberculous medications postoperatively for the first 6 months. RESULTS: The mean Harris Hip Score (HHS) was 36 preoperatively and 87 at the last follow-up. Within an average follow-up period of 49 months (range: 27 - 77), only one patient had reactivation of tuberculosis 7 months after primary THA (total hip arthroplasty) and received resection arthroplasty. Another 13 patients had no reactivation of tuberculosis and revealed stability by bone ingrowth on both socket and femoral stem. CONCLUSION: Cementless total hip arthroplasty is a safe and effective procedure for advanced tuberculosis of hip. With a thorough debridement followed by a complete course of antituberculous chemotherapy, active tuberculous infection should not be considered a contraindication for THA. In patients whose diagnosis of tuberculosis is confirmed intraoperatively and with no preoperative antituberculous chemotherapy, or in those a thorough debridement can not be achieved, a two-stage surgery may be considered.

[Cementless two-staged total hip arthroplasty for chronic periprosthetic infection].

OBJECTIVE: To determine the clinical outcomes of two-staged cementless revision arthroplasty for the treatment of deep periprosthetic infection after total hip arthroplasty. METHODS: Twenty-three patients with deep periprosthetic infection treated with a standard protocol of two-staged cementless revision hip arthroplasty were enrolled in this study. There were 9 male patients and 14 female patients with an average age of 64 years (range, 52-78 years). In all cases, antibiotics-loaded cement spacers were implanted after removal of all the prosthetic components and thorough debridements had been done. All patients had a minimum of 2 weeks of intravenous antibiotics followed by 4 weeks of oral antibiotics after implant removal. After a mean interval of 6.7 months (3-28 months), revision arthroplasties were carried out with cementless femoral components followed by 2 weeks of intravenous antibiotics and 4 weeks of oral antibiotics. RESULTS: The mean follow-up period was (4.3±3.5) years. There were 2 cases of recurrent infections in this study. Intraoperative periprosthetic fractures were observed in 3 patients. One patient had dislocation of the implanted spacer during the interval period and 2 patients had hip dislocation after reimplantation. Mild subsidence of femoral component occurred in 1 patient. There were no cases of loosening of femoral components and cementless acetabular components in patients without infection recurrence. The Harris hip score increased from a preoperative mean of 36±13 to 85±13 at 12 months after reimplantation. CONCLUSIONS: Using cementless prostheses in two-staged revisions of hip periprosthetic infections can provide low rate of infection recurrence and good implant stability, but cautions must be taken when treating patients with infection caused by multidrug-resistant organisms.

AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) activation is involved in chrysin-induced growth inhibition and apoptosis in cultured A549 lung cancer cells.

Here we show that chrysin induces growth inhibition and apoptosis in cultured lung cancer A549 cells, and activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) may contribute to this process. Our Western-blots results demonstrated a significant AMPK activation after chrysin treatment in A549 cells. Inhibition of AMPK by shRNA-mediated gene silencing, or by its inhibitor, diminished chrysin-induced A549 cell growth inhibition and apoptosis. Forced activation of AMPK by introducing a constitutively active form of AMPKα (CA-AMPKα), or by its activators, mimicked chrysin's effect. For mechanism analysis, we found chrysin inhibited Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) activation, and knocking-down of AMPK by shRNA almost reversed this effect. Finally, we observed that a relative low dose of chrysin enhanced doxorubicin-induced AMPK activation to promote A549 cell apoptosis. Our study suggests that activation of AMPK by chrysin contributes to Akt suppression, growth inhibition and apoptosis in human lung cancer cells, and agents that could activate AMPK may serve as useful adjuvants for traditional chemotherapy against lung cancer.

Rotational alignment in total knee arthroplasty: nonimage-based navigation system versus conventional technique.

BACKGROUND: Proper rotational alignment during total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is important for adequate postoperative patellofemoral and tibiofemoral kinematics, as well as for achieving balanced flexion space at 90. The effects of computer navigation-assisted total knee replacement and conventional total knee arthroplasty on rotational alignment, mechanical axis, component position and clinical outcomes were compared. METHODS: Two methods were used in 82 patients and the rotation of the femoral and tibial components in the transverse plane, the combined rotation of the two components, the mismatch between them, and the mechanical axis of the lower limb were analyzed. All of these parameters were measured from postoperative radiographs and computed tomography images. Functional outcomes were compared at 6 weeks and 6 months postoperatively. RESULTS: Significant differences were found between the two techniques (P < 0.05) in the following parameters: average rotation of the femoral component ((1.51 ± 3.55)° vs. (-0.63 ± 3.04)°); combined rotation of the femoral and tibial components (2.85 ± 4.07)° vs. (0.28 ± 3.43)°); and mismatch between the femoral and tibial components ((1.44 ± 4.55)° vs. (-0.43 ± 2.86)°). Differences in the rotation of the tibial component were not statistically significant. The prevalence of outliers (malalignment > ± 3° internal/external rotation) of the femoral component (31.7% vs. 12.5%) and the tibial component (36.6% vs. 15%) were significantly reduced when the navigation system was used (P < 0.05). In addition, while patients in the navigation group had significantly better mechanical axis and functional outcomes at 6 weeks after surgery (P < 0.05), there was no significant difference between the two groups (P > 0.05) with respect to functional outcomes at 6 months. CONCLUSION: The navigation system exhibited higher accuracy than the conventional technique in the transverse and coronal plane, and provided better early functional outcomes.

[Acetabular revision with impacted irradiated frozen allografts].

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the clinical and radiographical result of acetabular revisions with wire mesh, impacted irradiated frozen allografts and cemented cups. METHODS: From February 2006 to January 2009, a total of 20 patients with 21 acetabular revisions were performed with wire mesh, impacted irradiated frozen allografts and cemented cups. Eighteen cases (19 hips) were followed up. There were 5 hips in 4 males and 14 hips in 14 females. The average age of patients was 64.4 years (43 to 81 years). Acetabular bone defects were classified according to Paprosky classification. There were Paprosky II B in 4 hips, Paprosky II C in 8 hips, Paprosky IIIA in 5 hips and Paprosky IIIB in 2 hips. Wire mesh was used to converted segmental defects into cavity defects. Irradiated frozen allografts were impacted and cemented cup was inserted to complete the revision. Patients were followed up regularly with clinical and radiographical assessment. Harris score, migration and loosening of prosthesis grafts integration and complications were observed. RESULTS: The average follow-up time was 22.4 months (12 - 48 months). Harris score improved from 42.5 points (31 - 56 points) pre-operation to 88.6 points (82 - 96 points) at the final follow up. Pain score was 14.4 point (10 - 20 point) before revision and 42.3 points (40 - 44 point) at the final follow up. COMPLICATIONS: there was 1 infection and healing after debridement. One patient had weakness of quadriceps and returned to normal after 1 year. Greater trochanter fracture occurred in 1 patient. Cup migration and loosening were observed in 1 Paprosky IIIB patients. There was no cup migration more than 1 mm or change of abduction angle in the remaining 18 hips. Grafts incorporation defined as the presence of trabecular bone crossing the graft-host bond could also be seen in these 18 hips. CONCLUSIONS: Impacted bone grafting technique combined with wire mesh and cemented cup is an effective method for biological acetabular revision. Irradiated frozen allografts implanted with impaction bone grafting technique can integrate with the surrounding host bone.

[Posterior longitudinal strip osteotomy of proximal femur in revision total hip arthroplasty].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the treatment and effect of a technique using single femoral posterior longitudinal strip osteotomy in revision total hip arthroplasties. METHODS: Between September 2005 and December 2009, 35 hips of 35 patients underwent a revision total hip arthroplasties (THA) in conjunction with extraction of femoral components. Among them, 23 cases were with uncemented, and 12 cases were with cemented femoral components. Those cases being followed up were chosen by two standards described as follows: one was the examination of preoperative radiographs, which showed that there was difficult in the extraction of the femoral components; Another followed was the trying with routine procedure to remove the stem. If these were unsuccessful, a single longitudinal strip osteotomy was performed, whose length was about 11 - 14 cm, and width was about 1 cm. Then the femoral component was disimpact. The osteotomy was fixed with wires or cables. If there was cortical deficiency or insufficient cancellous bone, grafting was performed. A cementless composite revision prosthesis of the Lima-Lto with a tapered modular distal fixation stem was used. All the patients were evaluated with preoperative and postoperative Harris score, the length of limb and radiographs. RESULTS: All cases were followed up with 5 to 55 months, average 15 months. Compared with preoperative, the average Harris score increased from 30 (range, 19 - 40 points) to 85 points (range, 80 - 92 points). All pains of hip joint were alleviated from the mean 12 points (range, 10 - 20 points) before the operation to 40 points (range, 30 - 44 points) after the operation. All the femoral osteotomy and bone grafting were healing ultimately. And on average, the healing began in 20 weeks (range, 10 - 32 weeks). All the cases remain the same length of lower limbs. There was no hip joint dislocation, loosening or infection. CONCLUSIONS: The femoral posterior longitudinal strip osteotomy facilitates the exposure and extraction of the femoral stem, the clear up of medullary cavity and then the femoral reconstruction in revision total hip arthroplasties. It has satisfactory short-term radiographic evaluation and clinical effect as a simple, effective and reliable technique.

Total knee arthroplasty using computer assisted navigation in patients with severe valgus deformity of the knee.

BACKGROUND: Severe valgus deformity often has bone defect and laxity of the medial ligamentous, and total knee arthroplasty in severe valgus knee is, in most cases, more challenging for surgeons. The usefulness of a computer assisted navigation system in reestablishing the mechanical axis has been well established. Hence, the interest for surgeons is how the navigation system makes the procedure of total knee arthroplasty with severe valgus knee easier. METHODS: From June 2006 to March 2008 in Department of Joint Surgery, Shanghai Sixth People's Hospital, 6 patients (7 knees) with severe valgus knee underwent total knee arthroplasty using the Stryker Navigation system, which is an active wireless and imageless system. All the patients were followed up for 12 to 18 months after surgery. The X-ray radiographs for whole limbs were obtained on all patients to determine preoperative and postoperative alignments. RESULTS: A primary, posterior stabilized prosthesis was utilized in all cases. The average preoperative overall mechanical axis of the seven knees was 19.6° ± 4.6° of valgus (range 16° to 29°), and the average postoperative mechanical axis was 0.4° ± 0.7° (range 0.8° varus to 1.4° valgus). CONCLUSIONS: The navigation system is a very effective and useful tool for accurate intraoperative restoration of alignment in the face of significant deformity with valgus knee. To prevent component malposition, we did not reduce the knee before solidification of bone cement but controlled alignment using the navigation system up to implantation of the final component.

[Epidemiology and etiology of hand-foot-and-mouth disease in Shanghai, 2009].

To analyze the epidemiological and etiological characteristics of Hand-Foot-and-Mouth disease (HFMD) in Shanghai in 2009, epidemiological data was retrieved from the National Notifiable Disease Report System (NNDRS). Nucleic acid of enterovirus (EV) was detected by real-time RT-PCR from 799 HFMD cases from 15 districts/counties in Shanghai; the complete sequences of VP1 encoding region of several identified EV71 strains and sequences of VP4 encoding region of several untyped EV were determined and analyzed. Analysis and summary of the epidemiological data was conducted with Microsoft Excel, and sequence analyses were conducted with both BioEdit and MEGA software. Untyped EV was identified through comparing the VP4 sequence to sequence database using BLAST online service. It was showed that all the 18 districts/counties had reported HFMD cases; children less than 6 years old were the most susceptible population group; the peak of epidemics of HFMD was from April to July; EV71 and Coxsackievirus A16 (CA16) were the major pathogens for this epidemic, but the constituent ratio of EV71 and CA16 was different in different months and regions; CA16 infection was mainly responsible for the mild HFMD, but EV71 for most of the severe cases; EV71 strains of Shanghai were clustered with representatives of subgenotype C4a and showed the highest identity to them, based on the sequence analyses of VP1 encoding region; 2 of the untyped EV were identified as CA2 and CA10 respectively. All the results indicated that EV71 and CA16 were the major pathogens for the epidemic of HFMD in Shanghai, 2009; the circulating EV71 belonged to subgenotype C4a. Besides, other types of EV (for example: CA2 and CA10) were also responsible for a few of the HFMD cases.

[Hip resurfacing arthroplasty for secondary osteoarthritis after developmental dysplasia of hip].

OBJECTIVE: To study the clinical results of metal on metal hip resurfacing arthroplasty for developmental dysplasia patients. METHODS: From March 2005 to December 2006, 34 cases of developmental dysplasia patients (Crowe I, Crowe II) were attempted to have metal on metal hip resurfacing arthroplasty. There were 29 females (32 hips), 5 males (5 hips). The average age was 45 (26 - 57) years old. Radiographic and clinical evaluations were taken at 6 weeks, 3 months, 1 year and then once a year postoperatively. The average Harris score was 35 (25 - 44). Hip flexion was 101 degrees , abduction 24 degrees , adduction 15 degrees . RESULTS: Three patients were turned to total hip arthroplasty during operations. Thirty-one patients (34 hips) received hip resurfacing surgery. These 31 patients were followed for average 21.4 months (12 - 33 months). The average Harris score was 94 (82 - 100) at the latest follow-up, and there was statistical difference compared with the preoperative score (P < 0.01). Hip flexion increased to 133 degrees , abduction to 48 degrees , adduction to 26 degrees . No radiolucency line was found at both acetabular and femoral sides in all the patients. The average abduction angle of acetabular cup was 43 degrees (40 degrees - 53 degrees ), and the average stem shaft angle was 139 degrees (130 degrees - 145 degrees ). CONCLUSIONS: The short term result is excellent. While the mid to long term results for hip resurfacing arthroplasty in developmental dysplasia patients are still looking forward, and the meticulous surgical technique and strict patient selection are the key of the good results.

[Minimally invasive total knee arthroplasty through a quadriceps sparing approach: a comparative study].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the short term clinical results of minimally invasive total knee arthroplasty (MIS-TKA) through a quadriceps sparing (QS) approach compared with a standard TKA using a medial parapatellar exposure. METHODS: Between March 2005 and March 2006, 26 consecutive unilateral primary MIS-TKA through a QS approach were performed. It was compared that the short term clinical results of this group with an age-matched and sex-match cohort of total knee arthroplasty done with a standard medial parapatellar approach. Length of incision, tourniquet time, blood loss, flexion degree, visual analog scale (VAS) score, Knee Society score, tibiofemoral angle and the ability to do a straight leg raising maneuver were evaluated respectively. RESULTS: The mean follow-up time were 17 months (range 12-23 months). The average length of incision was (9.5+/-1.5) cm in the QS group and (14.0+/-2.3) cm in the standard group (P<0.05). Average tourniquet times were (83+/-16) minutes in the QS group and (55+/-11) minutes for the standard group (P<0.05). Postoperative tibiofemoral angles averaged (5.7+/-1.5) degrees valgus in the QS group knees and (6.0+/-1.4) degrees valgus in the standard group knees (P>0.05). The average VAS scores were significantly lower at the first, the third and the seventh postoperative days in the QS group compared with that of the standard group, and the difference was not significant after 6 weeks between two groups. Mean flexion at one week was greater for the QS group (107+/-12) degrees than that in the standard group (95+/-11) degrees. Improved ROM also was seen 6 and 12 weeks postoperatively in the QS group with significant difference. There were no differences in ROM between the two groups in 12 months. The ability to straight leg raised at one week postoperatively was better in the QS group (23/26, 88%) than that of the standard group (21/33, 64%). At the 6 weeks follow-up, the average knee score was (78+/-15) points in the QS group and (71+/-20) points for the standard group (P<0.05). Deep vein thrombosis were found in 1 case of the QS group and 3 cases for the standard group. One patient in the QS group developed superficial wound necrosis that healed uneventfully. There were no other complications such as deep infection, neurovascular injury and so on. CONCLUSIONS: The MIS-TKA through a QS approach is associated with a more rapid functional recovery and improves range of motion. But higher specifications and more restrictive indications are of importance with the QS technique.

[Arthroscopic treatment of tibial eminence fracture with figure-of-eight suture fixation technique].

OBJECTIVE: To introduce the arthroscopic technique of figure-of-eight suture fixation for tibial eminence fracture, and to report its clinical results. METHODS: From January 1998 to June 2001, 21 cases of tibial eminence fracture were treated arthroscopically with figure-of-eight suture fixation technique. Active rehabilitation began one week after operation. The patients were followed up 6-24 months. The reduction and union of fracture, knee laxity, range of motion, and total knee function were evaluated. RESULTS: All fracture healed without displacement six weeks after operation. Three months postoperatively, no knee laxity or instability was detected in all patients; full range of motion of the affected knee returned in all patients when compared with the normal side. Six months postoperatively, the Lysholm knee score was 93.4 +/- 2.7. CONCLUSION: Arthroscopic treatment of tibial eminence fracture with figure-of-eight suture fixation technique is reliable for fracture reduction, fixation and early mobilization. Arthroscopy is conducive to diagnoses and treatment of associated knee arthropathy, reduces the morbidity associated with arthrotomy, and restores knee function to the greatest extent when combined with figure-of-eight suture fixation techniques.