Effectiveness of Halo-Pelvic Traction and Thoracoplasty for Pulmonary Artery Pressure and Cardiopulmonary Function in Patients With Severe Spinal Deformity.

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective review. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of halo-pelvic traction and thoracoplasty for pulmonary artery pressure (PAP) and cardiopulmonary function in patients with severe spinal deformity. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: The effect of severe spinal deformity on pulmonary arterial hypertension, cardiac structure, and function has received little attention before. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 21 patients with severe spinal deformity were included in our study; all patients were examined by echocardiography and pulmonary function test before and after treatment. The correlations between PAP and pulmonary function were examined using Pearson correlation analysis. RESULTS: The PAP decreased from 58.67 ± 20.24 to 39.00 ± 12.51 mm Hg, and the PAP of 42.86% of the patients returned to normal after treatment. Right cardiac enlargement, left ventricular diastolic function, and pulmonary function were improved at the same time. The ratio of left ventricular to right ventricular diameter returned to normal. Moderate correlations (correlation coefficient: -0.513 to -0.559) between PAP and forced vital capacity and forced expiratory volume in the first second were identified. CONCLUSIONS: Pulmonary arterial hypertension, ventricular diastolic function, and pulmonary function were improved after halo-pelvic traction and thoracoplasty. A moderate negative correlation was identified between PAP and pulmonary function: the more pulmonary function improved, the more PAP decreased.

Investigation of Fluidity and Strength of Enhanced Foam-Cemented Paste Backfill.

To solve the problems of high cement dosage and poor fluidity of conventional cemented paste backfill (CPB) materials, the fluidity and strength properties of foam-cemented paste backfill (FCPB) were studied in combination. Based on determining the optimum contents of a foaming agent and a foam stabilizer, FCPB density was measured. To investigate the fluidity and strength of FCPB under different foam contents (0%, 5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, 25%, 30%, and 40%), different solid contents (75 wt.% and 77 wt.%), and different cement-tailing ratios (1:4 and 1:5), spread tests and unconfined compressive strength (UCS) tests were conducted. In addition, the FCPB microstructure was analyzed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results indicate that the optimum combination dosages of sodium lauryl sulfate (K12) and sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) are 0.5 g/L and 0.2 g/L. The density decreases with the foam content (FC), but the fluidity and strength of the FCPB increase first and then decrease with the FC. In addition, the microstructure analysis explains the enhanced strength of FCPB by adding foam. These results contribute to further understanding the effect of foam content on the fluidity and strength of the FCPB.

A rare case of severe tricuspid regurgitation caused by detached stent falling into the right ventricle after transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt.

BACKGROUND: Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) is an important method to alleviate cirrhotic portal hypertension. But the falling and fracture of the stent which detaches into the heart is a potentially fatal threat. CASE PRESENTATION: We present a case of severe tricuspid regurgitation caused by detached stent falling into the right ventricle after transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt. CONCLUSION: Great attention should be paid to the serious complication of stent fracture after TIPS especially when the dual stent technique is used in TIPS.