PURPOSE: To judge the injury mode and injury severity of the real human body through the measured values of anthropomorphic test devices (ATD) injury indices, the mapping relationship of lumbar injury between ATD and human body model (HBM) was explored. METHODS: Through the ATD model and HBM simulation, the mapping relationship of lumbar injury between the 2 subjects was explored. The sled environment consisted of a semi-rigid seat with an adjustable seatback angle and a 3-point seat belt system with a seatback-mounted D-ring. Three seatback recline states of 25°, 45°, and 65° were designed, and the seat pan angle was maintained at 15°. A 23 g, 47 km/h pulse was used. The validity of the finite element model of the sled was verified by the comparison of ATD simulation and test results. ATD model was the test device for human occupant restraint for autonomous vehicles (THOR-AV) dummy model and HBM was the total human model for safety (THUMS) v6.1. The posture of the 2 models was adjusted to adapt to the 3 seat states. The lumbar response of THOR-AV and the mechanical and biomechanical data on L1 - L5 vertebrae of THUMS were output, and the response relationship between THOR-AV and THUMS was descriptive statistically analyzed. RESULTS: Both THOR-AV and THUMS were submarined in the 65° seatback angle case. With the change of seatback angle, the lumbar spine axial compression force (F_z) of THOR-AV and THUMS changed in the similar trend. The maximum F_z ratio of THOR-AV to THUMS at 25° and 45° seatback angle cases were 1.6 and 1.7. The flexion moment (M_y) and the time when the maximum M_y occurred in the 2 subjects were very different. In particular, the form of moment experienced by the L1 - L5 vertebrae of THUMS also changed. The changing trend of M_y measured by THOR-AV over time can reflect the changing trend of maximum stress of L1 and L2 of THUMS. CONCLUSION The F_z of ATD and HBM presents a certain proportional relationship, and there is a mapping relationship between the 2 subjects on F_z. The mapping function can be further clarified by applying more pulses and adopting more seatback angles. It is difficult to map M_y directly because they are very different in ATD and HBM. The M_y of ATD and stress of HBM lumbar showed a similar change trend over time, and there may be a hidden mapping relationship.
Humans ; Lumbar Vertebrae/injuries* ; Finite Element Analysis ; Biomechanical Phenomena ; Manikins ; Spinal Injuries/physiopathology*

PURPOSE: Percutaneous ilio-sacral screw (ISS) insertion using conventional C-arm fluoroscopy has been a widely employed technique for pelvic posterior ring fixation, particularly in developing regions. However, this approach presents technical challenges, leading to a high malposition rate. We introduced a new method for ISS insertion without additional equipment or software and suggested whether it could reduce the malposition rate and operating time. METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort study. The study included all patients who underwent percutaneous ISS fixation between January 2020 and December 2022. Patients treated with open reduction or other types of implants were excluded. The patients were divided into 2 groups based on the screw insertion method: Group A utilized the traditional dual-plane adjustment method, while Group B received the newly introduced method. In all cases, conventional C-arm fluoroscopy was the sole guidance during the surgical procedure. Malposition rate, radiation exposure, and operating time were compared between groups. Post-operative CT scans were used to assess screw accuracy using the Smith grading method. The Student's t-test or the Mann-Whitney U test was chosen for comparing the quantitative variables based on the normality test results. The Chi-squared test was utilized for comparing qualitative variables. RESULTS: A total of 72 patients with pelvic posterior ring disruption treated with percutaneous ISS under conventional fluoroscopy guidance were included in this study. Among them, 32 patients were in Group A and 40 patients were in Group B. In Group B, the average operation duration per screw was 33 min with 29 fluoroscopy applications, which was significantly lower than that in Group A (44 min, p < 0.001, 38 times, p < 0.001, respectively). Furthermore, the post-operative CT scan revealed that only 10.7% (6/56) of screws in Group B were inappropriately positioned according to the Smith criteria. CONCLUSION The novel method introduced in this study demonstrated a reduction in both malposition rates and operating time compared to the traditional dual-plane adjustment method. Precise pre-operative CT planning in conjunction with conventional fluoroscopy could establish this method as a widely applicable technique for percutaneous ISS fixation.
Humans ; Fluoroscopy/methods* ; Retrospective Studies ; Bone Screws ; Female ; Male ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed/methods* ; Sacrum/diagnostic imaging* ; Middle Aged ; Operative Time ; Adult ; Fracture Fixation, Internal/methods* ; Ilium/diagnostic imaging* ; Aged

PURPOSE: To investigate the incidence and influencing factors of bone loss in patients with spinal cord injury (SCI). METHODS: A retrospective case-control study was conducted. Patients with SCI in our hospital from January 2019 to March 2023 were collected. According to the correlation between bone mineral density (BMD) at different sites, the patients were divided into the lumbar spine group and the hip joint group. According to the BMD value, the patients were divided into the normal bone mass group (t > -1.0 standard deviation) and the osteopenia group (t ≤ -1.0 standard deviation). The influencing factors accumulated as follows: gender, age, height, weight, cause of injury, injury segment, injury degree, time after injury, start time of rehabilitation, motor score, sensory score, spasticity, serum value of alkaline phosphatase, calcium, and phosphorus. The trend chart was drawn and the influencing factors were analyzed. SPSS 26.0 was used for statistical analysis. Correlation analysis was used to test the correlation between the BMD values of the lumbar spine and bilateral hips. Binary logistic regression analysis was used to explore the influencing factors of osteoporosis after SCI. p < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: The incidence of bone loss in patients with SCI was 66.3%. There was a low concordance between bone loss in the lumbar spine and the hip, and the hip was particularly susceptible to bone loss after SCI, with an upward trend in incidence (36% - 82%). In this study, patients with SCI were divided into the lumbar spine group (n = 100) and the hip group (n = 185) according to the BMD values of different sites. Then, the lumbar spine group was divided into the normal bone mass group (n = 53) and the osteopenia group (n = 47); the hip joint group was divided into the normal bone mass group (n = 83) and the osteopenia group (n = 102). Of these, lumbar bone loss after SCI is correlated with gender and weight (p = 0.032 and < 0.001, respectively), and hip bone loss is correlated with gender, height, weight, and time since injury (p < 0.001, p = 0.015, 0.009, and 0.012, respectively). CONCLUSIONS The incidence of bone loss after SCI was high, especially in the hip. The incidence and influencing factors of bone loss in the lumbar spine and hip were different. Patients with SCI who are male, low height, lightweight, and long time after injury were more likely to have bone loss.
Humans ; Spinal Cord Injuries/complications* ; Male ; Female ; Retrospective Studies ; Incidence ; Adult ; Bone Density ; Middle Aged ; Case-Control Studies ; Osteoporosis/etiology* ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; Bone Diseases, Metabolic/etiology* ; Aged ; Risk Factors

PURPOSE: The fixation method commonly employed worldwide for treating unstable fractures of the posterior pelvic ring is the percutaneous iliosacral screw technique. However, prolonged operation time and frequent fluoroscopies result in surgical risks. This study aimed to investigate whether a new triangulation method could reduce operative and fluoroscopy times and increase the accuracy of screw placement. METHODS: This study is a real-world retrospective cohort analysis that examined a patient cohort who underwent percutaneous iliosacral screw fixation between January 1, 2019 and December 31, 2022. Inclusion criteria were patients (1) diagnosed with posterior pelvic ring instability who underwent pelvic fracture closed reduction and percutaneous S1 transverse-penetrating iliosacral screw placement and (2) aged >18 years. Exclusion criteria were: (1) combined proximal femoral fractures, (2) severe soft tissue injury in the surgical area, (3) incomplete imaging data, and (4) declining to provide written informed consent by the patient. The patients were divided into 2 groups according to the screw insertion method: conventional and triangulation methods. Screw placement and fluoroscopy times recorded by the C-arm were compared between the 2 methods. The accuracy of screw placement was evaluated by Smith grading on postoperative CT. Normality tests were conducted to assess the distribution of the quantitative variables and the Chi-square test was used to compare the qualitative variables. RESULTS: The study included a total of 94 patients diagnosed with posterior pelvic ring instability, who underwent percutaneous iliosacral screw placement. The patients were divided into 2 groups: 46 patients treated with the conventional surgical method and 48 patients received the triangulation method. The operation time (61.13±9.69 vs. 35.77±6.27) min and fluoroscopy frequency times (52.15±9.29 vs. 24.40±4.04) of the triangulation method were significantly reduced (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS The use of a triangular positioning technique for the surface positioning of percutaneous iliosacral screws could reduce the operative time and fluoroscopy frequency. And the screw placement accuracy using this new method was comparable to that using other conventional methods.
Humans ; Retrospective Studies ; Bone Screws ; Pelvic Bones/surgery* ; Male ; Female ; Fracture Fixation, Internal/methods* ; Fractures, Bone/surgery* ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Fluoroscopy ; Aged ; Sacrum/surgery* ; Operative Time

PURPOSE: To screen laboratory markers with predictive value in early spinal surgical site infections (SSI) that are diagnosed within 30 days postoperatively. METHODS: Patients who underwent surgical treatment for internal spinal fixation between March 2022 and March 2023 in our hospital were retrospectively studied. The inclusion criteria were aged >18 years, undergoing internal fixation surgery, complete medical records with >30 days of postoperative follow-up, diagnosis was made within 30 days postoperatively, and an informed consent form was obtained. The exclusion criteria were abnormal white blood cell count or neutrophil percentage in the preoperative blood routine and combined diseases that may affect the C-reactive protein (CRP) or procalcitonin (PCT) values, including lower respiratory tract infection, renal insufficiency, and liver disease. We collected patients' personal information, surgical information, and blood laboratory data, including CRP, PCT, lymphocyte-neutrophil ratio, platelet-neutrophil ratio, and routine blood tests on preoperative and postoperative days 3, 5, and 7, from these patients. These data were statistically analyzed to determine which laboratory markers were statistically significant. The diagnostic value and optimal diagnostic threshold of these laboratory markers were further determined by receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. RESULTS: A total of 106 patients were enrolled in this study, of whom 8 patients were diagnosed with early SSI. A total of 4 laboratory markers were screened, namely, CRP on postoperative day 7 (optimal diagnostic threshold of ≥64.1 mg/L, sensitivity of 100%, specificity of 76.5%, area under the curve (AUC) of 0.908), PCT on postoperative day 7 (optimal diagnostic threshold of ≥0.2 ng/mL, sensitivity of 87.5%, specificity of 94.1%, AUC of 0.967), lymphocyte count on postoperative day 5 (optimal diagnostic threshold of ≤0.67 × 10⁹/L, sensitivity of 50%, specificity of 95.9%, AUC of 0.760), and lymphocyte count on postoperative day 7 (optimal diagnostic threshold of ≤1.32 × 10⁹/L, sensitivity of 87.5%, specificity of 55.1%, AUC of 0.721). CONCLUSION We concluded that CRP and PCT levels on postoperative day 7 and lymphocyte counts on postoperative days 5 and 7 are useful markers in screening for early spinal SSI.
Humans ; Retrospective Studies ; Male ; Female ; Biomarkers/blood* ; Middle Aged ; C-Reactive Protein/analysis* ; Surgical Wound Infection/blood* ; Procalcitonin/blood* ; Adult ; Aged ; Postoperative Period ; ROC Curve ; Predictive Value of Tests ; Spine/surgery*

One case of multi-dimensional cervical disorder was diagnosed and treated using jingjin (sinew/muscle) theory. According to the patient's symptoms, guided by jingjin theory, this case was diagnosed as the jingjin (muscle region) disorder of foot-taiyang. On the distribution of the muscle region of foot-taiyang, the distal junctions of the muscle region, Kunlun (BL60) and Feiyang (BL58), as well as the knotted sites, Wangu (GB12), Tianzhu (BL10) and Cuanzhu (BL2) were the keys in the distal acupuncture technique along meridian. After three treatments, the movement of neck region was recovered, the foreign body sensation while swallowing and the discomforts in the supraclavicular fossa disappeared.
Humans ; Acupuncture Points ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Meridians ; Cervical Vertebrae/pathology*

OBJECTIVE: To compare the clinical efficacy of acupuncture with yin-yang regulation method versus local acupuncture in treating chronic low back pain (CLBP) in elderly patients with lumbar disc herniation (LDH), and to evaluate the changes in the multifidus muscle before and after treatment using musculoskeletal ultrasound. METHODS: A total of 128 elderly patients with CLBP due to LDH were randomly assigned to an observation group (64 cases, 2 cases dropped out) and a control group (64 cases, 2 cases dropped out). The control group received local acupuncture at bilateral L₃-L₅ Jiaji points (EX-B2), Shenshu (BL23), Dachangshu (BL25), Weizhong (BL40), Yaoyangguan (GV3), and ashi points. The observation group received acupuncture with yin-yang regulation method, which included an abdominal protocol with Baihui (GV20), Zhongwan (CV12), Qihai (CV6), Guanyuan (CV4), bilateral Tianshu (ST25), and Dahe (KI12), etc., and a lumbar protocol with Baihui (GV20), Dazhui (GV14), Jizhong (GV6), Yaoyangguan (GV3), and ashi points, etc., alternated bilaterally. Both groups were treated once every other day, three times per week, for a total of 12 sessions. The visual analogue scale (VAS) score, Oswestry disability index (ODI) score, and the indexs of musculoskeletal ultrasound multifidus muscle (resting and functional thickness and Young's modulus values) were observed before and after treatment, and the clinical efficacy was evaluated in the two groups. RESULTS: After 1 and 4 weeks of treatment, both groups showed lower VAS scores compared to baseline (P<0.05), the VAS scores in the observation group were lower than those in the control group (P<0.001). ODI scores in both groups were decreased after 1 and 4 weeks of treatment compared to baseline (P<0.05), with a further reduction at 4 weeks of treatment compared to 1 week of treatment (P<0.05); the observation group showed lower ODI score than the control group after 1 week of treatment (P<0.001). After treatment, both groups demonstrated increased resting and functional multifidus muscle thickness bilaterally compared to baseline (P<0.01), with an increased right-side thickness change rate (P<0.01), though no significant difference was observed between groups (P>0.05). Compared to baseline, after treatment, the observation group exhibited decreased Young's modulus values for bilateral resting and functional multifidus muscle (P<0.01), while the control group showed reductions only in bilateral resting and right-side functional Young's modulus values (P<0.01). After treatment, the bilateral functional Young's modulus values in the observation group were lower than that in the control group (P<0.05), and the bilateral resting and functional changes in Young's modulus values were greater in the observation group than those in the control group (P<0.01). The overall effective rate was 93.5% (58/62) in the observation group, which was higher than 79.0% (49/62) in the control group (P<0.05). CONCLUSION Acupuncture with yin-yang regulation method effectively alleviates pain, improves functional disability, increases multifidus muscle thickness, and reduces Young's modulus values in elderly patients with CLBP due to LDH, which has superior therapeutic effect compared to local acupuncture.
Humans ; Low Back Pain/physiopathology* ; Male ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Female ; Aged ; Intervertebral Disc Displacement/physiopathology* ; Middle Aged ; Yin-Yang ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; Acupuncture Points ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVE: To explore the relationship between the effect of acupuncture and layered localization of computed tomography (CT) in treatment of lumbar disc herniation. METHODS: Based on the CT layered localization, the herniated lumbar discs were positioned in 5 layers, A, B, C, D and E among 300 patients with lumbar disc herniation. Combined with the horizontal and the frontal planes, the three-dimensional location was formed. Acupuncture was delivered at acupoints including bilateral Shenshu (BL23), Dachangshu (BL25), and Huantiao (GB30), Weizhong (BL40) on the affected side. One intervention of acupuncture was 30 min, once daily; 1 course of treatment was composed of 10 interventions and 2 courses were required. Before and after treatment, Japanese orthopaedic association (JOA) score was recorded, and the effect was evaluated. The curative effect was classified and compared with the CT layered localization. RESULTS: Of 300 patients, 226 cases were effective and the effective rate was 75.33%. The JOA scores of all patients, and in the effective group and the non-effective group were higher compared with the scores before treatment (P<0.05). With the layered localization considered, acupuncture was more effective on the cases positioned in C layer. Regarding the horizontal plane, the effect was better on the cases with zone 1 and zone 1-2 involved. In terms of the grade of frontal plane, acupuncture was more effective on the cases graded Ⅰ and Ⅱ. CONCLUSION The clinical effect of acupuncture on lumbar disc herniation is related with the layer and the horizontal zone of herniated disc positioned, as well as to the grade of the frontal plane.
Humans ; Acupuncture Therapy ; Intervertebral Disc Displacement/diagnostic imaging* ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; Lumbar Vertebrae/diagnostic imaging* ; Acupuncture Points ; Aged ; Young Adult ; Treatment Outcome

Intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) is the main cause of low back pain. Immune cells play an extremely important role in regulating the progression of IDD by interacting with nucleus pulposus (NP) cells and the extracellular matrix (ECM). Healthy NP tissue is a vascular-free and immune-privileged tissue that does not normally interact with macrophages. However, the establishment of neovascularization channels in damaged intervertebral discs has led to extensive cross-talk between NP and macrophages, with different results depending on microenvironmental stimuli. Based on this, this review reviewed the correlation between IDD and low back pain, summarized the source and function of macrophages, and discussed the possible regulatory mechanism between macrophages and discogenic pain. Finally, potential therapies targeting macrophages to delay IDD in recent years were also discussed, aiming to emphasize the important role of immunology in IDD and provide a new direction for the prevention and treatment of IDD.
Humans ; Intervertebral Disc Degeneration/complications* ; Macrophages/immunology* ; Low Back Pain/immunology* ; Nucleus Pulposus ; Animals ; Extracellular Matrix

With the aging of the population in China, lumbar degenerative diseases among the older patients have drawn growing attention. Lumbar fusion is an important surgical treatment for degenerative diseases of the lumbar spine, which mainly achieves bony fusion between adjacent vertebrae through methods such as bone grafting and internal fixation. Due to the unique physiological and pathological characteristics of the older patients, it often leads to a higher risk of complications associated with lumbar fusion, which affects the patient's prognosis. However, there is still a lack of standards for the prevention and treatment of some common complications associated with lumbar fusion surgery in the older patients. The Chinese Medical Doctor Association Committee of Neural Restoration took the lead in establishing a guideline development group, followed the principles and methods of guideline development, and produced "Guideline for prevention and treatment of common complications in older patients undergoing lumbar spinal fusion（2025 edition）", covering ten types of common complications associated with lumbar fusion in the older patients with 20 recommendations for clinical practice reference.
Humans ; Spinal Fusion/adverse effects* ; Lumbar Vertebrae/surgery* ; Postoperative Complications/therapy* ; Aged ; Spinal Diseases/surgery*