Objective To study the angle and articular facet curvature of lumbar zygapophyseal joints in adults.Methods The lumbar zygapophyseal joints in 120 healthy subjects without lumbar diseases were detected using spiral CT and mutiple planner re-construction.The angle and articular facet curvature of zygapophyseal joints were measured.The differences in the measured param-eters between male and female or different age groups were compared.Results ①There were no significant differences in the angle of the same lumbar zygapophyseal joints between males and females or different age groups (P >0.05);however,the significant differences in the angle between different lumbar segments were found (P <0.05).②There were no significant differences in articu-lar facet curvature of the same lumbar zygapophyseal joints between males and females or different age groups (P >0.05);however, there were significant differences in the curvature between different lumbar segments (P <0.05).The maximum articular facet cur-vature of L3-L4 was 22.1°±6.0°.Conclusion The angle and articular facet curvature of lumbar zygapophyseal joints varies from different lumbar segments with different contributions for the lumbar stability.

Objective To observe the significance of rehabilitation integrated system for stroke patients. Methods From October, 2013 to June, 2015, 95 stroke patients were divided randomly into experimental group (n=48) and control group (n=47). The experimental group received rehabilitation under the guide of rehabilitation integrated system, while the control group in the routine process. They were assessed with simplified Fugl-Meyer Assessment (FMA) and Barthel Index (BI) before and 3 months after treatment. The satisfaction was also inves-tigated. Results There was no significant difference between groups in the differences of scores of FMA and BI before and after treatment (t<1.044, P>0.05), while the satisfaction was higher in the experimental group (t=4.287, P<0.01). Conclusion The application of rehabilitation integrated system may improve the process of treatment and the efficiency of management, and result in more satisfaction of the stroke pa-tients.

Objective:To evaluate the clinical application of virtual and simulation techniques to aid pre-operative design for precise screw placement into the sustentaculum tali in the treatment of intra-articular calcaneal fractures.Methods:From January 2016 to January 2019, 68 patients were treated at Department of Orthopaedics, Suqian Hospital Affiliated to Xuzhou Medical University for intra-articular calcaneal fractures of Sanders types Ⅱ-Ⅳ. According to different designs of screw placement into the sustentaculum tali, they were assigned into a control group (38 cases and 42 feet) and an observation group (30 cases and 33 feet). There were 24 males and 14 females with an age of 39.3 years±8.8 years in the control group. There were 17 males and 13 females with an age of 42.0 years ± 7.6 years in the observation group. The control group was given a routine placement design based on the X-ray and MSCT scanning images of the injured feet. In the observation group, a Mimics model was first constructed using the X-ray and MSCT scanning images of the normal or less injured feet for further virtual screw placement into the sustentaculum tali on a 3D printed model. The disparity was investigated between the parameters designed and the actual values in both groups. The 2 groups were compared in terms of average placements, screw distribution, placement accuracy, placement time and Maryland scores of foot function one year after operation.Results:There were no significant differences in the preoperative general data between the 2 groups, showing comparability ( P>0.05). The design parameters and actual values in the control group were respectively as follows: 17.7°±3.2° versus 15.1°±5.9° in upward oblique angle, 20.3°±2.1° versus 16.2°±6.8° in backward oblique angle, and 47.9 mm ± 3.8 mm versus 45.4 mm ± 4.2 mm in length of screw path, showing significant differences ( P< 0.05). The design parameters and actual values in the observation group were as follows: 16.5°±3.5° versus 17.1°±3.9° in upward oblique angle, 20.9°±4.3° and 19.6°±3.8° in backward oblique angle, and 48.1 mm ± 3.1 mm versus 47.3 mm ± 3.8 mm in length of screw path, showing insignificant differences ( P>0.05). The average screw placements into the sustenta culum tali in the observation group (1.6±0.5) were significantly more than those in the control group (1.2±0.4). Compared with the control group, the observation group had a higher rate of placement of 2 screws[60.6 % (20/23) versus 16.7% (7/42)], higher accuracy of placement [94.3% (50/53) versus 77.6% (38/49)], less placement time for each screw (9.6 mm±3.9 min versus 13.2 mm±4.7 mm), less placement time for each foot (15.6 mm±4.8 min versus 20.5 mm±3.8 mm), and higher Maryland scores at one year after operation (94.2±6.5 versus 89.7±6.9). All the above comparisons were statistically significant ( P<0.05). Conclusions:Application of virtual and simulation techniques to aid pre-operative design for precise screw placement into the sustentaculum tali can improve the outcomes of intra-articular calcaneal fractures, because it increases the number of screws placed, enhances quality of screw placement, shortens operation time, and thus facilitates functional recovery of the injured foot.

Objective:To evaluate our novel path based on anatomical division of the anterior lateral wall of calcaneus and the sustentaculum tali for precise sustentacular screw placement in the surgical treatment of calcaneal fractures of Sanders types Ⅱ and Ⅲ.Methods:The anterior lateral wall of the calcaneus was divided into the anterior-superior zone S 1, the anterior-inferior zone S 2, the posterior-superior zone S 3 and the posterior-inferior zone S 4 for demarcation of the screw insertion points by our method of Four Zones, and into the front, middle and rear sections by our method of Three Sections for demarcation of the screw target points. The specimens were scanned by CT and modeled by Mimics. On the 3D virtual model of the calcaneus, one screw was placed from each zone of the anterior lateral wall of the calcaneus to the sustentaculum tali body. The screw placement target for S 1 and S 2 was the medial intersection point P 1 of the front and middle sections of the sustentaculum tali, and that for S 3 and S 4 was the medial intersection point P 2 of the middle and rear sections of the sustentaculum tali. It was observed whether the screws were placed in the bone channel. A total of 72 patients were included who had been admitted to Department of Orthopaedics, Suqian Hospital Affiliated to Xuzhou Medical University for calcaneal fractures of Sanders types Ⅱ and Ⅲ from January 2017 to January 2021. They were divided into an anatomical division group and a 3D printing group according to their screw placement method for the sustentaculum tali. In the anatomical division group of 32 patients subjected to screw placement based on our anatomical division, there were 25 males and 7 females, aged from 24 to 60 years; in the 3D printing group of 40 patients subjected to screw placement assisted by 3D printing, there were 31 males and 9 females, aged from 25 to 58 years. The disparities between the parameters of sustentacular screw placement and the actual values were compared in the anatomical division group, and the total number of screws, screws on average, distribution of screws, and accuracy of screw placement were compared between the 2 groups. Results:All the screws which were virtually placed in the specimens of the calcaneus from S 1 and S 2 to P 1 and from S 3 and S 4 to P 2 passed through the bony channel, with no perforation into the tarsal sinus. There was no significant difference in the general date between the anatomical division group and the 3D printing group, showing they were comparable ( P > 0.05). In the anatomical division group, a total of 52 screws were placed to the sustentaculum tali with an average of (1.63 ± 0.48) screws per patient, and 2 screws were placed in 20 patients, yielding an accuracy rate of screw placement of 92.3% (48/52). There were no statistically significant differences between the parameters and the actual values of screw placement in the anatomical division group ( P > 0.05). In the 3D printing group, a total of 63 screws were placed to the sustentaculum tali with an average of (1.58 ± 0.49) screws per patient, and 2 screws were placed in 23 patients, yielding an accuracy rate of screw placement of 93.7% (59/63). There were no significant differences in the above comparisons between the anatomical division group and the 3D printing group ( P > 0.05). Conclusion:In the surgical treatment of calcaneal fractures of Sanders types Ⅱ and Ⅲ, the sustentacular screw placement based on our anatomical division of the anterior lateral wall of the calcaneus and the sustentaculum tali can lead to similar clinical accuracy as 3D printing-assisted screw placement does.