Objective To investigate the value of posterior short segment peg-stick system plus pediele screw fixation in treatment of thoracolumbar fractures. Methods There were 38 patients invol-ving fractures at Tn in three patients, at T_(12) in 11, at L_1 in 15 and at L_2 in nine. There were three pa-tients with simple fractures of vertebral compression, 35 with burst fractures, 33 with thoracolumbar frac-tures combined with paraplegia. The patients with simple fracture of vertebral compression were treated by posterior short-segment peg-stick system plus pedicle screw fixation. While the patients with paraplegia and intraspinal occupancy were treated by posterior decompression, vertebral enlargement and bone graft-ing (between zygopophysis and transverse process) after fixation. Results All patients received a fol-low-up for average 14.5 months, which showed accurate position of pedicle screw and fine contour of the injured vertebra after reduction, with no loosening or breakage of fixators, chronic lumbar pain or loss of the height of fractured vertebra. Of all, 33 patients were accompanied by paresis. There was one patient at Grade A, six at Grade B, 16 at Grade C and nine at Grade D before operation. But there was one pa-tient at Grade A, one at Grade B, five at Grade C, 10 at Grade D and 16 at Grade E. Conclusions For thoracolumbar fractures especially vertebral burst fractures, posterior short segment speg-stick system plus pedicle screw fixation is an ideal treatment method, for it has the following advantages: no obvious loss of the height of the vertebra after operation, protection of the intact intervertebral disc under the in-jured vertebra and minor effect on range of motion of the lumbar vertebrae.

Objective:To investigate the normal range of exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) in 6-18-year-old children in China, so as to provide a data base for the establishment of FeNO standards for Chinese children.Methods:A multi-center study was conducted on 5 949 children aged 6-18 (3 101 males and 2 848 females) in 16 pro-vinces of 7 administrative districts in China.According to the technical standard recommended by American Thoracic Society/European Respiratory Association, FeNO was measured, and the relationship of FeNO with the sex, age, height, weight, body mass index and region was discussed.Results:The geometric mean FeNO value of Chinese children aged 6-18 was 14.1 ppb, and its 95% confidence interval (skewness distribution) was 1.0-38.2 ppb.The geometric mean FeNO values of children aged 6-11 and 12-18 were 13.1 ppb and 15.7 ppb, respectively, and their 95% confidence intervals (skewness distribution) were 1.0-38.1 ppb and 2.0-38.2 ppb.For children at and under 11 years old, FeNO decreased with age, with a mean decline of 1 ppb per year.The multiple linear regression results suggested that there was a significant correlation between FeNO and age for children aged 6-11, and FeNO of children aged 12-18 was significantly correlated with the gender, height, and region(all P<0.01). Conclusions:FeNO values of Chinese children and adolescents in this study are higher than those obtained by the previous study conducted from 2010 to 2012.For children aged 12-18, 16 ppb is recommended as the clinical cut-off point.For children at or under 11 years old, the influence of age on FeNO should be considered, and the cut-off point of FeNO decreases by 1 ppb as the age is reduced by one year.