This review aimed to provide a comprehensive analysis of the etiology, epidemiology, pathology, and conventional treatment of heterotopic ossification (HO), especially emerging potential therapies. HO is the process of ectopic bone formation at non-skeletal sites. HO can be subdivided into two major forms, acquired and hereditary, with acquired HO predominating. Hereditary HO is a rare and life-threatening genetic disorder, but both acquired and hereditary form can cause severe complications, such as peripheral nerve entrapment, pressure ulcers, and disability if joint ankylosis develops, which heavily contributes to a reduced quality of life. Modalities have been proposed to treat HO, but none have emerged as the gold standard. Surgical excision remains the only effective modality; however, the optimal timing is controversial and may cause HO recurrence. Recently, potential therapeutic strategies have emerged that focus on the signaling pathways involved in HO, and small molecule inhibitors have been shown to be promising. Moreover, additional specific targets, such as small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) and non-coding RNAs, could be used to effectively block HO or develop combinatorial therapies for HO.
Humans ; Ossification, Heterotopic/genetics*

Objective:To explore the clinical efficacy of operative treatment of geriatric pelvic fractures.Methods:A retrospective study was conducted to analyze the clinical data of 55 geriatric patients with pelvic fracture who had been operatively treated at Department of Orthopaedic Trauma, Beijing Jishuitan Hospital from January 2020 to October 2023. There were 13 males and 42 females with an age of 72.0 (68.0, 83.3) years. By the AO/OTA classification, there were 47 cases of type B and 8 cases of type C; by the classification for fragility fractures of pelvis, there were 5 cases of type Ⅱ, 44 cases of type Ⅲ, and 6 cases of type Ⅳ. The patients received operative treatment 4.0 (3.0, 6.3) days after injury. Of the 10 patients treated by open reduction and closed reduction, the posterior ring was fixated by a plate in 7 and by screws in 3, and the anterior ring was fixated by either a plate, an external fixator or a minimally invasive anterior pelvic ring internal fixator except in the 2 cases receiving no fixation. Of the other 45 patients treated by closed reduction and fixation, the posterior ring was all fixated by screws except in the 2 cases receiving no fixation, and the anterior ring was fixated by either screws, an external fixator or a minimally invasive anterior pelvic ring internal fixator except in the 10 cases receiving no fixation. The major peri-operative complications, quality of fracture reduction, mortality, and functional recovery of the pelvis at the last follow-up were recorded.Results:There were no major peri-operative complications. According to the Matta criteria, the quality of fracture reduction was excellent in 31, good in 14, fair in 8 and poor in 2 cases, giving a good to excellent rate of 81.8% (45/55). Fifty-four cases were followed up for (15.4±9.1) months and 1 case was lost to the follow-up. Four cases died within 1 year after operation, giving a mortality of 7.4% (4/54). The modified Majeed score at the last follow-up was 69 (54, 76) for the 46 cases who had been followed up for longer than 4 months; the functional recovery of the pelvis at the last follow-up was rated as excellent in 27 cases, as good in 8 cases and as fair in 11 cases, giving a good to excellent rate of 76.1% (35/46) according to the criteria proposed by the faculty of the writers. The internal fixation failed in 3 cases during the follow-up.Conclusion:For the geriatric pelvic fractures, operative treatment can lead to satisfactory clinical outcomes.

Objective:To elucidate the recent therapeutic efficacy of the intelligent fracture reduction robotic system in managing pelvic fractures.Methods:A retrospective evaluation of 49 pelvic fracture patients treated using the intelligent fracture reduction robotic system at Beijing Jishuitan Hospital's trauma orthopedics department between March 2021 and December 2022 was conducted. The cohort included 30 males and 19 females, with a mean age of 51.51±18.71 years (20-92 years range). Fractures were classified according to the Tile system: B1 type in 2 cases, B2 in 7, B3 in 3, C1 in 30, and C2 in 3. The median interval between injury and surgery was 6 days, with a range of 2-22 days. The robotic system assisted in pelvic fracture reduction and stabilization surgeries. Preoperative and postoperative evaluations involved pelvic CT scans, anteroposterior, inlet, and outlet radiographic images. Fracture displacement and reduction outcomes were assessed via X-ray imagery. Data captured included intraoperative blood loss, duration of surgery, fracture stabilization techniques, and postoperative monitoring period. The Majeed scoring system gauged functional outcomes.Results:Of the patients, 48 underwent minimally invasive interventions with robotic assistance, while one case necessitated open reduction and internal fixation due to an unsuccessful reduction. The duration between injury and operation ranged from 2 to 22 days. Average surgical time stood at 206.5±7.1 minutes (105-440 min range), and median intraoperative blood loss was 100ml (10-600 ml range). Using the Matta reduction criteria, 30 postoperative cases exhibited excellent and 9 good outcomes for posterior pelvic ring displacement, translating to a 93% (38/41) positive rate. For anterior pelvic ring shifts, 45 showed excellent and 3 good outcomes, culminating in a 100% (48/48) success rate. Follow-up for the 48 cases lasted 11.0 months (3-23 months range), with the Majeed functional score averaging 81.9±17.0 points (42-100 point range). 27 cases scored excellent, and 11 good, yielding a combined positive outcome rate of 79.2% (38/48).Conclusion:Employing the intelligent fracture reduction robotic system in pelvic fracture treatments facilitates minimally invasive interventions and yields favorable short-term clinical results.

Objective:To explore the short-term efficacy of fixation with a 3D printed individualized custom-made plate in the treatment of elderly patients with periprosthetic femoral fracture.Methods:Retrospectively analyzed were the 5 elderly patients with periprosthetic femoral fracture who had been treated by fixation with a 3D printed individualized custom-made plate from January 2022 to July 2022 at Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Beijing Jishuitan Hospital. There were 3 males and 2 females, aged 81, 86, 77, 91 and 87 years, respectively. One left and 4 right limbs were affected. Vancouver classification: type B1 ( n=3), type B2 ( n=1), and type C ( n=1). The time from operation to injury was 5, 6, 10, 5 and 7 days, respectively. Preoperatively, the femur affected, prosthesis and individualized plate with a greater trochanteric hook, loop cable channel and bone-like trabecular microporous structure were custom-made by 3D printing according to 1:1 models. Virtual operations were simulated to formulate surgical protocols. The operation time, length of surgical incision, intraoperative blood loss and transfusion, hospital stay, hip function and complications at the last follow-up were recorded. Results:The 5 patients were followed up for 12, 7, 10, 3 and 6 months, respectively. There were no events of superficial incision or deep prosthesis infection. Respectively, the operation time was 1.8, 1.7, 2.3, 2.0 and 3.3 h; the length of surgical incision 31, 30, 38, 27 and 30 cm; the intraoperative bleeding volume 400, 300, 300, 500 and 600 mL; the length of hospital stay 8, 9, 15, 14 and 11 d. Four patients received intraoperative blood transfusion of 300, 900, 150 and 1, 050 mL, respectively. One patient died of a heart attack 3 months after discharge; another patient developed dyskinesia at the contralateral limb 3 months after discharge due to cerebral infarction and died of recurrent cerebral infarction 7 months after discharge. At the last follow-up, the Harris hip scores of 3 patients were 86, 77 and 69 points, respectively. None of the patients had complications like breakage or loosening of implants.Conclusion:In the treatment of elderly patients with periprosthetic femoral fracture, fixation with a 3D printed individualized custom-made plate may lead to fine limb function and good short-term curative efficacy.

Objective:To compare the short-term efficacy between our self-designed intelligent robot-assisted minimally invasive reduction system and conventional freehand reduction assisted by fluoroscopy in the treatment of unstable pelvic fractures by robot or fluoroscopy-assisted internal fixation with percutaneous screws.Methods:A prospective randomized controlled trial was conducted to include eligible 35 patients with unstable pelvic fracture who were admitted to Department of Orthopaedic Trauma, Beijing Jishuitan Hospital from December 2021 to October 2022. They were randomized into 2 groups. The observation group[17 cases, 10 males and 7 females with an age of (44.0±17.4) years] was treated with robot-assisted minimally invasive reduction, followed by robot-assisted or fluoroscopic internal fixation with percutaneous screws; the control group[18 cases, 12 males and 6 females with an age of (38.8±15.0) years] was treated with freehand reduction assisted by fluoroscopy, followed by robot-assisted or fluoroscopic internal fixation with percutaneous screws. The 2 groups were compared in terms of operation time, intraoperative bleeding, successful reduction, reduction quality, incidence of surgical complications and postoperative functional scores.Results:The 2 groups were comparable because there were no significant differences in the preoperative general data between them ( P>0.05). The intraoperative fluoroscopy frequency[(32.4±17.5) times] and fluoroscopy time [(19.8±10.4) s] in the observation group were significantly lower or shorter than those in the control group [(60.8±26.6) times and (38.2±16.1) s], and the rate of successful reduction in the observation group was 100.0% (17/17), significantly higher than that in the control group[72.2% (13/18)] ( P<0.05). There was no significant difference between the 2 groups in intraoperative bleeding, operation time, reduction error, excellent and good rate of reduction after operation by Matta scoring, or Majeed functional score at 12 weeks after operation ( P>0.05). Conclusion:In the treatment of unstable pelvic fractures, since our self-designed intelligent robot-assisted minimally invasive reduction system can plan autonomously the reduction paths and accomplish minimally invasive reduction of the fracture with 3D images real-time monitoring, it is advantageous over conventional reduction methods in a higher success rate and less radiation exposure.

Objective:To investigate the early clinical effectiveness of using customized 3D printed acetabular augment to repair large acetabular bone defects in delayed total hip arthroplasty after failed treatment of acetabular fractures.Methods:A retrospective study was conducted to analyze the 6 patients who had undergone 3D printed acetabular augment to reconstruct acetabular bone defects in delayed total hip replacement from July 2021 to January 2023 after failed treatment of acetabular fractures. They were all males, with an age of (51.3±15.0) years. Paprosky classification: 2 cases of type ⅡB, 1 case of type ⅡC, and 3 cases of type ⅢA. Recorded were surgical time, intraoperative bleeding, hospitalization time, and visual analogue scale (VAS), and modified Merle d'Aubigné & Postel score, Harris hip score, and leg length discrepancy at the last follow-up.Results:For the 6 patients, the mean surgical time was (222.5±46.9) min, the mean intraoperative bleeding 1,100 (1,000, 2,625) mL, the mean hospitalization time (9.0±4.5) d, and the mean follow-up time (11.8±7.9) months. At the last follow-up, the VAS [(2.5±1.0) points] significantly decreased compared with the preoperative value [(6.2±0.8) points], the modified Merle d'Aubigné & Postel score [(13.2±2.1) points] and Harris hip score [(67.8±15.3) points] significantly increased compared with the preoperative values [(6.7±0.8) and (34.2±8.4) points], the vertical position of center of rotation [(22.5±5.2) mm] and the horizontal position of center of rotation [(40.7±2.6) mm] were significantly reduced compared with the preoperative values [(38.1±14.2) and (53.1±10.0) mm] ( P<0.05). At the last follow-up, the leg length discrepancy was (6.2±3.6) mm, showing no statistically significant difference from the preoperative value [(18.7±1.7) mm] ( P>0.05). At the last follow-up, no clear line at the cup-bone or augment-bone interface, or no possible prosthetic loosening or displacement was observed on the X-ray films. Conclusion:In delayed total hip arthroplasty after failed treatment of acetabular fractures, the customized 3D printed augment for repair of large bone defects in the acetabulum can reconstruct the normal rotation center of the hip joint, provide reliable stability for the cup prosthesis, and enable patients to obtain significant improvements in hip function.

Objective:To evaluate open reduction and internal fixation via the anterior approaches in the treatment of geriatric acetabular fractures.Methods:Retrospectively analyzed were the clinical data of 74 consecutive patients with acetabular fracture who had been treated by open reduction and internal fixation via the anterior approaches from June 2018 to December 2020. The patients were divided into 2 groups. In the geriatric group (≥65 years old): 16 patients [8 males and 8 females with an age of (74.0±5.9) years]; 7 both column fractures, 4 anterior column fractures, and 5 anterior column plus posterior hemi-transverse fractures according to the Letournel-Judet classification; time from injury to operation: (6.1±3.4) d. In the young group (<65 years old): 58 patients [48 males and 10 females with an age of (46.7±10.9) years]; 28 both column fractures, 14 anterior column fractures, 8 anterior column plus posterior hemi-transverse fractures, 5 T type fractures and 3 transverse fractures; time from injury to operation: (5.4±2.7) d. The 2 groups were compared in terms of operation time, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative reduction, operative complications, and functional results.Results:The 2 groups were comparable because there was no significant difference in the preoperative general data like fracture Letournel-Judet classification or dome impaction between them ( P>0.05). The intraoperative blood loss in the geriatric group was (715.6±285.0) mL, significantly less than that in the young group [(1,008.6±463.9) mL]( P<0.05). In the geriatric and young groups, respectively, the operation time was (167.2±44.3) min and (172.9±56.6) min, 3 and 6 cases had main operative complications, the good to excellent rate of postoperative reduction was 87.5% (14/16) and 84.5% (49/58), and the follow-up time was (26.6±10.7) months and (23.6±10.1) months, all showing no significant difference ( P>0.05). According to the improved Merle d'Aubigné & Postel scoring system, the hip function at the last follow-up was evaluated as excellent in 5 cases, as good in 10 cases, and as fair in 1 case in the geriatric group while as excellent in 21 cases, as good in 33 cases, and as fair in 2 cases (the other 2 cases were lost) in the young group, showing no statistically significant difference between the 2 groups ( P>0.05). Conclusion:Open reduction and internal fixation via the anterior approaches is as safe and effective for the geriatric patients with acetabular fracture as for the young and middle-aged ones.

Objective:To explore the application value of four-dimensional automatic left ventricular quantitation(4D Auto LVQ) technology, in evaluating the myocardial mechanics in patients with different risk stratifications of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy(HCM).Methods:A total of 88 HCM patients and 20 healthy volunteers were selected from February 2020 to February 2022 in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University. According to the HCM Risk-SCD score, HCM patients were divided into 3 groups: low-risk group( n=49), intermediate-risk group( n=21), and high-risk group( n=18). Conventional ultrasound parameters were collected, and 4D Auto LVQ technology was used to obtain the mechanical parameters of left ventricular myocardium, including global longitudinal strain(GLS) , global circumferential strain(GCS), global area strain(GAS), global radial strain(GRS), twist and torsion. The differences in these parameters among the four groups were compared. The predictive values of conventional ultrasound parameters and myocardial mechanical parameters in patients with intermediate- and high-risk HCM patients were analyzed by ROC curve. Results:①Left ventricular end-diastolic diameter, left ventricular end-diastolic volume, left ventricular end-systolic volume, and peak systolic velocity of mitral annulus in the low-, intermediate-, and high-risk groups were lower than those in the control group while left ventricular maximal wall thickness(LVMWT) and early diastolic peak velocity of mitral value orifice/early diastolic peak velocity of mitral annulus(E/e′) were higher, left atrial diameter(LAD) and left ventricular outflow tract gradients(LVOTG) in the intermediate- and high-risk groups were higher than the low-risk group(all P<0.05). ②Compared with the control group, the GLS of HCM patients was lower, and the GLS of the intermediate- and high-risk groups was lower than the low-risk group. GCS and GRS in the intermediate- and high-risk groups were lower than those in the low-risk group. GAS in the high-risk group was lower than the low-risk and the control group, but higher than the intermediate-risk group(all P<0.05). Compared with the control group, the twist and torsion in the intermediate- and high-risk groups were higher, but lower than the low-risk group, and the differences were statistically significant(all P<0.05). ③The ROC results showed that the area under the curve(AUC) of the model containing conventional ultrasound parameters(LVWMT, LAD, and LVOTG) for predicting intermediate- and high-risk HCM patients was 0.811, with a sensitivity of 0.769 and a specificity of 0.755. The AUC of the conventional ultrasound parameters combined with myocardial mechanical parameters was 0.904, as the sensitivity was 0.667 and the specificity was 0.980. Conclusions:4D Auto LVQ can evaluate the mechanical characteristics of LV myocardium in HCM patients with different risk stratifications. Myocardial mechanical parameters combined with conventional ultrasound parameters can improve the diagnostic performance of patients with intermediate- and high-risk HCM.

Objective:To evaluate a self-designed intelligent robot-assisted minimally invasive reduction system in the reduction of unstable pelvic fractures by a cadaveric anatomic study.Methods:Ten unembalmed cadavers (7 male and 3 female ones) were used in this study. In each cadaveric specimen an unstable pelvic fracture was created in accordance with clinical case models (3 cases of type B1, 4 cases of type B2 and 3 cases of type C1 by the Tile classification). A self-designed intelligent robot-assisted minimally invasive reduction system was used to assist the reduction in the cadaveric models. Intraoperative registration and navigation time, autonomous reduction time, total operation time and reduction error were measured.Results:Effective reduction was completed in 10 bone models with the assistance of our self-designed intelligent robot-assisted minimally invasive reduction system. The time for intraoperative registration and navigation averaged 47.4 min (from 32 to 74 min), the autonomous reduction time 73.9 min (from 48 to 96 min), and the total operation time 121.3 min (from 83 to 170 min). The reduction error averaged 2.02 mm (from 1.67 to 2.62 mm), and the reduction results met the clinical requirements.Conclusion:Our self-designed intelligent robot-assisted minimally invasive reduction system is a new clinical solution for unstable pelvic fractures, showing advantages of agreement with clinical operative procedures, high reduction accuracy and operational feasibility, and reduced radiation exposure compared to a conventional operation.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical characteristics and outcomes of adult critically ill patients with COVID-19 and identify the risk factors correlated with in-hospital deaths. METHODS: This study was conducted among 20 confirmed adult cases of COVID-19 in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Honghu People's Hospital in Jingzhou City, Hubei Province. According to the final outcome, the patients were divided into survivor group and death group with 10 patients each. The demographic data, clinical manifestations and signs, laboratory findings, treatment measures and clinical outcomes were obtained from electronic medical records to compare the clinical characteristics and outcomes between the two groups. Univariate logistic analysis was used to analyze the risk factors associated with in-hospital death. RESULTS: The mean age of patients with confirmed COVID-19 was 70 ± 12 years, and 40% of them were male. The patients were admitted to ICU 11 ± 9 days after symptom onset. The most common symptoms on admission were cough (19 cases), fatigue or myalgia (18 cases), fever (17 cases) and dyspnea (16 cases). Eleven (55%) of the patients had underlying diseases, among which hypertension was the most common (11 cases), followed by cardiovascular disease (4 cases) and diabetes (3 cases). Six (30%) of the patients received invasive mechanical ventilation and continued renal replacement therapy but eventually died. Acute cardiac injury was the most common complication (19 cases). Half of the patients died between the 2nd and 19th day after ICU admission. Compared with dead patients, the surviving patients had a lower average body weight (61.70±2.36 68.60±7.15 kg, =0.01) and a higher Glasgow Coma Index (14.69 ± 0.70 12.70 ± 2.45, =0.03), and were less likely to develop shock (2 10, =0.001) or acute respiratory distress syndrome (2 10, =0.001). CONCLUSIONS Critically ill patients with COVID-19 are generally older. A higher body weight and a lower lymphocyte count are potentially associated with a greater likeliness of fatality in ICU patients with COVID-19.
Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Betacoronavirus ; Coronavirus Infections ; Critical Illness ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pandemics ; Pneumonia, Viral ; Retrospective Studies