Objective To observe the clinical effect of Jiawei Gegen Decoction on cervical spondylosis of sympathetic.Methods 54 patients with cervical spondylosis from June 2013 to June 2016 were divided into the control group and the study group by odd and even numbers,each 27 cases,the contrel group was treated with Flunarizine Hydrochloride, the study group was treated with Jiawei Gegen decoction,The treatment effect, symptom improvement and adverse reaction rate were evaluated between the two groups.Results Compared with the control group, the treatment effect of the patients in the study group and the improvement of symptoms after treatment were better than the control group,the incidence of adverse reactions was lower in the study group (P <0.05).Conclusion With Jiawei Gegen Decoction for the treatment of sympathetic cervical spondylosis patients, the treatment effect is prominent, at the same time, the symptoms of patients improved better, less adverse reactions, it is worthy of clinical trust.

This study aimed to review the improvement of artificial joint materials to search ideal materials for artificial joint. The developing process of metal artificial joint, high polymer artificial joint, ceramic-made artificial joint and compound material artificial joint was introduced and the material surface processing was explored. Selection of materials for artificial joint is determined by many factors. Each material has the specific benefits and drawbacks, so we can improve their performance by certain processing. Although there are many studies about materials for artificial joint, no ideal material is identified. To develop the materials for artificial joint with high mechanical strength, good biocompatibility, strong abradability and long-term service life is the focus in future bone tissue engineering.

BACKGROUND:So far, the pathogenesis of discogenic low back pain is poorly understood. A great diversity of therapeutic means is developed for discogenic low back pain, but the therapeutic outcomes are mixed. OBJECTIVE:To review the research progress in mechanisms and repair of intervertebral disc degeneration in recent years. METHODS: The first author retrieved the PubMed and CNKI databases for relevant articles published before November 2014 using the keywords of “disc degeneration factor, discogenic low back pain, disc degeneration therapy” in English and Chinese, respectively. Initialy, 78 relevant articles were retrieved, but only 30 articles were included in result analysis folowing elimination of duplicate studies. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The relatively respected factors for intervertebral disc degeneration include changes in morphology, inflammatory neurotransmitters and the extracelular matrix as wel as role of growth factors. The treatment for intervertebral disc degeneration stil focuses on the morphological restoration. Some surgical therapies, including percutaneous disc decompression, interbody fusion, artificial disc replacement, dynamic stabilization system, have the exact effects on the symptoms due to intervertebral disc degeneration.

Background: The side effects of glucocorticoid in treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) have been the focus of debate, and our preliminary study indicates that ginsenosides can enhance the efficacy of dexamethasone. Objective: To observe the effects of ginsenosides combined with prednisone in SLE patients. Design, setting, participants and interventions: A total of 60 SLE patients from Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Changhai Hospital, Second Military Medical University, were randomly divided into treatment group and control group, with 30 patients in each group. Patients in the treatment group were given routine treatment with prednisone plus ginsenosides, while those in the control group were given routine treatment with prednisone plus placebo. They were all treated for 3 months. Main outcome measures: After three-month treatment, syndrome score in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), total response rate and symptom improvement rate were measured and evaluated. Results: Twenty-eight cases in treatment group and twenty-seven cases in control group were included in analysis. The total response rates in the treatment group and control group were 89.28% and 66.67% respectively, and there was a significant difference between the two groups (P<0.05). After treatment, the TCM syndrome scores in the two groups were lower than those before treatment (P<0.01), and prednisone plus ginsenosides was better in decreasing the TCM syndrome score than prednisone plus placebo (P<0.05). The symptoms were improved in the treatment group as compared with the control group (P<0.05). Conclusion: Prednisone combined with ginsenosides can increase the clinical effective rate and improve the clinical symptoms of SLE patients.

ObjectiveTo evaluate the adverse events occurred during tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-αblocker treatment in Chinese Han population patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS).MethodsThis study had enrolled 369 Chinese Han population patients with ankylosing spondylitis.They all received TNF-αblocker treatment in the hospital.All 1011 administration were recorded in total.All of them were evaluated for adverse events 2 hours after injection,126 of them had received long-term TNF-α blocker injection,and they were followed-up at week 8,12,52,104.Mild immediate adverse events and long-term adverse events were all counted.SPSS 10.0 software package was used for Fisher's exact test.ResultsThree hundred and sixty-nine patients had 1011 administrations in total,652 had received rhTNFR:Fc,316 had infliximab,21had etanercept,22 had adalimumab injections.Adverse events 2 hours after injection were:17 (2.6％) for rhTNFR:Fc,12 (3.8％) for infliximab,0 for etanercept,1 (4.5％) for adalimumab.Twenty adverse events were mild(12 for rhTNFR:Fc,9 for infliximab),5 events were moderate(3 for rhTNFR:Fc,1 for infliximab,1 for adalimumab),4 events were severe(2 for rhTNFR:Fc,2 for infliximab).The frequency of adverse events were comparable between rhTNFR:Fc and Infliximab injection in immediate adverse reactions (P=0.31).One hundred and twenty-six (69 rhTNFR:Fc,57 infliximab) patients had long-term usage,and were followed-up at week 8,12,52,104,39 patients had adverse reactions:20 (51.3％) for rhTNFR:Fc,19(48.7％) for infliximab.Thirty-seven patients had infectious events(94.9％ ),1 neurological event(2.6％),and 1 patient had tuberculosis relapse (2.6％).Outcomes were comparable with rhTNFR:Fc and infliximab in long-term usage(P=0.69).ConclusionAttention should be paid to the above events in Chinese Han patients with ankylosing spondylitis who were treated with TNF-α blocker treatment.Special attention should be paid to those patients who are in their third or fourth injection.The occurrence of immediate reaction or long-term adverse events between rhTNFR:Fc and infliximab are comparable.

Objective:To compare the safety and effectiveness of disposable and reusable flexible electronic ureteroscopes in the treatment of upper urinary tract stones in elderly patients.Methods:A retrospective analysis was made on clinical data of elderly patients with unilateral upper urinary tract calculi receiving flexible ureteroscopic lithotripsy at Beijing Hospital between March 2020 and November 2022.According to the type of the flexible ureteroscope used, patients who met the requirements for inclusion were divided into a single-use flexible ureteroscope group and a reusable flexible ureteroscope group.The stone-free rate, the operative time, the length of postoperative hospitalization and the incidence of postoperative systemic inflammatory response syndrome(SIRS)were compared between the two groups.Results:A total of 225 eligible participants were enrolled from Beijing Hospital, of whom 107 in the single-use flexible ureteroscope group and 118 in the reusable flexible ureteroscope group underwent evaluation.The operative time[60(40, 97)min vs.75(60, 110)min, Z=-2.947, P=0.003]and the length of postoperative hospitalization[1(1, 2)days vs.1(1, 2)days, Z=-2.554, P=0.011]of the single-use flexible ureteroscope group were shorter than those of the reusable flexible ureteroscope group.There were no statistically significant differences in the lithotripsy success rate[89/107(83.2%) vs.92/118(78.0%), χ2=0.969, P=0.325]and the incidence of postoperative SIRS[8/107(7.5%) vs.14/118(11.9%), χ2=1.225, P=0.268]. Conclusions:There is no significant difference in the lithotripsy success rate and postoperative SIRS rate between single-use digital flexible ureteroscopes and reusable flexible digital ureteroscopes for lithotripsy of upper ureteral stones in elderly patients, while the operative time and the length of postoperative hospitalization of using single-use flexible ureteroscopes are shorter than those of using reusable flexible ureteroscopes.Single-use digital flexible ureteroscopes have satisfactory safety and effectiveness for the treatment of upper urinary tract calculi in elderly patients.

Objective:To assess the efficacy and safety of 100 units of botulinum toxin A (BTX-A) intradetrusor injection in patients with overactive bladder.Methods:From April 2016 to December 2018, 17 tertiary hospitals were selected to participate in this prospective, multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Two phases of study were conducted: the primary phase and the extended phase. This study enrolled patients aged 18 to 75 years who had been inadequately managed by anticholinergic therapy (insufficient efficacy or intolerable side effects) and had spontaneous voiding with overactive bladder. Exclusion criteria included patients with severe cardiac, renal and hepatic disorders, patients with previous botulinum toxin treatment for 6 months or allergic to BTX-A, patients with urinary tract infections, patients with urinary stones, urinary tract tumors, diabetes mellitus, and bleeding tendency. Eligible patients were randomly assigned to BTX-A group and placebo control group in a ratio of 2∶1. Two groups of patients received 20 intradetrusor injections of BTX-A 100U or placebo at the depth of the submucosal muscle layer respectively under cystoscope, including 5 injections at the base of the bladder, 3 injections to the bladder triangle, 5 injections each to the left and right walls and 2 injections to the top, sparing the bladder neck. As a placebo control group, patients received same volume of placebo containing no BTX-A and only adjuvant freeze-dried preparations for injection with the same method. A combination of gelatin, sucrose, and dextran served as adjuvants. Average micturition times per 24 hours, urinary incontinence (UI) episodes per day, average micturition volume per day, OAB symptom score(OABSS), and quality of life (QOL) score were recorded at baseline and the 2nd, 6th and 12th week after treatment. The primary efficacy endpoint was the change from baseline in the average micturition times per 24 hours at the 6th week after treatment. The secondary efficacy endpoints included the change from baseline in the average micturition times per 24 hours at 2nd and 12th week, as well as the change from baseline in the OABSS, QOL score, average frequency of urgency and UI episodes per day, urgency score, average micturition volume per day at 2nd, 6th and 12th week after treatment. Patients were followed for 12 weeks to assess adverse events (AEs). After assessed at week 12, if the micturition times has decreased less than 50% compared to baseline and the patient is willing to receive retreatment, then patients could enter the extended trial phase. In that phase, patients in both groups were injected with 100 units BTX-A from 12th week onwards and then followed up the same indicators for 12 weeks.Results:216 patients were enrolled in this trial (144 cases in the BTX-A group and 72 cases in the placebo control group). Baseline characteristics such as age (47.75±14.20 in the BTX-A group and 46.39±15.55 in the control group), sex (25 male/117 female in the BTX-A group and 10/61 in the control group), and disease duration (0.51 years in the BTX-A group and 0.60 years in the control group) were balanced between the two groups( P>0.05). A marked reduction from baseline in average micturition times per 24 hours was observed in all treatment groups at the 6th week and the reduction of the two groups was statistically different ( P<0.001 and P=0.008 respectively). Compared with the baseline, the average micturition times per 24 hours at the 6th week decreased from baseline by 2.40(0.70, 4.60)times for the BTX-A group and 0.70(-1.00, 3.30) times for the placebo control group respectively, and the difference between the two groups was considered to be statistically significant ( P=0.003). The change rates of average micturition times per 24 hours from baseline at the 6th week of the two groups were (16±22)% and (8±25)% respectively, and the difference between the two groups was statistically significant ( P=0.014). Compared with the baseline, the average micturition times per 24 hours at 2nd and 12th week decreased by 2.00(0.00, 4.00)and 3.30(0.60, 5.03)for the BTX-A group, 1.00(-1.00, 3.00)and 1.70(-1.45, 3.85)for the placebo control group respectively. The difference between two groups was considered to be statistically significant ( P=0.038 and P=0.012); the changes of average urgency times per day for the BTX-A group and the control group at the 2nd, 6th and 12th week were 2.00(0.00, 4.30)and 2.40(0.30, 5.00), 3.00(0.30, 5.70)and 0.70(-1.30, 2.70), 0.70(-1.30, 3.00) and 1.35(-1.15, 3.50), respectively. There were significant differences between two groups at the 2nd, 6th and 12th week, ( P=0.010, P=0.003 and P=0.025, respectively). The OABSS of the BTX-A group and the control group at the 6th week decreased by 1.00(0.00, 4.00)and 0.50(-1.00, 2.00) compared with the baseline, and the difference between the two groups was statistically significant ( P=0.003). 47 cases of BTX-A group and 34 cases of placebo control group entered the extended trial phase, and 40 and 28 cases completed the extended trial phase, respectively. The average micturition volume per 24 hours changed by -16.60(-41.60, -0.60)ml and -6.40(-22.40, 13.30)ml, (-35.67±54.41)ml and(-1.76±48.69)ml, (-36.14±41.51)ml and (-9.28±44.59)ml, (-35.85±43.35)ml and(-10.41±40.29)ml for two groups at the 12th, 14th, 18th and 24th week, and the difference between two groups was statistically significant at each follow-up time ( P=0.01, 0.006, 0.012 and 0.016, respectively). There was no significant difference in other parameters( P>0.05). However, adverse reactions after intradetrusor injection included increased residual urine volume (27 in the BTX-A group and 3 in the control group), dysuria (21 in the BTX-A group and 6 in the control group), urinary infection (19 in the BTX-A group and 6 in the control group), bladder neck obstruction (3 in the BTX-A group and 0 in the control group), hematuria (3 in the BTX-A group and 1 in the control group), elevated alanine aminotransferase (3 in the BTX-A group and 0 in the control group), etc. During the follow-up period, there was no significant difference in the other adverse events between two groups except the increase of residual urine volume( P<0.05). In the primary trial phase, among the 27 cases with increased residual urine volume in BTA group, only 1 case (3.70%) with PVR more than 300 ml; the PVR of 3 patients in the placebo group was less than 100 ml. The increase of residual urine volume caused by the injection could be improved or disappeared with the passage of time. Conclusions:Intradetrusor injection of Chinese BTX-A improved the average micturition times per 24 hours, the average daily urgent micturition times, OABSS, and average micturition volume per time, and reduced the adverse effects in patients with overactive bladder.Chinese BTX-A at dose of 100U demonstrated durable efficacy and safety in the management of overactive bladder.