At present, the research regarding repair of spinal cord mainly focuses on tissue engineering. Neural tissue engineering materials provide three-dimensional template for tissue regeneration and also environment for synthesis of extracellular matrix. This paper summarizes the types of nerve transplant materials and the research progress in application for treatment of spinal cord injury, so as to provide theoretical evidence for repair of spinal cord injury. But some problems exist in application of nerve cell scaffold materials for repair of spinal cord injury: poor mechanical properties lead to slow degradation speed, causing difficulties in tissue reconstruction with respect to velocity and in subsequent reconstruction of porous three-dimensional scaffold. In recent years, novel biomaterials with specific repair function have been made by the engineering method through combining the biological molecule with specific signal identification function and available materials, which is an advanced projeot in the current field of biomaterials.

BACKGROUND:Elderly patients with degenerative lumbar degeneration often appear insufficient holding power of pedicle screw in spine surgery, which is prone to occur de-pinning and leads to insecure fixation. How to increase the holding power of screws has become a hot research. OBJECTIVE:To observe the early clinical effect of pedicle screws with cement augmentation for treating lumbar degenerative diseases in elderly patients. METHODS:A total of 65 old patients with lumbar degenerative diseases received a treatment between August 2012 and April 2014, and were divided into two groups according to the treatment strategy:treatment group (n=24;internal fixation of pedicle screws with cement augmentation) and control group (n=41;routine internal fixation of pedicle screws). General conditions of patients in two groups were observed and compared. Visual analog scale (VAS) and Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score system were used for evaluating the lumbar and back pain, and restoration of neurological function in lower limbs respectively. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Al of the patients successful y received the surgery and then were fol owed up from 3 to 20 months. The anterioposterior and lateral X-ray film revealed no loosening, loss, fracture of the screws, and no loss of intervetebral space height was found. There was no significant difference in the blood loss and hospital stay between two groups (P>0.05). JOA at postoperative 3 and 6 months, and VAS score at postoperative 3 months were significantly improved after the treatment of pedicle screws with cement augmentation, when compared to control group (P<0.05). VAS scores showed no difference at 6 months postoperatively in two groups (P>0.05). Pedicle screws with cement augmentation for treating lumbar degenerative diseases have the advantages of improving the screws holding strength, reconstructing the stability of lumbar vertebra and obtaining clinical efficacy on degenerative spine.