BACKGROUND:It has become a focus to look for new vertebral body fil ing materials which have the biomechanical property, biological activity and low cement leakage rate.
OBJECTIVE:To investigate the biomechanical characters and cement leakage rate of the vertebral bodies implanted with biodegradable reticulated bal oon and calcium phosphate.
METHODS:Thirty-two vertebral bodies from pigs were randomly divided to four groups. For A group, 2.5-3.0 mL polymethacrylate cement was injected into the body through a unilateral thoracic pedicle pathway;for B group, 2.5-3.0 mL calcium phosphate cement were injected by the same protocol;for C group, the biodegradable reticulated bal oons fil ed with 2.5-3.0 mL calcium phosphate cement were implanted;D group, including normal vertebral bodies, was designed as controls. Leakage of bone cement was observed in each group. The load-shift curves were recorded by an electronic universal testing machine (SCHENCK RSA-250).
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:The stiffness and strength of A group were significantly higher than those of D group (P<0.05), and the stiffness and strength of B group were statistical y lower than those of D group (P<0.05). The stiffness and strength of C group, otherwise, were similar with those of D group (P>0.05). Cement leakage rate of C group was lower than that of A or B group (P<0.05). Vertebral bodies implanted with biodegradable reticulated bal oons may lead to similar biomechanical characters as the normal vertebral bodies and reduce the cement leakage rate.

BACKGROUND:Vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty for osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures can result in many complications, such as bone cement leakage and adjacent-level fractures.
OBJECTIVE:To verify the possibility of biodegradable mesh-like microporous polymer bal oon for the treatment of osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures.
METHODS:Biodegradable mesh-like microporous P(DLLA-CL) bal oons were fabricated by electrospinning technique. Coated bal oons with the same specification was fabricated by coating P(DLLA-CL) onto the same mould. Morphology of the bal oons was observed by scanning electron microscopy. The bal oon leakage was observed by eyes after the injection of water or cement. The initial strength and stiffness were measured by a universal testing machine. The proliferation of MC3T3-E1 cel s on the bal oons was determined by laser confocal microscope and cel counting kit-8 assays. The biodegradation of bal oons in simulated body fluid, porcine pancreatic lipase, and fresh human serum was studied by residual weighing and scanning electron microscopy observation. Burst pressure of bal oons was measured after the bal oon was placed into a hole in the vertebral bone. For the in vitro calcium release tests, the bal oons were fil ed with calcium cement, tied, placed into 6atm ultrapure water, and then the calcium concentration was regularly determined.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Mesh-like microporous bal oons presented with good fiber morphology, thickness distribution, and the presence of pores;on the coated bal oon surface, there was absence of specific morphology and porosity. Compared with the coated bal oon, the mesh-like microporous bal oon showed better mechanical properties, liquid permeability and burst pressure, to prevent leakage of bone cement and promote osteoblast adhesion and proliferation. In addition, the degradation of the mesh-like microporous bal oons was more uniform and stable than the coated bal oons, which may increase the calcium concentration in the injured vertebrae and wil be beneficial to the new bone growth and fracture healing.

BACKGROUND:Percutaneous vertebroplasty and percutaneous kyphoplasty have become the mainstream clinical methods for the treatment of vertebral compression fractures. However, both of them have several shortcomings such as bone cement leakage, spinal stenosis, nerve compression, pulmonary embolism and other issues. OBJECTIVE:To verify the possibility of bone filing mesh container prepared by polyethylene terephthalate for the treatment of vertebral compression fractures. METHODS:The biological properties of bone filing mesh container were examined according to GB/T16886. After sample aging test, the tensile properties of the aged samples and the fresh prepared samples were compared. The expansion and bone cement leakage were evaluated by injecting bone cement into the bone filing mesh container and measuring the pressure. The initial strength and stiffness of the fresh pig vertebrae with calcium phosphate cement injection or with bone filing mesh container filed with calcium phosphate cement were compared. The in vivo bone tissue growth was periodicaly observed after the lumbar vertebra of 4-month-old pigs was implanted with the bone filing mesh container that was then ful of bone cement. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The bone filing mesh container had good biocompatibility. Bone filing mesh containers after 2-year storage had the same tensile strength to the fresh bone filing mesh containers. At ambient conditions, after bone cement injection, bone filing mesh containers could be expanded at 5-10 atm and therefore could play the role of uplift; at 7-10 atm, bone cement could leak out from the bone filing mesh container and enter into the interspace between surrounding bone tissues, thus playing the role of adhesion and fixation. The vertebrae after bone cement injection with or without bone filing mesh containers had the same initial strength and stiffness and exhibited bigger initial strength and stiffness than untreated vertebrae. Thein vivo animal experiments proved that bone filing mesh container had no obvious effect on the vertebrae. These findings indicate that the bone filing mesh container can be used to restore the height and strength of the fractured vertebrae. Moreover, it may eliminate bone cement leakage and therefore increase the surgery safety.

Objective:To explore the therapeutic experience of early postoperative hemorrhage (EPOH) from pancreaticojejunal anastomosis after pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD).Methods:A retrospective review was conducted to summarize the clinical data of a typical case of EPOH from pancreaticojejunal anastomosis after PD in Binzhou Second People′s Hospital, and the main causes and treatment of EPOH were analyzed.Results:Due to reasons such as the slender pancreatic duct, the pancreatic duct was not found after twice transections of the pancreas during the surgery. To prevent poor pancreatic fluid drainage and related complications, the pancreatic stump was not effectively sutured, and a vertical mattress suture method was used for the pancreaticojejunal anastomosis. The patient developed severe EPOH on the surgery day. Due to the fact that the digestive tract reconstruction was a biliary pancreatic separation method, the cause of EPOH was diagnosed from pancreaticojejunal anastomosis through imaging and endoscopy. After active medical treatment, the patient recovered and was discharged.Conclusion:For the treatment of pancreatic stump after PD, precise suturing should be performed on the stump while ensuring smooth pancreatic duct drainage, in order to avoid EPOH from pancreaticojejunal anastomosis to the greatest extent possible.

Objective To compare the efficacy and tolerance of platinum-based doublet chemotherapy versus single-agent chemotherapy as second-line treatment in elderly patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC).Methods A total of 85 elderly patients with advanced NSCLC after first-line treatment were retrospectively analyzed and divided into the combination therapy group(n=40,taking platinum-based doublet chemotherapy)and the single-agent chemotherapy group(n=45,receiving single-agent second-line chemotherapy).Results There were no significant differences in the objective response rate (ORR)and the disease control rate (DCR)between the combination therapy group and the single-agent chemotherapy group(27.5 ％ or 11/40 vs.20.0 ％ or 9/45,60.0％ or 24/40 vs.73.3％ or 33/45,x2 =0.662 and 1.704,P=0.416 and 0.192).The median progression-free survival(PFS)was 3.8 months for the combination therapy group and 2.8 months for the single-agent chemotherapy group(P =0.045).The rate of grade Ⅲ/Ⅳ hematological toxicity was higher in the combination therapy group than in the single-agent chemotherapy group.Conclusions Platinum-based doublet chemotherapy has longer PFS than the single-agent chemotherapy as secondline treatment in elderly patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer,and more attention should be paid to its high hematological toxicity.