BACKGROUND:As one of the most serious pathological types of lumbar disc herniation, the nucleus pulposus of prolapsed style lumbar intervertebral disc herniation is like a cord or mass. And the nucleus pulposus compresses nerve roots and dural sac, which brings severe low back pain and/or cauda equina injury symptoms.OBJECTIVE:To compare the clinical efficacy of simple discectomy under the Quadrant system and minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody Concorde fusion (MIS-TLIF) in the treatment of prolapsed and sequestrated lumbar disc herniation.METHODS:From January 2012 to January 2015, 58 patients with prolapsed and sequestrated lumbar disc herniation were enrolled in this study, including 36 patients in simple Quadrant group and 22 patients in MIS-TLIF group.RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Significant difference was recorded in the visual analogue scale scores and Oswestry disability index at 1 week, 3 months and 18 months postoperation compared with preoperation in the two groups (P < 0.05). Compared with the simple Quadrant group, the visual analogue scale scores of low back pain and Oswestry disability index were significantly decreased in the MIS-TLIF group at postoperative 18 months (P < 0.05), but there was no significant difference in the visual analogue scale score of leg pain between two groups (P > 0.05). There were two patients with recurrent lumbar disc herniation in the simple Quadrant group. In summary, simple discectomy under the Quadrant system could achieve the similar satisfied effect as the MIS-TLIF, but the MIS-TLIF provides less low back pain.

BACKGROUND: Dexmedetomidine has been shown to fight against ischemia/reperfusion injury induced by tourniquets. OBJECTIVE: To study the effects of dexmedetomidine on the oxidative stress and inflammatory damage caused by tourniquet-induced ischemia/reperfusion injury. METHODS: Seventy-six patients scheduled for lower limb operation were randomized into two groups: patients in dexmedetomidine group were given the intravenous injection of 1 μg/kg dexmedetomidine for 10 minutes, followed by 0.5 μg/kg?h until the end of operation; while the controls were subjected to 0.9% saline injection at an equivalent velocity and volume. The levels of serum propanediol, lactic dehydrogenase, superoxyde dismutase, tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-6 and -8 were detected before tourniquet inflation, 10, 60 and 120 minutes after tourniquet release. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: In both two groups, the serum levels of propanediol, lactic dehydrogenase, tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-6 and -8 after tourniquet release were significantly higher and the serum superoxide dismutase level was significantly lower than those before tourniquet inflation (P < 0.05). Compared with the control group, dexmedetomidine significantly reduced the serum levels of propanediol, lactic dehydrogenase, tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-6 and -8, and increased the serum superoxyde dismutase level after tourniquet release (P < 0.05). These results suggest that dexmedetomidine can attenuate the oxidative stress and inflammatory damage resulting from tourniquet-induced ischemia/reperfusion injury probably by up-regulating the serum superoxyde dismutase level, and down-regulating the serum levels of propanediol, lactic dehydrogenase, tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-6 and -8.