Objective To study the arterial blood supply of nipple-areola and provide the anatomical basis for avoiding nipple-areola necrosis in breast operation. Methods The vascular structure of nipple-areola of 26 female breasts in 13 cadavers were studied. Results The nipple-areola mainly accepted arterial blood supply from branches of the lateral thoracic artery and the internal thoracic artery. The 2nd~4th intercostal ~perforating branches of the internal thoracic artery and branches of the lateral thoracic artery reach the base of nipple-areola from a superior,medial and upper lateral direction by passing between lobules of mammary gland, then ascend between the lacteal ducts to supply the nipple-areola; the perforators of the lateral thoracic artery and the superticial breast perforators of internal thoracic artery, formed extensive anastomoses ~subcutaneously , and particulatly under areola formed arterial rete, from which branches were given out to ~nipple-areola . The intercostal perforators and thoracoacromial perforators did not supply the nipple-areola. Conclusions When nipple-sparing mastectomy is performed, in order to avoid nipple-areola necrosis,it is necessary to protect the arterial rete under the areola, and thus, the thickness of areolar skin flap should not be less than 0.5cm; to ensure the blood supply of nipple-areola from the internal thoracic artery and the ~lateral thoracic artery in breast reduction, the superior-medial or superior-lateral breast pedicle should be used and the thickness of preserved posterior breast should not be less than 1.5cm.

Objective To investigate the relationship between matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3) gene promoter polymorphisms 5A/6A and the restenosis after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Methods A total of 437 patients with PCI were selected in this study. Patients were divided into mutant genotype group (5A/5A+5A/6A, n=136) and wild genotype group (6A/6A, n=301) according to MMP-3 polymorphism. The angiography and clinic data were collected before and after coronary angiography in two groups of patients. The serum level MMP-3 and genotype analysis were compared be-tween two groups. Results There was no significant difference in the restenosis rate between two groups (42.2%vs 33.1%, P>0.05). The restenosis degree was significantly higher in wild genotype group than that in mutant genotype group (56.28%± 11.10%vs 36.00%±10.17%, P＜0.01). There was no significant difference in the serum level of MMP-3 between two groups (13.38μg/L ± 3.00μg/L vs 12.33μg/L ± 2.96μg/L, P>0.05). There was a higher restenosis rate in patients carrying 6A al-lele than that of patients carrying 5A allele (P＜0.05). Carrying wild genotypes are risk factors for restenosis after PCI. Con-clusion Patients carrying 6A allele have significantly higher risk of resteonsis than patients carrying 5A allele.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the association of 5A/6A polymorphism in the promoter region of MMP3 gene with the stability of extracellular matrix of atherosclerotic plaque. METHODS: Clinical data of 776 consecutive patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) was reviewed. MMP3 gene polymorphisms and serum level of MMP3 for the second admission were collected. The target gene fragment containing MMP3 promoter region was transfected into HepG2 vector cells. The influence of the polymorphism on the expression of the MMP3 gene was determined in vitro. RESULTS: Compared with the first admission data, the proportion of mutant MMP3 genotypes (5A/5A+5A/6A) was significantly higher in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) compared with the control group (37.6% vs. 24.9%, P<0.01). 64.1% of the patients carrying the 5A allele had AMI, whereas only 50.11% of those carrying the 6A allele had AMI (P<0.01). The proportion of wild-type MMP3 genotype (6A/6A) was significantly higher in the stenotic group compared with the non-restenosis group (79.5% vs. 66.5%, P<0.01). Restenosis has occurred in 9.5% of patients harboring the 5A allele compared with 16.2% in those carrying the 6A allele (P<0.01). In addition, serum level of MMP3 in the restenosis group was significantly lower than that of the non-restenosis group (P<0.01). In vitro studies confirmed that the expression of pGL2-Basic/6A was significantly lower than that of pGL2-Basic/5A. CONCLUSION The 5A/6A polymorphism in the promoter region of the MMP3 gene may influence its transcriptional activity and impact on the degradation or push-up of extracellular matrix, resulting in a difference in the stability of atherosclerosis plaques, which in turn may induce different pathological processes in AMI or restenosis after stenting.
Case-Control Studies ; Extracellular Matrix ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Genotype ; Humans ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 3 ; genetics ; Percutaneous Coronary Intervention ; Plaque, Atherosclerotic ; genetics ; Polymorphism, Genetic ; Promoter Regions, Genetic

Objectives:To investigate the clinical characteristics of noncontiguous spinal tuberculosis and the efficacy and prognosis of one-stage posterior debridement,bone graft fusion and internal fixation for the treat-ment of noncontiguous spinal tuberculosis.Methods:The clinical data of 31 patients with noncontiguous spinal tuberculosis treated in our hospital between July 2016 and May 2022 were retrospectively analyzed,in-cluding 18 males and 13 females,aged 49.5±27.5 years.There were 24 cases with 2 lesions and 7 cases with 3 lesions.Responsible vertebrae were clarified,and surgical lesions,fusion segments,and internal fixation methods were determined for each patient,so as to develop individualized surgical plans.The patients were followed up for 29.7±14.7 months(15-85 months).The operative time,intraoperative blood loss,and intraoper-ative and postoperative complications were recorded.Erythrocyte sedimentation rate(ESR)and C-reactive pro-tein(CRP)were examined and recorded before operation,at 1 month,3 months,and 1 year after operation,and at the last follow-up.Visual analogue scale(VAS)was used to evaluate the pain before operation,at 1 week,1 month,3 months,1 year after operation and at the last follow-up.Cobb angle was measured before operation,at 1 week after operation,and at the last follow-up.The American Spinal Injury Association(ASIA)classification was recorded before operation and at the last follow-up.Bridwell bone healing criteria were used to evaluate postoperative tuberculosis activity,symptom improvement,deformity correction,and bone healing at the last follow-up.Results:Among the 31 patients,20(65.4％)had only one lesion(65.4％),23(74.2％)were admitted to the hospital with pain as the main complaint,15(48.4％)had only pain symptoms during the course of the disease,11 cases(35.5％)had only one lesion with pain symptoms,and 18(58.1％)patients had at least one lesion missed at the initial diagnosis.All the patients were successfully operated.The operative time was 280.0±52.2min(165-330min),and blood loss was 567.7±332.0mL(150-1000mL).There were 4 cases of cerebrospinal fluid leakage and 3 cases of incision infection after operation,which were cured after symptomatic treatment.All foci of tuberculosis were cured without recurrence or retransmission.At pre-operation,1 month,3 months,1 year after surgery,and at the last follow-up,ESR was 41.5±26.3mm/h,16.3±13.4mm/h,12.5±6.3mm/h,11.4±5.2mm/h,and 9.2±3.1mm/h,and the levels of CRP were 32.8±23.2mg/L,7.3±5.6mg/L,6.2±4.1mg/L,5.1±3.7mg/L,2.8±2.3mg/L,which were both significantly lower after operation than those before operation(P＜0.05).The VAS score was 6.4±2.4,2.4±1.7,2.3±1.3,1.6±0.9,0.9±0.7,and 0.4±0.3 before operation,at 1 week,1 month,3 months,1 year after operation,and at the last follow-up,which was significantly improved after operation when compared with that before operation(P＜0.05).The Cobb angle was 25.7°±4.9° before operation,15.4°±2.1° at 1 week after operation,and 17.1°±2.3° at the last follow-up,and there were significant differences between the postoperative angles and preoperative angles(P＜0.05).Among the 10 patients with preoperative neurological impairment,1 patient with preoperative grade A recovered to grade C at the last follow-up.Among the 4 patients with preoperative grade B,1 patient recovered to grade C and 3 to grade D.Of the 5 patients with preoperative grade C,2 recovered to grade D and 3 to grade E.All 42 bone graft lesions achieved bone fusion at 6-12 months after operation.At the last follow-up,34 lesions healed in Bridwell grade Ⅰ and 8 in Bridwell grade Ⅱ.Conclusions:For patients with noncontiguous spinal tuberculosis,one-stage posterior debridement,bone graft fusion and internal fixation is safe and efficient after determining responsible vertebrae and lesion features,which can obtain satisfactory results.

Objective:To investigate the efficacy of one-stage anterior debridement and bone graft fusion for the treatment of cervical pyogenic spondylodiscitis.Methods:This is a retrospective case series study. Retrospective analysis of clinical data from 23 patients with cervical pyogenic spondylodiscitis treated with one-stage anterior approach debridement and bone graft fusion was performed in the Department of Spinal Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University from January 2015 to January 2020. There were 14 males and 9 females,aged (51.9±12.8) years (range:26 to 82 years). Preoperatively, 14 patients had neurological deficits, classified according to the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) impairment scale as follows: grade A in 1 case, grade B in 1 case, grade C in 5 cases, and grade D in 7 cases . All patients underwent the one-stage anterior debridement and fusion procedure. The surgical time, blood loss, hospital stay, fusion time, and surgical complications were documented. Clinical efficacy was assessed using the visual analogue scale (VAS), the neck disability index (NDI), and the ASIA impairment scale. Preoperative and postoperative data were compared using paired sample t tests, repeated measures analysis of variance, and generalized estimating equations. Results:All the 23 patients underwent the operative procedures successfully. The operation time was (102.8±19.8) minutes (range:60 to 140 minutes), blood loss was (84.4±40.2) ml (range:30 to 160 ml), and the length of hospital stay was (17.4±6.0) days (range:10 to 30 days). Blood cultures were positive for the causative pathogen in 14 cases (60.8% positivity rate), while 9 cases had negative results. Irrigation fluid cultures yielded the causative pathogen in 19 cases (82.6% positivity rate), with 4 cases negative. All patients were followed up for more than 12 months, with a follow-up duration of (19.0±5.9) months (range:12 to 36 months). At the final follow-up, VAS improved from (5.9±1.1) points preoperatively to (0.8±0.3) points; NDI improved from (38.3±6.0)% preoperatively to (9.3±3.0)%, with statistically significant differences (both P<0.01). All patients experienced improvement in neurological function, with the exception of one patient in grade C and two in grade D, all other patients recovered to grade E. The C 2-7 Cobb angle and the affected segment Cobb angle were corrected. white blood cell, erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein levels returned to normal. All patients achieved bony fusion, with a fusion time of (8.9±1.9) months (range:6 to 12 months). Two diabetic patients developed postoperative incision infection; no other surgery-related complications occurred in the remaining patients. Conclusion:One-stage anterior debridement and bone graft fusion can correct kyphosis, restore normal alignment, and improve neurological function in the treatment of single and double segment cervical pyogenic spondylodiscitis, representing a viable treatment option for cervical pyogenic spondylodiscitis.

Objective:To investigate the efficacy of one-stage anterior debridement and bone graft fusion for the treatment of cervical pyogenic spondylodiscitis.Methods:This is a retrospective case series study. Retrospective analysis of clinical data from 23 patients with cervical pyogenic spondylodiscitis treated with one-stage anterior approach debridement and bone graft fusion was performed in the Department of Spinal Surgery, the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University from January 2015 to January 2020. There were 14 males and 9 females,aged (51.9±12.8) years (range:26 to 82 years). Preoperatively, 14 patients had neurological deficits, classified according to the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) impairment scale as follows: grade A in 1 case, grade B in 1 case, grade C in 5 cases, and grade D in 7 cases . All patients underwent the one-stage anterior debridement and fusion procedure. The surgical time, blood loss, hospital stay, fusion time, and surgical complications were documented. Clinical efficacy was assessed using the visual analogue scale (VAS), the neck disability index (NDI), and the ASIA impairment scale. Preoperative and postoperative data were compared using paired sample t tests, repeated measures analysis of variance, and generalized estimating equations. Results:All the 23 patients underwent the operative procedures successfully. The operation time was (102.8±19.8) minutes (range:60 to 140 minutes), blood loss was (84.4±40.2) ml (range:30 to 160 ml), and the length of hospital stay was (17.4±6.0) days (range:10 to 30 days). Blood cultures were positive for the causative pathogen in 14 cases (60.8% positivity rate), while 9 cases had negative results. Irrigation fluid cultures yielded the causative pathogen in 19 cases (82.6% positivity rate), with 4 cases negative. All patients were followed up for more than 12 months, with a follow-up duration of (19.0±5.9) months (range:12 to 36 months). At the final follow-up, VAS improved from (5.9±1.1) points preoperatively to (0.8±0.3) points; NDI improved from (38.3±6.0)% preoperatively to (9.3±3.0)%, with statistically significant differences (both P<0.01). All patients experienced improvement in neurological function, with the exception of one patient in grade C and two in grade D, all other patients recovered to grade E. The C 2-7 Cobb angle and the affected segment Cobb angle were corrected. white blood cell, erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein levels returned to normal. All patients achieved bony fusion, with a fusion time of (8.9±1.9) months (range:6 to 12 months). Two diabetic patients developed postoperative incision infection; no other surgery-related complications occurred in the remaining patients. Conclusion:One-stage anterior debridement and bone graft fusion can correct kyphosis, restore normal alignment, and improve neurological function in the treatment of single and double segment cervical pyogenic spondylodiscitis, representing a viable treatment option for cervical pyogenic spondylodiscitis.

Objective:To evaluate the long-term outcomes of posterior release, reduction, fixation, and fusion for irreducible atlantoaxial dislocation (AAD).Methods:Between January 2005 and June 2016, a total of 31 patients with irreducible AAD who had received posterior approach surgery were included. Among them, there were 13 males and 18 females, the average age was 39.1±13.5 years (range 9-72 years). The clinical data of the eligible individuals were collected and analyzed. Neck disability index (NDI) and Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) scores were recorded to evaluate the recovery of neck and neurological functions. The atlantodental interval (ADI), clivus-canal angle (CCA), and cervico-medullary angle (CMA) were measured to evaluate the reduction of AAD. C 0-C 2 angle and C 2-C 7 angle were measured to evaluate the recovery of cervical alignment. For individuals with basilar invagination, the distances from the tip of odontoid process to Chamberlain line and Wackenheim line were measured to assess the reduction in the vertical direction. The duration of bony fusion and complications were also analyzed. Results:The mean follow-up period was 82.7±26.4 months (range 61-170 months). In terms of functional scores, the NDI dropped from 43.41%±11.60% before surgery to 12.19%±6.97% at the six months follow-up, and 9.45%±7.51% at the last follow-up ( F=89.56, P<0.001). The JOA increased from 9.48±2.41 points before surgery to 14.71±1.42 points at the six months follow-up, and 14.97±1.47 points at the last follow-up ( F=52.89, P<0.001). Regarding the horizontal and vertical dislocations, the ADI decreased from 9.16±2.32 mm before surgery to 1.39±1.04 mm at the six months follow-up, and 1.29±1.08 mm at the last follow-up ( F=189.61, P<0.001). The distance from the tip of odontoid process to Chamberlain line decreased from 11.15±4.35 mm before surgery to 2.03±2.83 mm at the six months follow-up, and 2.15±3.02 mm at the last follow-up ( F=37.58, P<0.001). The distance from the tip of odontoid process to Wackenheim line reduced from 6.81±2.57 mm before surgery to -2.23±1.58 mm at the six months follow-up, and -2.27±1.58 mm at the last follow-up ( F=122.16, P<0.001). For the amelioration of the compression on medulla and spinal cord, the CCA increased from 113.68°±12.67° before surgery to 143.39°±7.38° at the six months follow-up, and 142.39°±7.13° at the last follow-up ( F=67.13, P<0.001). The CMA increased from 115.71°±13.69° before operation to 145.58°±10.78° at the last follow-up ( F=41.44, P<0.001). Regarding the curvature of the cervical spine, the C 0-C 2 angle recovered from 1.94°±15.82° before surgery to 14.84°±6.45° at the last follow-up ( F=11.97, P<0.001), and the C 2-C 7 angle ameliorated from 27.26°±8.49° before operation to 19.26°±5.44° at the last follow-up ( F=11.13, P<0.001). Bony fusion was achieved in all cases, the fusion time was 9.71±2.55 months (range 5-15 months). A total of five complications occurred in the cases (two cerebrospinal fluid leakages, one deep infection, one transient neurologic deficit, and one dysphagia). They were all cured with corresponding treatments. In the last follow-up, none of the cases developed failure of internal fixation or re-dislocation. Conclusion:Posterior approach release, reduction, fixation and fusion technique is a safe and efficient surgical strategy with favorable long-term follow-up outcomes for irreducible AAD.