Finite element analysis can analyze the stress and strain change of object with complex shape,structure,constitution and load condition,and is widely applied to spinal biomechanical studies due to its controllability,reproducibility and versatility in mechanics tests.The article briefly introduced several finite element analysis software,summarized the mechanical characteristics of vertebral body,intervertebral disc,accessories and the ligament and muscle around the spine,and summarized research achievements of finite element analysis in lumbar fusion,concerning the biomechanics of Cage,its influence on lumbar fusion and related surgery choice,dynamic fusion,artificial intervertebral disc and the biomechanical variation of different fusion style after spinal tumor vertebrectomy.Finite element analysis can help understand the spine biomechanics and provide biomechanical reference for lumbar fusion choice.

Objective To investigate the technique and effectiveness of CT-guided collagenase injection into prominence of herniated lumbar disc and the surface of prominence in the treatment of lumbar disc herniation. Methods One hundred and fifty-five patients with lumbar disc herniation diagnosed by clinic and CT received CT-guided collagenase injection, with the approaches via intervertebral foramen in L3-4 and L4-5, and the approaches via margo medialis of joint processus articularis in L5-S1. Results Injection was done successfully in all patients (100%), the clinical rate of excellent and good results were 94.2%. The herniation disappeared or significantly reduced as demonstrated by CT scan in 32 of 34 patients (94.1%), the rate of excellent and good results were 100%. No changes existed in 2 cases. There were 2 cases of disc inflammation in our group. Conclusions CT-guided collagenase injection into the prominence of herniated lumbar disc and its surface is a safe and efficient method in the treatment of herniated lumbar disc.

Objective　To compare the effects of early and long-term treatment with captopril on clinical outcome between elder patients (65-75 years old) and younger patients (＜ 64 years old) suffering from acute myocardial infarction (AMI). 　Methods　In a randomized trial, 822 patients with a first AMI were treated with captopril at initial dosage of 6.25 mg and adjusted to 25 mg t.i.d according to blood pressure (209 younger patients, 269 elder patients) and conventional treatment (131 younger patients, 213 elder patients). Survival rate of the four groups was calculated with Kaplan-Meier method. 　Results　The survival of treatment group was correlated significantly with age during hospitalization (P=0.0002). Eight patients in younger treatment group and 10 patients in younger control group (3.83% vs 7.63%, P＞0.05), 25 patients in elder treatment group and 52 patients in elder control group (9.29% vs 24.41%, relative risk = 0.37, 95% CI 0.29-0.48, P＜0.0001) were died. During follow-up period, the survival was however not related to the age (P＞0.05), and both the elder and younger patients had better survival (all P＜0.01 ) and lower cardiac events (all P＜0.01) during captopril treatment. 　Conclusions　 Captopril exerts less effect on the younger patients but more effect on the elder patients during hospitalization after AMI. Long-term captopril had no difference between the youngers and the elders in prognosis.

Objective To improve the diagnosis and treatment of von H ippel-Lindau (VHL) disease.Methods The clinic data of one kindred with VHL disease type Ⅱ B was reviewed including clinical manifestation,imaging,pathology and therapy.A 40-year-old male complained of the left upper extremity numbness for 6 months,and a variety of visceral tumors were found 3 months ago.Contrast-enhanced MR imaging showed multiple brain tumors.CT showed left kidney tumor,pancreatic tumor,pars-aortic tumor and left adrenal tumor.Fundoscopy showed multiple retinal hemangioblastoma.PET-CT discovered abdominal multiple tumors.And pedigree analysis was to determine the family medical history,and 6 members got genetic screening.Results In the kindred with VHL disease type Ⅱ B,9 members (30％) out of 40members in 4 generations got the disease.Six members got genetic screening,and the result showed 5 (5/6) members had mutation.Three (3/5) members with 3 sites genetic mutation showed clinical manifestation,1 (1/5) members with 3 sites genetic mutation without clinical manifestation found brain tumors by MRI,and 1 ( 1/5 ) member with 1 site genetic mutation did not find disease by comprehensive checkup.The main mutation located at exon 1 in chromosome 3p25 of VHL gene.All mutation was hetcrozygous mutation.The 295,337 and 337 nucleotide thymine of the VHL gene were substituted by cytosine,cytosine and adenine,which made the 98th,112th and 112th tyrosine substituted by histidine and asparagines.One member with 1 site mutation had 98th tyrosine substituted by cytosine.The first operation was to remove brain tumor,and the second operation was to remove adrenal tumor,para-aortic tumor and renal tumor.Pathology of the brain tumors showed hemangioblastoma,and the retroperitoneal tumors were clear cell carcinoma,paraganglioma and pheochromocytoma.Followed up for 6 months after operation,no relapse occurred.Conclusions VHL disease is a relatively rare autosomal dominant disorder.Comprehensive management of patients should also include genetic counseling and screening for other manifestations of the disease process.Genetic testing might be helpful in early detection of asymptomatic VHL patients.Members having gene mutation should be followed up strictly.Surgical management of VHL disease should be decided on the base of comprehensive assess.Multiple lesions could be cut off in one operation.For patients with pheochromocytoma,pheochromocytoma shuld be handled first.

Objective To assess the factors affecting survival of malignant pheochromocytoma/malignant paraganglioma.Methods The clinical data of 85 malignant pheochromocytoma/malignant paraganglioma patients were analyzed retrospectively.All the patients were followed up,the duration from 2 months to 283 months,the median time was 48 months.The overall survivals of 5 years and 10 years were calculated.The possible affecting factors,such as gender,age,tumor function,metastatic sites,metastatic fields,incipience or recurrence,the time to recur,were analyzed.Survival differences between groups were compared with the log rank test.Multivariate analysis was performed by using Cox regression analysis to detect variables independently associated with survival.All P values were 2 tailed with P ＜ 0.05 considered statistically significant.All statistical analysis was done by SPSS 17.0 software package.Results The overall median survival time was 62 months,5-year survival rate was 44.7％,10-year survival rate was 11.8％.Gender (P =0.649),age (P =0.228),incipience or recurrence (P =0.217) had no significant effect on the survival time.Significance was found in tumor function (P =0.034),metastatic sites,metastatic fields (P =0.009),the time to recur (P =0.003).The median survival time of patients with nonfunctioning tumor and functioning tumor was 90 months and 37 months.The median survival time of patients with multiple system metastases and single system metastasis was 37 months and 117 months.For the patients with single system invaded,there were 15 cases (26.8％) of bone metastasis,10 cases (17.9％) of lymph node metastasis,8 (14.3％) of liver metastasis,7 (12.5％) of lung metastasis,6 (10.7％) of renal metastasis,6 (10.7％) of intestine metastasis and 4 (7.1％) of brain metastasis.The median survival time was 110,77,28,14,26,8 and 19 months.The median survival time of patients with lung,liver,intestine metastasis were shorter than the other patients (P ＜ 0.05).Fifty-five patients were found recurrence after operation,recurrent time was from 4 to 65 months,and the median time was 22 months.The survival time of patients with recurrence within 2 years was shorter than patients above 2 years (P =0.003).Conclusions The prognosis of malignant pheochromocytoma/malignant paraganglioma is poor.Gender,age,incipience or recurrence could not affect the overall survival time.The survival time has relationship with the function of tumor,metastatic field,metastatic sites and time to recurrence.The patients with nonfunctioning tumor have longer survival time than those with functioning tumors.The survival time of patients with single system invaded is longer than ones with multiple systems invaded.The common metastatic sites are bone,lymph node,liver,lung,kidney,intestine and brain.Patients with intestine metastasis have worst prognosis.The patients with only bone and lymph node metastasis have best prognosis.Patients with recurrence above 2 years have a better prognosis than those within 2 years.

Chronic inflammation has been demonstrated closely related to the tumor progression.Tumorassociated macrophage,as the most abundant immune cells in the tumor microenvironment,is a key element that links inflammation and cancer.Recently,studies found that the phenomenon and function of tumor-associated macrophage almost tend to M2 type macrophage.As an important indicator,tumor-associated macrophage usually predicts the poor progress with the cancer development.In China,Most of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma are associated with chronic viral infection.A large number of macrophages in the liver infiltrated in chronic inflammation,which are differentiated by variety of mechanisms under the chronic inflammatory stimulation,promote the development of liver cancer.In this paper,we will review the tumor-associated macrophages and the development of liver cancer.

Objective To compare the effects of early and long term treatment with captopril on clinical outcome between elder patients (65 75 years old) and younger patients (0 05), 25 patients in elder treatment group and 52 patients in elder control group (9 29% vs 24 41%, relative risk = 0 37, 95% CI 0 29 0 48, P 0 05), and both the elder and younger patients had better survival (all P

Objective To examine the analgesic effect of intrathecal (i.t.) adenovirus containing human beta-endorphin (?-EP) gene in a rat model of neuropathic pain produced by chronic constrictive injury (CCI) . Methods Thirty-six male SD rats weighing 210-260 g were randomly divided into 3 groups: (1) blank control group (n = 5); (2) sham-operated group (n = 5) ; (3) neuropathic pain group (n = 26) . The neuropathic pain group was further divided into 3 subgroups: Ad-NEP subgrouop (n = 9); Ad-GFP (the recombinant adenovirus containing green fluorescent protein) subgroup (n = 9) and normal saline (NS) subgroup (n = 8). The animals were anesthetized with intraperitoneal ketamine 100 mg?kg-1 and atropine 50 mg?kg-1. Neuropathic pain was produced by ligation of right sciatic nerve according to the technique described by Bennet and Xie. In sham-operated group the sciatic nerve was exposed but not ligated. In blank control group no operation was performed. Seven days after the surgery a PE-10 catheter was placed in the subarachnoid space at L5,6 according to the method of Milligan et al. Seven days after catheter placement 1?108 pfu Ad-NEP, Ad-GFP and 0.9% saline were injected i.t. via the catheter respectively. The paw-withdrawal latency to radiant heat was measured before surgery (T0,baseline) , the day of i.t. injection (T1) and 1 day (T2) , 1 w (T3), 2 w (T4), 3 w (T5), 4 w (T6) 5 w (T7) after i.t. injection. At one week after i.t. administration one animal in Ad-NEP subgroup and Ad-GFP subgroup was killed and the lumbar segment (L3-6) of the spinal cord was removed for immuno-histochemical examination. Naloxone 1 mg?kg-1 was given intraperitoneally in Ad-NEP subgroup (n = 8) and Ad-GFP subgroup (n = 8) at 10 days after i.t. injection. Pain threshold to thermal stimulation of the right paw was measured before (t0) and from 10-90 min after intraperitoneal naloxone injection at an interval of 10 min (t1-9). CSF samples were obtained at T1-7 for determination of CSF concentration of ?-EP using radio-immunological assay. Results The right paw-withdrawal latencies (PWLs) were significantly lower in Ad-GFP subgroup and NS subgroup than in blank control and sham-operated groups (P

Objective To observe how the ACC transmits nociceptive information and how it regulates spinal noceciption.Methods A total of 32 male SD rats were randomly divided into four groups:Sham group,CCI group,ACC group,and AP-5 group.After light-dark transition test, forced swimming test (FST),paw withdrawal mechanical threshold (PWMT),paw withdrawal ther-mal latency (PWTL)had been measured,the rats were finally anesthetized,then ACC and the spinal cord was rapidly removed,the expression of cAMP-response element binding protein (pCREB)and extracellular regulated protein kinases (pERK)were measured by Western blot.Results Compared with the sham group,the PWMT of the CCI rats were significantly decreased,rats spent less time in the light compartment and number of transition were decreased (P <0.01 ).The immobility time in FST were also significantly prolonged (P <0.01).After AP-5 injected in bilateral ACC 13 days after CCI operation,the PWMT of the CCI rats were significantly increased,rats spent more time in the light compartment and number of transition were increased (P <0.01).The immobility time in FST were also significantly shortened (P <0.01).Compared with sham group,the expression of pCREB, pERK increased significantly in ACC in CCI group (P <0.01).The expression of pCREB,pERK in spinal cord was increased in CCI group and decreased in AP-5 group (P <0.01 ).Conclusion ACC facilitate the spinal nociception in a descending mode.