BACKGROUND: Many clinical cases have proved that the satisfactory reposition, fusion and internal fixation in the internal fixation for inferior lumbar spondylolisthesis are not consistent with the postoperative symptoms and physical signs, and functional restoration.OBJECTIVE: To investigate the application of somatosensory evoked potential(SEP) in the monitoring during internal fixation for inferior lumbar spondylolisthesis, and the effects of SEP monitoring on the improvement of postoperative symptoms and the spinal functions as well.DESIGN: A randomized controlled trial.SETTING: Inpatient department of spinal surgery, an affiliated hospital of a university. PARTICIPANTS: Fifty-two patients with inferior lumbar spomlylolisthesis including 23 male and 29 female cases aged between 18 and 68 years old were admitted by the Department of Spinal Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital(Shenzhen People's Hospital) of Jinan University, from June 2000 to December 2003. All cases were randomly divided into control group(n = 20) and monitor group ( n = 32).METHODS: SEP induced by segmental stimulation in cutaneous nerve was used in the control group for preoperative and intraoperative monitoring, and postoperative follow up. The intraoperative potential changes in patients with excellent and good improvement in postoperative functions had been retrospectively investigated to confirm the effective indices for intraoperative monitoring, which thereby provided references for intraoperative monitoring in patients of monitor group.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: ① Evaluation of postoperative spinal function; ② SEP latency and amplitude.RESULTS: SEP values after postoperative anesthesia were set as basis.The manifestations of intraoperative potential alterations: ① If the latency reduced 10% -15% or the amplitude increases more than 40% after fixation, it suggested favorable prognosis; ② The potential indices were stable during monitoring, or the reduction of latency was less than 10%,or the increase of amplitude was less than 30%, the fixation could be continued, and partial functions of nerve root and symptoms could be improved after surgery; ③ During the surgery, if potential indices had transient lluctuation, which could be recovered to basic potential within 15 to 20 minutes, fixation should be stopped during the fluctuation. Still partial functions of nerve root and symptoms could be improved after surgery; ④If the intraoperative latency prolonged more than 5%, or amplitude reduced more than 10%, or part of the components disappeared, or the wave shape dispersed, it might suggest postoperative aggravation of pain and dyskinesia. So intraoperative adjustment was necessary. The coincident rate of the improvement of the indices of intraoperative monitoring and the improvement of postoperative spinal function reached 93.75%.CONCLUSION: SEP induced by segrmental stimulation in cutaneous nerve is an objective and effective method in the monitoring and instruction of decompression, reposition, fixation of internal fixation for inferior lumbar spondylolisthesis, which has important merits in the improvement of the function of nerve root and the restoration of spinal function.

Objective To characterize the x-ray image of vertebral artery type of cervical spondylosis and explore its significance in rehabilitation treatment. Methods The X-ray films of 42 cases of vertebral artery type of cervical spondylosis were measured and analyzed. The treatment approaches including restriction of cervical movement,traction,epidural block and surgery were planned and implemented accordingly. Results The X-ray image revealed the following changes in the patients: the straightened physiologic curvature of the cervical spine,cervical vertebral unsteadiness,zygapophyzeal joint hyperplasia. Various treatment approaches are effective to patients with various manifestations. Conclusion Employing treatment approaches on the basis of X-ray images is of great signi-ficance for the effective treatment of patients with cervical spondylosis of vertebral artery type.

Objective:To investigate the value of B ultrasonography in the early diagnosis of transient synovitis of hip (TSH) in dogs, and provide the valid base and data for the clinic early diagnosis of TSH. Methods:Eighty 2-3 month old dogs were injected 2‰noradrenalin (NA) into the hip joint induced TSH. We observed 5 assessments that included the 99mTC-MDP triphasic imaging, X ray, B ultrasonography, the synovial lfuid and the pathological tissue check in different time. Results:Early course of TSH presented the synovium of joint hemangiectasis, hyperaemia, synovium villus hyperplasia, edema, and joint inflammatory exudation. The ischemia of local blood supply of the femoral head was observed by 99mTC-MDP triphasic imaging. Ultrasonography showed the broadening of the anterior space of the hip, but the X ray showed no valid changes.Conclusion:B ultrasonography can report the early changes of TSH and may be used in the early diagnosis of TSH in children.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Age Distribution ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; China ; epidemiology ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Plague ; epidemiology ; Yersinia pestis

OBJECTIVETo study the risk classification of animal plague in Spermophilus Dauricus Focus, using the Best Subsets Regression (BSR) model.

METHODSMatlab, BSR and exponential smoothing were employed to develop and evaluate a model for risk classification as well as to forecast plague epidemics at the Spermophilus Dauricus Focus. Data was based upon the Inner Mongolia surveillance programs. This model involved 7 risk factors, including density of Spermophilus dauricus, percentage of hosts infested, host flea index, percentage of nests infested, nest flea index, percentage of runways infested, and runway flea index.

RESULTSForecasting values of the classification model(CM)were calculated and grouped into 3 risk levels. Values that over 2/3 of the CM would indicate the existence of potential epidemics while those below 1/3 would indicate that there were no risk for epidemics but when values that were in between would indicate that there exist for high risk. Annually, during the observation period in the Inner Mongolia Spermophilus Dauricus Foci, the detection of Yersinia pestis gave a risk rating value of 1 which stood for existing epidemics, while nil detection rate generated a 'zero' value which representing the situation of non-epidemic. The overall plague epidemics forecasting surveillance programs in 2012 at the Spermophilus Dauricus Foci indicated that no active plague was observed. When the forecasting values became over 2/3, combinations of all the risk factors would achieve the consistency rates of 100%. When the forecasting values were below 1/3, combinations of at least the first 4 factors could also achieve the consistency rates of 100%. However, when the forecasting values fell in between, combinations of at least the first 4 factors would achieve the consistency rates of around 50%.

CONCLUSIONResults from our study showed that plague would not be active to become epidemic, in 2012.

Animals ; China ; epidemiology ; Plague ; epidemiology ; prevention & control ; Risk Assessment ; Rodent Diseases ; epidemiology ; Sciuridae ; Yersinia pestis