Background::Computer-aided detection (CAD) software has been introduced to automatically interpret digital chest X-rays. This study aimed to evaluate the performance of CAD software (JF CXR-1 v3.0, which was developed by a domestic Hi-tech enterprise) in tuberculosis (TB) case finding in China.Methods::In 2019, we conducted an internal evaluation of the performance of JF CXR-1 v3.0 by reading standard images annotated by a panel of experts. In 2020, using the reading results of chest X-rays by a panel of experts as the reference standard, we conducted an on-site prospective study to evaluate the performance of JF CXR-1 v3.0 and local radiologists in TB case finding in 13 township health centers in Zhongmu County, Henan Province.Results::Internal assessment results based on 277 standard images showed that JF CXR-1 v3.0 had a sensitivity of 85.94% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 77.42%, 94.45%) and a specificity of 74.65% (95% CI: 68.81%, 80.49%) to distinguish active TB from other imaging conditions. In the on-site evaluation phase, images from 3705 outpatients who underwent chest X-ray detection were read by JF CXR-1 v3.0 and local radiologists in parallel. The imaging diagnosis of local radiologists for active TB had a sensitivity of 32.89% (95% CI: 22.33%, 43.46%) and a specificity of 99.28% (95% CI: 99.01%, 99.56%), while JF CXR-1 v3.0 showed a significantly higher sensitivity of 92.11% (95% CI: 86.04%, 98.17%) ( p < 0.05) and maintained high specificity at 94.54% (95% CI: 93.81%, 95.28%). Conclusions::CAD software could play a positive role in improving the TB case finding capability of township health centers.

Objective:To analyze the effects of fertilization methods, quality of inner cell mass (ICM) and trophectoderm (TE) on the sex ratio at birth (SRB) during single blastocyst transfer cycles.Methods:5 367 single blastocyst transfer cycles in in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection and embryo transfer (IVF/ICSI-ET) of patients with successful pregnancy and delivery in Reproductive Medical Center of Zhanjiang Jiuhe Hospital from January 2010 to December 2022 were included in this retrospective cohort study. According to different types of embryos, the cycles were divided into fresh embryo group ( n=1 487, total population; n=1 258, ≤35 years old) and frozen-thawed embryo group ( n=3 880, total population; n=3 199, ≤35 years old). According to different fertilization methods, the cycles were divided into IVF group ( n=4 424, total population; n=3 667, ≤35 years old) and ICSI group ( n=943, total population; n=780, ≤35 years old). Chi-square test was used to analyze the differences of SRB among all the patients and the patients aged ≤35 years who underwent different embryo types and fertilization methods, and logistic regression was used to analyze the effects of ICM and TE ratings on SRB in each group of blastocysts. Results:There were 917 male infants (61.7%, 917/1 487) in the fresh embryo transfer group and 2 317 male infants (59.7%, 2 317/3 880) in frozen-thawed embryo transfer group. The SRB of the fresh embryo transfer group (160.9∶100) was slightly higher than that in frozen-thawed embryo transfer group (148.2∶100), but the difference was not statistically significant ( P=0.201). There were 2 732 male infants (61.8%, 2 732/4 424) in IVF group and 502 male infants (53.2%, 502/943) in ICSI group. The SRB of IVF group (161.5∶100) was significantly higher than that of ICSI group (113.8∶100), and the difference was statistically significant ( P<0.001). In female patients aged ≤35 years, the effects of different embryo transfer methods and different fertilization methods on SRB were consistent with the results of total population. Univariate logistic regression analysis showed that the SRB of patients with ICSI was lower than that of patients with IVF, except for 3-6AA. There were significant differences in SRB between ICSI cycles patients (88.8∶100; 72.8∶100; 156.1∶100) and IVF cycles patients (130.7∶100; 124.8∶100; 206.3∶100) when the blastocyst grade was 3-6BB ( OR=0.679, 95% CI: 0.516-0.896, P=0.006), 3-6AB( OR=0.583, 95% CI: 0.421-0.809, P=0.001) and 3-6BA OR=0.757, 95% CI: 0.585-0.979, P=0.034). Taking 3-6BB blastocysts as reference, the SRB of 3-6AA and 3-6BA blastocysts were higher (IVF: OR=1.527, 95% CI: 1.258-1.854, P<0.001; OR=1.579,95% CI: 1.341-1.859, P<0.001; ICSI: OR=2.566, 95% CI: 1.661-3.966, P<0.001; OR=1.758, 95% CI: 1.250-2.472, P=0.001). Compared with 3-6BA, the SRB of 3-6BC blastocysts was lower (IVF: OR=0.621, 95% CI: 0.447-0.862, P=0.004; ICSI: OR=0.442, 95% CI: 0.238-0.818, P=0.009). Taking 3-6AB as reference, the SRB of 3-6AA blastocysts was higher (IVF: OR=1.600, 95% CI: 1.307-1.958, P<0.001; ICSI: OR=3.130, 95% CI: 1.964-4.987, P<0.001). Conclusion:The SRB of fresh embryo group is slightly higher than that of frozen-thawed group in single blastocyst transfer cycles. Different fertilization methods can affect SRB, and the SRB in IVF is significantly higher than that in ICSI group. The quality of blastocysts can affect SRB, and blastocysts with higher quality TE have significantly increased SRB, while ICM quality have no significant effect on SRB.

Objective To observe the characteristics of sublingual collaterals of patients with hypertension and the correlation between TCM syndromes and characteristics of sublingual collaterals based on image data.Methods Totally 303 patients with hypertension were selected from three hospitals in Anhui Province from October 2022 to April 2024,and were divided into liver fire hyperactivity syndrome,yin deficiency and yang hyperactivity syndrome,phlegm and blood stasis syndrome,and yin yang deficiency syndrome according to the syndromes.The patients'sublingual collateral images were captured using smartphones,and the AI open platform system for TCM tongue diagnosis was used to obtain the color,length,width,tortuous degree and concurrent manifestations of the sublingual collaterals,as well as the characteristic indexes,such as color HSV,Lab value,etc.of sublingual collaterals,using a combination of computer vision and manual interpretation,so as to analyze the correlation between the TCM syndromes and the characteristics of the sublingual collaterals.Results The color,length,width,tortuous degree and concurrent manifestations of sublingual collaterals in different syndrome types were statistically significant.The values of V,Lab-L,Lab-a and Lab-b in the phlegm and blood stasis syndrome were significantly lower than those in other syndrome types.The S value of yin-yang deficiency syndrome was significantly lower than that of other syndromes(P＜0.05).Correlation analysis showed that the color of sublingual collaterals was negatively correlated with the values of S,V,Lab-L,Lab-a and Lab-b of patients with different syndrome types(P＜0.05).The degree of stasis of sublingual collaterals in the phlegm and blood stasis syndrome was higher than that in other groups.Conclusion There are differences in color,length,width,tortuous degree and concurrent manifestations among the sublingual collaterals of patients with hypertension,and there is close correlation between the color of sublingual collaterals and its parameters.The objective index of sublingual collaterals is sensitive to hypertension,which is basically consistent with the theory and clinical conclusion of TCM,and can be used as the basis for syndrome differentiation and treatment.

Objective:To establish and evaluate a second-tier screening method for neonatal congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) and develop appropriate screening interpretation criteria.Methods:We employed liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry to simultaneously detect five steroid hormones in dried blood spots: 17α-hydroxyprogesterone (17α-OHP), androstenedione (A4), 11-deoxycortisol (11-DOC), 21-deoxycortisol (21-DOC), and cortisol (F), calculating (17α-OHP+A4)/F and (17α-OHP+21-DOC)/F ratios for second-tier CAH screening. The study utilized 429 residual dried blood spot samples from neonates (0-7 days) who completed first-tier screening between January 2020 and March 2024 in Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, including first-tier negatives ( n=369), confirmed false positives ( n=50), and CYP21A2-confirmed 21-hydroxylase deficiency patients ( n=10). Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis tests analyzed steroid concentration variations across gestational ages and birth weights in all negative samples, with reference intervals established via P2.5- P97.5 percentiles and screening cutoffs set at population P97.5. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis identified optimal interpretation indicators among steroid hormone profiles, with second-tier screening performance evaluated by comparing sensitivity and specificity across different steroid hormone indicators to establish the optimal diagnostic criteria. Results:The five steroid hormones demonstrated intra-assay precision with coefficient of variation (CV) of 9.8%-14.2% and inter-assay precision with CV of 4.7%-14.4% across three different concentration levels of quality control materials. Accuracy ranged from 98.5% to 110.0% and the lower limits of quantification were 0.25 ng/ml for 17α-OHP, 0.05 ng/ml for A4/11-DOC, 0.31 ng/ml for 21-DOC, and 0.1 ng/ml for F. Stratification by gestational age categorized 17α-OHP into ≤31, 32-34, and ≥35 weeks; A4 into ≤31, 32-36, and ≥37 weeks; and 11-DOC into ≤31 and ≥32 weeks, while the remaining indicators were not stratified. When grouped by birth weight (low/normal), all measured parameters except 21-DOC showed statistically significant differences between groups (all P<0.05). Established reference intervals included 17α-OHP: 0.53-7.82 ng/ml (≤31 weeks), <0.25-3.60 ng/ml (32-34 weeks), <0.25-1.64 ng/ml (≥35 weeks); A4: 0.12-2.36 ng/ml (≤31 weeks), <0.05-1.45 ng/ml (32-36 weeks), 0.17-0.95 ng/ml (≥37 weeks); 11-DOC: 0.43-4.04 ng/ml (≤31 weeks), 0.08-1.46 ng/ml (≥32 weeks); F: 1.70-83.70 ng/ml; 21-DOC: <0.31-0.69 ng/ml; (17α-OHP+A4)/F: 0.01-0.74; and (17α-OHP+21-DOC)/F: 0.01-0.69. Comprehensive comparison of CAH second-tier screening performance demonstrated that interpretation based on elevated 17α-OHP accompanied by either elevated 21-DOC or elevated ratios [(17α-OHP+A4)/F or (17α-OHP+21-DOC)/F] achieved 100% sensitivity, 96% specificity, and a 96% reduction in false-positive rate. Conclusion:The application of liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry for multi-steroid hormone profiling in second-tier neonatal CAH screening, utilizing gestational age-specific 17α-OHP cutoffs combined with elevated 21-DOC or ratio criteria, demonstrated 100% screening sensitivity while substantially reducing false-positive rates from primary screening, though further validation with expanded sample sizes remains necessary.

Background::Computer-aided detection (CAD) software has been introduced to automatically interpret digital chest X-rays. This study aimed to evaluate the performance of CAD software (JF CXR-1 v3.0, which was developed by a domestic Hi-tech enterprise) in tuberculosis (TB) case finding in China.Methods::In 2019, we conducted an internal evaluation of the performance of JF CXR-1 v3.0 by reading standard images annotated by a panel of experts. In 2020, using the reading results of chest X-rays by a panel of experts as the reference standard, we conducted an on-site prospective study to evaluate the performance of JF CXR-1 v3.0 and local radiologists in TB case finding in 13 township health centers in Zhongmu County, Henan Province.Results::Internal assessment results based on 277 standard images showed that JF CXR-1 v3.0 had a sensitivity of 85.94% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 77.42%, 94.45%) and a specificity of 74.65% (95% CI: 68.81%, 80.49%) to distinguish active TB from other imaging conditions. In the on-site evaluation phase, images from 3705 outpatients who underwent chest X-ray detection were read by JF CXR-1 v3.0 and local radiologists in parallel. The imaging diagnosis of local radiologists for active TB had a sensitivity of 32.89% (95% CI: 22.33%, 43.46%) and a specificity of 99.28% (95% CI: 99.01%, 99.56%), while JF CXR-1 v3.0 showed a significantly higher sensitivity of 92.11% (95% CI: 86.04%, 98.17%) ( p < 0.05) and maintained high specificity at 94.54% (95% CI: 93.81%, 95.28%). Conclusions::CAD software could play a positive role in improving the TB case finding capability of township health centers.

Objective:To analyze the effects of fertilization methods, quality of inner cell mass (ICM) and trophectoderm (TE) on the sex ratio at birth (SRB) during single blastocyst transfer cycles.Methods:5 367 single blastocyst transfer cycles in in vitro fertilization/intracytoplasmic sperm injection and embryo transfer (IVF/ICSI-ET) of patients with successful pregnancy and delivery in Reproductive Medical Center of Zhanjiang Jiuhe Hospital from January 2010 to December 2022 were included in this retrospective cohort study. According to different types of embryos, the cycles were divided into fresh embryo group ( n=1 487, total population; n=1 258, ≤35 years old) and frozen-thawed embryo group ( n=3 880, total population; n=3 199, ≤35 years old). According to different fertilization methods, the cycles were divided into IVF group ( n=4 424, total population; n=3 667, ≤35 years old) and ICSI group ( n=943, total population; n=780, ≤35 years old). Chi-square test was used to analyze the differences of SRB among all the patients and the patients aged ≤35 years who underwent different embryo types and fertilization methods, and logistic regression was used to analyze the effects of ICM and TE ratings on SRB in each group of blastocysts. Results:There were 917 male infants (61.7%, 917/1 487) in the fresh embryo transfer group and 2 317 male infants (59.7%, 2 317/3 880) in frozen-thawed embryo transfer group. The SRB of the fresh embryo transfer group (160.9∶100) was slightly higher than that in frozen-thawed embryo transfer group (148.2∶100), but the difference was not statistically significant ( P=0.201). There were 2 732 male infants (61.8%, 2 732/4 424) in IVF group and 502 male infants (53.2%, 502/943) in ICSI group. The SRB of IVF group (161.5∶100) was significantly higher than that of ICSI group (113.8∶100), and the difference was statistically significant ( P<0.001). In female patients aged ≤35 years, the effects of different embryo transfer methods and different fertilization methods on SRB were consistent with the results of total population. Univariate logistic regression analysis showed that the SRB of patients with ICSI was lower than that of patients with IVF, except for 3-6AA. There were significant differences in SRB between ICSI cycles patients (88.8∶100; 72.8∶100; 156.1∶100) and IVF cycles patients (130.7∶100; 124.8∶100; 206.3∶100) when the blastocyst grade was 3-6BB ( OR=0.679, 95% CI: 0.516-0.896, P=0.006), 3-6AB( OR=0.583, 95% CI: 0.421-0.809, P=0.001) and 3-6BA OR=0.757, 95% CI: 0.585-0.979, P=0.034). Taking 3-6BB blastocysts as reference, the SRB of 3-6AA and 3-6BA blastocysts were higher (IVF: OR=1.527, 95% CI: 1.258-1.854, P<0.001; OR=1.579,95% CI: 1.341-1.859, P<0.001; ICSI: OR=2.566, 95% CI: 1.661-3.966, P<0.001; OR=1.758, 95% CI: 1.250-2.472, P=0.001). Compared with 3-6BA, the SRB of 3-6BC blastocysts was lower (IVF: OR=0.621, 95% CI: 0.447-0.862, P=0.004; ICSI: OR=0.442, 95% CI: 0.238-0.818, P=0.009). Taking 3-6AB as reference, the SRB of 3-6AA blastocysts was higher (IVF: OR=1.600, 95% CI: 1.307-1.958, P<0.001; ICSI: OR=3.130, 95% CI: 1.964-4.987, P<0.001). Conclusion:The SRB of fresh embryo group is slightly higher than that of frozen-thawed group in single blastocyst transfer cycles. Different fertilization methods can affect SRB, and the SRB in IVF is significantly higher than that in ICSI group. The quality of blastocysts can affect SRB, and blastocysts with higher quality TE have significantly increased SRB, while ICM quality have no significant effect on SRB.

Objective To observe the characteristics of sublingual collaterals of patients with hypertension and the correlation between TCM syndromes and characteristics of sublingual collaterals based on image data.Methods Totally 303 patients with hypertension were selected from three hospitals in Anhui Province from October 2022 to April 2024,and were divided into liver fire hyperactivity syndrome,yin deficiency and yang hyperactivity syndrome,phlegm and blood stasis syndrome,and yin yang deficiency syndrome according to the syndromes.The patients'sublingual collateral images were captured using smartphones,and the AI open platform system for TCM tongue diagnosis was used to obtain the color,length,width,tortuous degree and concurrent manifestations of the sublingual collaterals,as well as the characteristic indexes,such as color HSV,Lab value,etc.of sublingual collaterals,using a combination of computer vision and manual interpretation,so as to analyze the correlation between the TCM syndromes and the characteristics of the sublingual collaterals.Results The color,length,width,tortuous degree and concurrent manifestations of sublingual collaterals in different syndrome types were statistically significant.The values of V,Lab-L,Lab-a and Lab-b in the phlegm and blood stasis syndrome were significantly lower than those in other syndrome types.The S value of yin-yang deficiency syndrome was significantly lower than that of other syndromes(P＜0.05).Correlation analysis showed that the color of sublingual collaterals was negatively correlated with the values of S,V,Lab-L,Lab-a and Lab-b of patients with different syndrome types(P＜0.05).The degree of stasis of sublingual collaterals in the phlegm and blood stasis syndrome was higher than that in other groups.Conclusion There are differences in color,length,width,tortuous degree and concurrent manifestations among the sublingual collaterals of patients with hypertension,and there is close correlation between the color of sublingual collaterals and its parameters.The objective index of sublingual collaterals is sensitive to hypertension,which is basically consistent with the theory and clinical conclusion of TCM,and can be used as the basis for syndrome differentiation and treatment.

Objective:To establish and evaluate a second-tier screening method for neonatal congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) and develop appropriate screening interpretation criteria.Methods:We employed liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry to simultaneously detect five steroid hormones in dried blood spots: 17α-hydroxyprogesterone (17α-OHP), androstenedione (A4), 11-deoxycortisol (11-DOC), 21-deoxycortisol (21-DOC), and cortisol (F), calculating (17α-OHP+A4)/F and (17α-OHP+21-DOC)/F ratios for second-tier CAH screening. The study utilized 429 residual dried blood spot samples from neonates (0-7 days) who completed first-tier screening between January 2020 and March 2024 in Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, Guangzhou Medical University, including first-tier negatives ( n=369), confirmed false positives ( n=50), and CYP21A2-confirmed 21-hydroxylase deficiency patients ( n=10). Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal-Wallis tests analyzed steroid concentration variations across gestational ages and birth weights in all negative samples, with reference intervals established via P2.5- P97.5 percentiles and screening cutoffs set at population P97.5. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis identified optimal interpretation indicators among steroid hormone profiles, with second-tier screening performance evaluated by comparing sensitivity and specificity across different steroid hormone indicators to establish the optimal diagnostic criteria. Results:The five steroid hormones demonstrated intra-assay precision with coefficient of variation (CV) of 9.8%-14.2% and inter-assay precision with CV of 4.7%-14.4% across three different concentration levels of quality control materials. Accuracy ranged from 98.5% to 110.0% and the lower limits of quantification were 0.25 ng/ml for 17α-OHP, 0.05 ng/ml for A4/11-DOC, 0.31 ng/ml for 21-DOC, and 0.1 ng/ml for F. Stratification by gestational age categorized 17α-OHP into ≤31, 32-34, and ≥35 weeks; A4 into ≤31, 32-36, and ≥37 weeks; and 11-DOC into ≤31 and ≥32 weeks, while the remaining indicators were not stratified. When grouped by birth weight (low/normal), all measured parameters except 21-DOC showed statistically significant differences between groups (all P<0.05). Established reference intervals included 17α-OHP: 0.53-7.82 ng/ml (≤31 weeks), <0.25-3.60 ng/ml (32-34 weeks), <0.25-1.64 ng/ml (≥35 weeks); A4: 0.12-2.36 ng/ml (≤31 weeks), <0.05-1.45 ng/ml (32-36 weeks), 0.17-0.95 ng/ml (≥37 weeks); 11-DOC: 0.43-4.04 ng/ml (≤31 weeks), 0.08-1.46 ng/ml (≥32 weeks); F: 1.70-83.70 ng/ml; 21-DOC: <0.31-0.69 ng/ml; (17α-OHP+A4)/F: 0.01-0.74; and (17α-OHP+21-DOC)/F: 0.01-0.69. Comprehensive comparison of CAH second-tier screening performance demonstrated that interpretation based on elevated 17α-OHP accompanied by either elevated 21-DOC or elevated ratios [(17α-OHP+A4)/F or (17α-OHP+21-DOC)/F] achieved 100% sensitivity, 96% specificity, and a 96% reduction in false-positive rate. Conclusion:The application of liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry for multi-steroid hormone profiling in second-tier neonatal CAH screening, utilizing gestational age-specific 17α-OHP cutoffs combined with elevated 21-DOC or ratio criteria, demonstrated 100% screening sensitivity while substantially reducing false-positive rates from primary screening, though further validation with expanded sample sizes remains necessary.

Objective:To compare the clinical efficacies of O-arm combined with CT three-dimensional navigation system assisted screw placement versus manual screw placement in treating lower cervical fracture and dislocation.Methods:A retrospective cohort study was used to analyze the clinical data of 41 patients with lower cervical fracture and dislocation, who were treated in Honghui Hospital, Xi′an Jiaotong University from May 2021 to February 2022. The patients included 26 males and 15 females, aged 31.5-48.6 years [(41.5±15.0)years]. The injured segments were C 3 in 3 patients, C 4 in 12, C 5 in 13, C 6 in 10 and C 7 in 3. Nineteen patients were treated with cervical pedicle screws by O-shaped arm combined with CT three-dimensional navigation system (navigation group, 76 screws) and 22 by bare hands (traditional group, 88 screws). The total operation time, effective operation time, single nail placement time, single screw correction times, screw distance from anterior cortex, intraoperative blood loss, intraoperative fluoroscopic radiation dose, incision length and length of hospital stay were compared between the two groups, and the height of intervertebral space, Cobb angle, interbody slip distance and American Spinal injury Association (ASIA) grade were compared before operation and at 3 days after operation. Visual analogue score (VAS), Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) score, and neck dysfunction index (NDI) were evaluated before operation, at 3 days, 3 months after operation and at the last follow-up. Accuracy of screw placement and incidence of complications (adjacent facet joint invasion, infection, screw loosening) were detected as well. Results:All the patients were followed up for 11.1-13.9 months [(12.5±1.4)months]. The total operation time, intraoperative blood loss, intraoperative fluoroscopic radiation dose and incision length in the navigation group were more or longer than those in the traditional group (all P<0.05). The effective operation time, single nail placement time, single nail correction times and screw distance from anterior cortex in the navigation group were markedly less or smaller than those in the traditional group (all P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the length of hospital stay between the two groups ( P>0.05). There were significant improvements in the height of intervertebral space, Cobb angle and interbody slip distance between the two groups at 3 days after operation (all P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the height of intervertebral space, Cobb angle, interbody slip distance or ASIA grade between the two groups before operation or at 3 days after operation (all P>0.05). Compared with pre-operation, the VAS, JOA score and NDI were significantly improved in both groups at 3 days, 3 months after operation and at the last follow-up (all P<0.05), with further improvement with time. There was no significant difference in VAS between the two groups before operation or at 3 months after operation (all P>0.05), but it was markedly lower in the navigation group compared with the traditional group at 3 days after operation and at the last follow-up (all P<0.05). There were no significant differences in JOA score or NDI between the two groups before operation or at 3 days and 3 months after operation (all P>0.05), but both were lower in the navigation group compared with the traditional group at the last follow-up (all P<0.05). The accuracies of placement of grade 0 and grade 0+1 screws were 92.0% (70/76) and 96.6% (73/76) in the navigation group, respectively, which were markedly higher than 88.7% (78/88) and 93.5% (82/88) in the traditional group (all P<0.05). The rates of adjacent facet joint invasion of A, B, and C degrees were 71.2% (54/76), 28.8% (22/76) and 0% (0/76) in the navigation group, respectively, while the invasion rates were 60.5% (53/88), 32.3% (28/88) and 7.3% (7/88) in the traditional group ( P<0.05). No screw loosening was noted in the navigation group, but the screw loosening rate was 9.1% (8/88) in the traditional group ( P<0.01). Conclusion:Compared with manual screw placement, O-arm combined with CT three-dimensional navigation system assisted screw placement for lower cervical fracture and dislocation has the advantages of shorter effective operation time, quicker screw placement, stronger screw holding force, better cervical stability, slighter postoperative pain, higher screw placement accuracy, and lower facet joint invasion and screw loosening rates.

Objective:To observe the changes in semen quality before and after operation in the officers and soldiers stationed at coastal areas with clinical varicocele，and to evaluate the outcome of operation.Methods:According to the results of the color Doppler ultrasound，a total of 113 patients with clinical left varicocele who underwent high ligation of the spermatic vein in the Department of Urology of the Beidaihe Rehabilitation and Recuperation Center of PLA Joint Logistics Support Force were divided into three groups：clinical grade Ⅰ（ n=31），clinical grade Ⅱ（ n=36），and clinical grade Ⅲ（ n=46）. The semen qualities of all patients were analyzed before and after operation. Results:There was no significant change in semen quality before and after operation in the clinical grade Ⅰ group（ P>0.05）；the semen quality in the clinical grade Ⅱ group was significantly improved after operation（ P<0.05）；the semen quality in the clinical grade Ⅲ group after operation was generally improved（ P<0.05）. There was no significant difference in semen volumes or sperm deformity rates before and after operation among the three groups（ P>0.05）. Conclusion:The incidence of clinical varicocele in officers and soldiers stationed at coastal areas is significantly higher than that in the general population. The improvement of postoperative semen quality is closely related to the severity of preoperative varicocele. Ultrasound combined with routine semen examination can effectively evaluate the improvement of postoperative semen quality.