Objective:To compare the efficacy of robot-assisted percutaneous reduction and screw fixation versus open reduction and plate fixation via the sinus tarsi approach in the treatment of Sanders types II and III calcaneal fractures.Methods:A retrospective cohort study was conducted to analyze the clinical data of 82 patients (90 feet) with calcaneal fractures admitted to the Department of Orthopedic Trauma, Beijing Jishuitan Hospital, Capital Medical University from January 2020 to April 2024, including 74 males and 8 females, aged 24-87 years [(46.4±12.1)years]. According to Essex-Lopresti classification, the fractures were classified as tongue-type in 43 patients and joint-collapse-type in 47. According to Sanders classification, 69 feet were classified as type II and 21 as type III. Forty-seven patients (52 feet) were treated with robot-assisted percutaneous reduction and screw fixation (screw fixation group) and 35 (38 feet) with open reduction and plate fixation via the sinus tarsi approach (plate fixation group). The two groups were compared in terms of the operation duration, intraoperative blood loss, length of hospital stay and time to weight-bearing. The width, height, length, B?hler angle and Gissane angle of the calcaneus before surgery and at 1 day after surgery were compared. The Maryland foot and ankle function score, American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) ankle and hindfoot function score, and visual analogue scale (VAS) score at 1, 3 months postoperatively, and at the last follow-up were compared. The incidence of postoperative complications and removal rate of internal fixation were also detected in the two groups.Results:All the patients were followed up for 9-60 months [(30.0±14.5)months]. There was no significant difference in the operation duration between the two groups ( P>0.05). The intraoperative blood loss, length of hospital stay and time to weight-bearing in the screw fixation group were 10.0(10.0, 20.0)ml, 7.0(5.0, 8.0)days and (5.0±0.8)weeks, which were significantly less or shorter than 30.0(20.0, 50.0)ml, 8.0(6.0, 11.0)days and (6.9±0.7)weeks in the plate fixation group ( P<0.05). The width, height, length, B?hler angle and Gissane angle of the calcaneus at 1 day after surgery were (43.4±4.2)mm, (46.2±4.0)mm, (81.6±5.1)mm, 27.1(20.4, 30.4)° and (113.4±10.1)° in the screw fixation group, which were all improved compared with those before surgery [(47.8±4.6)mm, (39.3±4.8)mm, (79.2±5.9)mm, 9.5(0.0,16.5)° and (119.3±13.4)°] ( P<0.01). The width, height, length and B?hler angle of the calcaneus at 1 day after surgery were (41.6±5.7)mm, (48.4±4.8)mm, (83.1±5.7)mm and 27.3(21.3, 31.6)° in the plate fixation group, which were all improved compared with those before surgery [(47.8±5.0)mm, (41.7±5.1)mm, (80.1±5.9)mm and 12.9(7.2,19.8)°] ( P<0.01), with no significant difference in the Gissane angle ( P>0.05). Before surgery and at 1 day postoperatively, no significant differences were found in the width, length, B?hler angle or Gissane angle of the calcaneus between the two groups ( P>0.05), while the height of the calcaneus in the screw fixation group was lower than that in the plate fixation group ( P<0.05). At 1 month after surgery and at the last follow-up, there were no significant differences in the Maryland foot and ankle function score, AOFAS ankle and hindfoot function score, and VAS score between the two groups ( P>0.05). At 3 months after surgery in the screw fixation group, the Maryland foot and ankle function score was (79.7±3.8)points, significantly higher than (74.7±2.8)points in the plate fixation group ( P<0.01); the AOFAS ankle and hindfoot function score was (77.1±5.0)points, significantly higher than (70.1±3.6)points in the plate fixation group ( P<0.01); the VAS score was 1.0(1.0, 2.0)points, significantly lower than 2.5(2.0, 3.0)points in the plate fixation group ( P<0.01). No significant difference was detected in the incidence of postoperative complications between the two groups ( P>0.05). The removal rate of internal fixation was 10% (5/52) in the screw fixation group, significantly lower than 29% (11/38) in the plate fixation group ( P<0.05). Conclusion:Compared with open reduction and plate fixation via the sinus tarsi approach, robot-assisted percutaneous reduction and screw fixation has the advantages of less intraoperative blood loss, shorter hospital stay, earlier weight-bearing exercises, better early functional recovery and pain relief, and lower internal fixation removal rate in the treatment of Sanders types II and III calcaneal fractures.

Objective To construct an age prediction model for adolescents using radiomics from oral panoramic radiographs.Methods Panoramic radiographic images of 441 adolescent patients aged 11.00～13.99 years were imported into the open-source software 3D Slicer for segmentation of regions of interest(ROI).Python was used to extract all features from the ROIs of all patients.The patients were randomly divided into a training set and a test set at a ratio of 7∶3.Machine learning methods were applied to analyze the correlation between radiomics features and age characteristics to build the age prediction model.Results Out of 863 two-dimensional radiomics features,10 were selected.Three machine learning methods—support vector machine,random forest,and logistic regression—were used to train the model on the training set,and the best machine learning model was chosen.The performance of the machine learning models was evaluated using the Area Under Curve(AUC).In the test set,the AUCs for females were 0.795,0.830,and 0.795 for the three methods respectively,while for males,they were 0.830,0.864,and 0.846.Conclusion The radiomics model based on oral panoramic radiographs demonstrates good diagnostic efficacy and can be used for age prediction.

Objective To construct an age prediction model for adolescents using radiomics from oral panoramic radiographs.Methods Panoramic radiographic images of 441 adolescent patients aged 11.00～13.99 years were imported into the open-source software 3D Slicer for segmentation of regions of interest(ROI).Python was used to extract all features from the ROIs of all patients.The patients were randomly divided into a training set and a test set at a ratio of 7∶3.Machine learning methods were applied to analyze the correlation between radiomics features and age characteristics to build the age prediction model.Results Out of 863 two-dimensional radiomics features,10 were selected.Three machine learning methods—support vector machine,random forest,and logistic regression—were used to train the model on the training set,and the best machine learning model was chosen.The performance of the machine learning models was evaluated using the Area Under Curve(AUC).In the test set,the AUCs for females were 0.795,0.830,and 0.795 for the three methods respectively,while for males,they were 0.830,0.864,and 0.846.Conclusion The radiomics model based on oral panoramic radiographs demonstrates good diagnostic efficacy and can be used for age prediction.

Objective:To compare the efficacy of robot-assisted percutaneous reduction and screw fixation versus open reduction and plate fixation via the sinus tarsi approach in the treatment of Sanders types II and III calcaneal fractures.Methods:A retrospective cohort study was conducted to analyze the clinical data of 82 patients (90 feet) with calcaneal fractures admitted to the Department of Orthopedic Trauma, Beijing Jishuitan Hospital, Capital Medical University from January 2020 to April 2024, including 74 males and 8 females, aged 24-87 years [(46.4±12.1)years]. According to Essex-Lopresti classification, the fractures were classified as tongue-type in 43 patients and joint-collapse-type in 47. According to Sanders classification, 69 feet were classified as type II and 21 as type III. Forty-seven patients (52 feet) were treated with robot-assisted percutaneous reduction and screw fixation (screw fixation group) and 35 (38 feet) with open reduction and plate fixation via the sinus tarsi approach (plate fixation group). The two groups were compared in terms of the operation duration, intraoperative blood loss, length of hospital stay and time to weight-bearing. The width, height, length, B?hler angle and Gissane angle of the calcaneus before surgery and at 1 day after surgery were compared. The Maryland foot and ankle function score, American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) ankle and hindfoot function score, and visual analogue scale (VAS) score at 1, 3 months postoperatively, and at the last follow-up were compared. The incidence of postoperative complications and removal rate of internal fixation were also detected in the two groups.Results:All the patients were followed up for 9-60 months [(30.0±14.5)months]. There was no significant difference in the operation duration between the two groups ( P>0.05). The intraoperative blood loss, length of hospital stay and time to weight-bearing in the screw fixation group were 10.0(10.0, 20.0)ml, 7.0(5.0, 8.0)days and (5.0±0.8)weeks, which were significantly less or shorter than 30.0(20.0, 50.0)ml, 8.0(6.0, 11.0)days and (6.9±0.7)weeks in the plate fixation group ( P<0.05). The width, height, length, B?hler angle and Gissane angle of the calcaneus at 1 day after surgery were (43.4±4.2)mm, (46.2±4.0)mm, (81.6±5.1)mm, 27.1(20.4, 30.4)° and (113.4±10.1)° in the screw fixation group, which were all improved compared with those before surgery [(47.8±4.6)mm, (39.3±4.8)mm, (79.2±5.9)mm, 9.5(0.0,16.5)° and (119.3±13.4)°] ( P<0.01). The width, height, length and B?hler angle of the calcaneus at 1 day after surgery were (41.6±5.7)mm, (48.4±4.8)mm, (83.1±5.7)mm and 27.3(21.3, 31.6)° in the plate fixation group, which were all improved compared with those before surgery [(47.8±5.0)mm, (41.7±5.1)mm, (80.1±5.9)mm and 12.9(7.2,19.8)°] ( P<0.01), with no significant difference in the Gissane angle ( P>0.05). Before surgery and at 1 day postoperatively, no significant differences were found in the width, length, B?hler angle or Gissane angle of the calcaneus between the two groups ( P>0.05), while the height of the calcaneus in the screw fixation group was lower than that in the plate fixation group ( P<0.05). At 1 month after surgery and at the last follow-up, there were no significant differences in the Maryland foot and ankle function score, AOFAS ankle and hindfoot function score, and VAS score between the two groups ( P>0.05). At 3 months after surgery in the screw fixation group, the Maryland foot and ankle function score was (79.7±3.8)points, significantly higher than (74.7±2.8)points in the plate fixation group ( P<0.01); the AOFAS ankle and hindfoot function score was (77.1±5.0)points, significantly higher than (70.1±3.6)points in the plate fixation group ( P<0.01); the VAS score was 1.0(1.0, 2.0)points, significantly lower than 2.5(2.0, 3.0)points in the plate fixation group ( P<0.01). No significant difference was detected in the incidence of postoperative complications between the two groups ( P>0.05). The removal rate of internal fixation was 10% (5/52) in the screw fixation group, significantly lower than 29% (11/38) in the plate fixation group ( P<0.05). Conclusion:Compared with open reduction and plate fixation via the sinus tarsi approach, robot-assisted percutaneous reduction and screw fixation has the advantages of less intraoperative blood loss, shorter hospital stay, earlier weight-bearing exercises, better early functional recovery and pain relief, and lower internal fixation removal rate in the treatment of Sanders types II and III calcaneal fractures.

Objective:To explore the utility of applying low frequency transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) in the acute stage of ischemic stroke in terms of improving upper limb motor function.Methods:Eighty ischemic stroke survivors in the acute stage were randomly divided into a control group and an experimental group, with 40 in each. In addition to routine rehabilitation, the experimental group was given low frequency rTMS, while the control group was provided with sham rTMS. Before and after 4-weeks of treatment, upper limb motor function was evaluated using the Fugl-Meyer rating scale (FMA), Wolf motor function tests (WMFTs), the modified Barthel index (MBI) and in terms of motor evoked potential (MEP) latency and amplitude.Results:There were no significant differences between the two groups before the treatment. Afterward, however, the average FMA, WMFT, MBI scores had improved significantly more in the experimental group, on average, as had the average MEP amplitude.Conclusion:Low frequency rTMS in the acute phase of ischemic stroke can improve upper limb motor function and ability in the activities of daily living.

Objective:To explore the predictive value of lactic acid for the adverse prognostic outcomes in patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure combined with infection.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 208 cases of ACLF combined with infection who were hospitalized from January 2014 to March 2016. Patients were divided into a survival group ( n = 83) and a mortality group ( n = 125) according to the results of a 90-day follow-up. The clinical data were statistically analyzed between the two groups. Multivariate logistic regression with two categorical variables was used to analyze the independent risk factors for 90-day disease mortality and establish a new prediction model. The receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC curve) was used to evaluate the predictive value of lactic acid, the MELD score, the MELD-Na score, lactic acid combined with the MELD score, lactic acid combined with the MELD-Na score, and the new model. Results:The 90-day mortality rate of 208 cases of ACLF combined with infection was 60.1%. There were statistically significant differences in white blood cell count, neutrophil count, total bilirubin (TBil), serum creatinine (Cr), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), blood ammonia, the international normalized ratio (INR), lactic acid (LAC), procalcitonin, the MELD score, the MELD-Na score, hepatic encephalopathy (HE), acute kidney injury (AKI), and bleeding between the two groups. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that TBil, INR, LAC, HE, and bleeding were independent risk factors for 90-day mortality in patients with ACLF combined with infection. After the establishment of MELD-LAC, MELD-Na-LAC, and a new prediction model, the ROC curve revealed that the AUC (95% confidence interval) of MELD-LAC and MELD-Na LAC were 0.819 (0.759 ~ 0.870) and 0.838 (0.780 ~ 0.886), respectively, and was superior than the MELD score [0.766 (0.702 ~ 0.823)] and MELD-Na score [0.788 (0.726 ~ 0.843)], with P < 0.05, while the new model had an AUC of 0.924, the sensitivity of 83.9%, specificity of 89.9%, and accuracy of 87.8%, which was higher than LAC, MELD score, MELD-Na score, MELD-LAC, and MELD-Na-LAC ( P < 0.01). Conclusion:Lactic acid is an independent risk factor for mortality in patients with ACLF combined with infection, and it improves the clinical predictive value of MELD and MELD-Na for the prognosis of mortality.

Objective:To investigate the predictive value of thrombus enhancement (TE) and thrombus permeability in cardioembolic thrombus with acute middle cerebral artery occlusion based on CT.Methods:The clinical and image data of 93 patients with acute middle cerebral artery occlusion who were admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University within 12 hours after onset from January 2020 to July 2022 were retrospectively analyzed. According to the TOAST criteria, the patients were divided into the cardioembolism (CE) group (43 cases) and the large artery atherosclerosis (LAA) group (50 cases). All patients received noncontrast CT and CT angiography, and then thrombus permeability [thrombus attenuation increase (TAI), void fraction (ε)] and TE were assessed. Independent sample t-test, Mann-Whitney U test and χ2 test were used in univariable analysis between two groups. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to explore the independent influencing factors for cardioembolic stroke and establish a logistic model. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and the area under the curve (AUC) were used to evaluate the predictive value of TAI, ε, TE and the logistic model in cardioembolic thrombus with acute middle cerebral artery occlusion. Results:There were statistically significant differences in sex, atrial fibrillation, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, smoking, baseline National Institutes of health stroke scale (NIHSS), TAI, ε and TE between the CE group and the LAA group ( P<0.05). Binary logistics regression analysis showed that TAI (OR=1.300, 95%CI 1.147-1.473, P<0.001), hypertension (OR=0.116, 95%CI 0.025-0.535, P=0.006) and baseline NIHSS (OR=1.165, 95%CI 1.040-1.304, P=0.008) were independent influencing factors for cardioembolic thrombus. The ROC curve indicated that the logistic model predicted cardioembolic thrombus with the highest AUC of 0.907 (95%CI 0.848-0.966). TE predicted cardioembolic thrombus with the highest sensitivity of 90.7%. Conclusion:TE and thrombus permeability have application value for predicting cardioembolic thrombus with acute middle cerebral artery occlusion based on CT.

Objective:To investigate the clinical application of Grunenwald incision in cervicothoracic junction surgery.Methods:The clinical data of 25 patients with cervicothoracic junction tumor and 1 patient with cervicothoracic junction trauma in the single treatment group of Department of Thoracic Surgery, the Fourth Hospital of Hebei Medical University from December 2011 to September 2021 were analyzed retrospectively, including 19 males and 7 females, aged 9-73 years old. Among the 26 patients, there were 9 cases of upper mediastinal tumor, 6 cases of superior sulcus tumor, 4 cases of thyroid tumor invading the upper mediastinal, 4 cases of chest wall tumor, 2 cases of esophageal cancer combined with supraclavicular lymph node metastasis, and 1 case of foreign body penetrating injury at the cervicothoracic junction. Grunenwald incision or additional posterolateral thoracic incision, median sternal incision, neck collar incision were used in all patients. The degree of tumor resection was evaluated. The operation time, intraoperative blood loss, length of hospital stay were observed, and the postoperative follow-up was analyzed.Results:There was no perioperative death in the whole group. 14 cases were treated with Grunenwald incision alone, 6 cases with additional posterolateral chest incision, 4 cases with additional neck collar incision, and 2 cases with additional median sternal incision. The tumors were completely resection in 22 cases, palliative tumor resection in 3 cases, and complete foreign body removal in 1 case. Postoperative pathology included 4 cases of schwannoma; 3 cases of lung adenocarcinoma, thyroid cancer and myofibroblastoma, respectively; 2 cases of supraclavicular lymph node metastasis of esophageal cancer and lung squamous carcinoma, respectively; 1 case of large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma, metastatic carcinoma of the first rib after lung squamous cell carcinoma, ganglioneuroma, nodular goiter, hemangioma, well differentiated liposarcoma, vascular endothelial tumor and cavernous angioma, respectively. The operation time was 120-430 min, with a mean of(226.92±88.40)min. The intraoperative blood loss was 100-1 000 ml, with a mean of(273.46±196.34)ml. The length of hospital stay was 6-26 days, with a mean of(12.73±4.46 )days. 26 patients were followed up for 6-130 months, with a mean of(57.88±43.64) months. During the follow-up period, 6 patients died.Conclusion:Grunenwald incision can provide good exposure of the structures near the cervicothoracic junction, preserve the integrity of sternoclavicular joint, reduce shoulder deformity, and has advantages for patients with cervicothoracic junction tumors, high rib resection, and cervicothoracic junction trauma.

With technological innovations in computer, navigation and robotics, more and more robot-assisted orthopaedic surgeries have been put into clinical practice, such as joint replacement surgery, spine surgery, bone tumor surgery, arthroscopy and fracture fixation surgery, providing a new direction for minimally invasive, precise and personalized treatment of diseases in clinic. TiRobot, an orthopedic robotic system independently developed by China, has been widely used in spine and trauma orthopedic surgery. This article reviews the applications of TiRobot in fracture surgery and in remote surgery, and introduces the progress in application of TiRobot to assist treatments of spinal and cervical fractures, thoracolumbar fractures, pelvic and acetabular fractures, hip fractures, and hand and foot fractures.

Objective:Toevaluate the short-term outcomes of mere modified Stoppa approach or in addition to ilia fossa approach for acetabular fractures.Methods:From January 2016 to October 2019, 36 patients with acetabular fracture were treated at Department of Traumatology and Orthopaedics, Beijing Jishuitan Hospital. They were 28 males and 8 females with an average age of 45.2 years (from 27 to 78 years). The left side was affected in 15 cases and the right side in 21. By the Judet-Letournel classification, there were 13 anterior column fractures, 3 anterior column and wall fractures, 12 both-column fractures, 6 anterior and posterior hemitransverse fractures, and 2 T-shaped fractures.The time from injury to surgery averaged 6 days(from 2 to 12 days).All the patients were treated by open reduction and plate-screw fixation through the mere modified Stoppa approach or in addition to the ilia fossa approach.The quality of postoperative fracture reduction was evaluated according to the Matta score.The pain scores of visual analogue scale (VAS) for the patients before operation and 18 months after operation were recorded and compared. The fracture healing time, Harris hip score at the last follow-up and complications in the patients were recorded.Results:The average operation time in this cohort was 213.2 min (from 110 to 340 min). By the Matta scores, anatomical reduction was achieved in 28 cases and satisfactory reduction in 8.The 36 patients were followed up for an average of 20 months (from 18 to 25 months). Their VAS pain scores at 18 months after operation were(0.7 ± 0.6) points, significantly lower than those before operation [(6.7 ± 1.3) points] ( P<0.05). Their fracture healing time averaged 3.2 months (from 1.5 to 6.0 months). Their Harris hip scores at the last follow-up averaged 90.6 points (from 80 to 95 points), yielding 26 excellent and 10 good cases.There were no serious complications like internal fixation failure or neurovascular injury during the follow-up period. Conclusions:In the treatment of acetabular fractures, simple modified Stoppa approach or in addition to ilia fossa approach may lead to fine short-term outcomes, because fractures involving both anterior and posterior columns can be handled safely and effectively at the same time.