Vertebral refracture following percutaneous vertebral augmentation (PVA) is commonly seen in elderly patients with osteoporotic thoracolumbar compression fractures (OTLCF). It can lead to recurrent pain, loss of vertebral height, progression of kyphosis, and even neurological dysfunction, significantly impairing patients′ quality of life. Current diagnosis and treatment face multiple challenges, including high misdiagnosis rate, difficulty in choosing between surgical and non-surgical treatment options, lack of standardized surgical protocols, interference from intralesional bone cement during procedures, inadequate stability of internal fixation in osteoporotic bone, and suboptimal compliance of anti-osteoporotic therapy. Establishing a standardized diagnostic and therapeutic framework is urgently needed. To standardize the management process and improve outcomes for vertebral refractures after PVA in elderly OTLCF patients, Spinal Trauma Group of the Orthopedic Branch of Chinese Medical Doctor Association organized experts in the field to develop Guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of vertebral refracture after percutaneous vertebral augmentation in elderly patients with osteoporotic thoracolumbar compression fractures ( version 2025), based on current literature and clinical experience, and adhering to principles of scientific rigor and clinical applicability. A total of 11 recommendations were proposed, encompassing diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of vertebral refracture after PVA in elderly patients with OTLCF, aiming to provide a foundation for a standardized management.

Objective:To assess the sound localization ability of patients with unilateral sudden hearing loss during the early period of treatment, to explore its changing characteristics and to analyze influencing factors.Methods:A total of 22 patients with unilateral sudden sensorineural hearing loss, with onset within 3 days, who were hospitalized at Shandong Provincial ENT Hospital between January and April 2024, were collected in this study. The cohort included 13 males and 9 females, with a mean age of 36.5 years. Among them, 10 suffered in the right ear and 12 in the left ear. Additionally, 15 healthy individuals (8 males and 7 females, mean age 29.2 years) were selected as controls. Pure tone audiometry and sound localization tests were reviewed on the first day, third day, fifth day of admission; the third week after onset, and the pure tone average and the root-mean-square error(RMSE) were used as indicators, respectively. The improvement of the ability of sound localization and pure tone average were assessed by correlation analyses using SPSS, version 27.0, and multiple regression analysis was employed to explore effects that might influence sound localization ability.Results:The pure tone threshold and sound localization ability on the third week of onset were improved compared with those on the initial three instances(the first, third, and fifth days of admission). 9 of the 22 patients (40.91%, 9/22) presented normal sound localization ability whereas their hearing loss had not recurred yet. The Spearman correlation analysis revealed a significant positive correlation between the improvement of sound localization ability and hearing improvement ( r=0.57, P<0.001). Meanwhile, multiple regression analysis showed that hearing threshold was a significant factor for sound localization when there was audible frequency. Vice versa, at this circumstance, ages and vertigo were significant factors. Conclusions:For most of the patients with unilateral sudden hearing loss, ability of sound localization improves with the decrease of hearing threshold. Notably, some patients can restore normal levels of sound localization for white noise, even in the presence of hearing loss at certain frequencies, by relying on binaural acoustic cues provided by residual hearing.

Objective:To analyse the 3D-Flair MRI manifestations of the inner ear, vestibular function status, and their correlation with hearing treatment outcomes in patients with severe sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL), and to explore potential prognostic indicators for sudden deafness.Methods:The clinical data of adult patients with unilateral profound sudden sensorineural hearing loss were retrospectively analyzed in Otorhinolaryngology Department of Shandong Provincial ENT Hospital from March 2018 to August 2020. Patients were categorized based on the results of their inner ear 3D-Flair MRI into two groups: the normal MRI group and the abnormal MRI group. The abnormal group was further divided into three subgroups: those with non-absorbed high signal in the inner ear, those with absorbed high signal, and those with destruction of the blood-labyrinth barrier. SPSS 26.0 statistical software was applied to analyze the differences in hearing efficacy, caloric tests, vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (VEMP), video head impulse tests (vHIT), and the incidence of dizziness/vertigo among various patient groups.Results:A total of 191 patients with complete data were collected (97 males and 94 females, aged from 13 to 69 years old). There were 50 cases in the normal inner ear 3D-Flair MRI group. A total of 141 cases were found in the group with abnormal 3D-Flair MRI, including 50 cases of high signal unabsorbed, 71 cases of absorption high signal and 20 cases of blood labyrinth barrier destruction. There were no significant differences in age, sex, lateral ratio of hearing loss and course of disease among four groups (all P>0.05).The significant efficiencies of hearing recovery, in the group with normal 3D-FLAIR MRI were better than those in the abnormal group ( P<0.05) after treatment. Among the four groups, there were significant differences in the apparent efficiency and total effective rate between the normal group and the inner ear high signal absorption group ( χ2=4.007, P=0.045; χ2=6.925, P=0.009). The abnormal rates of bithermal caloric test, vHIT results and dizziness/vertigo symptoms in the abnormal group were higher than those in the normal group ( P<0.05). There were significant differences in oVEMP abnormality rate, vHIT abnormality rate and incidence of dizziness/vertigo among the three groups with 3D-FLAIR MRI abnormality ( P<0.05). There were significant differences in caloric test, oVEMP, vHIT abnormality rate and incidence of dizziness/vertigo among the four groups ( P<0.05). The positive rates of caloric test, cVEMP test and vHIT test in patients with dizziness/vertigo were higher than those in patients without dizziness/vertigo ( P<0.05). The abnormal rates of posterior semicircular canal and horizontal semicircular canal in patients with dizziness/vertigo were significantly increased ( P<0.05) than patients without dizziness/vertigo. The recovery rate, effective rate and total effective rate of patients without dizziness/vertigo were significantly better than those with dizziness/vertigo ( P<0.05). Conclusions:The 3D-Flair MRI of the inner ear and vestibular function tests have reference value for the prognosis assessment of patients with severe sudden sensorineural hearing loss. Abnormal 3D-FLAIR MRI of the inner ear, especially absorption high signal, is associated with high incidence of vestibular dysfunction and dizziness/vertigo, with poor prognosis. Patients with severe sudden sensorineural hearing loss who have symptoms of dizziness/vertigo are more likely to exhibit abnormal results in vestibular function tests, with a higher susceptibility to involvement of the posterior and horizontal semicircular canals.

Objective:To evaluate the sound localization ability of patients with different degrees of unilateral conductive hearing loss (UCHL) in quiet and noisy environments, and to explore the changes and characteristics of sound localization.Methods:This was a cross-sectional study. 41 patients with UCHL were hospitalized in Shandong Provincial ENT Hospital from January to April 2024, including 22 males and 19 females, aged 18-55 years old, with an average age of 36.9 years. According to the pure-tone average (PTA) of 500, 1000 and 2000 Hz in the suffered ear, subjects were divided into slight-mild UCHL group (20 numbers) and moderate-moderately severe UCHL group (21 numbers). 21 patients with normal hearing (NH) were enrolled as controls. All subjects were assessed through pure-tone audiometry, horizontal sound localization test (including azimuth identification test in quiet and noisy environments), Chinese edition short form of Spatial Hearing Questionnaire (C-SHQ12) and twelve-item version of Speech, Spatial, and Qualities of Hearing Scale (SSQ12). SPSS, version 26.0, was used for statistical analysis.Results:There were significant differences in the root-mean-square errors (RMSE) of the sound localization azimuth identification test in quiet and noisy environments among the NH group, slight-mild UCHL group, and moderate-moderately severe UCHL group (Quiet: F=29.109, P<0.001; Noisy: F=24.351, P<0.001). This presented statistically marked difference in the RMSEs between the two listening environments in the slight-mild UCHL group ( t=-4.911, P<0.001). There was a statistical difference in the RMSEs between the normal and affected sides of the subjects in the slight-mild UCHL group in the quiet environment ( t=-2.055, P<0.05), but not in the noisy environment. For moderate-moderately severe UCHL subjects, there were no differences in the RMSEs between the quiet and noisy environments ( P>0.05). What’s more，no significant differences were found between normal side and affected side in both environments ( P>0.05). The RMSEs of UCHL patients in quiet and noisy environments were positively correlated with PTA of air-conduction in the suffered ears (Quiet: r=0.681, P<0.001; Noisy: r=0.346, P<0.05). RMSEs in quiet and noisy environments were negatively correlated with the average localization scores in C-SHQ12 (Quiet: r=-0.576, P<0.001, Noisy: r=-0.613, P<0.001) and in SSQ12 (Quiet: r=-0.634, P<0.001, Noisy: r=-0.663, P<0.001). Conclusions:The sound localization ability of UCHL subjects decreased compared with those with normal hearing, and the RMSE gradually increased with the worse of air conduction hearing threshold. The localization ability of UCHL subjects was further reduced in the noisy environment compared with that in the quiet environment. The slight-mild UCHL subjects had better localization performance in the normal ears while worse in the suffered ears, however, when they were in noisy environment or their hearing loss deteriorated, the localization advantage of the normal ears was no longer obvious, and both sides of the subjects presented poor localization performance.

Vertebral refracture following percutaneous vertebral augmentation (PVA) is commonly seen in elderly patients with osteoporotic thoracolumbar compression fractures (OTLCF). It can lead to recurrent pain, loss of vertebral height, progression of kyphosis, and even neurological dysfunction, significantly impairing patients′ quality of life. Current diagnosis and treatment face multiple challenges, including high misdiagnosis rate, difficulty in choosing between surgical and non-surgical treatment options, lack of standardized surgical protocols, interference from intralesional bone cement during procedures, inadequate stability of internal fixation in osteoporotic bone, and suboptimal compliance of anti-osteoporotic therapy. Establishing a standardized diagnostic and therapeutic framework is urgently needed. To standardize the management process and improve outcomes for vertebral refractures after PVA in elderly OTLCF patients, Spinal Trauma Group of the Orthopedic Branch of Chinese Medical Doctor Association organized experts in the field to develop Guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of vertebral refracture after percutaneous vertebral augmentation in elderly patients with osteoporotic thoracolumbar compression fractures ( version 2025), based on current literature and clinical experience, and adhering to principles of scientific rigor and clinical applicability. A total of 11 recommendations were proposed, encompassing diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of vertebral refracture after PVA in elderly patients with OTLCF, aiming to provide a foundation for a standardized management.

Objective:To assess the sound localization ability of patients with unilateral sudden hearing loss during the early period of treatment, to explore its changing characteristics and to analyze influencing factors.Methods:A total of 22 patients with unilateral sudden sensorineural hearing loss, with onset within 3 days, who were hospitalized at Shandong Provincial ENT Hospital between January and April 2024, were collected in this study. The cohort included 13 males and 9 females, with a mean age of 36.5 years. Among them, 10 suffered in the right ear and 12 in the left ear. Additionally, 15 healthy individuals (8 males and 7 females, mean age 29.2 years) were selected as controls. Pure tone audiometry and sound localization tests were reviewed on the first day, third day, fifth day of admission; the third week after onset, and the pure tone average and the root-mean-square error(RMSE) were used as indicators, respectively. The improvement of the ability of sound localization and pure tone average were assessed by correlation analyses using SPSS, version 27.0, and multiple regression analysis was employed to explore effects that might influence sound localization ability.Results:The pure tone threshold and sound localization ability on the third week of onset were improved compared with those on the initial three instances(the first, third, and fifth days of admission). 9 of the 22 patients (40.91%, 9/22) presented normal sound localization ability whereas their hearing loss had not recurred yet. The Spearman correlation analysis revealed a significant positive correlation between the improvement of sound localization ability and hearing improvement ( r=0.57, P<0.001). Meanwhile, multiple regression analysis showed that hearing threshold was a significant factor for sound localization when there was audible frequency. Vice versa, at this circumstance, ages and vertigo were significant factors. Conclusions:For most of the patients with unilateral sudden hearing loss, ability of sound localization improves with the decrease of hearing threshold. Notably, some patients can restore normal levels of sound localization for white noise, even in the presence of hearing loss at certain frequencies, by relying on binaural acoustic cues provided by residual hearing.

Objective:To analyse the 3D-Flair MRI manifestations of the inner ear, vestibular function status, and their correlation with hearing treatment outcomes in patients with severe sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL), and to explore potential prognostic indicators for sudden deafness.Methods:The clinical data of adult patients with unilateral profound sudden sensorineural hearing loss were retrospectively analyzed in Otorhinolaryngology Department of Shandong Provincial ENT Hospital from March 2018 to August 2020. Patients were categorized based on the results of their inner ear 3D-Flair MRI into two groups: the normal MRI group and the abnormal MRI group. The abnormal group was further divided into three subgroups: those with non-absorbed high signal in the inner ear, those with absorbed high signal, and those with destruction of the blood-labyrinth barrier. SPSS 26.0 statistical software was applied to analyze the differences in hearing efficacy, caloric tests, vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (VEMP), video head impulse tests (vHIT), and the incidence of dizziness/vertigo among various patient groups.Results:A total of 191 patients with complete data were collected (97 males and 94 females, aged from 13 to 69 years old). There were 50 cases in the normal inner ear 3D-Flair MRI group. A total of 141 cases were found in the group with abnormal 3D-Flair MRI, including 50 cases of high signal unabsorbed, 71 cases of absorption high signal and 20 cases of blood labyrinth barrier destruction. There were no significant differences in age, sex, lateral ratio of hearing loss and course of disease among four groups (all P>0.05).The significant efficiencies of hearing recovery, in the group with normal 3D-FLAIR MRI were better than those in the abnormal group ( P<0.05) after treatment. Among the four groups, there were significant differences in the apparent efficiency and total effective rate between the normal group and the inner ear high signal absorption group ( χ2=4.007, P=0.045; χ2=6.925, P=0.009). The abnormal rates of bithermal caloric test, vHIT results and dizziness/vertigo symptoms in the abnormal group were higher than those in the normal group ( P<0.05). There were significant differences in oVEMP abnormality rate, vHIT abnormality rate and incidence of dizziness/vertigo among the three groups with 3D-FLAIR MRI abnormality ( P<0.05). There were significant differences in caloric test, oVEMP, vHIT abnormality rate and incidence of dizziness/vertigo among the four groups ( P<0.05). The positive rates of caloric test, cVEMP test and vHIT test in patients with dizziness/vertigo were higher than those in patients without dizziness/vertigo ( P<0.05). The abnormal rates of posterior semicircular canal and horizontal semicircular canal in patients with dizziness/vertigo were significantly increased ( P<0.05) than patients without dizziness/vertigo. The recovery rate, effective rate and total effective rate of patients without dizziness/vertigo were significantly better than those with dizziness/vertigo ( P<0.05). Conclusions:The 3D-Flair MRI of the inner ear and vestibular function tests have reference value for the prognosis assessment of patients with severe sudden sensorineural hearing loss. Abnormal 3D-FLAIR MRI of the inner ear, especially absorption high signal, is associated with high incidence of vestibular dysfunction and dizziness/vertigo, with poor prognosis. Patients with severe sudden sensorineural hearing loss who have symptoms of dizziness/vertigo are more likely to exhibit abnormal results in vestibular function tests, with a higher susceptibility to involvement of the posterior and horizontal semicircular canals.

Objective:To evaluate the sound localization ability of patients with different degrees of unilateral conductive hearing loss (UCHL) in quiet and noisy environments, and to explore the changes and characteristics of sound localization.Methods:This was a cross-sectional study. 41 patients with UCHL were hospitalized in Shandong Provincial ENT Hospital from January to April 2024, including 22 males and 19 females, aged 18-55 years old, with an average age of 36.9 years. According to the pure-tone average (PTA) of 500, 1000 and 2000 Hz in the suffered ear, subjects were divided into slight-mild UCHL group (20 numbers) and moderate-moderately severe UCHL group (21 numbers). 21 patients with normal hearing (NH) were enrolled as controls. All subjects were assessed through pure-tone audiometry, horizontal sound localization test (including azimuth identification test in quiet and noisy environments), Chinese edition short form of Spatial Hearing Questionnaire (C-SHQ12) and twelve-item version of Speech, Spatial, and Qualities of Hearing Scale (SSQ12). SPSS, version 26.0, was used for statistical analysis.Results:There were significant differences in the root-mean-square errors (RMSE) of the sound localization azimuth identification test in quiet and noisy environments among the NH group, slight-mild UCHL group, and moderate-moderately severe UCHL group (Quiet: F=29.109, P<0.001; Noisy: F=24.351, P<0.001). This presented statistically marked difference in the RMSEs between the two listening environments in the slight-mild UCHL group ( t=-4.911, P<0.001). There was a statistical difference in the RMSEs between the normal and affected sides of the subjects in the slight-mild UCHL group in the quiet environment ( t=-2.055, P<0.05), but not in the noisy environment. For moderate-moderately severe UCHL subjects, there were no differences in the RMSEs between the quiet and noisy environments ( P>0.05). What’s more，no significant differences were found between normal side and affected side in both environments ( P>0.05). The RMSEs of UCHL patients in quiet and noisy environments were positively correlated with PTA of air-conduction in the suffered ears (Quiet: r=0.681, P<0.001; Noisy: r=0.346, P<0.05). RMSEs in quiet and noisy environments were negatively correlated with the average localization scores in C-SHQ12 (Quiet: r=-0.576, P<0.001, Noisy: r=-0.613, P<0.001) and in SSQ12 (Quiet: r=-0.634, P<0.001, Noisy: r=-0.663, P<0.001). Conclusions:The sound localization ability of UCHL subjects decreased compared with those with normal hearing, and the RMSE gradually increased with the worse of air conduction hearing threshold. The localization ability of UCHL subjects was further reduced in the noisy environment compared with that in the quiet environment. The slight-mild UCHL subjects had better localization performance in the normal ears while worse in the suffered ears, however, when they were in noisy environment or their hearing loss deteriorated, the localization advantage of the normal ears was no longer obvious, and both sides of the subjects presented poor localization performance.

Objective:To investigate the development of receptive and expressive vocabulary in Mandarin-speaking children with cochlear implants (CI) during the first year after CI activation.Methods:A total of 827 children (411 boys and 416 girls) who were implanted CI before 2.5 years of age from October 2019 to December 2022 in the Department of Auditory Implantation, Shandong Provincial ENT Hospital were included in this study. The Infant Checklist of the Mandarin Early Vocabulary Inventory (EVI) was used to assess the quantity and content of receptive and expressive vocabulary at the time of CI activation and at the 1st, 3rd, 6th, 9th, 12th months post-activation. SPSS 22.0 was used to describe the receptive and expressive vocabulary of CI children at the first year after activation.Results:During the first year after CI activation, CI children′s receptive and expressive vocabulary consistently increased with the CI usage. The average number of receptive vocabulary and expressive vocabulary respectively increased from 0 to 178, and from 0 to 97. At the first year of post-activation, the number of receptive and expressive vocabulary of CI children were superior to that of hearing-age matched typical-hearing children, but fell behind of that of chronological age matched typical-hearing children. In terms of lexical categories, receptive and expressive vocabulary was acquired in the following order: nouns, verbs, adjectives, and pronouns. Among the top 50 words that CI children could express, nouns were the most common, then followed by verbs, adjectives, and pronouns. Father′s education level can significantly and positively predictethe receptive vocabulary of CI children at the first year post-activation. At the first year after CI activation, the 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, and 90th percentiles were 113, 149, 178, 202, 223 for the receptive vocabulary, and 9, 37, 97, 148, 188 for expressive vocabulary.Conclusion:For Mandarin speaking children with CI, the receptive and expression vocabulary continuely increased within the first year after CI activation. The ability to grasp receptive vocabulary precedes the ability to express expressive vocabulary. Compared to hearing-age matched typical-hearing children, CI children showed faster rate of the vocabulary growth, and earlier and more frequently verb expression. However, it still larged behind that of chronological age matched hearing normal children. CI children respectively understood and expressed nouns and verbs the first. In children with CI, the first concepts understood and expressed were nouns and verbs. Among the first 50 words expressed, nouns were the most numerous, and the age at which verbs were acquired was earlier than that for hearing-age matched typical-hearing children.

Objective:To analyze the disease characteristics, diagnosis and treatment methods of venous pulsatile tinnitus treated by intervention of sigmoid sinus.Methods:Fifty patients (from Shandong Provincial ENT Hospital, Shandong University between February 2014 and July 2020) with venous pulsatile tinnitus treated by sigmoid sinus surgery were analyzed retrospectively. The tinnitus characteristics, imaging findings, surgical methods, intraoperative findings and postoperative tinnitus changes were recorded. The patients were followed up for 6-12 months. The sign rank sum test was used to analyze the difference in tinnitus grading before and after surgery. There were 50 patients with unilateral venous pulsatile tinnitus, including 49 females and 1 male. The age ranged from 17 to 67 years, with a median age of 44 years. There were 45 cases of right tinnitus and 5 cases of left tinnitus. The degree of tinnitus before operation was grade Ⅱ or above, including 4 cases of gradeⅡ, 11 cases of grade Ⅲ, 22 cases of grade Ⅳ and 13 cases of grade Ⅴ.Results:Thirty-seven cases were cured, 8 cases were ineffective (no change in tinnitus), 3 cases were markedly effective (tinnitus grade decreased by 3 in 2 cases, 4 in 1 case), and 2 cases were effective (tinnitus grade decreased by 1). The difference of tinnitus grade before and after operation was statistically significant ( Z=-5.70, P<0.05). Temporal bone CT showed 36 cases of sigmoid diverticulum (including 17 cases with sigmoid sinus dehiscence), 12 cases of sigmoid sinus dehiscence and 2 cases of absence of the temporal bone cortex abutting to sigmoid sinus. Thirty-five cases were performed with closure of sigmoid sinus diverticulum, 4 cases were performed with resurfacing of the sigmoid plate, 5 cases were performed with narrowing of sigmoid sinus, 4 cases were performed with simple opening of pre sigmoid mastoid air chamber, 1 case of opening was performed with pre sigmoid mastoid air chamber combined with narrowing of sigmoid sinus, and 1 case was performed with opening of pre sigmoid mastoid air chamber combined with closure of sigmoid sinus diverticulum. Conclusions:Venous pulsatile tinnitus is common in women. The common causes may be sigmoid sinus wall abnormalities such as sigmoid sinus diverticulum and perisigmoid bone defect. Imaging examinations are helpful for diagnosis. Venous pulsatile tinnitus can be treated with surgery.