Radiotherapy is a crucial treatment modality for head and neck tumors. However, while effectively killing tumor cells, it significantly disrupts the homeostasis of the oral microecology, which is closely associated with various complications such as radiation-induced oral mucositis. Literature review indicates that as radiotherapy doses accumulate and treatment durations extend, the richness and diversity of the oral microbiota show a declining trend, with the genus Streptococcus decreasing most markedly. In contrast, radiotherapy selectively promotes the proliferation of bacterial phyla such as Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes, which are rich in opportunistic pathogens. Mechanistically, radiotherapy activates the nuclear factor-kappa B pathway, triggering chronic inflammation and oxidative stress, damaging the epithelial barrier, suppressing local immunity, and causing damage to organs such as the salivary glands. It can also induce systemic diseases via the oral-gut axis, forming a multi-level, interconnected pathogenic network. In terms of interventions, treatment strategies including probiotics and prebiotics have shown promising efficacy against side effects such as radiation-induced oral mucositis. Saliva-based oral microbiota transplantation is an emerging strategy that is expected to become widely utilized for restoring oral microecological balance. Existing interventions provide preliminary pathways for clinical practice, but this field still faces several key scientific questions. The association between oral microecology and systemic diseases remains largely correlative, lacking causal evidence. Furthermore, critical parameters for oral microbiota transplantation, such as donor screening criteria, transplantation protocols, and long-term safety, are not yet well-defined. Therefore, future research should focus on conducting large-scale clinical trials to establish standardized protocols and safety evaluation systems for oral microecological interventions, and explore combined treatment therapies such as probiotics, prebiotics, and microbiota transplantation to advance the development of personalized precision modulation. These will enable more effective management of radiotherapy-induced oral microecological dysbiosis and improve treatment outcomes and quality of life for patients with head and neck tumors.

Thoracolumbar spine fracture often leads to severe pain, functional impairments, and neurological deficits, for which open reduction and internal fixation can effectively restore the spinal structural stability. Open decompression and reduction with internal fixation can help relieve spinal cord compression and improve spinal function in cases of concomitant cord injury. Although spinal stability can be restored through surgery, patients often face chronic pain and functional impairments postoperatively. A postoperative rehabilitation program is critical in optimizing therapeutic outcomes, reducing complications, and minimizing the risk of secondary injuries. However, current rehabilitation methods, such as physical therapy, functional training, and pain management, are confronted with problems in clinical practice, including significant variation in efficacy, poor patient adherence, and prolonged rehabilitation period. There is an urgent need for a unified rehabilitation strategy to address these problems. To this end, the Spinal Trauma Group of the Orthopedic Physicians Branch of the Chinese Medical Association and the Spine Health Professional Committee of the Chinese Human Health Technology Promotion Association organized experts from relevant fields to formulate Evidence-based guidelines for rehabilitation treatment after internal fixation of thoracolumbar spine fracture in adults ( version 2025) by integrating evidences from clinical researches and advanced rehabilitation concepts at home and abroad. A total number of 14 recommendations concerning the rehabilitation treatment with multimodal analgesia, psychological intervention, deep vein thrombosis prevention, core muscle and extremity exercise, appropriate use of braces, early weight-bearing, device-aided rehabilitation exercise, neuroregulatory therapy, rehabilitation team were put forward, aiming to standardize the post-operative rehabilitation process following internal fixation, promote the functional recovery, and enhance patients′ quality of life.

Objective:To compare the clinical efficacy of TINAVI orthopaedic robot-assisted pedicle screw placement and free-hand pedicle screw placement in the treatment of lumbar spondylolysis in adolescents.Methods:The clinical data of 65 adolescents with lumbar spondylolysis who underwent surgery in Honghui Hospital, Xi′an Jiaotong University from January 2021 to December 2022 were analyzed retrospectively, including 20 males and 45 females with an age of (21.5 ± 4.3) years. The distribution of spondylolysis included 2 cases of L 3, 13 cases of L 4, 50 cases of L 5. According to the Meyerding classification of spondylolisthesis degree, there were 52 cases of grade Ⅰ, 5 cases of grade Ⅱ and 8 cases without spondylolisthesis, all of which were complicated with intractable back pain. All patients were treated with double segmental pedicle screw reduction and autogenous iliac bone graft. According to different screw placement methods, they were divided into TINAVI orthopedic robot-assisted screw placement group (robot group, 32 cases) and free-hand screw placement group (free-hand group, 33 cases). CT was re-examined after operation. The satisfactory rate of pedicle screw placement and cortical penetration rate were calculated according to Neo standard, and the superior articular process invasion rate of screw was calculated by Babu standard. The operation time, intra-operative blood loss, post-operative drainage, hospital stay, satisfactory rate of screw placement, cortical puncture rate and superior articular process invasion rate were compared between the two groups, and the operative complications and bony fusion time of isthmus were recorded. The visual analogue score (VAS) of lumbar pain, the score of Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) and the score of Oswestry dysfunction (ODI) were compared between the two groups before operation, 1 month after operation and 1 year after operation. Results:There was no significant difference in preoperative general data between the two groups ( P>0.05). All patients completed the operation successfully, anatomical reduction was achieved in patients with spondylolisthesis. No serious operative complications such as nerve and vascular injury occurred during surgery. The operation time in the robot group was longer than that in the free-hand group: (82.6 ± 6.8) min vs. (60.5 ± 7.1) min. There was no significant difference in intra-operative blood loss, post-operative drainage and hospital stay between the two groups ( P>0.05). A total of 128 screws were placed in the robot group, and 132 screws were placed in the freehand group. There were significant differences in the satisfaction rate of screw insertion, cortical penetration rate and articular process invasion rate between the two groups: 96.9%(124/128) vs. 90.9%(120/132), 3.1%(4/128) vs. 9.1%(12/132), 2.3%(3/128) vs. 7.6%(10/132) ( P<0.05). One year after surgery, the isthmus of all patients fused well, the reduction was not lost, the intervertebral disc had no degeneration, and the instrumentation was removed. The VAS, JOA score and ODI score of the two groups at 1 month and 1 year after operation were significantly better than those before operation ( P<0.05). The VAS of the robot group was lower than that of the free-hand group at 1 month and 1 year after operation: (1.6 ± 0.8) points vs. (2.7 ± 0.9) points, (0.3 ± 0.1) points vs. (1.5 ± 0.2) points, the difference is statistically significant ( P<0.05). However, there was no significant difference in JOA score and ODI score between the two groups ( P>0.05). Conclusions:TINAVI orthopaedic robot assisted screw placement and free-hand screw placement can both effectively treat lumbar spondylolysis in adolescents. Compared with free-hand screw placement, TINAVI orthopedic robot assisted screw placement can further improve the accuracy and improve patients′ lumbodorsal pain.

Thoracolumbar spine fracture often leads to severe pain, functional impairments, and neurological deficits, for which open reduction and internal fixation can effectively restore the spinal structural stability. Open decompression and reduction with internal fixation can help relieve spinal cord compression and improve spinal function in cases of concomitant cord injury. Although spinal stability can be restored through surgery, patients often face chronic pain and functional impairments postoperatively. A postoperative rehabilitation program is critical in optimizing therapeutic outcomes, reducing complications, and minimizing the risk of secondary injuries. However, current rehabilitation methods, such as physical therapy, functional training, and pain management, are confronted with problems in clinical practice, including significant variation in efficacy, poor patient adherence, and prolonged rehabilitation period. There is an urgent need for a unified rehabilitation strategy to address these problems. To this end, the Spinal Trauma Group of the Orthopedic Physicians Branch of the Chinese Medical Association and the Spine Health Professional Committee of the Chinese Human Health Technology Promotion Association organized experts from relevant fields to formulate Evidence-based guidelines for rehabilitation treatment after internal fixation of thoracolumbar spine fracture in adults ( version 2025) by integrating evidences from clinical researches and advanced rehabilitation concepts at home and abroad. A total number of 14 recommendations concerning the rehabilitation treatment with multimodal analgesia, psychological intervention, deep vein thrombosis prevention, core muscle and extremity exercise, appropriate use of braces, early weight-bearing, device-aided rehabilitation exercise, neuroregulatory therapy, rehabilitation team were put forward, aiming to standardize the post-operative rehabilitation process following internal fixation, promote the functional recovery, and enhance patients′ quality of life.

Objective:To compare the clinical efficacy of TINAVI orthopaedic robot-assisted pedicle screw placement and free-hand pedicle screw placement in the treatment of lumbar spondylolysis in adolescents.Methods:The clinical data of 65 adolescents with lumbar spondylolysis who underwent surgery in Honghui Hospital, Xi′an Jiaotong University from January 2021 to December 2022 were analyzed retrospectively, including 20 males and 45 females with an age of (21.5 ± 4.3) years. The distribution of spondylolysis included 2 cases of L 3, 13 cases of L 4, 50 cases of L 5. According to the Meyerding classification of spondylolisthesis degree, there were 52 cases of grade Ⅰ, 5 cases of grade Ⅱ and 8 cases without spondylolisthesis, all of which were complicated with intractable back pain. All patients were treated with double segmental pedicle screw reduction and autogenous iliac bone graft. According to different screw placement methods, they were divided into TINAVI orthopedic robot-assisted screw placement group (robot group, 32 cases) and free-hand screw placement group (free-hand group, 33 cases). CT was re-examined after operation. The satisfactory rate of pedicle screw placement and cortical penetration rate were calculated according to Neo standard, and the superior articular process invasion rate of screw was calculated by Babu standard. The operation time, intra-operative blood loss, post-operative drainage, hospital stay, satisfactory rate of screw placement, cortical puncture rate and superior articular process invasion rate were compared between the two groups, and the operative complications and bony fusion time of isthmus were recorded. The visual analogue score (VAS) of lumbar pain, the score of Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) and the score of Oswestry dysfunction (ODI) were compared between the two groups before operation, 1 month after operation and 1 year after operation. Results:There was no significant difference in preoperative general data between the two groups ( P>0.05). All patients completed the operation successfully, anatomical reduction was achieved in patients with spondylolisthesis. No serious operative complications such as nerve and vascular injury occurred during surgery. The operation time in the robot group was longer than that in the free-hand group: (82.6 ± 6.8) min vs. (60.5 ± 7.1) min. There was no significant difference in intra-operative blood loss, post-operative drainage and hospital stay between the two groups ( P>0.05). A total of 128 screws were placed in the robot group, and 132 screws were placed in the freehand group. There were significant differences in the satisfaction rate of screw insertion, cortical penetration rate and articular process invasion rate between the two groups: 96.9%(124/128) vs. 90.9%(120/132), 3.1%(4/128) vs. 9.1%(12/132), 2.3%(3/128) vs. 7.6%(10/132) ( P<0.05). One year after surgery, the isthmus of all patients fused well, the reduction was not lost, the intervertebral disc had no degeneration, and the instrumentation was removed. The VAS, JOA score and ODI score of the two groups at 1 month and 1 year after operation were significantly better than those before operation ( P<0.05). The VAS of the robot group was lower than that of the free-hand group at 1 month and 1 year after operation: (1.6 ± 0.8) points vs. (2.7 ± 0.9) points, (0.3 ± 0.1) points vs. (1.5 ± 0.2) points, the difference is statistically significant ( P<0.05). However, there was no significant difference in JOA score and ODI score between the two groups ( P>0.05). Conclusions:TINAVI orthopaedic robot assisted screw placement and free-hand screw placement can both effectively treat lumbar spondylolysis in adolescents. Compared with free-hand screw placement, TINAVI orthopedic robot assisted screw placement can further improve the accuracy and improve patients′ lumbodorsal pain.

Objective:To evaluate the guiding value of ultrasound-guided selective nerve root block in the surgical treatment of multilevel lumbar degeneration.Methods:Retrospective case-control study was used. Clinical data of 47 patients with multi-level lumbar degeneration who underwent decompression surgery in Honghui Hospital, Xi′an Jiaotong University from January 2019 to December 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. They were divided into nerve root block group ( n=22)and non-nerve root block group( n=25) according to whether ultrasound-guided selective nerve root block was performed before decompression surgery. The operation time, intraoperative blood loss, number of decompression laminae, postoperative drainage volume and length of stay of the two groups were recorded and compared. The visual analogue scale of low back pain, the visual analogue scale (VAS) of leg pain, the Japanese orthopaedic association (JOA) score and Oswestry disability index (ODI) score were all compared before surgery and during follow-up between the two groups. Measurement data with normal distribution were represented as mean±standard deviation( ± s), and the comparison between groups was conducted using the paired t-test. Chi-square test was used for counting data. Results:All 47 patients successfully completed the operation without any serious complications such as neurovascular injury. All patients were followed up for (27.6±7.5)months. In the nerve root block group, the operation time, intraoperative blood loss, number of decompression laminae, postoperative drainage volume and hospital stay were (90.5±12.6) min, (110.5±15.8) mL, 1.2±0.8, (85.6±15.8) mL, (6.2±2.8) d, respectively. In the non-root block group, they were (190.6±25.5) min, (450.5±24.8) mL, 3.8±1.6, (210.5±16.8) mL, (9.5±2.2) d, respectively. The above indexes in the nerve root closure group were less than those in the non-root closure group, and the difference was significant between the two groups ( P< 0.05). The scores of VAS of low back pain and leg pain, JOA and ODI in both groups were significantly improved after surgery and during the follow-up period when compared with those of pre-operation ( P< 0.05). The VAS scores of low back pain on the 3rd day, 6 months after operation and at the last follow-up in the nerve block group were 3.2±1.4, 1.4±0.8, 0.5±0.2, the JOA scores were 15.8±4.3, 21.3±5.6, 25.6±1.4, and the ODI scores were 50.6±10.3, 22.8±7.8, 16.8±4.2, respectively. The VAS scores of low back pain on the 3rd day, 6 months after operation and at the last follow-up in the non-nerve block group were 5.1±1.8, 3.4±1.2, 1.8±0.5, the JOA scores were 14.1±4.8, 20.5±3.2, 24.2±1.8, and the ODI scores were 60.5±9.8, 31.6±8.2 and 21.3±5.5, respectively. The difference between the two groups was statistically significant ( P<0.05). However, there was no statistical difference in the VAS scores of leg pain between the two groups after surgery and during follow-up ( P>0.05). At the last follow-up, the internal fixation position of the two groups was good, no loosening and displacement, and bone graft fusion was good. Conclusion:For patients with multi-level lumbar degeneration, ultrasound-guided selective nerve root block before surgery can identify the responsible segment, and selective decompression and fusion based on this can effectively reduce surgical trauma, while improving patients′ back and leg pain and physical function, which has important surgical guidance value.

Objective:To explore the efficacy of secondary targeted percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) for the treatment of refracture of injured vertebrae after vertebral augmentation for osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture (OVCF).Methods:A retrospective case series study was performed on the clinical data of 25 patients with refracture of injured vertebrae after vertebral augmentation for OVCF admitted to Honghui Hospital, Xi′an Jiaotong University from January 2019 to January 2022, including 10 males and 15 females, aged 62-86 years [(73.8±5.2)years]. The fractured segments involved T 10 in 1 patient, T 11 in 2, T 12 in 10, L 1 in 10 and L 2 in 2. All the patients were treated with secondary targeted PVP. The operation time and the amount of bone cement injected were recorded. The visual analogue scale (VAS) of lower back, Oswestry disability index (ODI), vertebral body index (VBI) and kyphotic angle (KA) were compared before surgery, at 1 day, 6 months after surgery and at the last follow-up. Odom criteria were used to evaluate the efficacy of the surgical procedure at the last follow-up. The intraoperative bone cement leakage and new vertebrae fracture during follow-up were observed. Results:All the patients were followed up for 23-59 months [(36.8±7.6)months]. The operation time was 35-60 minutes [(42.6±5.2)minutes], with the amount of bone cement injected for 3-5 ml [(3.6±0.8)ml]. The VAS scores of lower back at 1 day, 6 months after surgery and at the last follow-up were 3.1(2.0, 4.0)points, 1.7(1.0, 2.0)points and 0.6(0.0, 1.0)points respectively, significantly lower than 7.6(7.0, 9.0)points before surgery ( P<0.01), and a statistically singnificant decrease was found over follow-up time ( P<0.01). The ODI values at 1 day, 6 months after surgery and at the last follow-up were (49.5±5.9)%, (28.5±4.6)% and (19.2±4.8)% respectively, significantly lower than (78.8±6.8)% before surgery ( P<0.01), and a statistically singnificant decrease was found over follow-up time ( P<0.01). The VBI values at 1 day, 6 months after surgery and at the last follow-up were (76.6±4.5)%, (76.3±4.0)% and (76.1±3.8)% respectively, significantly higher than (58.9±5.8)% before surgery ( P<0.01), while there were no significant differences among those at 1 day, 6 months after surgery and at the last follow-up ( P>0.05). The KA values at 1 day, 6 months after surgery and at the last follow-up were (12.4±2.7)°, (12.6±2.5)° and (12.8±2.9)° respectively, significantly lower than (20.8±3.6)° before surgery ( P<0.01), while there were no significant differences among those at 1 day, 6 months after surgery and at the last follow-up ( P>0.05). According to the Odom criteria, 20 patients were rated excellent and 5 good at the last follow-up, with an excellent and good rate of 100%. Intraoperative asymptomatic bone cement leakage occurred in 3 patients (12%), including 2 with intervertebral leakage and 1 with lateral vertebral leakage. No adjacent vertebral body or other vertebral fracture was observed during the follow-up. Conclusions:For patients with refracture of injured vertebrae after vertebral augmentation for OVCF, the secondary targeted PVP has advantages of attenuation of the lower back pain, improvement of the quality of life, restoration of the height of refractured vertebrae, correction of the local kyphosis, and a low incidence of complications.

Humans ; East Asian People ; Psoriasis/drug therapy* ; Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized/therapeutic use* ; Treatment Outcome ; Severity of Illness Index

The symptomatic chronic thoracolumbar osteoporotic vertebral fracture (SCOVF) is complex in symptom and pathological character. Various treatment methods are employed for SCOVF, but there still lacks standard criteria for proper selection. Therefore, Spine Trauma Division of Chinese Association of Orthopedic Surgeons together with the relevant experts formulated and released the clinical guideline on surgical treatment for SCOVF. Due to space limitations, the guideline did not make full elaboration and analysis on some recommendations. In this study, the authors aim to interpret some key clinical issues in the diagnosis, choice of operation methods and choice of internal fixation methods of SCOVF, hoping to help peers better grasp the connotation of the guideline and apply it correctly in clinical practice.

Objective:To compare the efficacy of forceful reduction percutaneous pedicle screw and ordinary percutaneous pedicle screw in the treatment of osteoporotic thoracolumbar burst fracture with kyphosis.Methods:A retrospective cohort study was conducted to analyze the clinical data of 566 patients with osteoporotic thoracolumbar burst fracture with kyphosis admitted to Honghui Hospital, Xi ′an Jiaotong University from January 2015 to December 2018, including 191 males and 375 females, with age range of 48-79 years [(61.7±10.7)years]. Fracture segments were located at T 11 in 134 patients, T 12 in 154, L 1 in 160, and L 2 in 118. All fractures were type IIIA according to the acute symptomatic osteoporotic thoracolumbar fracture classification (ASOTLF). The thoracolumbar osteoporotic fracture severity score assessment system (TLOFSAS) score was ≥5 points. A total of 275 patients underwent forceful reduction and percutaneous pedicle screw internal fixation (forceful reduction screw group), and 291 patients underwent common percutaneous pedicle screw internal fixation (common screw group). The operation time, intraoperative blood loss, times of X-ray exposure on patients and measures documented before operation, at 3 days after operation and at 2 years after operation including anterior height ratio of the injured vertebrae, sagittal Cobb angle of the injured vertebrae, Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score and visual analog scale (VAS) were compared between the two groups. Moreover, degree of correction of Cobb angle at 3 days after operation, loss of correction of Cobb angle at 2 years after operation and postoperative complications were observed. Results:All patients were followed up for 25-34 months [(29.9±3.4)months]. The operation time, intraoperative blood loss and times of X-ray exposure on patients in forceful reduction screw group were (69.4±10.2)minutes, (60.3±13.1)ml and (26.8±3.7)times, less than (80.6±11.9)minutes, (80.7±15.4)ml and (30.4±3.4)times in common screw group (all P<0.01). There was no significant difference in anterior height ratio of the injured vertebrae between the two groups before operation and at 3 days after operation (all P>0.05). The anterior height ratio of the injured vertebrae in forceful reduction screw group was (95.5±2.3)% at 2 years after operation, significantly higher than (85.4±1.7)% in common screw group ( P<0.01). There was no significant difference in sagittal Cobb angle of the injured vertebrae between the two groups before operation ( P>0.05). The sagittal Cobb of the injured vertebrae in forceful reduction screw group at 3 days and 2 years after operation were (7.9±1.6)° and (8.8±1.5)°, lower than (10.6±1.1)° and (12.3±1.2)° in common screw group ( P<0.05 or 0.01). There were no significant difference in JOA score and VAS between the two groups before operation, at 3 days and at 2 years after operation (all P>0.05). The degree of correction of Cobb angle in forceful reduction screw group was (19.4±2.5)°, higher than (17.3±2.6)° in common screw group ( P<0.05). The loss of correction of Cobb angle in forceful reduction group was less than that in common screw group at 2 years after operation, but the difference was not statistically significant ( P>0.05). The incidence of postoperative complications in forceful reduction screw group was 12.4% (34/275), compared to 14.1% (41/291) in common screw group ( P>0.05). There were no complications such as iatrogenic nerve injury, fracture or loosening of internal fixator or leakage of bone cement in the spinal canal in both groups. Conclusions:For osteoporotic thoracolumbar burst fracture with kyphosis, forceful reduction and percutaneous pedicle screw internal fixation can significantly shorten operation time, reduce intraoperative blood loss and times of X-ray exposure on patients, restore height of the injured vertebrae, correct kyphosis and maintain reduction height of the injured vertebrae in contrast with conventional percutaneous pedicle screw internal fixation.