PURPOSE: The retear rate of rotator cuff (RC) after surgery is high, and the rapid and functional enthesis regeneration remains a challenge. Whether acellular amniotic membrane (AAM) helps to promote the healing of tendon to bone and which treatment is better are both unclear. The study aims to investigate the effect of AAM on the healing of RC and the best treatment for RC repair. METHODS: Thirty-three Sprague Dawley rats underwent RC transection and repair using microsurgical techniques and were randomly divided into the suturing repair only (SRO) group (n = 11), the AAM overlaying (AOL) group (n = 11), and the AAM interposition (AIP) group (n = 11), respectively. Rats were sacrificed at 4 weeks, then examined by subsequent micro-CT, and evaluated by histologic and biomechanical tests. The statistical analyses of one-way ANOVA or Kruskal-Wallis test were performed using with SPSS 23.0. A p < 0.05 was considered a significant difference. RESULTS: AAM being intervened between tendon and bone (AIP group) or overlaid over tendon to bone junction (AOL group) in a rat model, promoted enthesis regeneration, increased new bone and cartilage generation, and improved collagen arrangement and biomechanical properties in comparison with suturing repair only (SRO group) (AOL vs. SRO, p < 0.001, p = 0.004, p = 0.003; AIP vs. SRO, p < 0.001, p < 0.001, p < 0.001). Compared with the AOL group, the AIP group had better results in micro-CT evaluation, histological score, and biomechanical testing (p = 0 0.039, p = 0.011, p = 0.003, respectively). CONCLUSION In the RC repair model, AAM enhanced regeneration of the tendon to bone junction. This regeneration was more effective when the AAM was intervened at the tendon to bone interface than overlaid above the tendon to bone junction.
Animals ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Rotator Cuff Injuries/surgery* ; Amnion/transplantation* ; Rats ; Wound Healing ; Rotator Cuff/surgery* ; Male ; X-Ray Microtomography ; Tendons/surgery* ; Biomechanical Phenomena

Objective To construct a competency evaluation model for forensic practitioners,providing a reference for their training and assessment.Methods Based on the iceberg and onion models of com-petency,and with reference to Spencer's Competency Dictionary,literature research was conducted and focus group interviews were employed to preliminarily construct core indices and measurement items for evaluating the competency of forensic practitioners.The Delphi method was applied for two rounds of expert consultation to further refine the competency evaluation index system.The analytic hierarchy process(AHP)was used to calculate the weights of the indices.Results A competency evaluation model for forensic practitioners was constructed,consisting of 7 core indices,encompassing forensic skills,identification service capabilities,and the ability to apply relevant legal knowledge and 49 mea-surement items.The weights of the core indices and measurement items were determined.Conclusion The constructed competency evaluation model for forensic practitioners is scientifically sound and inno-vative,and has unique characteristics of forensic medicine compared with other medical models.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs(NSAIDs),commonly utilized analgesics,are extensively employed for managing pain associated with musculoskeletal disorders or injuries.Recent clinical studies have demonstrated a heightened risk of bone stress injuries(BSI)in soldiers and athletes,particularly during high-intensity training,due to NSAID usage.Furthermore,the impact of NSAIDs on fracture healing is well-documented;however,the precise mechanism by which their use during training contributes to an increased incidence of stress bone injuries remains unclear.This article aims to summarize potential mechanisms through an extensive review of domestic and international literature in order to standardize the utilization and clinical management of NSAIDs,optimize pain management strategies,and prevent stress bone injuries or fractures in specific populations such as soldiers and elite athletes.

Objective To design a new type of elastic gloves for burn scar rehabilitation to solve the problems of conventional elastic gloves in pressure distribution,elasticity maintenance and absorption of sweat stains.Methods The new elastic gloves was made of non-woven fabric by spandex material,which was composed of external and internal parts.The main body of the external part was used as the primary structure of the gloves,which was provided with a sealing strip,a storage bag,a drawstring,etc.The internal part consisted of a bonding sheet,an elastic band,a fiber sheet,an absorbent sponge,some breathable holes,etc.Results The new elastic gloves designed could be used for the pressure therapy for the scars on the opisthenar,palm side,finger web and purlicue with scar proliferation inhibitted effectively,and the breathable hole and absorbent sponge contributed to the absorption of the sweat of the patient.Conclusion The new type of elastic gloves gains advantages in elasticity,wearing comfort and effectiveness of the pressure therapy for purlicue and finger web,and can be used for the pressure therapy to inhibit proliferative scarring after burns.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2025,46(8):118-120]

Objective:To evaluate the cost-effectiveness and impact on mortality of health management services for the elderly aged 65 years and older in national essential public health service project.Methods:Based on the data of county-level medical institutions in Henan Province from 2019 to 2024,the Random Forest Method was used to construct a counterfactual framework to predict the hospitalization expenses under the unmanaged scenario,and then the cost-benefit ratio(BCR)and net income were calculated.Time-dependent Cox proportional hazards model was used to evaluate the effect of health management on all-cause mortality and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease mortality in the elderly.Results:A total of 962 955 elderly patients were included,451 119(46.85%)were included in the management group.The average hospitalization cost of the management group was significantly lower than that of the non-management group(P<0.05).Except for 2020-2021,BCRS in 2019 and 2022-2024 were 6.34,2.05,4.45 and 6.60,respectively.The risk of all-cause death was reduced by 76.96%,and the risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular death was reduced by 75.57%in the elderly patients included in the management group compared with those not included in the management group.Suggestions:It is necessary to establish a health outcomes-based evaluation system and promote the transformation and upgrading of the service model from single chronic disease management to"integrated health services with multi-disease management".

Objective To design a new type of elastic gloves for burn scar rehabilitation to solve the problems of conventional elastic gloves in pressure distribution,elasticity maintenance and absorption of sweat stains.Methods The new elastic gloves was made of non-woven fabric by spandex material,which was composed of external and internal parts.The main body of the external part was used as the primary structure of the gloves,which was provided with a sealing strip,a storage bag,a drawstring,etc.The internal part consisted of a bonding sheet,an elastic band,a fiber sheet,an absorbent sponge,some breathable holes,etc.Results The new elastic gloves designed could be used for the pressure therapy for the scars on the opisthenar,palm side,finger web and purlicue with scar proliferation inhibitted effectively,and the breathable hole and absorbent sponge contributed to the absorption of the sweat of the patient.Conclusion The new type of elastic gloves gains advantages in elasticity,wearing comfort and effectiveness of the pressure therapy for purlicue and finger web,and can be used for the pressure therapy to inhibit proliferative scarring after burns.[Chinese Medical Equipment Journal,2025,46(8):118-120]

Objective:To evaluate the cost-effectiveness and impact on mortality of health management services for the elderly aged 65 years and older in national essential public health service project.Methods:Based on the data of county-level medical institutions in Henan Province from 2019 to 2024,the Random Forest Method was used to construct a counterfactual framework to predict the hospitalization expenses under the unmanaged scenario,and then the cost-benefit ratio(BCR)and net income were calculated.Time-dependent Cox proportional hazards model was used to evaluate the effect of health management on all-cause mortality and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular disease mortality in the elderly.Results:A total of 962 955 elderly patients were included,451 119(46.85%)were included in the management group.The average hospitalization cost of the management group was significantly lower than that of the non-management group(P<0.05).Except for 2020-2021,BCRS in 2019 and 2022-2024 were 6.34,2.05,4.45 and 6.60,respectively.The risk of all-cause death was reduced by 76.96%,and the risk of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular death was reduced by 75.57%in the elderly patients included in the management group compared with those not included in the management group.Suggestions:It is necessary to establish a health outcomes-based evaluation system and promote the transformation and upgrading of the service model from single chronic disease management to"integrated health services with multi-disease management".

Objective: This cross-sectional investigation aimed to determine the incidence, clinical characteristics, prognosis, and related risk factors of olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions related to infection with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron strain in mainland China. Methods: Data of patients with SARS-CoV-2 from December 28, 2022, to February 21, 2023, were collected through online and offline questionnaires from 45 tertiary hospitals and one center for disease control and prevention in mainland China. The questionnaire included demographic information, previous health history, smoking and alcohol drinking, SARS-CoV-2 vaccination, olfactory and gustatory function before and after infection, other symptoms after infection, as well as the duration and improvement of olfactory and gustatory dysfunction. The self-reported olfactory and gustatory functions of patients were evaluated using the Olfactory VAS scale and Gustatory VAS scale. Results: A total of 35 566 valid questionnaires were obtained, revealing a high incidence of olfactory and taste dysfunctions related to infection with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron strain (67.75%). Females(χ2=367.013, P<0.001) and young people(χ2=120.210, P<0.001) were more likely to develop these dysfunctions. Gender(OR=1.564, 95%CI: 1.487-1.645), SARS-CoV-2 vaccination status (OR=1.334, 95%CI: 1.164-1.530), oral health status (OR=0.881, 95%CI: 0.839-0.926), smoking history (OR=1.152, 95%CI=1.080-1.229), and drinking history (OR=0.854, 95%CI: 0.785-0.928) were correlated with the occurrence of olfactory and taste dysfunctions related to SARS-CoV-2(above P<0.001). 44.62% (4 391/9 840) of the patients who had not recovered their sense of smell and taste also suffered from nasal congestion, runny nose, and 32.62% (3 210/9 840) suffered from dry mouth and sore throat. The improvement of olfactory and taste functions was correlated with the persistence of accompanying symptoms(χ2=10.873, P=0.001). The average score of olfactory and taste VAS scale was 8.41 and 8.51 respectively before SARS-CoV-2 infection, but decreased to3.69 and 4.29 respectively after SARS-CoV-2 infection, and recovered to 5.83and 6.55 respectively at the time of the survey. The median duration of olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions was 15 days and 12 days, respectively, with 0.5% (121/24 096) of patients experiencing these dysfunctions for more than 28 days. The overall self-reported improvement rate of smell and taste dysfunctions was 59.16% (14 256/24 096). Gender(OR=0.893, 95%CI: 0.839-0.951), SARS-CoV-2 vaccination status (OR=1.334, 95%CI: 1.164-1.530), history of head and facial trauma(OR=1.180, 95%CI: 1.036-1.344, P=0.013), nose (OR=1.104, 95%CI: 1.042-1.171, P=0.001) and oral (OR=1.162, 95%CI: 1.096-1.233) health status, smoking history(OR=0.765, 95%CI: 0.709-0.825), and the persistence of accompanying symptoms (OR=0.359, 95%CI: 0.332-0.388) were correlated with the recovery of olfactory and taste dysfunctions related to SARS-CoV-2 (above P<0.001 except for the indicated values). Conclusion: The incidence of olfactory and taste dysfunctions related to infection with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron strain is high in mainland China, with females and young people more likely to develop these dysfunctions. Active and effective intervention measures may be required for cases that persist for a long time. The recovery of olfactory and taste functions is influenced by several factors, including gender, SARS-CoV-2 vaccination status, history of head and facial trauma, nasal and oral health status, smoking history, and persistence of accompanying symptoms.
Female ; Humans ; Adolescent ; SARS-CoV-2 ; Smell ; COVID-19/complications* ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; COVID-19 Vaccines ; Incidence ; Olfaction Disorders/etiology* ; Taste Disorders/etiology* ; Prognosis

OBJECTIVE: To explore whether acupuncture combined with moxibustion could inhibit epithelialmesenchymal transition in Crohn's disease by affecting the transforming growth factor β 1 (TGF- β 1)/Smad3/Snail pathway. METHODS: Sixty-three patients with Crohn's disease were randomly divided into an observation group (31 cases) receiving moxibustion at 43 °C combined with acupuncture, and a control group (32 cases) receiving moxibustion at 37 °C combined with sham acupuncture using a random number table. Patients were treated for 12 weeks. Crohn's Disease Activity Index (CDAI) was used to evaluate disease activity. Hematoxylin-eosin staining and transmission electron microscopy were utilized to observe the morphological and ultrastructural changes. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expression of transforming growth factor β 1 (TGF-β 1), T β R1, T β R2, Smad3, Snail, E-cadherin and fibronectin in intestinal mucosal tissues. RESULTS: The decrease of the CDAI score, morphological and ultrastructural changes were more significant in observation group. The expression levels of TGF- β 1, Tβ R2, Smad3, and Snail in the observation group were significantly lower than those before the treatment (P<0.05 or P<0.01). After treatment, the expression levels of TGF-β 1, TβR2, and Snail in the observation group were significantly lower than those in the control group (all P<0.05); compared with the control group, the expression of fibronectin in the observation group was significantly decreased, and the expression of E-cadherin was significantly increased (all P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Moxibustion at 43 °C combined with acupuncture may suppress TGF-β 1/Smad3/Snail pathway-mediated epithelial-mesenchymal transition of intestinal epithelial cells in Crohn's disease patients by inhibiting the expression levels of TGF-β 1, Tβ R2, Smad3, and Snail. (Registration No. ChiCTR-IIR-16007751).
Acupuncture Therapy ; Cadherins/metabolism* ; Crohn Disease/therapy* ; Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition ; Fibronectins/metabolism* ; Humans ; Moxibustion ; Smad3 Protein/metabolism* ; Snail Family Transcription Factors/metabolism* ; Transforming Growth Factor beta1/metabolism*