Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) combined with lower cervical fracture is often categorized into unstable fracture, with a high incidence of neurological injury and a high rate of disability and morbidity. As factors such as shoulder occlusion may affect the accuracy of X-ray imaging diagnosis, it is often easily misdiagnosed at the primary diagnosis. Non-operative treatment has complications such as bone nonunion and the possibility of secondary neurological damage, while the timing, access and choice of surgical treatment are still controversial. Currently, there are no clinical practice guidelines for the treatment of AS combined with lower cervical fracture with or without dislocation. To this end, the Spinal Trauma Group of Orthopedics Branch of Chinese Medical Doctor Association organized experts to formulate Clinical guidelines for the treatment of ankylosing spondylitis combined with lower cervical fracture in adults ( version 2024) in accordance with the principles of evidence-based medicine, scientificity and practicality, in which 11 recommendations were put forward in terms of the diagnosis, imaging evaluation, typing and treatment, etc, to provide guidance for the diagnosis and treatment of AS combined with lower cervical fracture.

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) combined with spinal fractures with thoracic and lumbar fracture as the most common type shows characteristics of unstable fracture, high incidence of nerve injury, high mortality and high disability rate. The diagnosis may be missed because it is mostly caused by low-energy injury, when spinal rigidity and osteoporosis have a great impact on the accuracy of imaging examination. At the same time, the treatment choices are controversial, with no relevant specifications. Non-operative treatments can easily lead to bone nonunion, pseudoarthrosis and delayed nerve injury, while surgeries may be failed due to internal fixation failure. At present, there are no evidence-based guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of AS combined with thoracic and lumbar fracture. In this context, the Spinal Trauma Academic Group of Orthopedics Branch of Chinese Medical Doctor Association organized experts to formulate the Clinical guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of adult ankylosing spondylitis combined with thoracolumbar fracture ( version 2023) by following the principles of evidence-based medicine and systematically review related literatures. Ten recommendations on the diagnosis, imaging evaluation, classification and treatment of AS combined with thoracic and lumbar fracture were put forward, aiming to standardize the clinical diagnosis and treatment of such disorder.

The acute combination fractures of the atlas and axis in adults have a higher rate of neurological injury and early death compared with atlas or axial fractures alone. Currently, the diagnosis and treatment choices of acute combination fractures of the atlas and axis in adults are controversial because of the lack of standards for implementation. Non-operative treatments have a high incidence of bone nonunion and complications, while surgeries may easily lead to the injury of the vertebral artery, spinal cord and nerve root. At present, there are no evidence-based Chinese guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of acute combination fractures of the atlas and axis in adults. To provide orthopedic surgeons with the most up-to-date and effective information in treating acute combination fractures of the atlas and axis in adults, the Spinal Trauma Group of Orthopedic Branch of Chinese Medical Doctor Association organized experts in the field of spinal trauma to develop the Evidence-based guideline for clinical diagnosis and treatment of acute combination fractures of the atlas and axis in adults ( version 2023) by referring to the "Management of acute combination fractures of the atlas and axis in adults" published by American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS)/Congress of Neurological Surgeons (CNS) in 2013 and the relevant Chinese and English literatures. Ten recommendations were made concerning the radiological diagnosis, stability judgment, treatment rules, treatment options and complications based on medical evidence, aiming to provide a reference for the diagnosis and treatment of acute combination fractures of the atlas and axis in adults.

Objective:To evaluate the volume changes of cervical longus and cervical extensor after anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF), and the correlation with the clinical efficacy of patients.Methods:All of 57 patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy who underwent single-segment ACDF surgery from January 2013 to December 2018 were analyzed. The follow-up time was 23.0±4.8 months (range 16-34 months). All included subjects underwent MR examination within 1 week before operation and 3rd, 12th months after operation and at the last follow-up. The axial section cross section area (AxCSA) of the cervical longus and the ratio of length to short diameter line (RLS) at the level of each disc of C 2-C 7 were measured on the axial T2WI. Calculate the volume of the cervical longus based on the layer thickness. At the same time, measure the cervical extensor cross-sectional area (CESA) of the same level including the multifidus, cervical semispinous muscle, semispinous head, splinter head, and cervical splinter muscles, and compare CESA with the corresponding vertebral cross-sectional area (VBA). The ratio is analyzed as the volume of the neck extensor muscle, namely CESA/VBA. At the 3rd and 12th months after operation and at the last follow-up, the axial pain was assessed by visual analogue scale (VAS) for assessing pain, and the modified Japanese Orthopedic Association score (mJOA) and the neck dysfunction index (NDI) were used to assess the functional status of the cervical spine. Analyze the morphological changes of thecervical longus and extensor cervical muscles before and after the operation and during the follow-up period, and analyze the correlation with VAS, mJOA, and NDI. Results:Compared with the preoperative period, the average AxCSA of the surgical segment decreased at the 3rd and 12th months after the operation and at the last follow-up. The difference was statistically significant ( F=24.113, P<0.05), which was changed from 140.84±19.51 mm 2 respectively reduce to 117.74±17.15 mm 2 ( t=6.714, P<0.05), 116.37±18.67 mm 2 ( t=6.841, P<0.05) and 116.27±18.65 mm 2 ( t=6.873, P<0.05). Compared with preoperatively, they were reduced by 16.40%, 17.37% and 17.45%, respectively, while the average RLS of surgical segments increased slightly, and the difference was statistically significant ( F=22.612, P<0.05), which increased from preoperative 1.97±0.67 to 2.73±0.60 (38.58% increased, t=6.380, P<0.05), 2.82±0.64 (43.15% increased, t=6.926, P<0.05) and 2.74±0.62 (39.09% increased, t=6.368, P<0.05). The volume of thecervical longus of the patients decreased after the operation, and the difference was statistically significant ( F=64.511, P<0.05), which decreased from 8853.48±458.65 mm 3 before the operation to 7834.53±461.59 mm 3 (11.51% decreased, t=11.822, P<0.05), 7926.42±456.24 mm 3 (10.47% decreased, t=10.819, P<0.05), 7892.38±450.78 mm 3 (10.86% decreased, t=11.283, P<0.05). There were no statistically significant differences in the non-surgical segment AxCSA, RLS and the volume of thecervical longus at the 3rd and 12th months after surgery and the last follow-up ( P>0.05). There was no statistically significant difference of CESA and CESA/VBA compared to preoperative in the surgical segment and non-surgical segment ( P>0.05). Pearson correlation analysis showed that the volume of cervical longus and VAS at the 3rd month ( r=-0.308, P<0.05), the 12th month ( r=-0.210, P<0.05) and the last follow-up ( r=-0.404, P<0.05) were negatively correlated; Among the volume of cervical longus and NDI in the 3rd month ( r=-0.511, P<0.05), 12th month ( r=-0.518, P<0.05) and the last follow-up ( r=-0.352, P<0.05), there was a negative correlation; However, there was no statistically significant correlation between the cervical longus muscle volume and mJOA at each follow-up time point ( P>0.05); There was no significant correlation between CESA/VBA and VAS, NDI, and mJOA at the 3rd, 12th and last follow-up ( P>0.05). Conclusion:The volume and morphology of cervical longus after ACDF was significantly reduced compared with that before the operation, but the volume and morphology of the cervical extensor muscle did not change significantly. ACDF surgery mainly affects the cervical longus corresponding to the surgical segment, and the volume is negatively correlated with the VAS and NDI during follow-up.

Osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture (OVCF) can lead to lower back pain and may be even accompanied by scoliosis, neurological dysfunction and other complications, which will affect the daily activities and life quality of patients. Vertebral augmentation is an effective treatment method for OVCF, but it cannot correct unbalance of bone metabolism or improve the osteoporotic status, causing complications like lower back pain, limited spinal activities and vertebral refracture. The post-operative systematic and standardized rehabilitation treatments can improve curative effect and therapeutic efficacy of anti-osteoporosis, reduce risk of vertebral refracture, increase patient compliance and improve quality of life. Since there still lack relevant clinical treatment guidelines for postoperative rehabilitation treatments following vertebral augmentation for OVCF, the current treatments are varied with uneven therapeutic effect. In order to standardize the postoperative rehabilitation treatment, the Spine Trauma Group of the Orthopedic Branch of Chinese Medical Doctor Association organized relevant experts to refer to relevant literature and develop the "Guideline for postoperative rehabilitation treatment following vertebral augmentation for osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture (2022 version)" based on the clinical guidelines published by the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS) as well as on the principles of scientificity, practicality and advancement. The guideline provided evidence-based recommendations on 10 important issues related to postoperative rehabilitation treatments of OVCF.

Exosomes are vesicles with a double globular membrane of lipids that can be secreted by a variety of cells, including stem cells. Exosomes have unique biological characteristics and irreplaceable powerful functions which play an important role in intercellular communication. The various cytokines, signal proteins, lipids and regulatory nucleic acids contained in stem cell exosomes can play a protective role against the injury of kidney, liver, heart, blood vessels and nerves. Stem cell exosomes delay the process of intervertebral disc degeneration by inhibiting the apoptosis of nucleus pulposus cells and increasing the synthesis of extracellular matrix, etc. The mechanism of its role is mainly through miRNA and related signaling pathways. Exosomes contain complex components. Although the mechanism of action of exosomes in intervertebral discs has been preliminarily explored, the components contained in exosomes are complex and the specific situation has not been fully understood, which still needs further study. In this review, the characteristics and functions of stem cell exosomes, extraction, identification and storage methods, the impacttovarious other tissues, as well as the effects on intervertebral discs and their mechanisms were elaborated in order to provide a basis for the study of intervertebral disc degenerative diseases.

According to the pathological characteristics of symptomatic chronic thoracic and lumbar osteoporotic vertebral fracture (SCOVF), the different clinical treatment methods are selected, including vertebral augmentation, anterior-posterior fixation and fusion, posterior decompression fixation and fusion, and posterior correction osteotomy. However, there is still a lack of a unified understanding on how to choose appropriate treatment method for SCOVF. In order to reflect the new treatment concept and the evidence-based medicine progress of SCOVF in a timely manner and standardize its treatment, the clinical guideline for surgical treatment of SCOVF is formulated in compliance with the principle of scientificity, practicability and advancement and based on the level of evidence-based medicine.

Objective To explore the curative effects of external fixation in the treatment of infected nonunion.Methods From June 2009 to December 2016,45 patients with infected nonunion were treated by external fixation at Department of Orthopaedics,West China Hospital.They were 36 males and 9 females with an average age of 45.3 years (range,from 14 to 65 years).The sites of fracture included tibia in 31 patients,femur in 12,humerus in one,and ulna-radius in one.The median time from injury to application of external fixation was 16.8 months and the average number of previous operations was 2.3 times.After debridement,24 cases had a bone defect of 6.0 cm in length on average (range,from 3.5 to 10.4 cm).After discharge,the patients were regularly followed up at the outpatient department and any of their complications was recorded in detail.At the final follow-ups,the protocol of ASAMI (Association for the Study and Application of the Method of Ilizarov) was used to evaluate their bone and functional results.Results All the 45 patients were followed up for 16 to 106 months (average,43.9 months).One patient had to receive amputation because of uncontrollable infection and all the other 44 cases achieved bony union.The bone defects were successfully reconstructed by external bone transport in 24 patients.The time for external fixation averaged 20.5 months.According to the evaluation by ASAMI at the final follow-ups,the bone was rated as excellent in 28 patients,as good in 12,as fair in one and as poor in 3,giving an excellent to good rate of 90.9％;the function was rated as excellent in 11 patients,as good in 21,as fair in 8 and as poor in 4,giving an excellent to good rate of 72.7％.Conclusion In eradication of infection and treatment of fracture nonunion,external fixation can be used not only to avoid the infection risk due to internal fixation but also to correct a complex deformity and repair a large bone defect,allowing early weight-bearing for the patients.

Objective To investigate the clinical outcomes of arthroscopic decompression of spinoglenoid notch cysts and release of suprascapular nerve in treating suprascapular nerve compression syndromes via posterior portal.Methods Eleven patients from January 2010 to January 2017 with spinoglenoid notch cysts complicated suprascapular nerve compression syndromes were included.There were 7 males and 4 females with the average age of 41.5±5.3 years old (range 29-56 years) with 3 patients left side involved and 8 right side.All patients were diagnosed with MRI and EMG.The surgical procedure began with posterior capsule arthroscopic releasement from the labmm,then found the spinoglenoid notch cyst.Split of the cyst was made for internal drainage,then found the suprascapular nerve and vessel bundle for clearing the bursal tissue with probe,decompressed the suprascapular nerve finally.Mecobalamin was taken (0.5 mg,tid) until 3 months postoperatively.The patients were evaluated by functional scores from American Shoulder Elbow Surgeons (ASES) and Constant-Murley preoperatively and postoperatively.Statistical analysis was conducted by student t-test.Results All patients were followed up at 7-15 months (with an average of 10 months).The mean preoperative ASES score increased from 46.5±3.7 to 93.8±2.2 at the time of final follow-up with the significant difference (t=3.359,P＜0.05).Preoperative ASES score were good in 5 cases,fair in 4 cases and poor in 2 cases.The postoperative score were excellent in all patients.The Constant-Murley score was 47.3±4.2 preoperatively and 94.0±1.8 postoperatively with significant difference (t=4.776,P＜0.05).Preoperative score were good in 6 cases and fair in 5 cases.The postoperative score were excellent in all patients.These patients had no recurrence of cyst after surgery and returned to work.Conclusion Arthroscopic decompression of spinlglenoid notch cyst and suprascapular nerve release via posterior portal can successfully treat suprascapular nerve compression syndrome resulting in spinoglenoid notch cyst.

Spinal cord injury is a catastrophic injury causing lifelong severe disabilities, and poses a great burden to the individuals, families and society. In order to promote the standardization in treatment of traumatic spinal cord injury, the consensus on the evaluation, treatment and rehabilitation of traumatic spinal cord injury was suggested by experts, who came from authoritative multicenter in China. The expert consensus, which formed a standardization process from the first aid clinical treatment to rehabilitation of spinal cord injury, shall give a better practical guide for clinic and rehabilitation physicians.