OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effectiveness of nickel-titanium shape memory staples in treating multiple metatarsal fractures. METHODS: The clinical data of 27 patients with multiple metatarsal fractures who were treated between January 2022 and June 2023 and met the selection criteria were retrospectively analysed. The cohort consisted of 16 males and 11 females, aged 33-65 years (mean, 47.44 years). The causes of injury included heavy object impact in 11 cases, traffic accidents in 9 cases, and crush in 7 cases. Simultaneous fractures of 2, 3, 4, and 5 bones occurred in 6, 6, 4, and 8 cases, respectively, with tarsometatarsal joint injury in 3 cases. Fixation was performed using staples for 16, 22, and 9 fractures in the metatarsal neck, shaft, and the base, respectively, and 5 tarsometatarsal joint injuries. Preoperative soft tissue injuries were identified in 8 cases and classified according to the Tscherne-Oestern closed soft tissue injury classification as type Ⅰ in 5 cases and type Ⅱ in 3 cases. One case of type Ⅱexhibited preoperative skin necrosis. The patients were treated with fixation using nickel-titanium shape memory staples. Complications and fracture healing were documented. At last follow-up, the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) forefoot score was used to evaluate the function, and the visual analogue scale (VAS) score was used to evaluate the pain. RESULTS: The 27 patients were followed up 9-19 months (mean, 12.4 months). Postoperative X-ray films revealed no loss of fracture reduction, and all fractures achieved bony union. No internal fixator loosening, breakage, or other mechanical failures was observed. The mean fracture healing time was 3.13 months (range, 3-4 months). Postoperatively, 4 cases (2 of Tscherne-Oestern type Ⅰ, 2 of type Ⅱ) developed superficial skin necrosis, which resolved with dressing changes. No infection was observed in the remaining patients, and all wounds healed. At last follow-up, the AOFAS forefoot score ranged from 70 to 95, with an average of 86.6, of which 19 cases were excellent, 6 cases were good, and 2 cases were fair, with an excellent and good rate of 92.6%; the VAS score ranged from 0 to 3, with an average of 0.9, of which 24 cases were excellent, and 3 cases were good, with an excellent and good rate of 100%. CONCLUSION The use of nickel-titanium shape memory staples in the treatment of multiple metatarsal fractures can effectively protect local skin and soft tissues and minimize secondary damage associated with internal fixator insertion. It is a viable surgical option for management of multiple metatarsal fractures.
Humans ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Titanium ; Nickel ; Retrospective Studies ; Fracture Fixation, Internal/instrumentation* ; Aged ; Metatarsal Bones/surgery* ; Fractures, Bone/surgery* ; Treatment Outcome ; Sutures ; Fractures, Multiple/surgery*

Objective:To develop a predictive model for selecting patients with high-risk localized prostate cancer(HRLPC)who are suitable for preoperative maximum androgen blocking(MAB)therapy.Methods:This study was conducted among 96 patients with HRLPC who were diagnosed based on transrectal biopsy and underwent radical prostatectomy in Department of Urology,The First Af-filiated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University,from January 1,2021 to June 30,2024,and all patients received MAB therapy for 3 months before surgery and were followed up for 6 months after surgery.Related data were collected from all patients,including baseline demographic features,laboratory data,imaging findings,perioperative data,and follow-up information.At first,the association between prostate-specific antigen density(PSAD)stratification after MAB therapy and pathological and biochemical benefits was analyzed to determine the optimal PSAD group,then machine learning was used to identify important variables and establish a predictive model,and finally,the model was evaluated using the ROC curve,the calibration curve,and clinical applicability assessment.Results:The low PSAD group[PSAD<0.17 ng/(mL·cm3)]showed the best results of perioperative outcomes,pathological downgrading,the rate of undetectable PSA after-surgery,recovery from urinary incontinence,and PSA follow-up(P<0.05).The model was established based on prostate volume,low-density lipoprotein cholesterol,PSAD,smoking history,total cholesterol,PSA,and body mass index,and this predictive model had good performance(with an area under the ROC curve of 0.769)and showed a certain degree of clinical applica-bility.Conclusion:Patients in the low PSAD group tend to have better pathological and biochemical benefits.This study provides a re-liable predictive model to assist in the individualized treatment of patients with HRLPC.

Objective To analyze the lipid metabolism levels in patients with non-functional adrenal in-cidentalomas(NFAI)and the efficacy of different treatment approaches.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data,including clinical manifestations,metabolism-related diseases,lipid metabo-lism levels,and hormone levels,of 114 patients diagnosed with NFAI who sought medical attention at this hospital from September 2021 to June 2024.The patients were divided into the surgical group(receiving surgi-cal treatment)and the non-surgical group(receiving conservative treatment).The surgical group was further categorized into the normal lipid group and the dyslipidemia group based on preoperative lipid levels.Changes in lipid metabolism levels before and after treatment were compared between the surgical and non-surgical groups,as well as between the normal lipid and dyslipidemia groups,to evaluate the impact of NFAI on lipid metabolism.Results Among the 114 patients,76 were divided into the surgical group and 38 into the non-sur-gical group.The surgical group was further divided into 36 patients in the normal lipid group and 40 in the dyslipidemia group.In the surgical group,triglycerides(TG)and low-density lipoprotein(LDL)levels de-creased significantly after treatment compared to pre-treatment levels(P=0.007,0.002).In contrast,no sta-tistically significant difference was observed in the non-surgical group between pre-and post-treatment TG and LDL levels(P＞0.05).Compared with the non-surgical group,the surgical group showed a greater reduc-tion in TG and LDL levels before and after treatment(P=0.049,0.002).In the dyslipidemia group,TG and LDL levels returned to normal levels after treatment and significantly decreased compared to those before treatment,with statistical significance(P=0.007,0.001).However,in the normal lipid group,there was no statistically significant difference in TG and LDL levels before and after treatment(P=0.640,0.499).Com-pared with the normal lipid group,the dyslipidemia group showed a greater reduction in TG and LDL levels before and after treatment(P＜0.001,P=0.022).The final pathological results of patients in the surgical group included 59 cases of cortical adenoma,6 cases of cyst,7 cases of myelolipoma,and 4 cases of nodular hy-perplasia.In patients with cortical adenoma,the postoperative TG and LDL levels significantly decreased com-pared to those before surgery(P=0.008,0.014),while there was no statistically significant difference in TG and LDL levels before and after treatment in patients with cysts,myelolipomas,and nodular hyperplasia(P＞0.05).Conclusion NFAI may adversely affect lipid metabolism and is associated with elevated TG and LDL-C levels.Compared with conservative treatment,surgical resection can significantly reduce the body's TG and LDL levels and effectively improve abnormal lipid metabolism.

Objective:To compare the efficacy of reduction and internal fixation of flexion-inversion tibial plateau fractures with a modified two-window and conventional single-window posteromedial inverted L-shaped approach.Methods:A retrospective cohort study was used to analyze the clinical data of 44 patients with flexion-inversion tibial plateau fractures admitted to the Affiliated Changzhou No.2 People′s Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from January 2018 to December 2022, including 22 males and 22 females, aged 31-58 years [(44.4±9.1)years]. Among them, 25 patients were injured on the left side and 19 on the right. A total of 23 patients were treated with the conventional single-window posteromedial inverted L-shaped approach (conventional single-window approach group), while the other 21 with the modified two-window posteromedial inverted L-shaped approach (modified two-window approach group). The length of surgical incision, operation time, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative drainage volume, and postoperative hospital stay were compared between the two groups. The articular step-offs, medial tibial plateau angles (mTPA), tibial posterior slope angles (PSA), and Rasmussen radiological scores at 3 days, 3 months after surgery and at the last follow-up were evaluated in the two groups. The visual analogue scale (VAS) scores before surgery, at 7 days and 3 months after surgery, data of extension-flexion motion of the knee joint at 7 days after surgery and Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) knee function scores at 3 and 6 months after surgery and at the last follow-up were compared between the two groups. At the last follow-up, the fracture healing was observed. The postoperative incidence of complications such as thrombosis and poor wound healing was compared between the two groups.Results:All the patients were followed up for 12-18 months [(15.7±3.2)months]. The operation time of the modified two-window approach group was (121.6±19.2)minutes, significantly shorter than (149.5±22.4)minutes of the conventional single-window approach group ( P<0.01). There were no statistically significant differences in the length of surgical incision, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative drainage volume, or postoperative hospital stay between the two groups ( P>0.05). At 3 days, 3 months after surgery and at the last follow-up, the articular step-offs of the modified two-window approach group were 0.7(0.5, 0.9)mm, 1.0(0.8, 1.1)mm and 0.9(0.8, 1.0)mm respectively, significantly shorter than 1.0(0.7, 1.2)mm, 1.1(1.0, 1.3)mm and 1.1(0.9, 1.2)mm of the conventional single-window approach group ( P<0.05 or 0.01); the mTPA of the modified two-window approach group was 87.0(86.0, 87.0)°, 87.0(86.0, 87.0)° and 86.0(85.5, 87.0)° respectively, significantly larger than 85.0(84.0, 86.0)°, 85.0(84.0, 86.0)°and 85.0(84.0, 86.0)°of the conventional single-window approach group ( P<0.01); the Rasmussen radiological scores of the modified two-window approach group were (17.0±0.9)points, 16.0(15.0, 17.0)points and 16.0(15.0, 16.0)points respectively, significantly higher than (16.4±1.1)points, 13.0(13.0, 15.0)points and 14.0(13.0, 15.0)points of the conventional single-window approach group ( P<0.05 or 0.01); no significant differences in the PSA were found between the two groups ( P>0.05). There were no significant differences in VAS scores between the two groups before surgery and at 3 months after surgery ( P>0.05), while the VAS score at 7 days after surgery was 3.0(3.0, 3.0)points in the modified two-window approach group, significantly lower than 3.0(3.0, 4.0)points of the conventional single-window approach group ( P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the VAS score at 3 months after surgery between the two groups ( P>0.05). The extension-flexion motion of the knee joint at 7 days after surgery was 90.0(85.0, 95.0)° in the modified two-window approach group, higher than 80.0(75.0, 85.0)° of the conventional single-window approach group ( P<0.01). The HSS knee function score at 3 months after surgery was (67.9±2.8)points in the modified two-window approach group, higher than (66.1±2.7)points of the conventional one-window approach group ( P<0.05). There were no significant differences in the HSS knee function scores at 6 months after surgery and at the last follow-up between the two groups ( P>0.05). At the last follow-up, bone union was observed in both groups. One patient in the conventional single-window approach group developed partial popliteal vein thrombosis, with a complication rate of 4.4% (1/23); while one patient in the modified two-window approach group had poor healing of the incision postoperatively, with a complication rate of 4.8%(1/21) ( P>0.05). Conclusion:Compared with the conventional single-window approach, the modified two-window posteromedial inverted L-shaped approach has the advantages of shorter operation time, better reduction quality, early pain relief, and better restoration of knee joint extension-flexion motion and joint function in the reduction and internal fixation of flexion-inversion tibial plateau fractures.

Objective:To assess the efficacy of a minimally invasive technique for repairing tibial plateau bicondylar fractures utilizing the double reverse traction repositor.Methods:A retrospective analysis was performed of the data of 31 patients (Schatzker V 17 cases, Schatzker VI 14 cases) who had been admitted to trauma center of Shandong provincial hospital affiliated to Shandong first medical university for tibial plateau bicondylar fractures from January 2017 to January 2022. There were 21 males and 10 females, aged from 18 to 67 years (average, 32.4±6.5 years). The intervention strategy comprised the use of a double reverse traction repositor and was augmented by precise screw fixation. A comprehensive set of parameters were measured, including time interval between injury and operation, operation time, blood loss, hospital stay, fracture healing time, incision complications. Postoperative assessments were made immediately and at the 12-month mark, including the evaluation of articular step-off height, medial tibial plateau angle, and posterior tibial slope angle. The evaluation also included thTime interval between injury and operation ranged from 5 to 11 days, with an average of 6.1±1.3 days. The surgical procedures varied in length from 70 to 160 minutes, averaging at 109.2±15.6 minutes. The volume of blood loss was noted to be between 90 to 380 ml, averaging at 176.5±20.8 ml. Hospitalization spanned from 10 to 15 days, with an average stay of 12.2 ±0.8 days. Over a follow-up duration of 12 to 20 months, averaging at 13.5±1.1 months, all patients achieved fracture union within a period of 11 to 20 weeks, with an average time of 14.6±1.5 weeks. The postoperative articular step-off was recorded at 0.45±0.13 mm immediately after surgery and 0.58±0.21 mm at the one-year follow-up. Similarly, the medial tibial plateau angle and posterior tibial slope angle showed marginal changes from the immediate postoperative period to the 12-month evaluation. Knee joint mobility at the one-year mark ranged impressively from 0° to 135°, with an average of 125.6°±2.1°. Functional outcomes as reflected by Rasmussen scores ranged from 18 to 28 points, with an average of 25.4±1.7 points. Pain, as assessed by the VAS, had a low score range of 0 to 2 points, averaging at 0.7±0.2 points. Notably, there were no postoperative complications associated with the incisions, such as fat liquefaction, infection, skin necrosis, or exposure of internal fixations. Additionally, no cases of delayed union or fixation failure were observed. Six patients had traumatic arthritis 1 year after operation.Conclusion:The minimally invasive double reverse traction repositor technique for tibial plateau bicondylar fracture repair is effective, warranting its broader application in orthopedic surgery.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an important healthcare problem worldwide. Often, glucocorticoid (GC) resistance develops during COPD treatment. As a classic hypoglycemic drug, metformin (MET) can be used as a treatment strategy for COPD due to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, but its specific mechanism of action is not known. We aimed to clarify the role of MET on COPD and cigarette smoke extract (CSE)-induced GC resistance. Through establishment of a COPD model in rats, we found that MET could improve lung function, reduce pathological injury, as well as reduce the level of inflammation and oxidative stress in COPD, and upregulate expression of nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), multidrug resistance protein 1 (MRP1), and histone deacetylase 2 (HDAC2). By establishing a model of GC resistance in human bronchial epithelial cells stimulated by CSE, we found that MET reduced secretion of interleukin-8, and could upregulate expression of Nrf2, HO-1, MRP1, and HDAC2. MET could also increase the inhibition of MRP1 efflux by MK571 significantly, and increase expression of HDAC2 mRNA and protein. In conclusion, MET may upregulate MRP1 expression by activating the Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway, and then regulate expression of HDAC2 protein to reduce GC resistance.

Purpose: The goal of this study was to describe the current status of oncology nurses' behaviors toward end of life (EOL) care in China and to explore the factors associated with oncology nurses’ behaviors toward EOL care. Methods: A cross-sectional design was applied and a convenience sample of 1038 oncology nurses from 22 grade A hospitals were recruited into this study. A general social demographic data questionnaire was administered, and the Chinese version of Nurses’ Behaviors of Caring for Dying Patients Scale was used to assess nurse behavior toward EOL care. The total score ranges from 40 to 200 points. Data were analyzed with SPSS 26.0 software. Results: Chinese oncology nurses' average score of holistic EOL care behaviors was 2.97 ± 0.59. Oncology nurses provide physical care most (3.81 ± 0.76), followed by family care (3.02 ± 0.86), and spiritual care (2.37 ± 0.67). Multiple regression analysis showed that a higher frequency of sharing EOL care experience with colleagues, in-service palliative care education, higher level of head nurse support for EOL patient care, more cases of EOL care, higher working position, and nurse's perceived high level of support were positively associated with behavior toward EOL care. These six factors explained 16.2% of the total variance. Conclusions The results may help provide a basis for converting behavior for EOL care among oncology nurses and design interventions to better improve quality of life for EOL patients with cancer in China.

Objective To establish the model of rabbit vena arterialization, so as to investigate the difference of mechanical parameters between arteries and veins as well as before and after arterialization. Methods Twenty-four rabbits were randomly divided into experimental group (n=12) and control group (n=12). By establishing the rabbit vena arterialization model for experimental group, the arterial blood could flow into the veins. After model creation, the vein would be removed 4 weeks after surgery. In the meantime, the external jugular veins and cephalic arteries extracted from control group were acquired. Compressive pressurizing and stretching tests on all vessels were conducted at the same time(including arteries, veins and arterialized veins). Observation was supported by HE staining and immune tissue chemical techniques. Results There were no deaths among the 24 rabbits, with unobstructed blood flow in veins. With the increase of intravascular pressure, the outer diameter of veins changed at first and then stabilized at a fixed value. The elasticity of veins was worse than that of arteries. The external diameter of veins increased rapidly with internal pressure of veins increasing and reached its extreme elasticity. Comparatively, the elasticity of arteries increased slowly. HE staining results showed that thickness of the vascular wall was thinner, while it became thicker after vena arterialization. After vena arterialization, proliferating cell nuclear antigen（PCNA） and α-actin showed positive results. It further proved that proliferation existed among smooth muscle cells, and veins showed the tendency of restenosis again. The elasticity of veins after transplantation into the arterial system was improved compared with that before transplantation. Conclusions Accompanied by the increasing pressure, the vein could reach its elasticity extremity faster than the artery. Under such a long-term high pressure, vein intima was vulnerable. After vena arterialization, with the gradual thickening of vein intima, the tendency of vessel restenosis was obvious, and the elasticity of veins has been improved after transplantation.

Objective:To evaluate the clinical efficacy of paclitaxel combined with epirubicin neoadjuvant chemotherapy in the treatment of triple negative breast cancer and the effect on the Ki-67,p53,P-glycoprotein (P-gp) and glutathione transferase (GST-π).Methods:84 patients with triple-negative breast cancer admitted in our hospital from June 2010 to June 2012 were selected and divided into the observation group and the control group according to the order of admission.The control group was treated with epirubicin,and cyclophosphamide.The observation group was given paclitaxel neoadjuvant chemotherapy combined with epirubicin.The clinical efficacy,expressions of Ki-67,p53,P-gp and GST-π were compared between the two groups.Results:After treatment,the total remission rate of observation group was significantly higher than that of the control group [76.19％(32/42) vs 45.24％(19/42)] (P ＜0.05).Before chemotherapy,the positive expression rates of Ki-67,p53,P-gp and GST-π in the two groups showed no statistical difference(P＞0.05).After chemotherapy,the positive expression rates of Ki-67,p53,P-gp and GST-π in the observation group were significantly lower than those of the control group (P＜0.05),but the positive expression rates of Ki-67,p53,P-gp and GST-π in the control group had no significant difference compared with those before chemotherapy (P＞0.05).The positive expression rates of Ki-67,p53,P-gp and GST-π in the observation group were significantly lower than those of the control group (P ＜0.05).There was no significant difference in the incidence of adverse reaction rate between the observation group and the control group (P＞ 0.05).Conclusion:Paclitaxel combined with Epirubicin neoadjuvant chemotherapy could effectively reduce the expression of Ki-67,p53,P-gp and GST-π in triple-negative breast cancer with exact clinical efficacy.

Objective To observe the effects of Hedan tablet on cytokines and oxidation factors in APOE-/-mouse, and to explore its effect on atherosclerosis and to explore its behind mechanism. Methods APOE-/-mice (n=50) were randomly divided into control group, model group, low dose Hedan tablet treatment group, high dose Hedan tablet treatment group and simvastatin treatment group. Mice in control group were given normal feed while mice in other groups were fed with high cho?lesterol diet. Hedan or Simvastatin was administrated intra-gastrically while normal saline was given to model group in the same route. After 12 weeks, mice were sacrificed to observe the mRNA level of tumor necrosis factor-α(TNF-αmRNA) in aorta by RT-PCR. Mean while, serum levels of interleukin-1 (IL-1), interleukin-10 (IL-10), malonaldehyde (MDA) and su?peroxide dismutase (SOD) were determined in different groups. Results Compared with control group, TNF-αmRNA tran?scription level as well as serum levels of IL-1 and MDA significantly increase while serum levels of IL-10 and SOD de?creased remarkably in model group, (P<0.01). Compared with model group, mRNA levels of TNF-αas well as serum levels of IL-1 and MDA were significantly decreased while serum levels of IL-10, SOD were greatly increased in low dose and high dose Hedan tablet treatment groups as well as in simvastatin treatment group (P<0.01). Conclusion Hedan tablet inhibit the formation of atherosclerosis through its anti-oxidation role and anti-inflammation role.