OBJECTIVE: To investigate the short-term effectiveness of uni-portal non-coaxial spinal endoscopic surgery (UNSES) via crossing midline approach (CMA) in the treatment of free lumbar disc herniation (FLDH). METHODS: Between March 2024 and June 2024, 16 patients with FLDH were admitted and treated with UNSES via CMA. There were 9 males and 7 females with an average age of 55.1 years (range, 47-62 years). The disease duration was 8-30 months (mean, 15.6 months). The pathological segments was L _{3, 4} in 4 cases, L _{4, 5} in 5 cases, and L ₅, S ₁ in 7 cases. The preoperative pain visual analogue scale (VAS) score was 6.9±0.9 and the Oswestry disability index (ODI) was 57.22%±4.16%. The operation time, intraoperative bleeding volume, postoperative hospital stay, and incidence of complications were recorded. The spinal pain and functional status were evaluated by VAS score and ODI, and effectiveness was evaluated according to the modified MacNab criteria. CT and MRI were used to evaluate the effect of nerve decompression. RESULTS: All 16 patients underwent operation successfully without any complications. The operation time was 63-81 minutes (mean, 71.0 minutes). The intraoperative bleeding volume was 47.3-59.0 mL (mean, 55.0 mL). The length of hospital stay after operation was 3-4 days (mean, 3.5 days). All patients were followed up 1-3 months, with 15 cases followed up for 2 months and 14 cases for 3 months. The VAS score and ODI gradually decreased over time after operation, and there were significant differences between different time points ( P<0.05). At 3 months after operation, the effectiveness was rated as excellent in 12 cases and good in 2 cases according to the modified MacNab criteria, with an excellent and good rate of 100%. CT and MRI during follow-up showed a significant increase in the diameter and cross-sectional area of the spinal canal, indicating effective decompression of the canal. CONCLUSION When using UNSES to treat FLDH, choosing CMA for nerve decompression has the advantages of wide decompression range, large operating space, and freedom of operation. It can maximize the preservation of the articular process, avoid fracture and breakage of the isthmus, clearly display the exiting and traversing nerve root, and achieve good short-term effectiveness.
Humans ; Male ; Intervertebral Disc Displacement/diagnostic imaging* ; Middle Aged ; Female ; Lumbar Vertebrae/surgery* ; Endoscopy/methods* ; Treatment Outcome ; Operative Time ; Pain Measurement ; Length of Stay

Osteoporosis is a systemic metabolic bone disease characterized by decreased bone mass, damage to bone tissue microstructure, increased bone fragility, and susceptibility to fractures, while sarcopenia is a syndrome characterized by progressive reduction in overall muscle mass and functional decline. Based on the common pathophysiological mechanism and close correlation between the two, the concept of "osteosarcopenia" has gradually emerged to describe the simultaneous attenuation of muscles and bones. Signaling pathways serve as important signal transmission channels between muscles and bones, and if abnormal, they can lead to osteosarcopenia. The aim of this article, therefore, is to review the signaling pathways related to osteogenesis and myogenesis, such as Hedgehog, Hippo, mTOR, MAPK, in order to provide new ideas for targeted treatment of osteosarcopenia.

Objective To study the splenic injuries caused by high-altitude falling and underwater explosion and the 2-dimensional ultrasound and contrast-enhanced ultrasound(CEUS)characteristics.Methods Twenty-three healthy Beagle dogs were divided into high-altitude falling group(n=13)and underwater explosion group(n=10).Free-fall high-platform device and gram-grade trinitrotoluene were used to simulate high-altitude falling injury and underwater explosion injury in Beagle dogs,respectively.Ultrasound examination of the spleen was performed immediately after injury,with follow-up examinations every hour.CEUS examination was performed in surviving dogs.Spleen specimens were taken from deceased dogs after injury to observe gross injuries.Pathological changes in tissue morphology and cell apoptosis were observed by hematoxylin-eosin(H-E)staining.Results In the high-altitude falling model,6,2,1,and 1 dogs died in the 6 m,7 m,8 m,and 9 m groups,respectively;in the underwater explosion model,1 and 4 dogs died in the buoyancy and frogman groups,respectively.Two-dimensional ultrasound examination of the high-altitude falling model showed spleen rupture(disruption of splenic parenchymal structure),perisplenic fluid accumulation,subcapsular hematoma,intrasplenic hematoma,increased splenic vein echo,and uneven splenic parenchymal echo.Two-dimensional ultrasound examination of the underwater explosion model showed increased splenic vein echo and uneven splenic parenchymal echo,which were less serious compared with the high-altitude falling model.CEUS results indicated 4 major contrast patterns in both models.The Beagle dogs with type Ⅰ(large focal contrast defect),type Ⅱ(diffuse contrast defect),or type Ⅲ(no contrast agent entry into the splenic vein)contrast patterns all had splenic rupture after injury.H-E staining results showed true splenic rupture,diffuse intrasplenic hemorrhage,splenic hematoma/ecchymosis,subcapsular hematoma/ecchymosis,and venous congestion after spleen injury,which were consistent with the 2-dimensional ultrasound findings.Conclusion High-altitude falling causes more serious spleen injuries in Beagle dogs compared with underwater explosions.Routine ultrasound performs well in diagnosing typical splenic injuries,while CEUS has advantages in evaluating atypical splenic injuries and has good predictive ability for delayed splenic rupture.

Objective To screen and analyze the differentially expressed genes(DEGs)in basal cell carcinoma(BCC)of the eyelid using RNA sequencing technology.Methods Six patients who underwent extended resection and primary eyelid reconstruction for BCC of the eyelid in Hebei Eye Hospital from July to November 2021 were selected.Part of the excised cancer tissues and the adjacent normal tissues trimmed during the repair of the defect were sampled for the study.The library construction for sequencing was performed using RNA sequencing technology.The threshold for DEGs was set using the DESeq2 software:P＜0.05 and|log2(foldchange)|＞1,to identify DEGs.Gene Ontology(GO)and Kyo-to Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)enrichment analyses were performed using the clusterProfiler software,and the biological significance of these DEGs was further analyzed.Results DESeq2 software was used to analyze the differential expression between cancer tissues and adjacent tissues,and 1 317 DEGs were screened out.In the cancer tis-sues of the 6 patients,906 DEGs were up-regulated,and 411 DEGs were down-regulated.GO enrichment analysis showed that the top 30 up-regulated DEGs were mainly concentrated in humoral immune response,immunoglobulin complex,B cell receptor signaling pathway,extracellular matrix,antigen binding,and receptor modulator activity,and the top 10 down-regulated genes were mainly related to epidermal development in biological process,cell composition,and molecular func-tion.KEGG pathway analysis revealed that DEGs were mainly enriched in the melanogenesis signaling pathway,WNT sig-naling pathway,and immune-related signaling pathway,and there were 8 related gene pathways.According to the signifi-cance of gene up-regulation,the core genes identified finally were FZD2,PTCH1,WNT7B,TCF3,MMP-9,and TEAD2.Conclusion The occurrence of BCC is closely related to the interaction and synergy of various pathways.Among the highly expressed genes,the up-regulation of FZD2,PTCH1,WNT7B,TCF3,MMP-9,and TEAD2 expression in the tissues of patients with BCC of the eyelid is the most significant,which is closely related to the occurrence and development of BCC of the eyelid.

Osteoporosis due to muscle deficiency refers to the simultaneous occurrence of metabolic attenua-tion lesions in both skeletal muscle and bone.The occurrence and development of this disease involve a complex regulato-ry network of multiple factors and genes.Long noncoding RNA(lncRNA),as an important class of noncoding RNA mole-cules,plays an important regulatory role in regulating the expression of functional genes.Due to the fact that lncRNA can also affect the metabolism and reconstruction of muscle and skeletal systems by simultaneously regulating the proliferation,differentiation,death,and interaction of muscle and bone cells,they can become a new mechanism and target for improv-ing sarcopenia osteoporosis.

Objective:To analyze the prognostic outcomes of 1 147 patients who underwent liver transplantation at Qingdao University Affiliated Hospital and to summarize measures to enhance the efficacy of liver transplantation.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical and follow-up data of 1 147 liver transplant patients at Qingdao University Affiliated Hospital.Results:The overall postoperative 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates for the 1 147 liver transplant patients were 87.20%, 73.40%, and 65.60%, respectively. The survival rates for benign disease liver transplant recipients were 88.01%, 84.98%, and 81.39% at 1, 3, and 5 years post-transplant, respectively, compared to recipients transplanted for malignancies of 78.11%, 64.41%, and 60.06% (all P<0.001). Among the mid vs more recent period, patients' 1-year and 3-year postoperative survival rates were 84.20%, 70.80% vs 90.50%, 71.70%, respectively,significantly in favor of recently enrolled patients ( P=0.022). In the complex surgery group, patients' 1-, 3-, and 5-year survival rates were 82.70%, 65.50%, 56.70%, while in less complicated group, it was 89.00%, 76.50%, 69.20% ( P<0.001). The primary causes of death for benign disease recipients were multi-organ failure (4.1%), while in recipients with malignant disease primary cause of death was tumor recurrence (23.7%). Postoperative complications included primary graft dysfunction, delayed graft function recovery, portal vein thrombosis, hepatic artery thrombosis, biliary stricture, post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder, and graft-versus-host disease, with occurrence rates of 1.05%, 6.89%, 1.92%, 0.44%, 2.00%, 0.61%, and 0.44%, respectively. Conclusions:With the continuous improvement in surgical techniques and perioperative care levels, the 3-year survival rate of recipients at our center has increased. Malignant diseases and complex liver transplantation remain crucial factors affecting recipient prognosis, highlighting the need to further enhance comprehensive treatment capabilities for patients with malignant diseases and complex surgeries.

Robotics ; Robotic Surgical Procedures ; Kidney Transplantation

Objective:To report the sampling study design and radiography protocol of a large-sample investigation on skeletal maturation of 3 to 18-year-old children in China.Methods:Multi-stage stratified random sampling was employed in this study. Two provinces, municipalities, or autonomous regions were randomly selected from each of the seven regions of China, including Northeast China, Northwest China, North China, Central China, East China, Southwest China, and South China. Then one rural and one urban investigation site were randomly selected from each province, municipality, or autonomous region. In total 28 sites were included. Among those sites, four residential districts were randomly selected from each urban site, and four townships from each rural site. For each residential district or township, 1-4 kindergartens, primary schools, and middle schools were chosen. Random cluster sampling was used to extract 3-<6-year-old children in kindergartens, and 6-18-year-old children in primary schools and middle schools. The investigation on skeletal maturation was sampled proportionate to the sampling of the whole study. The estimated simple size was 780 for each site, and 21 840 for all 28 sites in total. There were six groups of 3-<6-year-old children classified at 0.5-year intervals, and 12 groups of 6-18-year-old children classified at 1-year intervals. Posteroanterior position radiography of the left hand and wrist was achieved for all subjects.Results:The study was performed from August 26, 2019 to October 16, 2021. In total, 20 444 children received posteroanterior position radiography of the left hand and wrist, including 10 196 males and 10 248 females, 9 711 urban and 10 733 rural, respectively. The 3-<6-year-old group included 1 611 (male 819, female 792) subjects, and the 6 to 18-year-old group included 18 833 (male 9 377, female 9 456) subjects.Conclusion:This nationwide investigation on skeletal maturation of 3 to 18-year-old children in seven regions of China was successfully preformed. The results of this study can provide an important reference for establishing the current evaluation criteria of bone age in Chinese children and adolescents.

Objective:To investigate the relationship between the CT images of a lateral condylar tibial plateau fractures and complete medial collateral ligament (MCL) injury.Methods:Data of 59 patients with lateral condylar fracture of tibial plateau complicated with MCL injury admitted to Tianjin Hospital from January 2020 to November 2021 were collected, including 32 males and 27 females, aged 42.4±12.3 years (range, 19-65 years), there were 26 cases of extension injury and 33 cases of flexion injury. The patients were separated into two groups: those with partial MCL injury and those with total rupture based on preoperative MR examination and intraoperative valgus stress test following fracture fixation. According to the ABC fracture classification of lateral condyle tibial plateau proposed by Sun et al., the fracture locations were determined on CT images, and the lateral plateau collapse depth (LPD) was measured. The relationship between LPD and MCL complete rupture was analyzed by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.Results:Among 59 patients with lateral condylar tibial plateau fracture and MCL injury, 42 had partial injuries and 17 had complete ruptures. According to the ABC fracture classification, there were 26 cases of extension injury (involving area A), 21 cases of AB type, and 5 cases of ABC type; and 33 cases of flexion type injury, 19 cases of B type, 12 cases of BC type, and 2 cases of C type. All the 17 cases of MCL complete fracture occurred in extension injury, including type AB (14 cases) and type ABC (3 cases). The difference between the mean LPDs of the MCL full rupture group and the partial injury group was not statistically significant ( t=0.11, P=0.567), and the mean LPDs of both groups were 11.7±5.3 mm (range, 4.3-28.1 mm) and 11.5±4.8 mm (range, 3.8-23.6 mm), respectively. The area under the curve (AUC) of the ROC curve analysis was 0.504, and there was no statistical correlation between lateral platform collapse depth and MCL injury. Among the 26 patients with extensional injury area, MCL was completely ruptures in 17 cases and partially injury in 9 cases, LPD was 11.7±5.3 mm (range, 4.3-28.1 mm) and 6.6±1.8 mm (range, 3.8-9.4 mm), respectively, and the difference was statistically significant ( t=3.57, P=0.009). The best predictive cut-off value of LPD was 7.25 mm, the sensitivity was 88.2%, the specificity was 77.8%, and the AUC was 0.868. Conclusion:When the lateral condyle fracture of the tibial plateau is located in the extensional injury area (involving the A area in the ABC fracture classification) and the LPD measured on the CT image is greater than 7.25 mm, the complete rupture of the MCL should be considered. Clinical MCL repair is required after the fracture fixation surgery for improved surgical outcomes.

Objective:To investigate the treatment of preterm and low birth weight infants with congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) and to share the experience.Methods:This retrospective study enrolled 117 newborns with CDH who underwent major surgery at Children's Hospital, Capital Institute of Pediatrics from May 1, 2011, to March 31, 2022. Based on gestational age and birth weight, the infants were divided into the preterm and/or low birth weight group (gestational age < 37 weeks and/or birth weight less than 2 500 g, n=41) and the control group (gestational age ≥ 37 weeks and birth weight ≥ 2 500 g, n=76). Furthermore, the preterm and/or low birth weight infants were divided into the thoracoscopic surgery subgroup ( n=31) and the open surgery subgroup ( n=10) according to the surgical approach. Statistical analysis of the data was performed using two independent sample t-tests, rank sum tests, Chi-square test, or Fisher's exact probability test. Results:Preoperative data showed that the Apgar scores at 1 min [7.0 (6.0-8.0) vs 9.0 (8.0-9.8), Z=－4.03] and 5 min [9.0 (8.0-10.0) vs 9.0 (9.0-10.0), Z=－2.13] of the preterm and/or low birth weight infants were both lower than those in the control group (both P<0.05), while the proportion of infants with moderate to severe pulmonary hypertension was higher [68.3% (28/41) vs 38.2% (29/76), χ 2=9.68, P<0.05]. There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in terms of the proportion of thoracoscopic surgery, operation time, right diaphragmatic hernia, presence of hernia sac, grading of the defect, presence of liver herniation, and application of mesh (all P>0.05). Regarding the postoperative outcomes, the death rate in the preterm and/or low birth weiht group was higher compared to the control group [36.6% (15/41) vs 13.2% (10/76), χ 2=8.70, P<0.05]. Additionally, the time required to resume full enteral nutrition after surgery was longer in the preterm and/or low birth weight group than that in the control group [25 d (18-29 d) vs 16 d (10-25 d), Z=2.31, P<0.05]. The thoracoscopic subgroup had a lower mortality compared to the open surgery subgroup [25.8% (8/31) vs 7/10, P<0.05]. The thoracoscopic surgery subgroup had a higher Apgar score at 1 min after birth [(7.4±1.6) vs (6.0±2.2), t=2.20, P<0.05], later age at operation (hours after birth) [31.0 h (23.0-48.0 h) vs 17.0 h (4.7-24.5 h), Z=2.57, P<0.05], a lower proportion of infants operated within 24 hours after birth [32.3% (10/31) vs 8/10, P<0.05], and longer duration of operation [170.0 min (122.0-200.0 min) vs 110.0 min (87.3-120.0 min), Z=3.65, P<0.05]. Conclusions:In this study, a higher mortality in the preterm and/or low birth weight group compared to the control group was observed, which may be attributed to the higher proportion of neonates with moderate-severe pulmonary hypertension. The thoracoscopic diaphragmatic repair can be attempted for preterm and low birth weight infants who have relatively stable respiratory and circulatory functions.