Objective: To explore the therapeutic effects of different surgical methods for temporomandibular joint disc reduction and anchoring surgery, providing reference for optimizing this surgical procedure. Method: The study was approved by the hospital ethics committee. 173 patients (195 joints) who underwent temporomandibular joint disc repositioning and anchoring surgery were selected for retrospective analysis. Patients were categorized into groups A (traditional preauricular incision-scalpel/tissue scissors anterior attachment release), 35 patients (40 joints), B (traditional preauricular incision-plasma bipolar radiofrequency electrode anterior attachment release), 42 patients (46 joints), C (revised tragus incision - scalpel/tissue scissors anterior attachment release), 50 patients (58 joints), and D (revised tragus incision-plasma bipolar radiofrequency electrode anterior attachment release), 46 patients (51 joints). After a 6-month postoperative follow-up, the differences in maximum mouth opening (MMO), visual analogue scale (VAS), effective rate of joint disc reduction, incidence of preauricular numbness, obvious scars among patients in each group at 1, 3, and 6 months were compared postoperatively. Results: After surgery, the MMO of all four groups of patients initially shrunk and then gradually increased compared to before surgery. At the 1-month follow-up after surgery, the plasma bipolar radiofrequency release (B+D) group had a smaller impact on the patient’s MMO compared to the surgical knife/tissue scissors release (A+C) group (P < 0.05). Postoperative VAS scores for all four groups showed a gradual decrease from pre-operative levels, with the (B+D) group scoring significantly lower in the first month post-surgery compared to the (A+C) group (P < 0.05). Six months post-surgery, the rate of joint disc reduction of the four groups were higher than 95%, with no significant differences observed between the groups (P > 0.05). Patients in the revised tragus incision (C+D) group experienced a lower rate of preauricular numbness compared to those in the traditional preauricular incision (A+B) group (4.59% vs. 12.79%, P < 0.05), The incidence of obvious scars in the (C+D) group was significantly lower than that in the (A+B) group (3.67% vs. 23.26%, P < 0.05). Conclusion The revised tragus incision is superior to traditional preauricular incision in terms of protecting the auriculotemporal nerve and the scars were more inconspicuous. Further, the plasma bipolar radiofrequency electrode is superior to the scalpel/tissue scissors in terms of mouth opening recovery and pain control. For temporomandibular joint disc reduction and anchoring surgery, a modified tragus incision combined with plasma bipolar radiofrequency electrode to release the anterior attachment of the joint disc can be recommended as a surgical option.

Large language models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT, Claude, Llama, and Qwen are emerging as transformative technologies for the diagnosis and treatment of various diseases. With their exceptional long-context reasoning capabilities, LLMs are proficient in clinically relevant tasks, particularly in medical text analysis and interactive dialogue. They can enhance diagnostic accuracy by processing vast amounts of patient data and medical literature and have demonstrated their utility in diagnosing common diseases and facilitating the identification of rare diseases by recognizing subtle patterns in symptoms and test results. Building on their image-recognition abilities, multimodal LLMs (MLLMs) show promising potential for diagnosis based on radiography, chest computed tomography (CT), electrocardiography (ECG), and common pathological images. These models can also assist in treatment planning by suggesting evidence-based interventions and improving clinical decision support systems through integrated analysis of patient records. Despite these promising developments, significant challenges persist regarding the use of LLMs in medicine, including concerns regarding algorithmic bias, the potential for hallucinations, and the need for rigorous clinical validation. Ethical considerations also underscore the importance of maintaining the function of supervision in clinical practice. This paper highlights the rapid advancements in research on the diagnostic and therapeutic applications of LLMs across different medical disciplines and emphasizes the importance of policymaking, ethical supervision, and multidisciplinary collaboration in promoting more effective and safer clinical applications of LLMs. Future directions include the integration of proprietary clinical knowledge, the investigation of open-source and customized models, and the evaluation of real-time effects in clinical diagnosis and treatment practices.
Humans ; Large Language Models ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the load distribution on the more painful and less painful limbs in patients with mild-to-moderate and severe bilateral knee osteoarthritis (KOA) and explore the compensatory mechanisms in both limbs among bilateral KOA patients with different severity levels. METHODS: A total of 113 participants were enrolled between July 2022 and September 2023. This cohort comprised 43 patients with mild-to-moderate bilateral KOA (Kellgren-Lawrence grade 2-3), 43 patients with severe bilateral KOA (Kellgren-Lawrence grade 4), and 27 healthy volunteers (healthy control group). The visual analogue scale (VAS) score for pain, the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) score, passive knee range of motion (ROM), and hip-knee-ankle angle (HKA) were used to assess walking pain intensity, joint function, and lower limb alignment in KOA patients, respectively. Motion trajectories of reflective markers and ground reaction force data during walking were captured using a gait analysis system. Musculoskeletal modeling was then employed to calculate biomechanical parameters, including the peak knee adduction moment (KAM), KAM impulse, peak joint contact force (JCF), and peak medial/lateral contact forces (MCF/LCF). Statistical analyses were performed to compare differences in clinical and gait parameters between bilateral limbs. Additionally, one-dimensional statistical parametric mapping was utilized to analyze temporal gait data. RESULTS: Mild-to-moderate KOA patients showed the significantly higher HSS score (67.7±7.9) than severe KOA patients (51.9±8.9; t=8.747, P<0.001). The more painful limb in all KOA patients exhibited significantly greater HKA and higher VAS scores compared to the less painful limb ( P<0.05). While bilateral knee ROM did not differ significantly in mild-to-moderate KOA patients ( P>0.05), the severe KOA patients had significantly reduced ROM in the more painful limb versus the less painful limb ( P<0.05). Healthy controls showed no significant bilateral difference in any biomechanical parameters ( P>0.05). All KOA patients demonstrated longer stance time on the less painful limb ( P<0.05). Critically, severe KOA patients exhibited significantly higher peak KAM, KAM impulse, and peak MCF in the more painful limb ( P<0.05), while mild-to-moderate KOA patients showed the opposite pattern with lower peak KAM and KAM impulse in the more painful limb ( P<0.05) and a similar trend for peak MCF. CONCLUSION Patients with mild-to-moderate KOA effectively reduce load on the more painful limb through compensatory mechanisms in the less painful limb. Conversely, severe bilateral varus deformities in advanced KOA patients nullify compensatory capacity in the less painful limb, paradoxically increasing load on the more painful limb. This dichotomy necessitates personalized management strategies tailored to disease severity.
Humans ; Osteoarthritis, Knee/physiopathology* ; Range of Motion, Articular ; Male ; Female ; Middle Aged ; Biomechanical Phenomena ; Knee Joint/physiopathology* ; Pain Measurement ; Severity of Illness Index ; Aged ; Gait/physiology* ; Walking/physiology* ; Case-Control Studies ; Adult ; Weight-Bearing

OBJECTIVE: To explore, identify, and develop novel blood-based indicators using machine learning algorithms for accurate preoperative assessment and effective prediction of postoperative complication risks in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) undergoing total knee arthroplasty (TKA). METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted including RA patients who underwent unilateral TKA between January 2019 and December 2024. Inpatient and 30-day postoperative outpatient follow-up data were collected. Six machine learning algorithms, including decision tree, random forest, logistic regression, support vector machine, extreme gradient boosting, and light gradient boosting machine, were used to construct predictive models. Model performance was evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), F1-score, accuracy, precision, and recall. SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP) values were employed to interpret and rank the importance of individual variables. RESULTS: According to the inclusion criteria, a total of 1 548 patients were enrolled. Ultimately, 18 preoperative indicators were identified as effective predictive features, and 8 postoperative complications were defined as prediction labels for inclusion in the study. Within 30 days after surgery, 453 patients (29.2%) developed one or more complications. Considering overall accuracy, precision, recall, and F1-score, the random forest model [AUC=0.930, 95% CI (0.910, 0.950)] and the extreme gradient boosting model [AUC=0.909, 95% CI (0.880, 0.938)] demonstrated the best predictive performance. SHAP analysis revealed that anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody, C-reactive protein, rheumatoid factor, interleukin-6, body mass index, age, and smoking status made significant contributions to the overall prediction of postoperative complications. CONCLUSION Machine learning-based models enable accurate prediction of postoperative complication risks among RA patients undergoing TKA. Inflammatory and immune-related blood biomarkers, such as anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody, C-reactive protein, and rheumatoid factor, interleukin-6, play key predictive roles, highlighting their potential value in perioperative risk stratification and individualized management.
Humans ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee/adverse effects* ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid/blood* ; Machine Learning ; Postoperative Complications/blood* ; Female ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Risk Factors ; Preoperative Period ; C-Reactive Protein/analysis* ; Risk Assessment

OBJECTIVE: To compare the short-term clinical efficacy and safety of closed reduction with Kirschner wire fixation versus open reduction with plate fixation for treating osteoporotic Colles' fractures in middle-aged and elderly patients. METHODS: Between January 2018 and January 2023, 119 patients with Colles fractures were retrospectively analyzed, including 39 males and 80 females, aged from 48 to 74 years old with an average of(60.58±6.71) years old. The time from injury to operation ranged 1 to 13 days with an average of (5.29±2.52) days. According to the surgical method, they were divided into Kirschner wire fixation group (Kirschner wire group) and plate internal fixation group (plate group). In Kirschner wire group, there were a total of 68 patients, comprising 21 males and 47 females. The average age was (61.15±6.24) years old, ranged from 49 to 74 years old. Among them, 41 cases involved the left side while 27 cases involved the right side. In the plate group, there were a total of 51 patients, including 18 males and 33 females. The average age was (59.78±5.71) years old ranged from 48 to 72 years old. Among them, there were 31 cases on the left side and 20 cases on the right side. The following parameters were recorded before and after the operation:operation time, intraoperative blood loss, hospitalization days, hospitalization expenses, postoperative complications, and radiographic parameters of distal radius (distal radius height, ulnar deviation angle, palmar tilt angle). The clinical efficacy was evaluated at 3 and 12 months after the operation using Gartland-Werley and disabilites of the arm shoulder and hand (DASH) scores. RESULTS: The patients in both groups were followed up for a duration from 12 to 19 months with an average of(13.32±2.02) months. The Kirschner wire group exhibited significantly shorter operation time compared to the plate group 27.91(13.00, 42.00) min vs 67.52(29.72, 105.32) min, Z=-8.74, P=0.00. Intraoperative blood loss was also significantly lower in the Kirschner wire group than in the plate group 3.24(1.08, 5.40) ml vs 21.91(17.38, 26.44) ml, Z=-9.31, P=0.00. Furthermore, patients in the Kirschner wire group had a shorter length of hospital stay compared to those in the plate group (8.38±2.63) days vs (11.40±2.78) days, t=-3.12, P=0.00. Additionally, hospitalization cost was significantly lower in the Kirschner wire group than in the plate group 10 111.29(6 738.98, 13 483.60) yuan vs 15 871.11(11 690.40, 20 051.82) yuan, Z=-5.62, P=0.00. The incidence of complications was 2 cases in the Kirschner wire group and 1 case in the plate group, with no statistically significant difference(P>0.05). At 3 months postoprative, the radial height of the Kirschner wire group was found to be significantly smaller than that of the plate group, with measurements of (11.45±1.69) mm and (12.11±1.78) mm respectively (t=-2.06, P=0.04). However, there were no statistically significant differences observed in ulnar deviation angle and palmar tilt angle between the two groups (P>0.05). The DASH score and Gartland-Werley score in the Kirschner group were significantly higher than those in the plate group at 3 months post-operation (19.10±9.89) vs (13.47±3.51), t=4.34, P=0.00;(11.15±3.61) vs (6.41±2.75), t=8.13, P=0.00). However, there was no significant difference between the two groups at 12 months post-operation (P>0.05). CONCLUSION Compared to plate internal fixation, closed reduction with Kirschner wire support fixation yields a slightly inferior recovery of radial height;however, there is no significant disparity in the functional score of the affected limb at 12 months post-operation. Nonetheless, this technique offers advantages such as shorter operation time, reduced intraoperative blood loss, decreased hospitalization duration, and lower cost.
Humans ; Female ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Aged ; Fracture Fixation, Internal/instrumentation* ; Bone Wires ; Bone Plates ; Retrospective Studies ; Colles' Fracture/surgery* ; Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures/methods* ; Open Fracture Reduction/methods* ; Osteoporotic Fractures/surgery*

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of bone density, plate bending degree and proximal screw type on the stress fracture of clavicle hook. METHODS: Three sows weighing between 45 and 50 kg were selected, from which a total of 40 rivs were collected. The 15 ribs of sows were divided into 3 groups according to bone density and bone hardness with 5 rivs in each group. And then the 3 groups were fixed with 6-hole collarbone hook plates and 3 locking screws. Measure the maximum torsion force when the ribs were fractured by force. The same size 15 rids were divided into 3 groups, named forward bending group, 0° group(the angle between the plate surface and the rib surface) and reverse bending group. All fixed with 6-hole collarbone hook plates and locking screws to measure the maximum torsion force of rib stress fracture. Then the same size 10 rids were divided into 2 groups, the normal screw group and the locking screw group with 5 ribs in each group. Both groups were fixed with 6-hole collarbone hook plates and screws. The normal screw group was a normal screw, fixed in proximal end, and two locking screws. The locking screw group was fixed by locking screws. Measure the maximum torsion force of the two groups when the ribs fracture by force. RESULTS: In the bone density experiment, the torque force of hard bone group (104.51±6.27) N was greater than the normal bone group (75.04±3.81) N(t=8.979, P<0.05). The force of normal bone group was greater than the osteoporosis group (49.99±2.12) N(t=12.832, P<0.05). In the bending collarbone hook experiment, the order of the torque force generated by each group as follow:the forward bending group (343.59±6.18) N greater than the 0° group (106.01±5.29) N(t=65.279, P<0.05) greater than the reverse bending group (95.82±4.12) N(t=3.398, P<0.05). The force of the normal screw group (98.68±0.70) N was greater than the locking screw group (50.20±0.95) N(t=91.484, P<0.05). The data comparisons of each group were statistically significant. CONCLUSION Bone density, plate bending degree and proximal screw type had an impact on stress fracture of clavicle hook plate. Higher bone density, forward bending of the steel plate, and ordinary screws in proximal end can reduce the rates of stress fractures of clavicle hooks.
Animals ; Bone Plates ; Clavicle/surgery* ; Swine ; Fractures, Stress/etiology* ; Female ; Risk Factors ; Fracture Fixation, Internal/instrumentation* ; Bone Screws ; Biomechanical Phenomena ; Bone Density

OBJECTIVES: To assess the efficacy and safety of Tiaozhou Ziyin (TZZY) recipe for treatment of premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) and explore the possible mechanisms. METHODS: We used bioinformatics analyses and network pharmacology to identify the main active ingredients in TZZY recipe and their core targets, which were verified by Western blotting. We tested the efficacy and safety of the recipe in 60 POI patients, who were randomized into control group (n=30) with Femoston treatment and TZZY group (n=30) with additional TZZY recipe treatment for 3 menstrual cycles. RESULTS: The core active ingredients of TZZY recipe included kaempferol, β-sitosterol, luteolin, and quercetin. The core targets included SRC, TP53, STAT3, PIK3CA, and MAPK3, which were involved in positive regulation of cell movement and protein phosphorylation, the cancer pathways and the PI3K-Akt signaling pathway. Molecular docking showed that the core active ingredients had good binding ability with the core targets. In female rat models of POI, TZZY recipe treatment significantly up-regulated ovarian expressions of p-PI3K and p-Akt proteins. In the clinical trial, treatment with Femoston and Femoston plus TZZY recipe both significantly increased E₂ levels and reduced FSH and LH levels and Kupperman scores of the patients, and the combined treatment produced significantly stronger effects. Both treatments increased the number of antral follicles of the patients, but the combined treatment also significantly increased the levels of AMH. CONCLUSIONS The therapeutic mechanism of TZZY recipe for POI involves multiple active ingredients, multiple therapeutic targets and multiple pathways, and activating the PI3K /Akt pathway is one of its main mechanisms of action, to improve ovarian reserve function, alleviate clinical symptoms, and enhance clinical efficacy in POI patients.
Female ; Primary Ovarian Insufficiency/drug therapy* ; Humans ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/therapeutic use* ; Animals ; Rats ; Molecular Docking Simulation ; Signal Transduction ; Sitosterols/therapeutic use* ; Kaempferols/therapeutic use*

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the effect of Astragalus (AST) on osteoporosis (OP) and the downstream mechanisms. METHODS: Human bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (hBMSCs) were induced to differentiate into osteogenic cells. After transfection with relevant plasmids, cell proliferation, cell cycle progression, and apoptosis were assessed. Alizarin red staining was used to detect calcium nodules in the cells, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) staining was used to detect ALP activity in the cells, and quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and western blotting were used to determine RUNX2 and Osterix expression levels. An OP rat model was established using ovariectomy and micro-computed tomography scanning. Hematoxylin and eosin staining and Masson's trichrome staining were used to evaluate the pathological conditions of bone tissues, while immunohistochemistry was conducted to detect RUNX2 in bone tissues. RESULTS: AST promoted the osteogenic differentiation of BMSCs, reduced miR-181d-5p expression levels, and increased SOX11 expression levels. Restoring miR-181d-5p expression or reducing SOX11 expression levels reversed the effects of AST on the osteogenic differentiation of hBMSCs. miR-181d-5p was found to target SOX11 in hBMSCs. AST improved OP in rats, and miR-181d-5p overexpression or SOX11 inhibition reversed the therapeutic effects of AST on OP in rats. CONCLUSION AST promoted the osteogenic differentiation of hBMSCs and alleviated OP by targeting SOX11 via miR-181d-5p.
Osteogenesis/drug effects* ; Animals ; MicroRNAs/genetics* ; Mesenchymal Stem Cells/drug effects* ; Osteoporosis/drug therapy* ; Humans ; Cell Differentiation/drug effects* ; Astragalus Plant/chemistry* ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Female ; SOXC Transcription Factors/genetics* ; Plant Extracts/pharmacology* ; Cells, Cultured ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal/pharmacology*

Objective Viral encephalitis is an infectious disease severely affecting human health.It is caused by a wide variety of viral pathogens,including herpes viruses,flaviviruses,enteroviruses,and other viruses.The laboratory diagnosis of viral encephalitis is a worldwide challenge.Recently,high-throughput sequencing technology has provided new tools for diagnosing central nervous system infections.Thus,In this study,we established a multipathogen detection platform for viral encephalitis based on amplicon sequencing. Methods We designed nine pairs of specific polymerase chain reaction(PCR)primers for the 12 viruses by reviewing the relevant literature.The detection ability of the primers was verified by software simulation and the detection of known positive samples.Amplicon sequencing was used to validate the samples,and consistency was compared with Sanger sequencing. Results The results showed that the target sequences of various pathogens were obtained at a coverage depth level greater than 20×,and the sequence lengths were consistent with the sizes of the predicted amplicons.The sequences were verified using the National Center for Biotechnology Information BLAST,and all results were consistent with the results of Sanger sequencing. Conclusion Amplicon-based high-throughput sequencing technology is feasible as a supplementary method for the pathogenic detection of viral encephalitis.It is also a useful tool for the high-volume screening of clinical samples.

Objective To explore the clinical characteristics of patients with alcoholic liver disease(ALD)of various traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)syndrome types.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted in 129 patients with alcoholic liver disease who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria in Foshan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine from 2018 to 2022.The general data of the patients as well as their TCM syndrome types and clinical information of liver and kidney function,blood lipid,liver transient elastography during the hospital visit were collected.The distribution of TCM syndrome types in ALD patients was analyzed,and the clinical characteristics of the ALD patients with various TCM syndrome types were explored.Results(1)Of the 129 patients,128(99.22%)were male and only one(0.78%)was female,the average age was(48.71±11.50)years old,and the average body mass index(BMI)was(23.82±3.98)kg·m-2.(2)Damp-heat accumulation syndrome was most common syndrome type in ALD patients,with a total of 70 cases(54.26%),and then came liver depression and spleen deficiency syndrome(24 cases,18.60%),internal obstruction of phlegm-damp syndrome(22 cases,17.05%),liver-kidney sufficiency syndrome(7 cases,5.43%),phlegm interweaved with blood stasis syndrome(3 cases,2.33%),and internal accumulation of blood stasis syndrome(3 cases,2.33%).(3)The analysis of clinical characteristics by non-parametric rank sum test showed that there were no statistically significant differences in BMI,alcohol consumption,aspartate aminotransferase(AST),gamma-glutamyltransferase(GGT),total bilirubin(TBIL),alkaline phosphatase(ALP),triglyceride(TG),liver stiffness measurement(LSM),and controlled attenuation parameter(CAP)which reflects the fat content of liver in ALD patients with various TCM syndrome types(P＜0.05 or P＜0.01).The prominent features were as follows:patients with the 4 types of liver depression and spleen deficiency,internal obstruction of phlegm-damp,phlegm interweaved with blood stasis,and internal accumulation of blood stasis had a BMI exceeding the standard(＞24 kg·m-2),whereas patients with damp-heat accumulation syndrome and liver-kidney deficiency syndrome,which accounted for 54.26%of the sample size,had a BMI within the normal range(23.03 kg·m-2 and 21.42 kg·m-2,respectively),and the BMI of these two types differed from that(26.44 kg·m-2)of the internal obstruction of phlegm-damp syndrome(P＜0.01),suggesting that more than half of the ALD patients had the normal BMI;moreover,the patients with internal obstruction of phlegm-damp also had the highest values of serum TG(2.69 mmol/L)and CAP(292 db/m)except for the highest BMI,indicating that patients with internal obstruction of phlegm-damp syndrome had a more serious degree of obesity and hepatic fat infiltration than those with other syndrome types;the levels of AST and GGT,which separately reflect the chronic inflammatory injury of liver and bile duct cell injury,were significantly increased in the patients with damp-heat accumulation syndrome and liver-kidney deficiency syndrome,and the LSM value of these two types of patients was also the highest in all of the syndrome types,the differences being all statistically significant(P＜0.05 or P＜0.01).Conclusion Damp-heat accumulation syndrome is the main TCM syndrome type of ALD patients,the degree of fatty infiltration of the liver and overweight of ALD patients are not corresponded to the severity of illness,and there are some differences in the clinical indicators of ALD patients with various TCM syndrome types.However,with cross reference to the data of the four diagnostic examinations of TCM and the clinical indicators,the accuracy of the TCM diagnosis of ALD is expected to be increased.