Objective:To establish a lumbosacral triangle (composed of L 5 transverse process, S 1 superior articular process, sacral ala and iliac crest) classification and to guide L 5S 1 endoscopic surgery. Methods:A total of 647 patients with low back pain who admitted to Tianjin Hospital from January 2016 to October 2018 were retrospectively analyzed, including 315 males and 332 females, aged 42.9±15.1 years (range, 19-74 years). The L 5 transverse process sacral distance (TSD), inter trans-verse process length (ITL), interlaminar width (ILW), interlaminar height (ILH), iliosacral angle (ISA), iliac crest height (IH), intervertebral space height (ISH), intervertebral foramen height (IFH), and intervertebral foramen width (IFW) were measured based on lumbar spine anterior-posterior and lateral radiographs. Spearman correlation analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis were used to establish the lumbosacral triangle classification. A total of 822 patients underwent endoscopic L 5S 1 surgery based on lumbosacral triangle classification guidance and verification in Tianjin Hospital from January 2020 to December 2022, including 421 males and 401 females, aged 45.1±16.7 years (range, 15-79 years). The visual analogue scale (VAS) and Oswestry disability index (ODI) were compared before and after surgery, and the Macnab criteria were used to assess surgical outcomes. Results:Spearman correlation analysis showed positive correlations between IH and ISA ( r=0.75, P<0.001), IFH and IFW ( r=0.60, P<0.001), TSD and IFH ( r=0.53, P<0.001), and TSD and IFW ( r=0.40, P<0.001). There was a negative correlation between TSD and IH ( r=-0.46, P<0.001), TSD and ISA ( r=-0.42, P<0.001), IFW and ISA ( r=-0.41, P<0.001), IFW and IH ( r=-0.50, P<0.001), IFH and IH ( r=-0.42, P<0.001). According to Spearman correlation analysis, hierarchical cluster analysis and receiver operating characteristic curve, lumbosacral angle was divided into three types: Type 1, L5 transverse process overlapped with sacral alar; Type 2, 07 mm. Based on lumbosacral triangle classification, different endoscopic techniques were used at L5S1 in 822 patients, including interlaminar approach single-axis endoscopy, trans-foraminal approach single-axis endoscopy, trans-foraminal fenestration approach mobile microendoscopy and unilateral biportal endoscopy, the VAS and ODI of all the patients decreased than those preoperative in immediate postoperative period, half a year postoperative period and the final follow up, and the difference was statistically significant ( P<0.05). At the last follow-up, the Macnab score was excellent in 278 cases, good in 475 cases, and fair in 69 cases, with an excellent and good rate of 91.6% (753/822). Conclusion:Lumbosacral triangle classification is simple and practical, and can effectively guide L5S1 endoscopic surgery.

Objective:To establish an artificial intelligence-based surgical selection system utilizing deep learning to assist in the decision-making process for lumbar endoscopic surgery.Methods:General data of 1,110 patients who underwent percutaneous transforaminal endoscopic discectomy, 804 patients who underwent percutaneous interlaminar endoscopic discectomy, 923 patients who underwent mobile microendoscopic discectomy and 623 patients who underwent unilateral biportal endoscopic in Tianjin Hospital from January 2018 to June 2023 were included in the study. Clinical outcomes were assessed using the visual analogue scale (VAS) for leg and back pain, the Oswestry disability index (ODI), and MacNab criteria both before surgery and 12 months postoperatively. Using a random number table method, patients were divided into a training dataset (2,768 cases) and a test dataset (692 cases) at a ratio of 4∶1. Patient clinical symptoms, physical signs, and multi-modal imaging data were input into a deep learning model. This model was structured into three main modules: intervertebral disc detection, surgical necessity identification, and surgical recommendation. The final surgical method was determined using a convolutional neural network incorporating U-Net for segmentation and ResNet for classification. The accuracy and recall rates of each module were evaluated using the test dataset.Results:Compared to preoperative values, all patients showed significant improvements at the 12-month postoperative follow-up. For patients who underwent percutaneous transforaminal endoscopic discectomy, percutaneous interlaminar endoscopic discectomy, mobile microendoscopic discectomy, and unilateral biportal endoscopic surgery, the VAS scores for leg pain decreased from 7.69±0.80, 7.82±0.88, 7.62±0.69, and 7.56±1.00 preoperatively to 1.44±1.09, 1.35±0.82, 1.51±1.08, and 1.43±0.91 postoperatively. Similarly, the VAS scores for back pain decreased from 5.73±0.83, 6.17±0.99, 6.11±0.88, and 6.46±0.95 to 0.93±0.75, 1.01±0.67, 1.40±0.72, and 1.27±0.70, respectively. Additionally, the ODI significantly decreased from 39.91%±4.50%, 40.05%±8.05%, 47.08%±9.50%, and 44.43%±4.71% preoperatively to 5.77%±2.22%, 6.05%±2.31%, 8.51%±2.16%, and 9.51%±3.70% postoperatively, with all differences being statistically significant ( P<0.05). The excellent rate according to the MacNab criteria was 93.12% (3,222/3,460). In the deep learning model, the multi-modal data of 2,768 patients were input in the training set for deep learning to form a surgical identification and operation recommendation system, and the preoperative data of 692 patients were input in the test set to compare with the final operation method. In the intervertebral disc location module, the accuracy of location and designation of the five lumbar intervertebral discs was 97.1%(672/692). In the module of intervertebral disc need for surgery, the accuracy was 94.8%(3,280/3,460) and the recall rate was 91.9%(636/692). As for patients, the accuracy rate was 91.9%(636/692). In the operation recommendation module, the accuracy rate of operation recommendation based on intervertebral disc was 89.5%(569/636), and the accuracy rate of surgical recommendation based on patient was 82.2%(569/692). Conclusion:In this study, an artificial intelligent surgical procedures selection system based on deep learning was established, which could effectively integrate relevant data and accurately guide the selection of lumbar endoscopic surgery.

Objective To explore the gene expression profile in paraspinal muscle degeneration(PMD)and identify key ferroptosis genes.Methods RNA sequencing was performed on paraspinal muscle tissue of 3 normal and 3 PMD patients respectively to obtain differentially expressed genes.Through protein-protein interaction(PPI)and gene functional enrichment analysis,the intersection of ferroptosis genes was identified to identify key hub genes associated with ferroptosis.The diagnostic value for PMD disease was analyzed by receiver operating characteristic(ROC)curves.Results A total of 292 differentially expressed genes were identified in PMD.Among them,125 genes were significantly downregulated and 167 genes were significantly upregulated.Bioinformatics analysis revealed that 14 differentially expressed genes were associated with ferroptosis.Among them,ferroptosis genes MUC1,ATF3 and CDKN1A were key hub genes with good specificity and sensitivity for diagnosing PMD.Functional enrichment analysis revealed that they may mediate the occurrence and progression of PMD by regulating cell apoptosis,ferroptosis and skeletal muscle tissue development and differentiation.Conclusion Ferroptosis genes MUC1,ATF3 and CDKN1A can serve as biomarkers for diagnosing PMD,providing theoretical basis for decoding the pathological mechanism of PMD and developing new drugs.

The diagnostic technology of acute stroke by microwave imaging has the advantages of being non-ionizing, fast, small, and low-cost. Therefore, this technology is expected to become an auxiliary or alternative means to CT and MRI technology. As the signal transmitting and receiving device of the microwave imaging system, the antenna has an important influence on the performance of the imaging system. At present, there are many antennas with different performances used in imaging systems, but there is a lack of clear evaluation criteria for them. In this paper, several typical antennas were introduced, their advantages and disadvantages from the perspective of bandwidth and near-field were analyzed, and the common requirements of imaging systems for antennas and the performance indicators of various types of imaging systems were summarized. Moreover, the development trend of antenna technology for microwave imaging was pointed out to provide a reference for the study of stroke microwave imaging technology.

Low back pain (LBP) is a common clinical condition, and non-specific LBP is believed to be associated with lumbar instability caused by paraspinal muscle (PSM) degeneration. Therefore, MRI evaluation of PSM degeneration can help predict the progression of low back pain-related diseases. At present, the most commonly used MRI parameters are the cross-sectional area (CSA) and fat infiltration (FI) of PSM. In order to assess the degree of PSM degeneration more accurately, modified parameters including functional CSA, relative CSA and muscle-fat infiltration index (MFI), have been designed. Advancements in MRI technology,such as the application of IDEAL-IQ, allow for early detection of changes in fat infiltration. Additionally, the proton density fat fraction (PDFF) derived from chemical shift encoding based water-fat MRI (CSE-MRI), also shows promise in studying PSM. Numerous MRI studies, both domestically and internationally, have aimed to establish the relationship between PSM degeneration and non-specific LBP, lumbar degenerative diseases, degenerative lumbar scoliosis, and osteoporosis. It has been found that PSM degeneration is affected by other factors such as intervertebral disc, articular process and endplate degeneration. Furthermore, PSM degeneration and scoliosis/kyphosis are also reciprocal causation. Higher fat content in the vertebral body and PSM is associated with increased bone fragility, while vertebroplasty following osteoporotic vertebral fracture can delay PSM degeneration and improve quality of life.

Objective:To evaluate the value and efficacy of microscope-assisted minimally invasive anterior lumbar discectomy and zero-profile fusion (ALDF) for lumbar degenerative diseases.Methods:Anterior lumbar distractors were designed to maintain the distraction of intervertebral space and expose the posterior edge of the intervertebral space. From June 2018 to December 2020, 41 cases of lumbar degenerative diseases were treated with this operation, including 19 men and 22 women, aged 29-71 years old (average 42.1 years old). All patients had intractable low back pain. Imaging examination showed lumbar disc degeneration with narrow intervertebral space, including disc herniation with Modic changes in 7 cases, spinal stenosis with instability in 16 cases and spondylolisthesis in 18 cases. The involved levels included L 2,3 in 1 case, L 3,4 in 3 cases, L 2-L 4 in 1 case, L 4,5 in 17 cases and L 5S 1 in 19 cases. An incision was taken that was pararectus for L 2-L 4 and transverse for L 4-S 1, with the intervertebral disc exposed via extraperitoneal approach. The intervertebral space was released and distracted after discectomy in intervertebral space, and self-made distractors were used to maintain the space. Under microscope, the herniation, posterior annulus and osteophyte were removed for sufficient decompression, with a suitable self-anchoring cage implanted into the intervertebral space. The visual analogue score (VAS), Oswestry dysfunction index (ODI), intervertebral space height, lordosis angle and spondylolisthesis rate were evaluated. Results:Operations were performed successfully in all the patients. The operation time was 70-120 min with an average of 90 min, and the intraoperative blood loss was 15-70 ml with an average of 30 ml. No severe complication such as nerve or blood vessel injury occurred. The patients were followed up for 12 to 36 months, with an average of 18 months. At the last follow-up, VAS decreased from 6.4±2.3 to 1.1±0.9, and ODI decreased from 44.9%±16.9% to 5.8%±4.7%. Intervertebral space height recovered from 7.2±2.8 mm to 12.1±2.1 mm and lordosis angle recovered from 6.9°±4.8° to 10.1°±4.6°. X-ray showed significant recovery of intervertebral space height, lordosis angle and spondylolisthesis rate, with obvious interbody fusion and no displacement of cage. For 18 patients of spondylolisthesis, the slippage recovered from 16.6%±9.3% to 7.6%±5.3%, with an average improvement of 54.2%.Conclusion:Microscope-assisted minimally invasive ALDF can provide sufficient decompression and zero-profile fusion for lumbar degenerative diseases with satisfactory results during short-term follow-up.

Objective:To evaluate the safety and validity of enriched autologous bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) and annular suture for repairing defect after lumbar discectomy.Methods:Enrichment of autologous BMSCs: autologous bone marrow blood was collected from 5 patients undergoing lumbar surgery, and nucleated cells were enriched on gelatin sponge particles by selective cell retention technique. From October 2016 to March 2019, 109 patients with lumbar disc herniation underwent discectomy with mobile microendoscopic discectomy technique, including 61 males and 48 females, aged 24-59 years. Discectomy group: 26 cases received simple discectomy. Suture group: 39 cases received annular suture after discectomy. BMSCs+suture group: 44 cases received intradisc transplantation of gelatin sponge particles enriched with autologous BMSCs and annular suture after discectomy. The perioperative conditions were recorded, with visual analogue scale (VAS), Oswestry dysfunction index (ODI), Pfirrmann grade of disc degeneration, disc height and degree of herniationevaluated after operation.Results:In enrichment test with flow cytometry, the enrichment multiple of nucleated cells and target cells was 6.4±0.9 and 4.2±0.6 respectively, and BMSCs grew well in vitro. The operation time was 35-55 mins. 7 cases in the suture group were transferred to the discectomy group and 10 cases in the BMSCs+suture group were transferred to BMSCs group due to unsuccessful suture. There were no significant differences in VAS, ODI, Pfirrmann grade of disc degeneration, disc height and degree of herniation among the groups. There was no significant difference in intraoperative bleeding, postoperative drainage and length of hospital stay. The incision was healed without redness and swelling. 18 patients were followed up for 6 months, and 91 cases were followed up for 1-3 years (25.0±5.6 months). There was no interbody fusion, heterotopic ossification or infection during follow-up. VAS and ODI decreased significantly after operation in all patients. At final follow-up, the VAS improvement rate of BMSCs+suture group (81.7%±7.9%) was higher than discectomy group (73.0%±8.9%), suture group (74.0%±6.9%) and BMSCs group (75.3%±8.4%); the ODI improvement rate of BMSCs+suture group (91.9%±8.8%) was higher than discectomy group (86.2%±8.1%) and suture group (86.4%±5.5%). According to MRI, the Pfirrmann grade of disc increased 0.7 in discectomy group, 0.6 in suture group, while it did not increased significantly in BMSCs+suture group and BMSCs group, and the progress of Pfirrmann grade in BMSCs+suture group and BMSCs group were lighter than discectomy group and suture group.The disc height decreased in each group, the loss rate of disc height in BMSCs+suture group (17.2%±4.3%) was less than discectomy group (29.3%± 6.3%) and suture group (20.6%±5.7%); and suture group was less than discectomy group. The degree of herniation was reduced by more than 50% in all groups, while 1 case in discectomy group had herniation without clinical symptoms.Conclusion:Autologous BMSCs and annulus suture are safe and effective in repairing the defect after lumbar discectomy, which may help to slow down the degeneration of intervertebral disc.

Objective:To compare the diagnostic values of C-TIRADS, ACR-TIRADS and EU-TIRADS.Methods:According to the classification methods of the 3 guidelines, the ultrasonographic features of 283 thyroid nodules from 266 patients in Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital from January 2019 to June 2020 were analyzed retrospectively. The pathological results were taken as the gold standard, the malignant percentage of different classification was calculated, the ROC curve was plotted, the area under the ROC curve (AUC) and the best diagnostic cut-off value were calculated, and the diagnostic values of the three guidelines were compared. According to the FNA recommendations of the guidelines, the recommended number of thyroid nodules and the detection rate of malignant nodules in different guidelines were analyzed.Results:The AUCs of C-TIRADS, ACR-TIRADS and EU-TIRADS were 0.80, 0.66, 0.61, respectively. The AUC of C-TIRADS was higher than those of ACR-TIRADS and EU-TIRADS ( P<0.001, P<0.001). The best diagnostic cutoff values of C-TIRADS, ACR-TIRADS and EU-TIRADS were 4C, 5 and 5, respectively. Under the critical points, the sensitivities of the 3 guidelines were 95.27%, 98.10%, 99.53%, the specificities were 54.17%, 33.33%, 20.83%, respectively. There was no significant difference in the number of FNA recommendations among the 3 guidelines(all P>0.05), their FNA recommendations were highly consistent (Kappa>0.9). Conclusions:The diagnostic value of C-TIRADS in the classification of benign and malignant thyroid nodules is higher than those of ACR-TIRADS and EU-TIRADS. The best critical value for diagnosis of thyroid nodules is C-TIRADS 4C. The three guidelines are similar in the number of FNA recommendations and the detection rate of malignancy.

Objective:To establish the prediction model of postoperative Gleason score (GS) risk of prostatic cancer (PCa), and to compare the diagnostic efficacy of the model and each independent risk factor for PCa medium-high risk group.Methods:The clinical data of 362 patients who accepted transrectal prostate biopsy in the Run Run Shaw Hospital Affiliated to Zhejiang University School of Medicine from January 2018 to December 2019 were analyzed retrospectively, and a total of 343 patients with prostate cancer who met the enrollment criteria were selected. According to the GS grading system, these patients were divided into low risk group, moderate risk group and high risk group. At first, the single factor analysis and Spearman rank correlation were used to find out the effective indicators with good correlation with GS risk. Then, multiple linear regression equation was applied for multi-factor analysis to obtain the independent risk factors and the prediction model for predicting GS risk, and then the ROC curve was used to compare the diagnostic efficacy of each independent risk factor and prediction model for PCa medium-high risk group.Results:In the single factor analysis, the differences of all indicators in GS risk were statistically significant (all P<0.05). In the correlation analysis with GS risk, except for the indicators of prostate volume (all P>0.05), the other indexes had linear correlations with the different risks of GS (all P<0.05). Among them, the total prostate specific antigen and two-dimensional ultrasound (2D-US) score showed moderate positive correlations( rs=0.402, 0.579, all P<0.001), contrast enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) score showed a high positive correlation ( rs=0.709, P<0.001), and the rest indexes showed low positive correlations. Multiple linear regression was used to obtain two independent risk factors of 2D-US score ( X1) and CEUS score ( X2) for the prediction of GS risk, then, a prediction model was established: Y=0.863+ 0.066 X1+ 0.27 X2, the corresponding linear coefficient differences were statistically significant(all P<0.05). By the ROC analysis, the areas under the curves of 2D-US score, CEUS score and the prediction model were 0.838, 0.906 and 0.907, respectively. Conclusions:2D-US score and CEUS score are independent risk factors for predicting postoperative GS risk, and the diagnostic efficacy of the prediction model is higher than those of the 2D-US score and CEUS score for the medium-high risk group.

The purpose of this study is to provide a culture for mouse bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDM) and peritoneal macrophages (PM) and to characterize their molecular and cellular biology. The cell number and purity from the primary culture were assessed by cell counter and flow cytometry, respectively. Morphological features were evaluated by inverted microscope. Phagocytosis by macrophages was detected by the neutral red dye uptake assay. Phenotypic markers were analyzed by real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR. Our results show that the cell number was much higher from culture of BMDM than PM, while there was no significant difference regarding the percentage of F4/80+CD11b+ cells (98.30%±0.53% vs. 94.83%±1.42%; P>0.05). The proliferation rate of BMDM was significantly higher than PM in the presence of L929 cell conditioned medium, by using CCK-8 assay. However, PM appeared to adhere to the flask wall and extend earlier than BMDM. The phagocytosis capability of un-stimulated BMDM was significantly higher than PM, as well as lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated BMDM, except the BMDM stimulated by low dose LPS (0.1 μg/mL). Furthermore, Tnfα expression was significantly higher in un-stimulated BMDM than PM, while Arg1 and Ym1 mRNA expression were significantly lower than PM. The expression difference was persistent if stimulated by LPS+IFN-γ or IL-4. Our data indicate that bone marrow can get larger amounts of macrophages than peritoneal cavity. However, it should be aware that the molecular and cellular characteristics were different between these two culture systems.
Animals ; Bone Marrow Cells ; physiology ; Cells, Cultured ; Culture Media, Conditioned ; Lipopolysaccharides ; metabolism ; Macrophages ; classification ; physiology ; Mice ; Phagocytosis