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.

Objective:To explore the role and mechanism of miR-485-5p targeted regulation of WNT7B in regulating osteogenic differentiation of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cell (BMSC). Methods:15 osteoporotic patients who underwent hip replacement due to hip fracture in Tianjin Hospital from January to October 2023 were collected, and bone tissues in the femoral head in the area of reduced bone density detected by the dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) method were collected (osteoporosis group); 15 patients who underwent joint replacement due to osteoarthritis were matched according to their age and body mass index, and bone tissues in the femoral head in the area of normal bone density were collected (no osteoporosis group). MiR-485-5p and WNT7B were detected using qRT-PCR technology; the target genes and potential mechanisms of miR-485-5p were predicted using bioinformatics technology, and the relationship between miR-485-5p and WNT7B was analyzed by dual luciferase reporter system. The miR-485-5p overexpression (mimic) and inhibitor (inhibitor) were constructed and divided into control, miR-485-5p group and miR-485-5p inhibitor group. After alkaline phosphatase staining (ALP) and alizarin red staining (ARS), osteogenesis-related proteins were detected by Western blot (ALP, BMP-2, Runx2, OPN, OCN); expression of osteogenic proteins was detected by transfection of miR-485-5p inhibitor and WNT7B siRNA into BMSC. Results:The relative expression of miR-485-5p in the osteoporosis group was 7.54±0.49, which was higher than that in the no-osteoporosis group with significant difference ( t=4.11, P<0.001), while the relative expression of WNT7B was significantly lower ( t=3.38, P<0.001), which was negatively correlated with miR-485-5p; bioinformatics analysis found that miR-485-5p targeted 666 genes, miR-485-5p could bind the 3'UTR of WNT7B, and the main mechanism was related to the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway; ALP activity and calcium deposition were reduced in the miR-485-5p group compared with the control group, and ALP, BMP-2, Runx2, OPN, OCN, WNT7B and β-catenin proteins were 0.78±0.13, 0.68±0.16, 0.59±0.19, 0.54±0.14, 0.74±0.12, 0.49±0.17, 0.52±0.19, respectively, which were significantly reduced compared with the control group ( t=3.214, P<0.001; t=3.637, P<0.001; t=3.479, P<0.001; t=4.062, P<0.001; t=4.271, P<0.001; t=4.164, P<0.001; t=4.621, P<0.001), and ALP activity, calcium deposition were reduced; ALP, BMP-2, Runx2, OPN, OCN in miR-485-5p inhibition group, WNT7B and β-catenin protein relative expression were 1.29±0.21, 1.24±0.19, 1.16±0.24, 1.31±0.27, 1.45±0.25, 1.05±0.19, 1.41±0.26, respectively, which were significantly higher compared with the control group ( t=3.156, P<0.001; t=3.645, P<0.001; t=3.473, P<0.001; t=3.954, P<0.001; t=4.006, P<0.001; t=3.889, P<0.001; t=4.513, P<0.001). The relative expression of OPN, WNT7B and β-catenin proteins in the miR-485-5p inhibition group were 1.42±0.21, 1.38±0.32, 1.16±0.2.ALP activity was significantly lower in the miR-485-5p inhibition+WNT7Bi group, with lighter ARS staining, fewer bone deposits, and reduced bone-forming related proteins OPN, WNT7B and β-catenin relative expression of 1.08±0.19, 0.71±0.22, and 0.84±0.25, which were all significantly reduced ( t=3.675, P<0.001; t=3.401, P<0.001; t=3.354, P<0.001). Conclusion:MiR-485-5p overexpression slowed down the process of osteogenic differentiation and caused down-regulation of the expression of related proteins, whereas miR-485-5p inhibition promoted osteogenic differentiation and was negatively correlated with WNT7B in the bone tissues of osteoporosis patients. MiR-485-5p binds to the WNT7B mRNA target, which in turn influences the expression of related proteins of WNT7B, and the mechanism of its action is that miR-485-5p targeted to regulate WNT7B-mediated Wnt/β-catenin signalling pathway inhibits BMSC osteogenic differentiation.

Objective:To explore the risk factors for complications related to internal fixation after Inter-Tan intramedullary nail fixation in the treatment of intertrochanteric fractures in elderly patients.Methods:A retrospective cohort study was conducted to analyze the clinical data of 314 elderly patients with intertrochanteric fractures admitted to the Seventh Medical Center of the Chinese PLA General Hospital from January 2016 to December 2020, including 100 males and 214 females, aged 60-98 years [(80.2±8.2)years]. All the patients underwent Inter-Tan intramedullary nail fixation. According to the 2018 AO/OTA classification, 103 patients were with stable fractures and 211 with unstable fractures. The patients were further divided into complication groups and non-complication groups according to the presence of the complications during the follow-up. Six patients (5.8%) with stable fractures had the complications including nonunion in 4 and cut-out in 2. Twenty-eight patients (13.3%) with unstable fractures developed the complications, including nonunion in 5, cut-out in 20, cut-through in 1, and broken nails in 2. With the internal fixation-related complications after surgery as dependent variables, and gender, age, complications [hypertension, coronary heart disease, arrhythmia, pulmonary infection, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), renal insufficiency, diabetes], bone density, waiting time for surgery, anesthesia method, reduction method, reduction quality, tip-apex distance, head screw displacement and other influencing factors as independent variables, univariate and multivariate Logistic regression analyses were conducted on the patients with stable fractures and unstable fractures separately to screen the independent risk factors of internal fixation-related complications.Results:For the patients with stable fractures, the univariate analysis indicated significant differences in bone density and reduction quality between the complication group and non-complication group ( P<0.05 or 0.01); the multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that bone density T value ≤-3.0 SD ( OR=33.17, 95% CI 2.40, 457.82, P<0.01) and poor reduction quality ( OR=71.38, 95% CI 3.58, 1 422.02, P<0.01) were significantly correlated with the incidence of the postoperative complications. For the patients with unstable fractures, the univariate analysis indicated significant differences in age, reduction quality, bone density, tip-apex distance, and screw displacement between the complication group and non-complication group ( P<0.05 or 0.01); the multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that age >80 years ( OR=2.82, 95% CI 1.01, 7.93, P<0.05), bone density T value ≤-3.0 SD ( OR=6.10, 95% CI 2.06, 17.51, P<0.01), poor reduction quality ( OR=12.25, 95% CI 2.90, 51.79, P<0.01), tip-apex distance ≥25 mm ( OR=3.65, 95% CI 1.20, 11.08, P<0.05), and head screw displacement <4 mm ( OR=7.26, 95% CI 2.54, 20.81, P<0.01) were significantly correlated with the postoperative complications. Conclusion:For Inter-Tan intramedullary nail fixation of intertrochanteric fractures in elderly patients, low bone density and poor reduction quality are independent risk factors for the postoperative complications in patients with stable intertrochanteric fractures; old age, low bone density, poor reduction quality, tip-apex distance, and head screw displacement are independent risk factors for the postoperative complications in patients with unstable fractures.

Objective:To explore the risk factors for heart failure after hip fracture surgery in the elderly patients and the impact of heart failure on their prognosis.Methods:A retrospective study was conducted to analyze the data of 1,478 elderly patients with hip fracture who had been admitted to The 7th Medical Center, General Hospital of the Chinese People's Liberation Army from January 2012 to December 2019. There were 482 males and 996 females with an age of 81 (75, 90) years. The patients were divided into a failure group and a failure-free group based on whether they had experienced any heart failure during postoperative hospitalization. After the clinical data were compared between the 2 groups, the variables with P<0.05 were included in the following multivariate logistic regression analysis to determine the risk factors for postoperative heart failure in the elderly patients with hip fracture. The mortality rates at 30 days and 1 year after operation, hospital stay, and incidence of postoperative complications were compared between the 2 groups. Results:Postoperative heart failure occurred in 7.0% (104/1,478) of the patients. The multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that advanced age ( OR=1.035, 95% CI: 1.006 to 1.065, P=0.018), male ( OR=1.727, 95% CI: 1.125 to 2.651, P=0.012), arrhythmia ( OR=1.830, 95% CI: 1.104 to 3.031, P=0.019), a high volume of blood transfusion ( OR=1.100, 95% CI: 1.001 to 1.209, P=0.048), and preoperative use of anticoagulant or antiplatelet drugs ( OR=1.921, 95% CI: 1.053 to 3.505, P=0.033) were risk factors for postoperative heart failure in the elderly patients with hip fracture. In the failure group, the mortality rates at 30 days and 1 year after operation were 9.6% (10/104) and 22.1% (23/104), and the incidence of postoperative complications was 32.7% (34/104), all significantly higher than those in the failure-free group [3.6% (49/1,374), 13.8% (190/1,374), and 17.5% (241/1,374)] ( P<0.05). The hospitalization time for the failure group was 14 (11, 19) days, significantly longer than that for the failure-free group [11 (9, 15) days] ( P<0.05). Conclusions:Advanced age, male, arrhythmia, a high volume of blood transfusion, and preoperative use of anticoagulant or antiplatelet drugs are risk factors for heart failure in the elderly patients after hip fracture surgery. Patients with heart failure may face poor prognosis, a high mortality rate, multiple complications, and long hospital stay.

Objective:To compare the failure risks between restricted and unrestricted cephalomedullary nail sliding during InterTAN intramedullary nail fixation for intertrochanteric fractures in the elderly patients.Methods:A retrospective study was conducted to analyze the data of 192 elderly patients with intertrochanteric fracture who had been admitted to Department of Orthopaedics, The Seventh Medical Center, General Hospital of the People's Liberation Army from January 2021 to December 2022. The patients were divided into 2 groups based on whether the set screws were tightened or not during surgery. In the observation group of 78 cases, there were 31 males and 47 females with an age of (80.2±7.7) years, and 23 cases of type 31-A1 and 55 cases of type 31-A2 by the AO classification. Their set screws were not tightened during surgery to allow the cephalomedullary nail sliding. In the control group of 114 cases, there were 40 males and 74 females with an age of (81.6±7.8) years, and 42 cases of type 31-A1 and 72 cases of type 31-A2. Their set screws were tightened during surgery to restrict the cephalomedullary nail sliding. The incidence of postoperative fixation complications and sliding distances of the cephalomedullary nail within 1 year after surgery were compared between the 2 groups in the total fractures and in the stable and unstable fractures as well.Results:There was no statistically significant difference in the preoperative general data between the 2 groups of patients, indicating comparability ( P>0.05). The incidence of fixation complications within 1 year after surgery was 5.1% (4/78) for the observation group and 12.3% (14/114) for the control group, showing no statistically significant difference between the 2 groups ( P>0.05). The sliding distance of the cephalomedullary nail in the observation group [7.05 (6.00, 8.25) mm] was significantly larger than that in the control group [5.65 (3.55, 7.00) mm] ( P<0.05). For stable fractures, the incidence of fixation complications within 1 year after surgery was 7.1% (2/28) for the observation group and 7.0% (3/43) for the control group, showing no statistically significant difference ( P>0.05), and the sliding distance of the cephalomedullary nail in the observation group [6.00 (5.25, 7.00) mm] was significantly greater than that in the control group [3.05 (2.00, 5.00) mm] ( P<0.05). For unstable fractures, the incidence of fixation complications within 1 year after surgery for the observation group patients [4.0% (2/50)] was significantly lower than that for the control group patients [15.5% (11/71)], and the sliding distance of the cephalomedullary nail in the observation group [8.00 (6.70, 10.00) mm] was significantly greater than that in the control group [6.00 (4.87, 7.57) mm] ( P<0.05). Conclusions:In the InterTAN intramedullary nail fixation for intertrochanteric fractures in the elderly patients, tightening of set screws is crucial because it not only increases the stability but also limits compression at the fracture site. It is recommended not to tighten the set screws for unstable fractures, but further observation is needed before it can be determined whether the set screws should be tightened or not for stable fractures.

Objective:To analyze the genetic features of homologous Robertsonian translocation trisomy 21.Methods:This retrospective analysis involved 12 pedigrees in which singleton fetuses were prenatally diagnosed with homologous Robertsonian translocation trisomy 21 [46,XX/XY,+21,der(21;21)(q10;q10)] at the Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region from January 2012 to January 2023. Moreover, karyotype analysis results of the parental peripheral blood were obtained. The prenatal diagnosis results and genetic features in the 12 pedigrees were summarized using descriptive statistical analysis.Results:Among the 12 pedigrees, eight cases were de novo and the other four were maternally inherited. Three mothers in the four inherited cases had homologous Robertsonian translocation trisomy 21 and the other one was a homologous Robertsonian translocation carrier. The karyotypes of the four fathers were all normal. There were three families with multiple children, two of the couples with normal karyotypes had normal children, and the other couple had a child with homologous Robertsonian translocation trisomy 21 that was inherited from the mother with the same type of trisomy 21. Non-invasive prenatal testing was performed in two pedigrees during this pregnancy and the results showed that one case was at low risk and one was at high risk of trisomy 21. Further testing of the placenta after labor induction confirmed the low-risk case with low proportion of mosaic trisomy 21 (the proportion was 21% on the maternal side of the placenta and 9% on the fetal side). Conclusions:Most cases of homologous Robertsonian translocation trisomy 21 are de nove and few are inherited. Parents of probands with homologous Robertsonian translocation trisomy 21 should be routinely advised to undergo peripheral blood chromosome examination to find out whether they are carriers of homologous Robertsonian translocation.

Objective:To explore the risk factors of heart failure within 1 year after surgery for hip fracture in the elderly.Methods:A retrospective cohort study was conducted to analyze the clinical data of 476 elderly patients with hip fracture admitted to No.7 Medical Center, Chinese PLA General Hospital from January 2018 to December 2019, including 171 males and 305 females, at age of 60-104 years [(82.5±8.1)years]. There were 271 patients with intertrochanteric fractures and 205 with femoral neck fractures. The patients were divided into heart failure group ( n=111) and non-heart failure group ( n=365) based on the presence of heart failure within 1 year after surgery. The following items were recorded: gender, age, fracture type (intertrochanteric fractures and femoral neck fractures), comorbidities [hypertension, coronary heart disease, arrhythmia, pulmonary infection, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), renal insufficiency and diabetes], use of anticoagulants before injury, walking ability and self-care ability before injury, hematological indicators (white blood cell count, hemoglobin, albumin), time from injury to surgery, types of anesthesia (general anesthesia and regional anesthesia), types of surgery (intramedullary nails, dynamic hip screws, cannulated screw and arthroplasty), blood transfusion, length of hospital stay, sorts of perioperative complications (cerebrovascular disease, delirium, pulmonary infection, acute myocardial infarction, malignant arrhythmia, urinary tract infection, venous thromboembolism, acute cholecystitis and intestinal obstruction), and number of perioperative complications. Univariate analysis was used to evaluate the relationship between the above indicators and heart failure within 1 year after surgery in the elderly patients with hip fracture. Multiple Logistic stepwise regression analysis was used to determine the independent risk factors for the heart failure. Results:Univariate analysis showed that age, coronary heart disease, arrhythmia, use of anticoagulants before injury, albumin, blood transfusion, length of hospital stay, and number of perioperative complications≥2 were correlated with heart failure within 1 year after surgery in elderly patients with hip fracture ( P<0.05 or 0.01). Multivariate Logistic stepwise regression analysis showed that coronary heart disease ( OR=1.50, 95% CI 1.10, 2.51, P<0.05), blood transfusion≥2 U ( OR=2.01, 95% CI 1.23, 3.29, P<0.01) and number of perioperative complications≥2 ( OR=2.12, 95% CI 1.27, 3.53, P<0.01) were significantly associated with heart failure within 1 year after surgery in elderly patients with hip fracture. Conclusion:Complications of coronary heart disease, blood transfusion≥2 U and number of perioperative complications≥2 are independent risk factors for heart failure within 1 year after surgery in elderly patients with hip fracture.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the value of using flat-sided culture tubes for preparing chromosomes through chorionic villi (CV) and amniotic fluid (AF) cell cultures during prenatal diagnosis. METHODS: From February to March 2020, 157 CV samples and 147 AF samples subjected to prenatal diagnosis at the Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region were selected as the study subjects. For each sample, one flat-sided tube and one flask culture were set up by following the standard protocols. The methods were evaluated by comparing the cell growth, experimental process, quality of chromosome preparation and costs. RESULTS: The success rates for the culturing of CV and AF samples by the flat-sided culture tube method were 97.45% (153/157) and 97.96% (144/147), respectively. By contrast, the success rates for the conventional flask method were 98.72% (155/157) for CV and 98.64% (145/147) for AF samples. No significant difference was found between the two methods (P > 0.05). The average harvest time required by the flat-sided culture tube method was 8.45 days for CV and 9.43 days for AF cultures, whilst the average harvest time for conventional flask method was 9.05 days and 9.54 days, respectively. The flat-sided culture tube method for CV had required significantly shorter average harvest time than the conventional method (P < 0.001). No statistical significant difference was found in the average harvest time for AF by the two methods (P > 0.05). The conventional culturing method had required three containers with two sample transfers. By contrast, the flat-sided culture tube method was carried out in one tube without any sample transfer. The average total amount of medium used was 3.91 mL for each flat-sided culture tube and 6.26 mL for each conventional flask. CONCLUSION The flat-sided culture tube method can provide a simple, cost-effective and error-reducing procedure for the CV and AF samples culture during prenatal diagnosis.
Child ; Female ; Pregnancy ; Humans ; China ; Prenatal Diagnosis ; Chorionic Villi Sampling ; Amniotic Fluid ; Cell Proliferation

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.