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 investigate the morphological difference and clinical significance of bilateral lumbar multifidus muscles in patients with unilateral lumbosacral radiculopathy due to lumbar disc herniation and lumbar spondylolisthesis.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on patients with low back pain, lumbar disc herniation and lumbar spondylolisthesis. Patients with lumbar disc herniation or lumbar spondylolisthesis underwent single segment lesion either at L 4, 5 or L 5S 1, while those accompanied with unilateral lumbosacral radiculopathy underwent percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy or conventional open surgery at Qingdao Municipal Hospital between January 2017 and January 2023. Patients with lumbar spondylolisthesis were subdivided into degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis and isthmic spondylolisthesis. 53 patients with low back pain met the inclusion criteria. 170 patients with lumbar disc herniation met the inclusion criteria, with 101 at L 4, 5 and 69 at L 5S 1 level. 129 patients with lumbar spondylolisthesis met the inclusion criteria, including 91 of degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis at L 4, 5 level and 9 at L 5S 1 level, and 11 of isthmic spondylolisthesis at L 4, 5 level and 18 at L 5S 1 level. Cross-sectional images at the mid-disc of L 3, 4, L 4, 5 and L 5S 1 segments in MRI were acquired. Relative total cross-sectional area (rTCSA), relative functional cross-sectional area (rFCSA), fat infiltration rate (FIR), relative fat distance (rFD) and differential value FIR (D-FIR) in bilateral lumbar multifidus muscle were measured respectively by using Image J software, and were then used to evaluate the atrophy and fat infiltration of bilateral lumbar multifidus muscles. Results:No significant difference was found between the both sides of multifidus muscle in low back pain patients. L 4, 5 lumbar disc herniation group had smaller rFCSA (0.34±0.10 and 0.35±0.10) and larger FIR [29.92(22.21, 36.46) and 26.48(17.54, 34.55)] and rFD [0.39(0.29, 0.54) and 0.32(0.21, 0.43)] on the affected side compared to the unaffected side in L 4, 5 segment, and had larger FIR (34.83±11.34 and 31.44±10.94) and rFD [0.59(0.43, 0.77) and 0.51(0.37, 0.69)] on the affected side in L 5S 1 segment. L 5S 1 lumbar disc herniation group had smaller rFCSA (0.41±0.11 and 0.42±0.12) and larger FIR [26.84(22.92, 35.29) and 24.02(20.03, 32.87)] and rFD (0.51±0.28 and 0.42±0.26) on the affected side in L 5S 1 segment. L 4, 5 degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis group had larger FIR (36.49±9.76 and 34.72±9.86) on the affected side in L 4, 5 segment, and had larger FIR [35.03(28.64, 41.85) and 33.34(26.37, 39.76)] on the affected side in L 5S 1 segment. L 5S 1 degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis group had larger FIR [42.53(37.94, 46.81) and 40.79(30.84, 43.53)] and rFD (1.12±0.79 and 0.94±0.79) on the affected side in L 5S 1 segment. L 4, 5 isthmic spondylolisthesis group had smaller rFCSA [0.24(0.20, 0.30) and 0.29(0.23, 0.34)]and larger FIR [34.19 31.30, 42.39) and 29.43(28.82, 36.89)] and rFD (0.39±0.15 and 0.29±0.15) on the affected side in L 4, 5 segment, and had larger FIR (43.18±12.71 and 34.12±11.63) on the affected side in L 5S 1 segment. L 5S 1 isthmic spondylolisthesis group had larger FIR (40.24±9.34 and 36.37±10.70) on the affected side in L 5S 1 segment. No significant difference was found of the multifidus muscle between the affected and unaffected sides in the proximal adjacent segment of the responsible segment in lumbar disc herniation or lumbar spondylolisthesis group patients. L 4, 5 isthmic spondylolisthesis group had larger D-FIR (6.75±8.46 and 1.78±5.77) in L 4, 5 segment, and had larger D-FIR (9.06±11.59 and 1.54±7.08) in L 5S 1 segment compared to L 4, 5 degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis group. Grade Ⅱ L 4, 5 lumbar spondylolisthesis group had larger D-FIR (10.73±13.61 and 1.92±7.43) in L 5S 1 segment compared to grade Ⅰ L 4, 5 lumbar spondylolisthesis group. Conclusion:L 4, 5 or L 5S 1 lumbar disc herniation and lumbar spondylolisthesis patients with unilateral lumbosacral radiculopathy had asymmetric atrophy and fat infiltration of multifidus muscle. The atrophy and fat infiltration on the affected side showed greater. The asymmetry appeared in the responsible segment and its distal adjacent lumbar segment. Lumbar spondylolisthesis patients with a lager degree of slip or with isthmic type could be accompanied by more severe asymmetry of multifidus muscle.

Objective:To investigate the correlation between impulse oscillometry system examination indicators and conventional pulmonary ventilation function.Methods:The pulmonary ventilation function data of 10 883 patients from January 1, 2020 to December 31, 2022 at Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology were included. The one-second rate [ratio of forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV 1) to forced vital capacity (FVC)] measured as a percentage of the predicted value was ≥92% for the control group ( n=3 478) and <92% for the pulmonary obstruction group ( n=7 405). The obstruction group was subdivided into five groups according to the degree of pulmonary dysfunction: mild group ( n=3 938),moderate group ( n=1 142),oderate-severe group ( n=917),severe group ( n=737),and extremely severe group ( n=671). Conventional pulmonary ventilatory function FVC, FEV 1, one-second rate, and forced expired flow at 50% of FVC (MEF50%), forced expired flow at 75% FVC (MEF25%), maximal mid-expiratory flow (MMEF), peak expiratory flow (PEF), and pulsed oscillation pulmonary function test were detected in both groups of patients. Impedance at 5 Hz (Z5) means total respiratory resistance, resistance at 5 Hz (R5) means total airway resistance, reactance at 5 Hz (X5) indicates the elastic recoil of the peripheral airways, and resistance at 20 Hz (R20) represents resistance of the central airways. R5-R20 reflects resistance in the small airways. Additionally, peripheral resistance (Rp), respiratory resonance frequency (Frex), and area under the reactance curve (Ax) were also measured. Correlation between the indicators of the two groups and the sensitivity and specificity of the impulse oscillometry system parameters for the diagnosis of obstructive pulmonary ventilation dysfunction were analyzed. Results:Pulmonary function force expiratory volume in the first second as a percentage of predicted value (FEV 1%Pre) [80.10 (54.95,97.10)%],one-second rate [62.43(48.67, 67.02)%],MEF50% [1.33 (0.62,1.97)L/s],MEF25% [0.28 (0.17,0.41)L/s], MMEF [0.85 (0.43,1.29)L/s],and PEF [5.64 (3.73,7.50)]L/s in the obstruction group were significantly lower than those in the control group ( P<0.05). The differences within the subgroups of the obstruction group were also significant ( P<0.05). Pulsed oscillation Z5 [0.42 (0.33,0.55)kPa·L -1·s -1],Rp [0.25 (0.20,0.45)kPa·L -1·s -1], R5 [0.39 (0.31,0.49)kPa·L -1·s -1], R20 [0.28 (0.24,0.34)kPa·L -1·s -1], R5-R20 [0.09 (0.05,0.17)kPa·L -1·s -1],Frex [16.32 (13.07,20.84)Hz], and Ax [0.67 (0.28,1.64)] indices in the obstruction group were significantly higher than those in the control group. X5 [-0.14 (-0.23, -0.10)kPa·L -1·s -1] was significantly lower than that in the control group ( P<0.05). Z5, Rp, X5, R5, R5-R20, Frex, and Ax were statistically significant between different degrees of obstruction in the obstruction group ( P<0.05). The impulse oscillometry system parameters Z5, Rp, R5, R20, R5-20, Frex, and Ax were negatively correlated with the indices of conventional pulmonary ventilation ( r=-0.21-0.68, P<0.05), and the parameter X5 was positively correlated with the indices of conventional pulmonary ventilation ( r=0.41-0.68, P<0.05). The pulsed oscillation pulmonary function test parameters X5 (58.60%-95.68%) and Ax (57.08%-98.06%) presented the best sensitivity; X5 (86.29%-98.82%), Frex (86.69%-94.71%), and Ax (88.10%-98.53%) displayed the best specificity; and R20 presented the worst sensitivity and specificity. The sensitivity and specificity were slightly better in female patients than in male patients. Conclusion:The technical parameters of the impulse oscillometry system showed significant correlation with relevant indices of conventional pulmonary ventilation function detection. These well reflect the changes of different degrees of pulmonary ventilation function and have greater significance for reference in evaluating the degree of pulmonary function impairment.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effectiveness between unilateral biportal endoscopic lumbar interbody fusion (ULIF) and endoscopic transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (Endo-TLIF) in treatment of lumbar spinal stenosis combined with intervertebral disc herniation. METHODS: A clinical data of 64 patients with lumbar spinal stenosis and intervertebral disc herniation, who were admitted between April 2020 and November 2021 and met the selection criteria, was retrospectively analyzed. Among them, 30 patients were treated with ULIF (ULIF group) and 34 patients with Endo-TLIF (Endo-TLIF group). There was no significant difference in baseline data such as gender, age, disease duration, lesion segment, preoperative visual analogue scale (VAS) score of low back pain and leg pain, Oswestry disability index (ODI), spinal canal area, and intervertebral space height between the two groups ( P>0.05). The operation time, intraoperative blood loss, hospital stays, and postoperative complications were compared between the two groups, as well as the VAS scores of low back pain and leg pain, ODI, and imaging measurement indicators (spinal canal area, intervertebral bone graft area, intervertebral space height, and degree of intervertebral fusion according to modified Brantigan score). RESULTS: Compared with the Endo-TLIF group, the ULIF group had shorter operation time, but had more intraoperative blood loss and longer hospital stays, with significant differences ( P<0.05). The cerebrospinal fluid leakage occurred in 2 cases of Endo-TLIF group and 1 case of ULIF group, and no other complication occurred. There was no significant difference in the incidence of complications between the two groups ( P>0.05). All patients in the two groups were followed up 12 months. The VAS scores of lower back pain and leg pain and ODI in the two groups significantly improved when compared with those before operation ( P<0.05), and there was no significant difference between different time points after operation ( P>0.05). And there was no significant difference between the two groups at each time point after operation ( P>0.05). Imaging examination showed that there was no significant difference between the two groups in the change of spinal canal area, the change of intervertebral space height, and intervertebral fusion rate at 6 and 12 months ( P>0.05). The intervertebral bone graft area in the ULIF group was significantly larger than that in the Endo-TLIF group ( P<0.05). CONCLUSION For the patients with lumbar spinal stenosis combined with intervertebral disc herniation, ULIF not only achieves similar effectiveness as Endo-TLIF, but also has advantages such as higher decompression efficiency, flexible surgical instrument operation, more thorough intraoperative intervertebral space management, and shorter operation time.
Humans ; Spinal Stenosis/surgery* ; Low Back Pain/surgery* ; Blood Loss, Surgical ; Intervertebral Disc Displacement/surgery* ; Lumbar Vertebrae/surgery* ; Retrospective Studies ; Spinal Fusion

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.

Objective:To evaluate the volume changes of cervical longus and cervical extensor after anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF), and the correlation with the clinical efficacy of patients.Methods:All of 57 patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy who underwent single-segment ACDF surgery from January 2013 to December 2018 were analyzed. The follow-up time was 23.0±4.8 months (range 16-34 months). All included subjects underwent MR examination within 1 week before operation and 3rd, 12th months after operation and at the last follow-up. The axial section cross section area (AxCSA) of the cervical longus and the ratio of length to short diameter line (RLS) at the level of each disc of C 2-C 7 were measured on the axial T2WI. Calculate the volume of the cervical longus based on the layer thickness. At the same time, measure the cervical extensor cross-sectional area (CESA) of the same level including the multifidus, cervical semispinous muscle, semispinous head, splinter head, and cervical splinter muscles, and compare CESA with the corresponding vertebral cross-sectional area (VBA). The ratio is analyzed as the volume of the neck extensor muscle, namely CESA/VBA. At the 3rd and 12th months after operation and at the last follow-up, the axial pain was assessed by visual analogue scale (VAS) for assessing pain, and the modified Japanese Orthopedic Association score (mJOA) and the neck dysfunction index (NDI) were used to assess the functional status of the cervical spine. Analyze the morphological changes of thecervical longus and extensor cervical muscles before and after the operation and during the follow-up period, and analyze the correlation with VAS, mJOA, and NDI. Results:Compared with the preoperative period, the average AxCSA of the surgical segment decreased at the 3rd and 12th months after the operation and at the last follow-up. The difference was statistically significant ( F=24.113, P<0.05), which was changed from 140.84±19.51 mm 2 respectively reduce to 117.74±17.15 mm 2 ( t=6.714, P<0.05), 116.37±18.67 mm 2 ( t=6.841, P<0.05) and 116.27±18.65 mm 2 ( t=6.873, P<0.05). Compared with preoperatively, they were reduced by 16.40%, 17.37% and 17.45%, respectively, while the average RLS of surgical segments increased slightly, and the difference was statistically significant ( F=22.612, P<0.05), which increased from preoperative 1.97±0.67 to 2.73±0.60 (38.58% increased, t=6.380, P<0.05), 2.82±0.64 (43.15% increased, t=6.926, P<0.05) and 2.74±0.62 (39.09% increased, t=6.368, P<0.05). The volume of thecervical longus of the patients decreased after the operation, and the difference was statistically significant ( F=64.511, P<0.05), which decreased from 8853.48±458.65 mm 3 before the operation to 7834.53±461.59 mm 3 (11.51% decreased, t=11.822, P<0.05), 7926.42±456.24 mm 3 (10.47% decreased, t=10.819, P<0.05), 7892.38±450.78 mm 3 (10.86% decreased, t=11.283, P<0.05). There were no statistically significant differences in the non-surgical segment AxCSA, RLS and the volume of thecervical longus at the 3rd and 12th months after surgery and the last follow-up ( P>0.05). There was no statistically significant difference of CESA and CESA/VBA compared to preoperative in the surgical segment and non-surgical segment ( P>0.05). Pearson correlation analysis showed that the volume of cervical longus and VAS at the 3rd month ( r=-0.308, P<0.05), the 12th month ( r=-0.210, P<0.05) and the last follow-up ( r=-0.404, P<0.05) were negatively correlated; Among the volume of cervical longus and NDI in the 3rd month ( r=-0.511, P<0.05), 12th month ( r=-0.518, P<0.05) and the last follow-up ( r=-0.352, P<0.05), there was a negative correlation; However, there was no statistically significant correlation between the cervical longus muscle volume and mJOA at each follow-up time point ( P>0.05); There was no significant correlation between CESA/VBA and VAS, NDI, and mJOA at the 3rd, 12th and last follow-up ( P>0.05). Conclusion:The volume and morphology of cervical longus after ACDF was significantly reduced compared with that before the operation, but the volume and morphology of the cervical extensor muscle did not change significantly. ACDF surgery mainly affects the cervical longus corresponding to the surgical segment, and the volume is negatively correlated with the VAS and NDI during follow-up.

Osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture (OVCF) can lead to lower back pain and may be even accompanied by scoliosis, neurological dysfunction and other complications, which will affect the daily activities and life quality of patients. Vertebral augmentation is an effective treatment method for OVCF, but it cannot correct unbalance of bone metabolism or improve the osteoporotic status, causing complications like lower back pain, limited spinal activities and vertebral refracture. The post-operative systematic and standardized rehabilitation treatments can improve curative effect and therapeutic efficacy of anti-osteoporosis, reduce risk of vertebral refracture, increase patient compliance and improve quality of life. Since there still lack relevant clinical treatment guidelines for postoperative rehabilitation treatments following vertebral augmentation for OVCF, the current treatments are varied with uneven therapeutic effect. In order to standardize the postoperative rehabilitation treatment, the Spine Trauma Group of the Orthopedic Branch of Chinese Medical Doctor Association organized relevant experts to refer to relevant literature and develop the "Guideline for postoperative rehabilitation treatment following vertebral augmentation for osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture (2022 version)" based on the clinical guidelines published by the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons (AAOS) as well as on the principles of scientificity, practicality and advancement. The guideline provided evidence-based recommendations on 10 important issues related to postoperative rehabilitation treatments of OVCF.

Objective:To investigate the effects of exosomes of human nucleus pulposus cells (NPCs) on the differentiation of urine derived stem cells (USCs) into nucleus pulposus-like cells.Methods:USCs and NPCs were isolated and cultured in vitro. The exosomes of NPCs were extracted and detected by Western-blot. USCs cytoplasm was transfected with GFP lentivirus, while nucleus was transfected with DAPI dye. The NPCs exosomes were transfected with PKH26 dye. After co-incubation for 12 h, USCs and NPCs exosomes were observed by macroscopy. USCs differentiation was induced by NPCs exosomes and non-contact co-culture methods. The relative expression of marker gene mRNA of nucleus pulposus cells in each group and the absorbance at 450 nm wavelength were detected.Results:The isolated USCs had the ability to differentiate into osteocytes, adipocytes and chondrocytes with high expression of marker CD29 (99.57%), CD44 (97.46%) and CD73 (97.71%) and with low expression of negative proteins CD31 (0.59%) and CD45 (0.19%). The isolated NPCs highly expressed nuclear pulposus cell marker COL2A1, ACAN and SOX-9. The exosomes extracted from NPCs showed high expression of exosome marker CD63, CD81 and Tsg101. After 12 h co-incubation, NPCs exosomes fused with USCs membrane and appeared in the cytoplasm of USCs. At 3, 5 and 7 days of co-culture, the absorbance value of USCs cells in exosome group (0.44±0.004, 0.76±0.004, 0.82±0.006) was higher than that in co-culture group (0.39±0.022, 0.63±0.035, 0.69±0.012) ( P<0.05). The mRNA relative expression of USCs nucleus pulposus marker genes ACAN (1.80±0.31, 3.50±0.21, 5.35±0.31, 7.46±0.12), COL2A1 (1.43±0.15, 4.33±0.23, 6.89±0.22, 8.11±0.31), SOX-9 (2.21±0.13, 3.13±0.11, 3.96± 0.14, 4.52±0.26) and HIF-1α (1.45±0.16, 2.14±0.21, 4.31±0.41, 4.01±0.25) in exosomes group were significantly higher than those in the control group ( P<0.05) at the 3rd, 7th, 14th and 21st days. The mRNA relative expression of USCs nucleus pulposus marker genes ACAN (5.69±0.21, 6.69±0.13), COL2A1 (6.33±0.17, 7.89±0.15), SOX-9 (4.19±0.29, 4.38±0.12), HIF-1α (4.49±0.32, 4.96±0.26) in exosomes group were significantly higher than those ACAN (3.69±0.35, 5.13±0.23), COL2A1 (3.40±0.16, 6.79±0.19), SOX-9 (2.26±0.32, 3.69±0.26), HIF-1α (2.39±0.11, 3.96±0.13) in non-contact co-culture group ( P<0.05) at the 14th and 21st days. Conclusion:Human nucleus pulposus exosomes could induce differentiation of human USCs into nucleus pulposus-like cells in vitro. Compared with non-contact co-culture, exosomes have higher induction efficiency and can better maintain the proliferation activity of nucleus pulposus-like cells

Objective To study the effect and mechanism of epigallocatechol gallate (EGCG) combined with trastuzu-mab on the proliferation of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) overexpressing breast cancer cells. Methods Trastuzumab was expressed and purified. The cell proliferation of HER2 overexpressing breast cancer cells BT474 and SK-BR-3 treated with trastuzumab, EGCG, or trastuzumab plus EGCG was evaluated by CCK8 assay. The effects of EGCG and trastuzumab on the expression of HER2, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), protein kinase B (Akt), and their phosphorylated proteins in BT474 breast cancer cells were detected by Western blot. Results The results of cell proliferation assay indicated that EGCG and trastuzumab, alone or in combination, effectively inhibited the proliferation of BT-474 and SK-BR-3 cells. And within a certain concentration range, EGCG and trastuzumab showed a synergistic proliferation inhibitory effect on HER2 overexpressing breast cancer cells. Consistent with these results, Western blot results showed that trastuzumab and EGCG, alone or in combination significantly reduced the phosphorylation levels of Akt, MAPK, EGFR, and HER2 in BT474 cells. Moreover, the inhibition effect of EGCG plus trastuzumab was significantly more potent than either EGCG or trastuzumab. Conclusion EGCG and trastuzumab could synergistically inhibit the proliferation of HER2 overexpressing breast cancer cells, which may be related to the regulation of Akt and MAPK signaling pathways.