Objective To explore the correlations between image quality of prospective and retrospective electrocardiogram(ECG)-gated CT coronary angiogram and radiation dose in patients with different heart rates.Methods A total of 135 patients undergoing 256-slice spiral CT coronary angiography were enrolled in the study.Among them,66 cases received prospective ECG-gated scanning(prospective ECG-gated group)and further divided into two subgroups with heart rate≤80 beats/min(prospective ECG-gated+low heart rate subgroup,n=39)and>80 beats/min(prospective ECG-gated+high heart rate subgroup,n=27).The other 69 cases underwent retrospective ECG-gated scanning(retrospective ECG-gated group),including 45 cases with heart rate≤80 beats/min(retrospective ECG-gated+low heart rate subgroup)and 24 with heart rate>80 beats/min(retrospective ECG-gated+high heart rate subgroup).The baseline data,image quality[mean CT value,image noise,signal-to-noise ratio(SNR),subjective image quality score]and radiation dos[CT volume dose index(CTDIvol),dose length product(DLP),effective dose(ED)]were compared among 4 subgroups.The correlations of image quality with heart rate and radiation dose in prospective and retrospective ECG-gated groups were analyzed.Results The heart rates in prospective and retrospective ECG-gated+low heart rate subgroups were lower than those in prospective and retrospective ECG-gated+high heart rate subgroups(P<0.05).When comparing the mean CT value,image noise,SNR and subjective image quality score among 4 subgroups,no statistically significant differences were observed(P>0.05).The CTDIvol,DLP and ED in prospective ECG-gated+low heart rate subgroup were significantly lower than those in the other 3 subgroups(P<0.05),and the indicators in prospective ECG-gated+high heart rate subgroup were lower than those in retrospective ECG-gated group(including low and high heart rate subgroups)(P<0.05).Pearson correlation coefficient analysis revealed that the mean CT value,image noise,SNR,subjective image quality score had no significant correlation with heart rate,CTDIvol,DLP and ED in prospective and retrospective ECG-gated groups(P>0.05).Conclusion The subjective and objective image quality of 256-slice spiral CT coronary angiography is not correlated with radiation dose.Prospective ECG-gated scanning can reduce the radiation dose and ensure the image quality as compared with retrospective ECG-gated scanning.This holds true for eligible patients with high heart rate,and the former can effectively reduce radiation exposure.Therefore,prospective ECG-gated scanning is worthy to be promoted in clinic.

Osteoarthritis(OA)is a chronic progressive osteoarthropathy in the elderly.Osteoclast activation plays a crucial role in the occurrence of subchondral bone loss in early OA.However,the specific mechanism of osteoclast differentiation in OA remains unclear.In our study,gene expression profiles related to OA disease progression and osteoclast activation were screened from the Gene Expression Omnibus(GEO)repository.GEO2R and Funrich analysis tools were employed to find differentially expressed genes(DEGs).Gene Ontology(GO)and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes(KEGG)enrichment analyses demonstrated that chemical carcinogenesis,reactive oxygen species(ROS),and response to oxidative stress were mainly involved in osteoclast differentiation in OA subchondral bone.Furthermore,fourteen DEGs that are associated with oxidative stress were identified.The first ranked differential gene,heme oxygenase 1(HMOX1),was selected for further validation.Related results showed that osteoclast activation in the pathogenesis of OA subchondral bone is accompanied by the downregulation of HMOX1.Carnosol was revealed to inhibit osteoclastogenesis by targeting HMOX1 and upregulating the expression of antioxidant protein in vitro.Meanwhile,carnosol was found to alleviate the severity of OA by inhibiting the activation of subchondral osteoclasts in vivo.Our research indicated that the activation of osteoclasts due to subchondral bone redox dysplasia may serve as a significant pathway for the advancement of OA.Targeting HMOX1 in subchondral osteoclasts may offer novel insights for the treatment of early OA.

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.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the surgical technique and the short-term effectivenss of lateral unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (LUKA) through lateral approach in the treatment of valgus knee and to calculate the maximum value of the theoretical correction of knee valgus deformity. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on 16 patients (20 knees) who underwent LUKA and met the selection criteria between April 2021 and July 2022. There were 2 males and 14 females, aged 57-85 years (mean, 71.5 years). The disease duration ranged from 1 to 18 years, with an average of 11.9 years. Knee valgus was staged according to Ranawat classification, there were 6 knees of type Ⅰ, 13 knees of type Ⅱ, and 1 knee of type Ⅲ. All patients were assigned the expected correction value of genu valgus deformity by preoperative planning, including the correction value of lateral approach, intra-articular correction value, and residual knee valgus deformity value. The actual postoperative corrected values of the above indicators were recorded and the theoretical maximum correctable knee valgus deformity values were extrapolated. The operation time, intraoperative blood loss, incision length, hospital stay, hip-knee-ankle angle (HKA), mechanical lateral distal femoral angle (mLDFA), mechanical medial proximal tibia angle (mMPTA), joint line convergence angle (JLCA), posterior tibial slope (PTS), range of motion (ROM), Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) score, and Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) score were also recorded for effectiveness evaluation. RESULTS: The patients' incision length averaged 13.83 cm, operation time averaged 85.8 minutes, intraoperative blood loss averaged 74.9 mL, and hospital stay averaged 6.7 days. None of the patients suffered any significant intraoperative neurological or vascular injuries. All patients were followed up 10-27 months, with a mean of 17.9 months. One patient with bilateral knee valgus deformities had intra-articular infection in the left knee at 1 month after operation and the remaining patients had no complication such as prosthesis loosening, dislocation, and infection. The ROM, HSS score, and WOMAC score of knee joint significantly improved at each time point after operation when compared to those before operation, and the indicators further improved with time after operation, the differences were all significant ( P<0.05). Imaging measurement showed that HKA, mLDFA, JLCA, and PTS significantly improved at 3 days after operation ( P<0.05) except for mMPTA ( P>0.05). Postoperative evaluation of the knee valgus deformity correction values showed that the actual intra-articular correction values ranged from 0.54° to 10.97°, with a mean of 3.84°. The postoperative residual knee valgus deformity values ranged from 0.42° to 5.30°, with a mean of 3.59°. The actual correction values of lateral approach ranged from 0.21° to 12.73°, with a mean of 4.26°. CONCLUSION LUKA through lateral approach for knee valgus deformity can achieve good early effectiveness. Preoperative planning can help surgeons rationally allocate the correction value of knee valgus deformity, provide corresponding treatment strategies, and the maximum theoretical correction value of knee valgus deformity can reach 25°.
Male ; Female ; Humans ; Arthroplasty, Replacement, Knee/methods* ; Retrospective Studies ; Blood Loss, Surgical ; Osteoarthritis, Knee/surgery* ; Knee Joint/surgery*

Objective: To study the correlation between pancreatic duct stent placement and postoperative pancreatic fistula in patients undergoing pancreaticoduodenectomy. Methods: We performed a retrospective review on 298 patients who underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy from Jan 2011 to Dec 2016. Patients were divided into none stent group, external stent group and internal stent group according to the placement and drainage of the pancreatic duct stent. Results: There were 60 cases in none stent group, 103 cases in external stent group and 135 cases in internal stent group. Altogether there were 52 cases suffering from biochemical pancreatic fistula, 52 cases of grade B fistula and 9 cases of grade C pancreatic fistula. There were three factors with statistical significance: 1, the operative method (χ²=20.947, P=0.000), 2, the diameter of main pancreatic duct (χ²=8.662, P=0.013), and 3, the intraoperative blood loss (χ²=14.03, P=0.001). There were no statistical significance difference between no stenting group and external/ internal stent group in the incidence of pancreatic fistula (P>0.05). The difference between internal stent group and external stent group was of statistical significance (χ²=9.948, P=0.019). The incidence of clinically relevant pancreatic fistula in external stent group was lower than the internal stent group (14.5% vs. 26.6%)(χ²=9.777, P=0.002). Conclusions The pancreatic duct stenting is not a risk factor for pancreatic fistula. The external drainage of pancreatic juice is associated with a lower incidence of pancreatic fistula compared to the internal drainage.

Objective: To explore the reasons and clinical treatment process of postoperative internal hernia in cases of gastric cancer, and improve the diagnosis and treatment level postoperative acute abdomen pain of gastric cancer patients. Methods: A retrospective analysis was carried out to study the data of clinical diagnosis and treatment in 7 patients, who were performed an emergency operation within the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University from January, 2013 to August, 2016 caused by postoperative internal hernias of gastric cancer. Results: Among the 7 postoperative gastric cancer patients, 2 cases had taken surgery of radical full gastric resection, 3 cases had taken surgery of radical distal gastric resection, and 2 cases had taken surgery of radical proximal gastric resection. All the 7 cases were confirmed to be incarcerated intestinal obstruction caused by internal hernia during emergency operation. Only 1 case was diagnosed to be internal hernia before surgery, while 3 cases were diagnosed as volvulus, 2 cases were diagnosed as perforation and 1 case was diagnosed as gastrolplegia. The small intestinal obstruction of all cases was caused by incarcerated intestinal. All the patients recovered well, and no complications occurred. Conclusions Internal hernias of the postoperative gastric cancer patients, which is often characterized by small intestinal obstruction symptoms, is difficult to diagnose before operation. Emergency operation in time for the postoperative gastric cancer patients with continuous acute abdominal pain may help to reduce the severe complications and improve patient′s prognosis.

Objective To analyze the safety and efficacy of autogenous femoral lateral iliotibial fascia(autologous fascia lata) in the treatment of female stress incontinence.Methods The clinical data of 7 female patients with stress incontinence admitted from January 2016 to June 2017 were retrospectively analyzed.The mean age was 58.2 years (range 45-72 years).The mean disease duration was 10.7 years (range 5-21 years).The mean Body mass index (BMI) was 24.1 kg/m2 (range 20.3-31.4 kg/m2).7 patients had severe subjective scores according to clinical symptoms.The average score of urinary incontinence questionnaire-simple form (ICIQ-SF) of international urinary incontinence advisory committee was 14.3 ± 1.1,the score of incontinence-quality of life (I-QOL) was 24.3 ± 4.8,respectively.During general anesthesia,the patient was placed in a half-recumbent position with the right leg straight down and the left leg bent over.The position of patella as well as the iliotibial band of the lateral femoral muscles were marked on the body surface.The iliotibial fascia of the lateral femoral muscle was exposed through a transverse incision 4-6 cm perpendicular to the iliotibial fascia of the lateral femoral muscle.The fascia of the lateral iliac tibial fascia of the lateral vastus with a width of 1.5 to 2.0 cm and a length of 12 to 14 cm was cut.The fascia was immersed in physiological saline and sutured with two 2-0 CT1PDS absorbable sutures or 2-0 vascular sutures at both ends of the fascia for 3 consecutive needles to form a sling.Then the urethral catheter was placed in the position of lithotomy,and then urethral suprapubic suspension was performed using autologous fascia through bilateral paravaginal incisions.The duration of surgery,intraoperative blood loss,intraoperative complications,postoperative catheter indwelling time,the length of hospital stay and postoperative complications were recorded.The situation of urinary incontinence as well as life quality before and after surgery were compared respectively.Results The operation was successfully performed.The mean operative time was 117.6 min(range 95-140 min).The mean intraoperative blood loss was 70.3 ml (range 50-90 ml).No complication was observed during the operation.The mean postoperative indwelling catheterization was 5.8 days (range 5-7 days).The mean postoperative hospital stay was 6.3 days (range 5-8 days).All 7 patients were cured after surgery,2 patients experienced urinary retention after removal of the catheter.The mean follow-up time was 18.2 months(range 13-24 months).No urinary incontinence or complications was observed postoperatively in all cases.Patient ICIQ-SF urinary incontinence questionnaire summary score and quality of life score of I-QOL questionnaire of 1 year post operation were 0.6 ± 0.5 and 96.1 ± 4.3,which were significantly improved compared with that before surgery(P ＜ 0.01).Conclusion It is safe to use autologous femoral lateral muscle iliotibial fascia in the middle segment of urethra suspension for the treatment of female stress incontinence,and the curative effect is affirmative through one-year observation.

Compared with distal gastrectomy, pylorus-preserving gastrectomy is less invasive which can decrease incidence of dumping syndrome, diarrhea and body weight lost, cholecystitis and gallstone, reflux gastritis and esophagitis and remnant gastric cancer. Based on new Japanese Gastric Cancer Treatment Guideline and new progression in the world, we give a review mainly basic characteristics, indications, operation details and short- and long-time outcomes after pylorus-preserving gastrectomy.
Gastrectomy ; methods ; Gastric Stump ; pathology ; Gastroenterostomy ; Humans ; Organ Sparing Treatments ; Pylorus ; surgery ; Stomach Neoplasms ; surgery

BACKGROUND:The incidence of low serum level of vitamin D in patients undergoing hip arthroplasty and its impact has not been reported in China, indicating that it has not been brought to the forefront. OBJECTIVE:To determine the prevalence of low serum level of vitamin D in patients before total hip arthroplasty and its relationship with the hip function scores. METHODS:Forty-eight hips from 48 patients undergoing primary hip arthroplasty from July 2013 to August 2014 in the First Affiliated Hospital of Suzhou University were enrol ed. According to the serum level of vitamin D, patients were assigned to low-level (<20μg/L) and high-level (20≥μg/L) groups. The general information of patients, the hip function scores before and after replacement at the last fol ow-up in the two groups were observed and compared. The relationship between the serum level of vitamin D and the hip function scores before and after replacement was analyzed by multiple linear regression analysis. And the average fol ow-up was 12 months (11-14 months). RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1) The incidence of low vitamin D level was 82%(20 ng/mL serving as standard). (2) Compared with patients with high vitamin D level, patients with low level of vitamin D had lower preoperative Harris scores and Merle D′Aubigne-Postel score (P<0.05), and also at the last fol ow-up (P<0.05. (3) Based on the preoperative and postoperative Harris, the multiple linear regression analysis showed that there was a positive correlation between the level of vitamin D and Harris score both preoperatively and postoperatively (P<0.05). (4) These results suggest that there is a higher incidence of low level of vitamin D in patients undergoing arthroplasty, and hip function scores before and after replacement in patients with low level of vitamin D are lower than the high level patients. Moreover, there is a positive correlation between the level of vitamin D and the hip joint function scores. Therefore, it is advisable to supplement vitamin D and calcium preoperatively, and the level of vitamin D wil be helpful for disease assessment and prognosis.

Objective CD4 +IL-17 +cells are a group of newly discovered effector CD4 +T cells, which may play a key role in the pathogenesis of cancer.This study aims to investigate the expres-sion of CD4 +IL-17 +cells in pancreatic cancer and its correlation with the clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of the dis-ease as well as the clinical significance of the cells in the microenvironment of pancreatic cancer. Methods We collected tumor tis-sue and tumor-adjacent normal tissue samples from 51 pancreatic cancer patients.We determined the expressions of CD34 and vascular endothelial growth factor ( VEGF) and measured the proportion of IL-17 +cells in the cancer tissue using immunohistochemistry and the fluorescence activated cell sorter, respectively, followed by analysis of their correlation with tumor angiogenesis, clinicopathological pa-rameters, and survival time of the patients. Results The percentage of CD4 +IL-17 +cells in tumor tissue was positively correlated with microvessel density (r =0.534, P<0.05) and the expression of VEGF in the tumor tissue (r=0.356, P<0.05).IL-17 +cells were expressed more highly in the tumorous than in the tumor-adjacent normal tissue (P<0.05), and the expression level was correla-ted with the stage of tumor, node, and metastasis (TNM) and lymph node metastasis (P<0.05), but not with the patients′gender or age, tumor size, tumor location, histological grade, or local invasion (P>0.05).Fifty (98.0%) of the patients were successfully followed up for 2-67 months, which revealed a median survival time of 16.6 ±4.8 months, significantly longer in those with a higher expression of intratumoral IL-17 +cells (P<0.05).Univariate analysis showed an association of the survival rate with the tumor size, TNM stage, lymph node metastasis, and level of intratumoral IL-17 +cells, while multivariate analysis showed the TNM stage to be an independent prognostic factor for the survival of the pancreatic cancer patients. Conclusion The expression of CD4 +IL-17 +cells in the tumor tissue is positively correlated with tumor angiogenesis, while that of IL-17 +cells with the clinicopathological parameters and survival time of the patients and therefore may serve as an important immune indicator for the prognosis of pancreatic cancer.