Spinal cord injury is a serious disease of the central nervous system characterized by high disability and mortality, and shows an increasing incidence over year. Traditional treatment methods include surgery, medication and rehabilitation therapy, but the therapeutic outcomes are generally unsatisfactory and the functional recovery of patients is very limited. In recent years, cell transplantation technology, with a role in promoting neuron regeneration and neural pathway reconstruction by transplanting exogenous cells to the injured site, has become a promising treatment strategy for spinal cord injury. However, at present, cell transplantation technology is still faced with problems such as the diversified transplanted cell types, poor survival rate of transplanted cells, and uncertainty in the timing and dosage of transplantation in the repair of spinal cord injury. To this end, the authors reviewed the research progress in the application of cell transplantation technology in the repair of spinal cord injury, aiming to provide a reference for the clinical treatment.

The incidence of osteoporotic thoracolumbar vertebral fracture (OTLVF) in the elderly is gradually increasing. The kyphotic deformity caused by various factors has become an important characteristic of OTLVF and has received increasing attention. Its clinical manifestations include pain, delayed nerve damage, sagittal imbalance, etc. Currently, the definition and diagnosis of OTLVF with kyphotic deformity in the elderly are still unclear. Although there are many treatment options, they are controversial. Existing guidelines or consensuses pay little attention to this type of fracture with kyphotic deformity. To this end, the Lumbar Education Working Group of the Spine Branch of the Chinese Medicine Education Association and Editorial Committee of Chinese Journal of Trauma organized the experts in the relevant fields to jointly develop Clinical guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of osteoporotic thoracolumbar vertebral fractures with kyphotic deformity in the elderly ( version 2024), based on evidence-based medical advancements and the principles of scientificity, practicality, and advanced nature, which provided 18 recommendations to standardize the clinical diagnosis and treatment.

Objective:To investigate the clinical significance of a new classification system for atlas fractures based on pre- and post-treatment CT features, with a focus on diagnosis and treatment.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on 75 cases of cervical vertebra fractures treated at the Sixth Hospital of Ningbo City between January 2015 and December 2020. The study included 44 males and 31 females, with an average age of 53.3±13.0 years (range: 27-81 years). The fractures were classified according to the Landells classification, resulting in 12 cases of type I, 13 cases of type II, 33 cases of type III, 9 cases that were difficult to classify due to fracture lines located at anatomical junctions, and 8 cases that could not be classified using the Landells classification due to diverse injury mechanisms. To establish a new preliminary classification for cervical vertebra fractures, the researchers considered whether the fracture line in the CT images involved the facet joint surface of the atlas, the impact on bilateral half-rings, and the displacement distance of the fracture ends. Five spinal surgeons were randomly selected to classify the CT images of the 75 patients using the new classification method. After one month, the imaging data of the 75 cases of cervical vertebra fractures were randomized and reclassified to assess the reliability and repeatability of the classification.Results:The new cervical vertebra fracture classification method comprised three types based on whether the fracture line involved the facet joint surface of the atlas: type A (no involvement of the facet joint surface of the atlas), type B (involvement of one side of the facet joint surface with intact contralateral half-ring), and type C (involvement of one side of the facet joint surface with fractured contralateral half-ring). Additionally, based on the maximum displacement distance between the fracture ends (>4 mm), six subtypes were identified: subtype 1 (≤4 mm displacement) and subtype 2 (>4 mm displacement). Consequently, the subtypes were classified as A1, A2, B1, B2, C1, and C2. According to the new classification method, the 75 patients included 17 cases of A1, 12 cases of A2, 7 cases of B1, 13 cases of B2, 12 cases of C1, and 14 cases of C2. The classification demonstrated excellent consistency, as assessed by the five doctors, with Kappa values of 0.85 and 0.91 for reliability and repeatability, respectively. At the final follow-up, all conservatively treated patients achieved bone healing, while four surgically treated patients experienced non-union of the fracture ends but exhibited good fusion between the atlas and axis. The remaining surgically treated patients achieved bony union without complications such as loosening or fracture of internal fixation.Conclusion:The new cervical vertebra fracture classification method, based on CT imaging features, comprehensively covers common clinical cases of cervical vertebra fractures and demonstrates excellent consistency. It provides valuable clinical guidance for the diagnosis and treatment of cervical vertebra fractures.

Objective:To investigate the safety and efficacy of short-segment fixation covering the fractured vertebrae via posterior intermuscular approach plus percutaneous kyphoplasty (PKP) through the outer upper edge of the base of the fractured vertebral pedicle in the treatment of osteoporotic thoracolumbar burst fracture.Methods:A retrospective case series study was used to analyze the clinical data of 56 patients with osteoporotic thoracolumbar burst fracture admitted to Ningbo No.6 Hospital from January 2018 to February 2021, including 24 males and 32 females; aged 56-72 years [(63.5±4.6)years]. All patients underwent short-segment fixation covering the fractured vertebrae via posterior intermuscular approach combined with PKP through the outer upper edge of the base of the fractured vertebral pedicle. The operation time, intraoperative blood loss, hospitalization day and surgery-related complications were recorded. The visual analogue score (VAS) of back pain, ratios of the anterior, middle and posterior height of the fractured vertebrae and kyphotic Cobb angle were compared before operation, at postoperative 2 days and at the final follow-up.Results:All patients were followed up for 12-28 months [(14.5±2.2)months]. The operation time was 55-85 minutes [(62.0±12.1)minutes], intraoperative blood loss was 80-150 ml [(94.0±18.5)ml], and hospitalization day was 5-9 days [(7.4±1.1)days]. Based on CT examination at postoperative 2 days, there were 2 patients with paravertebral cement leakage, 2 with intervertebral space leakage and 1 with intracanal leakage, but none reported associated clinical symptoms. No implant failure or fractures of adjacent segments was detected during the follow-up period. The VAS was significantly decreased from preoperative (7.5±1.2)points to (3.2±0.8)points at postoperative 2 days ( P<0.01), and the score was further lowered to (2.2±0.8)points at the final follow-up when compared with that at postoperative 2 days ( P<0.01). The ratios of the anterior, middle and posterior height of the fractured vertebrae and kyphotic Cobb angle were significantly improved at postoperative 2 days [(89.5±13.2)%, (85.8±7.9)%, (89.5±9.0)% and (5.6±3.2)°] when compared with those before operation [(48.9±11.8)%, (61.9±11.9)%, (79.9±9.8)% and (26.3±5.6)°] (all P<0.01). Slight losses were observed in the ratios of the anterior, middle and posterior height of the fractured vertebrae and kyphotic Cobb angle at the final follow-up [(87.0±12.7)%, (82.1±7.8)%, (88.6±10.0)% and (5.4±3.2)°], but not significantly different from those at postoperative 2 days (all P>0.05). Conclusion:Short-segment fixation covering the fractured vertebrae via posterior intermuscular approach plus PKP through the outer upper edge of the base of the fractured vertebral pedicle can safely and effectively treat osteoporotic thoracolumbar burst fracture, for it can significantly improve back pain, restore the height of the fractured vertebrae and correct the kyphotic deformity.

Urinary retention is a common complication of bedridden patients in traumatic orthopedics. The severe condition can even cause permanent bladder injury and renal failure, which brings great pain and psychological pressure to patients and seriously hinders their rehabilitation. The traditional Chinese medicine appropriate technologies have the characteristics of safety, effectiveness, low cost, simplicity and easy learning and achieve good clinical effects in the prevention and treatment of bedridden patients with urinary retention in traumatic orthopaedics, including Chinese herbal medicine, acupuncture and moxibustion, massage, etc. The authors summarize the research progress in appropriate technologies of traditional Chinese medicine in the prevention and treatment of bedridden patients with urinary retention in traumatic orthopedics from aspects of action principles, operation methods and effects of acupuncture points, moxibustion therapy, manipulation therapy, external treatment of traditional Chinese medicine and acupoint injection, so as to provide a reference for further nursing research and clinical application.

Objective:To compare the therapeutic results between axis pedicle screwing assisted by intraoperative 3-D navigation and freehand axis pedicle screwing in the treatment of Hangman fracture.Methods:A retrospective analysis was performed of the 64 patients with Hangman fracture who had received posterior axis pedicle screwing at Department of Spinal Surgery, The Sixth Hospital of Ningbo from May 2014 to December 2019. According to the placement methods of axis pedicle screws, they were divided into a navigation group ( n=34, subjected to axis pedicle screwing assisted by intraoperative 3-D navigation) and a freehand group ( n=30, subjected to freehand axis pedicle screwing). Pedicle screw placement time, operation time, intraoperative bleeding, fluoroscopy time, hospital stay, total hospitalization cost and complications were recorded and compared between the 2 groups. The accuracy of axis pedicle screw placement was evaluated according to the postoperative cervical CT and screw grading criteria proposed by Park et al. At admission, 3 months postoperation, and the last follow-up, neurological function of the patients was evaluated by modified Japanese Orthopedic Association (mJOA) score, neck pain was evaluated by visual analogue scale (VAS), and C2/3 vertebral body angulation and C2 forward displacement were measured. The clinical efficacy was evaluated by Moon grading at the last follow-up. Results:The navigation group and the freehand group were comparable due to insignificant differences between them in the preoperative general data ( P>0.05). The accuracy of screw placement in the navigation group (98.2%, 54/55) was significantly higher than that in the freehand group (85.2%, 46/54) ( P<0.05). The screw placement time, operation time, fluoroscopy time and total hospitalization cost in the navigation group were significantly more than those in the freehand group ( P<0.05). Vertebral artery injury occurred in 3 cases in the freehand group. Screw loosening, screw breakage or rod breakage occurred in none of the patients after operation. There was no significant difference between the 2 groups in the intraoperative bleeding, hospital stay or follow-up time ( P>0.05). In both groups, the VAS score, mJOA score, C2/3 vertebral body angulation and C2 forward displacement were significantly improved at 3 months postoperation and the last follow-up compared with those at admission ( P<0.05), but there was no significant difference between the 2 groups in the contemporary comparisons ( P>0.05). At the last follow-up, Moon grading in the navigation group was significantly better than that in the freehand group ( P<0.05). Conclusion:In the treatment of Hangman fracture, compared with freehand screw placement, axis pedicle screwing assisted by intraoperative 3-D navigation can improve accuracy and safety of screw placement and reduce postoperative complications, leading to better clinical efficacy.

Objective:To investigate the anatomical safety and feasibility ofposterior occipitocervical fixation with atlan-tooccipital-clivus screw.Methods:Data of 60 patients who treated in the spinal department of our hospital with upper cervical computed tomographic scans from February 2017 to November 2019 were retrospectively collected. Occipitocervical infection, injury, tumor and deformity were excluded. The Mimics software was used to reconstruct the occiput, atlas and measure the anatomical parameters, including the height and width of the anterior edge of the clivus, the height and width of the middle part of the clivus, the thinnest distance of the soft tissue in front of the clivus, the anteroposterior diameter, transverse diameter, the angle of inside tilting in coronary plane of the occipital condyle, the distance from the hypoglossal canal to the atlantooccipital articular surface, the anteroposterior diameter and transverse diameter of the superior joint of atlas, the height of the lateral mass, and the height and transverse diameter of the inferior articular process of the superior atlas joint. The three-dimensional digital modeling was performed and the screw diameter of 3.5mm was simulated. 3-Matic software were used to measure the screw placement parameters, including the inside tilting angle in coronary plane of screw, and the angle of upper tilting in sagittal plane and length of screw. The atlanto-occipital junction was exposed at the rear of 8 cadavers. According to the above parameters, the titanium alloy screws with a diameter of 3.5 mm were transferred from the inferior articular process and posterior arch of the atlas to the clivus through the atlantooccipital. Finally, the screw path was cut along the nail path with a pendulum saw, and the track of the screw was observed to confirm the safety and effectiveness of the screw.Results:The leading edge height and width of male clivus was 16.8±2.5 mm and 20.1±3.1 mm. The middle part of the clivus was 9.7±2.3 mm and 22.4±3.7 mm. The thinnest soft tissue in front of the clivus was 5.8±1.48 mm. The anteroposterior diameter of the occipital condyle was 19.1±1.9 mm, the transverse diameter was 12.6±2.0 mm, the inside tilting angle was 33.7°±4.5°, and the vertical distance from the lowest point of the neural tube to the articular surface of the occipital condyle was 9.6±1.1 mm. The height of the lateral mass of atlas was 12.9±2.4 mm, the anteroposterior diameter of the upper joint of atlas was 21.7±1.9 mm, and the transverse diameter was 11.7±1.4 mm. The width of the inferior facet was 14.9±1.4 mm and the height of the inferior facet was 5.7±0.85 mm. The distance from the screw entry point to the vertical line of the lateral mass migration midpoint was 2.5±0.6 mm; The distance from the screw entry point to the horizontal line of the midpoint was 2.3±0.7 mm.The inside titling angle of screw was 18.4°±1.6°, the upper tilting angle was 55.6°±3.1°, the length of the screw track was 53.0±2.8 mm, the adjustment range of upper tilting angle was 15.0±2.8 mm, the adjustment range of inside tilting angle was 10.4±2.4 mm. The anatomical parameters of females were slightly smaller than those of males, and the difference was statistically significant, but there was no significant difference between left and right parameters. The screws of 8 specimens could be inserted safely and effectively.Conclusion:Atlan-tooccipital-clivus screw can be implanted without damaging the nerve and vascular structure, and it can be used as a choice for occipitocervical fixation.

Objective:To analyze the incidence and epidemiological characteristics of traumatic spinal cord injury in China in 2018.Methods:Multi-stage stratified cluster sampling was used to randomly select hospitals capable of treating patients with spinal cord injury from 3 regions，9 provinces and 27 cities in China to retrospectively investigate eligible patients with traumatic spinal cord injury admitted in 2018. National and regional incidence rates were calculated. The data of cause of injury，injury level，severity of injury，segment and type of fracture，complications，death and other data were collected by medical record questionnaire，and analyzed according to geographical region，age and gender.Results:Medical records of 4，134 patients were included in this study，with a male-to-female ratio of 2.99∶1. The incidence of traumatic spinal cord injury in China in 2018 was 50.484 / 1 million （95% CI 50.122-50.846）. The highest incidence in the Eastern region was 53.791 / 1 million （95% CI 53.217-54.365）. In the whole country，the main causes of injury were high falls （29.58%），as well as in the Western region （40.68%），while the main causes of injury in the Eastern and Central regions were traffic injuries （31.22%，30.10%）. The main injury level was cervical spinal cord in the whole country （64.49%），and the proportion of cervical spinal cord injury in the Central region was the highest （74.68%），and the proportion of lumbosacral spinal cord injury in the Western region was the highest （32.30%）. The highest proportion of degree of injury was incomplete quadriplegia （55.20%），and the distribution pattern was the same in each region. A total of 65.87% of the patients were complicated with fracture or dislocation，77.95% in the Western region and only 54.77% in the Central region. In the whole country，the head was the main combined injury （37.87%），as well as in the Eastern and Central regions，while the proportion of chest combined injury in the Western region was the highest （38.57%）. A total of 32.90% of the patients were complicated with respiratory complications. There were 23 patients （0.56%） died in hospital，of which 17（73.91%） died of respiratory dysfunction. Conclusions:The Eastern region of China has a high incidence of traumatic spinal cord injury. Other epidemiological features include high fall as the main cause of injury cervical spinal cord injury as the main injury level，incomplete quadriplegia as the main degree of injury，head as the main combined injury，and respiratory complications as the main complication.

Objective:To explore the difference in properties of anterior occipital condyle plate screws compared with common anterior occipitalcervical fusion internal fixation.Methods:A 28-year-old healthy adult male volunteer's CT data of the occiput and neck was selected to establish finite element models：including the normal model，simple artificial vertebral fixation model（special-shaped titanium cage+clival screws），anterior occipital condyle plate and screw fixation model，and clival plate and screw fixation model，then a 50 N gravity and a torque of 1.5 N m were exerted upon the upper surface of the occipital bone to make the model produce flexion and extension，lateral bending and rotation. The motion range，internal fixation stress distribution and occipital bone stress distribution of each model under varying conditions were compared.Results:Under the conditions of flexion，extension，lateral bending and rotation，the range of motion of the normal model was 18.65°，15.35°，9.82° and 34.68°，respectively；that of the simple artificial vertebral fixation model was 3.20°，3.63°，2.94° and 3.92°，respectively；that of the clival plate and screw fixation model was 0.40°，0.50°，0.35° and 0.89°，respectively；that of the anterior occipital condylar plate and screw fixation model was 0.27°，0.33°，0.13° and 0.30°，respectively. Compared with the simple artificial vertebral fixation model，the range of motion of the clival plate and screw fixation model decreased by 87.5%，86.2%，88.1% and 77.3% in flexion，extension，lateral bending and rotation. The range of motion of the anterior occipital condylar plate and screw fixation model decreased by 91.5%，90.1%，95.6% and 92.3%，respectively. Under the conditions of flexion and extension，lateral bending and rotation，the stress peak of the simple artificial vertebral fixation model was 52.3 MPa，51.9 MPa，52.6 MPa，respectively；that of the clival plate and screw fixation was 100.1 MPa，158.1 MPa，170.6 MPa，respectively；that of the anterior occipital condylar plate and screw fixation was 114.2 MPa，62.9 MPa，132.9 MPa，respectively. Under the condition of flexion and extension，lateral bending and rotation，the stress peak of the occipital bone in the simple artificial vertebral body internal fixation model was 52.9 MPa，50.9 MPa and 62.3 MPa，respectively；that of the clival plate and screw fixation model was 19.7 MPa，55.9 MPa and 38.3 MPa，respectively；that of the anterior occipital condylar plate and screw fixation model was 37.8 MPa，15.0 MPa and 16.3 MPa，respectively. The stress in bone near the hypoglossal canal was close to 0 MPa，much smaller than the stress peak in occipital bone.Conclusion:Anterior occipital condylar plate and screw fixation in front of the special-shaped titanium cage can improve the stability of occipitocervical fusion with little effect on the occipital bone and hypoglossal canal or without obvious stress concentration，and hence is a safe and reliable anterior fixation method for upper cervical spine instability.

Objective:To compare the effects of 3 spatial locations of the screw at the injured vertebra on the vertebral height in AO type A thoracolumbar fracture.Methods:A retrospective analysis was performed of the 156 patients with type A thoracolumbar fracture who had been hospitalized at Department of Spine Surgery, The Sixth Hospital of Ningbo from January 2016 to June 2019. They were divided into 3 groups according to the spatial location of the screw at the injured vertebra. In group A of 55 cases, the screws were located in the vertebral body between the longitudinal axis bisector of the vertebral pedicle and the upper endplate; in group B of 52 cases, the screws were located in the vertebral body between the vertical axis bisector of the vertebral pedicle and the horizontal line of the apex of the inferior pedicle notch; in group C of 49 cases, the screws were located in the vertebral body between the horizontal line at the apex of the inferior pedicle notch and the inferior endplate. The anterior, middle and posterior heights of the injured vertebra, Beck index and angulation of the injured vertebra at preoperation, one week postoperation and the last follow-up were compared between the 3 groups and within the same group.Results:There was no significant difference in preoperative general data between the 3 groups, showing comparability ( P>0.05). In all the 3 groups, the anterior and middle heights of the injured vertebra and Beck indexes at one week postoperation and at the last follow-up were significantly larger than those before operation while the angulations of the injured vertebra at one week postoperation and at the last follow-up were significantly smaller than the preoperative values (all P<0.05), but there was no significant difference between one week postoperation and the last follow-up in any of the above indexes ( P>0.05). In all the patients, the posterior height of the injured vertebra at one week postoperation was significantly larger than those before operation and at the last follow-up ( P<0.05), but there was no such a significant difference in comparison between preoperation and the last follow-up ( P>0.05). At the last follow-up, groups A and B had significantly larger anterior and middle heights of the injured vertebra and Beck indexes but significantly smaller angulations of the injured vertebra than group C, but such significant differences did not exist when the above indexes were compared between groups A and B ( P>0.05). Conclusions:In insertion into an injured vertebra, the screw should be parallel and close to the upper endplate, and located in the middle and upper part of the vertebra corresponding to the longitudinal axis of the vertebral pedicle, because this spatial position is conducive to intraoperative reduction, maintaining the postoperative height of the injured vertebra, and decreasing loss of the vertebral height.