[Clinical characteristics and treatment for patients with low back and leg pain caused by lumbar annular tears].

Objective: To investigate whether annular tears is a cause of low back and radiating leg pain and explore the clinical characteristics and treatment for patients with this condition.

Methods: A total of 34 patients with low back and radiating leg pain, but without lumbar disc herniation on CT (computed tomography) or MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), were examined by electrophysiological studies and discography to identify whether there were or not annular tears and nerve root injury and decipher the relations between them. The series included 15 males and 19 females with an average age of 45.

[Intraobserver and interobserver reliability of the King, Lenke, and PUMC classification systems for idiopathic scoliosis].

Objective: To evaluate the intraobserver and interobserver reliability and main influencing factors of the King, Lenke, and PUMC classification systems for idiopathic scoliosis (IS) using radiographs that had not been premeasured.

Methods: Fifty-six patients with IS, 9 male and 47 female, aged 15.4 (11 - 18), underwent preoperative X-ray photography of spine standing full-length posteroanterior and lateral films and left and right supine side-bending radiographs.

Treatment of tibial defect and bone nonunion with limb shortening with external fixator and reconstituted bone xenograft.

Objective: To explore the effect of external fixator and reconstituted bone xenograft (RBX) in the treatment of tibial bone defect, tibial bone nonunion and congenital pseudarthrosis of the tibia with limb shortening.

Methods: Twenty patients (13 males and 7 females) with tibial bone defect, tibial bone nonunion or congenital pseudarthrosis of the tibia with limb shortening were treated with external fixation. Two kinds of external fixators were used: a half ring sulcated external fixator used in 13 patients and a combined external fixator in 7 patients.