Total spondylectomy of C2 and circumferential reconstruction via combined anterior and posterior approach to cervical spine for axis tumor surgery.

As a result of the complex anatomy in upper cervical spine, the operative treatment of axis neoplasms is always complicated. Although the procedure for the second cervical vertebra (C2) surgery had been described previously in diverse approaches and reconstruction forms, each has its own limitations and restrictions that usually result in less satisfactory conclusions. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the operation efficacy for axis tumors by using a combined anterior (retropharyngeal) cervical and posterior approach in achieving total resection of C2 and circumferential reconstruction.

Clinical and radiological observation in a surgical series of 36 cases of fibrous dysplasia of the skull.

Objectives: To describe the clinical and radiological findings in a consecutive series of patients diagnosed with fibrous dysplasia of the skull.

Patients And Methods: A retrospective analysis of collected data for 36 patients with histopathologically confirmed fibrous dysplasia involving the skull is presented. The demographic data, clinical presentation, radiographic characteristics, and the management of these patients were reviewed.

Construction of eukaryotic expression plasmid human transforming growth factor beta3 and its transfection into precartilaginous stem cells.

Objective: To obtain seed cells for cartilage repair through constructing recombinant human transforming growth factor beta3 vector (hTGF-beta3) and transfecting it into rat's precartilaginous stem cells (PSCs).

Methods: Gene engineering technique was introduced to construct eukaryotic expression plasmid pcDNA3.1 (+)-hTGF-beta3.