Factors Related to Instrumentation Failure in Titanium Mesh Reconstruction for Thoracic and Lumbar Tumors: Retrospective Analysis of 178 Patients.

Purpose: To investigate risk factors for instrumentation failure (IF) in titanium (Ti) mesh reconstruction for thoracic and lumbar tumors.

Patients And Methods: The clinical data of patients with thoracic or lumbar tumors who received Ti mesh reconstruction via the posterior approach in our hospital from 2013 to 2018 were analyzed retrospectively. The observation indexes included sex, age, BMI, the vertebra resection mode, the number of resected vertebral segments, application of bone cement, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, revision or primary surgery, and primary tumor metastasis.

A Novel Reconstruction Using a Combined Anterior and Posterior Approach After Axis Tumor Spondylectomy.

Study Design: This was a retrospective study.

Objective: To describe a novel reconstruction strategy using a T-shaped titanium mesh cage with posterior cervical screw-rod fixation after total spondylectomy of axis tumors.

Summary Of Background Data: Instability of the upper cervical spine because of tumors in axis (C2) often results in devastating complications.

Ossifying Fibroma of the Cervical Spine: First Case Report and Literature Review.

Background: Ossifying fibroma (OF) is a benign tumor commonly occurring in the mandible and maxilla. Spinal involvement of OFs is of great rarity. To the best of our knowledge, only 3 cases in the thoracic and lumbar spine have been reported.

Bone Metastases of Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor: A Review of Published Literature.

Background: With the occurrence and improvement of immunohistochemistry and other pathological diagnostic techniques, gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) has been gradually recognized. With the prolonged survival of patients with GISTs, reports about the bone metastasis of GIST increased. However, the knowledge of GISTs is rather limited due to its very low incidence.

Endothelin-1 Activates the Notch Signaling Pathway and Promotes Tumorigenesis in Giant Cell Tumor of the Spine.

Study Design: Experimental study.

Objective: To examine the role of endothelin-1 (ET-1) and the Notch signaling pathway in giant cell tumor (GCT) of the spine.

Summary Of Background Data: Previously published studies have shown that the Notch signaling pathway has a role in tumor invasion and that ET-1 is involved in tumor invasion and angiogenesis.

SF2523 inhibits human chondrosarcoma cell growth in vitro and in vivo.

Developing novel therapeutic agents against chondrosarcoma is important. SF2523 is a PI3K-Akt-mTOR and bromodomain-containing protein 4 (BRD4) dual inhibitor. Its activity in human chondrosarcoma cells is tested.

Attenuation of the degenerative effects of endothelin-1 on cartilaginous end plate cells by the endothelin receptor antagonist BQ-123 via the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway.

Background Context: Endothelin-1 (ET-1) is an inflammatory mediator associated with cartilage end plate (CEP) degeneration in the intervertebral disc (IVD). SOX9 is downregulated during CEP degeneration, along with its targets, collagen II and aggrecan. Wnt/β-catenin signaling is associated with CEP degeneration and a downstream target of SOX9; however, the precise mechanism of CEP degeneration and the role of ET-1 are largely unknown.

microRNA-124 inhibits bone metastasis of breast cancer by repressing Interleukin-11.

Background: Most patients with breast cancer in advanced stages of the disease suffer from bone metastases which lead to fractures and nerve compression syndromes. microRNA dysregulation is an important event in the metastases of breast cancer to bone. microRNA-124 (miR-124) has been proved to inhibit cancer progression, whereas its effect on bone metastases of breast cancer has not been reported.

Selective Arterial Embolization for the Treatment of Sacral and Pelvic Giant Cell Tumor: A Systematic Review.

Giant cell tumor of the bone (GCTB) is a locally aggressive tumor with a certain distant metastatic rate. For sacral GCT (SGCT) and pelvic GCT (PGCT), surgery has its limitations, especially for unresectable or recurrent tumors. Selective arterial embolization (SAE) is reported to be an option for treatment in several cases, but there are few systematic reviews on the effects of SAE on SGCT and/or PGCT.

En Bloc Resection of Primary Malignant Bone Tumor in the Cervical Spine Based on 3-Dimensional Printing Technology.

Objective: To investigate the feasibility and safety of en bloc resection of cervical primary malignant bone tumors by a combined anterior and posterior approach based on a three-dimensional (3-D) printing model.

Methods: Five patients with primary malignant bone tumors of the cervical spine underwent en bloc resection via a one-stage combined anteroposterior approach in our hospital from March 2013 to June 2014. They comprised three men and two women of mean age 47.

HIF-1α activates hypoxia-induced BCL-9 expression in human colorectal cancer cells.

B-cell CLL/lymphoma 9 protein (BCL-9), a multi-functional co-factor in Wnt signaling, induced carcinogenesis as well as promoting tumor progression, metastasis and chemo-resistance in colorectal cancer (CRC). However, the mechanisms for increased BCL-9 expression in CRC were not well understood. Here, we report that hypoxia, a hallmark of solid tumors, induced BCL-9 mRNA expression in human CRC cells.

Expression of CDc6 after acute spinal cord injury in adult rats.

The cell division cycle 6 (CDc6) protein has been primarily investigated as a component of the pre-replicative complex for the initiation of DNA replication. Some studies have shown that CDc6 played a critical role in the development of human carcinoma. However, the expression and roles of CDc6 in the central nervous system remain unknown.

An Up-regulation of IRF-1 After a Spinal Cord Injury: Implications for Neuronal Apoptosis.

IRF-1, a kind of transcription factor, is expressed in many cell types, except in early embryonal cells. IRF-1 has played an essential role in various physiological and pathological processes, including tumor immune surveillance, viral infection, development of immunity system and pro-inflammatory injury. However, the expression and function of IRF-1 in spinal cord injury (SCI) are still unknown.

Zoledronic Acid may reduce intraoperative bleeding in spinal tumors: a prospective cohort study.

Between June 2010 and June 2011, 176 patients were divided into 2 groups: a group with spinal metastasis of solid tumors (n = 157) and a group with multiple myeloma (n = 19). Both groups were further divided into 2 subgroups: a group receiving zoledronic acid before surgery and a control group. The zoledronic acid subgroup of the solid tumors group was group A (n = 81), the control subgroup of the solid tumors group was group B (n = 76), the zoledronic acid subgroup of the multiple myeloma group was group C (n = 10), and the control subgroup of the multiple myeloma group was group D (n = 9).

Atlantoaxial instability secondary to eosinophilic granuloma of the axis in adults: long-term follow-up in six cases.

Background Context: Eosinophilic granuloma (EG) involving the spine is uncommon in adults. Atlantoaxial instability (AAI) secondary to EG of the axis in adults is an extremely rare clinical condition that can give rise to severe neurologic morbidity or mortality if not treated appropriately. There have been no previous reports on the condition in adults.

Survival and health-related quality of life in patients with spinal metastases originated from primary hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: In recent years, there have been more and more clinical trails focused on patient-reported outcomes (PRO), especially in the assessment of quality of life (QOL). Previous report on QOL assessment on patients with spinal metastases from primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is rare. And there is no standard treatment for those patients.

Antimicrobial metabolites from the Paracel Islands sponge Agelas mauritiana.

Four new alkaloids, (-)-8'-oxo-agelasine D (2), ageloxime B (3), (+)-2-oxo-agelasidine C (4), and 4-bromo-N-(butoxymethyl)-1H-pyrrole-2-carboxamide (5), and the known compound (-)-ageloxime D (1) were isolated from the marine sponge Agelas mauritiana. Their chemical structures were established on the basis of spectroscopic analysis. Compounds 1 and 3 both showed antifungal activity against Cryptococcus neoformans and antileishmanial activity against Leishmania donovani in vitro.

[Surgical intervention and radiotherapy outcome of solitary plasmacytoma of cervical spine].

Objective: To study the clinical features, treatment methods and outcome of solitary plasmacytoma of cervical spine.

Methods: From January 1995 to December 2007, the data of 23 cases with solitary plasmacytoma of cervical spine was analyzed. There were 16 males and 7 females (mean age 56 years, range: 32 - 76 years).

Health-related quality of life in patients with spinal metastases treated with or without spinal surgery: a prospective, longitudinal study.

Background: The objective of this study was to determine whether surgery for patients with spinal metastases could improve the quality of remaining life and prolong survival.

Methods: In total, 96 patients who had spinal metastases were recruited from Changzheng Hospital at the Second Military Medical University in Shanghai, China, over the period from July 2007 to June 2009. The patients received treatments with or without spinal surgery (surgery group, n=46 patients; nonsurgery group, n=50 patients), and all patients received adjuvant therapies according to their original cancer and individual conditions.

Combined anterior C2-C3 fusion and C2 pedicle screw fixation for the treatment of unstable hangman's fracture: a contrast to anterior approach only.

Study Design: A retrospective clinical study was used to evaluate the effect of a new surgical treatment of the hangman's fractures.

Objective: To determine the treatment efficacy of combined anterior C2-C3 reduction and fusion and posterior compressive C2 pedicle screw fixation for the management of unstable hangman's fractures.

Summary Of Background Data: The classification of hangman's fractures as proposed by Levine-Edwards was used to classify and guide the treatment of these injuries.

Loss of p16INK4, alone and with overexpression of osteopontin, correlates with survival of patients with spinal metastasis from hepatocellular carcinoma.

The survival of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has been improved with various diagnostic tools and treatment modalities. Consequently, spinal metastases from HCC are diagnosed more frequently. We investigated the clinical biomarkers of HCC patients presenting with spinal metastasis.

[Surgical treatment and prognosis of aneurysmal bone cyst in mobile spine].

Objective: To investigate the effects of surgical treatment and prognosis of aneurysmal bone cyst (ABC) in mobile spine.

Methods: A total of 12 patients with ABC were operated on from 1996 to 2006, and the clinical data were retrospectively reviewed. The patients included 7 male and 5 female, aged from 16 to 52 years (mean, 29 years).