Immunological regulation and the role of autophagy in preeclampsia.

Autophagy is a bulk degradation system that maintains cellular homeostasis by producing energy and/or recycling excess proteins. During early placentation, extravillous trophoblasts invade the decidua and uterine myometrium, facing maternal immune cells, which participate in the immune suppression of paternal and fetal antigens. Regulatory T cells will likely increase in response to a specific antigen before and during early pregnancy.

Short-segment spinal fusion for chronic low back pain with bone marrow edema adjacent to the vertebral endplate in adult spinal deformity.

Purpose: Corrective long spinal fusion is a widely accepted surgical method for patients with adult spinal deformities. However, instrumented long fusion is associated with a significant risk of complications. Therefore, we aimed to assess the success of short-segment spinal fusion, particularly for bone marrow edema (BME) adjacent to the vertebral endplate, in patients with low back pain (LBP) and spinal deformity.

Balancing ability of patients with lumbar spinal canal stenosis.

Purpose: To determine the relationship between postural sway and the severity of lumbar spinal canal stenosis as well as the effect on postoperative improvement.

Methods: Stabilometry was performed before and 6 months after surgery in 52 patients (29 men and 23 women; mean age, 74.1 ± 7.

Prognostic factors of balloon kyphoplasty for osteoporotic vertebral fractures with diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis.

Objective: The authors aimed to determine the poor prognostic factors of balloon kyphoplasty for the treatment of fractures of the most distal or distal-adjacent vertebrae in ankylosing spines with diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH).

Methods: Eighty-nine patients with fractures of the most distal or distal-adjacent vertebrae of ankylosing spines with DISH were included and divided into two groups: those with (n = 51) and without (n = 38) bone healing 6 months postoperatively. Clinical evaluation included age, sex, time from onset to surgery, the visual analog scale score for low-back pain, and the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI).

The Role of Autophagy in the Female Reproduction System: For Beginners to Experts in This Field.

Autophagy is a fundamental process involved in regulating cellular homeostasis. Autophagy has been classically discovered as a cellular process that degrades cytoplasmic components non-selectively to produce energy. Over the past few decades, this process has been shown to work in energy production, as well as in the reduction of excessive proteins, damaged organelles, and membrane trafficking.

Chloroquine is a safe autophagy inhibitor for sustaining the expression of antioxidant enzymes in trophoblasts.

Inhibition of autophagy contributes to the pathophysiology of preeclampsia. Although chloroquine (CHQ) is an autophagy inhibitor, it can reduce the occurrence of preeclampsia in women with systemic lupus erythematosus. To clarify this important clinical question, this study aimed to address the safety of CHQ in trophoblast cells from the viewpoint of homeostasis, in which the anti-oxidative stress (OS) response and autophagy are involved.

Percutaneous Intervertebral-Vacuum Polymethylmethacrylate Injection for Foraminal Stenosis with Degenerative Lumbar Scoliosis.

Background: Percutaneous intervertebral-vacuum polymethylmethacrylate injection (PIPI) is a minimally invasive procedure for low back pain in elderly patients with degenerative lumbar scoliosis (DLS). Patients with DLS often have radiculopathy as a result of foraminal stenosis in addition to low back pain. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical and radiologic results of PIPI for foraminal stenosis with radiculopathy in elderly patients with DLS.

Radiographic Factors for Adjacent Vertebral Fractures and Cement Loosening Following Balloon Kyphoplasty in Patients with Osteoporotic Vertebral Fractures.

Introduction: Balloon kyphoplasty (BKP) is a minimally invasive surgical approach for the treatment of osteoporotic vertebral fractures (OVF). Some risks have been reported after treatment with BKP; therefore, it is necessary to determine when BKP does not work. Thus, in this study, we aim to clarify the radiographic predictors of secondary vertebral fractures and cement loosening after BKP for OVF.

Spinous Process Fractures in Osteoporotic Vertebral Fractures: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to assess radiological features and clinical scores of osteoporotic vertebral fracture (OVF) accompanied by spinous process fracture (SPF).

Methods: We included painful patients with single-level OVF with intravertebral cleft. SPF was detected using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and/or computed tomography (CT).

Quantitative evaluation of abnormal finger movements in myelopathy hand during the grip and release test using gyro sensors.

Previous studies have reported qualitative characteristics of myelopathy hand, but few studies have reported quantitative kinematic parameters of this condition. Our purpose of this study was to quantitatively evaluate the abnormal finger movements in patients with cervical compressive myelopathy (CCM) (termed myelopathy hand) and to understand the characteristics of myelopathy hand during the grip and release test (GRT) using gyro sensors. Sixty patients with CCM (severe: n = 30; mild-to-moderate: n = 30) and sixty healthy adults (age-matched control: n = 30; young control: n = 30) were included in this study.

Surgical outcomes of cervical myelopathy in patients with athetoid cerebral palsy.

Purpose: Surgical treatment for cervical myelopathy with athetoid cerebral palsy remains unestablished. Instrumented fusion is reported to have good clinical results; however, there are no data of decompression surgery for this pathology in recent years. This study aimed to assess the surgical outcomes of laminoplasty with or without posterior instrumented fusion for cervical myelopathy in patients with athetoid cerebral palsy.

Quantifying Bone Marrow Edema Adjacent to the Lumbar Vertebral Endplate on Magnetic Resonance Imaging: A Cross-Sectional Study of Patients with Degenerative Lumbar Disease.

Study Design: Cross-sectional study.

Purpose: We aimed to quantitatively assess bone marrow edema (BME) on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for patients with degenerative lumbar diseases.

Overview Of Literature: BME adjacent to a sclerotic endplate of the lumbar spine, detected using T2-weighted fat-saturated MRI, is closely associated with low back pain in patients with degenerative lumbar diseases.

Long-term outcome of targeted therapy for low back pain in elderly degenerative lumbar scoliosis.

Purpose: Treatment of low back pain (LBP) associated with elderly degenerative lumbar scoliosis (DLS) remains controversial. We have developed percutaneous intervertebral-vacuum polymethylmethacrylate injection (PIPI) targeting to the intervertebral vacuum as a minimally invasive surgery. The present study compared the long-term clinical outcomes of PIPI to that of nonoperative treatment.

Transforaminal percutaneous endoscopic discectomy for lumbar disc herniation in athletes under the local anesthesia.

Background: Percutaneous endoscopic discectomy (PED) has been reported to be less invasive and effective procedure for lumbar disc herniation (LDH). Damage to the back muscle is considered minimal, which is particularly important for athletes. However, the results of PED for LDH in athletes have not been reported well.

Synovitis, Acne, Pustulosis, Hyperostosis, and Osteitis (SAPHO) Syndrome with Destructive Spondylitis: A Case Report.

Introduction: Spinal lesions in synovitis, acne, pustulosis, hyperostosis, and osteitis (SAPHO) syndrome generally have a good prognosis and rarely cause structural destruction or neurological deterioration. We described a surgical case of posterior instrumented surgery without anterior reconstruction and bone graft in a patient with SAPHO syndrome with destructive spondylitis and reviewed the literature on surgical treatment for this entity.

Case Report: We describe the case of a 73-year-old male who presented with palmoplantar pustulosis.

Risk Factors for Cement Loosening after Vertebroplasty for Osteoporotic Vertebral Fracture with Intravertebral Cleft: A Retrospective Analysis.

Study Design: Retrospective case-control study.

Purpose: To evaluate the primary outcomes and radiographic results of percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) in patients with singlelevel osteoporotic vertebral fracture (OVF) with intravertebral cleft (IVC) to identify the risk factors for cement loosening after PVP.

Overview Of Literature: PVP is a widely accepted method for managing painful OVF; however, cement loosening occasionally occurs with poor outcomes.

Relationship between clinical symptoms of osteoporotic vertebral fracture with intravertebral cleft and radiographic findings.

Background: With aging of the population, the numbers of osteoporotic vertebral fractures with intravertebral cleft have been increasing. However, the details of clinical symptoms of osteoporotic vertebral fractures with intravertebral cleft are poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between clinical symptoms of osteoporotic vertebral fractures with intravertebral cleft and radiographic findings.

Targeted Therapy for Low Back Pain in Elderly Degenerative Lumbar Scoliosis: A Cohort Study.

Study Design: Prospective cohort study.

Objective: To compare the novel treatment procedure with nonoperative treatment for low back pain (LBP) in elderly patients with degenerative lumbar scoliosis (DLS).

Summary Of Background Data: Treatment of LBP associated with elderly DLS is controversial.

Bone Marrow Edema and Low Back Pain in Elderly Degenerative Lumbar Scoliosis: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Study Design: Cross-sectional study.

Objective: To examine whether bone marrow edema is associated with low back pain in elderly patients with degenerative lumbar scoliosis.

Summary Of Background Data: The cause of low back pain in degenerative lumbar scoliosis is unclear.

Efficacy of Percutaneous Vertebroplasty in the Treatment of Osteoporotic Vertebral Compression Fractures with Intravertebral Cleft.

Intravertebral cleft (IVC) is frequently observed in patients with painful osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture (OVCF). Some studies reported the usefulness of percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) for treating OVCF with IVC. However, systematic studies are scarce, and their results are conflicting.

Accuracy of iodine removal using dual-energy CT with or without a tin filter: an experimental phantom study.

Background: The effects of a tin filter on virtual non-enhanced (VNE) images created by dual-energy CT have not been well evaluated.

Purpose: To compare the accuracy of VNE images between those with and without a tin filter.

Material And Methods: Two different types of columnar phantoms made of agarose gel were evaluated.