Warm acupuncture therapy alleviates neuronal apoptosis after spinal cord injury via inhibition of the ERK signaling pathway.

Purpose: Warm acupuncture (WA) therapy has been applied to treat spinal cord injury (SCI), but the underlying mechanism is unclear. The current study attempted to explore the WA therapy on neuronal apoptosis of SCI and the relationship with the extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling pathway.

Methods: The rat SCI models were established by the impact method.

Acupuncture combined with moxibustion promote the recovery of spinal cord injury in correlation with Shh/Gli-1 signaling pathway.

Acupuncture combined with moxibustion (AM) therapy has been applied to treat spinal cord injury (SCI), but the underlying mechanism is unclear. The present study aimed to confirm the effect and mechanism of AM treatment on the recovery of SCI. Male Sprague-Dawley rats were used to establish the SCI model by impact method.

[Preliminary efficacy of decompressive unilateral improved transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) for the treatment of lumbar degenerative diseases].

Objective: To observe preliminary efficacy of decompressive unilateral improved transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) for the treatment of lumbar degenerative diseases.

Methods: From August 2009 to December 2011, 28 patients with lumbar degenerative diseases were treated by decompressive unilateral improved TLIF,including 16 males and 12 females with an average of 61 (aged 46 to 71) years old,the courses of disease ranged from 6 months to 6 years. Among them, 20 cases suffered from lumbar spinal stenosis, 8 cases were lumbar disc herniation.