Establishment of a rat model of chronic thoracolumbar cord compression with a flat plastic screw.

Previous studies of animal models of chronic mechanical compression of the spinal cord have mainly focused on cervical and thoracic lesions, but few studies have investigated thoracolumbar injury. The specific pathophysiological mechanism of chronic thoracolumbar cord injury has not yet been elucidated. The purpose of this study was to improve animal models of chronic thoracolumbar cord compression using the progressive screw.

[Treatment of infected total knee arthroplasty with a self-made, antibiotic-loaded cement articulating spacer].

Objective: To study the efficacy of self-made, antibiotic-loaded cement articulating spacer in the treatment of infected total knee arthroplasty.

Methods: The self-made molds were used to form the spacer during the operation. From March 2002 to March 2007, 22 patients with infected knee arthroplasty (10 males with 10 knees, 12 females with 12 knees) were treated with this kind of spacer in our center.

Effect of low-energy shock waves in microfracture holes in the repair of articular cartilage defects in a rabbit model.

Background: Microfracture is a type of bone marrow stimulation in arthroscopic cartilage repair. However, the overall concentration of the mesenchymal stem cells is quite low and declines with age, and in the end the lesion is filled by fibrocartilage. The aim of this research was to investigate a novel method of enhancing microfracture by determining whether low-energy shock waves in microfracture holes would facilitate cartilage repair in a rabbit model.