Is robot-assisted pedicle screw placement really superior to conventional surgery? An overview of systematic reviews and meta-analyses.

Background: Over the past two decades, modern spine surgery has become increasingly intellectualized and minimally invasive. However, whether using robots in spine surgery results in more accurate pedicle screw placement remains a topic of debate. This study aimed to evaluate the certainty and quality of the available evidence on the efficacy of robot-assisted pedicle screw placement.

Comprehensive evaluation of Chinese herbal compound prescriptions for postoperative spinal cord injury: A network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Background: Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a catastrophic condition associated with spinal nerve damage, which can lead to complete or partial loss of sensory and motor functions. Chinese herbal compound prescriptions (CHCP) have shown varying degrees of therapeutic effects on spinal cord injuries. However, there is a significant lack of clinical evidence-based research to substantiate these effects.

Sagittal balance parameters measurement on cervical spine MR images based on superpixel segmentation.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is essential in diagnosing cervical spondylosis, providing detailed visualization of osseous and soft tissue structures in the cervical spine. However, manual measurements hinder the assessment of cervical spine sagittal balance, leading to time-consuming and error-prone processes. This study presents the Pyramid DBSCAN Simple Linear Iterative Cluster (PDB-SLIC), an automated segmentation algorithm for vertebral bodies in T2-weighted MR images, aiming to streamline sagittal balance assessment for spinal surgeons.

Clinical efficacy of robotic spine surgery: an updated systematic review of 20 randomized controlled trials.

Purpose: To determine whether using robots in spine surgery results in more clinical advantages and fewer adverse consequences.

Methods: Between October 1990 and October 2022, a computer-based search was conducted through the databases of PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, China Biology Medicine, VIP databases, and WAN FANG. The study only included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing the clinical efficacy and safety of robot-assisted surgery with those of conventional spine surgery.

Meta-analysis of the clinical efficacy and safety of oblique lateral interbody fusion and transforaminal interbody fusion in the treatment of degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis.

Objective: The aim of this study was to comprehensively evaluate the efficacy of oblique lateral interbody fusion (OLIF) and transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) in the treatment of degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis by meta-analysis.

Methods: A computer-based search of PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, Web of Science Core Collection databases, the China National Knowledge Infrastructure, China Biology Medicine, and Wanfang Digital Periodicals was conducted from the time of inception of each database to December 2021. The review process was conducted according to the PRISMA guidelines and registered in the PROSPERO database.

Percutaneous full endoscopic C1 laminectomy for developmental atlantal stenosis with myelopathy: a case report of three cases and review of the literature.

Background: Developmental atlantal stenosis with myelopathy (DASM) in adults is a rare disease that only sporadic cases have been reported over the years. C1 laminectomy (C1L) is one of the most common operations for its treatment. However, as an open surgery, it has shortcomings such as large trauma and slow postoperative rehabilitation, and minimally invasive spine surgery (MISS) offers alternative treatment options with advantages.

Global Trends of the Research on Ossification of Posterior Longitudinal Ligament in Thoracic Spine: A Bibliometric and Visualization Study.

Objective: Thoracic ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (TOPLL) is a rare but intractable disease, and is the second leading cause of thoracic myelopathy. This study aimed to illustrate the overall knowledge structure and development trends of TOPLL, using a bibliometric analysis and newly developed visualization tools.

Methods: Research data sets were acquired from the Web of Science.

Traditional Chinese medicine active ingredients-based selenium nanoparticles regulate antioxidant selenoproteins for spinal cord injury treatment.

Background: As Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) drugs, Huangqi and Danshen are always applied in combination for spinal cord injury (SCI) treatment based on the compatibility theory of TCM. Astragalus Polysaccharidesis (APS) and Tanshinone IIA (TSIIA) are the main active ingredients of Huangqi and Danshen, and they both possess neuroprotective effects through antioxidant activities. However, low solubility and poor bioavailability have greatly limited their application.

Deep learning-based high-accuracy quantitation for lumbar intervertebral disc degeneration from MRI.

To help doctors and patients evaluate lumbar intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) accurately and efficiently, we propose a segmentation network and a quantitation method for IVDD from T2MRI. A semantic segmentation network (BianqueNet) composed of three innovative modules achieves high-precision segmentation of IVDD-related regions. A quantitative method is used to calculate the signal intensity and geometric features of IVDD.

Thoracic full-endoscopic unilateral laminotomy with bilateral decompression for treating ossification of the ligamentum flavum with myelopathy.

Background: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the curative effect and safety of thoracic full-endoscopic unilateral laminotomy with bilateral decompression (TE-ULBD) for treating ossification of the ligamentum flavum (OLF) with myelopathy.

Methods: Between January 2015 and December 2018, 23 consecutive patients with symptomatic thoracic OLF were treated with TE-ULBD. Of these, 21 (13 women and 8 men, aged 49-75 years) were included in the study and followed up for a minimum of 1 year.

Bone mesenchymal stem cell-derived extracellular vesicles promote the repair of intervertebral disc degeneration by transferring microRNA-199a.

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) secreted by bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMSCs) protect intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) by regulating nucleus pulposus cell (NPC) apoptosis. But the mechanism of BMSCs-EVs-microRNA (miR)-199a in IDD remains unclear. In this study, after the acquisition and identification of BMSCs and BMSCs-EVs, IDD mouse model was established and treated with BMSCs-EVs.

Electromagnetic navigation-assisted percutaneous endoscopic foraminoplasty and discectomy for lumbar disc herniation: technical note and preliminary results.

Background: The aim of the present study was to report a new technique for electromagnetic navigation system-assisted percutaneous full-endoscopic foraminoplasty and discectomy and to evaluate the efficacy of this technology in the treatment of lumbar disc herniation (LDH).

Methods: This is a retrospective study. Seventeen patients who underwent electromagnetic navigation system-assisted percutaneous full-endoscopic foraminoplasty and discectomy in our department from September to November 2018 were included in the study.

Biomedical Application of Reactive Oxygen Species-Responsive Nanocarriers in Cancer, Inflammation, and Neurodegenerative Diseases.

Numerous pathological conditions, including cancer, inflammatory diseases, and neurodegenerative diseases, are accompanied by overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS). This makes ROS vital flagging molecules in disease pathology. ROS-responsive drug delivery platforms have been developed.

Designing multifunctionalized selenium nanoparticles to reverse oxidative stress-induced spinal cord injury by attenuating ROS overproduction and mitochondria dysfunction.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) remains a challenging clinical problem worldwide, due to the lack of effective drugs for precise treatment. Among the complex pathophysiological events following SCI, reactive oxygen species (ROS) overproduction plays a particularly significant role. As therapeutic agents for neurological diseases, tetramethylpyrazine (TMP) and monosialotetrahexosylganglioside (GM1) have been widely used in the clinical treatment of SCI.

Percutaneous Full-Endoscopic Lumbar Foraminoplasty and Decompression by Using a Visualization Reamer for Lumbar Lateral Recess and Foraminal Stenosis in Elderly Patients.

Background: Percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy has been widely used to treat lumbar disc herniation; its advantages are less trauma, faster recovery, lower costs, and higher percentage of patient satisfaction compared with open surgery. Treatment of lumbar spinal stenosis with percutaneous full-endoscopic surgery is still challenging, especially for elderly patients with multiple comorbidities and complex pathologic factors. The aim of this study was to introduce percutaneous full-endoscopic lumbar foraminoplasty and decompression using a visualization reamer in elderly patients with lateral recess and foraminal stenosis and evaluate efficacy and safety.

Posterior Percutaneous Full-Endoscopic Cervical Laminectomy and Decompression for Cervical Stenosis with Myelopathy: A Technical Note.

Objective: Cervical stenosis with myelopathy caused by ossification of the ligamentum flavum is relatively rare. Surgical treatment is the preferred option. Previous surgical procedures usually require assisted internal fixation, and some problems may occur, such as large trauma, intraoperative bleeding, wound infection, and internal fixation failure.

Lumbar laminotomy and replantation for the treatment of adult spinal epidermoid cyst: A case report.

Rationale: Adult spinal epidermoid cyst (SEC) is a rare tumor. Lumbar laminectomy and tumor removal was a routine surgical procedure for adult spinal epidermoid cyst according to the literature, but postoperative lumbar instability and intractable low back pain may occur. In this study, we presented a brief report of an adult lumbar epidermoid cyst and introduced another surgical approach.

Mitochondrial fragmentation is an important cellular event induced by ruthenium(II) polypyridyl complexes in osteosarcoma cells.

A series of ruthenium(II) polypyridyl complexes were synthesized and evaluated for their in vitro anticancer activities. The results showed that ruthenium polypyridyl complexes, especially [Ru(bpy)2 (p-tFPIP)](2+) (2 a; bpy=bipyridine, tFPIP=2-(2-trifluoromethane phenyl)imidazole[4,5-f][1,10]phenanthroline), exhibited novel anticancer activity against human cancer cell lines, but with less toxicity to a human normal cell line. The results of flow cytometry and caspase activities analysis indicated that the 2 a-induced growth inhibition against MG-63 osteosarcoma cells was mainly caused by mitochondria-mediated apoptosis.