Background: Percutaneous endoscopic lumbar discectomy (PELD) is a relatively safe and effective minimally invasive surgery in the treatment of calcified lumbar disc herniation (CLDH). However, studies on percutaneous endoscopic interlaminar discectomy (PEID) and percutaneous endoscopic transforaminal discectomy (PETD) for CLDH have rarely been reported. This research aimed to compare the clinical efficacy of PEID and PETD for L5-S1 CLDH. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 54 consecutive patients with L5-S1 CLDH treated with PELD at our institution from August 2016 to August 2020. Patients were divided into PEID group (n = 28) and PETD (n = 26) group according to the surgical methods. The demographic characteristics and surgical results of the two groups were compared. Clinical outcomes were estimated by the visual analog scale (VAS) for leg pain, Oswestry disability index (ODI) and modified MacNab criteria. Results: All patients were successfully operated on by PEID or PETD. No significant differences in the demographic characteristics, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative hospital stay and complication rate were noted between the PEID and PETD groups. The excellent and good rates in the PEID group were similar to those in the PETD group (89.29% vs 88.46%, P = 1.000), whereas the PEID group exhibited superior results for operative time (min) (64.61 ± 5.60 vs 85.58 ± 8.52, P < 0.001) and fluoroscopy times (n) (2.93 ± 0.90 vs 13.35 ± 2.30, P < 0.001) compared with the PETD group. Conclusions: PEID has achieved good clinical efficacy as PETD for L5-S1 CLDH. Compared with PETD, PEID has the advantages of shorter operative time and a reduced number of fluoroscopy times in the treatment of CLDH.

Background: New vertebral compression fracture (VCF) may occur in patients who underwent percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) or percutaneous kyphoplasty (PKP) for osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture (OVCF). However, the risk factors of new VCF remain controversial. The research aimed to analyze the risk factors of new VCF after PVP or PKP.Methods: From August 2019 to March 2021, we retrospectively analyzed the patients who underwent PVP or PKP for OVCF at our institution. Age, gender, body mass index (BMI), smoking, drinking, hypertension, diabetes, fracture location, surgical method, Hounsfield unit (HU) value, preoperative degree of anterior vertebral compression (DAVC), bisphosphonates, bone cement volume, bone cement leakage, and cement distribution were collected. The risk factors were obtained by univariate and multivariate analysis of the data.Results: A total of 247 patients were included in the study. There were 23 patients (9.3%) with new VCF after PVP or PKP. Univariate analysis showed that age (p < 0.001), BMI (p = 0.002), fracture location (p = 0.030), and a low HU value (p < 0.001) were significantly associated with new VCF after PVP or PKP. A low HU value was an independent risk factor for new VCF after PVP or PKP obtained by multivariate regression analysis (OR = 0.963; 95% CI, 0.943–0.984, p = 0.001).Conclusions: In this study, a low HU value was an independent risk factor of new VCF after PVP or PKP.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a complex neurological condition caused by trauma, inflammation, and other diseases, which often leads to permanent changes in strength and sensory function below the injured site. Changes in the microenvironment and secondary injuries continue to pose challenges for nerve repair and recovery after SCI. Recently, there has been progress in the treatment of SCI with the use of scaffolds for neural tissue engineering. Polymeric fibers fabricated by electrospinning have been increasingly used in SCI therapy owing to their biocompatibility, complex porous structure, high porosity, and large specific surface area. Polymer fibers simulate natural extracellular matrix of the nerve fiber and guide axon growth. Moreover, multiple channels of polymer fiber simulate the bundle of nerves. Polymer fibers with porous structure can be used as carriers loaded with drugs, nerve growth factors and cells. As conductive fibers, polymer fibers have electrical stimulation of nerve function. This paper reviews the fabrication, characterization, and application in SCI therapy of polymeric fibers, as well as potential challenges and future perspectives regarding their application.

Background: Traumatic amputations are serious public health problems with enormous health and economic costs, but to date there has been little research on the epidemiology of traumatic amputations. We aimed to comprehensively analyze the global burden of disease due to traumatic amputations during 1990–2021 and to project trends over the next 15 years.Method: Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021 data were used to demonstrate the burden of traumatic amputations in different populations, including incidence, prevalence, and years lived with disability (YLDs). In-depth analyses and projections were performed using Age-Period-Cohort (APC) model analysis, decomposition analysis, and Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) models.Result: There was an increase in the number of traumatic amputations globally in 2021 compared to 1990. However, the change in age-standardized rates from 1990 to 2021 declined significantly. The association between the Socio-demographic Index (SDI) and the burden of amputations in 2021 was not linear. Results of the APC analysis indicated that the burden was lower in the later-born cohort and showed an overall decreasing trend over time. The results of the decomposition analyses indicated that in most cases age change suppressed incidence but promoted increases in prevalence and YLDs. Population changes increased the burden of amputations, while epidemiologic changes did the opposite. The burden was projected to trend downward globally and in most regions over the next 15 years. Finally, mechanical forces and falls were the two most prominent factors.Conclusion: The global burden of traumatic amputations increased in number from 1990 to 2021, but the age-standardized rate declined significantly and was expected to continue to decline in the future. Population growth is now the main cause of the burden, and more attention needs to be paid to men, youth and the older adult.