Selective fusion of the thoracolumbar/lumbar (TL/L) curve is an effective method for the treatment of Lenke type 5C curves. Several studies have demonstrated that spontaneous correction of the thoracic curve does indeed occur. However, how this correction occurs after isolated posterior segmental instrumentation of the structural lumbar curve has not been well described. The aim of this study was to evaluate the response of the thoracic curve to selective TL/L curve fusion in patients with Lenke type 5C adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) and assess the correlative clinical outcomes. Thirty-four consecutive patients with Lenke type 5C AIS were included in this study. All patients underwent selective TL/L curve instrumentation and fusion via the posterior approach. Coronal and sagittal radiographs were analyzed before surgery, at 1 week after surgery and at least 2 years after surgery. The preoperative coronal Cobb angle of the major TL/L curve was 45.4° ± 7.0°, and that of the minor thoracic curve was 25.4° ± 8.8°. The major TL/L and minor thoracic curves were corrected to postoperative angles of 9.5° ± 5.0° and 11.2° ± 5.2°, respectively, and measured 10.5° ± 6.0° and 13.4° ± 7.5° at the follow-up, respectively. The supine side-bending average Cobb angle of the thoracic curve was 9.9°. These results demonstrate satisfactory improvements because of coronal and sagittal restoration. Significant correlations were found between the preoperative and early postoperative conditions and the Cobb angle changes of the minor thoracic curve and the major TL/L curves (r = 0.42, P = 0.01). Significant correlations were also observed between the early and final follow-up postoperative conditions and the Cobb angle changes of the minor thoracic curve and the major TL/L curves (r = 0.57, P < 0.001). Significant correlations were observed between increased thoracic kyphosis (TK) and increased lumbar lordosis (LL) in the preoperative and early postoperative conditions (r = 0.36, P = 0.035) and between increased TK and increased LL in the preoperative and final follow-up postoperative conditions (r = 0.51, P = 0.002). Spontaneous correction of the thoracic curve is a reflection of the TL/L curve correction in Lenke 5C AIS patients. Supine side-bending radiographs are an effective method of predicting the spontaneous correction of thoracic curves. The correction of LL is important for maintaining spinal sagittal alignment.

A retrospective study. To summarize and describe the radiographic parameters of adult degenerative scoliosis (ADS) and explore the radiological parameters which are significantly different in sagittal balanced and imbalanced ADS patients. ADS is the most common type of adult spinal deformity. However, no comprehensive description of radiographic parameters in ADS patients has been made, and few studies have been performed to explore which radiological parameters are significantly different between sagittal balanced and imbalanced ADS patients. Medical records of ADS patients in our outpatient clinic from January 2012 to January 2014 were reviewed. Demographic data including age and sex, and radiographic data including the coronal Cobb angle, location of apical vertebra/disc, convexity of the curve, degree of apical vertebra rotation, curve segments, thoracic kyphosis (TK), lumbar lordosis (LL), thoracolumbar kyphosis (TL), sacral slope (SS), pelvic tilt (PT), pelvic incidence (PI), sagittal vertical axis (SVA), and PI minus LL (PI − LL) were reviewed to make comprehensive description of radiographic parameters of ADS. Furthermore, patients were divided into 2 groups according to whether the patients’ sagittal plane was balanced: Group A (imbalanced, SVA > 5 cm) and Group B (balanced, SVA ≤ 5 cm). Demographic and radiological parameters were compared between these 2 groups. A total of 99 patients were included in this study (Group A = 33 and Group B = 66; female = 83 and male = 16; sex ratio = 5:1). The median of age were 67 years (range: 41–92 years). The median of coronal Cobb angle and length of curve was 23 (range: 10–75°) and 5 segments (range: 3–7), respectively. The most common location of apical vertebra was at L2 to L3 (81%) and the median of degree of apical vertebra rotation was 2° (range: 1–3). Our study also showed significant correlations between coronal Cobb angle and curve segments (r = 0.23, P < 0.005) and degree of apical vertebra rotation (r = 0.53, P < 0.005). With regard to the sagittal balance, there were significant differences in age, LL, PT, coronal Cobb angle, degree of apical vertebra rotation, and PI − LL between imbalanced group and balanced group (all P < 0.05); however, no significant difference was observed in gender, TK, TL, SS, and PI. Our study provided the general radiographic parameters of ADS. Weak or moderate but significant correlations between coronal Cobb angle and curve segments and degree of apical vertebra rotation were observed. Furthermore, age, coronal Cobb angle, LL, PT, and PI − LL were significantly different between sagittal balanced and imbalanced ADS patients.

Background: To clarify the role of apolipoprotein D (Apod) in alleviating glucocorticoid-induced osteogenesis suppression in bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) via the PI3K/Akt pathway, thus influencing the progression of osteoporosis (OP). Methods: Osteogenesis in MSCs was induced by dexamethasone (DEX) stimulation. Dynamic expressions of Apod in MSCs undergoing osteogenesis for different time points were determined by qRT-PCR. Relative levels of osteogenesis-associated genes, including ALP, RUNX2, and Osterix, in DEX-induced MSCs overexpressing Apod or not were examined. Moreover, the protein level of RUNX2, ALP, and Osterix; ALP activity; and mineralization ability influenced by Apod in osteogenic MSCs were assessed. At last, the potential influences of Apod on the PI3K/Akt pathway were identified through detecting the expression levels of PI3K and Akt in MSCs by Western blot. Results: Apod was time-dependently upregulated in MSCs undergoing osteogenesis. DEX induction downregulated ALP, RUNX2, and Osterix and attenuated ALP activity and mineralization ability in MSCs undergoing osteogenesis, which were partially reversed by overexpression of Apod. In addition, Apod overexpression upregulated the reduced levels of PI3K and Akt in DEX-induced MSCs. Conclusion: Apod alleviates glucocorticoid-induced osteogenesis suppression in MSCs via the PI3K/Akt pathway, thus protecting the progression of OP.

Pedicle screw constructs have become the mainstay for surgical correction in patients with spinal deformities. To reduce or avoid the risk of pedicle screw-based complications and to decrease the costs associated with pedicle screw instrumentation, some authors have introduced interval, skipped, and key-vertebral pedicle screw strategies for correction. However, there have been no comparisons of outcomes among these 3 pedicle screw-placement strategies.The aim of this study was to compare the correlative clinical outcomes of posterior correction and fusion with pedicle screw fixation using these 3 surgical strategies.Fifty-six consecutive patients with Lenke type 1 adolescent idiopathic scoliosis were included in this study. Twenty patients were treated with the interval pedicle screw strategy (IPSS), 20 with the skipped pedicle screw strategy (SPSS), and 16 with the key-vertebral pedicle screw strategy (KVPSS). Coronal and sagittal radiographs were analyzed before surgery, at 1 week after surgery, and at the last follow-up after surgery.There were no significant differences among the 3 groups regarding preoperative radiographic parameters. No significant difference was found between the IPSS and SPSS groups in correction of the main thoracic curve (70.8% vs 70.0%; P = 0.524). However, there were statistically significant differences between the IPSS and KVPSS groups (70.8% vs 64.9%) and between the SPSS and KVPSS groups (70.0% vs 64.9%) in correction of the main thoracic curve (P < 0.001 for both). Additionally, there were no significant differences among the 3 strategies for sagittal parameters at the immediate postoperative and last postoperative follow-up periods, though there were significant differences in the Cobb angle between the preoperative and immediate postoperative periods among the 3 groups, but not between the immediate postoperative and last follow-up periods. The amount of hospital charges in the SPSS group was significantly higher than those in the IPSS (P < 0.001) and KVPSS groups (P < 0.001). There were also significant differences in operative time between the IPSS and KVPSS groups (P < 0.001) and between the SPSS and KVPSS groups (P < 0.001).Each of the 3 types of pedicle screw strategies for correction in patients with Lenke type 1 adolescent idiopathic scoliosis are effective, with satisfactory coronal and acceptable sagittal plane results. Although the KVPSS does not provide superior operative correction compared with the IPSS and SPSS, it can achieve a satisfactory clinical outcome and is more cost-effective.