The epiphyseal scar joint line distance and age are important factors in determining the optimal screw length for medial malleoli fractures

AimThe screw length is important to achieve a stable fixation for medial malleoli fractures. We aimed to evaluate the optimal screw length for different age groups in surgically treated medial malleoli fractures. The second aim was to identify the utility of the distance of epiphyseal scar to joint line or joint line to medullary space for assessment of screw length.Material method368 X-rays and computed tomography (CT) images of ankle joints were retrospectively evaluated for optimal screw length, epiphyseal scar to joint line distance, joint to medullary space distance. The mean screw length for each decade was calculated. The correlations of screw length with age, screw length with distance of epiphyseal scar to joint line, and screw length with distance of joint line to medullary space were evaluated.ResultsThe optimal screw length was obviously decreased in patients in 61–70 and >70 years old group (p = 0.002). As the distance of epiphyseal scar from joint line was increased, the optimal length of screw was also increased (p = 0.001). The distance of epiphyseal scar from joint line was decreased by age (p = 0.011).ConclusionThe optimal screw length was decreased by age and the epiphyseal scar to joint line distance could be a clue for optimal screw length in medial malleoli fractures.     

Reoperation rates and risk factors for revision 4 years after dynamic stabilization of the lumbar spine

Background Context

The concept of dynamic stabilization (DS) of the lumbar spine for treatment of degenerative instability has been introduced almost two decades ago. Dynamic stabilization follows the principle of controlling movement in the coronal plane by providing load transfer of the spinal segment without fusion and, at the same time, reducing side effects such as adjacent segment disease (ASD). So far, only little is known about revision rates after DS due to ASD and screw loosening (SL).

Learning to Discretize: Solving 1D Scalar Conservation Laws via Deep Reinforcement Learning

Conservation laws are considered to be fundamental laws of nature. It has broad applications in many fields, including physics, chemistry, biology, geology, and engineering. Solving the differential equations associated with conservation laws is a major branch in computational mathematics. The recent success of machine learning, especially deep learning in areas such as computer vision and natural language processing, has attracted a lot of attention from the community of computational mathematics and inspired many intriguing works in combining machine learning with traditional methods. In this paper, we are the first to view numerical PDE solvers as an MDP and to use (deep) RL to learn new solvers. As proof of concept, we focus on 1-dimensional scalar conservation laws. We deploy the machinery of deep reinforcement learning to train a policy network that can decide on how the numerical solutions should be approximated in a sequential and spatial-temporal adaptive manner. We will show that the problem of solving conservation laws can be naturally viewed as a sequential decision-making process, and the numerical schemes learned in such a way can easily enforce long-term accuracy. Furthermore, the learned policy network is carefully designed to determine a good local discrete approximation based on the current state of the solution, which essentially makes the proposed method a meta-learning approach. In other words, the proposed method is capable of learning how to discretize for a given situation mimicking human experts. Finally, we will provide details on how the policy network is trained, how well it performs compared with some state-of-the-art numerical solvers such as WENO schemes, and supervised learning based approach L3D and PINN, and how well it generalizes.     

Effects of d-amphetamine injected into the nucleus accumbens on ethanol reinforced behavior

Rats, initiated to self-administer 10% (v/v) ethanol in an operant situation using the sucrose-fading procedure, received bilateral n. accumbens microinjections of d-amphetamine prior to operant sessions. Doses of 4 micrograms, 10 micrograms and 20 micrograms/brain were administered and some animals also received a 4 microgram/brain dose of LY171555. Three different effects were observed: increased, decreased and no change in total session responding. There was no clear relation between injection area in the n. accumbens and type of effect observed. For either an increase or decrease in total session responding, momentary response rates were decreased. Both d-amphetamine and LY171555 produced similar results. The data support the hypothesis that dopamine in the n. accumbens is involved with ethanol reinforced operant responding but in a complex manner.     

Repeated testing attenuates conditioned place preference with cocaine

Cocaine-treated rats acquired a preference for cocaine-associated contextual stimuli (CS) relative to saline-injected control rats. However, when animals were given repeated tests for conditioned place preference intermittent between conditioning trials, they displayed an attenuation in strength of conditioning. This attenuation was not due to pharmacologic tolerance (Experiment 1), but rather reflected a disruption in learning due to exposure to the CS alone (Experiment 2). Like other examples of classical conditioning, the strength of the conditioned response (CR) as assessed by the conditioned place preference model may be influenced by partial reinforcement.     

关节镜下可吸收空心界面螺钉固定、四股腘绳肌腱重建前交叉韧带

目的探讨关节镜下可吸收空心界面螺钉固定、四股自体腘绳肌肌腱重建前交叉韧带(anterior cruciate ligament,ACL)的方法及疗效. 方法关节镜下以四股自体腘绳肌肌腱作为ACL替代物,应用(96L-4D)SR-PLA聚丙交酯生物可降解界面螺钉进行移植物固定, 对42例ACL损伤行ACL重建术. 结果 42例术后随访3～22个月,平均11.4月,膝关节活动度均在正常范围.术后Lachman 试验:37例≤1 ,4例2 ,1 例3 .轴移试验:42 例均为阴性.术后Lysholm 评分(89.7 ±9.6)分较术前(49.4±9.1)分显著提高(t=2.12,P=0.038).术后Tegner 活动评分(5.3±1.1)分较术前(2.3±0.7)分显著提高(t=4.13,P=0.008).术后1年MRI示29例可吸收空心界面螺钉部分被吸收;27例重建的韧带位置良好、形态正常;2例韧带在股骨的止点偏前;3例胫骨止点偏前,有轻度顶撞击现象. 结论四股腘绳肌腱是ACL重建的理想替代材料,可吸收空心界面螺钉是ACL重建的理想内固定材料.     

骶骨上关节突关节面5点7点进钉方法的放射解剖学研究

目的 :对骶骨螺钉上关节突关节面 5点 7点进钉方法进行相关的放射解剖学研究。方法 :在 5 0块骶骨标本上 ,用 为 1mm的软钢丝在骶骨翼、骶骨上关节突处紧紧缠绕 2个钢丝圈 ,将 为 3mm的钢珠用胶布固定在 5点 7点处 ,拍骶骨正位片 ,观测钢珠与 2个钢丝圈的位置关系及其至骶管外侧壁、骶骨上面的距离。作经 5点 7点水平平行于S1椎体上面的CT扫描 ,观察骶骨横断面的形态特点 ,测量与矢状面夹角为 0°和向内 10°时的进钉深度。结果 :5点 7点处钢珠均位于上关节突与S1后孔缠绕的钢丝圈显影内 ,位于骶管侧壁钢丝圈显影的外侧 ,钢珠与骶管外侧壁的距离为左侧〔 ( 6 7± 2 3 ) ( 5 0～ 12 0 )〕mm ,右侧〔 ( 6 6± 1 9) ( 5 0～ 11 0 )〕mm ;此点至骶骨上面的距离为左侧〔 ( 11 5± 5 3 ) ( 5 0～ 2 8 0 )〕mm ,右侧〔 ( 11 6± 5 4) ( 5 0～ 2 9 0 )〕mm。CT片显示钉道与矢状面平行( 0°)时 ,进钉深度左侧为〔 ( 3 2 6± 3 5 ) ( 2 4 0～ 40 0 )〕mm ,右侧为〔 ( 3 2 6± 3 5 ) ( 2 4 0～ 42 0 )〕mm ;螺钉向内与矢状面的夹角为 10°时 ,进钉深度左侧为〔 ( 3 8 1± 3 8) ( 3 0 0～ 46 0 )〕mm ,右侧为〔 ( 3 8 0± 3 9) ( 3 0 0～ 46 0 )〕mm。结论 :骶骨上关节突恒定存在 ,将每侧上关节     

屈膝过程中的胫股运动特性分析

本文采用三维位移测量方法，测试１０例离体人膝标本的胫股关节三维运动特性。发现屈膝过程中，胫股运动也具有典型的三维运动特点。其中在屈膝初期的３０°内，胫骨内旋最明显并伴有胫骨内翻现象，平均内旋８°，内翻６－７ｍｍ，膝关节完全伸直时胫股扣锁使膝关节稳定，屈曲时胫股“解锁”使膝关节松弛，具重要的临床意义，同时提示，在解释传统的胫股扣锁现象时不应遗漏伴随发生的胫骨内／外翻现象。     

后巩膜加固术作用机制的实验研究

目的探讨后巩膜加固术的作用机制.方法24只家兔分为4组,以人巩膜为材料行插片法后巩膜加固术,分别于术后2,4,12和24周取标本,行肉眼观察及光镜、透射电镜检查.结果植片与宿主巩膜融合为一,"新巩膜"的厚度和硬度明显增加,抵抗力增强;局部血液循环改善.结论后巩膜加固术能加强薄弱的后部巩膜,改善眼球后部的血液供应,从而达到治疗病理性近视眼的目的.     

Effects of haloperidol on the multitrial partial reinforcement extinction effect (PREE): evidence for neuroleptic drug action on nonreinforcement but not on reinforcement

Two experiments investigated the effects of haloperidol (0.1 mg/kg) on the partial reinforcement extinction effect (PREE). In experiment 1 two groups of rats were trained to run in a straight alley using six trials/day with an intertrial interval (ITI) of 5–8 min. The continuously reinforced (CRF) group received food reward on every trial. The partially reinforced (PRF) group was rewarded on a quasi-random 50% schedule. All animals were then tested in extinction. Haloperidol was administered in a 2 × 2 design, i.e., drug-no drug in acquisition and drug-no drug in extinction. In experiment 2 two groups of rats were trained to press a lever in an operant chamber using a discrete trial procedure of ten trials/day with an ITI of 60 s. The CRF group was rewarded on each trial and the PRF group was rewarded on a quasi-random 50% schedule. Haloperidol was administered for 22 days prior to the start of the PREE procedure as well as throughout acquisition and extinction. The PREE, i.e., increased resistance to extinction of PRF as compared to CRF animals, was obtained in both experiments in all drug conditions. In both experiments haloperidol increased the rate of extinction. Experiment 1 revealed that this effect was entirely dur to the administration of the drug in extinction, independently of the drug condition in acquisition. In contrast to previous results in a one trial/day procedure, the administration of haloperidol to CRF animals did not increase resistance to extinction, failing to support the notion that neuroleptics attenuate the rewarding properties of reinforcement.