Visualization of electrophysiological activity at the carpal tunnel area using magnetoneurography

ObjectiveTo establish a noninvasive method to measure the neuromagnetic fields of the median nerve at the carpal tunnel after electrical digital nerve stimulation and evaluate peripheral nerve function.MethodsUsing a vector-type biomagnetometer system with a superconducting quantum interference device, neuromagnetic fields at the carpal tunnel were recorded after electrical stimulation of the index or middle digital nerve in five healthy volunteers. A novel technique for removing stimulus-induced artifacts was applied, and current distributions were calculated using a spatial filter algorithm and superimposed on X-ray.ResultsA neuromagnetic field propagating from the palm to the carpal tunnel was observed in all participants. Current distributions estimated from the magnetic fields had five components: leading and trailing components parallel to the conduction pathway, outward current preceding the leading component, inward currents between the leading and trailing components, and outward current following the trailing component. The conduction velocity and peak latency of the inward current agreed well with those of sensory nerve action potentials.ConclusionRemoving stimulus-induced artifacts enabled magnetoneurography to noninvasively visualize with high spatial resolution the electrophysiological neural activity from the palm to the carpal tunnel.SignificanceThis is the first report of using magnetoneurography to visualize electrophysiological nerve activity at the palm and carpal tunnel.     

AngioJet机械抽栓联合置管溶栓在急性肾动脉栓塞中的应用

目的评价AngioJet机械血栓清除系统联合置管溶栓(CDT)治疗急性肾动脉栓塞(RAE)的效果。方法回顾性分析2016年1月至2018年6月苏州大学附属第一医院收治的8例急性RAE患者临床资料。所有患者治疗前均经腹部增强CT明确诊断,急诊接受AngioJet机械血栓清除系统抽栓联合CDT治疗,溶栓后24 h复查DSA造影,肾动脉主干及分支血流恢复满意后拔除溶栓导管,否则继续溶栓至48 h,复查造影后拔除溶栓导管。住院期间及出院后均予抗凝治疗,观察出院后1、3、6个月门诊随访结果。结果 8例患者均成功完成AngioJet机械血栓抽吸治疗,复查造影显示肾动脉主干完全再通,肾动脉主要分支仍可见充盈缺损;CDT 24 h后无明显血栓残留和狭窄,拔除溶栓导管。24 h内患者腰痛或腹痛症状明显缓解,住院期间未发生肾脏坏死、脏器出血、死亡等严重并发症。随访至6个月时患者肾动脉血流通畅、肾功能正常。结论 AngioJet机械抽栓联合CDT可迅速清除肾动脉主干及其主要分支动脉血栓形成,快速恢复肾脏血供,治疗急性RAE具有良好的安全性和有效性。     

Current surgical management of metastatic pathological fractures of the femur: A multicentre snapshot audit

AimsWe aimed to find out: the typical workload for metastatic bone disease, the conventional treatment for femoral metastases and whether there is a trend for arthroplasty and endoprosthetic reconstruction.Materials and methodsAll sequential patients undergoing surgery for femoral metastatic lesions (both pathological fracture and impending pathological fracture) of any age patient were included in the multicenter snapshot audit. Data on demographics, institutions and operative procedures were recorded.Results24 UK Institutions were enrolled, including 7 Major Trauma Centres (MTCs). It was a 2 month audit from 1^stMarch 2018. 95 cases were recorded. The mean age was 71 and 65% were female. 66 patients had a fracture at presentation and 23 an impending fracture. Breast carcinoma was the primary tumour at 23%. The mean Mirel’s score is 9. The commonest fixation was with a long cephalomedullary nail (38%). Endoprostheses accounted for 24%. None of the endoprostheses were implanted at MTCs.ConclusionThis audit revealed large numbers of cases of femoral metastases. Although the use of endoprostheses may be increasing in Trauma Units, intramedullary nailing still predominates. Future pathways may benefit from directing resources to allow greater arthroplasty.     

基于患者出射EPID剂量验证的在体调强放疗质控技术研究

背景与目的：调强放疗（intensity-modulated radiation therapy，IMRT）中剂量投照失误可导致严重后果，而目前常用的治疗前计划验证方法并不能反映患者真实投照剂量。实现一种评估患者在体剂量执行准确度的方法，能够在分次治疗中及时发现较大剂量错误，避免发生患者投照剂量过高或不足。方法：复旦大学附属肿瘤医院收治的患者首次实施治疗前行锥形束计算机断层成像（cone beam computed tomography，CBCT）扫描，与定位CT图像进行配准保证治疗体位与模拟定位时一致，实时治疗中使用电子射野影像装置（electronic portal imaging device，EPID）获取患者出射剂量影像，并把首次出射EPID影像作为剩余分次治疗的基准值，后续分次实时治疗野结束后快速将其出射EPID影像与对应基准影像进行γ分析比较，以验证治疗计划是否准确执行于患者身上。设计模体实验对治疗部位错误和摆位误差情况进行分析，来评估本方法识别放疗差错的准确性。结果：本方法可有效地识别出IMRT放疗中患者治疗部位错误和非平行于射野角度方向的摆位误差，但对平行于射野角度方向的摆位误差并不敏感，30例鼻咽癌患者临床应用结果中能够直观显示分次治疗间摆位重复性情况。结论：基于EPID实现的一种在体剂量验证方法能够对调强放疗中患者实时剂量的准确性进行评估，在单个治疗野结束后可快速检测出较大治疗错误。