Relations between specific and global outcome measures in a social-communication intervention for children with autism spectrum disorder

Assessment of relevant outcomes is a key challenge in evaluating effects of social-communication interventions. However, few studies have investigated in what ways specific and more global measures may influence reported results of social-communication interventions for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In this study both a specific and a global, more global autism symptom measure were used to assess effects of a brief social-communication intervention. Fifty-nine children (2–4 years) diagnosed with autistic disorder were assessed with the Joint Engagement (JE) states coding procedure and a preliminary version of the Brief Observation of Social Communication Change (BOSCC). A statistically significant difference was found between intervention and control groups from baseline to intervention endpoint on JE but not on BOSCC. Degree of change on the measures was moderately related, and both were independent of language level and non-verbal mental age. This study adds to the knowledge of what may be expected of different outcome measures and provides suggestions to how measures may be deployed to investigate underlying mechanisms and developmental pathways.     

骶管减压腰髂固定后外侧植骨融合治疗Denis Ⅲ型骶骨骨折伴腰盆分离

目的:探讨Denis Ⅲ型骶骨骨折伴腰盆分离的外科治疗方法。方法:2009年1月～2011年1月,我院共收治骶骨骨折患者87例,其中Denis Ⅲ型骶骨骨折伴腰盆分离患者15例,男9例,女6例,年龄18～51岁,平均32.7岁。致伤原因:坠落伤8例,车祸伤5例,挤压伤2例。患者均有明显的骶神经根损伤症状,依据Gibbons标准:3型6例,4型9例。均行后路手术复位、骶管减压、探查松解神经、腰髂固定、后外侧植骨融合术。记录围手术期并发症,观察骨折复位情况和植骨愈合情况,应用Gibbons标准评分评定患者神经功能改善情况。结果:手术时间120～190min,平均160min;术中出血量780～1200ml,平均840ml。术中无相关并发症。术后1例患者出现创面浅表感染,给予及时清创及敏感抗生素治疗后治愈。所有患者均获得随访,随访时间8～24个月,平均16个月,术后6个月骨折均获得骨性愈合,无残留骨盆畸形及假关节形成。无骨折再移位、深部感染等并发症。11例神经功能完全恢复;3例明显改善,但遗留足下垂及下肢感觉减退;1例略有改善,除遗留下肢功能障碍外,尚有膀胱、直肠功能障碍。Gibbons评分由术前的平均3.80±0.78分恢复至末次随访时的1.49±0.81分。1例术后9个月内固定断裂,患者无明显临床症状,复查X线片和三维CT提示植骨融合,取出内固定;1例术后1年复查X线片提示S1椎体螺钉松动,患者无临床症状,未予处理。结论:后路手术复位、骶管减压、腰髂固定、后外侧植骨融合可以恢复腰骶复合体的解剖关系,重建腰骶段稳定性,有利于神经损伤的恢复,是治疗DenisⅢ型骶骨骨折伴腰盆分离的有效方法。     

Comparison of hamstring lengthening with hamstring lengthening plus transfer for the treatment of flexed knee gait in ambulatory patients with cerebral palsy

Purpose

Children with spastic diplegic and hemiplegic cerebral palsy frequently ambulate with flexed knee gait. There has been concern that hamstring lengthening used to treat this problem may weaken hip extension. This study evaluates the primary outcome of hamstring transfer plus lengthening in comparison with traditional hamstring lengthening in treating flexed knee gait in ambulatory patients with cerebral palsy.

Methods

A total of 47 children (67 lower limbs) ranging in age from 5 to 17 years old were included in this study. All subjects underwent a variety of additional surgeries at the time of the hamstring surgery as part of a multilevel treatment plan. All patients who met the inclusion criteria were divided into two groups, the hamstring lengthening alone group (HSL) and the hamstring transfer plus lengthening group (HST). Full gait analysis studies were done for all subjects pre-operatively and 1 year post-operatively.

Results

There were 25 patients (35 limbs) in the HSL group and 22 patients (32 limbs) in the HST group. There was no significant difference in age, gender, or the time from surgery to post-operative gait analysis between groups. On physical examination, both HSL and HST groups showed improvement in passive knee extension, popliteal angle, and straight leg raise. Maximum knee extension in stance phase was improved in both groups. The maximum hip extension in late stance phase was significantly improved only in the HST group. The peak hip extension power in stance phase showed significant improvement only in the HST group and a significant decrease for the HSL group.

Conclusions

The findings of this study demonstrated that both the HSL and HST procedures resulted in similar amounts of improvement in passive range of motion of the knee, as well in knee extension in stance during gait at 1 year post-operatively. However, with the HST procedure, there was better preservation of hip extension power and improved hip extension in stance. The HST procedure should be considered when hamstring surgery is performed.     

80岁以上胰十二指肠切除术16例分析

目的:分析80岁以上病人的胰十二指肠切除术(pancreaticoduodenectomy,PD)的可行性与结果。方法:回顾性分析16例行PD的80岁以上病人资料并与同期80岁以下病人对比。结果:80岁以上组7例病人发生术后并发症(43.8%),腹腔感染和胃排空延迟各2例(12.5%),肺部感染4例(25.0%),心功能不全、腹腔出血、切口感染和泌尿系感染各1例(6.3%)。术后胰瘘4例(25.0%),A级1例,B级2例,C级1例。术后死亡1例(6.3%),原因为胰瘘并发腹腔感染、腹腔出血、肺部感染引起的多脏器功能衰竭,对比80岁以下病人术后死亡率及术后并发症发生率无统计学差异。结论:80岁以上高龄病人不是手术禁忌,该手术安全可行。专业的手术团队,合理评估病人术前情况,围手术期正确处理是降低术后死亡率和并发症发生率的有效措施。     

Prediction of long-term clinical outcome in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis

Purpose

The natural course of lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) fluctuates and is not necessarily progressive. The aim of this study was to explore the predictors of clinical outcome in patients with LSS that might eventually help to optimise the therapeutic choices.

Methods

A group of 56 patients (27 men, 29 women, median age 55; range 31–72 years) with clinically symptomatic mild-to-moderate LSS were re-examined after a median period of 88 months and their clinical outcomes classified as satisfactory (34 patients, 60.7 % with stable or improved clinical status) or unsatisfactory (22 patients, 39.3 % for whom clinical status deteriorated). A wide range of demographical, clinical, imaging and electrophysiological entry parameters were evaluated as possible predictors of clinical outcome.

Results

Unlike the demographical, clinical and imaging variables, certain electrophysiological parameters were significantly associated with unsatisfactory outcomes. There was a significantly higher prevalence of pluriradicular involvement detected by EMG in patients with unsatisfactory outcome than those with satisfactory outcome (68.2 vs. 32.3 %; p = 0.035). Patients with unsatisfactory outcome had more frequent bilateral abnormalities of the soleus H-reflex (50.0 vs. 14.7 %; p = 0.015) and lower mean H-reflex amplitude. Multivariate logistic regression proposed two variables as mutually independent predictors of unsatisfactory outcome: EMG signs of pluriradicular involvement (OR = 3.72) and averaged soleus H-reflex amplitude ≤2.8 mV (OR = 2.87).

Conclusions

Satisfactory outcomes were disclosed in about 61 % of the patients with mild-to-moderate LSS in a 7-year follow-up. Electrophysiological abnormalities, namely the presence of pluriradicular involvement and abnormalities of the soleus H-reflex, were predictive of deterioration of clinical status in these patients.     

长春西汀联合泼尼松治疗原发性肾病综合征疗效观察

目的观察长春西汀联合泼尼松治疗原发性肾病综合征的临床疗效。方法选取原发性肾病综合征患者62例,随机分为观察组和对照组。对照组采用泼尼松及常规治疗,观察组在对照组治疗基础上给予长春西汀注射液静脉滴注,两组疗程均为3周。观察两组患者临床改善情况。结果观察组总有效率（83．9％）明显高于对照组总有效率（61．3％）（P〈0．05）,两组治疗后血浆白蛋白、24h尿蛋白定量与本组治疗前比较有统计学差异（P〈0．05）,观察组较对照组改善更显著（P〈0．05）,观察组尿素氮、血肌酐、活化部分凝血活酶时间、纤维蛋白原、D-二聚体较治疗前明显改善（P〈0．05）,与对照组相比有统计学差异（P〈0．05）。结论长春西汀联合泼尼松治疗原发性肾病综合征安全有效,能有效改善血液高凝状态。     

肥胖病人全膝关节表面置换术后疗效观察

[目的]本研究回顾性研究肥胖（根据体重指数）是否是全膝关节表面置换术的危险因素。[方法]由同一组医生使用同一种假体对320例520个膝骨性关节炎患者行全膝关节表面置换手术治疗。[结果]术前肥胖组功能评分较超重组、非肥胖组为低（分别P〈0．05），但关节评分无显著性差异。通过平均28．3个月的随访，无论膝评分和功能评分各组术后均明显提高，各组提高的幅度比较在统计学上无显著性差异（分别P〉0．05）。肥胖组围手术期并发症明显增高。[结论]肥胖病人膝关节置换手术可以取得满意疗效，但围手术期并发症增多，包括伤口愈合、感染、内侧副韧带损伤，注意伤口缝合技术和保护内侧副韧带可减少此类并发症。     

Clinical outcomes following treatment of deep surgical site infection after fixation of calcaneal fractures: A retrospective case-control study

IntroductionDeep surgical site infection (SSI) may be a complication of open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF) of calcaneal fractures. This study aimed to describe the characteristics of patients with deep SSI following ORIF of calcaneal fractures via extensile lateral approach (ELA). We compared clinical outcomes of these patients, with a minimum follow-up of one year after successful treatment of deep SSI with a matched control group.MethodsIn this retrospective case-control study, demographic data, fracture characteristics, bacterial pathogens, medical treatments and surgical approaches were collected, also the outcome was evaluated by the visual analog scale (VAS) for pain, foot function index (FFI) and AOFAS ankle-hindfoot score. The differences in Böhler and Gissane's angles between infected and contralateral feet were measured. By matching a control group of uninfected cases, clinical outcomes were compared between 2 groups using the Mann–Whitney U test.ResultsAmong 331 calcaneus fractures in 308 patients (mean age, 38.0 ± 13.1; male/female ratio, 5.5), 21 had deep SSI (6.3 %). There were 16 (76.2 %) males and 5 (23.8 %) females with a mean age of 35.1 ± 11.7 years. Thirteen (61.9 %) patients had unilateral fractures. The most common Sanders Type was found to be type II. The most frequent type of detected microorganisms was Staphylococcus species. Intravenous antibiotic therapy, mostly clindamycin, imipenem and vancomycin, based on the microbiological results, was prescribed with a mean±SD duration of 28.1 ± 16.5 days. The mean number of surgical debridements was 1.8 ± 1.3. Implants needed to be removed in 16 (76.2 %) cases. Antibiotic-impregnated bone cement was applied in three (14.3 %) cases. The clinical outcomes of 15 cases (follow up, 35.5 ± 13.8; range, 12.6–64.5 months) were 4.1 ± 2.0, 16.7 ± 12.3 and 77.5 ± 20.8 for VAS for pain, FFI % and AOFAS ankle-hindfoot score, respectively. Comparing with the control group (VAS for pain, 2.3 ± 2.7; FFI %, 12.2 ± 16.6, and AOFAS, 84.6 ± 18.0), only VAS pain was statistically lower in this group (p-value: 0.012). The differences in Böhler and Gissane's angles between both feet of infected cases were − 14.3 ± 17.9 and − 7.7 ± 22.5 (worse in the infected side), respectively.ConclusionProper on-time approaches to deep infection following ORIF of calcaneal fractures may lead to acceptable clinical and functional outcomes. Sometimes aggressive approaches with intravenous antibiotic therapy, multiple sessions of surgical debridement, removal of implants and antibiotic impregnated cement are necessary to eradicate deep infection.Level of evidenceLevel III.     

Conservative management of thoracolumbar and lumbar spine compression and burst fractures: functional and radiographic outcomes in 136 cases treated by closed reduction and casting

Introduction  Both fractures of the lumbar spine and at the thoracolumbar junction are quite common. The treatment of these fracture types is discussed controversially. Some authors advocate surgical treatment even in fractures without neurologic compromise while other series report good results after non-operative treatment. Materials and methods  Between January 1997 and April 2004, 324 patients with spinal fractures were admitted to our institution. Hundred and thirty-six patients with compression and burst type fractures treated by closed reduction and casting were available for follow-up. Their medical records, radiographs and computer tomography scans were reviewed and their functional status was assessed. Results  94 male (69.1%) and 42 female (30.9%) patients with a mean age of 48.6 years (range 17–81) at time of injury were included. The thoracolumbar junction (T11-L1) was affected in 104 patients (76.5%). 23.5% had lumbar fractures. All of the burst type fractures with involvement of the posterior column affection were type A3.3. fractures according to the Magerl classification. Significant correction of radiographic parameters was achieved in the early postreduction period (P < 0.0001). Reduction could not be maintained at the final follow-up but still showed slight improvement compared to the initial presentation. Reduction could be maintained better in the thoracolumbar region than in the lumbar spine. Neurologic function was restored in all patients with unilateral radicular pain but only one patient recovered fully after cauda equina-syndrome. Patients after lumbar spine indicated a higher level of pain when compared to patients with fractures at the thoracolumbar junction. Discussion  Closed reduction and casting is a safe and effective method for treatment of compression and burst type fractures at the thoracolumbar junction and can restore neurologic function in patients with unilateral radicular pain. It is of limited value in lumbar fractures and in burst type fractures with posterior column involvement.