Test-retest reliability of stability outcome measures during treadmill walking in patients with balance problems and healthy controls

BackgroundImprovement of balance control is an important rehabilitation goal for patients with motor and sensory impairments. To quantify balance control during walking, various stability outcome measures have described differences between healthy controls and patient groups with balance problems. To be useful for the evaluation of interventions or monitoring of individual patients, stability outcome measures need to be reliable.Research questionWhat is the test-retest reliability of six stability outcome measures during gait?MethodsPatients with balance problems (n = 45) and healthy controls (n = 20) performed two times a two-minute walk test (2MWT). The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) and Bland-Altman analysis (coefficient of repeatability; CR) were used to evaluate the test-retest reliability of six stability outcome measures: dynamic stability margin (DSM), margin of stability (MoS), distance between the extrapolated centre of mass (XCoM) and centre of pressure (CoP) in anterior-posterior (XCoM-CoP_AP) and medial-lateral (XCoM-CoP_ML) direction, and inclination angle between centre of mass (CoM) and CoP in anterior-posterior (CoM-CoP_AP-angle) and medial-lateral (CoM-CoP_ML-angle) direction. A two way mixed ANOVA was performed to reveal measurement- and group-effects.ResultsThe ICCs of all stability outcome measures ranged between 0.51 and 0.97. Significant differences between the measurements were found for the DSM (p = 0.017), XCoM-CoP_AP (p = 0.008) and CoM-CoP_AP-angle (p = 0.001). Significant differences between controls and patients were found for all stability outcome measures (p < 0.01) except for the MoS (p = 0.32). For the XCoM-CoP distances and CoM-CoP angles, the CRs were smaller than the difference between patients and controls.SignificanceBased on the ICCs, the reliability of all stability outcome measures was moderate to excellent. Since the XCoM-CoP_ML and CoM-CoP_ML-angle showed no differences between the measurements and smaller CRs than the differences between patients and controls, the XCoM-CoP_ML and CoM-CoP_ML-angle seem the most promising stability outcome measures to evaluate interventions and monitor individual patients.     

神经痛大鼠脊髓胶质细胞源性神经营养因子参与多巴胺D2受体激动剂对痛觉过敏的调制作用

目的 研究鞘内注射多巴胺D2受体激动剂喹吡罗对坐骨神经慢性压迫损伤大鼠脊髓水平胶质细胞源性神经营养因子表达的影响,探讨其介导抗伤害作用的可能机制. 方法 实验1：采用完全随机分组方法将30只成年雄性SD大鼠制作坐骨神经慢性压迫损伤（chronic constriction injury of sciatic nerve,CCI）模型分为5组（每组6只）：CCI＋生理盐水（NS组）、CCI＋喹吡罗0.1 μg（Q0.1组）、CCI＋喹吡罗1μg（Q1组）、CCI＋喹吡罗5 μg（Q5组）、CCI＋喹吡罗10 μg（Q10组）,分别在建模后第7天鞘内注射0.1、1、5、10 μg喹吡罗,NS组单次鞘内注射生理盐水10μl.于给药前及给药后0.5、1、2、4、8、16h测定大鼠术侧后足机械缩足反射阈值（paw withdrawal mechanical threshold,PWMT）和热缩足反射潜伏期（paw withdrawal thermal latency,PWTL）.实验2：将54只成年雄性SD大鼠制作CCI模型,并采用完全随机分组方法分为3组（Q5组、Q10组、NS组,每组18只）：Q5组、Q10组分别在建模后第7天鞘内注射5、10μg喹吡罗后0.5、1、2、4、8、16h处死取材,NS组单次鞘内注射生理盐水10μl;另取6只正常大鼠作为模型对照组（M组）,另取6只正常大鼠作为对照组（C组）.采用免疫印迹法测定脊髓背角胶质细胞源性神经营养因子（glial cell line-derived neurotrophic fact,GDNF）蛋白表达的变化. 结果 实验1：与NS组比较,Q0.1组注药后各时间点PWMT和PWTL差异无统计学意义（P＞0.05）,Q1组注药后2 h PWMT[（4.3±1.5）g]及PWTL[（13.2±1.6）s],Q5组注药后1,2、4 h PWMT[（4.7±1.6）、（5.3±1.6）、（4.7±2.1）g]和PWTL[（14.0±1.7）、（15.2±1.5）、（13.4±1.6）s],Q10组注药后1、2、4 h PWMT[（6.0±1.3）、（7.3±1.0）、（5.3±2.1）g]和PWTL [（15.3±1.8）、（17.5±1.2）、（14.9±1.7）s]明显升高（P＜0.05）.实验2：与C组比较,M组GDNF表达（0.95±0.09）明显升高（P＜0.05）.与M组和NS组比较,GDNF的表达Q     

短尾万向联合长尾单向椎弓根螺钉在峡部裂性腰椎滑脱症中的应用

目的探讨短尾万向及长尾单向椎弓根螺钉复位内固定系统结合椎体间植骨融合治疗峡部裂性腰椎滑脱症的临床效果。方法 2010年6月至2012年1月郑州市骨科医院采用短尾万向及长尾单向椎弓根螺钉复位内固定系统结合椎体间植骨融合治疗74例峡部裂型腰椎滑脱症患者,术后3、6个月行腰椎CT平扫＋二维重建检查,评价滑脱复位、椎间隙高度和植骨融合情况;术后6个月采用Beaujon功能评分（BFS）进行疗效评估。结果手术时间90~135 min（平均112 min）,出血量300~750 mL（平均420 mL）。术中未发生马尾、神经根损伤,1例出现硬脊膜撕裂继发脑脊液漏。所有患者获有效随访,随访时间6~12个月,平均随访时间8.1个月。术后3、6个月滑脱椎体复位率和植骨融合率分别为（93±5）%、（91±4）%和81%、100%;术后6个月BFS较术前明显改善（P〈0.05）,BFS好转率为（79±4）%,优51例、良16例、中6例、差1例,优良率为91%（67/74）。随访期间滑脱复位程度和椎间隙高度无明显丢失。结论短尾万向及长尾单向椎弓根螺钉复位内固定系统结合椎体间植骨融合治疗峡部裂性腰椎滑脱症,植骨融合率高,并发症少,滑脱复位满意。     

Metastatic Tumors of Unknown Origin: Ancillary Testing in Cytologic Specimens

The application of ancillary studies, such as immunostains, to cytopathology has improved the ability to make accurate diagnoses with precise subclassification. Even with these techniques, there are still aspiration and exfoliative cytology cases for which it remains difficult to definitively determine the source and/or subtype. This article focuses on the well-established and novel ancillary studies used in the modern era of cancer diagnoses in cytopathology, particularly in the diagnostic work-up of metastatic tumors without a known primary.     

OPN sesame

Osteopontin (OPN) is a growth regulatory protein for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and a potent chemoattractant for macrophages. Zhu and colleagues recently reported significant clinical associations between poor postoperative prognosis and the concurrent detection of tumoral OPN expression and peritumoral macrophage (PTM) infiltration. An in-depth understanding on the complex interaction between tumoral OPN and macrophage-infiltrated microenvironment opens new doors to novel anticancer treatments.     

Neisseria gonorrhoeae cervical spine epidural abscess requiring spinal decompression and instrumented fusion

Disseminated gonococcal infection (DGI) is an uncommon complication of Neisseria gonorrhoeae infection, and typically presents with either a triad of tenosynovitis, dermatitis and polyarthralgia, or with extra-axial large joint septic arthritis. Spinal epidural abscess is a rare manifestation of DGI, with only a few previously reported cases, none of which required placement of metalware into the infected space. Here we report a severe case of isolated N. gonorrhoeae cervical spine epidural abscess necessitating surgical source control (C7/T1 laminectomy and debridement) and metalware placement (C6-T2 posterior instrumented fusion). The case was successfully managed by a combination of surgical intervention followed by six weeks of predominantly oral, targeted antimicrobial therapy.