BackgroundSeveral methods including free-hand technique, fluoroscopic guidance, image-guided navigation, computer-assisted surgery system, robotic platform and patient’s specific templates are being used for pedicle screw placement. These methods have screw misplacements and are not always easy to be applied. Furthermore, it is necessary to expose completely a large portions of the spine in order to access fit entirely around the vertebrae.MethodsIn this study, a multi-level patient’s specific template with medium invasiveness was proposed for pedicle screw placement in the scoliosis surgery. It helps to solve the problems related to the soft tissues removal. After a computer tomography (CT) scan of the spine, the templates were designed based on surgical considerations. Each template was manufactured using three-dimensional printing technology under a semi-flexible post processing. The templates were placed on vertebras at four points—at the base of the superior-inferior articular processes on both left–right sides. This helps to obtain less invasive and more accurate procedure as well as true-stable and easy placement in a unique position. The accuracy of screw positions was confirmed by CT scan after screw placement.ResultsThe result showed the correct alignment in pedicle screw placement. In addition, the template has been initially tested on a metal wire series Moulage (height 70 cm and material is PVC). The results demonstrated that it could be possible to implement it on a real patient.ConclusionsThe proposed template significantly reduced screw misplacements, increased stability, and decreased the sliding & the intervention invasiveness.

Our investigation was designed to assess the saccular function of the vestibular system upon postural control dysfunction amongst children with spastic cerebral palsy (CP) using recording of cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (cVEMPs), as well as to compare such findings with those in healthy subjects. Sixty two children (aged 7-12 years) were enrolled and assigned into two groups. There were 31 cases of spastic CP with the functional levels of I or II according to the Gross Motor Function Classification System in the patient group and 31 aged-matched healthy children as controls. The examined parameters were the latencies of the P 13 and N 23 waves, P 13 -N 23 peak-to-peak amplitude, amplitude asymmetry ratio (AAR) and the cVEMP threshold. The cVEMP responses were recorded in 93.5 % of cases in the CP group and in all healthy subjects. Only 51.6% of the CP-group cases were within the normal AAR spectrum range. There were significant differences between the two groups with regard to the N 23 wave latency (P < 0.001), P 13 -N 23 wave amplitude (P < 0.001) and cVEMP threshold (P<0.05). The significant difference in the cVEMP measured values between the CP cases and healthy controls may be attributed to a motor development delay and deficits in the vestibulo-collic reflex pathway. Our findings suggest that cVEMP recording may be considered an auxiliary tool for the assessment of the vestibular system in children with spastic CP. Such a test is expected to help more adequate planning for interventions.

Determining the viscoelastic response of cervix at different displacement rates can provide sufficient information for the normal mechanical behavior of the tissue in assessment of cervical insufficiency. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of displacement rate on viscoelastic properties of rat cervix. Different displacement rates were employed to measure the tensile and load-relaxation properties of cervices from virgin and 16 days post-conception pregnant rats. After preconditioning, the displacement of 2[Formula: see text]mm was applied to the distal halves of five pregnant rat’s cervices and 1 millimeter to the five virgin samples circumferentially. Uniaxial tension tests were employed at the displacement rates of 0.01, 0.1 and 1 mm/s randomly and were held for 10 min while the tissues were relaxed. Tensile and load-relaxation curves were well described by a quasi-linear viscoelastic model. Statistical analysis revealed significant correlation between the change in displacement rate and the elastic response, as well as the viscous response of the virgin samples. For pregnant samples, though, the correlation was found significant between the displacement rate and the elastic response of the tissue. Virgin tissue is strongly viscoelastic. Quantitative measurements of cervical mechanical properties will lead to a more accurate assessment of cervical insufficiency and prediction of preterm birth.

This study is aimed at comparing muscle activations and synergies in badminton forehand overhead smash (BFOS) between elite and nonelite players to clarify how the central nervous system (CNS) controls neuromuscular synergy and activation to generate complex overhead movements. EMG of five upper limb muscles was recorded through surface electromyography (EMG) electrodes from twenty players. Athletics is divided into two groups: elite and nonelite. Eventually, nonnegative matrix factorization (NNMF) was utilized to the calculated electromyography signals for muscle synergy comparison. Similarities between elite and nonelite groups were calculated by scalar product method. Results presented that three muscles synergies could sufficiently delineate the found electromyography signals for elite and nonelite players. Individual muscle patterns were moderately to highly similar between elite and nonelite groups (between-group similarity range: 0.52 to 0.90). In addition, high similarities between groups were found for the shape of synergy activation coefficients (range: 0.85 to 0.89). These results indicate that the synergistic organization of muscle coordination during badminton forehand overhead smash is not profoundly affected by expertise.

The result of auditory brainstem response is used worldwide for detecting hearing impairments or hearing aids. This study aimed to introduce the superiority of mathematical innovation algorithm toward subjective evaluation by an audiologist. The automatic algorithm method is encouraged for detecting the waves of Auditory Brainstem Response (ABR), because it can reduce subjective evaluation biases and visual analysis errors. This article portrays another technique for automatic detection of the peaks. Finally, by obtaining the standard pattern with this automatic algorithm for Persian speakers, we will compare it with the English speakers whose information was obtained by subjective method in Northwestern University. This article describes the effect of different factors on brainstem responses by performing a new automatic method. Methods: Auditory evoked potentials of brainstem activity were recorded by Electro encephalogram (EEG) of 27 Persian speaker adults with normal hearing. Three stimulus /ga/, / da/, and /ba/ were presented. This strategy depends on the utilization of reference wave forms, time latencies, and peaks adjusted and comparison with the ABR. Brainstem response latencies of brainstem peaks were extracted by the automatic method in temporal and spectral domains. This step provides language patterns for Persian speakers. Finally, the results of Persian speakers were compared with the results of a previous study done in Northwestern University by the same recording protocol as our own study on 22 English speaker children. Intraclass correlation coefficients and paired t test were used for evaluating and comparing the results. Results: According to the results, the performance of automatic method is high and reliable. Automatic and visual analysis methods had significant interaction. Latency of auditory brainstem response to the same stimulus in the two study groups was different and had a significant latency. The significance of these discoveries and clinical outcomes of this target strategy are featured in this paper. Discussion: This simple innovative algorithm could find the correct location of ABR peaks. Because of different acoustic signs and symptoms in the brainstem, the time latencies for all three stimulus used in this study are completely different.