Purpose Permanent nerve damage after corticosteroid injection has been suggested when symptoms of median nerve injury (MNI) are irreversible. We assess the outcomes of MNI and their association with ultrasonography (US)-guided hydrodissection and the following corticosteroid injection for symptomatic carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). Methods US-guided hydrodissection and the following corticosteroid injections were administered to 126 CTS patients. Occurrence of MNI, clinical data, and post-hydrodissection findings were evaluated. Post-hydrodissection findings included vascular injury during hydrodissection, altered echogenicity, reduced flattening ratio, and increased cross-sectional area of the MN at the inlet of the carpal tunnel (MN-CSA-Inlet) on ultrasonography after hydrodissection. The relevance of MNI with respect to these clinical data and findings was determined. The outcome was rated using Boston Carpal Tunnel Syndrome Questionnaire (BCTQ) scores. Results Nine patients suffered MNI (incidence, 7.1 %) but improved significantly at follow-up. Clinical data and vascular injury during hydrodissection, altered echogenicity, and reduced flattening ratio after hydrodissection were unrelated to prolonged transient MNI (p > 0.05). MNI was significantly associated with increased CSA (p = 0.005). A CSA increase > 2 mm2 after hydrodissection yielded the greatest performance (0.979) for MNI in the receiver operating characteristic analysis. Decreases in BCTQ scores after injection did not differ significantly between groups with and without MNI (p > 0.05). Conclusion MNI during hydrodissection may be reversible. MNI is indicated by an increase in MN-CSA-inlet immediately after hydrodissection.

A tri-copolymer sponge consisting of gelatin, hyaluronic acid, and chondroitin sulfate (GHC) was designed to mimic the cartilage environment in vivo for cartilage regeneration. The present study aimed to temporally characterize the magnetic resonance relaxation time of GHC constructs in vivo in a rodent heterotopic model. GHC sponges with cells (GHCc) or without cells (GHC) implanted in rat leg muscle were monitored using MRI (4.7 T MR scanner) on day 0, 7, 14, and 21 after implantation. The results revealed that the transverse relaxation time (T2) of GHC constructs decreased significantly over time when compared to the T2 of GHCc constructs. However, the longitudinal relaxation time (T1) of GHCc and GHC constructs remained stable. Moreover, hematoxylin and eosin and immunohistochemical staining with antibodies to S100 protein, and types I and II collagen showed that normal morphology, phenotype, and function of chondrocytes were preserved in the GHCc construct. Thus, we concluded that GHC constructs adequately support chondrocyte growth and function. On top of that, T2 may be a useful tool for monitoring cartilage regeneration in GHC constructs.

Background and Objectives: Although the ultrasound-guided technique is used in caudal epidural injections, severe complications can happen if ultrasound cannot identify the occurrence of intravascular injection. To determine intraepidural and intravascular injection during caudal epidural injections, we used power Doppler ultrasonography (PDU) when injecting medications into the epidural space. Materials and Methods: This is a retrospective study that enrolled a total of 277 patients with refractory low back pain or degenerative disc from January 2019 to December 2019. The injectate flow of caudal epidural injections was examined with the assistance of PDU and confirmed by fluoroscopy. Four flow patterns were identified by PDU in our study: the “Earthworm sign,” the “Patch sign,” the ”Tubular sign” and the “Absent flow sign.” The accuracy of PDU in identifying intraepidural and intravascular injections was determined by fluoroscopy images recorded during each injection. Results: We evaluated 277 patients (mean age, 68.6 ± 13.2 years; 106 men). The “Patch sign” showed a sensitivity of 88.76% and a specificity of 80% in predicting epidural injection without intravascular injection. The “Earthworm sign” demonstrated a sensitivity of 70% and a specificity of 100% in detecting intravascular injection. The “Tubular sign” showed a specificity of 100% and a sensitivity of 9.4% in predicting successful epidural injection. The absence of a flow signal showed a sensitivity of 1.87% and a specificity of 90% in predicting successful epidural injection. Conclusions: Ultrasound-guided caudal epidural injection can accurately determine intraepidural and intravascular injections with the assistance of PDU and is thus a good alternative technique to fluoroscopy-guided caudal epidural injection.