Atlas is capable for screw fixation via its posterior arch and lateral mass.

of the femoral head: using CT, MRI and gross specimen to characterize the location, shape and size of the lesion. Br J Radiol 2015;88:20140508. FULL PAPER Osteonecrosis of the femoral head: using CT, MRI and gross specimen to characterize the location, shape and size of the lesion The results were compared with findings from coronal sectional gross specimens. Two radiologists independently measured the volume of necrotic lesions from CT and MR images using computer software, and the results were averaged. The volume of specimens' necrotic lesion was measured using the water displacement method.Results: There was a high degree of consistency between CT, MRI and the coronal sectional gross specimen on the location, shape and spatial structure of lesions.Differences of the lesion volume measured from CT and MR images were not statistically significant between two radiologists. The necrotic lesion volumes measured from CT and MR images and gross specimens were 22.07 6 5. Osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) is a common disease of the hip joint. If untreated, 80% of patients with ONFH will suffer the collapse of femoral head articular surface in a few years of disease progression.1 Once the femoral head collapses, osteoarthritis becomes inevitable and function of the hip joint will be seriously affected, which eventually will lead to artificial joint replacement. 2,3Although hip replacement is an effective approach to relieve pain and improve hip function in the short term, its long-term performance remains unsatisfactory.4,5 Furthermore, non-traumatic ONFH typically occurs in young adults and involves both hips. On the other hand, not all ONFH will progress to femoral head collapse.6 Therefore, being able to accurately predict the risk of femoral head collapse according to the disease severity and to take appropriate therapeutic measures are critical to preserve the hip joint and improve the prognosis of ONFH. 7 Studies have shown that the size and location of necrotic lesions are major factors associated with femoral head collapse.6-9 Although various approaches have been reported to illustrate the lesion location and size, all were based on MRI and/or radiographs.6-11 As a main imaging modality for diagnosis of ONFH, CT can clearly display ONFH that is in Association Research Circulation Osseous (ARCO) stage II or above. Multislice CT can achieve isotropic resolution. Volume data acquired from axial scans can be used to reconstruct in any direction to observe lesions. But so far, there has been no study that reports the feasibility and accuracy of using CT to measure the size of ONFH lesions. We hypothesized that CT and MRI could achieve highly consistent results in illustrating the size, shape and location of ONFH lesions in ARCO stage II and above, and both methods can be used to assess the risk of necrotic femoral head collapse.The objectives of this study are (1) to investigate the accuracy of using CT to capture the size, location, shape and spatial structural relationship of the necrotic lesion by com...

In this study, neuroprotective effect of tamoxifen has been explored in spinal cord injury (SCI) in rats by examining factors influencing IKK/NF-kB pathway in SCI in rats. It has been shown in several studies that IKK/NF-kB signaling pathway plays a key role in pathophysiology of SCI. In this study, three groups of rats (n = 17 each) were selected that included, tamoxifen group (here tamoxifen was injected after SCI in rats), SCI group (here only dimethylsulfoxide was administered after inducing SCI in rats) and sham group (here only laminectomy was performed). The effect of tamoxifen (5 mg/kg) on various factors responsible for activation of IKK/NF-kB signaling pathway including NF-kB p65, phosphorylated I-kBα was studied through Western blotting as well as densitometry. The examination of expression of active caspase-3 and myeloperoxidase activity was also carried out through Western blot analysis and densitometry. A comparison of three groups of rats showed that administration of tamoxifen significantly reduced the expression of NF-kB p65 and phosphorylated I-kBα (P < 0.05) compared to control. It also attenuated the expression of active caspase-3 resulting in the reduction of apoptosis, and infiltration of leukocytes to the injury site was also greatly reduced in the group where tamoxifen was administered. Statistical analysis through SPSS 13.0 software showed a significant decrease in the expression of inflammatory factors in groups where tamoxifen was administered. We conclude that tamoxifen possesses the potential neuroprotective effects that can be explored further for future therapeutic techniques in treating spinal cord injuries.

Purpose. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the relative benefits of posterior fixation combined with vertebroplasty (PFVP) or vertebral column resection (PVCR) for osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (OVCFs) with intravertebral cleft (IVC) complicated by neurological deficits. Methods. From June 2010 to January 2015, 45 consecutive patients suffering OVCFs with IVC and spinal cord injuries were treated with PFVP or PVCR in our department. The visual analogue scale (VAS) score, anterior vertebral height (AVH), posterior vertebral height (PVH), local kyphotic angle (LKA), and neurologic function were evaluated and compared, and the operative duration, blood loss, and complications were also recorded. Results. They all achieved excellent pain relief, vertebral height recovery, and kyphosis correction one month after surgery, and no significant differences existed between the two groups. No significant differences were observed between the 1-month postoperative and final follow-up VAS, AVH, and LKA values in the PVCR group (P>0.05), while AVH and LKA worsened in the PFVP group at the final follow-up (P<0.05). Similarly, the initial improvements in VAS scores decreased over time (P<0.05). Neurologic function improved in both groups, and no significant differences were observed between the 2 groups either preoperatively or postoperatively (P>0.05). The blood loss and operative duration were significantly lower in the PFVP group than those in the PVCR group (P<0.05). Conclusion. Compared with PVCR, PFVP had equivalent short-term clinical outcomes with less blood loss and operative duration which can be very beneficial for treating elderly patients with extreme comorbidities in this condition. However, based on the long-term efficacy of pain relief, vertebral height maintenance, and deformity correction, PVCR is a more reasonable choice.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a newly described infectious disease caused by the SARS coronavirus which attacks the immune system and pulmonary epithelium. It is treated with regular high doses of corticosteroids. Our aim was to determine the relationship between the dosage of steroids and the number and distribution of osteonecrotic lesions in patients treated with steroids during the SARS epidemic in Beijing, China in 2003. We identified 114 patients for inclusion in the study. Of these, 43 with osteonecrosis received a significantly higher cumulative and peak methylprednisolone-equivalent dose than 71 patients with no osteonecrosis identified by MRI. We confirmed that the number of osteonecrotic lesions was directly related to the dosage of steroids and that a very high dose, a peak dose of more than 200 mg or a cumulative methylprednisolone-equivalent dose of more than 4000 mg, is a significant risk factor for multifocal osteonecrosis with both epiphyseal and diaphyseal lesions. Patients with diaphyseal osteonecrosis received a significantly higher cumulative methylprednisolone-equivalent dose than those with epiphyseal osteonecrosis. Multifocal osteonecrosis should be suspected if a patient is diagnosed with osteonecrosis in the shaft of a long bone.