BackgroundBaclofen is approved by the US FDA to treat spasticity, but its sustained use may cause drug addiction. The objective of this study was to compare the efficacy and safety of botulinum toxin type A versus baclofen in spasticity.Material/MethodsA total of 336 patients who had spasticity caused by spinal cord injury were enrolled in a randomized (in 1: 1: 1: ratio) for placebo, controlled trial. Patients had received baclofen (BA group, n=112), local intramuscular injection of 500 U Botulinum toxin type A (BTI group, n=112), or physical therapies alone (placebo group, n=112). Modified Ashworth scale (mAS) score, disability assessment scale (DAS) score, modified medical research council (mMRC) score, the Barthel Index (BI) score, and treatment-emergent adverse effects were evaluated during the follow-up period. Wilcoxon test or one-way ANOVA/Tukey post hoc tests were performed at 95% of confidence level.ResultsBaclofen (1.504±0.045 vs. 1.53±0.06, p=0.003, q=4.068) and botulinum toxin type A (1.49±0.09 vs. 1.528±0.15, p=0.0224, q=3.5541) had improved mAS scores after 2 weeks. Baclofen had a more strongly improved DAS score than botulinum toxin type A at 4 (p=0.0496, q=3.48) and 6 (p<0.0001, q=6.48) weeks. Baclofen and botulinum toxin type A had consistently improved BI scores. Baclofen caused asthenia and sleepiness, while botulinum toxin type A caused bronchitis and elevated blood pressure.ConclusionsBotulinum toxin type A may be an effective therapeutic option for spasticity caused by spinal cord injury.

The purpose of this article is to introduce and analyze the feasibility of simultaneously combined anterior-posterior approaches for subaxial cervical circumferential reconstruction in sitting position. A retrospective case review was performed for above surgery procedure. A 79-year-old man was confirmed subaxial cervical fracture and dislocation with facet locked by radiological examination, and the involved levels were C5-6. According to American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) classification, the impairment scale was grade B. And the Subaxial Cervical Spine Injury and Severity Score (SLIC) were 9. The patient was restricted in sitting position with traction on a halo in extension to immobilize the head during the operation. A posterior laminectomy and pedicle screws insertion to the involved cervical spine was performed firstly. And then the anterior discectomy and strut graft were accomplished through an anterior cervical approach. The final fixation was finished by clamping the strut graft with pedicle screw system. Total blood loss was 600 ml and the total operating time was 150 min. The patient was followed up for 6 months. The symptom of neck pain improved distinctly and no evidence about implant failure was noted. Neurological status improvement was confirmed and the ASIA scale was improved to grade C. We believed that the simultaneously combined anterior-posterior approach in sitting position was safe and more advantageous for appropriate cases.

Background Anterior cervical diskectomy and fusion (ACDF) has been widely accepted as a gold standard for patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM). However, there was insufficient evidence to compare the changes in the cervical alignment with different fusion devices in a long follow-up period. This meta-analysis was performed to compare the radiologic outcomes and loss of correction (LOC) in cervical alignment of Zero-profile (ZP) device versus cage-plate (CP) construct for the treatment of CSM. Methods Retrospective and prospective studies directly comparing the outcomes between the ZP device and CP construct in ACDF were included. Data extraction was conducted and study quality was assessed independently. A meta-analysis was carried out by using fixed effects and random effects models to calculate the odds ratio and mean difference in the ZP group and the CP group. Results Fourteen trials with a total of 1067 participants were identified. ZP group had a lower rate of postoperative dysphagia at the 2- or 3-month and 6-month follow-up than CP group, and ZP group was associated with a decreased ASD rate at the last follow-up when compared with the CP group. The pooled data of radiologic outcomes revealed that there was no significant difference in postoperative and last follow-up IDH. However, postoperative and last follow-up cervical Cobb angle was significantly smaller in the ZP group when compared with the CP group. In subgroup analyses, when the length of the last follow-up was less than 3 years, there was no difference between two groups. However, as the last follow-up time increased, cervical Cobb angle was significantly lower in the ZP group when compared with the CP group. Conclusion Based on the results of our analysis, the application of ZP device in ACDF had a lower rate of postoperative dysphagia and ASD than CP construct. Both devices were safe in anterior cervical surgeries, and they had similar efficacy in correcting radiologic outcomes. However, as the last follow-up time increased, ZP group showed greater changes cervical alignment. In order to clarify the specific significance of LOC, additional large clinical studies with longer follow-up period are required.

Background Although previous studies have suggested a close association between gut microbiota (GM) and intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD), the causal relationship between them remains unclear. Hence, we thoroughly investigate their causal relationship by means of a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) study, aiming to determine the impact of gut microbiota on the risk of developing intervertebral disc degeneration. Methods Summary data from genome-wide association studies of GM (the MiBioGen) and IVDD (the FinnGen biobank) have been acquired. The inverse variance weighted (IVW) method was utilized as the primary MR analysis approach. Weighted median, MR-Egger regression, weighted mode, and simple mode were used as supplements. The Mendelian randomization pleiotropy residual sum and outlier (MR-PRESSO) and MR-Egger regression were performed to assess horizontal pleiotropy. Cochran's Q test evaluated heterogeneity. Leave-one-out sensitivity analysis was further conducted to determine the reliability of the causal relationship. A reverse MR analysis was conducted to assess potential reverse causation. Results We identified nine gut microbial taxa that were causally associated with IVDD (P < 0.05). Following the Benjamini–Hochberg corrected test, the association between the phylum Bacteroidetes and a higher risk of IVDD remained significant (IVW FDR-corrected P = 0.0365). The results of the Cochrane Q test did not indicate heterogeneity (P > 0.05). Additionally, both the MR-Egger intercept test and the MR-PRESSO global test revealed that our results were not influenced by horizontal pleiotropy (P > 0.05). Furthermore, the leave-one-out analysis substantiated the reliability of the causal relationship. In the reverse analysis, no evidence was found to suggest that IVDD has an impact on the gut microbiota. Conclusion Our results validate the potential causal impact of particular GM taxa on IVDD, thus providing fresh insights into the gut microbiota-mediated mechanism of IVDD and laying the groundwork for further research into targeted preventive measures.