The zero-profile anchored spacer achieved similar clinical outcomes compared to ACDF with anterior plating for the treatment of the cervical degenerative disc disease. However, zero-profile anchored spacer was associated with a lower risk of postoperative dysphagia, shorter operation time, less blood loss, and relatively greater simplicity than the stand-alone cage with a titanium plate.

The primary clinical and radiographic efficacies of both ROI-C and cages with plates in ACDF for MCSM were satisfactory; both approaches could improve and maintain cervical lordosis and disk height. However, the ROI-C was associated with a simpler operation, a shorter operation time, less blood loss, and a lower risk of postoperative dysphagia compared to the PEEK cage with an anterior plate.

Comparing the clinical and radiographic outcomes in anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) using a zero-profile anchored spacer (ROI-C) or a conventional cage-plate construct (CPC) for treating noncontiguous bilevel of cervical degenerative disc disease (CDDD).Overall, 46 patients with 2 noncontiguous segments of CDDD, treated with ACDF from January 2011 to October 2015, were included in this study. ROI-C was used in 22 patients (group A) and CPC in 24 patients (group B). The clinical and radiographic outcomes and complications were compared pre- and postoperatively. All patients were followed up for at least 24 months after surgery.No significant difference was found in fusion rate, cervical curvature, height of fused segment (FSDH), intraoperative blood loss, and Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA), and Neck Disability Index (NDI) scores between the 2 groups. Group A had a shorter operation time and significantly lower incidence of dysphagia (3 and 24 months postoperatively) than group B (P < .001 and P < .05, respectively). Moreover, group A had a higher loss of FSDH than group B, but with no difference between the 2 groups (P > .05). Two cages developed subsidence in group A (4.5%) and 2 adjacent levels developed degeneration in group B (2,8%).ACDF with ROI-C device was superior to CPC for noncontiguous bilevel of CDDD because it avoided postoperative dysphagia and required a shorter operation time. Moreover, the clinical outcomes were comparable. Prospective trials with larger samples and longer follow-up are required to confirm the results.

Therapeutic vertebral cement augmentation for the treatment of painful skeletal diseases, although widely applied for more than several decades, still has not thoroughly resolve the problem of cement extravasation. Based on a review of literature published, the present study was to provide a systematic review of the current understanding of pulmonary cement embolism (PCE) associated with percutaneous vertebroplasty (PVP) or percutaneous kyphoplasty (PKP), and to summarize the incidence, clinical features, prophylaxis and therapeutic management of PCE after vertebral cement reinforcement. The reported incidence of PCE ranges widely, from 2.1% to 26%. Asymptomatic PCE is a common condition without permanent clinical sequelae. Nevertheless, it is emergent once a symptomatic PCE is presented. Close attention and effective pre-measures should be taken to avoid this catastrophic complication.

Context:Nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT) is a novel histone methylation modulator that regulates energy metabolism, and NNMT knockdown prevents diet-induced obesity in mice. However, whether NNMT plays a role in human obesity and type 2 diabetes (T2DM) remains to be elucidated.Objective: NNMT catalyzes methylation of nicotinamide to generate N 1 -methylnicotinamide (me-NAM). We aimed to investigate the associations of serum me-NAM with obesity and T2DM in Chinese.Design, Setting, and Participants: The study subjects (n ϭ 1160) were recruited from Dali, a city of Yunnan Province, in southwest China. Anthropometric phenotypes, fasting glucose, and serum lipids were measured. Serum me-NAM was measured by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry.Results: Serum me-NAM was positively correlated with body mass index and waist circumference and negatively with high-density lipoprotein (P Յ .03). The correlations remained highly significant in the multivariate adjusted correlation analyses. In men (n ϭ 691), positive correlations between me-NAM and fasting glucose, low-density lipoprotein, liver function, and serum creatinine levels were also observed in both simple and multivariate adjusted correlation analyses. In multiple logistic regression analyses, elevated serum me-NAM was associated with higher risks for overweight/obesity (odds ratios, 2.36 and 5.78; 95% confidence intervals, 1.10 -5.08 and 1.78 -18.76 for men and women, respectively; P Յ .03) and diabetes (odds ratios, 1.56 and 1.86; 95% confidence intervals, 1.10 -2.22 and 1.05-3.31 for men and women, respectively; P Յ .03). Conclusions:This first large-scale population study shows that me-NAM, as an indicator of NNMT activity, is strongly associated with obesity and diabetes, supporting NNMT as a potential target for treating obesity and diabetes in humans. (J Clin Endocrinol Metab 100: 3112-3117, 2015)