2023年 · 第26卷第01期

Pediatric acute hyperextension spinal cord injury (SCI) named as PAHSCI by us, is a special type of thoracolumbar SCI without radiographic abnormality and highly related to back-bend in dance training, which has been increasingly reported. At present, it has become the leading cause of SCI in children, and brings a heavy social and economic burden. Both domestic and foreign academic institutions and dance education organizations lack a correct understanding of PAHSCI and relevant standards, specifications or guidelines. In order to provide standardized guidance, the expert team formulated this guideline based on the principles of science and practicability, starting from the diagnosis, differential diagnosis, etiology, admission evaluation, treatment, complications and prevention. This guideline puts forward 23 recommendations for 14 related issues.

Pediatric and adult spinal cord injuries (SCI) are distinct entities. Children and adolescents with SCI must suffer from lifelong disabilities, which is a heavy burden on patients, their families and the society. There are differences in Chinese and foreign literature reports on the incidence, injury mechanism and prognosis of SCI in children and adolescents. In addition to traumatic injuries such as car accidents and falls, the proportion of sports injuries is increasing. The most common sports injury is the backbend during dance practice. Compared with adults, children and adolescents are considered to have a greater potential for neurological improvement. The pathogenesis and treatment of pediatric SCI remains unclear. The mainstream view is that the mechanism of nerve damage in pediatric SCI include flexion, hyperextension, longitudinal distraction and ischemia. We also discuss the advantages and disadvantages of drugs such as methylprednisolone in the treatment of pediatric SCI and the indications and timing of surgery. In addition, the complications of pediatric SCI are also worthy of attention. New imaging techniques such as diffusion tensor imaging and diffusion tensor tractography may be used for diagnosis and assessment of prognosis. This article reviews the epidemiology, pathogenesis, imaging, clinical characteristics, treatment and complications of SCI in children and adolescents. Although current treatment cannot completely restore neurological function, patient quality of life can be enhanced. Continued developments and advances in the research of SCI may eventually provide a cure for children and adolescents with this kind of injury.

Purpose: The long-term situation of children with spinal cord injury (SCI) was investigated, and suggestions for helping them better return to the society were provided. Methods: SCI patients less than 18 years old hospitalized in Beijing Boai Hospital from January 2011 to December 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. Information including motor function, complications, characteristic changes, self-care abilities, school attendance and social participation were collected by telephone interview and electronic questionnaire. All the answers were statistically analyzed. Results: A total of 86 cases were enrolled, 77 girls and 9 boys, with a median injury age of 6 years and 2 months. The follow-up time was 3-130 months. The main cause of trauma in these children was sport injury (66.3%), the thoracic spinal cord was involved the most (91.9%), and complete SCIs accounted for the majority (76.7%). In terms of complications, children with complete SCIs were more likely to have urinary incontinence, constipation and characteristic changes (p < 0.05); whereas the incomplete SCIs often have spasticity (p < 0.05). As to the daily living abilities, children with incomplete lumbar SCIs were more capable to accomplish personal hygiene, transfer, and bathing independently than those with complete injuries, or cervical/thoracic SCIs, respectively (p < 0.05). Moreover, children older than 9 years care more able to dress and transfer independently than the youngers (p < 0.05). Wheelchair users accounted for 84.9% and more than half of them were able to propel wheelchair independently, and those who move passively in wheelchairs were mostly introverted kids (p < 0.05). Almost all (93.8%) children with incomplete injuries were able to walk independently. Most (79.1%) children continued to attending school, and 41.9% participated in interest classes. Unfortunately, 67.4% of the children spent less time playing with their peers than before the injury. Conclusion: SCIs impair physical structures and function of children, affect their independence in daily living, and restrict school attendance and social interaction. Comprehensive rehabilitation after injury is a systematic work. Medical staff and caregivers should not only pay attention to neurological function, but also help them improve self-care abilities. It is also important to balance rehabilitation training and school work and social participation.

Purpose: There are many infectious and inflammatory causes for elevated core-body temperatures, though they rarely pass 40 ℃ (104 ℉). The term "quad fever" is used for extreme hyperpyrexia in the setting of acute cervical spinal cord injuries (SCIs). The traditional methods of treating hyperpyrexia are often ineffective and reported morbidity and mortality rates approach 100%. This study aims to identify the incidence of elevated temperatures in SCIs at our institution and assess the effectiveness of using a non-invasive dry water temperature management system as a treatment modality with mortality. Methods: A retrospective analysis of acute SCI patients requiring surgical intensive care unit admission who experienced fevers ≥ 40 ℃ (104 ℉) were compared to patients with maximum temperatures < 40 ℃. Patients ≥18 years old who sustained an acute traumatic SCI were included in this study. Patients who expired in the emergency department; had a SCI without radiologic abnormality; had neuropraxia; were admitted to any location other than the surgical intensive care unit; or had positive blood cultures were excluded. SAS 9.4 was used to conduct statistical analysis. Results: Over the 9-year study period, 35 patients were admitted to the surgical intensive care unit with a verified SCI. Seven patients experienced maximum temperatures of ≥ 40 ℃. Six of those patients were treated with the dry water temperature management system with an overall mortality of 57.1% in this subgroup. The mortality rate for the 28 patients who experienced a maximum temperature of ≤ 40 ℃ was 21.4% (p = 0.16). Conclusion: The diagnosis of quad fever should be considered in patients with cervical SCI in the presence of hyperthermia. In this study, there was no significant difference in mortality between quad fever patients treated with a dry water temperature management system versus SCI patients without quad fever. The early use of a dry water temperature management system appears to decrease the mortality rate of quad fever.

Purpose: To develop animal models of penetrating thoracic injuries and to observe the effects of the animal model-based training on improving the trainees’ performance for emergent and urgent thoracic surgeries. Methods: With a homemade machine, animal models of lung injuries and penetrating heart injuries were produced in porcine and used for training of chest tube drainage, urgent sternotomy, and emergent thoracotomy. Coefficient of variation of abbreviated injury scale and blood loss was calculated to judge the reproducibility of animal models. Five operation teams from basic-level hospitals (group A) and five operation teams from level III hospitals (group B) were included to be trained and tested. Testing standards for the operations were established after thorough literature review, and expert questionnaires were employed to evaluate the scientificity and feasibility of the testing standards. Tests were carried out after the training. Pre- and post-training performances were compared. Post-training survey using 7-point Likert scale was taken to evaluate the feelings of the trainees to these training approaches. Results: Animal models of the three kinds of penetrating chest injuries were successfully established and the coefficient of variation of abbreviated injury scale and blood loss were all less than 25%. After literature review, testing standards were established, and expert questionnaire results showed that the scientific score was 7.30 ± 1.49, and the feasibility score was 7.50 ± 0.89. Post-training performance was significantly higher in both group A and group B than pre-training performance. Post-training survey showed that all the trainees felt confident in applying the operations and were generally agreed that the training procedure were very helpful in improving operation skills for thoracic penetrating injury. Conclusions: Animal model-based simulation training established in the current study could improve the trainees’ performance for emergent and urgent thoracic surgeries, especially of the surgical teams from basic-level hospitals.

Purpose: Combined anterior and posterior ring (APR) fixation is classically performed in Tile B2 and C1 injuries to achieve superior biomechanical stability. However, the posterior ring (PR) is the main weight bearing portion that is responsible for weight transmission from the upper parts of the body to the lower limbs through the sacrum and the linea terminalis. It is hypothesized that isolated PR fixation can achieve comparable radiological and clinical outcomes to APR fixation. Therefore, we conducted this study to compare the two fixation principles in managing Tile B2 and C1 injuries. Methods: Our study included 20 patients with Tile B2 injuries and 20 patients with Tile C1 injuries. This study was a randomized control single-blinded study via computerized random numbers with a 1:1 allocation by using random block method. The study was performed at a level one trauma center. A total of 40 patients with Tile B2 and C1 injuries underwent combined APR or isolated PR fixation (Group A and B, respectively). Matta & Tornetta radiological principles and Majeed pelvic scoring system were used for the assessment of primary outcomes and postoperative complications. Secondary outcomes included operative time, amount of blood loss, intraoperative assessment of reduction, need of another operation, length of hospital stay, ability to weight bear postoperatively and pain control metrics. We used student t-test to compare the difference in means between two groups, and Chi-square test to compare proportions between two qualitative parameters. We set the confidence interval to 95% and the margin of error accepted to 5%. So, p ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The mean follow-up duration was 18 months. The operative time (mean difference 0.575 h) and the intraoperative blood loss (mean difference 97.5 mL) were lower in Group B. Also, despite the higher frequency of rami displacement before union in the same group, there were no significant differences in terms of radiological outcome (excellent outcome with OR = 2.357), clinical outcome (excellent outcome with OR = 2.852) and postoperative complications assessment (OR = 1.556) at last follow-up. Conclusion: The authors concluded that isolated PR fixation could favorably manage Tile B2 and C1 pelvic ring injuries with Nakatani zone II pubic rami fractures and intact inguinal ligament. Its final radiological and clinical outcomes and postoperative complications were comparable to combined APR fixation, but with less morbidity (shorter operation time, lower amount of blood, and no records of postoperative wound infection).

Panax notoginseng is an ancient Chinese medicinal plant that has great clinical value in regulating cardiovascular disease in China. As a single component of panax notoginosides, notoginsenoside R1 (NGR1) belongs to the panaxatriol group. Many reports have demonstrated that NGR1 exerts multiple pharmacological effects in ischemic stroke, myocardial infarction, acute renal injury, and intestinal injury. Here, we outline the available reports on the pharmacological effects of NGR1 in ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury. We also discuss the chemistry, composition and molecular mechanism underlying the anti-I/R injury effects of NGR1. NGR1 had significant effects on reducing cerebral infarct size and neurological deficits in cerebral I/R injury, ameliorating the impaired mitochondrial morphology in myocardial I/R injury, decreasing kidney injury molecule-1 and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin in renal I/R injury and attenuating jejunal mucosal epithelium injury in intestinal I/R injury. The various organ anti-I/R injury effects of NGR1 are mainly through the suppression of oxidative stress, apoptosis, inflammation, endoplasmic reticulum stress and promotion of angiogenesis and neurogenesis. These findings provide a reference basis for future research of NGR1 on I/R injury.

Spondyloptosis in the clinic is rarely reported. We herein present a 47-year-old female, who suffered from a crush injury directly by a heavy cylindrical object from the lateral side. She was diagnosed to have traumatic L3 spondyloptosis with multiple traumas. Staged surgical procedures were conducted and a three-year follow-up was obtained. Eventually, normal spinal alignment was restored, and neurological deficits were gradually improved. At three years follow-up, the motor strength scores and function of the sphincters were incompletely improved. Previously published reports on traumatic lumbar spondyloptosis were reviewed and several critical points for management of this severe type of spinal injury were proposed. First, thoracolumbar and lumbosacral junction were mostly predilection sites. Second, numerous patients involving traumatic lumbar spondyloptosis were achieved to American Spinal Injury Association grade A. Third, lumbar spondyloptosis was commonly coupling with cauda equina injury. Finally, the outcomes were still with poorly prognosis and recovery of patients was correlation to spondyloptosis severity. Based on this case report and literatures review, we highlighted that the spinal alignment restoration relying on staged operations and following rehabilitation hereof are both important once facing with multiple traumas. Furthermore, we suggested to perform routine CT angiography during lumbar spondyloptosis to justify whether there are large vessel compression or injury.

Post-burn contractures are common entities seen in developing countries. There are multiple reasons for the development of contractures, most are preventable. In extensive contractures, a strategic plan is necessary to release all contractures and yet not antagonize post-operative positions. It is also necessary to be cost-effective and minimize the number of surgeries needed. Conventionally the release sequence in extensive burn contractures is proximal to distal. In this case report, we discuss an unusual sequence where we released distal contractures before the proximal to achieve optimum results. A 3-year-old child with post-burn contracture of hand, wrist, elbow, and axilla was treated in 2 stages, with the release of wrist contracture and cover with pedicled abdominal flap in the first stage and division of pedicled flap with the release of axilla and elbow contracture in the second stage. Thus, the release of all contractures was achieved without antagonizing post-operative positions and minimized the number of surgeries. A case-based approach may be crucial in making a strategic surgical plan to minimize the rehabilitation phase, rather than following known dictums.