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Objective: To investigate the effect of Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) rod semi-rigid pedicle screw fixation system in lumbar spine non-fusion surgery., Methods: A total of 74 patients with tow-level lumbar degenerative diseases who underwent surgery from March 2017 to December 2019 were divided into PEEK rod group and titanium rod group. In the PEEK rod group, there were 34 patients, including 13 males and 21 females, aged from 51 to 79 years old with an average of (62.4±6.8) years old;There were 1 patient of L 1 -L 3 segments, 7 patients of L 2 -L 4 segments, 20 patients of L 3 -L 5 segments and 6 patients of L 4 -S 1 segments. In the titanium rod group, there were 40 patients, including 17 males and 23 females, aged from 52 to 81 years old with an average of (65.2±7.3) years old;There were 3 patient of L 1 -L 3 segments, 11 patients of L 2 -L 4 segments, 19 patients of L 3 -L 5 segments and 7 patients of L 4 -S 1 segments. The general conditions of operation, such as operation time, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative drainage was recorded. The visual analogue scale (VAS) for low back pain and Oswestry disability index (ODI) were compared in preoperatively and postoperatively(3 months, 12 months and last follow-up) between two groups. The change of range of motion (ROM) was observed by flexion and extension x-ray of lumbar., Results: All patients successfully completed the operation. The follow-up time ranged from 22 to 34 months with an average of(26.8±5.6) months. The operative time (142.2±44.7) min and intraoperative blood loss(166.5±67.4)ml in PEEK group were lower than those in titanium group [(160.7±57.3) min、(212.8±85.4) ml]( P <0.05). There was no significant differences in postoperative drainage between the two groups ( P >0.05). At the final follow-up visit, in PEEK group and titanium group VAS of low back pain[(0.8±0.4) points vs (1.0±0.5) points], VAS for leg pain [ (0.7±0.4) points vs (0.8±0.5) points] and ODI [(9.8±1.6)% vs (12.1±1.5)%] were compared with preoperative [ (5.8±1.1) points vs (6.0±1.1)points], [ (7.2±1.7) points vs (7.0±1.6) points], [(68.5±8.9)% vs(66.3±8.2)%] were significantly different( P <0.05). There was no significant difference in VAS scores between the two groups at each postoperative time point ( P >0.05). At 3 months after surgery, there was no difference in ODI between the two groups ( P >0.05). There were significant differences in ODI between PEEK group and titanium rod group at 12 months [(15.5±2.1)% vs (18.4±2.4)%] and at the last follow-up [(9.8±1.6)% vs (12.1±1.5)%] ( P <0.05). The total range of motion (ROM) of lumbar decreased in both groups after surgery. At 12 months after surgery and the last follow-up, the PEEK group compared with the titanium rod group, the total range of motion of lumbar was statistically significant ( P <0.05). The range of motion (ROM) of the fixed segments decreased in both groups after surgery. The ROM of the fixed segments in PEEK group decreased from (9.5±4.6)° to (4.1±1.9)° at the last follow-up ( P <0.05), which in the titanium rod group was decreased from (9.8±4.3)°to (0.9±0.5)° at the last follow-up ( P <0.05). The range of motion (ROM) of upper adjacent segment increased in both groups, there was statistical significance in the ROM of upper adjacent segment between the two groups at 12 months after surgery and the last follow-up, ( P <0.05). There was no screw loosening and broken rods in both groups during the follow-up period., Conclusion: The PEEK rod semi-rigid pedicle screw internal fixation system used in lumbar non-fusion surgery can retain part of the mobility of the fixed segment, showing comparable short-term clinical efficacy to titanium rod fusion. PEEK rod semi-rigid pedicle screw internal fixation system is a feasible choice for the treatment of lumbar spine degenerative diseases, and its long-term efficacy needs further follow-up observation.

Objective: To provide the cobweb classification system (CCS) for the precise digital location and description of the neurological compression in cervical degenerative disease (CDD), and the reliability and the clinical subgroup analysis of the system were tested and analyzed., Methods: The CCS consisted of three parts: compression zones ( 1 - 12 ), degrees ( a , b ) and ossification ( s , m , h ). Computerized tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) images from 238 CDD patients were reviewed. All compression cases were classified by five independent reviewers with varied clinical experience in spine surgery. The reliability of the CCS was tested by calculating the kappa ( κ ) statistics value. Finally, 74 patients with anterior cervical surgery treatment were enrolled for the clinical subgroup analysis., Results: For the small compression, including single and double compression zones, there was a good interobserver reliability between the reviewers ( κ coefficient = .855, P  < .001). For the large compression with three or more involved zones, there was a fair reliability between the reviewers ( κ coefficient = .696, P  < .001). The whole intraobserver reliability was good ( κ coefficient = .923, P  < .001). For clinical practice, the operative time in the large compression and the m/h group was significantly longer than the small compression and the s group, respectively ( P  < .05), and the blood loss in the m/h group was significantly increased as well ( P  < .01). Though the preoperative Japanese Orthopedic Association score in Group b was lower than Group a ( P  < .05), all patients had achieved significant clinical improvement at last follow-up., Conclusions: The CCS can be used to provide detailed and objective descriptions of the location, extent, and severity of neurological compressions in CDD with satisfactory reliability. Surgeons should pay more attention to the patient with large zone, degree b , and ossification compression, because the operation may be more challenging., Competing Interests: The authors declare no potential conflict of interest., (© 2021 The Authors. JOR Spine published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Orthopaedic Research Society.)

Although the Mobi-C artificial disc and the ROI-C cervical cage have been widely used in the treatment of cervical degenerative disc diseases (CDDD), few reports addressed the features of combined application of both devices. This study is aimed at comparing the clinical and radiological outcomes of treating contiguous two-level CDDD using Mobi-C and ROI-C combined in a hybrid surgery (HS) with anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) using ROI-C. We reviewed ninety-one patients who underwent HS (n = 48) or ACDF (n = 43) surgery for symptomatic contiguous two-level CDDD. >2 years' clinical and radiological outcomes were reviewed and evaluated retrospectively. At the last follow-up, significant improvement in the mean VAS, JOA, and NDI scores was found both in the HS and ACDF groups (p < 0.05), while the differences between groups were not significant (p > 0.05). The global range of motion (ROM) in the HS group was significantly larger than that in the ACDF group (p < 0.05). The local lordosis improved significantly after surgery in all patients (p < 0.05). Bone resorption and heterotopic ossification (HO) were found after surgery. The result showed that, for the selected patients, HS may provide an alternative approach for the treatment of contiguous two-level CDDD. HS also offers the benefit of both greater global ROM and greater ROM at the Mobi-C index level. Some degree of bone resorption may be an integral component in the early stage of bony fusion in the cage index level. Further studies and long-term follow-up are still needed., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To observe the early clinical effect of perfusion bone cement screw for lumbar degenerative diseases with osteoporosis., Methods: The clinical data of 28 patients with lumbar degenerative diseases combined with moderate to severe osteoporosis treated by posterior lateral graft fusion with perfusion of bone cement screws from June 2015 to June 2017 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 9 males and 19 females, aged from 55 to 86 years old with an average of 76 years. Anteroposterior, oblique, and dynamic radiography were performed before operation, and the diagnosis was confirmed by CT, MRI and dual energy X-ray absorptionmetry(DXA). All the patients had moderate to severe lumbar spinal stenosis, including 16 cases with degenerative scoliosis, 12 cases with degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis, and 16 cases with lumbar disc herniation. According to Jikei grade of osteoporosis, 9 cases were grade II and 19 cases were grade III. Visual analogue scale (VAS) and Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score were used to assess the improvement of lumbar leg pain, and neurological function. Imaging data were used to observe the circumstance of pedicle loosening, prolapse, breakage and bone cement leakage, and comprehensively evaluate the fusion., Results: The hospital stay was from 10 to 14 days with an average of 12 days; the operative time was 100 to 150 min with an average of 120 min;the blood loss was 200 to 600 ml with an average of 350 ml (for operations more than 3 vertebral segments, blood filtration recovery was intraoperatively used);the postoperative drainage volume was 150 to 600 ml with an average of 300 ml, no allogeneic blood was used in all the patients. Bone cement of 2 to 3 ml were injected into each vertebral body, and bone cement leakage occurred in 2 cases during injection, both of which were paravertebral vessel leakage, and there was no evidence of intravertebral leakage. The injection of bone cement was terminated in a timely manner without serious complications such as nerve injury, bone cement toxicity, and vascular embolization and pulmonary embolism. According to the fusion criteria by X-ray, 18 cases achieved strong bone fusion, and 10 cases were inaccurate fusion, but no pseudarthrosis occurred in the fusion segment. No screw loosening, prolapse or fracture were found, and postoperative VAS, JOA scores were significantly improved., Conclusions: Perfusion bone cement screw technique can obtain satisfactory effect in treating lumbar degenerative diseases with osteoporosis., Competing Interests: The authors of this article and the planning committee members and staff have no relevant financial relationships with commercial interests to disclose., (Copyright© 2019 by the China Journal of Orthopaedics and Traumatology Press.)

Background: Self-locking stand-alone cages can achieve satisfactory clinical results and fusion rate. However, there have been no reports on the causes and relationship of different fusion state. This study is to classify the different fusion states of the index level and to explore the potential contributing factors and links of them., Methods: From June 2008 to October 2011, 42 patients underwent anterior cervical discectomy and fusion with MC+ cages. More than 5 years' follow-up was reviewed. The fusion state and the relevant clinical and radiologic records were reviewed retrospectively., Results: At the last follow-up, the fusion proportion of type I, II, III, and IV was 11.7%, 16.9%, 26.9%, and 42.9%, respectively. The overall fusion rate was 97.4%. For all the fused types, significant improvement for the visual analog scale, Japanese Orthopaedic Association, and Neck Disability Index scores was found at the last follow-up (P < 0.05). However, there were no significant differences between the 4 types (P > 0.05). For sagittal vertical axis, type IV was significantly larger than that of type I, II, and III (P < 0.05), and for range of motion, type III was significantly larger than that of type II and IV (P < 0.05)., Conclusions: For anterior cervical discectomy and fusion with self-locking stand-alone cages, the fusion of the index level seems to be a progressive dynamic process during the mid-term follow-up, which may be influenced by the location of the cage, the aagittal vertical axis of the index level, and the global range of motion of the cervical spine. Satisfactory clinical results could be achieved by all the fused types., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The clayey farmland soil in black soil region of Northeast China, due to the existence of thicker plough pan created by unreasonable tillage, is a main limiting factor for local agricultural production. In this paper, a field experiment was conducted to study the construction effect of fertile cultivated layer on crop yield, soil physical properties, soil moisture content, and soil microbial number. After the construction of fertile cultivated layer, the soil had a thicker cultivated layer, and the crop yield was increased. Comparing with traditional tillage, applying straw and organic manure into 20-35 cm soil layer decreased soil bulk density by 9.88% and 6.20%, increased soil porosity by 9.58% and 6.02%, and enhanced soil saturated hydraulic conductivity by 167.99 and 73.78%, respectively, indicating that the construction of fertile cultivated layer could improve soil aeration and water permeability, and enhance the infiltration of rainfall. The soil moisture content and water use efficiency under the application of straw and organic manure into plough pan were higher than those under traditional tillage, and a positive correlation was observed between the moisture content in 0-35 cm soil layer and the emergence of maize seedlings. Due to the increased organic carbon source and aeration in the constructed fertile cultivated layer, soil microbial number was also increased.