Epidural electrical stimulation effectively restores locomotion function in rats with complete spinal cord injury

Epidural electrical stimulation can restore limb motor function after spinal cord injury by reactivating the surviving neural circuits.In previous epidural electrical stimulation studies,single electrode sites and continuous tetanic stimulation have often been used.With this stimulation,the body is prone to declines in tolerance and locomotion coordination.In the present study,rat models of complete spinal cord injury were established by vertically cutting the spinal cord at the T8 level to eliminate disturbance from residual nerve fibers,and were then subjected to epidural electrical stimulation.The flexible extradural electrode had good anatomical topology and matched the shape of the spinal canal of the implanted segment.Simultaneously,the electrode stimulation site was able to be accurately applied to the L2–3 and S1 segments of the spinal cord.To evaluate the biocompatibility of the implanted epidural electrical stimulation electrodes,GFAP/Iba-1 doublelabeled immunofluorescence staining was performed on the spinal cord below the electrodes at 7 days after the electrode implantation.Immunofluorescence results revealed no significant differences in the numbers or morphologies of microglia and astrocytes in the spinal cord after electrode implantation,and there was no activated Iba-1~+cell aggregation,indicating that the implant did not cause an inflammatory response in the spinal cord.Rat gait analysis showed that,at 3 days after surgery,gait became coordinated in rats with spinal cord injury under burst stimulation.The regained locomotion could clearly distinguish the support phase and the swing phase and dynamically adjust with the frequency of stimulus distribution.To evaluate the matching degree between the flexible epidural electrode(including three stimulation contacts),vertebral morphology,and the level of the epidural site of the stimulation electrode,micro-CT was used to scan the thoracolumbar vertebrae of rats before and after electrode implantation.Based on the experimental results of gait recovery using three-site stimulation electrodes at L2–3 and S1 combined with burst stimulation in a rat model of spinal cord injury,epidural electrical stimulation is a promising protocol that needs to be further explored.This study was approved by the Animal Ethics Committee of Chinese PLA General Hospital(approval No.2019-X15-39)on April 19,2019.

Three-dimensional mapping of intertrochanteric fracture lines

Background:Available research about the anatomic patterns of intertrochanteric fractures is lacking,and fracture mapping has not previously been performed on intertrochanteric fractures.This study aimed to determine the major trajectories of intertrochanteric fracture lines using computed tomography data from a series of surgically treated patients.Methods:In this study,504 patients with intertrochanteric fractures were retrospectively analyzed.Fracture patterns were graded according to Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Osteosynthesefragen(AO)classification.Fracture lines were transcribed onto proximal femoral templates and graphically superimposed to create a compilation of fracture maps that were subsequently divided into anterior,posterior,lateral,and medial fracture maps to create a three-dimensional(3D)pattern by reducing fragments in the 3D models.The fracture maps were then converted into frequency spectra.The major fracture patterns were assessed by focusing on the lateral femoral wall,lesser trochanter,intertrochanteric crest,and inner cortical buttress.Results:Anterior,posterior,lateral,and medial fracture maps were created.The majority of fracture lines(85.9%,433/504)on the anterior maps were along the intertrochanteric line where the iliofemoral ligament was attached.In the medial plane,the majority of fracture lines(49.0%,247/504)shown on the frequency spectrum included the turning point involving the third quadrant.In the posterior plane,the majority of fracture lines(52.0%,262/504)involved the intertrochanteric crest from the greater to the lesser trochanter.In the lateral plane,the majority of fracture lines(62.7%,316/504)involved the greater trochanter at the gluteus medius attachment.Conclusions:The fracture patterns observed in the present study might be used to describe morphologic characteristics and aid with management strategies.Further classifications or modifications that incorporate the fracture patterns identified in this study may be used in future research.