Accuracy of cervical pedicle screw placement using a patient-specific template guide system and risk factor analysis for screw perforation: CT-based evaluation of 437 screws.

Purpose: Cervical pedicle screws (CPS) inserted with template-guided systems (TGS) have a low perforation rate. However, only a few case studies have been reported, and the risk factors for perforation remain unknown. This study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of CPS placement using TGS in a large case series and analyze the risk factors for CPS perforation.

Four-dimensional anatomical spinal reconstruction using pre-bent rods in thoracic adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.

A four-dimensional (4D) anatomical spinal reconstruction (ASR) technique and anatomical notch-free, pre-bent rods have been developed for thoracic adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) surgery. We aimed to evaluate the outcomes of ASR using notch-free rods through multiple comparisons with conventional methods, including the simultaneous double-rod rotation technique (SDRRT) and ASR using manually bent notched rods. Three consecutive series of 126 patients who underwent surgery for Lenke 1 AIS curves were prospectively followed up for 2 years after surgery.

A Review: Methodologies to Promote the Differentiation of Mesenchymal Stem Cells for the Regeneration of Intervertebral Disc Cells Following Intervertebral Disc Degeneration.

Intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration (IDD), a highly prevalent pathological condition worldwide, is widely associated with back pain. Treatments available compensate for the impaired function of the degenerated IVD but typically have incomplete resolutions because of their adverse complications. Therefore, fundamental regenerative treatments need exploration.

Three-stage total knee arthroplasty combined with deformity correction and leg lengthening using Taylor spatial frames and conversion to internal fixation for severe intra- and extra-articular deformities and hypoplasia in a patient with hemophilic knee arthropathy: A case report.

Background: Hemophilic arthropathy is a cause of severe knee deformity, because chronic synovitis due to repeated hemarthrosis affects the area of the epiphyseal plates in juvenile cases. Total knee arthroplasty (TKA) is the standard treatment for end-stage knee arthropathy. However, it is difficult to perform one-stage TKA in patients with severe intra- and extra-articular deformities.

Characteristics of treatment-naïve quiescent choroidal neovascularization detected by optical coherence tomography angiography in patients with age-related macular degeneration.

Purpose: To determine the characteristics of eyes with treatment-naïve quiescent choroidal neovascularization (CNV) detected by optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA).

Methods: Thirty-eight eyes of 37 treatment-naïve consecutive patients (30 men, 7 women, average 69.8 years) were studied.

Efficacy of endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial biopsy without guide sheath for small peripheral pulmonary lesions (≤15 mm): A retrospective cohort study.

Introduction: Endobronchial ultrasonography-guided transbronchial biopsy (EBUS-TBB) with guide sheath (GS) is an effective procedure for diagnosing small peripheral pulmonary lesions (PPLs) (≤20 mm in the largest diameter). However, samples obtained using EBUS-TBB with GS are small, and the diagnostic yield of small PPLs biopsied using EBUS-TBB with GS is unsatisfactory.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic yield of small PPLs using EBUS-TBB without GS compared to that with GS.

Coronal Hamate Fractures with Carpometacarpal Dislocation Treated Effectively Using Headless Compression Screws with Percutaneous Pinning Fixation by Using the 2-Directional Approach: A Report of 2 Cases.

Case: Coronal shear fractures of the hamate are relatively rare injuries. Surgical intervention is recommended for displaced fractures. However, there is no established surgical procedure for the displaced coronal shear fractures of the hamate.

Long-term changes in pollutant load outflows and purification function in a paddy field watershed using a circular irrigation system.

A long-term investigation on the water quality and hydrology was carried out for 8 years and 7 months (from October 1991 to April 2000) in a paddy field watershed using a circular irrigation system. The annual amount of rainfall ranged from 1270 to 2226 mm and it was found that the amount of irrigation water tended to decrease as rainfall increased. Phosphorus and chemical oxygen demand (COD) concentrations tended to decrease with the river flowing down, whereas nitrogen concentrations showed no significant difference.

Overlap coefficient for assessing the similarity of pharmacokinetic data between ethnically different populations.

We developed a method to assess the similarity of pharmacokinetic data between ethnically different populations. An evaluation of confidence intervals for the mean difference in pharmacokinetic parameters, such as area under the concentration-versus-time curve (AUC), between populations is often used. We propose the use of the overlap coefficient (OC), which represents the proportion of overlap between two probability distributions, as a measure of the similarity between distributions.

Further evaluation of the skin micronucleus test: results obtained using 10 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

The standard in vivo micronucleus (MN) test detects clastogenicity in hematopoietic cells and is not suitable for detecting chemicals that target the skin. Previously, we have developed an in vivo rodent skin MN test that is simple to perform and can be applied to several laboratory animals, including the hairless mouse-a species whose use simplifies the procedure of skin testing. In this paper, we report new data that confirms the predictive ability of the test.

Phosphorus purification in a paddy field watershed using a circular irrigation system and the role of iron compounds.

In a paddy field watershed using a circular irrigation system, it was clear that the watershed tended to purify phosphorus by an analysis on the mass balance of pollutants. A reasonable hypothesis was that the phosphorus precipitation with iron compounds in a river may affect the purification. To verify this, an investigation on phosphorus and iron in the river water and sediments were conducted.

Further evaluation of an in vivo micronucleus test on rat and mouse skin: results with five skin carcinogens.

In a previous paper, we presented a practical in vivo micronucleus (MN) test that used rat skin as the target organ. To evaluate the test, as well as to determine the reproducibility and applicability of the method to mice, we used it to test the effect of five skin carcinogens (N-ethyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (ENNG), N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG), 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide (4NQO), 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA), and benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P)) on rat and mouse skin. All five compounds significantly and dose-dependently increased the MN frequencies in the basal cells of the chemical-treated skin.