Robot rehabilitation has been a primary therapy method for the urgent rehabilitation demands of paralyzed patients after a stroke. The parameters in rehabilitation training such as the range of the training, which should be adjustable according to each participant’s functional ability, are the key factors influencing the effectiveness of rehabilitation therapy. Therapists design rehabilitation projects based on the semiquantitative functional assessment scales and their experience. But these therapies based on therapists’ experience cannot be implemented in robot rehabilitation therapy. This paper modeled the global human-robot by Simulink in order to analyze the relationship between the parameters in robot rehabilitation therapy and the patients’ movement functional abilities. We compared the shoulder and elbow angles calculated by simulation with the angles recorded by motion capture system while the healthy subjects completed the simulated action. Results showed there was a remarkable correlation between the simulation data and the experiment data, which verified the validity of the human-robot global Simulink model. Besides, the relationship between the circle radius in the drawing tasks in robot rehabilitation training and the active movement degrees of shoulder as well as elbow was also matched by a linear, which also had a remarkable fitting coefficient. The matched linear can be a quantitative reference for the robot rehabilitation training parameters.
To find new technique for repair of peripheral nerve defect, the nerve elongation repair technique was adopted. Two cases with nerve defect were treated by this method. One was a 12 year old male, the defect length of right radial nerve was 7.2 cm at the elbow. The other one was a 28 year old male, the defect length of left ulnar nerve the was 5 cm at elbow. In this method, the nerve was elongated by slow stretch from distal and proximal end of the ruptured nerve. After a few days, the nerve was repaired by direct suture. After operation, the function of nerves were recovered in 119 days and 114 days respectively. Follow-up for 5 years, the function of the effected limbs were recovered to the normal side. It was concluded that: (1) the peripheral never can be elongated by slow stretch; (2) to stretch the nerve end in a rubber tube can prevent adhesion and connective tissue blocking; (3) strength and supporting point of stretching should be designed carefully.
As a potent collagenase activator, ocriplasmin is a recombinant truncated form of serine protease that retains the protease activity of plasmin. Pre-clinical animal experiments, clinical trials and recent clinical studies all indicated a promising outcome of intravitreal injection of ocriplasmin to treat vitreomacular interface diseases, including vitreomacular adhesion (VMA), vitreomacular traction (VMT) and full-thickness macular hole. Ocriplasmin was approved by the Food and Drug Administration of USA in the management of symptomatic VMA, and by the European Medicines Agency in treating VMT-associated macular hole with less than or equal 400 μm. Further randomized controlled clinical trials are needed for further comprehensive observation and evaluation on its efficiency, safety and other noteworthy issues.
Objective To compare the effectiveness of lower extremity axial distractor (LEAD) and traction table assisted closed reduction and intramedullary nail fixation in treatment of femoral subtrochanteric fracture. Methods The clinical data of 117 patients with subtrochanteric fracture of femur treated by closed reduction and intramedullary nail fixation between May 2012 and May 2022 who met the selection criteria were retrospectively analyzed. According to the auxiliary reduction tools used during operation, the patients were divided into LEAD group (62 cases with LEAD reduction) and traction table group (55 cases with traction table reduction). There was no significant difference in baseline data, such as gender, age, injured side, cause of injury, fracture Seinsheimer classification, time from injury to operation, and preoperative visual analogue scale (VAS) score, between the two groups (P>0.05). Total incision length, operation time, intraoperative blood loss, fluoroscopy frequency, closed reduction rate, fracture reduction quality, fracture healing time, weight-bearing activity time, and incidence of complications, as well as hip flexion and extension range of motion (ROM), Harris score, and VAS score at 1 month and 6 months after operation and last follow-up were recorded and compared between the two groups. Results There were 14 cases in the LEAD group from closed reduction to limited open reduction, and 43 cases in the traction table group. The incisions in the LEAD group healed by first intention, and no complication such as nerve and vascular injury occurred during operation. In the traction table group, 3 cases had perineal crush injury, which recovered spontaneously in 1 week. The total incision length, operation time, intraoperative blood loss, fluoroscopy frequency, and closed reduction rate in the LEAD group were significantly better than those in the traction table group (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the quality of fracture reduction between the two groups (P>0.05). Patients in both groups were followed up 12-44 months, with an average of 15.8 months. In the LEAD group, 1 patient had delayed fracture union at 6 months after operation, 1 patient had nonunion at 3 years after operation, and 1 patient had incision sinus pus flow at 10 months after operation. In the traction table group, there was 1 patient with fracture nonunion at 15 months after operation. X-ray films of the other patients in the two groups showed that the internal fixator was fixed firmly without loosening and the fractures healed. There was no significant difference in fracture healing time, weight bearing activity time, incidence of complications, and postoperative hip flexion and extension ROM, Harris score, and VAS score at different time points between the two groups (P>0.05). ConclusionFor femoral subtrochanteric fracture treated by close reduction and intramedullary nail fixation, compared with traction table, LEAD assisted fracture reduction can significantly shorten the operation time, reduce intraoperative blood loss and fluoroscopy frequency, reduce incision length, effectively improve the success rate of closed reduction, and avoid complications related to traction table reduction. It provides a new method for good reduction of femoral subtrochanteric fracture.
ObjectiveTo probe into the clinical value of supine cervical vertebra traction with neck flexion in treating cervical spondylotic radiculopathy. MethodsFrom August 2011 to December 2013, 71 patients were divided randomly into a treatment group of 36 cases and a control group of 35 cases. They were treated respectively with supine cervical vertebra traction with neck flexion, and cervical vertebra traction on a sitting position. Both groups had acupuncture, moxibustion, massage and medium frequency electrotherapy. The period of observation was 15 days. We evaluated the results by surveying physiological curvature of the cervical spine on lateral radiograph, and visual analogue scale (VAS), neck disability index (NDI), criteria of diagnosis and therapeutic effect of syndromes in traditional Chinese medicine syndrome and clinical assessment scale for cervical spondylosis (CASCS) were also used. ResultsPhysiological curvature of cervical spine was much improved in both groups after treatment (P<0.05). The distance of cervical vertebra arc between vertebral anterior edge sequences in treatment group before treating was (4.07±3.63) mm and it was (9.03±4.31) mm after treatment. For the control group, those two numbers were respectively (4.13±3.02) and (8.87±3.97) mm. There was no significant difference in the distance of cervical vertebra arc and its increase between vertebral anterior edge between the two groups after treatment. There was significant difference in the efficiency rate between the two groups (P<0.05) (treatment group 100.00%, control group 97.14%). When cured rate and cured-markedly effective rate were added, the treatment group (80.56%) was much better than the control group (51.43%) (P<0.01). As to VAS score, NDI and CASCS scores, both groups got much better after treatment (P<0.01). For VAS, the treatment group decreased from 8.43±0.75 before treatment to 1.40±0.61 after treatment, while the control group from 8.35±0.78 before treatment to 2.55±0.59 after treatment. For NDI, the treatment group decreased from 54.13±7.44 before treatment to 10.78±4.55 after treatment, while the control group from 55.85±8.72 to 12.66±5.48. For CASCS, the treatment group rose from 34.88±5.39 before treatment to 74.65±6.73 after treatment, while the control group from 34.77±4.89 to 69.03±6.21. After treatment, VAS score of the treatment group was much lower than the control group (P<0.01). There was no difference between the two groups on NDI (P>0.05). CASCS score of the treatment group was significantly higher than the control group after the treatment (P<0.01). There was no significant difference in the increase of CASCS score between the two groups after treatment (P>0.05). ConclusionVertebra traction combined with acupuncture, moxibustion, massage and medium frequency electrotherapy is therapeutic for cervical spondylotic radiculopathy and traction at a supine and flexing position is better.
ObjectiveTo investigate the feasibil ity and effectiveness of the modified traction arch of skull (crossbar traction arch) for skull traction in treating cervical spine injury by comparing with traditional traction arch of skull. MethodsBetween June 2009 and June 2013, 90 patients with cervical vertebrae fractures or dislocation were treated with modified skull traction surgery (trial group, n=45) and traditional skull traction surgery (control group, n=45). There was no significant difference in gender, age, injury types, injury level, the interval between injury and admission, and Frankel grading of spinal injury between 2 groups (P>0.05). The cl inical efficacy was evaluated after operation by the indexes such as traction arch sl i ppage times, operation time, the infection incidence of the pin hole, incidence of skull perforation, visual analogue scale (VAS), and reduction status of cervical dislocation. ResultsThe traction arch slippage times, the infection incidence of the pin hole, operation time, blood loss, and postoperative VAS score in trial group were significantly lower than those in control group (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in the incidence of skull perforation caused by clamp crooks of traction arch between 2 groups (P=1.000). At 2 weeks after operation, the patients had no headaches, infections, or other complications in 2 groups. In patients with cervical dislocation, 4 of the trial group and 6 of the control group failed to be reset, the reduction rate was 83.33% (20/24) and 68.42% (13/19) respectively, showing no significant difference (χ2=0.618, P=0.432). ConclusionThe operation with modified traction arch of skull has significant advantages to reduce postoperative complication compared with tradition traction arch of skull.
ObjectiveTo explore the effectiveness of self-made adjustable tractor for correction of inverted ni pple. MethodsBetween March 2005 and March 2011, 37 female patients with inverted ni pples (69 ni pples) underwent continuous traction with self-made adjustable tractor for 2 to 4 months. The age ranged from 18 to 46 years (mean, 23 years). Of 37 cases, 5 had unilateral inverted ni pple, and 32 had bilateral inverted ni pples, including 8 cases (15 ni pples) of mild inversion, 16 cases (30 ni pples) of moderate inversion, and 13 cases (24 ni pples) of severe inversion. The 2 cases (4 ni pples) recurred after traditional surgical method, and 1 case (2 ni pples) had infection because of severe inversion before traction. ResultsNo infection or hemodynamic disorder occurred during traction. All cases were followed up 6-12 months (mean, 8.2 months). Wound healed after traction in 1 patient (2 ni pples) with infection because of severe inversion; 2 recurrent cases (2 ni pples) were cured after re-traction; wire dislocation occurred in 1 case (1 ni pple), and was cured after changing traction position. The shape, sensation, and erectile function were normal after treatment with no scar. ConclusionContinuous traction with selfmade adjustable tractor is a good method for all the types of inverted ni pple. It is a simple, safe, effective, and minimally invasive method without scar.