European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society
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China, as a rapidly developing country with the largest population including over 50,000 orthopaedic surgeons, has an increasing importance in the field of spine. However, the quantity and quality of research production in the field of spine in the major regions of China-Mainland China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong is unclear. This study aimed to investigate the contribution of China to the field of spine. ⋯ Chinese contributions to the field of spine have a significant increase during the past 10 years, particularly from Mainland China. Hong Kong had the highest quality research output in terms of mean impact factor and mean citation per article.
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Intervertebral disc degeneration related to postmenopausal osteoporosis is an important issue in spinal disorder research. This study aimed to investigate the effects of salmon calcitonin (sCT), as an antiresorptive medication, on lumbar intervertebral disc degeneration using a rat ovariectomy (OVX) model. ⋯ Salmon calcitonin treatment was effective in delaying the process of the disc degeneration in OVX rats. The underlying mechanisms may be related to preservation of structural integrity and function of vertebrae, and affecting extracellular matrix metabolism by modulating the expressions of MMPs, aggrecan and type II collagen to protect the disc from degeneration.
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To introduce the new method of spinal canal "Rule of Nine" on axial computed tomography (CT) to determine whether ossified posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL) can be resected completely and safely. ⋯ Our new method can be used to determine whether OPLL can be resected completely and safely, and identify potential risks and complications.
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To determine the role of Indian hedgehog (Ihh) signaling in human cartilage endplate (CEP) degeneration. ⋯ These findings demonstrated that Ihh promotes CEP degeneration. Blocking Ihh pathway has potential clinical usage for attenuating CEP degeneration.
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To investigate whether depression symptomatology is associated with low back pain (LBP) in twins aged 70+ and whether this effect depends on a person's physical activity (PA) status. ⋯ High depression symptomatology predicted incident LBP. This effect is supposedly not attributable to genetic or shared environmental factors. Physical activity did not moderate the effect of depression symptomatology on LBP.