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OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical efficacy of using a standardized modified percutaneous kyphoplasty (transverse process-pedicle approach to percutaneous kyphoplasty, TPKP) approach for the treatment of osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (OVCFs) and to explore the possibility that it may become the preferred option in the future. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on a total of 81 patients (TPKP group, 43 cases; PKP group, 38 cases) with OVCFs who underwent TPKP and PKP at the Department of Spine Surgery, Wuhan Fourth Hospital, from May 2021 to October 2021. We evaluated the patients' demographic information, intraoperative data (volume of cement injection and, duration of surgery), clinical outcomes at different time points (Visual Analog Scale, Oswestry Dysfunction Index), and radiographic data (Cobb angle, anterior vertebral body height). Statistical analysis was performed to assess the efficacy of the procedure, both within and between the two groups before and after surgery. RESULTS: The difference in preoperative general information between the two groups of patients was non-statistically significant (p>0.05), and they were comparable. Additionally, no statistically significant difference (p>0.05) was found between the TPKP and PKP groups in terms of operative time, length of hospital stay, recovery of injured spine height, Cobb angle, and cement leakage rate. However, significant statistical differences (p<0.05) were noted between the two groups regarding cement volume, distribution pattern, 1-day postoperative VAS scores, 1-day postoperative ODI scores, and loss of height of the injured spine. TPKP demonstrated superior performance compared to PKP in these specific areas. CONCLUSIONS: TPKP offers the same surgical safety as the conventional approach, with better cement distribution and better pain relief, as well as the advantage of maintaining the height of the operated vertebral body. The technique is easy to master and use when guided by standard puncture procedures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bulk-quantity single crystalline Ge dioxide nanowires (GeONWs) have been prepared via a facile and simple hydrothermal deposition process using GeO2 powder. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observations show that the GeONWs have a high purity, diameter ranging from 30 to 300 nm, and length of longer than 10 μm. X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared, high-resolution TEM, and selected area electron diffraction pattern of the GeONWs indicate that the nanowires are single crystalline GeO2 with hexagonal structure. Room temperature photoluminescence measurement shows that the synthesized GeONWs have intense violet light emission and blue light emission at 370 and 476 nm, respectively. It is proposed that the GeONWs may follow the vapor-solid growth mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ag-O-Cs thin films with internal field-assisted structure were fabricated, and enhanced photoemission was observed when the internal electric field was applied to the thin films. The increase of photoelectronic quantum yield, corresponding to the applied 30 V bias, was about 15.7%, while the thin films were irradiated by the light with wavelength of 510 nm. From an analysis of the electric potential distribution in the Ag-O-Cs thin films with the applied internal electric field, it is found that the interfacial barrier between the Ag nanoparticles and the Cs[sub 2]O matrix is decreased and the vacuum level at the surface is degraded. The calculated barrier curves for various applied biases are illustrated to show the thinning effect of internal electric field on the interfacial barrier width. The theoretical lowering of interfacial barrier height is obtained as 0.08 and 0.22 eV when the thin films are stimulated by applied bias of 1 and 30 V, respectively. Further, a group of formulas as well, based upon the electric potential distribution in the Ag-O-Cs thin films, is deduced to describe the relationship between the applied bias and the degradation of the surface vacuum level. The enhanced photoemission of Ag-O-Cs thin films is attributed to the field-induced variations in the energy band structure which are considered to result in the increased probabilities for the photoexcited electrons to travel through the interfacial barrier and escape into the vacuum. © 2001 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]