New interventions are rapidly progressing into clinical practice through the preclinical study stage. The animal experiments should be comprehensive and critically evaluated for their pivotal role in this process. To integrate the evidence of animal studies by systematic review throws light on intervention outcomes and could decrease risk of participants in human trials. The methodological weakness of animal studies is easy to highlight but robust methods to synthesize evidence is essential. Here, we discuss some problems in systematic review of animal experiments and whether animal models of diverse species contribute to bias of meta-analysis conclusions.
Objective To investigate the effectiveness of radical debridement, reconstruction with bone allograft, and pedicle screw-rod internal fixation via combined anterior and posterior approach in the treatment of lumbosacral tuberculosis. Methods Between January 2005 and May 2010, 16 patients with lumbosacral tuberculosis were treated. Radical debridement wasperformed via extraperitoneal approach, then tricortical il iac bone allograft was placed and pedicle screw-rod internal fixation was used to reconstruct the spinal column. There were 12 males and 4 females aged 38-65 years (mean, 48 years). The disease duration ranged from 6 to 24 months (mean, 10 months). The main cl inical symptom was persistent pain in lumbosacral area. The involved segments included L4, 5 (3 cases), L5, S1 (8 cases), and L4-S1 (5 cases). The lumbosacral angle was 18-32° (mean, 22°). The erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) was 15-55 mm/1 hour (mean, 25 mm/1 hour). All the patients were given antituberculosis chemotherapy for 12 months after operation. Results The operation time was 120-240 minutes (mean, 180 minutes). The amount of bleeding was 300-600 mL (mean, 420 mL). All wounds healed by first intention, and no relative compl ication occurred. All 16 cases were followed up 12-24 months (mean, 16 months). No recurrence occurred and ESR recovered to normal. Persistent pain in lumbosacral area and radicular pain in lower extremities disappeared. The X-ray films demonstrated that bony fusion was obtained in all patients at 8-12 months postoperatively. The lumbosacral angle was 16-31° (mean, 21°) at last follow-up. Conclusion The extraperitoneal approach can provide direct and safe access to the lesion. The structural il iac bone allograft and posterior instrumentation could reconstruct effectively the stabil ity of the lumbosacral junction.
The quality of reporting of randomized clinical trials could be significantly improved by the application of CONSORT （Consolidated Standards of Reporting Trials） statement. We compared and analyzed the difference of acceptance of CONSORT statement between Chinese medical journals and Western medical journals, and proposed to disseminate and apply CONSORT statement to improve the quality of reporting of randomized clinical trials and medical journals.
Objective To undertake a preliminary study of the concept and approach of patient value and preference and to learn how to understand and elicit patient preference in the light of evidence-based medicine so as to promote evidence-based practice and improve the relationship between clinicians and patients. Methods The searching key words were developed and pertinent data were retrospectively retrieved for the years of 1992-2002. MEDLINE and CBMdisc were searched along with handsearching 9 Chinese medical journals and 4 evidence-based medicine books. Data were scanned and analyzed. Results A total of 2 646 related articles were identified, most of which were found in MEDLINE (2 403), followed by CBMdisc (185) and the journals (58). Currently there is no original article to study in this field from a point of view of evidence-based medicine in China. Conclusion Patient value and preference have been emphasized in the approach of evidence-based medicine and it is a worthwhile topic for us to explore.