Journal of spinal disorders & techniques
-
J Spinal Disord Tech · Jul 2007
Clinical TrialDirect repair of multiple levels lumbar spondylolysis by pedicle screw laminar hook and bone grafting: clinical, CT, and MRI-assessed study.
A prospective analysis of 6 cases with multiple-level spondylolysis treated by direct repair with pedicle screw laminar hook is presented. The objective of the study was to evaluate the clinical outcome, plain radiographs, computed tomography (CT) scan, and magnetic resonance imaging to demonstrate the result of direct repair in the treatment of multiple-level spondylolysis. ⋯ Direct repair of multiple-level spondylolysis by pedicle screw laminar hook and autogenous bone graft would be the alternative of treating patients with persistent back pain after 6 months of conservative treatment The favorable clinical outcome was correlated with bony healing rate in this series.
-
J Spinal Disord Tech · Jul 2007
Acute mortality and complications of cervical spine injuries in the elderly at a single tertiary care center.
Retrospective database review of all traumatic cervical spine injuries at a single tertiary care center. ⋯ In this large comprehensive series of elderly patients with cervical spine injuries, statistically comparable survival rates were achieved in both operatively treated and nonoperatively treated patient populations. This finding challenges the conclusion that the nonoperative treatment of the elderly necessarily results in increased acute mortality.
-
Since the Food and Drug Administration approved the Babgy-Kuslich BAK cage for anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF), various threaded interbody fusion devices have been introduced. Bone dowels offer several theoretical advantages over cages with regard to stress shielding; the purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of bone dowels in interbody fusion. All patients undergoing ALIF performed by the senior author between 1998 and 2001 were retrospectively reviewed. ⋯ There were no clinical failures in patients treated with supplemental anterior or posterior spinal fixation. These data demonstrate that marginal fusion rates and functional success rates can be achieved using stand-alone bone dowels for ALIF. The clinical success and fusion rates are significantly higher if ALIF dowels are shielded from stress with rigid spinal instrumentation.
-
J Spinal Disord Tech · Jul 2007
Case ReportsUsing intraoperative electrophysiologic monitoring as a diagnostic tool for determining levels to decompress in the cervical spine: a case report.
This report describes the clinical usefulness of using intraoperative electrophysiologic monitoring as a diagnostic tool for determining levels to decompress in the cervical spine. ⋯ Intraoperative, continuous free-running electromyography proved clinically effective in determining the course of surgery.
-
J Spinal Disord Tech · Jul 2007
The frequency and etiology of intraoperative dural tears in 110 predominantly geriatric patients undergoing multilevel laminectomy with noninstrumented fusions.
A retrospective analysis of the frequency and etiology of dural tears (DT), defined as an unintended incidental intraoperative durotomy, occurring in 110 predominantly geriatric patients undergoing multilevel laminectomies with noninstrumented fusions. ⋯ Ten of 110 patients undergoing multilevel laminectomies and noninstrumented fusions developed unintended incidental DT attributed to OYL extending to/through the dura (3 patients), postoperative scar/marked OYL (2 patients), and synovial cysts/marked OYL (5 patients).