Journal of spinal disorders & techniques
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J Spinal Disord Tech · Apr 2009
Management and outcomes of patients undergoing surgery for traumatic cervical fracture-subluxation associated with an asymptomatic vertebral artery injury.
Retrospective clinical series. ⋯ Reduction of a fracture, whether closed or open, without treatment of an associated asymptomatic VAO seems safe. Postoperative management of VAO consisting of either observation alone or aspirin therapy also seems to be a safe option.
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J Spinal Disord Tech · Apr 2009
Long-term follow-up results and radiographic findings of anterior surgery with Cloward trephination for cervical spondylotic myelopathy.
Serial retrospective long-term follow-up study. ⋯ Anterior surgery with Cloward trephination provides generally acceptable long-term results with considerable incidences of deterioration and radiographic abnormalities. This underlines the need for thorough decompression and preservation of the subchondral endplate bone for solid fusion and maintenance of the cervical lordotic curvature.
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J Spinal Disord Tech · Apr 2009
Case ReportsLow body mass index: a risk factor for superior mesenteric artery syndrome in adolescents undergoing spinal fusion for scoliosis.
Five cases of superior mesenteric artery (SMA) syndrome occurred at our institution over a 4-year period in adolescents undergoing spinal fusion surgery for scoliosis. All patients had in common a very slender body habitus. The measurement of body mass index (BMI) was low in all patients and an age-matched control group of patients undergoing similar surgery without this complication was assessed with this Index to determine its utility as a screening tool for this postoperative condition. ⋯ Patients undergoing spinal fusion surgery for scoliosis with a BMI of less than 18 are at risk to develop SMA syndrome postoperatively.
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J Spinal Disord Tech · Apr 2009
Neurogenic intermittent claudication in lumbar spinal canal stenosis: the clinical relationship between the local pressure of the intervertebral foramen and the clinical findings in lumbar spinal canal stenosis.
The clinical relationship between the local pressure of the intervertebral foramen and the clinical findings in lumbar spinal canal stenosis were evaluated. ⋯ The present study suggests that the genesis of neurogenic intermittent claudication in lumbar spinal canal stenosis may be greatly affected by the variation of the dynamic mechanical stress on the spinal nerve roots of the lumbar spine, rather than the static mechanical stress on the spinal nerve roots with each posture. Moreover, 2-level lumbar spinal canal stenosis patients demonstrated radicular symptoms with relatively less external stress on their spinal nerve roots in the vertebral foramen than that observed in 1-level lumbar spinal canal stenosis patients.
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J Spinal Disord Tech · Apr 2009
Relaxation of forces needed to distract cervical vertebrae after discectomy: a biomechanical study.
In vitro and in vivo biomechanical stress measurements are made of the intervertebral disc segment distraction force during anterior cervical discectomy. ⋯ A sharp reduction in the strain across the intervertebral space occurs after distraction. The removal of the cervical intervertebral disc significantly reduces the viscoelastic response of the cervical motion segment. The long-term force used to stabilize intervertebral grafts or implants is less than what is achieved at the time of distraction. The exact magnitude of the resultant force on graft or device at a given distraction force is unknown and would depend also upon fit.