Journal of spinal disorders & techniques
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A retrospective study was performed on the operative results following osteoporotic burst fractures with neurologic compromise. We sought to investigate the results of operative decompression and stabilization in patients with neurologic deficit as a result of an osteoporotic burst fractures. We examined the postoperative radiographic outcomes, level of disability, functional outcomes, and complications. ⋯ Osteoporotic fractures are not benign. Careful evaluation for neurologic deterioration is warranted. Neurologic recovery occurred in six of the 10 patients; however, significant disability secondary to pain was common.
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J Spinal Disord Tech · Feb 2003
The sacroiliac joint: a potential cause of pain after lumbar fusion to the sacrum.
The sacroiliac joint (SIJ) can cause pain after lumbosacral fusion. Diagnosis requires >75% relief after local anesthetic SIJ injection. This study is a retrospective review of patients with low back pain after lumbosacral fusion who had SIJ injections. ⋯ Eight had posterior iliac crest bone harvested, and there was no correlation between donor side and pain side. In 34 patients with low back pain after lumbosacral fusion, SIJ was the cause of pain in 32% and possibly the cause in 29%. This is the first detailed description of this problem.
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Little is known about the natural history of spinal alignment as it ages into the eighth and ninth decades. Fifty asymptomatic volunteers 70-85 years of age (mean 76 years) without any history of spine pain, trauma, or deformity were radiographed in the standing lateral position, from C7 to the pelvis including the hips. Measurements included segmental angulations, kyphosis, lordosis, and C7 plumb line balance. ⋯ The C7 plumb line on average fell 40 mm anterior to the posterosuperior corner of S1. The anterior positioning of C7 was also positively correlated with age and decreasing lordosis. This provides further data into the natural history of the aging spine.
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J Spinal Disord Tech · Dec 2002
Case ReportsIntracranial subdural hematoma after resection of a thoracic spinal cord tumor.
Intracranial subdural hematoma associated with intracranial hypotension is a rare complication of dural puncture and other procedures on the dura. This report describes the case of a 25-year-old man who developed intracranial subdural hematoma after resection of a thoracic spinal cord tumor. Intracranial subdural hematoma could result in severe and permanent neurologic deficit if it remains unrecognized. Severe and prolonged postdural puncture headache should be regarded as a warning sign of an intracranial subdural hematoma, and in those patients early investigation is recommended.
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J Spinal Disord Tech · Dec 2002
Review Case ReportsEsophageal perforation after fracture of the cervical spine: case report and review of the literature.
We present a posttraumatic esophageal tear that occurred in a 55-year old patient after a truck accident. He sustained a two-level injury with a type II odontoid fracture and a unilateral fracture of the left superior articular process of C6 with an incomplete quadriplegia at C5. Both lesions were treated nonoperatively. ⋯ The diagnosis of the esophageal perforation was delayed for 6 days. The treatment consisted of surgical debridement, volume expansion, antibiotic therapy, hyperbaric oxygenation, assisted ventilation, and esophageal exclusion. A complete review of the literature was performed.