Journal of neurosurgery. Spine
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Smoking is one of the leading causes of preventable morbidity and death in the U.S. and has been associated with perioperative complications. In this study, the authors examined the effects of smoking on perioperative outcomes and pseudarthrosis rates following anterior cervical corpectomy. ⋯ Smoking is independently associated with higher perioperative complications (especially infectious complications), longer lengths of stay, and higher rates of pseudarthrosis in patients undergoing anterior cervical corpectomy.
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Transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) with segmental pedicular instrumentation is a well established procedure used to treat lumbar spondylosis with or without spondylolisthesis. Available biomechanical and clinical studies that compared unilateral and bilateral constructs have produced conflicting data regarding patient outcomes and hardware complications. ⋯ Transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion with either unilateral or bilateral segmental pedicular instrumentation is an effective treatment for lumbar spondylosis. Because patients with unilateral constructs were 7 times more likely to experience pseudarthrosis and require reoperation, TLIF with bilateral constructs might be the biomechanically superior technique.
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T2-weighted intramedullary increased signal intensity (ISI) on MRI in patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) appears to represent a wide spectrum of pathological changes that determine reversibility of cord damage. Although sharp T2-weighted ISI on preoperative imaging may correlate with poorer surgical outcomes, there are limited data on how these changes progress following surgery. In this study, the authors characterized pre-and postoperative ISI changes in patients undergoing surgery for CSM and studied their postoperative evolution in an attempt to quantify their clinical significance. ⋯ There is a distinct group of patients with multisegmental Type 3 intramedullary changes who show remarkable radiological regression after surgery but demonstrate a residual sharp focal ISI at follow-up. A regression of the ISI by > 50% predicts better functional outcomes. Patients with a good preoperative functional status remain the most likely to show improvement, and the improvement continues to occur even at remote follow-up. The clinical relevance of the quality of the T2-weighted ISI changes in patients with CSM remains uncertain; however, postoperative regression of the ISI change is possibly a more important correlate of patient outcome than the quality of the ISI change alone.
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Increased neurotrophin activity in degenerative intervertebral discs (IVDs) is one potential cause of chronic low-back pain (LBP). The aim of the study was to assess if nerve growth factor (NGF) might alter gene expression of IVD cells and contribute to disc degeneration by enhancing expression or activity of factors that cause breakdown of IVD matrix. ⋯ Nerve growth factor has potential effects on matrix turnover activity and influences the catabolic/anabolic balance of IVD cells in an adverse way that may potentiate IVD degeneration. Anti-NGF treatment might be beneficial to ameliorate progressive tissue breakdown in IVD degeneration and may lead to pain relief.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Clinical and radiographic analysis of an artificial cervical disc: 7-year follow-up from the Prestige prospective randomized controlled clinical trial: Clinical article.
The authors assess the long-term safety and efficacy of cervical disc replacement with the Prestige Cervical Disc in a prospective, randomized, multicenter trial at 7 years of follow-up. ⋯ Cervical disc arthroplasty has the potential for preserving motion at the operated level while providing biomechanical stability and global neck mobility and may result in a reduction in adjacent-segment degeneration. The Prestige Cervical Disc maintains improved clinical outcomes and segmental motion after implantation at 7-year follow-up. Clinical trial registration no. NCT00642876 ( ClinicalTrials.gov ).