Journal of neurosurgery
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Journal of neurosurgery · Sep 2013
Biography Historical ArticleCharles Stent and the mystery behind the word "stent".
Stents have come to be well-known devices and are being used widely in numerous branches of medicine. It is intriguing that the word "stent" actually derives from the name of a dentist, Charles Stent, who developed a material to obtain dental impressions. ⋯ Intracranial stenting is a relatively new and rapidly developing field that came into being not more than 12 years ago. The authors describe the life and works of Charles Stent, discuss the possible origins of the word stent, and discuss how intravascular and intracranial stenting came into existence.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Sep 2013
Case ReportsIntrapelvic sciatic notch schwannoma: microsurgical excision using the infragluteal approach.
Benign neurogenic tumors at the sciatic notch that are purely intrapelvic have rarely been reported. Because of this tumor's particular position, a transabdominal or combined transabdominal-gluteal approach is usually used to achieve total resection. ⋯ The postoperative course was uneventful. The infragluteal approach can be safely used for the effective resection of intrapelvic benign neurogenic tumors at the sciatic notch that are extrinsic to the sciatic nerve, avoiding the more invasive and risky transabdominal approach.
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The authors commemorate the life and career of Dr. Ladislau Steiner, one of the world's most highly regarded neurosurgeons, from Stockholm and Charlottesville, Virginia, who has died at age 92. They review the events of Dr. ⋯ Steiner had a second career as head of the Lars Leksell Gamma Knife Center at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. The authors recall their own long association with Dr. Steiner and celebrate his contributions to the field of neurosurgery.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Sep 2013
Combination of hypoglossal-facial nerve surgical reconstruction and neurotrophin-3 gene therapy for facial palsy.
Facial nerve injury results in facial palsy that has great impact on the psychosocial conditions of affected patients. Reconstruction of the facial nerve to restore facial symmetry and expression is still a significant surgical challenge. In this study, the authors assessed a hypoglossal-facial nerve anastomosis method combined with neurotrophic factor gene therapy to treat facial palsy in adult rats after facial nerve injury. ⋯ Results demonstrated that hypoglossal-facial nerve anastomosis facilitates innervation of paralyzed facial muscle via hypoglossal motoneurons without sacrificing ipsilateral hemitongue function. Neurotrophin-3 treatment through gene therapy could effectively improve such innervation, even after delayed reconstruction. These findings suggest that the combination of surgical reconstruction and NT-3 gene therapy is promising for its potential application in treating facial palsy in humans.
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Journal of neurosurgery · Sep 2013
Editorial CommentTemporal lobe arteriovenous malformations. Response.