Spine
-
A prospective study of psychological risk factors for first-time low back pain with repeated use of psychological questionnaires. ⋯ The scores from the Modified Somatic Perception Questionnaire and Zung questionnaire were reproducible over 18 months and were affected little by first episodes of back pain; yet these scores were significant predictors of it. "Abnormal" scores from these questionnaires precede back pain in a small number of people.
-
A survey of occupational risks for low back trouble in two police forces discordant for one known physical stressor (wearing body armor weighing approximately 8.5 kg. ⋯ Exposure to occupational physical stress seems detrimental; It reduced survival time to first-onset of low back trouble. Recurrence was associated with time since onset, but persistent trouble was not. Sports participation was a risk if occupational hazards were high.
-
The authors undertook a three-part study to better understand the impact of perioperative nutritional status on postoperative complications in patients undergoing spinal surgery. In preliminary Parts I and II, the authors targeted two groups of patients who are particularly nutritionally challenged. In Part III, they studied a large group of consecutive patients undergoing routine lumbar spinal fusion. ⋯ The prevalence data in our study population suggest that a large number (25%) of patients undergoing elective lumbar spine surgery are nourished inadequately at surgery. This number is higher (42%) in older patients. The authors recommend that close attention be paid to the perioperative nutritional status of patients undergoing lumbar spinal surgery. Patients with suboptimal nutritional parameters should be supplemented and replenished before elective surgery.
-
Cadaveric anatomic and in vivo survival animal studies were performed to develop a new arthrodesis technique for the lumbar spine. ⋯ Video-assisted lateral intertransverse process arthrodesis is a feasible, effective, and safe method of lumbar spinal fusion in the rabbit and rhesus monkey. Use of this arthrodesis procedure will minimize the morbidity of paraspinal muscle denervation and devascularization seen with open intertransverse process fusion techniques, and the use of an osteoinductive growth factor will eliminate the problem of graft donor site morbidity and possibly increase the chances for successful fusion.
-
The effect on spine height changes from different combinations of time and angle of static prone hyperextension, and one intervention of dynamic hyperextension was explored. ⋯ The results indicate that hyperextension can be a beneficial maneuver to unload temporarily the spine after loading and to rehydrate the discs, providing enough time is given for the procedure. The optimal time and angle combination was 20 degrees for 20 minutes because this intervention resulted in the largest recovery that lasted for a relatively long period of time.