Spine
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Comparative Study
Changes in recruitment of the abdominal muscles in people with low back pain: ultrasound measurement of muscle activity.
Ultrasound and electromyographic (EMG) measures of trunk muscle activity were compared between low back pain (LBP) and control subjects in a cross-sectional study. ⋯ This study reinforces evidence for changes in automatic control of TrA in people with LBP. Furthermore, the data establish a new test of recruitment of the abdominal muscles in people with LBP. This test presents a feasible noninvasive test of automatic recruitment of the abdominal muscles.
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Comparative Study
Changes in the cross-sectional area of multifidus and psoas in patients with unilateral back pain: the relationship to pain and disability.
Prospective, cross-sectional observational study. ⋯ Atrophy of multifidus has been used as one of the rationales for spine stabilization exercises. The evidence of coexisting atrophy of psoas and multifidus suggests that a future area for study should be selective exercise training of psoas, which is less commonly used in clinical practice.
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Comparative Study
Results of surgical treatment for degenerative cervical myelopathy: anterior cervical corpectomy and stabilization.
This retrospective study involves 26 patients with degenerative cervical myelopathy who were surgically treated by anterior corpectomy, titanium mesh cage (TMC) filled with autogenous bone, and anterior plate +/- posterolateral plate and fusion. ⋯ Anterior decompression provides good neurologic recovery in patients with degenerative cervical myelopathy. TMC provides good structural support, and solid fusion can be achieved with TMC and anterior plate (for < or =2-level corpectomy) and/or posterior plate (> or =3-level corpectomy). There is increased risk of C5 nerve root injury when first laminectomy and posterolateral plate stabilization are performed.
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Case Reports Comparative Study
New technique in congenital scoliosis involving fixation to the pelvis after hemivertebra excision.
The authors conducted a retrospective study involving description of a new surgical technique. ⋯ This prospective study demonstrates a successful surgical technique for spinal stabilization after congenital hemivertebra excision in infants and young children with relatively small and soft bones when standard constructs like pedicle screws may not be optimal devices. Coronal and sagittal balance (restoration with improvement of lordosis) was successfully achieved in all cases.
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Comparative Study
Selective inhibition of tumor necrosis factor-alpha prevents nucleus pulposus-induced histologic changes in the dorsal root ganglion.
The possibility to prevent nucleus pulposus-induced structural changes of the dorsal root ganglion (DRG) by selective tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) inhibition was assessed in an experimental model in the rat spine. ⋯ Infliximab may prevent the histologic damage induced by nucleus pulposus. When rats were given a single intraperitoneal injection of infliximab at the beginning of disc herniation, the histologic damage seemed to be reduced in comparison with the nontreated rats.