Spine
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Comparative Study
Occupational gonadal and embryo/fetal doses from fluoroscopically assisted surgical treatments of spinal disorders.
Simulation of lumbar spine fluoroscopy used during surgical treatments of spinal disorders on a humanoid phantom and monitoring of the scattered radiation levels. ⋯ Radiogenic genetic and embryo/fetal risks resulting from occupational exposure due to fluoroscopically assisted surgical treatments of spinal disorders are well within tolerance levels provided that rigorous confinement to all pertinent occupational dose constraints is established.
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This is a retrospective review on the application of the authors' technique of atlantoaxial lateral mass plate and screw fixation on a rare subset of patients having mobile and reducible atlantoaxial subluxation in the presence of occipitalized atlas. ⋯ Although lateral mass plate and screw fixation in the presence of occipitalized atlas is technically a relatively difficult and anatomically a precise surgical procedure, the firm and segmental stabilization that it provides offers an optimum situation for bony fusion.
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This is a case report. ⋯ Epidural emphysema secondary to traumatic pneumomediastinum is benign and self-limiting. However, the life-threatening causes should be considered and ruled out.
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We present an in vitro biomechanical comparison of adjacent segment motion at the cranial segment (L3-L4) for an L4-L5 versus an L4-S1 fusion model using cadaveric lumbosacral spines. ⋯ In this load-controlled model, extending fusion across L5-S1 did not consistently increase motion at L3-L4. While it may be difficult to translate this finding to a clinical setting, avoiding fusion to the sacrum in a lower lumbar fusion may not provide significant benefit from the standpoint of avoiding adjacent segment disease.