Spine
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A radiographic analysis of the cervical spine of 70 patients diagnosed with fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP) and 33 diagnosed with Klippel-Feil (KF) syndrome was conducted. ⋯ FOP patients exhibit a characteristic set of congenital spine malformations. While the noggin gene (NOG) is not mutated in patients who have FOP, these findings extend a growing body of evidence implicating overactivity of the BMP signaling pathway in the molecular pathogenesis of FOP.
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Case report. ⋯ The present case suggests that kyphosis and instability are major factors that affect the severity of thoracic myelopathy due to OPLL, and posterior fusion with spinal instrumentation is a safe and effective adjunct procedure for surgical treatment of thoracic OPLL.
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The connective tissue structures in the posterior atlanto-occipital region were investigated using E12 sheet plastinations and confocal microscopy. ⋯ The connective tissue structures that connect the spinal dura to the RCPm muscle in the PAO interspace are the RCPm fascia and tendinous fibers and perivascular sheathes.
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A prospective cross-sectional design was used to evaluate the Scoliosis Quality of Life Index (SQLI). SQLI is a 22-item self-reporting health-related quality-of-life questionnaire for idiopathic scoliosis patients. ⋯ SQLI is reliable and valid and demonstrates satisfactory distribution of scores. SQLI is a promising instrument in the assessment of AIS patients.