Spine
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Axial computed tomography scans (CT) in 20 consecutive patients with idiopathic right thoracic scoliosis and anterior correction and fusion with a dual rod dual screw system. ⋯ Anterior instrumentation and correction of thoracic scoliosis with a dual rod dual screw system enable a correct and safe screw placement using a standard open approach. Excessive bicortical screw perforation should be avoided in order not to endanger the thoracic aorta.
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Comparative Study
Value of dermatomal somatosensory evoked potentials in detecting acute nerve root injury: an experimental study with special emphasis on stimulus intensity.
Dermatomal somatosensory-evoked potentials (D-SSEPs) in rats were recorded at the spinal level after L2-, L4-, and L5-dermatome stimulation. Pre- and post-transection patterns and rates of change of corresponding nerve roots were compared to determine accuracy. ⋯ D-SSEP is valuable for detecting acute single nerve root injury. In clinical settings, submaximal dermatomal stimulation identifies conduction abnormalities more consistently and with fewer false negatives and false positives than does supramaximal stimulation. We recommend submaximal stimulation.
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Retrospective review case series. ⋯ Scoliosis developed in 8.7% of patients with Down syndrome. There was a high rate of cardiac surgery within this population. Bracing was ineffective for the majority of the patients treated. Although surgery has a high rate of complications, there was only one patient who underwent reoperation.
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Prospective study on pinealectomy in primates. ⋯ To our knowledge, this is the first report of pinealectomy in nonhuman primates. Of the 18 monkeys, 10 had a loss of melatonin secretion, for a mean of 29 months after surgery. Because none of the monkeys had scoliosis develop, this study strongly suggests that the possible etiologic factors producing idiopathic scoliosis in lower animals are different from primates, and findings in lower animals cannot necessarily be extrapolated to human beings.
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An in vitro mechanical study on porcine motion segments. ⋯ The data show the limitations of an in vitro model for studying fluid flow-related intervertebral disc mechanics. During loading, outflow of fluid occurred, but inflow appears to be virtually absent during unloading. Poro-elastic behavior cannot be reproduced in an in vitro model.