Spine
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Animal study. ⋯ PMMA caused relatively little necrotic exothermal effect. The presence of PMMA with barium sulfate induces a mild foreign body reaction. The use of a balloon tamp creates a void by displacing pieces of bone, which may result in a lower incidence of intravascular cement leak.
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MR imaging and multiplanar reconstruction were used to evaluate relative length of the spinal cord to the vertebral column in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). ⋯ There was significantly reduced spinal cord to vertebral column ratios in the AIS patients with severe curve, suggesting a disproportional growth between the skeletal and the neural systems. The relative shortening and functional tethering of spinal cord may play an important role in the etiopathogenesis of AIS.
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Cyclic mechanical stress (CMS) was applied to cultured nucleus pulposus and anulus fibrosus cells, and the production of inflammatory agents by these cells was evaluated. ⋯ The results of this study suggested that CMS might be involved in the pathomechanism of pain induction of lumbar disc diseases.
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This study determined bone mineral density (BMD) of cervical, thoracic, and lumbar vertebrae in healthy asymptomatic human subjects. ⋯ The present study failed to support the hypothesis that BMD of lumbar spine vertebrae is equivalent to its cranial counterparts. The lack of differences in BMD among the three lumbar vertebral bodies confirms the appropriateness of using L2, L3, or L4 in clinical or biomechanical situations. However, significant differences were found among different regions of the vertebral column, with the cervical spine demonstrating higher trabecular densities than the thoracic and lumbar spines. In addition, the present study found statistically significant variations in densities even among neck vertebrae.