Spine
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Biomechanical analysis and retrospective chart review. ⋯ The advantages of cobalt chromium alloy wire over steel wire include greater tensile strength and titanium compatibility. Cobalt chromium alloy solid wires may be used as sublaminar implants with titanium spinal instrumentation with excellent clinical results.
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Prospective study. ⋯ In the patient group examined, the presence of common "structural abnormalities" on MRI had no significant negative influence on the outcome after therapy.
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Retrospective follow-up of patients over the age of 65 with a minimum of five-level fusions. ⋯ Spinal stabilization surgery in patients with poor bone stock is associated with high complication rates. Complications such as progressive kyphosis adjacent to the fusion are difficult to address with instrumentation alone.
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Comparative Study
Comparative effects of bone morphogenetic proteins and sox9 overexpression on extracellular matrix metabolism of bovine nucleus pulposus cells.
An in vitro biologic study of the effects of adenovirus expressing bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) and adenovirus expressing Sox9 on extracellular matrix metabolism by bovine nucleus pulposus cells. ⋯ To our knowledge, for the first time, we have shown the relative effectiveness of 12 different BMPs and Sox9 in stimulating proteoglycan and collagen production by nucleus pulposus cells. Adenoviruses expressing BMP-2 and 7 were the most effective in stimulating proteoglycan accumulation, while adenoviruses expressing BMP-4 and 14 were the most effective in stimulating collagen accumulation. To our knowledge, this study is the first to compare the relative effectiveness of various BMPs and Sox9 on extracellular matrix accumulation by nucleus pulposus cells, and could help to develop more efficacious approaches to the treatment of degenerating intervertebral discs.