Spine
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Case Reports Multicenter Study
Surgical strategy for cervical myelopathy due to ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament: Part 1: Clinical results and limitations of laminoplasty.
Retrospective study of 66 patients who underwent laminoplasty for treatment of cervical myelopathy due to ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL). ⋯ Laminoplasty is effective and safe for most patients with occupying ratio of OPLL less than 60% and plateau-shaped ossification. However, neurologic outcome of laminoplasty for cervical OPLL was poor or fair in patients with occupying ratio greater than 60% and/or hill-shaped ossification.
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This is an in vitro biomechanical study. ⋯ Results from our study revealed greater adjacent level motion following all 3 fixation types. No consistent significant intergroup differences in neighboring segment kinematics were detected among reconstructions. Circumferential fixation provided the greatest level of segmental stability without additional significant increase in adjacent level ROM.
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Retrospective review of radiographic data. ⋯ Neuromuscular scoliosis radiographs can be reliably analyzed with the use of Cobb angle. Other forms of analysis, such as Ferguson angle, are not as reliable. Pelvic obliquity should be measured from the horizontal, as other methods are not as reliable. Kyphosis is best evaluated with the use of the kyphotic Cobb angle. Finally, it is felt that a separate anteroposterior pelvis radiograph should be used to assess skeletal maturity, as scoliosis films often truncate the vital anatomy necessary to determine skeletal maturity.
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In vitro studies of the effects of proinflammatory cytokines on the production of nerve growth factor (NGF) by human intervertebral disc (IVD) cells. ⋯ Our results demonstrate, for the first time, that human AF and NP cells constitutively express NGF protein and mRNA, and that the proinflammatory cytokines IL-1beta and TNF-alpha stimulate the production of NGF. The precise role of NGF produced by IVD cells in the generation of discogenic pain or on the metabolism of IVD cells, especially under certain physiologic conditions in which cytokines are up-regulated, needs to be clarified in future experimentation.
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A prospective, cohort clinical and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study of patients with low back pain. ⋯ Early DD in adolescent patients with low back pain predicted the evolution of enhanced DD and herniation in adulthood, but it was not associated with severe low back pain or increased frequency of spinal surgery.