Spine
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Comparative Study
Association of back pain frequency with mortality, coronary heart events, mobility, and quality of life in elderly women.
A 5-year observational cohort design using data from a randomized controlled trial of calcium intervention. ⋯ Daily back pain is associated with reduced quality of life, mobility and longevity and increased risk of coronary heart events. The adverse health effects of chronic back pain deserve greater recognition.
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Comparative Study
Back pain in the German adult population: prevalence, severity, and sociodemographic correlates in a multiregional survey.
A population-based cross-sectional multiregion postal survey. ⋯ Back pain is a highly prevalent condition in Germany. Disabling back pain in this country may be regarded as part of a social disadvantage syndrome. Educational level should receive greater attention in future cross-regional comparisons of back pain.
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Comparative Study
Different effects of static versus cyclic compressive loading on rat intervertebral disc height and water loss in vitro.
In vitro biomechanical study on rat caudal motion segments to evaluate association between compressive loading and water content under static and cyclic conditions. ⋯ Peak magnitude of cyclic compression and not RMS value was most important in determining height change and water loss, likely due to differences between disc creep and recovery rates. Water redistribution from nucleus to anulus occurred under loading consistent with an initial elastic compression (and associated disc bulge) followed by a reduction in disc volume over time.
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An in vivo study to measure rat spinal cord blood flow in real-time at the site of compression using a newly developed device. ⋯ Duration of ischemia/compression and blood flow recovery of the spinal cord are important factors in the recovery of motor function after a spinal cord injury.
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Systematic review. ⋯ There is insufficient evidence to support (or refute) a recommendation for routine screening for DVT in adults with acute traumatic SCI under thromboprophylaxis. However, there is level II-2 evidence that screening could detect asymptomatic DVT in 22.7% of those individuals. Although additional investigation is needed, we hypothesize that weekly screening for DVT during the first 13 weeks post-SCI could detect most of the asymptomatic DVT events in this patient population. D-Dimer, ultrasound, and MR venography could be considered as potentially useful screening tests for DVT in the SCI population in future research studies.