Spine
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A cross-sectional survey of households selected using multistage stratified sampling. ⋯ Chronic spinal pain is a common problem in the Nigerian community, and persons 60 years of age and older may be at particularly elevated risk. Chronic spinal pain is associated with increased probability of comorbid physical and mental disorders. These comorbid conditions partly but do not fully explain the disability associated with chronic spinal pain, which therefore constitutes a substantial health burden on the society.
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Comparative Study
Biomechanical comparison of a fully threaded, variable pitch screw and a partially threaded lag screw for internal fixation of Type II dens fractures.
Stiffness and load to failure were studied in a human cadaver model of Type II odontoid fractures stabilized with either a single partially threaded lag screw and washer or a headless fully threaded variable pitch screw. ⋯ A headless, fully threaded variable pitch screw was biomechanically favorable in comparison with a partially threaded lag screw and washer in this cadaver model of Type II dens fractures. The mode of failure at the C2 vertebral body may have important implications for further improvements in construct strength.
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Comparative Study
A biomechanical investigation of vertebroplasty in osteoporotic compression fractures and in prophylactic vertebral reinforcement.
Cadaveric single vertebrae were used to evaluate vertebroplasty as a prophylactic treatment and as an intervention for vertebral compression fractures. ⋯ Results suggest that augmentation of the vertebrae postfracture significantly increases failure load, while stiffness is not restored. Prophylactic augmentation was seen to increase failure strength in comparison to the predicted failure load. Stiffness appears to be maintained suggesting that prophylactic vertebroplasty maintains stiffness better than vertebroplasty postfracture.
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Comparative Study
A comparison of fatigue failure responses of old versus middle-aged lumbar motion segments in simulated flexed lifting.
Survival analysis techniques were used to compare the fatigue failure responses of elderly motion segments to a middle-aged sample. ⋯ Younger motion segments survive considerably longer when exposed to similar spine loading conditions that simulate repetitive lifting in neutral and flexed torso postures, primarily associated with the increased bone mineral content possessed by younger motion segments. Cycles to failure of young specimens at 22.5 degrees flexion were similar to that of older specimens at 0 degrees flexion, and survivorship of young specimens at 45 degrees flexion was similar to the older cohort at 22.5 degrees.
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Comparative Study
The incidence of donor site pain after bone graft harvesting from the posterior iliac crest may be overestimated: a study on spine fracture patients.
A retrospective cohort study on patients with traumatic vertebral fractures who underwent fusion with iliac crest bone. ⋯ Patients probably cannot differentiate between donor site pain and residual low back pain. The reported incidence of pain related to posterior iliac crest bone graft harvesting may therefore be overestimated.