Spine
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Comparative Study
Significance of laminar screw fixation in the subaxial cervical spine.
We retrospectively reviewed 11 patients who underwent laminar screw fixation in the subaxial cervical spine. In 4 patients, laminar screws were inserted for posterior cervical arthrodesis, and in 7 patients it was used for fixation of the open laminae during laminoplasty. ⋯ The translaminar screw method avoided damaging vascular structures, especially when the vertebral artery courses in the C7 transverse foramen, and it maintains solid stabilization of the subaxial cervical spine. This technique has 2 important advantages to currently used techniques: it is simpler and is not limited by the position of vascular structures. Therefore, it may be applicable to a wider number of patients, especially as it may be used in the subaxial cervical spine.
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Case Reports Comparative Study
Consciously postural sway and cervical vertigo after whiplash injury.
Cross-sectional study of whiplash injury patients with vertigo and healthy volunteers consciously pretending to have postural sway as in malingering. ⋯ Our results suggest that compared with normal subjects and WAD patients, malingerers are more likely to exhibit a wide EAREA, a long sway length per second, and a low Romberg rate. Malingering must be diagnosed carefully and posturography could be a helpful supplementary tool for differentiating whiplash-associated vertigo from malingering.
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Retrospective review of sacral insufficiency fractures. ⋯ Sacral insufficiency fractures are an uncommon complication of segmental posterior lumbosacral fixation in osteoporotic patients. They are potentially unstable fractures and kyphosis and displacement may contribute to persistent problems of pain and postural malalignment. The diagnosis may be difficult and should be considered in the differential diagnosis in patients who do not improve during the postoperative course. Lumbopelvic fixation is a useful salvage treatment modality for patients who fail nonoperative treatment.
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A systematic review of randomized controlled trials. ⋯ The evidence from the 65 trials included in this review suggests that NSAIDs are effective for short-term symptomatic relief in patients with acute and chronic low back pain without sciatica. However, effect sizes are small. Furthermore, there does not seem to be a specific type of NSAID, which is clearly more effective than others. The selective COX-2 inhibitors showed fewer side effects compared with traditional NSAIDs in the randomized controlled trials included in this review. However, recent studies have shown that COX-2 inhibitors are associated with increased cardiovascular risks in specific patient populations.
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Literature review. ⋯ Based on these studies, it seems that for the severely impaired patient with loss of horizontal gaze, surgical correction is a reasonable option with a high likelihood of success.