Spine
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Radiographic analysis using normal patients. ⋯ Our results show the impact of the O-C2 angle on the oropharyngeal space. This knowledge will be useful for the diagnosis and treatment of the upper cervical lesion combined with the upper airway stenosis, and for the determination of the optimal fixation angle in occipitocervical fusion.
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Retrospective analysis using positional MRI. ⋯ Changes in sagittal alignment may lead to kinematic changes in the lumbar spine. This may subsequently influence load bearing and the distribution of disc degeneration at each level. Sagittal alignment, disc degeneration, and segmental mobility likely have a reciprocal influence on one another.
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An in vitro neural hypoxia model and rat spinal cord injury (SCI) model were used to assess the regulation of therapeutic vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) gene expression in mouse neural stem cells (mNSCs) by the EPO (erythropoietin) enhancer or RTP801 promoter. ⋯ These results strongly suggest the potential utility of mNSCs modified by a hypoxia-inducible VEGF gene expression system in the development of effective stem cell transplantation protocols in SCI.
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Controlled, interventional, animal study. ⋯ HMGB1 appears to play an important role in the development of pain-related behavior induced by the application of nucleus pulposus onto the DRG. HMGB1 from applied nucleus pulposus and actively secreted from macrophages would act as a proinflammatory mediator together with proinflammatory cytokines. HMGB1 blocking therapy might become a new treatment method for neuropathic pain.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
The effects of therapeutic climbing in patients with chronic low back pain: a randomized controlled study.
A randomized controlled study investigated the effects of therapeutic climbing in patients with chronic low back pain. Before and after 4 weeks of training, physical and mental well-being were measured by two questionnaires (36-Item Short Form Health Survey [SF-36]; Hannover Functional Ability Questionnaire for measuring back pain-related disability [FFbH-R]). ⋯ The benefits of therapeutic climbing were comparable with those of a standard exercise regime. In two subscales of the SF-36, the benefits of therapeutic climbing exceeded those of standard exercise therapy, primarily in perceived health and physical functioning of the patients. This finding demonstrates that therapeutic climbing is equivalent and partly superior to standard exercise therapy for patients with chronic low back pain.