Spine
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Prospective observational cohort study. ⋯ Lower score on performance status, the existence of organ metastases, and primary cancer of the lung and the kidney were significantly associated with poor survival. The revised Tokuhashi score was found to be very useful to predict survival regardless of the treatment pathway. In most patients, actual survival matched their predicted survival.
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This retrospective study assessed the total hospital charges for performing 102 single-level anterior cervical discectomy/fusion (1-ADF) procedures performed during a single year at one institution. All cases were in a single diagnosis-related group (DRG) category (473: cervical spine fusion), and used a single Principle Procedure Code (81.02). ⋯ Both the surgeon's choice of instrumentation and the choice of surgeons contributed to large- variations in total hospital charges for 102 patients undergoing 1-ADF.
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A case series of eight consecutive patients with severe (Meyerding Grade ≥ 3) adolescent isthmic spondylolisthesis (SAIS) who underwent reduction and stabilization by using a new surgical technique. ⋯ This safe 3-stage procedure assists sudden reduction and circumferential fusion of SAIS without any neurologic deficit and excellent clinicoradiologic outcome restoring normal lumbosacral biomechanics.
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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.