Spine
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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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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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Cadaveric study. ⋯ On the basis of our results, there is no zone of absolute safety when using the direct lateral transpsoas approach. The potential for nerve injury exists when using this approach, and consequently, we recommend either direct visualization of the nerve roots intraoperatively and/or the use of neuromonitoring. In our opinion, a higher quality, larger clinical study that examines the outcomes and surgical complications of the direct lateral transpsoas approach is warranted.
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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.