Spine
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Biomechanical cadaver investigation. ⋯ Lumbar FSUs with implanted TDR were found to be less stiff, but absorbed more energy during cyclic loading with an unconstrained pendulum system. Although the effects on clinical performance of motion-preserving devices are not fully known, these results provide further insight into the biomechanical behavior of these devices under approximated physiological loading conditions.
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A quantitative biomechanical analysis of mechanism of pain alteration in 4 cases of low back pain. ⋯ Immediate pain reduction can be achieved by altering muscle-activation and movement patterns. However, the combination for optimal success seems to be different for every individual. Pain provocation tests help to "tune" the intervention. This also suggests that patient-classification schemes may need more refinement to address this heterogeneity.
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Analysis of a case series of 24 patients with Lenke 1C adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) receiving selective thoracoscopic anterior scoliosis correction. ⋯ Selective thoracoscopic anterior fusion allows spontaneous lumbar curve correction and achieves coronal balance of main thoracic and compensatory lumbar curves, good cosmesis, and patient satisfaction. Correction and balance are maintained 24 months after surgery.
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Case studies of patients with cervical spondylotic amyotrophy used compound muscle action potentials (CMAPs) of deltoid and biceps brachii muscles and central motor conduction time (CMCT). ⋯ The average percentage range of deltoid and biceps brachii muscle CMAPs' amplitude determined at the onset of illness correlated significantly with postoperative recovery. Surgical intervention of the cervical spine should be performed in patients in whom the average percentage of CMAPs' amplitude in deltoid and biceps brachii muscles ranges from 30% to 50%.
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A retrospective review of a prospectively collected database. ⋯ This study provides rates and causes of mortality associated with spine surgery for a broad range of diagnoses and includes assessments for adult and pediatric patients. These findings may prove valuable for patient counseling and efforts to improve the safety of patient care.