Spine
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Prospective clinical and radiological analysis of children with complex cervical deformities for the safety of cervical pedicle screw insertion. ⋯ Safe insertion of cervical pedicle screws is possible in children. Iso-C navigation provides real-time virtual imaging and improves the safety and accuracy of successful pedicle fixation even in altered vertebral anatomy. Pedicle width morphometrics do not restrict screw insertion.
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Retrospective analysis of 260 patients with acute spine fractures treated at a tertiary trauma center from 1989 to 2009. ⋯ IPD measured from plain radiographs proved to be a reliable instrument to assess narrowing of the spinal canal, neurological deficits, and laminar fractures.
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Retrospective observational study utilizing prospectively collected population-based data. ⋯ The incidence of TSCI in our population has remained remarkably stable, and age-related changes mirror those in the population across 10 years. An increased tendency to surgical treatment during the 10 years of this study has not resulted in concomitant changes in patients' in-hospital mortality or length of stay.
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In vitro cadaveric study of thoracic spinal cord intramedullary pressure (IMP) in kyphotic deformity. ⋯ Thoracic kyphosis less than +51° resulted in no meaningful increase in IMP, whereas kyphosis measuring +51° to +63° resulted in minor increases in IMP. After the thoracic kyphosis exceeded +63°, IMP increased significantly. ΔIMP with spinal alignment may help explain the wide range of "normal" thoracic neutral upright sagittal alignment in studies of asymptomatic adult individuals and may help further define thoracic kyphotic deformity.
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Case Reports
Posterior column reconstruction with autologous rib graft after en bloc tumor excision.
Retrospective review of consecutive case series. ⋯ The use of autologous rib graft with a proximal step-cut and distal saddle-cut supplemented with posterior instrumentation allowed immediate stabilization of the posterior column defect created by the en bloc tumor resection. This technique of fashioning the graft and taking advantage of its natural curved structure for immediate press-fit was associated with graft incorporation in our cases.