Spine
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A retrospective cross-sectional study of all spinal fusions in California from 2003 to 2007. ⋯ Morbid obesity seems to increase the risk of multiple complication types in spinal fusion surgery, most particularly in anterior cervical and posterior lumbar approaches.
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Retrospective study of male and female spinal osteoarthritis, characterized by lateral spine thoracolumbar radiographs, in humans and nonhuman primates. ⋯ The appearance of sex differences in the prevalence of osteoarthritis is most likely a proxy measure for the effect of body mass. Sex differences were apparent in monkeys due to the fact that males are significantly heavier than females. No sex difference in prevalence was apparent in humans, and there is substantial overlap in body mass between men and women. Differences in the location of osteoarthritic involvement along the spine between men and women were obscured when only average scores were examined.
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Comparative Study
Total motion generated in the unstable cervical spine during management of the typical trauma patient: a comparison of methods in a cadaver model.
Biomechanical cadaveric study. ⋯ We have demonstrated the total angular motion incurred to the unstable cervical spine as experienced by the typical trauma patient from the field to stabilization in the operating room using the best compared with the most commonly used techniques. As previously reported, using log-roll techniques consistently results in unwanted motion at the injured spinal segment.
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Retrospective analysis of an insurance claims database. ⋯ Patients with CLBP are characterized by greater comorbidity and economic burdens compared with those without CLBP. This economic burden can be attributed to greater prescribing of pain-related medications and increased health resource utilization.
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A retrospective cohort study. ⋯ In Switzerland, the acceptance of the guidelines for treating traumatic spinal cord injury with high-dose methylprednisolone has been extremely high in the past. The use of high-dose methylprednisolone has decreased to a much lower level in Switzerland after the publication of new guidelines, which is comparable to various other countries. Despite these changes, no differences in the neurological outcome were detected between the observed patient populations.