Spine
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Retrospective cohort. ⋯ Carotid arterial anomalies occurred in 12.3% of cases; severe aberrancy was present in 2.6% of patients. In elderly females with kyphotic alignment, a high index of suspicion must be raised for aberrancy. Preoperative assessment of the vasculature in the anterior neck may avoid catastrophic complications.
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Retrospective cohort study. ⋯ Mortality predictors for spine trauma patients are similar to those for general trauma patients. Spine injury variables were shown not to be independent predictors of spine trauma mortality.
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A biomechanical study of facet joint pressure after total disc replacement using cadaveric human cervical spines during lateral bending and axial torsion. ⋯ Implantation of a ProDisc-C does not significantly modify the kinematics and facet pressure at the index level in cadaveric specimens during lateral bending and axial torsion. However, changes in facet contact pressures after disc arthroplasty may have long-term effects on spinal loading and cartilage degeneration and should be monitored in vivo.
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Prospective patient series. ⋯ Thoracic elongation improved pulmonary function, facilitated weight gain, and made an indirect correction of spinal deformities (Cobb angle) by more than 30%, with no significant complications. Because of the rarity of this condition, a multicenter study to gain experience in a larger number of patients is recommended.
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Case series study. ⋯ Surgical treatment of high cervical radiculopathies resulted in acceptable outcomes. To our knowledge, this is the largest series of this relatively rare condition.