Spine
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Prospective cohort study. ⋯ Patients undergoing elective lumbar arthrodesis reported relatively limited functional deficit due to stiffness at 2-year follow-up. Paradoxically, patients undergoing 1-level arthrodesis actually reported significantly less limitation due to stiffness postoperatively. Although the effects of stiffness did trend toward greater impacts among patients undergoing longer fusions, 91% of patients were satisfied with trade-offs of function and pain relief in exchange for perceived increases in lumbar stiffness.
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Retrospective study of 146 patients with the diagnosis of occipitalization, atlantoaxial dislocation (AAD) and basilar invagination, using a novel surgical treatment strategy. ⋯ Although technically demanding, the C1 lateral mass placement in occipitalization is very useful in the rescue situation where more conventional stabilization alternatives are not technically possible, or as routine occipitocervical stabilization. It provides firm stabilization offering an optimum situation for bony fusion, and meanwhile the effective reduction of fixed AAD and basilar invagination. An extremely high fusion rate can be expected with minimal complications and minimal postoperative immobilization with this technique.
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A retrospective study of 1162 consecutive patients who underwent spinal deformity surgical procedures at our spine center from January 2010 to December 2013. ⋯ Our study indicates that the appropriate use of MEP monitoring based on our protocol is able to obtain satisfying sensitivity and specificity and thus provide important information for intraoperative decision making.
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A descriptive study of the association between diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) and kyphosis. ⋯ DISH is associated with greater Cobb angle of kyphosis, especially when present in the thoracic spine alone. The association of DISH with Cobb angle is stronger within the African American population.
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A retrospective radiographical analysis. ⋯ The reconstitution of coronal balance was mainly compensated by distal unfused segments after selective posterior fusion of TL/L idiopathic scoliosis. The effect of unfused thoracic segments in coronal balance reconstitution mainly depended on its flexibility.