European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society
-
Spine fusion is the gold standard treatment in degenerative and traumatic spine diseases. The bone regenerative medicine needs (i) in vitro functionally active osteoblasts, and/or (ii) the in vivo induction of the tissue. The bone tissue engineering seems to be a very promising approach for the effectiveness of orthopedic surgical procedures, clinical applications are often hampered by the limited availability of bone allograft or substitutes. New biomaterials have been recently developed for the orthopedic applications. The main characteristics of these scaffolds are the ability to induce the bone tissue formation by generating an appropriate environment for (i) the cell growth and (ii) recruiting precursor bone cells for the proliferation and differentiation. A new prototype of biomaterials known as "bioceramics" may own these features. Bioceramics are bone substitutes mainly composed of calcium and phosphate complex salt derivatives. ⋯ Human mesenchymal stem cells in combination with biomaterials seem to be good alternative to the autologous or allogenic bone fusion in spine surgery. The cellular model used in our study is a useful tool for investigating cytocompatibility and biological features of HA-derived scaffolds.
-
The objective of this study was to evaluate the reproducibility of the cervical range of motion device when measuring both active and passive range of motion in a group of individuals with sub-acute Whiplash Associated Disorders (WAD). ⋯ The CROM device has proven to be a reproducible measurement method for a symptomatic WAD population using the measurement protocol described and can be used with confidence to differentiate individuals according to a single measurement.
-
Self-rated activity limitations in patients with non-specific chronic low back pain (cLBP) do not correlate well with performance in traditional tests of impairment (e.g. back strength, ROM, etc.). Tests using more "functional activities" have therefore been recommended as alternative "objective" outcome measures. We examined the relationship between a battery of such tests and self-reported activity limitations, before and in response to physiotherapy, and the influence of psychological factors on the relationship. ⋯ Moderately high correlations (for both absolute and change scores) were observed between the subjective and observed measures of activity limitation. This indicates that to some extent they are assessing the same underlying construct, but it also suggests that each is delivering a certain amount of unique information. Psychological factors explained some of the discrepancy between the two types of measure. Both were responsive to therapy, and their change scores reflected well the patients' global outcome ratings. The two methods of assessing activity limitations should serve to complement one another in the assessment of treatment outcome.
-
Comparative Study
Spinous process morphology: the effect of ageing through adulthood on spinous process size and relationship to sagittal alignment.
Blinded radiographic analysis of CT scans reformatted for precise lumbar spinous process (LSP) measurement. ⋯ This study demonstrates that the dimensions of the LSP change with age. Increases in LSP height and even more impressive increases in LSP width occur with advancing age. There is an inverse relationship between lumbar lordosis and LSP height.