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
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Observational Study
The prognosis of self-reported paresthesia and weakness in disc-related sciatica.
To explore how patients with sciatica rate the 'bothersomeness' of paresthesia (tingling and numbness) and weakness as compared with leg pain during 2 years of follow-up. ⋯ During 2 years of follow-up, patients considered paresthesia more bothersome than weakness. At 2 years, the percentage of patients who reported bothersome paresthesia was similar to the percentage who reported bothersome leg pain. Based on patients' self-report, paresthesia and weakness are relevant aspects of disc-related sciatica.
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Sagittal imbalance is a predictor of failure after surgery for lumbar degenerative pathology. For this reason, specialists advocate correction of sagittal deformity and systematically perform preoperative standing whole spine films. Such diagnostic investigations expose patients to significant doses of radiation. The authors propose an easier radiographic investigation helpful as a screening test to identify patients likely to have sagittal imbalance. ⋯ This study preliminarily suggests that the SLLP film can be a useful screening test for sagittal balance abnormalities.
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There are few researches that demonstrate the relationship between the extent of syringomyelia and sagittal alignment of the cervical spine. The purpose of this study is to investigate the correlation between the change of syrinx size and cervical alignment. ⋯ The present results demonstrate that the decrease of syrinx size by FMD may restore the cervical lordosis. We suggest that the postoperative cervical alignment might be a predictive factor for neurological outcome.
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The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the anatomic features of the cervical spine using computed tomography (CT) to select safer screw insertion techniques, particularly emphasizing the location of the transverse foramen. ⋯ We suggest that in cases in which pedicle screw insertion is difficult, lateral mass screws (LMS) can be inserted safely and longer sizes can be selected. In contrast, in cases in which LMS insertion is difficult, the insertion of pedicle screws can be performed relatively easy.
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The Myelopathy Disability Index and the Neck Disability Index are widely used to assess outcome in cervical spine surgery. Short Form (SF) 36 is a generic measure of health which can be used to measure health gains across a wide variety of conditions. The aim of the current study is to assess long-term outcomes using these measures in a cohort of patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM). ⋯ We have used generic and condition-specific outcome measures of health and shown that in patients with CSM treated surgically, up to 70% can expect improvement in their quality of life. These outcome measures are easy to collect and provide objective evidence of changes in quality of life and disability and can help quantify the potential health gains that can be achieved.