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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To evaluate the relationship between height ratio of the iliac crest to L4 (HR), width ratio of the iliac crest to L4 (WR) and L5-S1 disc degeneration. ⋯ Low HR and (or) WR were the risk factors for L5-S1 disc degeneration. High HR could reduce the percentage of sROM of L5-S1 in L1-S1 segments and high HR and (or) WR could reduce the incidence of L5-S1 disc degeneration.
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Patients undergoing lumbar spine surgery are a heterogeneous population and their expectations of surgery are likely to vary depending on individual and group characteristics. Our goal was to assess associations between expectations and demographic, psychological, and clinical characteristics in patients undergoing lumbar spine surgery. ⋯ There were wide variations in expectations among patients. Multiple demographic, psychological, and clinical characteristics were associated with expectations, with disability due to pain being the most consistently associated variable.
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Pedicle screw placement is an increasingly common procedure for the correction of spine degenerative disease, deformity and trauma. However, screw placement is demanding, with complications resulting from inaccurate screw placement. While several different techniques have been developed to improve accuracy, they all have their limitations. ⋯ Our cadaver study indicates that pedicle screw placement with the system is accurate and should be investigated in larger in vitro and in vivo studies.
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To evaluate the osteoconductivity and the bonding strength of the newly developed interbody cage covered with the porous titanium sheet (porous Ti cage) to vertebral bodies in a sheep model. ⋯ There was bone ingrowth into the porous Ti sheet, and bonding capacity of the porous Ti cage to the host bone increased with time. However, the speed of union to the bone with a porous Ti cage was marginally lower than a conventional cage along with an autogenous bone graft. Although it needs further experiment with a larger sample size, the results of the current study suggested that this material could achieve interbody fusion without the need for bone grafts.
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Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes) in the intervertebral disc may result in low back pain. The purpose of this study was to determine how P. acnes accesses the disc. ⋯ P. acnes is significantly more likely to be present in herniated discs with an annular tear than in herniated discs without such a tear. Since in the vast majority of these cases, no P. acnes was found in control muscle samples, a true infection with P. acnes is far more likely than a contamination.