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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This study aimed to identify all relevant randomized controlled trials (RCT) and prospective non-RCTs to further investigate whether percutaneous vertebral augmentation (PVA) was associated with clinical and radiological subsequent fractures on unoperated levels. ⋯ Our systematic review revealed that subsequent fractures on unoperated levels were not associated with PVA, regardless of whether they were clinical or radiological subsequent fractures.
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Traumatic spinal injuries can be life-threatening conditions. Despite numerous epidemiological studies, reports on specific spinal regions affected are lacking. ⋯ Our findings confirm a recent increase in all spinal fractures and in the cervical and sacral regions in particular. Advanced age may be an important underlying factor.
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Review Meta Analysis
Pedicle screw fixation of thoracolumbar fractures: conventional short segment versus short segment with intermediate screws at the fracture level-a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Posterior short-segment fixation (4-screw construct = 4S) is the conventional surgical technique for thoracolumbar fractures. The effect of adding two intermediate pedicle screws at the fractured level (6-screw construct = 6S) is still a matter of debate. This review aims to compare the results between 4 and 6S pedicle screw fixation for thoracolumbar fractures. ⋯ In the treatment of thoracolumbar fractures, adding intermediate screws at the fracture level (6S) results in less post-operative pain, better radiological outcomes and less implant failure at the cost of a longer operation time and higher blood loss.
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The Gait Deviation Index (GDI) is a composite measure of gait abnormality derived from lower-limb joint range-of-motion which is increasingly being reported for clinical gait analysis among neurologic and orthopedic patients. A GDI score of 100 is representative of healthy individuals and decreasing scores represent a greater abnormality. Preliminary data is needed to help assess the utility of GDI as a measure of compromised gait among spine patients and to provide reference values for commonly treated pathologies. ⋯ Composite metrics like GDI provide a tempting means to summarize nuanced and complex gait characteristics into a single, comparable value among cohorts. The results of this study provide preliminary GDI scores for common degenerative spine pathologies. These slides can be retrieved under Electronic Supplementary Material.
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MRI is the established gold standard for imaging acute spinal cord injury (SCI). Our aim was to identify the prognostic value, in terms of neurological outcome, of extradural and intradural features detected on MRI performed acutely following traumatic cervical SCI. ⋯ III.