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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Randomized Controlled Trial
PLIF surgery with titanium-coated PEEK or uncoated PEEK cages: a prospective randomised clinical and radiological study.
This study aimed to compare clinical results and fusion rates of uncoated polyetheretherketone (PEEK) cages with titanium-coated PEEK cages in posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) surgery. ⋯ PEEK and titanium-coated PEEK cages for PLIF produce equally favourable clinical and radiological results up to 24 months post-surgery. The fusion rate was not different.
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The authors recently proposed the novel radiologic assessment method to measure chronological screw position changes precisely. The aim of this study was to predict the late occurrence of screw loosening, which was diagnosed by the radiographic lucent zone, by evaluating screw position changes at an early postoperative stage using the novel method. ⋯ We calculated a cutoff value of the screw position changes at an early postoperative stage for the prediction of subsequent development of screw loosening with the radiographic lucent zone.
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It is unclear if minimally invasive techniques reduce the rate of perioperative complications when compared to traditional open approaches to the lumbar spine. Our aim was to evaluate perioperative complications in patients that underwent MIS and conventional open techniques for degenerative lumbar pathology. ⋯ Minimally invasive spinal surgery was found to reduce the rate of DVT for decompression surgeries and reduce the rate of PE for fusion surgeries.
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The complement system is a crucial part of innate immunity. Recent work demonstrated an unexpected contribution to tissue homeostasis and degeneration. This study investigated for the first time, in human disc tissues, the deposition profile of the complement activation product terminal complement complex (TCC), an inflammatory trigger and inducer of cell lysis, and its inhibitor CD59, and their correlation with the degree of disc degeneration (DD). ⋯ TCC deposition positively correlated with the degree of disc degeneration. A functional relevance of TCC may exist in DD, representing a potential target for new therapeutics.
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To analyze correlations between the realistic surgical difficulty of LaLIF and anatomic characteristics in radiographic images, in order to develop a simple classification to provide guiding information for case selection and evaluate the potential risks of the technique. ⋯ Our novel and simple classification provides useful information for case selection. Type A provided the best indication and is most appropriate for a beginner in this technique. Type C includes the most challenging situations, which may have a high incidence of complications and require sophisticated surgical skills to achieve satisfactory outcomes and avoid approach-related complications.