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 explores the biomechanics underlying the sit-to-stand (STS) functional maneuver in chronic LBP patients to understand how different spinal disorders and levels of pain severity relate to unique compensatory biomechanical behaviors. This work stands to further our understanding of the relationship between spinal loading and symptoms in LBP patients. ⋯ Patients with LBP differ in movement biomechanics during an STS transfer as severity of symptoms may relate to different compensatory strategies that affect spinal loading. Further research aims to establish relationships between movement and PROs and to inform targeted rehabilitation approaches.
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Observational Study
The contributions of cartilage endplate composition and vertebral bone marrow fat to intervertebral disc degeneration in patients with chronic low back pain.
The composition of the subchondral bone marrow and cartilage endplate (CEP) could affect intervertebral disc health by influencing vertebral perfusion and nutrient diffusion. However, the relative contributions of these factors to disc degeneration in patients with chronic low back pain (cLBP) have not been quantified. The goal of this study was to use compositional biomarkers derived from quantitative MRI to establish how CEP composition (surrogate for permeability) and vertebral bone marrow fat fraction (BMFF, surrogate for perfusion) relate to disc degeneration. ⋯ Poor CEP composition plays a significant role in disc degeneration severity and can affect disc health both with and without deficits in vertebral perfusion.
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Until recently, there has been no consensus on the optimal operative window for decompressive surgery in acute spinal cord injury (aSCI). However, recent evidence is now supporting a role for early intervention in improving outcomes in this type of patients. The purpose of this letter is to discuss the implications for clinical practice within the European community. ⋯ This is a call for hospital systems to swiftly restructure spinal services in order to meet the need for early, and possibly ultra-early, spinal decompression in aSCI cases in the near future.