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 analyze postoperative changes in the cervical sagittal alignment (CSA) of patients with AIS treated by posteromedial translation. ⋯ Thoracic hypokyphosis and cervical hypolordosis, observed in AIS, can be improved postoperatively, when the posteromedial translation technique is used for correction. The cervical spine remains adaptable in most patients, but the proportion of patients with physiological cervical lordosis at final follow-up remained low (24.5 %).
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Computer models and human surrogates used to study the forces and motion of the human neck under various loading conditions are based solely on adult data. Pediatric computer models and dummy surrogates used to improve the safety of children could be improved with the inclusion of previously unavailable pediatric muscle data. ⋯ The cross-sectional area and the power-law functions determined by the data in this study provide a means of calculating muscle cross-sectional area for young children, where such data are currently unavailable. This will provide an opportunity to develop more representative pediatric neck models.
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Posterior instrumented spinal fusion is indicated for progressive scoliosis that develops in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) patients. Whilst spinal fusion is known to improve quality of life, there is inconsistency amongst the literature regarding its specific effect on respiratory function. Our objective was to determine the effect of scoliosis correction by posterior spinal fusion on respiratory function in a large cohort of patients with DMD. Patients with DMD undergoing posterior spinal fusion were compared to patients with DMD not undergoing surgical intervention. ⋯ Severity of scoliosis was not a key determinant of respiratory dysfunction. Posterior spinal fusion did not reduce the rate of respiratory function decline. These two points suggest that intrinsic respiratory muscle weakness is the main determinant of decline in respiratory function in DMD.
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The aim of the present research is to evaluate the relationship between an X-ray-based method (i.e. the Raimondi method) and rasterstereography in the evaluation of vertebral rotation (VR) in a sample of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) patients. ⋯ Rasterstereographic evaluation of VR shows a good correlation with the Raimondi method, thereby confirming the possibility to use this non-invasive method for deformity assessment in AIS patients.
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Whether alendronate treatment has a residual effect on bone ingrowth into porous biomaterial in humans or experimental animals after treatment withdrawal is still unknown. The purpose of this study was to investigate bone ingrowth into porous tantalum and carbon fiber interbody implants after discontinuing alendronate treatment in experimental spinal fusion in pigs. ⋯ The application of ALN, with a dose equivalent to that given to humans during the first 3 months after surgery, does not maintain a residual effect on spinal fusion with porous tantalum ring and autograft after treatment withdrawal in a porcine ALIF model.