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 Comparative Study
Knowledge transfer of spinal manipulation skills by student-teachers: a randomised controlled trial.
To assess the use of peer-assisted learning (PAL) of complex manipulative motor skills with respect to gender in medical students. ⋯ The peer-assisted learning system does not seem to be generally qualified to transfer such complex spatiotemporal demands as spinal manipulative procedures.
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Comparative Study
The effect of standard and low-modulus cement augmentation on the stiffness, strength, and endplate pressure distribution in vertebroplasty.
Vertebroplasty restores stiffness and strength of fractured vertebral bodies, but alters their stress transfer. This unwanted effect may be reduced by using more compliant cements. However, systematic experimental comparison of structural properties between standard and low-modulus augmentation needs to be done. This study investigated how standard and low-modulus cement augmentation affects apparent stiffness, strength, and endplate pressure distribution of vertebral body sections. ⋯ Augmentation connecting both endplates significantly strengthened and stiffened vertebral body sections also with low-modulus cement. A trend of reduced pressure concentrations above/below the cement was observed with low-modulus cement.
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U-shaped sacral fractures usually result from axial loading of the spine with simultaneous sacral pivoting due to a horizontal fracture which leads to a highly unstable spino-pelvic dissociation. Due to the rarity of these fractures, there is lack of an agreed treatment strategy. ⋯ From the current available data, an evidence based treatment strategy regarding outcome, neurological recovery or fracture healing could not be identified. Limited access and minimal-invasive surgery focussing on sacral reduction and restoration seems to offer comparable results to large spino-pelvic constructs with fewer complications and should be considered as the method of choice. If the fracture is highly unstable and displaced, spino-pelvic fixation might offer better stability.