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
-
Facetectomy and laminectomy are techniques for decompressing lumbosacral spinal stenosis. Resections of posterior bony or ligamentous parts normally lead to a decrease in stability. The degree of instability depends on the extent of resection, the loading situation and the condition of the intervertebral discs. ⋯ Spinal stability is decreased after a laminectomy for forward bending, and after a two-level laminectomy for standing. For axial rotation, spinal stability is decreased even after a hemifacetectomy. Patients should therefore avoid excessive axial rotation after such a treatment.
-
It has long been known that very acidic conditions can be found in degenerate discs. The effect of these acid conditions on matrix turnover are, however, unknown. This study aimed to examine the effect of acidity on production of matrix components and on agents which break down the matrix in order to gain insight into the effect of pathological values of pH on matrix turnover. ⋯ However production of active metalloproteinases by disc cells was relatively insensitive to pH, with activity at pH 6.3 not statistically different from that at pH 7.2. These findings indicate that exposure to acid conditions appears particularly deleterious for the disc matrix, as it inhibits the disc cells from synthesising functionally important molecules such as the sulphated GAGs but does not prevent the production of agents able to degrade matrix components. The low values of pH seen in some degenerate discs are thus likely to be involved in breakdown of the disc matrix.
-
This study presents a survivorship analysis of Cotrel-Dubousset instrumentation in the surgical treatment of idiopathic scoliosis. Between 1987 and 1995, a total of 133 patients with idiopathic scoliosis received posterior spine fusion and instrumentation with the CD system at our center. The patients' mean age at surgery was 16.5 years (range 11-43 years). ⋯ A positive correlation was found between survival rate and correction loss between surgery and last control. A survival rate of 76.5% at 10 years is unexpectedly low. Current data suggest that the incapacity to maintain correction after initial surgery plays a major roll in the long-term evolution of Cotrel-Dubousset instrumentation.
-
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Pain 5 years after instrumented and non-instrumented posterolateral lumbar spinal fusion.
Pain drawings have been used in spine surgery for diagnostic use and psychological evaluation of fusion candidates; they have rarely been used to evaluate pain status after spinal fusion. This study is a 5-year follow-up on a randomised clinical trial assigning patients to posterolateral spinal fusion with or without pedicle screw instrumentation. Patients were mailed a pain drawing and questionnaires including questions regarding work, social status, smoking status, the Dallas Pain Questionnaire (DPQ), and the Low Back Pain Rating Scale (LBPRS). ⋯ Ten percent still experience donor site pain. In general, instrumentation does not affect the amount and localisation of pain 5 years after lumbar spinal fusion surgery. The pain drawing seems to be a valuable tool when following spinal fusion patients, but its use as prognostic marker in connection with fusion surgery needs further investigation.
-
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Outcome of the Graf ligamentoplasty procedure compared with anterior lumbar interbody fusion with the Hartshill horseshoe cage.
The objective of our study was to assess the efficacy of Graf ligamentoplasty in comparison with rigid fixation and fusion with the Hartshill horseshoe cage for similar severity of disc degeneration. Although studies have been done on the Graf ligamentoplasty procedure and the Hartshill horseshoe cage, their efficacy has never been compared in any study. This study was done to decide whether retaining mobility and stabilizing the spine is best or stiffening the lumbar segment by fusion is preferable. ⋯ At a minimum follow-up of 2.1 years, we found that 93% of patients who had undergone Graf ligamentoplasty had a satisfactory outcome (rated "excellent" or "better") compared to 77.8% of patients who had been treated with ALIF with Hartshill horseshoe cage stabilization and fusion, when measured on the Oswestry Disability Index ( P<0.05). Retaining mobility in the lumbar segments gives better results after stabilisation with Graf ligaments than rigid fixation and fusion with the Hartshill horseshoe cage in the short term. We will be watching this cohort of patients over the next few years.