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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An anatomical study of the cervical spinal cord and root to investigate the mechanism of paralysis of the arm after posterior decompression was performed using 14 cadavers of Japanese adults. It revealed that in the intervertebral foramen, extradural portions of the anterior and posterior roots of the cervical spinal cord lay separately in caudal-rostral relation, and the anterior root passed through the narrowest portion of the foramen isolatedly, i.e. the superior notch of the superior articular process. After laminectomy, a posteromedial shift of the dura-root junction occurred in combination with the posterior enlargement of the dual tube, and it showed two effects on the roots, one a relaxing effect on rootlets and the other, a traction effect on the extradural portion of a root. ⋯ With anchoring of the anterior root inside the foramen, a traction injury of the anterior root develops. The predominance of paralysis at the middle cervical level could be explained by the higher degree of anterior protrusion of the superior articular process and the more frequent degenerative changes here than at other levels. These factors might inhibit the gliding abilities of the roots inside the foramina, with the formation of perineural fibrosis, predisposing the roots to damage by the traction force.
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Surgical treatment of unstable traumatic injuries of the cervical spine can be carried out by a posterior or anterior approach, with different advantages and disadvantages. Twenty patients were treated with anterior decompression, interbody fusion with autogenous iliac bone graft, and osteosynthesis with a Louis anterior plate. The screws were inserted in the vertebral body without reaching the posterior vertebral wall. ⋯ Anterior plate instrumentation has proved itself mechanically adequate, even if it is less stable than posterior constructs. The advantages of anterior surgery compared to those of posterior surgery are such that several specific risks are acceptable. Posterior surgery is nevertheless indicated if the lesion cannot be reduced preoperatively under closed conditions.
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Summary. The results of 23 patients with symptomatic spondylolysis or mild isthmic spondylolisthesis treated by Scott's direct repair of the defect (secclusion) were analyzed with particular reference to spinal mobility and the condition of the intervertebral discs, and compared with the outcome of 25 patients treated by posterolateral segmental fusion without instrumentation. The two groups were comparable as to age at operation (17.4 +/- 5.7 vs. 15.6 +/- 2.6 years), follow-up time (54 +/- 8 vs. 54 +/- 25 months), gender, and preoperative subjective symptoms. ⋯ At this point of follow-up it is impossible to say which of the two procedures should be preferred for operative treatment of this condition in young patients. Direct repair does not protect the disc of the lytic/olisthetic segment from further degeneration. Pathologic disc changes in MRI should be interpreted with caution because their clinical relevance is still unclear.
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From 1965 through 1990 the Spinal Department of the Metropolitan Rehabilitation Center in Konstancin provided treatment to 1330 patients with spinal injury in the C5-T1 area admitted to hospital in the early post-traumatic period. The most common causes of injury were falls from a horse cart, diving, and road accidents, in that order. This paper presents an analysis of the dependencies between the degree of spinal cord injury and the mechanism of spinal injury, as well as the results of conservative and surgical treatment. ⋯ The injuries with the best prognosis were typical compression fractures of the vertebrae. Significant neurologic improvement was obtained in over 50% of patients. Improvement was greatest and most frequent in patients who received surgical treatment.
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The occipito-atlanto-axial joint is the most complex one of the human spine. Traumatic or inflammatory lesions in this region may lead to instability and neurological symptoms of clinical importance. This study reports the results of anatomical and biomechanical examination of 13 human upper cervical spine specimens and focuses on the viscoelastic behavior of the alar and transverse ligaments. ⋯ Ligamentous resistance increased as the end of the range of motion (ROM) was approchaed during rotation. The neutral zone explains the laxity of the ligaments in midposition and allows mobility of the upper cervical spine with minimum expenditure of muscular energy. The ligaments become stiffer under higher loads and therefore contribute to a limitation of the ROM in the occipitio-atlanto-axial joint.