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 evaluate effects of spinal and rib osteotomies on the resulting spinal flexibility for surgical correction of thoracic scoliosis and to explore effects of posterior fixation on thoracolumbar segmental range of motion and lumbar intervertebral disc loading. ⋯ Low effects of Schwab grade 1 and 2 osteotomies question the impact of isolated posterior spinal releases for surgical correction maneuvers in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, in contrast to additional concave rib osteotomies. High effects of posterior fixation potentially explain frequently reported complications such as adjacent segment disease or proximal junctional kyphosis.
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Trial data shows modest reductions in leg pain, disability and surgery avoidance following epidural steroid injections (ESI) for severe sciatica. Despite their common use, there is no clear evidence about which patients are more likely to benefit from ESI. The aim of this study was to generate consensus on potential predictors of outcome following ESI for disc-related sciatica. ⋯ Based on expert consensus, items that can be routinely collected in clinical practice were identified as potential predictors of outcomes following ESI.
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The study aims to investigate the correlations between the T score, Hounsfield units (HU) value, and vertebral bone quality (VBQ) score, and to compare their discrimination capability for patients with osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture (OVCF). ⋯ Both the HU value and the VBQ score had superior discrimination capability for patients with OVCF compared to the T score, especially for the HU value. For patients with routinely performed lumbar MRI or CT scans, the HU value or the VBQ score may provide alternative options for assessing the bone condition.