Journal of orthopaedic science : official journal of the Japanese Orthopaedic Association
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To investigate the nerve root distribution of deltoid and biceps brachii muscle, compound muscle action potentials (CMAPs) were recorded intraoperatively following nerve root stimulation in cervical spondylotic myelopathy. A total of 19 upper limbs in 12 patients aged 55-72 years (mean, 65.5 years) with cervical spondylotic myelopathy were examined. CMAPs were recorded from deltoid and biceps brachii muscle following C5 and C6 root stimulation. ⋯ The C5 root predominantly innervated both deltoid and biceps brachii in patients with symptomatic cord lesions at the C4-C5 intervertebral level compared to patients with symptomatic cord lesions at the C5-C6 intervertebral level. Although no patients sustained postoperative radiculopathy in our study, severe weakness and unfavorable recovery are expected when the C5 root in patients with C4-C5 myelopathy is damaged. From the electrophysiological aspect, C4-C5 cord lesions are likely to be a potential risk factor for postoperative shoulder muscle weakness in patients with compressive cervical myelopathy.
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The variation in symptoms of spinal nerve root damage may be caused by the difference of the size of damaged nerve fiber or difference between the mechanical influence and some chemical factors. We studied the relative vulnerability of small versus large myelinated fibers to a focal compression and/or an application of nucleus pulposus. We prepared the mechanical compression model by clipping the nerve root and the nucleus pulposus model by applying autologous nucleus pulposus on the nerve root in a rabbit and evaluated nerve root damage with respect to its fiber diameter. ⋯ Histologic study showed the number of damaged small fibers increased significantly in the compression group compared with sham after 7 days. However, in the NP group the number of damaged fibers did not increase compared with sham. In conclusion, large myelinated nerve fiber was damaged earlier than small myelinated nerve fiber by compression, while nerve fiber damage caused by only the nucleus pulposus had no relation to nerve fiber size.
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Multicenter Study
Nationwide survey on complications of spine surgery in Japan.
The Japan Spine Research Society carried out a nationwide survey on complications of the spine, enrolling a total of 16 157 patients who had undergone spine surgery in 196 institutes in the 1-year period from January to December 2001. Diseases, surgical procedures, and complications were surveyed in detail. Forty-nine percent of patients were aged 60 years or older, which was remarkably increased in comparison with the percentage reported by the 1994 survey (37.3%). ⋯ Posterior lumbar interbody fusion has been increasingly used in cases of lumbar degenerative disease. Complications of spinal surgery were reported in 1383 patients (8.6%). The incidence of complications associated with instrumentation surgery was 12.1%, being twice as much as that associated with noninstrumentation surgery (6.8%).
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Effects of cyclical etidronate with alfacalcidol on lumbar bone mineral density, bone resorption, and back pain in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis.
The purpose of the present open-labeled, randomized, prospective study was to compare the effects of cyclical etidronate combined with alfacalcidol with those of cyclical etidronate alone on lumbar bone mineral density (BMD), bone resorption, and back pain in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis. Forty postmenopausal women with osteoporosis, 60-86 years of age, without any vertebral fractures in the lumbar spine, were randomly divided into two groups with 20 patients in each group. One group was treated with cyclical etidronate (oral etidronate 200 mg daily for 2 weeks every 3 months) and the other was given cyclical etidronate combined with alfacalcidol (cyclical etidronate plus alfacalcidol 1 Ig daily continuously). ⋯ Cyclical etidronate combined with alfacalcidol significantly increased the lumbar BMD with a more significant reduction in the urinary NTX level than cyclical etidronate alone, but cyclical etidronate alone did not significantly increase the lumbar BMD. Alleviation of back pain was similar in the two groups. These results suggest that cyclical etidronate combined with alfacalcidol appears to be more useful than cyclical etidronate alone for increasing the lumbar BMD by more markedly suppressing bone resorption in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis.
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The study was designed to validate a translated, culturally adapted questionnaire. We examined the reliability, validity, and responsiveness of the Japanese version of the Roland-Morris Questionnaire (RDQ) when assessing disability in Japanese patients with low back pain. The RDQ is a reliable, validated scale used to measure disability caused by low back pain. ⋯ The principal component analysis showed unidimensionality. The RDQ score of the 133 patients was significantly improved after treatment. The Japanese version of the RDQ is a useful scale that is easy to use with reliability, validity, and responsiveness when assessing patients with low back pain.