World Neurosurg
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Review
Improvements in Nerve Dissection Surgery Methodology for Spasmodic Torticollis Treatment: a Review.
Spasmodic torticollis is the most common focal dystonia and is characterized by aberrant involuntary contraction of muscles of the neck and shoulders, which greatly affects patients' quality of life. Consequently, patients with this condition often desire treatment to alleviate their symptoms. The common clinical treatments for spasmodic torticollis include interventions such as drug therapy, botulinum toxin injections, and surgery. ⋯ Nerve dissection surgery is the most common surgical treatment for spasmodic torticollis. This article reviews existing research on nerve dissection surgery for the treatment of spasmodic torticollis and the history of its development, along with the advantages and disadvantages of various surgical improvements. This article aims to provide clinicians with practical advice.
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Multicenter Study
A two-year outcomes and complications of various techniques of lumbar discectomy; A multicentric retrospective study.
Various techniques of performing lumbar discectomy are prevalent, each having its rationale and claimed benefits. The authors ventured to assess the perioperative factors, outcomes, and complications of each procedure and compare among them with 946 patients contributed by 10 centers and operated by experienced surgeons. ⋯ Although minimally invasive techniques have some advantages over the open techniques in the perioperative factors, all the techniques are effective and provide similar pain relief and functional outcomes at the end of 2 years. The various rates of individual complications provide a reference value for future studies.
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The COVID-19 pandemic has had widespread consequences on health care systems around the world. It resulted in extensive changes to the referral patterns, management, and rehabilitation of surgical conditions. We aimed to evaluate the effect the COVID-19 pandemic has had on traumatic brain injury (TBI) specifically. ⋯ Implementation of strict infection control measures and COVID-19 screening was commonplace, with some reporting changes to operating room protocols. TBI was more likely to be conservatively managed. Rehabilitation services were restricted, with a greater shift towards telemedicine to provide rehabilitative therapy remotely.
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Review Historical Article
Pentagon inside the 'Circle of Willis' and the Golden ratio.
The Golden ratio ("phi" or "Ф") has been known to us for ages and its use in art and architectural designs has enhanced its exquisiteness. Even some of the astounding creations of nature do follow this principle of Golden or divine proportions. Three centuries ago the circle of Willis at the base of the brain was first described and illustrated by Thomas Willis. ⋯ The components of this complex neurovascular structure are so arranged that it appears more like a pentagon than a circle. A regular pentagon, unlike a circle, is a Golden shape that mathematically obeys the laws of Golden proportions. Like most other marvelous structures in nature, the close resemblance of the circle of Willis to a pentagon is more of a conscious effort of nature to establish consonance with aesthetic perception, rather than just a mere coincidence.
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A chordoma is a slow-growing, invasive neoplasm in the neuraxis that is thought to arise from notochordal cells. At 10-year follow-up, the average survival rate is 50%, though individual prognosis varies substantially. We aimed to provide a comprehensive overview of the genes and proteins expressed in these tumors and their prognostic value to facilitate prognostication for patients with chordoma. ⋯ Identification of molecular factors that are associated with survival contributes to better prognostication of patients with chordoma. Given the rarity of chordoma, often only univariate analyses can be performed. Robust multivariate analyses are scarcer but provide independently significant prognostic factors. The data presented in this review can aid in prognostication for the individual patient and facilitate the development of targeted therapies.