World Neurosurg
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During the past decades, different methods have been described for anterior skull base reconstruction. Regarding larger skull base defects, few investigators have described the use of bone grafts to foster support and prevent frontal lobe sagging, herniation, or falling. The aim of this study is to describe the use of a rib bone graft, which could be an option in these cases due to its rigidity and dimensions. ⋯ The use of a cortical rib bone graft could be a safe and effective option in skull base reconstruction when managing large defects after cancer removal.
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Pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) has been used for treatment of chronic pain in several body regions, including axial and radicular pain. However, a limited number of reports have specifically demonstrated the effectiveness of PRF for spine-related pain among nonsurgical patients. Therefore, we evaluated the effectiveness of PRF for lumbar spine-associated pain in patients without recent spine surgery, and identified the factors associated with clinically meaningful improvement in pain and quality of life. ⋯ Our results demonstrated that PRF improved pain and patient-reported outcomes for spine-related pain for at least 6 months in our patient cohort. PRF may be a good option for treating lumbar spine-related issues, even with severe pain and/or dysfunction.
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Case Reports
Intraoperative Ultrasound and Findings of Lumbar Intradural Disc Herniation causing Cauda Equina Syndrome.
Intradural lumbar disk herniation (ILDH) is a rare variant and accounts for 0.33%-1.5% of lumbar disk herniations. Although clues exist on preoperative imaging, they remain subtle and most cases of ILDH are diagnosed intraoperatively. Intraoperative ultrasound is a useful adjunct in diagnosing and managing ILDH. We present a case to demonstrate the features of an intradural herniated disk on ultrasound imaging and highlight the utility of intraoperative ultrasonography in establishing diagnosis, guiding dural opening, and confirming adequate nerve root decompression following diskectomy.
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Total intravenous anesthesia with propofol can be administered by target-controlled infusion pumps, which work on the principles of pharmacokinetic modeling. While designing this model, neurosurgical patients were excluded as the surgical site and drug action site remained the same (brain). Whether the predicted set propofol concentration and the actual brain site concentration correlate, especially in neurosurgical patients with impaired blood-brain barrier (BBB), is still unknown. In this study we compared the set propofol effect-site concentration in the target-controlled infusion pump with actual brain concentration measured by sampling the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). ⋯ CSF propofol level did not correlate with set concentration in spite of acceptable clinical anesthetic effect. Also, the CSF-to-blood albumin measurement did not provide information on the BBB integrity.
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The treatment of low back pain has evolved from an understanding of its pathophysiology, biomechanics, and therapy. The events that characterize the degenerative cascade of modifications that produce pain are well described. ⋯ This implies that its diagnostic confirmation depends on bone scintigraphy and selective anesthetic blockade of the dorsal and medial branches of the joint. In this technical note, we present a new clinical sign (Tension Distension Signo sign/Acevedo's sign) described since 2004.