The spine journal : official journal of the North American Spine Society
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Comparative Study Observational Study
Depressive burden is associated with a poorer surgical outcome among lumbar spinal stenosis patients: a 5-year follow-up study.
In lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS), conservative treatment is usually the first choice of treatment. If conservative treatment fails, surgery is indicated. Psychological factors such as depression and anxiety are known to affect the outcome of surgery. Previous studies on depression and surgery outcome using long follow-up times are scarce. ⋯ Even slightly elevated long-term depressive symptoms in LSS patients are associated with an increased risk of a poorer functional ability after decompressive surgery.
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Posterior cervical foraminotomy (PCF) with or without microdiscectomy (posterior cervical discectomy [PCD]) is a frequently used surgical technique for cervical radiculopathy secondary to foraminal stenosis or a laterally located herniated disc. Currently, these procedures are being performed with increasing frequency using advanced minimally invasive techniques. Although the safety and efficacy of minimally invasive PCF/PCD (MI-PCF/PCD) have been established, reports on long-term outcome and need for secondary surgical intervention at the index or adjacent level are lacking. ⋯ Minimally invasive PCF with or without MI-PCD is an excellent alternative for cervical radiculopathy secondary to foraminal stenosis or a laterally located herniated disc. There is a low rate (1.1% per index level per year) of future index site fusion and a very low rate (0.9% per adjacent level per year) of adjacent-level disease requiring surgery.
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Sagittal standing posture is associated with musculoskeletal symptoms and quality of life. However, the frequency and determinants of suboptimal sagittal alignment outside the clinical context remain to be clarified. ⋯ Higher BMI and central obesity were important potential determinants of nonneutral posture among adults from the general population. Future research should investigate the potential effectiveness of overweight prevention and management in avoiding sagittal misalignment conditions.
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Lumbar metastases can result in spinal instability and mechanical radiculopathy, characterized by radicular pain produced by axial loading. This pain pattern represents a definitive symptom of neoplastic instability and may serve as a reliable indication for surgical stabilization. ⋯ Mechanical radiculopathy in patients with spinal metastases represents a highly reliable surgical indication. Spinal decompression and fixation is an effective treatment for pain palliation in this patient population.
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The Internet is frequently used by patients to aid in medical decision making. Multiple studies display the Internet's ineffectiveness in presenting high-quality information regarding surgical procedures and devices. With recent reports of unacceptably high complication rates and poor outcomes with the X-Stop device, it is important that online information is comprehensive and accurate. This study is the first to examine Internet information on the controversial X-Stop. ⋯ Our study demonstrates the Internet's ineffectiveness in reporting quality information on the X-Stop. Information was often incomplete and potentially misleading. Significant controversy exists within primary literature regarding the safety and efficacy of the X-Stop. Yet, publicly available Internet information largely provided misinformation and did not reflect any such controversy. This raises the concern that such information lends itself more toward patient recruitment than patient education. Medical professionals need to know how this may affect their patients' decision making.