STUDY DESIGN: A cross-sectional study to evaluate the long-term result of posterolateral (PLF), anterior (AF), and circumferential fusion (CF) for isthmic spondylolisthesis. OBJECTIVES: To assess the long-term effects of PLF, AF, or CF for high-grade isthmic spondylolisthesis on lumbar spine in children and adolescents by using MRI. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND ...

AIM: Bracing is considered to be effective in the treatment of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. The concept prevailing today includes an asymmetrical construction, mainly using a mechanical three-point system. We developed the new Sforzesco brace, based on the SPoRT concept (Symmetric, Patient-oriented, Rigid, Three-dimensional, active). The aim of this study is ...

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective study. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the incidence of and risk factors for pseudarthrosis in long adult spinal instrumentation and fusion to S1. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Few studies on pseudarthrosis in long adult spinal instrumentation and fusion to S1 exist. METHODS: A clinical and radiographic assessment of 144 ...

STUDY DESIGN/SETTING: Prospective cohort study in a tertiary care spine center. OBJECTIVE: The effectiveness of the cantilever transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (C-TLIF) technique in creating and maintaining lordosis, avoiding nerve problems, and obtaining fusion was studied. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: C-TLIF is a microscope-assisted transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion technique, emphasizing ...

STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective review of patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS), with curves more than 90 degrees treated with either a combined anterior/posterior spinal fusion or a posterior spinal fusion alone. OBJECTIVES: To assess the results of spinal fusion for AIS curves >90 degrees and determine whether the use ...

Lumbar hyperlordosis of neuromuscular origin is rare and requires surgical treatment in order to preserve a good sitting posture. We report twenty-seven cases of a preponderantly sagittal hyperlordosis deformity of the lumbar spine in patients with neuromuscular disorders and identify the indications and results of treatment. Seventeen males and ten ...

OBJECT: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF) augmented by percutaneous pedicle screw fixation (PSF) for revision surgery in the lumbar spine and to determine the prognostic factors affecting surgical outcomes. METHODS: The population included 54 consecutively treated patients in whom ...

STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective review of spinal cord monitoring (SCM) results of patients with neural axis abnormalities (NAA) as compared with a control group of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) patients. OBJECTIVE: To analyze SCM on a group of patients who had a NAA undergoing spinal deformity surgery. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND ...

BACKGROUND: Autologous anterior iliac crest bone graft is still widely considered the gold standard for anterior cervical fusion after discectomy or corporectomy. Postoperative pain at the donor site is one of the main disadvantages to this technique. This prospective study aimed to evaluate pain at the donor site, after careful, ...

<i>Milicia</i> species (Iroko) is an economically important hardwood species in tropical Africa. However, the gall-forming psyllid, <i>Phytolyma lata</i> (Homoptera: Psyllidae), has prevented the establishment of <i>Milicia</i> species plantations throughout Africa. As part of an integrated approach to manage this pest, indigenous predators were studied in Ghana for possible biological control. ...

STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective study investigated the progression risk of juvenile scoliosis until skeletal maturity or spinal fusion. OBJECTIVES: To define risk factors of curve progression during pubertal growth and analyze the timing of arthrodesis. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Juvenile scoliosis is characterized by a major, extremely variable progression risk. ...

BACKGROUND: The Swedish Lumbar Spine Register has been collecting patient-based data since 2000, and more than 80% of all spinal units in Sweden are now including their patients. In a few years, it will produce useful clinical information just as arthroplasty registers have, but to permit proper interpretation of data ...

OBJECTIVE: Cervical spine deformities are well-known complications of RA. A 5- to 20-year follow-up of 51 consecutive rheumatoid patients who underwent posterior cervical arthrodesis is presented to evaluate the recurrence of instability and need for further surgery. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective review of the clinical features of 11 men ...

STUDY DESIGN: This is a retrospective study of settling of fibula strut grafts used for anterior cervical reconstruction. OBJECTIVE: To measure settling and kyphotic angulation of uninstrumented fibula strut graft reconstruction for two- and three-level cervical corpectomy procedures. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Clinical experience indicates that some settling of anterior ...

The associated morbidity of allograft(s) as bone graft expanders in spinal surgery has prompted the search for alternatives. The efficacy of Vitoss/Beta Tricalcium Phosphate (B-TCP: OrthoVita, Malvern PA, USA), an artificial bone substitute, combined with lamina autograft (50:50 mix) in 40 prospective posterolateral fusions utilizing pedicle/screw instrumentation was analyzed. Multilevel ...

This study analyzed the outcome of patients treated with total disk replacement and posterior dynamic stabilization. For pathologies of different origin, dynamic stabilization of the lumbar spine is a novel alternative to fusion surgery. Although a physiological reconstruction of the sagittal profile was not always achieved, improvement was seen in ...

INTRODUCTION: This study determines whether recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (rhBMP-2) (12 mg at the rate of 1.5 mg/mL) delivered on an absorbable collagen sponge with an added bulking agent can increase posterolateral lumbar spine fusion success rates and decrease time for fusion with autogenous bone grafts. METHOD: A prospective, ...

OBJECTIVE: To compare the clinical outcomes of posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) using simple cage alone fusion with pedicle screw fixation and autogenous bone grafting and cage fusion with pedicle screw fixation in adult spondylolisthesis. METHODS: From March 2003 to March 2004, twenty-seven patients with lumbar spondylolisthesis were divided in ...

STUDY DESIGN: Prospective multicenter cohort study. OBJECTIVE: To assess the: (1) agreement between surgeon and independent review of fusion after single-level anterior cervical decompression and fusion, and (2) influence of surgeon impression of patient status on agreement. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Failure to achieve fusion can lead to poor functional ...

The medical records and radiographs of 17 patients with recalcitrant pain secondary to C1-C2 osteoarthritis were independently reviewed. All patients were treated by the senior author (K.D.R.). Initial treatment included physical therapy, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and soft collar immobilization. If non-responsive, patients were referred to a single radiologist for injection ...

This study sought to determine the outcomes of posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF), via a unilateral approach, in selected patients who presented with unilateral leg pain and segmental instability of the lumbar spine. Patients with a single level of a herniated disc disease in the lumbar spine, unilateral leg pain, ...

The fusion rate represents one of the most commonly used criteria for evaluating the efficacy of spinal surgical techniques and the effectiveness of newly developed instrumentation and spinal implants. Reported fusion rates are not frequently supported by adequate information regarding by whom and how fusion was defined. In our prospective ...

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between thought-action fusion (TAF) and religiosity in Christians and Jews (Orthodox, Conservative, and Reform). There is a growing body of evidence that suggests that religiosity is related to obsessive cognitions in Christian samples, but conceptual and empirical ambiguities complicate the ...

OBJECT: Cage subsidence occurs after anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF). The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate subsidence and total segmental height after implantation of a newly designed Wing titanium cage. Furthermore, alignment of the entire cervical spine was analyzed 2 years after surgery. METHODS: Fifty-four patients ...

STUDY DESIGN: This retrospective study was conducted to investigate the clinical outcomes of several surgical procedures for thoracic myelopathy caused by ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL). OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effect of myelopathy treatment and safety of posterior decompression with instrumented fusion. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Many different ...

OBJECT: Interspinous process decompression (IPD) theoretically relieves narrowing of the spinal canal and neural foramen in extension and thus reduces the symptoms of neurogenic intermittent claudication (NIC). The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy of IPD with nonoperative treatment in patients with NIC secondary to degenerative spondylolisthesis. ...

STUDY DESIGN: This prospective randomized study compared 3 fusion methods: posterolateral fusion (PLF), posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF), and PLIF combined with PLF (PLF+PLIF). OBJECTIVES: To compare the outcomes of the 3 fusion methods and find a useful fusion method. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Many studies have shown clinical results, ...

This study examines prospectively the randomised, long-term, clinical and radiological results of the treatment of spondylitis patients by ventro-dorsal or ventral spine fusion. Group 1 consisted of 12 patients who (after ventral removal of the focus of infection and autologous bone grafting) were treated by dorsal instrumentation. Group 2 consisted ...

In the operative treatment of spinal injuries, the reconstruction of the anterior column of the thoracolumbar spine is still controversial. We conducted a prospective clinical study to investigate the clinical and radiological outcome of 50 patients treated with a vertebral body replacement of adjustable height (Synex). Fifty consecutive patients were ...

Despite the increasing number of reports on surgical treatments for thoracolumbar osteoporotic vertebral collapse with neurological deficits, the choice of surgery remains controversial. In this retrospective study, we compared the outcomes of posterior and anterior surgeries for single-level osteoporotic vertebral collapse with neurological deficit in the thoracolumbar spine. Both posterior ...

The Wichita Fusion Nail (WFN) is a knee arthrodesis stabilization system that employs compression via an intramedullary rod. It was designed for use in the salvage of the irretrievably failed total knee arthroplasty and other severe knee pathologies. Questionnaires covering the fusion success rate, fusion time, and complication rate were ...

OBJECTIVES: Juxta facet cysts are a common cause of low back and radicular pain. They are mostly associated with degenerative facet joints and spondylolisthesis. The study focuses on long-term outcomes after microsurgical treatment without fusion. METHOD: From April 2002 to April 2004, 31 patients (23 female and 8 male) underwent ...

STUDY DESIGN: A prospective, randomized and controlled study. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the osteoinductive property of Osteogenic Protein-1 (OP-1 or BMP-7) and fusion rate in human instrumented posterolateral lumbar fusion through radiographic examination, surgical exploration, and histologic assessment. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: The use of osteoinductive agents is a current topic ...

INTRODUCTION: Kyphoplasty, a minimally invasive technique, has recently been developed to provide immediate pain relief, biomechanical stabilization, prevention of fracture progression, vertebral height restoration, and prevention or reversal of kyphosis to patients with osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (VCF). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed 24 patients treated with kyphoplasty. A ...

We studied 27 patients with post-discectomy syndrome. All patients had Lumbar Interbody Fusion with titanium cages and pedicle screw fixation either as Anterior (ALIF, n=18) or as Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion (TLIF, n=9). Follow-up ranged from 24 to 94 months. The clinical and radiological data were compared. The outcome was ...

STUDY DESIGN: Prospective randomized study. OBJECTIVES.: To compare the results of the combined anterior-posterior surgery (Group A) with posterior "short-segment" transpedicular fixation (SSTF) (Group B) in mid-lumbar burst fractures. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: There are no comparative randomized clinical studies on the outcome following operative treatment of mid-lumbar fractures. METHODS: ...

AIM: To compare the results of anterior instrumentation and standard posterior procedure for correction of adolescent thoracic idiopathic scoliosis. METHODS: The study included 50 patients with adolescent thoracic idiopathic scoliosis who underwent corrective spinal surgery. Anterior spinal fusion by use of modified Zielke ventral derotation system (anterior approach to spine ...

OBJECTIVES: Posterior lumbar fixation with translaminar facet screws is a minimally invasive technique with good success rates. Long-term follow-ups show reduced reoperation rates, a decrease in pain scores, and few complications compared with pedicle screw fixation devices. The purpose of this study was to compare the reoperation rate of translaminar ...

The efficiency of short-segment fixation with transpedicle body augmenter (a titanium spacer with bone-ingrowth porous surface, TpBA) to treat Kümmell's disease with cord compression (stage III) was retrospectively evaluated. No laminectomy or instrumentation reduction was done. Inclusion criteria included Frankel CDE, single-level within T10-L2. FU rate was 88%, i.e. 21 ...

This is a retrospective clinical, radiological and patient outcome assessment of 21 consecutive patients with King 1 idiopathic adolescent scoliosis treated by short anterior selective fusion of the major thoracolumbar/lumbar (TL/L) curve. Three-dimensional changes of both curves, changes in trunk balance and rib hump were evaluated. The minimal follow-up was ...

OBJECTIVE: To study the relationship between scoliosis and Chiari I malformation, with reference to the possible role of cranio-vertebral decompression in preventing the need for scoliosis correction. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Out of a total of 36 patients with symptomatic Chiari I, who underwent primary cranio-vertebral decompression by a single paediatric ...

STUDY DESIGN: A prospective and comparative analysis of tissue injury after mini-open lumbar fusion and conventional technique. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the tissue injury quantitatively after mini-open lumbar fusion. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: The advantages of minimally invasive techniques demonstrated by clinical reports have been a smaller scar, lesser pain, and ...

STUDY DESIGN: A radiographic study in 32 patients with cervical myelopathy. OBJECTIVE: To investigate postoperative interlaminar bony fusion, and its characteristics and relationship to clinical results in patients undergoing laminoplasty. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Laminoplasty is being increasingly performed for multi-segmental cervical myelopathy, and its superior long-term results have been ...

Posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) and anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF) have become routine alternatives to intertransverse process fusion. The use of Coblation (ArthroCare Corporation, Sunnyvale, CA) allows for routine and reproducible removal of cartilaginous endplate down to the bony endplate. Our experience with this new technology is reviewed. The ...

There is a controversy regarding most effective operative method for treatment of pyogenic spondylitis and whether to use metallic implants on the site of infection. This retrospective study reports on the outcome of 17 patients with persistent cervical and lumbar pyogenic spondylitis who had one-stage combined surgery and fusion with ...

Scant literature exists on the treatment of infection after interbody fusion. Some authors advocate removal of the interbody grafts. Salvage of the grafts was possible in 92.3% (12 of 13) of the infections in a series of 326 consecutive patients with degenerative spinal diseases treated by three surgeons. Posterior interbody ...

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the outcome of two methods for stabilization and fusion: posterolateral fusion and circumferential fusion involving posterior lumbar interbody fusion for lumbar stenosis with Grades 1 and 2 lumbar spondylolisthesis. METHODS: From April 1998 to April 2003, 45 patients suffering from lumbar stenosis with low degree lumbar spondylolisthesis ...

INTRODUCTION: Atlantoaxial instabilities, which require surgical fixation follow a variety of clinical disorders. Different surgical procedures are used for stabilization of the atlantoaxial complex, mainly posterior wiring techniques and transarticular screw fixation. Nowadays, often a combination of transarticular screws and a posterior one-point fixation is used to achieve a three-point ...

Ventral derotation spondylodesis, according to Zielke, achieves good results in operative treatment of idiopathic thoracic scolioses. Corrections of scoliotic major and secondary curve as well as derotation of the spine are reliably performed. The high rate of rod fractures with subsequent correction loss as well as a proportionate kyphogenic effect ...

The aim of the present study was to assess the long-term clinical, functional, and radiographic outcome of direct repair of spondylolysis using cerclage wire fixation according to Scott in young patients with symptomatic spondylolysis or low-grade isthmic spondylolisthesis as compared to the outcome after uninstrumented posterolateral in situ fusion. Twenty-five ...