Prevalence and Significance of Vitamin D Deficiency in Patients Undergoing Corrective Surgery for Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis.

Background: The exact etiology of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is unknown, but recently, vitamin D has been suggested to be of importance in the pathophysiology of AIS. This article sought to (1) highlight the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in patients undergoing corrective surgery for AIS within the United Kingdom and (2) evaluate the correlation and clinical relevance of preoperative back pain with vitamin D deficiency.

Methods: Data were collected on 201 consecutive patients undergoing corrective surgery for AIS.

Class 3 semaphorins expression and association with innervation and angiogenesis within the degenerate human intervertebral disc.

Nerve and blood vessel ingrowth during intervertebral disc degeneration, is thought to be a major cause of low back pain, however the regulation of this process is poorly understood. Here, we investigated the expression and regulation of a subclass of axonal guidance molecules known as the class 3 semaphorins, and their receptors; plexins and neuropilins within human NP tissue and their regulation by pro-inflammatory cytokines. Importantly this determined whether semaphorin expression was associated with the presence of nerves and blood vessels in tissues from human intervertebral discs.

Expression and regulation of neurotrophic and angiogenic factors during human intervertebral disc degeneration.

Introduction: The degenerate intervertebral disc (IVD) becomes innervated by sensory nerve fibres, and vascularised by blood vessels. This study aimed to identify neurotrophins, neuropeptides and angiogenic factors within native IVD tissue and to further investigate whether pro-inflammatory cytokines are involved in the regulation of expression levels within nucleus pulposus (NP) cells, nerve and endothelial cells.

Methods: Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) was performed on 53 human IVDs from 52 individuals to investigate native gene expression of neurotrophic factors and their receptors, neuropeptides and angiogenic factors.

The cytokine and chemokine expression profile of nucleus pulposus cells: implications for degeneration and regeneration of the intervertebral disc.

Introduction: The aims of these studies were to identify the cytokine and chemokine expression profile of nucleus pulposus (NP) cells and to determine the relationships between NP cell cytokine and chemokine production and the characteristic tissue changes seen during intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration.

Methods: Real-time q-PCR cDNA Low Density Array (LDA) was used to investigate the expression of 91 cytokine and chemokine associated genes in NP cells from degenerate human IVDs. Further real-time q-PCR was used to investigate 30 selected cytokine and chemokine associated genes in NP cells from non-degenerate and degenerate IVDs and those from IVDs with immune cell infiltrates (‘infiltrated’).

A survey of current controversies in scoliosis surgery in the United Kingdom.

Study Design: A 10-point questionnaire was constructed to identify the philosophy of surgeons on various aspects of scoliosis surgery, such as choice of implant, bone graft, autologous blood transfusion, cord monitoring, and computer-assisted surgery. Comparisons were then made with recommendations published in the spinal literature.

Objective: To determine certain aspects of the current practice of scoliosis surgery in the United Kingdom.