Long-term follow-up after vertebroplasty - A mean 10-years follow-up control study.

Objectives: To evaluate the clinical 10 year outcome of patients treated with percutaneous vertebroplasty for vertebral compression fractures and to determine the incidence of new fractures in this time interval, as well as the mortality of the patients who underwent this procedure.

Methods: All patients undergoing vertebroplasty for vertebral compression fractures between May 2007 until July 2008 were prospectively followed up at 10 years postoperatively. Patients were assessed for radiologic outcome and self-reported outcome parameters (PROs).

Risk Factors for Negative Global Treatment Outcomes in Lumbar Spinal Stenosis Surgery: A Mixed Effects Model Analysis of Data from an International Spine Registry.

Objective: To determine risk factors for negative global treatment outcomes as self-assessed by patients undergoing surgical treatment for lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS).

Methods: Patients from the Spine Tango registry undergoing first-time surgery for LSS were analyzed. The primary outcome was global treatment outcomes measured at the last available follow-up ≥3 months postoperatively using a single question rating how much the operation had helped the patient's back problem (negative = no change/operation made things worse).

The Oswestry Disability Index, confirmatory factor analysis in a sample of 35,263 verifies a one-factor structure but practicality issues remain.

Purpose: To analyze the factor structure of the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) in a large symptomatic low back pain (LBP) population using exploratory (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA).

Methods: Analysis of pooled baseline ODI LBP patient data from the international Spine Tango registry of EUROSPINE, the Spine Society of Europe. The sample, with n = 35,263 (55.

Long-term Outcome After Monosegmental L4/5 Stabilization for Degenerative Spondylolisthesis With the Dynesys Device.

Study Design: Retrospective analysis of prospectively collected clinical data.

Objective: To assess the long-term outcome of patients with monosegmental L4/5 degenerative spondylolisthesis treated with the dynamic Dynesys device.

Summary Of Background Data: The Dynesys system has been used as a semirigid, lumbar dorsal pedicular stabilization device since 1994.

The 100 Most Influential Publications in Cervical Spine Research.

Study Design: Bibliometric study of current literature.

Objective: To identify and analyze the 100 most cited publications in cervical spine research.

Summary Of Background Data: The cervical spine is a dynamic field of research with many advances made within the last century.

Superior outcomes of decompression with an interlaminar dynamic device versus decompression alone in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis and back pain: a cross registry study.

Introduction: Surgical decompression for lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) has been associated with poorer outcomes in patients with pronounced low back pain (LBP) as compared to patients with predominant leg pain. This cross registry study assessed potential benefits of the interlaminar coflex® device as an add-on to bony decompression alone.

Methods: Patients with lumbar decompression plus coflex® (SWISSspine registry) were compared with decompressed controls (Spine Tango registry).

The in vitro effects of dexamethasone, insulin and triiodothyronine on degenerative human intervertebral disc cells under normoxic and hypoxic conditions.

Degeneration of intervertebral discs (IVD) is one of the main causes of back pain and tissue engineering has been proposed as a treatment. Tissue engineering requires the use of highly expensive growth factors, which might, in addition, lack regulatory approval for human use. In an effort to find readily available differentiation factors, we tested three molecules--dexamethasone, triiodothyronine (T3) and insulin--on human IVD cells isolated after surgery, expanded in vitro and transferred into alginate beads.

[Dynamic posterior stabilization with the pedicle screw system DYNESYS®].

Objective: The dynamic neutralization system for the spine (DYNESYS®) is a pedicle screw based system intending mobile restabilization substituting physiological tissue restraints and thus approximating the unstable motion pattern to a normal pattern. It consists of titanium alloy screws, connected by an elastic synthetic compound (PET band and PCU spacer) controlling motion in any plane. DYNESYS® can be used for mono- or multilevel stabilizations in the lumbar spine.

Segment-by-segment stabilization for degenerative disc disease: a hybrid technique.

Patients with multisegmental degenerative disc disease (DDD) resistant to conservative therapy are typically treated with either fusion or non-fusion surgical techniques. The two techniques can be applied at adjacent levels using Dynesys (Zimmer GmbH, Winterthur, Switzerland) implants in a segment-by-segment treatment of multiple level DDD. The objective of this study was to evaluate the clinical and radiological outcome of patients treated using this segment-by-segment application of Dynesys in some levels as a non-fusion device and in other segments in combination with a PLIF as a fusion device.

An injectable nucleus replacement as an adjunct to microdiscectomy: 2 year follow-up in a pilot clinical study.

Literature indicates that loss of disc tissue from herniation and/or surgery can accelerate degeneration of the disc. The associated loss of disc height may correspond with recurrent back and/or leg pain. A novel hydrogel has been developed to replace lost nucleus pulposus and potentially restore normal disc biomechanics following herniation and surgery.

Vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty: a systematic review of 69 clinical studies.

Study Design: Systematic literature review.

Objective: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty using the data presented in published clinical studies, with respect to patient pain relief, restoration of mobility and vertebral body height, complication rate, and incidence of new adjacent vertebral fractures.

Summary Of Background Data: Vertebroplasty and kyphoplasty have been gaining popularity for treating vertebral fractures.

Kyphoplasty: chances and limits.

Kyphoplasty provides a minimal-invasive surgical technique for the cement augmentation of vertebral bodies following osteoprotic compression fractures or malignant processes. Kyphoplasty has been developed as an advancement of vertebroplasty. Both procedures feature high-success rates in terms of reliable and lasting reduction of pain.

Degeneration of the cervical disc: histology compared with radiography and magnetic resonance imaging.

Decisions about the treatment of neck pain are largely made on the basis of information gained from plain X-rays and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which are used routinely as part of preliminary investigation. We performed a descriptive cadaveric study to compare histology with radiography and MRI. We correlated plain radiography, disc height [Farfan index (FI)] and MRI findings with histology to assess the ability of radiology to detect significant pathologic lesions.

Posterior dynamic stabilization systems: DYNESYS.

Posterior dynamic stabilization systems have to neutralize injurious forces and restore painless function of the spine segments and protect the adjacent segments. Because degenerative disc disease has many clinical manifestations, pedicular screw systems and interspinous implants have their indications. A dynamic stabilization device has to provide stability throughout its lifetime, unless it activates or allows reparative processes with a reversal of the degenerative changes.

Kyphoplasty for treatment of osteoporotic vertebral fractures: a prospective non-randomized study.

Background: Minimally invasive augmentation techniques of vertebral bodies have been advocated to treat osteoporotic vertebral body compression fractures (VBCFs). Kyphoplasty is designed to address both fracture-related pain as well as kyphotic deformity usually associated with fracture. Previous studies have indicated the potential of this technique for reduction of vertebral body height, but there has been little investigation into whether this has a lasting effect.

[Stress levels in bones and bone cement in the thoracolumbar spine afer kyphoplasty. Finite element study].

The study quantified the stress levels in treated and untreated vertebral bodies following kyphoplasty. Three-dimensional FE models of treated and untreated T11, T12, L1, and L2 vertebral bodies were evaluated to examine the stress levels within the bone and bone cement. A validated T12-L1 model was used to investigate the effect of kyphoplasty treatment on adjacent vertebral stresses and strains.

[Percutaneous cementing techniques of the spine -- chances and limits].

Vertebroplasty and Kyphoplasty represent minimal-invasive techniques for cement augmentation of vertebral bodies. Both procedures are successfully used for pain-relieving stabilizations of osteoporotic fractures or malignant processes. Advantages of kyphoplasty over vertebroplasty are to be seen in the possibility of deformity correction as well as in a decreased risk of cement extrusions which represent the most important potential for clinical complications.

Adjacent vertebral failure after vertebroplasty. A biomechanical investigation.

Vertebroplasty, which is the percutaneous injection of bone cement into vertebral bodies has recently been used to treat painful osteoporotic compression fractures. Early clinical results have been encouraging, but very little is known about the consequences of augmentation with cement for the adjacent, non-augmented level. We therefore measured the overall failure, strength and structural stiffness of paired osteoporotic two-vertebra functional spine units (FSUs).

Degeneration of the atlanto-axial joints: a histological study of 9 cases.

Degeneration of the lateral atlanto-axial joints (AAJ) has been described as a potential cause of severe neck pain. However, hardly any data are available on its incidence, especially in comparison to the lower cervical spine. In this histological study, we examined the AAJs in 9 specimens from elderly patients, graded the findings and compared them to those in the facet joints of the lower cervical spine.

[Percutaneous cementing techniques in treatment of osteoporotic spinal sintering].

During the last years minimal-invasive augmentation techniques of vertebral bodies have been established to stabilize painful height losses. A vertebroplasty fills the vertebral body with cement, whereas a kyphoplasty intends to achieve a reduction of kyphosis prior to cementing. The present review describes both techniques and summarizes in vivo and in vitro experiences.

Surgical dislocation of the adult hip a technique with full access to the femoral head and acetabulum without the risk of avascular necrosis.

Surgical dislocation of the hip is rarely undertaken. The potential danger to the vascularity of the femoral head has been emphasised, but there is little information as to how this danger can be avoided. We describe a technique for operative dislocation of the hip, based on detailed anatomical studies of the blood supply.

Bone substitutes in vertebroplasty.

Vertebroplasty--percutaneous cement augmentation of vertebral bodies--is an efficient procedure for the treatment of painful vertebral fractures in osteoporosis. At the present time, polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) is the only available cement with reports of clinical application and experience. The material is easy to handle, the radiopacity can be adapted by adding contrast dye, and it is mechanically efficient.

[Loss of correction after dorsal stabilization of burst fractures of the thoracolumbar junction. The role of transpedicular spongiosa plasty].

Short segment pedicle instrumentation for thoracolumbar burst fracture is known to fail due to lack of anterior support. Additional transpedicular grafting and dorsolateral fusion were offered to prevent its failure. The purpose of this study was to analyse the clinical and radiological outcome in two identical groups of patients treated with short segment pedicle instrumentation and posterolateral fusion with and without inter- and intracorporal transpedicular bone grafting.

Augmentation of mechanical properties in osteoporotic vertebral bones--a biomechanical investigation of vertebroplasty efficacy with different bone cements.

Recent clinical trials have reported favorable early results for transpedicular vertebral cement reinforcement of osteoporotic vertebral insufficiencies. There is, however, a lack of basic data on the application, safety and biomechanical efficacy of materials such as polymethyl-methacrylate (PMMA) and calciumphospate (CaP) cements. The present study analyzed 33 vertebral pairs from five human cadaver spines.