Remarkable efficacy of temozolomide for relapsed spinal myxopapillary ependymoma with multiple recurrence and cerebrospinal dissemination: a case report and literature review.

Purpose: Myxopapillary ependymomas are intradural tumors which grow from the terminal filum of the spinal cord. Although they are classified as WHO grade I, they sometimes cause cerebrospinal fluid dissemination or local recurrence. In this report, we describe a case in that temozolomide (TMZ) showed remarkable efficacy on a recurrent spinal myxopapillary ependymoma.

Microscope and Fiberscope-assisted Subarachnoid-Subarachnoid (S-S) Bypass: A Novel Surgical Technique to Reestablish Cerebrospinal Fluid Flow in Treating Dorsal Spinal Arachnoid Webs, Diagnosed by Cine-MRI.

A "dorsal spinal arachnoid web" is the thickened arachnoid band on the surface of the spinal cord which disturbs the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow, known as a rare cause of thoracic myelopathy. The ideal treatment is controversial because of the risk of readhesion after simple resection of the web. A subarachnoid-subarachnoid bypass is a method to reestablish CSF flow through a silicon tube between the cranial and caudal subarachnoid space.

The impact of hypertension on the occurrence of postoperative spinal epidural hematoma following single level microscopic posterior lumbar decompression surgery in a single institute.

Purpose: Postoperative spinal epidural hematoma (PSEH) is one of the most hazardous complications after spine surgery. A recent study has reported that a ≥50 mmHg increase in systolic blood pressure after extubation was a significant risk factor for symptomatic PSEH. In this paper, the impact of hypertension on PSEH occurrence was investigated.

Facet Preserving Technique by En Bloc Flavectomy in Microscopic Posterior Decompression Surgery for Lumbar Spinal Stenosis: Semicircumferential Decompression (SCD).

Posterior decompression surgery which enlarges the spinal canal in cases with lumbar spinal stenosis is the most fundamental technique in spine surgery, but controversy still remains for the exact technique. Because nerve roots run under the ventral side on the superior articular process (SAP), achieving both facet joint preservation and nerve root decompression is problematic. In conventional laminotomies or laminectomies, medial facetectomies are performed to decompress the nerve root, but it is ideal to preserve the facet joints completely for preserving joint stability.

Extraordinary positional cervical spinal cord compression in extension position as a rare cause of postoperative progressive myelopathy after cervical posterior laminoplasty detected using the extension/flexion positional CT myelography: one case after laminectomy following failure of a single-door laminoplasty/one case after double-door laminoplasty without interlaminar spacers.

Purpose: Posterior cervical laminectomies and laminoplasties are common treatments for cervical spondylotic myelopathy. However, recent studies demonstrated that positional spinal cord compression occurred after cervical laminectomies and caused postoperative progressive myelopathy. Although there were no such reports after laminoplasties, we report two cases in which symptomatic extraordinary positional spinal cord compression occurred after laminoplasties in this paper.

C2 spondylotic radiculopathy: the nerve root impingement mechanism investigated by para-sagittal CT/MRI, dynamic rotational CT, intraoperative microscopic findings, and treated by microscopic posterior foraminotomy.

Purpose: C2 radiculopathy is known to cause occipito-cervical pain, but their pathology is unclear because of its rarity and unique anatomy. In this paper, we investigated the mechanism of C2 radiculopathy that underwent microscopic cervical foraminotomies (MCF).

Methods: Three cases with C2 radiculopathy treated by MCF were investigated retrospectively.

The Efficacy of Intraoperative Neurophysiological Monitoring Using Transcranial Electrically Stimulated Muscle-evoked Potentials (TcE-MsEPs) for Predicting Postoperative Segmental Upper Extremity Motor Paresis After Cervical Laminoplasty.

Study Design: Prospective study.

Objective: To investigate the efficacy of transcranial electrically stimulated muscle-evoked potentials (TcE-MsEPs) for predicting postoperative segmental upper extremity palsy following cervical laminoplasty.

Summary Of Background Data: Postoperative segmental upper extremity palsy, especially in the deltoid and biceps (so-called C5 palsy), is the most common complication following cervical laminoplasty.

Clinical results of microsurgical bilateral decompression via unilateral approach for lumbar canal stenosis with multiple-level involvement.

Object: Microsurgical decompression of the lumbar spine is a beneficial approach for selected patients of lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS). The purpose of this prospective study was to describe the clinical results of surgical treatment for microsurgical bilateral decompression via unilateral approach on patients with LSS with multiple-level involvement.

Materials And Methods: Seventy-three consecutive patients who had microsurgical bilateral decompression via unilateral approach of more than two spinal levels were included in this study.

Long-term clinical results of microsurgical transdural discectomy with laminoplasty: follow-up results over 10 years.

Object: In this retrospective analysis the authors describe the long-term clinical results of microsurgical transdural discectomy with laminoplasty (MTDL) in patients with cervical disc herniation (CDH).

Methods: Thirty patients (21 males, 9 females; mean age at surgery 55 years) with CDH had surgical treatments consisting of MTDL between 1990 and 1998. All patients demonstrated signs or symptoms of cervical myelopathy and/or radiculomyelopathy.

Surgical treatment of high-grade dysplastic spondylolisthesis using intraoperative electrophysiological monitoring: report of two cases and review of the literature.

Treatment of high-grade dysplastic spondylolisthesis in adolescents remains challenging. Surgical treatment of spondylolisthesis has been recommended in adolescents with pain refractory to conservative treatment, slippage progression, or severe slippage on presentation. Controversy exists as to the optimal surgical approach for high-grade spondylolisthesis.

Use of prone position magnetic resonance imaging for detecting the terminal filum in patients with occult tethered cord syndrome.

Object: The pathophysiology of occult tethered cord syndrome (OTCS) with no anatomical evidence of a caudally shifted conus and a normal terminal filum is hard to understand. Therefore, the diagnosis of OTCS is often difficult. The authors hypothesized that the posterior displacement of the terminal filum may become prominent in patients with OCTS who are in a prone position if filum inelasticity exists, and they investigated prone-position MRI findings.

Heme oxygenase-1 modulates degeneration of the intervertebral disc after puncture in Bach 1 deficient mice.

Purpose: Intervertebral disc degeneration is considered to be a major feature of low back pain. Furthermore, oxidative stress has been shown to be an important factor in degenerative diseases such as osteoarthritis and is considered a cause of intervertebral disc degeneration. The purpose of this study was to clarify the correlation between oxidative stress and intervertebral disc degeneration using Broad complex-Tramtrack-Bric-a-brac and cap'n'collar homology 1 deficient (Bach 1-/-) mice which highly express heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1).

Investigation of segmental motor paralysis after cervical laminoplasty using intraoperative spinal cord monitoring with transcranial electric motor-evoked potentials.

Study Design: A retrospective study of segmental motor paralysis after cervical laminoplasty for cervical myelopathy.

Objective: The objective of this study was to use transcranial electric motor-evoked potentials during cervical laminoplasty, to monitor and investigate the intraoperative electrophysiologic change in patients with cervical myelopathy, who subsequently develop postoperative segmental motor paralysis potentials.

Summary Of Background Data: There have been several reports about segmental motor paralysis after cervical laminoplasty for patients with cervical myelopathy.

Medium-term clinical results of microsurgical lumbar flavectomy that preserves facet joints in cases of lumbar degenerative spondylolisthesis: comparison of bilateral laminotomy with bilateral decompression by a unilateral approach.

Study Design: A retrospective study of medium-term results.

Objective: To describe a technique for posterior decompression using microsurgical lumbar flavectomy (MLF) without facetectomy, which is based on the anatomic features of the ligamentum flavum, and to examine the clinical outcomes of patients with lumbar spinal spondylolisthesis with lower extremity symptoms rather than low back pain, who underwent this procedure by 2 different approaches.

Summary Of Background Data: Posterior decompression with fusion has been the optimal and standard operative treatment for lumbar degenerative spondylolisthesis.

Magnetic field-based delivery of human CD133⁺ cells promotes functional recovery after rat spinal cord injury.

Study Design: Experimental animal study of spinal cord injury (SCI), using a cell delivery system.

Objective: To investigate the therapeutic effects of transplantation of peripheral blood-derived CD133 cells, with a magnetic delivery system in a rat SCI model.

Summary Of Background Data: There are no reports on intrathecal transplantation of peripheral blood-derived CD133 cells, with a magnetic cell delivery system to treat SCI.

MicroRNA-223 expression in neutrophils in the early phase of secondary damage after spinal cord injury.

MicroRNA (miR)s are short non-coding RNAs that suppress the translation of target genes, and play an important role in gene regulation. Despite this prominence, there are few reports that refer to the expression of miRs after spinal cord injury (SCI). Previously, we reported on miR-223 expression after SCI in mice.

MicroRNA-146a expresses in interleukin-17 producing T cells in rheumatoid arthritis patients.

Background: Interleukin (IL)-17 is an important factor in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) pathogenesis. MicroRNA (miRNA)s are a family of non coding RNAs and associated with human diseases including RA. The purpose of this study is to identify the miRNAs in the differentiation of IL-17 producing cells, and analyze their expression pattern in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and synovium from RA patients.

The effects of combining chondroitinase ABC and NEP1-40 on the corticospinal axon growth in organotypic co-cultures.

The area surrounding the injured spinal cord is a non-permissive milieu for axonal growth due to the inhibitory factors, especially chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan (CSPG) and Nogo. Recent studies have reported that chondroitinase ABC (ChABC) or Nogo-66(1-40) antagonist peptide (NEP1-40) promote axonal growth after spinal cord injury. But no study has addressed the effects on spinal cord injury of combining ChABC and NEP1-40.

Quantitative assessment of myelopathy patients using motor evoked potentials produced by transcranial magnetic stimulation.

Motor evoked potentials (MEPs) study using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) may give a functional assessment of corticospinal conduction. But there are no large studies on MEPs using TMS in myelopathy patients. The purpose of this study is to confirm the usefulness of MEPs for the assessment of the myelopathy and to investigate the use of MEPs using TMS as a screening tool for myelopathy.