Nucleolysis of the rabbit intervertebral disc using chondroitinase ABC.

The nucleolytic action of chondroitinase ABC was studied by the use of rabbit lumbar intervertebral discs. The injection of one unit of enzyme results in necrosis of the nucleus pulposus. Radiologic, histologic, and biochemical changes were evident in discs studied 2 days after injection, and consistent nucleolysis was seen in those studied after 6 days.

[Nucleolytic action of chondroitinase ABC on the lumbar disc of the rabbit].

Nucleolysis using chondroitinase ABC was studied using the rabbit's intervertebral lumbar disc. The purpose was to find a possible alternative to chymopapain which is commonly used in the management of sciatica due to disc herniation. The injection of 1 U of the enzyme into the nucleus pulposus gave significant histological and biochemical changes in all twelve discs studied.

[Lumbar arthrodesis: results after more than 10 years].

Two hundred and seventy four patients had a lumbar spine fusion between 1949/1971. Seventy-five of them were available for review more than 10 years after the procedure. There were twenty spondylolisthesis, forty-eight degenerative discopathies, six cases of Pott's disease and one benign tumour.

[An unknown after surgical lengthening of the femur in children: spontaneous postoperative parasitic lengthening].

The authors have studied overgrowth or diminished growth seen in 54 femora lengthened surgically by a one-stage procedure between 1963 and 1979. Thirty six cases were of poliomyelitis. An overgrowth was regularly seen of the order of 2.

[The surgical treatment of lumbar stenosis and its results. A series of 163 operated cases].

163 patients were operated for degenerative lumbar stenosis (only 10 did not have osteoarthrosis), following the failure of medical treatment. The surgical decompression varied according to the anatomical type of the stenosis: central, lateral or mixed. In 13 p.

[Stenosis of the lumbar canal: nosologic and semeiologic study. 163 operated cases].

The authors report a retrospective study of 163 cases of degenerative or constitutional stenosis of the lumbar canal. In this series, the most frequent cause was osteoarthrosis and constitutional stenoses were relatively rare. The authors note that this is often a difficult aetiological distinction to make, especially in elderly patients and the anatomical deformities caused by osteoarthrosis lead to stenosis of the canal similar to that seen in constitutional malformations.

Treatment of lumbar disc herniation by chymopapain chemonucleolysis. A report on 120 patients.

Ninety of 120 patients with herniated lumbar discs who received an intradiscal injection of chymopapain achieved successful recovery. Sixteen of the 21 patients who underwent subsequent surgery had a good result. Study of the unsuccessful cases showed that disc sequestration and lateral stenosis were the major organic causes of failure.

[Chemonucleolysis in the treatment of sciatica from herniated lumbar disc (author's transl)].

A proteolytic enzyme was used to dissolve the nucleus pulposus in 140 cases of sciatica from herniated lumbar disc. The results were satisfactory in 75% of 120 patients followed up for more than 6 months. This percentage of success, similar to that obtained with surgical excision of the disc, can only be achieved with a rigourous technique and, more importantly, with strict selection of the patients.

[Treatment of disk sciatica by chemonucleolysis. 120 cases].

One hundred and twenty patients suffering some sciatica due to disc herniation have been treated by chemonucleolysis. All the patients had received conservative treatment for at least four months. The minimum followup after nucleolysis was six months.

[Treatment of intervertebral disk sciatica by chemonucleolysis. Analysis of 56 cases].

The authors report 56 cases of sciatica treated by chemonucleolysis with follow-up ranging from six months to two years. All patients presented with manifest clinical symptomes of intervertebral disc herniation, and the diagnostic was verified by myelography. In all cases myelographic findings corresponded to clinical topography when the topography was precisely defined.

[Degenerative lumbar stenosis (author's transl)].

Sixty eight patients with degenerative lumbar stenosis have been operated on: 42 presented a degenerative spondylolisthesis (S.D) with predominantly central stenosis; while in 36 with arthrosic sciatica (S.A.

[Acceleration of repair of non-unions by electromagnetic fields (author's transl)].

This work deals with the results obtained by four French orthopaedic departments using the electromagnetic field stimulation for non union treatment. This is the method established by A. Bassett.

Postoperative lumbar epiduro-arachnoiditis. Diagnostic and therapeutic aspects.

Thirty-eight patients with the diagnosis of postoperative epiduro-arachnoiditis are reported upon. All had had previous surgery for disc herniation, and the diagnosis of epiduro-arachnoiditis was confirmed at repeat surgery. Massive epidural scarring with no coexistent pathologic condition was found in every patient, and adhesive arachnoiditis was noted in three.

[Postoperative sciatica from epidural fibrosis and lumbar arachnoiditis. Results of 38 repeat operations].

Lumbar epiduro-arachnoiditis is a well-known complication of surgery of the intervertebral disc. The epidural fibrous scar is the normal outcome of inflammatory activity secondary to the mechanical tissue disturbance resulting from surgery. In certain individuals, perhaps genetically predisposed as excessive quantity of fibrous tissue is deposited in the epi and/or nitradural space.

Adult lumbar scoliosis.

This report details the expierience with adult lumbar scoliosis among patients at a scoliosis center. Some curves are shown to progress in the adult, while others appear de novo. Pain arising in adult scoliosis may reflect root compression or segmental degeneration.

[Postero-lateral bone grafting in the lumbar and lumbo-sacral spine (author's transl)].

78 arthrodeses of the lumbar and lumbo-sacral region were performed by a postero-lateral approach. The technique is described and the results. The patients were reviewed after an average follow-up of 4 years.

One stage femoral lengthening.

Femoral lengthening can be obtained by a technique using a Z osteotomy and a distraction device separate from the operative field. The expected gain in length is 3-3.5 cm in children, 4-4.

Repeat surgery after disc excision.

Sixty patients requiring repeat surgery after lumbar disc excision are reviewed. Thirty-one had had their initial surgery performed by the authors and represent a 5.9% frequency of repeat surgery after initial laminectomy for sciatica.

[Avascular necrosis of the femoral head following fracture of the neck. Early diagnosis using radioactive tracers].

The authors have injected Sr85 intravenously and studied its fixation in samples taken from the femoral head with a trephine in the course of reduction and fixation of fractures of the femoral neck. Thirty-eight cases were studied, of which ten developed secondary avascular necrosis of the femoral head. All the patients were followed up for more than three years.