The Transverse Process Trajectory Technique: An Alternative for Thoracic Pedicle Screw Implantation-Radiographic and Biomechanical Analysis.

Background: This study evaluates the accuracy, biomechanical profile, and learning curve of the transverse process trajectory technique (TPT) compared to the straightforward (SF) and in-out-in (IOI) techniques. SF and IOI have been used for fixation in the thoracic spine. Although widely used, there are associated learning curves and symptomatic pedicular breaches.

Intraoperative Neurophysiologic Monitoring Correlates with Neurologic Outcome After Endovascular and Surgical Treatment of a Cervical Arteriovenous Malformation.

Background:  The treatment of spinal intramedullary arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) presents the risk of spinal cord ischemia because of the vascular nidus and their feeding arteries involving and supplying the spinal cord parenchyma. The multimodal approach includes endovascular embolization and microsurgical excision, both benefiting from intraoperative neurophysiologic monitoring. We present a case study of a patient who underwent several staged embolizations and open surgery for microsurgical excision.

Intrinsic brainstem epidermoid cyst. Case report and review of the literature.

Brainstem epidermoid cysts are rare lesions, with only 18 reported cases in the literature and only five purely intrinsic epidermoid cysts within this group. The authors present the case of a 3-year-old girl with a history of chronic headaches, progressive diplopia, and relapsing and remitting mild right hemiparesis who was found to harbor an intrinsic brainstem epidermoid cyst at the pontomedullary junction. Initial working diagnoses included intrinsic brainstem astrocytoma and cavernoma.

Endoscopic third ventriculostomy for hydrocephalus associated with tectal gliomas.

Object: Tectal gliomas are a distinct form of pediatric brainstem tumor that present in patients with symptoms related to increased intracranial pressure due to obstructive hydrocephalus. The natural history of these lesions is often uniquely indolent. Thus, initial surgical therapies are directed at treatment of hydrocephalus, usually with ventricular shunt placement.

Spinal solitary fibrous tumors: a series of four patients: case report.

Objective And Importance: Intraspinal solitary fibrous tumors, which are rare mesenchymal tumors, have previously been reported as case reports. We review our experience and, to our knowledge, the first small institutional series with respect to clinical presentation, diagnosis, surgical management, pathohistological analysis, progression-free survival, and long-term outcome.

Clinical Presentation: In this retrospective review, four patients (three male and one female) ranging in age from 17 to 59 years (mean, 38.

Soluble cell adhesion molecule L1-Fc promotes locomotor recovery in rats after spinal cord injury.

Previous studies suggest that the cell adhesion molecule L1 promotes neurite growth by neutralizing white matter associated inhibitors of axonal growth. We made a soluble chimeric dimer by linking mouse L1 to human Fc. This L1-Fc construct (40 microg/mL) markedly facilitated neurite outgrowth, as well as neuronal adhesion to white matter on frozen sections of spinal cord.