Intramedullary spinal cord metastasis: a clinical and imaging study of seven patients.

Objectives: Intramedullary spinal cord metastasis (ISCM) is a rare complication of cancer. This complication has been studied by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) more frequently in the clinical context to improve the survival time of cancer patients. However, the number of the reports of its clinical management or radiographic findings is small.

The behavior of thoracic trabecular bone during flexion.

Thoracic compression fractures are often described as anterior wedge fractures. Although the radiographic signs of these fractures are easily identified, the mechanism of the trabecular failure is not well understood. The current study addressed this mechanism in the lower thoracic spine by measuring the trabecular strain.

Surgical treatment for injuries of the middle and lower cervical spine.

We reviewed the surgical treatment of 31 patients with burst fractures or teardrop dislocation fractures in the middle and lower cervical spine. Patients were treated with anterior instrumentation, posterior instrumentation, or a combination of both. Patients were evaluated radiographically and with the Frankel neurological outcomes grading scale.

Residual neck pain after traumatic spondylolisthesis of the axis.

Objective: Most patients with traumatic spondylolisthesis of the axis are treated nonsurgically. Some patients do not develop symptoms, but others experience strong and persistent neck pain. To clarify the factor that plays a major role in residual neck pain after this fracture, we reviewed nine patients who underwent conservative treatment.

Potential and origin of the hematopoietic population in human skeletal muscle.

While mononuclear cells isolated from murine skeletal muscle were shown to be capable of hematopoietic activity, similar hematopoietic cells (HC) recently were reported to exist in primate muscle. We investigated muscle-derived HC from young and adult human subjects. Although hematopoietic stem cells were rare in muscle, their frequency nonetheless was approximately four times greater than in peripheral blood.

Immortalization of human nucleus pulposus cells by a recombinant SV40 adenovirus vector: establishment of a novel cell line for the study of human nucleus pulposus cells.

Study Design: Establishment and characterization of a de novo cell line derived from human nucleus pulposus cells using a recombinant simian virus 40 (SV40) adenovirus vector.

Objectives: To assess the feasibility of human nucleus pulposus cell line procurement and to evaluate the character of the resultant outcome to better understand the nature of human nucleus pulposus cells.

Summary Of Background Data: Despite recent advances in disc cell biologic research, the fundamental nature of nucleus pulposus cells, especially in the context of human cell lines, is still not well understood.

Spinal osteochondromas in middle-aged to elderly patients.

Study Design: Three case reports of solitary spinal osteochondromas in middle-aged and elderly patients.

Objectives: To describe the treatment of three rare cases of spinal osteochondromas in patients significantly older than the cases previously reported in the literature.

Summary Of Background Data: Osteochondromas arising in the vertebral column are considered rare.