A Clinical Experience with Decompressive Craniectomy.

Aim: To investigate the patients who underwent decompressive craniectomy (DC) for trauma or cerebrovascular disease, and to determine the most suitable treatment protocol for those patients.

Material And Methods: Overall, 32 patients with trauma or cerebrovascular disease underwent DC. Clinical, radiological and surgical data of surviving patients was retrospectively analysed.

The Role of Bone Scintigraphy in Determining Spinal Fusion after Spinal Stabilisation Surgery.

Aim: To evaluate the usefulness of bone scintigraphy in spinal fusion surgery.

Material And Methods: This retrospective study included 21 patients who had undergone previous anterior or posterior spinal fusion procedures, or both. Implant failure, fusion failure and adjacent segment disease were the evaluated pathological parameters.

Assessing the effects of lumbar posterior stabilization and fusion to vertebral bone density in stabilized and adjacent segments by using Hounsfield unit.

Background: Computed tomography (CT) with Hounsfield unit (HU) is being used with increasing frequency for determining bone density. Established correlations between HU and bone density have been shown in the literature. The aim of this retrospective study was to determine the bone density changes of the stabilized and adjacent segment vertebral bodies by comparing HU values before and after lumbar posterior stabilization.

Contribution of Neural Elements to Thoracic Stability.

Aim: Studies of spinal biomechanics typically do not focus on the contributions to range of motion (ROM) of the primary components of the spinal canal, dura, arachnoid, pia, spinal cord, nerve roots, ligaments, and vessels. We sought to determine the stability offered by these soft tissues in vitro.

Material And Methods: Human cadaveric segments were tested intact, after osteoligamentous destabilization, and after transection of T8-9 spinal canal components.

Association of anterior thoracic meningocele and azygos lobe of the lung.

Here we report an anterior thoracic meningocele case. Twoyears- old female patient was presented with kyphosis. Azygos lobe of the lung was also demonstrated during radiological studies.

Which Biomarker is most Effective to Determine Severity of Acute Head Trauma in the Experimental Animal Head Trauma Model?

Aim: Because of the need for effective method to determine the severity of head trauma, the importance of biomarkers is recognized recently. This study aims to analyze the values of sera levels of some biomarkers and the relation with their tissue levels in acute head injury.

Material And Methods: In this study, rats were divided into three groups (mild head trauma, severe head trauma and control group).

Which method is the most effective for preventing postoperative infection in spinal surgery?

Background: Several methods have been used to reduce the infection rate in spinal surgeries with instrumentation.

Purpose: Which method is the most effective for preventing postoperative infection?

Study Design: Basic science, animal model.

Objective: In the present study, the efficiency of antibiotic prophylaxis, silver-plated screws, and local rifamycin application to the surgical site was investigated in an experimental animal model.

[Atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumor: case report].

Atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumor is a rare highly malignant embryonal tumor of the central nervous system that is often seen in early childhood. It is very important to distinguish it from other brain tumors because it has a very poor prognosis and there are differences in its treatment. A case of atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumor in a six-week-old male baby is presented.

Comparison of the diagnostic utility of electromyography, ultrasonography, computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging in idiopathic carpal tunnel syndrome determined by clinical findings.

Background: Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is the most common nerve entrapment syndrome. It is sometimes difficult to diagnose, and a late diagnosis may result in permanent nerve damage. Electromyography (EMG), ultrasonography (US), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and computed tomography (CT) may be performed for the diagnosis.

Biomechanics of thoracic short versus long fixation after 3-column injury.

Object: Posterior screw-rod fixation for thoracic spine trauma usually involves fusion across long segments. Biomechanical data on screw-based short-segment fixation for thoracic fusion are lacking. The authors compared the effects of spanning short and long segments in the thoracic spine.

Biomechanical evaluation of posterior thoracic transpedicular discectomy.

Object: The authors investigated the biomechanical properties of transpedicular discectomy in the thoracic spine and compared the effects on spinal stability of a partial and total facetectomy.

Methods: Human thoracic specimens were tested while intact, after a transpedicular discectomy with partial facetectomy, and after an additional total facetectomy was incorporated. Nonconstraining pure moments were applied under load control (maximum 7.

Rapid spontaneous resolution of epidural hematoma: a case report.

Incidence of acute epidural hematoma is estimated as 1.5% of patients treated for head trauma. The condition can be fatal, and urgent surgical evacuation is recommended.

Quantitative analysis of misplaced pedicle screws in the thoracic spine: how much pullout strength is lost?: presented at the 2009 Joint Spine Section Meeting.

Object: The object of this study was to investigate the effects of iatrogenic pedicle perforations from screw misplacement on the mean pullout strength of thoracic pedicle screws.

Methods: Forty human thoracic vertebrae (T6-11) from human cadavers were studied. Before pedicle screws were inserted, the specimens were separated into 4 groups according to the type of screw used: 1) standard pedicle screw (no cortical perforation); 2) screw with medial cortical perforation; 3) screw with lateral cortical perforation; and 4) "airball" screw (a screw that completely missed the vertebral body).

Spontaneous syringomyelia resolution at an adult Chiari type 1 malformation.

We present a 41-year-old man with Chiari type 1 malformation and cervical syringomyelia. Although the tonsillar herniation persisted, his syringomyelia was almost completely resolved during an eleven-year time period without surgery.

A rare brain developmental anomaly in a patient with Usher's syndrome.

We report a rare brain developmental anomaly in Usher's syndrome. We present a 43-year-old male with visual disturbance, hearing loss, and headache. Retinitis pigmentosa and sensorineural hearing loss were determined and he was diagnosed with Usher's syndrome according to the clinical findings.

Spontaneous third ventriculostomy in chronic obstructive hydrocephalus.

Introduction: Spontaneous ventriculostomy is a rare condition, and only few cases are reported. Cine magnetic resonance imaging can demonstrate the flow from the ventriculostomy.

Case Report: A 25-year-old woman with a known tectal glioma and hydrocephalus was proved to have spontaneous third ventriculostomy.

Compressive hyperextension injury of C2-C3 managed with anterior plate fixation: case report.

We report a C2 tear-drop fracture of a 69-year-old patient which occurred after a fall. Although tear drop fractures of the subaxial cervical spine mostly develop due to a flexion type injury, the mechanism is often compressive hyperextension injury at the C2 vertebra. Rigid external stabilization and internal fixation are the treatment alternatives.

Traumatic L4-L5 spondylolisthesis: case report.

We report a case of L4-L5 traumatic anterolisthesis. The patient was treated surgically 4 months after the injury. His radiological and operative findings showed L4 inferior facet tip fracture, L4-L5 anterior displacement and left L4-L5 foraminal disc protrusion.

Unregistered subtracted CT angiography for the visualization of intracranial arteries at or near the skull base: preliminary experience.

Purpose: Restrictions with computed tomography angiography (CTA) regarding the visualization of arteries near the skull base are well known. Today, the gold standard for overcoming this is the matched mask bone elimination method. Worldwide use of this method is limited since it requires advanced imaging physics and software.

Orbital metastasis of prostate cancer: a case report.

We report a case with metastatic orbital cancer secondary to prostatic adenocarcinoma. After initiation of total androgen blockade, the visual complaints, pain and periorbital swelling regressed dramatically within 2 months of treatment. However, the disease subsequently progressed and the patient died 12 months after diagnosis.

A case of bladder exstrophy and thoracal intramedullary teratoma.

Exstrophic bladder and intramedullary teratomas are rare congenital anomalies. To the authors' knowledge, the coexistence of these 2 anomalies has not been reported previously. The authors report on a newborn with thoracal intramedullary teratoma and exstrophic bladder.