Lumbar fusion for lytic spondylolisthesis: Is an interbody cage necessary?

Study Design: This study was a retrospective observational study.

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to determine the radiological and clinical outcome of using locally sourced autologous bone graft in the surgical management of single-level lumbar lytic spondylolisthesis.

Background: Many spinal surgeons supplement pedicle screw fixation of lumbar spondylolisthesis with cages.

Symptomatic lumbar disc protrusion causing progressive myelopathy in a low-lying cord.

Low-lying cord is an uncommon entity, and cord compression due lumbar disc disease is rarely encountered. We discuss our experience with a case of lumbar cord compression secondary to a large disc protrusion, which caused myelopathy in a low-lying/tethered cord. A 77-year-old woman with known spina bifida occulta presented with 6-week history of severe low back pain and progressive paraparesis.

Claustrophobia: a proxy for psychological distress in patients with back pain.

Study Design: Case-control study.

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the levels of psychological distress in patients with back pain who expressed claustrophobia at the time of their magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan, compared with sex and age-matched normal controls who did not exhibit claustrophobia. The secondary aim was to document the level of disability and intervention rates in this group.

Anterior screw fixation of type II odontoid fractures in the elderly.

Purpose: Optimal surgical treatment in elderly patients with type II odontoid fracture is still controversial. The purpose of this study is to investigate the surgical outcomes of anterior screw fixation of type II B odontoid fractures in the elderly.

Materials: Fifteen patients who had type II B odontoid fracture were treated consecutively by anterior odontoid screw fixation between 2001 and 2005.

The diagnosis and management of infection following instrumented spinal fusion.

A 10-year retrospective audit. (1) The incidence of infection; (2) causative organisms; (3) whether eradication of infection is achievable with spinal implant retention; (4) patient outcome. The reported incidence of infection following posterior spinal instrumentation is between 2.

Spontaneous rupture of the popliteus tendon in a 74-year-old woman and review of the literature.

Spontaneous rupture of the popliteus tendon has not previously been reported. We report the case of a 74-year-old patient, discuss its diagnosis and management, and review the current literature on isolated popliteus lesions. A multi-database electronic literature review suggests that the injury is invariably traumatic and has essentially been reported only in young, active individuals.