[Replacement of cervical vertebrae by carbon implants].

The cervical vertebrae were replaced by carbon implants in 60 patients; carbon synthetic foam was used in 19 of them and composite material based on carbon (ostec) in 41. The biological and mechanical properties of the implants ensured firm stabilization of the spine and excluded the danger of postoperative kyphosis and destruction of the vertebral bodies by the implant.

[Use of local hypothermia in complicated spinal injuries (clinical and experimental studies)].

Experimental data on 116 adult mongrel dogs and clinical findings of 121 patients with complicated spinal injury who had been operated on at Moscow Clinical Hospital No. 67 which is a basis of the Clinic of Traumatology, Orthopedics and Military Surgery, I.M.

[Rheumatoid blood factors in patients with complicated spinal injury].

Enzyme immunoassay (ELISA) was used to study the levels of serum rheumatoid factors (RF) of classes IgM and IgG in patients with spinal injuries and osteochondrosis. The findings show that at the late stages of the disease, the patients with spinal injury show 46% seropositiveness for IgG-RF and 40% for IgM-RF. Patients with fresh central nervous system (CNS) injuries were 12 and 14% seropositive, respectively.

[Rheumatoid blood serum factors in patients with traumatic injuries of the spinal cord].

Enzyme immunoassay was used in the research of the levels of rheumatoid factor (RF) of IgM and IgG in the blood serum of patients with the injury of the spinal cord and osteochondroses. Analysis of the results obtained demonstrated a 46% RF IgG seropositivity and 40% RF IgM seropositivity in the patients with the injury of the spinal cord in the late period of the disease. The patients with freshly injured CNS demonstrated 12 and 14% seropositivity, respectively.

[Joint prosthetics using carbon implants].

A group of "Intost" materials based on carbon were developed by the I. M. Sechenov Moscow Medical Academy jointly with the Research Institute of Graphite.

[Immune complexes IN blood and liquor in patients with spinal cord injuries].

Serum levels of circulating immune complexes (CIC) and those in the liquor were studied in patients with spinal trauma using enzyme immunoassay. CIC and clinical--laboratory findings characterizing the activity of the inflammation were consistent. Assessment of CIC factor in spinal trauma seems clinically valuable as it is involved in inflammation and tissue damage suggesting a prognosis of CIC-related pathology.

[Reconstructive surgery in complicated trauma of the thoracic and lumbar segments of the spine].

The article presents an analysis of reconstructive operations on the spinal cord in 176 patients with traumas of the thoracic and lumbar parts of the vertebral column. The operative treatment in acute period consisted in end-to-end anastomosis of the horse's tail roots, in late period of trauma disease of the spinal cord--in reconstruction of the spinal cord defects with intercostal nerves by the type of "collateral anastomosis" or free transplants from the peripheral nerve. The operations performed resulted in an improvement of sensitivity, movement, functions of pelvic organs in part of the patients.

[Stabilization of the cervical spine with biocompatible polymer implants].

The authors have used grafts for stabilization of the spine in 16 patients including 12 patients after anterior decompression of the spinal cord and in 4 patients with spondylodesis. The grafts were used in combination with osteoplasty with autografts taken after resection of the vertebral bodies. The osseous block took place on the average 4 weeks earlier as compared with auto--and allobone owing to the autografts.

[Filling-in of bone margin defects with carbon implants].

The article contains data of using carbon implants of syntactic foam to replace marginal defects of bone tissue of finger phalanges and metacarpal bones after excision of enchondromas. Sixteen clinical observations are reported.