Platelet-rich plasma does not accelerate the healing of damaged muscle following muscle strain.

Although platelet-rich plasma (PRP) has been widely used regardless of the severity of muscle strain, there have been very few basic studies in which its effects on muscle injury were examined by using models that accurately mimic the clinical muscle strain injury process. Therefore, the aim of this study was to confirm by physiological and structural analyses whether PRP purified by a general preparation method has a muscle healing effect on muscle damage caused by eccentric contraction (ECC). Male Wistar rats were subjected to muscle injury induced by ECC in bilateral plantar flexor muscles using electrical stimulation and an automatically dorsiflexing footplate.

Association of central sensitization, visceral fat, and surgical outcomes in lumbar spinal stenosis.

Background: Controversy remains regarding predictors of surgical outcomes for patients with lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS). Pain sensitization may be an underlying mechanism contributing to LSS surgical outcomes. Further, obesity is associated with dissatisfaction and poorer outcomes after surgery for LSS.

Skeletal muscle endurance declines with impaired mitochondrial respiration and inadequate supply of acetyl-CoA during muscle fatigue in 5/6 nephrectomized rats.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD)-related cachexia increases the risks of reduced physical activity and mortality. However, the physiological phenotype of skeletal muscle fatigue and changes in intramuscular metabolites during muscle fatigue in CKD-related cachexia remain unclear. In the present study, we performed detailed muscle physiological evaluation, analysis of mitochondrial function, and comprehensive analysis of metabolic changes before and after muscle fatigue in a 5/6 nephrectomized rat model of CKD.

Does the L4 nerve root extend during femoral nerve stretch test? A cadaveric study of four cases analyzing the extension rates of the lumbar nerve root.

Background: Lumbar radicular pain is a common symptom of lumbar disc herniation and spinal canal stenosis, and L4 nerve root impingement is difficult to diagnose. This study aimed to elucidate the extension rate of L4 nerve roots in Thiel-embalmed specimens using both classic and new femoral nerve stretch test (FNST), as well as straight leg raising test (SLRT). Additionally, the extension rate of the L2 and L3 nerve roots and L5 and S1 roots were determined using FNST (both classic and new) and SLRT, respectively.

Broad and Asymmetric Lower Extremity Myotomes: Results From Intraoperative Direct Electrical Stimulation of the Lumbosacral Spinal Roots.

Study Design: Retrospective review of prospectively collected data.

Objective: This study aimed to accurately map the lower extremity muscles innervated by the lumbar spinal roots by directly stimulating the spinal roots during surgery.

Summary Of Background Data: Innervation of the spinal roots in the lower extremities has been estimated by clinical studies, anatomic studies, and animal experiments.

Evaluation of segmental mobility in patients with lumbar spondylolisthesis : A comparison of images from standing flexion-extension and standing/supine slippage.

Purpose: To evaluate segmental mobility with degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis (DLS), upright lateral flexion-extension radiographs (FE) are widely used. However, some authors have described that a combination of lateral radiographs in the standing position and supine sagittal image (SS) reveal more segmental mobility than FE. The purpose of this study was to investigate the optimal method for evaluating segmental mobility with DLS.

Intravoxel Incoherent Motion Factors Affecting Collapse and Nonunion of Osteoporotic Vertebral Fracture.

Study Design: Longitudinal study.

Objectives: Intravoxel incoherent motion (IVIM), a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanning technique that applies diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), is effective for the quantitative assessment of malignant tumors of the vertebral bone. We hypothesized that IVIM parameters of vertebral bodies are associated with the prognosis of osteoporotic vertebral fracture (OVF).

T1rho, T2, and T2* relaxation time based on grading of intervertebral disc degeneration.

Background: Previous studies have explored the biochemical changes of disc degeneration and its relevance in low back pain using various quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques. However, quantitative evaluation of intervertebral disc (IVD) with MRI such as T1rho, T2, and T2* have not been previously analyzed and compared directly in the same patients.

Purpose: To investigate T1rho, T2, and T2* of IVD degeneration in the same patients, reveal the correlation coefficients of these values, and evaluate which values are more sensitive to detect the degree of IVD degeneration.

Degenerative Lumbar Spondylolisthesis Patients With Movement-related Low Back Pain Have Less Postoperative Satisfaction After Decompression Alone.

Study Design: Retrospective analysis of prospectively collected multicenter observational data.

Objective: The aim was to examine the preoperative factors affecting postoperative satisfaction following posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) and microendoscopic muscle-preserving interlaminar decompression (ME-MILD) in patients with degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis (DLS).

Summary Of Background Data: The technique involved in DLS surgery may either be decompression alone or decompression-fixation.

Factors associated with low back pain in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Low back pain (LBP) is a major symptom of symptomatic lumbar spinal stenosis (SLSS). It is important to assess LBP in patients with SLSS to develop better treatment. This study aimed to analyse the factors associated with LBP in patients with SLSS.

Ultrastructural Assessment and Proteomic Analysis in Myofibrillogenesis in the Heart Primordium After Heartbeat Initiation in Rats.

Myofibrillogenesis is an essential process for cardiogenesis and is closely related to excitation-contraction coupling and the maintenance of heartbeat. It remains unclear whether the formation of myofibrils and sarcomeres is associated with heartbeat initiation in the early embryonic heart development. Here, we investigated the association between the ultrastructure of myofibrils assessed by transmission electron microscopy and their proteomic profiling assessed by data-independent acquisition mass spectrometry (DIA-MS) in the rat heart primordia before and after heartbeat initiation at embryonic day 10.

Associations between visceral fat chronic low back pain and central sensitization in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis.

Background: Pain sensitization may be one of the mechanisms contributing to chronic low back pain (CLBP).

Objective: To evaluate the association between visceral fat, CLBP, and central sensitization (CS); describe the relationship between low back pain (LBP) intensity and CS; and identify possible correlation between visceral fat and LBP intensity.

Methods: Patients with CLBP were divided using their CS inventory (CSI) scores into low- (CSI < 40) and high-CSI (CSI ⩾ 40) subgroups.

Effect of Minimally Invasive Selective Laminectomy for Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy on Degenerative Spondylolisthesis.

Study Design: Retrospective analysis of prospectively collected observational data.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the slippage, sagittal alignment, and range of motion (ROM) after selective laminectomy (SL) in patients who had cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM) with degenerative spondylolisthesis (DS).

Summary Of Background Data: Clinical outcomes have been reported for both decompression and fusion surgeries for DS of the lumbar spine.

Optimal acceleration factor for image acquisition in turbo spin echo: diffusion-weighted imaging with compressed sensing.

In this study, the change in the image quality and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) with increase in the acceleration factor (AF) was analyzed and the most optimal AF was determined to reduce the scan time while preserving the image quality. The AF was changed from 2 to 20 in the MR acquisitions. The similarities between the accelerated and reference images were determined based on the structural similarity (SSIM) index for DWI image and coefficient of variation (%CV) for ADC.

Association between lumbar segmental mobility and intervertebral disc degeneration quantified by magnetic resonance imaging T2 mapping.

Background: The relation between segmental mobility and degree of lumbar degenerative change is still unknown. This cross-sectional study aimed to elucidate the association between intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) and segmental mobility in chronic low back pain using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) T2 mapping.

Methods: Subjects comprised 60 patients (29 men, 31 women; mean age, 61.

Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopic Analysis of Multifidus Muscle Lipid Contents and Association with Nociceptive Pain in Chronic Low Back Pain.

Study Design: Cross-sectional study.

Purpose: This study aimed to analyze the differences in the lipid contents in chronic low back pain (CLBP) patients with nociceptive pain (NocP) and neuropathic pain (NeP) using magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) of the multifidus muscle (Mm).

Overview Of Literature: Early identification of the pain characteristics with CLBP is important because specific treatment approaches are required, depending on NocP and NeP.

Is the Lipid Content of the Psoas Major Correlated with Chronic Low Back Pain and Spinopelvic Alignment? A Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopic Study.

Study Design: Cross-sectional observational study.

Purpose: This study aimed to analyze any potential associations of extramyocellular lipid (EMCL) and intramyocellular lipid (IMCL) contents with (1) the intensity of low back pain (LBP); (2) age, cross-sectional area (CSA), and fatty infiltration (FI) of the psoas major; and (3) spinopelvic parameters.

Overview Of Literature: The psoas major has clinically relevant function; however, the association of this muscle with chronic LBP is controversial.

Association between Spinopelvic Alignment and Lumbar Intervertebral Disc Degeneration Quantified with Magnetic Resonance Imaging T2 Mapping in Patients with Chronic Low Back Pain.

Introduction: Although intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) and spinopelvic malalignment are likely key structural features of spinal degeneration and chronic low back pain (CLBP), the correlation analysis has not been fully conducted. This cross-sectional quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) T2 mapping study aimed to elucidate the association between IVDD and spinopelvic alignment in CLBP patients.

Methods: The subjects included 45 CLBP patients (19 men and 26 women; mean age, 63.

Relevance between Schmorl's Node and Lumbar Intervertebral Disc Degeneration Quantified with Magnetic Resonance Imaging T2 Mapping in Chronic Low Back Pain.

Study Design: Cross-sectional study.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to elucidate the relevance among Schmorl's node (SN), chronic low back pain (CLBP), and intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) with the use of magnetic resonance imaging T2 mapping.

Overview Of Literature: SN may be combined with CLBP and/or IVDD; however, their relationship has not been determined to date.

Imaging diagnosis for intervertebral disc.

Various functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques have been investigated in recent years and are being used in clinical practice for the patients with low back pain (LBP). MRI is an important modality for diagnosing intervertebral disc (IVD) degeneration. In recent years, there have been several reported attempts to use MRI T2 mapping and MRI T1ρ mapping to quantify lumbar disc degeneration.

Glossopharyngeal and Hypoglossal Nerve Paralysis Secondary to Prevertebral Phlegmon.

A 50-year-old man presented to the clinic with severe neck pain, fever, and difficulty breathing and was subsequently admitted to the local orthopedics department with possible retropharyngeal abscess and pyogenic spondylitis. Antibiotic therapy was initiated; however, due to poor oxygenation, he was referred and transferred to our department and admitted. Magnetic resonance imaging showed signal changes at the left C1/2 lateral atlantoaxial joint, posterior pharynx, longus colli muscle, carotid space, and medial deep cervical region, predominantly on the left side.

Quantitative Analysis Concerning Atrophy and Fat Infiltration of the Multifidus Muscle with Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy in Chronic Low Back Pain.

Introduction: Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) enables detailed analysis of the composition of muscular fat tissues such as intramyocellular lipids (IMCLs) and extramyocellular lipids (EMCLs). The aim of this study was to analyze the EMCL and IMCL of the multifidus muscle (Mm) using MRS in chronic low-back pain (CLBP) patients and identify their possible correlations with age, body mass index (BMI), low-back pain (LBP) visual analog scale (VAS) score, cross-sectional area (CSA), and fat infiltration of the Mm.

Methods: Eighty patients (32 men and 48 women; mean age, 64.

Do We Have Adequate Flexion-extension Radiographs for Evaluating Instability in Patients With Lumbar Spondylolisthesis?

Study Design: A retrospective cohort study of consecutive patients.

Objective: To investigate whether adequate flexion-extension was acquired in standard functional radiographs in lumbar spondylolisthesis.

Summary Of Background Data: In lumbar spondylolisthesis, flexion-extension radiographs taken in the standing position are most commonly used to evaluate spinal instability.

Multifidus Muscles Lipid Content Is Associated with Intervertebral Disc Degeneration: A Quantitative Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study.

Study Design: Cross-sectional study.

Purpose: To determine the association between fatty degeneration of the multifidus muscle (Mm) and intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) using quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Overview Of Literature: Few studies have reported on quantitative MRI analysis of the relation between the Mm and IVDD.