Concentration-Dependent Efficacy of Recombinant Human Bone Morphogenetic Protein-2 Using a HA/β-TCP Hydrogel Carrier in a Mini-Pig Vertebral Oblique Lateral Interbody Fusion Model.

Bone morphogenetic protein-2 (BMP-2) is used in the treatment of degenerative spinal disease and vertebral fractures, spine fusion, dental surgery, and facial surgery. However, high doses are associated with side effects such as inflammation and osteophytes. In this study, we performed spinal fusion surgery on mini-pigs using BMP-2 and a HA/β-TCP hydrogel carrier, and evaluated the degree of fusion and osteophyte growth according to time and dosage.

Surgical Versus Conservative Management for Treating Unstable Atlas Fractures: A Multicenter Study.

Objective: This multicenter study compared radiological parameters and clinical outcomes between surgical and nonsurgical management and investigated treatment characteristics associated with the successful management of unstable atlas fractures.

Methods: We retrospectively evaluated 53 consecutive patients with unstable atlas fracture who underwent halo-vest immobilization (HVI) or surgical fixation. Clinical outcomes were assessed using neck visual analogue scale and disability index.

A Prospective, Multi-Center, Double-Blind, Randomized Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of the Synthetic Bone Graft Material DBM Gel with rhBMP-2 versus DBM Gel Used during the TLIF Procedure in Patients with Lumbar Disc Disease.

Objective: This study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of demineralized bone matrix (DBM) gel versus DBM gel with recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2 (rhBMP-2) used in transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF).

Methods: This study was designed as a prospective, multi-center, double-blind method, randomized study. All randomized subjects underwent TLIF with DBM gel with rhBMP-2 group (40 patients) as an experimental group or DBM gel group (36 patients) as a control group.

Feasibility of Using the Epidural Space Detecting Device (EPI-Detection) for Interlaminar Cervical Epidural Injection.

Cervical epidural injection (CEI), which is widely used for the treatment of cervical radiculopathy, sometimes has been associated with post-operative complications. Recently, EPI-Detection, which detects the negative pressure of the epidural space and notifies the proceduralist by flashing a light and producing a beeping sound, was introduced. We assumed that the newly developed device could be as safe and efficient as the conventional loss of resistance (LOR) method.

Synthesis and Characterization of Polyfumarateurethane Nanoparticles for Sustained Release of Bupivacaine.

Biodegradable polyfumarateurethane (PFU) for use as a bupivacaine delivery vehicle, synthesized using di-(2-hydroxypropyl fumarate) (DHPF), polyethylene glycol (PEG) and 1,6-hexamethylene diisocyanate (HMDI), was designed to be degradable through the hydrolysis and enzymatic degradation of the ester bonds in its polymer backbone. Using a water-in-oil-in-water double emulsion techniques, nanoparticles encapsulating water or fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) were fabricated to avoid the immune system owing to the presence of PEG on their surface. The morphologies of these nanoparticles were characterized by DLS, TEM, FE-SEM, and fluorescent microscopies.

Residence could influence the surgical outcome after corrective surgery in adult spinal deformity: comparison study between urban and rural area in Korea.

Purpose: Numerous factors affect the surgical outcomes in patients with adult spinal deformity (ASD). However, no study has examined the relationship between residence and physical factors and surgical outcomes in patients with ASD. Here, we analysed the impact of residence and physical factors on the post-operative outcomes of patients with ASD residing in urban (U) and rural (R) environments.

Surgical Management of Gorham-Stout Disease in Cervical Compression Fracture with Cervicothoracic Fusion: Case Report and Review of Literature.

Background: Gorham-Stout disease (GSD) or "vanishing bone" disease is characterized by progressive osteolysis with intraosseous lymphangiomatosis (hemangiomatosis). Given its rarity, with about 300 reported cases, its pathophysiology, etiology, and treatment guidelines are not established yet.

Case Description: A 22-year-old man was admitted to Severance Hospital with the chief complaint of neck pain from an injury due to falling.

Diversity in Surgical Decision Strategies for Adult Spine Deformity Treatment: The Effects of Neurosurgery or Orthopedic Training Background and Surgical Experience.

Objective: This study is aimed to investigate whether surgical strategies for adult spinal deformity (ASD) treatment differed among Korean physicians.

Methods: This study is retrospective questionnaire-based study. ASD is challenging to manage, with a broad range of clinical and radiological presentations.

Comparison of Cervical Alignment and Clinical Outcomes in Patients with Os Odontoideum versus Non-Os Odontoideum after Atlantoaxial Fixation.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare the effect of atlantoaxial fixation on cervical alignment and clinical outcomes in patients with os odontoideum (OO) versus non-os odontoideum (non-OO).

Methods: A total of 119 patients who underwent atlantoaxial fixation for instability were identified between January 1998 and January 2014. Inclusion criteria included age more than 21 years and diagnosis of OO and non-OO.

Middle Meningeal Artery Embolization in Recurrent Chronic Subdural Hematoma Combined with Arachnoid Cyst.

Chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) is a collection of old blood and its breakdown products between the surface of the brain parenchyma and the outermost layer called the dura. The most common treatment option for primary CSDH is burr-hole trephination; however, the treatment method for recurrent CSDH is still widely debated. An arachnoid cyst (AC) is a sac filled with cerebrospinal fluid located between the brain or spinal cord and the arachnoid membrane, which is one of the three meninges covering the brain or spinal cord.

Clinical Analysis of Delayed Surgical Epidural Hematoma.

Objective: A small epidural hematoma (EDH) that has been diagnosed to be nonsurgical by initial brain computed tomography (CT) can increase in size and need surgical removal, resulting in a poor prognosis. However, there have been few studies, which focused delayed operated EDH. Therefore, we analyzed the clinical factors to determine the predicting factors of delayed operated EDH.

Effect of quercetin on impaired immune function in mice exposed to irradiation.

Radiation used in cancer treatment may cause side effects such as inflammation. Quercetin is a polyphenol that reduces inflammation. This study evaluated the recovery efficacy of quercetin on impaired immune function in irradiation-induced inflammatory mice.

Acute sensorineural hearing loss and severe otalgia due to scrub typhus.

Background: Scrub typhus is an acute febrile illness caused by Orientia tsutsugamushi.

Case Presentations: We encountered a patient with sensorineural hearing loss complicating scrub typhus, and three patients with scrub typhus who complained of otalgia, which was sudden onset, severe, paroxysmal, intermittent yet persistent pain lasting for several seconds, appeared within 1 week after the onset of fever and rash. The acute sensorineural hearing loss and otalgia were resolved after antibiotic administration.