Technique for collection of cerebrospinal fluid from the cisterna magna in rat.

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is in direct contact with the extracellular space in the central nervous system (CNS), and biological changes in the brain can be reflected in CSF. In the present article, a procedure for collection of CSF in rats is described. The technique quickly and reliably yields large quantities of CSF (50-150 microl) in rats.

Use of spinous processes to determine the optimal trajectory for placement of lateral mass screws: technical note.

Study Design: Retrospective chart analysis.

Objective: In the current report, we present a new technique for the placement of lateral mass screws from C3 to C7. The safety, complications, and long-term clinical and imaging follow-up were analyzed.

Delayed lateral rectus palsy following resection of a pineal cyst in sitting position: direct or indirect compressive phenomenon?

A rare case of delayed lateral rectus palsy in a patient following resection of a pineal lesion in the sitting position is presented. Postoperative pneumocephalus is common following craniospinal surgical intervention in the sitting position. The sixth cranial nerve is frequently injured because of its prolonged intracranial course.

Reactivation of dormant lumbar methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus osteomyelitis after 12 years.

The adequate treatment of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) osteomyelitis has intrigued clinicians for some time. As the resistance of these pathogens, coupled with the increase in community-acquired cases, continues steadily to rise, clinicians are finding it useful to employ multi-modal approaches for efficacious treatment. The authors present a single case report of a patient with recurrent MRSA osteomyelitis, lumbar paraspinal and epidural abscess.

Nonhemorrhagic cord contusion after percutaneous fiducial placement: case report and surgical recommendations.

Study Design: Single case report and extensive literature review.

Objectives: To present the first such report of cervical cord contusion after the percutaneous placement of gold-seed fiducials. The pathomechanics and surgical recommendations are reviewed.

Intradural extramedullary mature cystic teratoma: not only a childhood disease.

Objective: The authors report on the first case of a spinal intradural extramedullary cystic teratoma in an aged patient. These lesions have been reported in adolescents and young adults often with a history of spinal dysraphism. They are believed to be congenital lesions; however, they have also been reported in patients with a history of posterior spinal surgery or lumbar puncture.

Major venous sinus resection in the surgical treatment of recurrent aggressive dural based tumors.

Background: Despite gross total resection, aggressive dural based tumors invading major venous sinuses have high recurrence rates with poor long-term survivability. Options for aggressive surgical management of dural sinus invasion may be limited by the inherently high risk of morbidity and mortality.

Methods: Between July 1996 and July 2002, 5 cases of recurrent aggressive dural based tumors were operated on.

The treatment of complex dural arteriovenous fistulae through cranial base techniques.

Introduction: The endovascular modality of treatment is the preferred treatment modality for DAVF. In some circumstances, successful obliteration may not be possible by endovascular means, and such cases may require a direct surgical treatment. The authors report on their experience with the use of cranial base approaches in the treatment of deep and complex DAVF.

Cranial base approaches for the surgical treatment of aggressive posterior fossa dural arteriovenous fistulae with leptomeningeal drainage: report of four technical cases.

Objective And Importance: Dural arteriovenous fistulae (DAVFs) with leptomeningeal drainage have an aggressive natural history. Urgent treatment is necessary to arrest neurological deterioration and to prevent the risk of intracranial hemorrhage. In many patients, a primary endovascular approach is the most appropriate and most successful treatment available.

Does anterior plating maintain cervical lordosis versus conventional fusion techniques? A retrospective analysis of patients receiving single-level fusions.

A retrospective review of medical records and radiographs of patients receiving anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) without anterior plating and with anterior plating was performed. The objective of the study was to determine whether a difference exists in cervical lordotic alignment between subjects undergoing single-level ACDF with and without anterior cervical plating instrumentation for symptomatic cervical disc disease. Collapse or settling of grafted bone into the vertebral endplates with resulting kyphotic deformity of the cervical spine is a commonly described complication of anterior discectomy and fusion.