[Experience in treating patients with tuberculous spondylitis].

Some experience in treating 144 patients with tuberculous spondylitis is presented. The cervical, thoracic, and lumbar parts of the spine were affected in 12, 83, and 49 patients, respectively. Medical and surgical treatment was performed in 82 (57%) and 62 (43%) patients, respectively.

[Lumbar spondylarthrosis].

The results are presented of pathomorphological studies and clinical examinations of 572 patients with lumbar zygo-apophyseal joint arthrosis using arthrography, intraarticular treatment- and- diagnostic blockades, intracutaneous joint denervation and surgical treatment of arthrogenous lumbar canal stenosis. Based on the data obtained, the pathogenetic classification of lumbar spondyloarthrosis has been elaborated and presented in the given paper.

[Surgical treatment of anterior instability of the shoulder joint].

In the article are presented data on the operative treatment of 52 patients (54 operations) with anterior instability of the arm joints. Patients have been distributed into 4 groups depending upon the character of intra-articular damages, revealed in the process of arthrotomy. Each group of patients was subjected to adequate operative intervention, based upon Bankart's method.

[The stimulation of bone repair by a weak direct current].

In the article are presented data on application of constant current of 25 +/- 2.5 microA for stimulation of bone reparative regeneration in case of fractures in experimental animals (40 dogs) and patients (66 persons). It has been proven that application of electrostimulation with electrode polarisation, with the stage of reparation process development taken into consideration, increased the patients treatment efficiency and quality.

[Clinical picture of anterior instability of the shoulder joint].

The authors have studied the clinical picture of 360 patients with primary traumatic dislocations and the long-term results have been observed in 286 patients. The analysis of 50 arthrotomies of the shoulder performed in cases of anterior instability has been made. A direct relationship between the clinical course of instability and the severity of the intra-articular lesions appearing during the first traumatic dislocation has been established.

[Mechanisms of post-isometric relaxation of skeletal muscles as a method of rehabilitation].

The authors demonstrate that a merited place among the methods of manual therapy belongs to PIR--postisometric relaxation of the muscles. It is shown that the relaxation of the muscle converted to isometric regime of work is achieved on the basis of the anatomic and biomechanical principles of its action. The use of PIR is advisable, which is evident in the light of the theory of portal pain control.

[Long-term regional infusion of drugs into the arteries of the spine and spinal cord. 2. Experimental and clinical studies].

The present paper is the result of the next stage of the studies devoted to prolonged intraarterial introduction of drugs into the tissues of the thoracic spine. For the solution of the problems of surgical provision of this task the authors have worked out the operative approaches to the secondary departments of the posterior intercostal arteries and the technique of their retrograde catheterization on 14 cadavers in 31 experimental operations. This method has been used in the complex treatment of 12 patients with acute and inveterate injuries of the thoracic and the thoracolumbar departments of the spinal column and of the spine.

[Etiology of the rigidity of axial muscles of the trunk in Moersh-Woltman syndrome].

A woman patient suffering from the rigid man syndrome (RMS) is described. Analyzing the clinical characteristics of the case, the anatomophysiological features of segmental innervation and suprasegmental control of the activity of axial muscles of the body, the authors suggest that the phenomenon of axial muscle rigidity is caused by the hyperreactivity of vestibular and reticular neurons stimulating via vestibulo- and reticulospinal fibers the motoneurons of the medial plates of the anterior cornua of the spinal cord (the segmental representation of axial muscles). The pathogenetic similarity of myotonic disorders in axial muscles in patients with the RMS and reflex manifestations of vertebral osteochondrosis is under discussion.

[Prerequisites for the manual therapy of diseases of the cervical spine].

The authors examine the anatomical and biomechanical peculiarities of the upper and lower cervical vertebromotor segments. A differential administration of the manual therapy methods to influence various levels of the cervical spine is substantiated. It has been demonstrated that the mobilization of the atlanto-occipital joints should be carried out by means of flexion and extension movements and lateral inclinations.

[Hypothermia in spinal surgery].

The authors present the clinical and experimental substantiation of the method of local cooling of the cerebrospinal formations and the evaluation of its efficiency in various surgical interventions on the spinal column and the spinal cord. The method of performing local hypothermia of the spinal cord in 64 patients is described. Having compared three versions of local cooling, the authors recognize that the optimum method was that with the cooling element placed directly on the dura mater and with compulsory neurovegetative protection during the performances.

[Pathogenetic aspects of decompression interventions in complicated injuries of the spine].

The paper is based on the analysis of the results of clinical, pathophysiological and roentgenological examinations and on the data of surgical verification of the causes of neurologic deficiency in 163 patients. Proceeding from the condition that the principal operations in cases of complicated fractures of the spine are decompression and stabilization interventions, the authors have elaborated a system of such interventions and stated the main principles of choice of the methods of decompression. In particular they have proposed the following extents of decompression interventions: decompression of the contents of the vertebral canal, decompression of the contents of the dural sac and intratrunk decompression of the spinal cord.