Intraoperative and Postoperative Ultrasonographic Spinal Cord Evaluation of Cervical Double-Door Laminoplasty.

Background: Ultrasonography is a useful tool for the localization, morphology, and characterization of lesions and is increasingly being applied to spinal cord evaluation in cervical spine diseases. However, in conventional cervical laminoplasty, detailed evaluation is difficult because of ultrasound attenuation. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to perform a cervical laminoplasty using a modified surgical technique and evaluate the spinal cord.

Impact of spinal surgery on locomotive syndrome in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis in clinical decision limit stage 3: a retrospective study.

Background: Locomotive syndrome (LS) is characterized by reduced mobility. Clinical decision limit (CDL) stage 3 in LS indicates physical frailty. Lumbar spinal canal stenosis (LSS) is one of the causes of LS, for which lumbar surgery is considered to improve the CDL stage.

Preliminary Clinical Experience with a High-Definition Three Dimensional Exoscope for Spinal Surgery.

We retrospectively evaluated spinal surgeries performed using the high-definition three-dimensional exoscopic system, which became available at our institution in August 2020. Eleven patients (4 with cervical disease and 7 with lumbar disease) underwent surgery with the system. There were no surgical complications related to the system, and the results were satisfactory.

Phase angle is related to physical function and quality of life in preoperative patients with lumbar spinal stenosis.

Lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) can interfere with daily life and quality of life (QOL). Evaluating physical function and QOL and helping patients to improve is the focus of rehabilitation. Phase angle (PhA) assessment is widely used to measure body composition and is considered an indicator of physical function and QOL.

Risk Factors for Surgical Site Infection in Spinal Surgery and Interventions: A Retrospective Study.

Background: Surgical site infection following spinal surgery causes prolonged delay in recovery after surgery, increases cost, and sometimes leads to additional surgical procedures. We investigated risk factors for the occurrence of surgical site infection events in terms of patient-related, surgery-related, and postoperative factors.

Methods: This retrospective study included 1000 patients who underwent spinal surgery in our hospital between April 2016 and March 2019.

Changes of improvement in upper limb function predict surgical outcome after laminoplasty in 1 year in patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy: a retrospective study.

Background: Cervical spondylotic myelopathy preoperative prognostic factors include age, preoperative severity, and disease duration. However, there are no reports on the relationship between changes in physical function during hospitalization and postoperative course, and in recent years, the length of hospital stay has shortened. We aimed to investigate whether changes in physical function during hospitalization can predict the postoperative outcome.

Intradural extramedullary tumor location in the axial view affects the alert timing of intraoperative neurophysiologic monitoring.

Objective: Intraoperative neurophysiologic monitoring (IONM) reportedly helps prevent postoperative neurological complications following high-risk spinal cord surgeries. There are negative and positive reports about using IONM for intradural extramedullary (IDEM) tumors. We investigated factors affecting alerts of IONM in IDEM tumor surgery.

Improved intervertebral bone union in ALIF rat model with porous hydroxyapatite/collagen combined with platelet-rich plasma.

Background Context: Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) can accelerate bone union in spinal fusion surgery with an autogenous bone graft. However, it is unclear whether bone union can be obtained by using artificial bone and PRP together in spinal interbody fusion surgery.

Purpose: This study aimed to determine whether interbody fusion can be achieved by transplanting porous hydroxyapatite/collagen(HAp/Col) which is an artificial bone material frequently used in spinal fusion surgery, together with PRP in the intervertebral disc space in rats.

Computed Tomographic Epidurography in Patients with Low Back Pain and Leg Pain: A Single-Center Observational Study.

This study was conducted to analyze the findings and benefits of computed tomography (CT) epidurography in patients with low back and leg pain and compare these findings with those of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) images. In total, 495 intervertebral discs from 99 patients with low back and leg pain who underwent percutaneous epidural adhesiolysis (epidural neuroplasty or percutaneous adhesiolysis) were examined. The axial views of CT epidurography were classified into six types to examine each intervertebral disc: round type, ellipse type, spike type, Benz mark, incomplete block, complete block, and non-contrast.

Efficacy of Minimally Invasive Trans-Sacral Canal Plasty between Patients with and without Failed Back Surgery Syndrome.

Clinicians are required to manage a growing number of elderly patients with several medical comorbidities, and invasive surgical treatments are sometimes not advisable for these patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of minimally invasive intraspinal canal treatment, trans-sacral canal plasty (TSCP), for patients with and without failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS). A multicenter analysis was conducted.

The impact of sarcopenia on low back pain and quality of life in patients with osteoporosis.

Purpose: Osteoporosis combined with sarcopenia contributes to a high risk of falling, fracture, and even mortality. However, sarcopenia's impact on low back pain and quality of life (QOL) in patients with osteoporosis is still unknown. The purpose of this study is to investigate low back pain and QOL in osteoporosis patients with sarcopenia.

Pyogenic Spondylitis: Clinical Features, Diagnosis and Treatment.

Although pyogenic spondylitis is an infrequent infection, its incidence is increasing because of the growing number of elderly people and immunocompromised patients. Diagnosis is often difficult and appropriate imaging, blood cultures and/or biopsy are essential in making an early diagnosis. Most of the cases can be treated non-operatively.

Up-regulation in receptor for advanced glycation end-products in inflammatory circumstances in bovine coccygeal intervertebral disc specimens in vitro.

Study Design: This study investigated whether or not the receptor for advanced glycation end-products (RAGE) was up-regulated in inflammatory circumstances and consequently associated with aggrecan content in nucleus pulposus in vitro.

Objective: To investigate the activation of AGEs-RAGE complex by the irritation of IL-1beta in bovine intervertebral disc (IVD).

Summary Of Background Data: Although we have demonstrated that the accumulation of AGEs contributed to disc degeneration in human, it may be that acceleration in the AGEs-RAGE complex might be more important, mediated by expression levels of RAGE that increase in inflammatory mediators including IL-1beta in some tissues.

Effect of a nonprotein bioactive agent on the reduction of cyclooxygenase-2 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha in human intervertebral disc cells in vitro.

Object: Neurotropin is a nonprotein extract from the inflamed skin of rabbits inoculated with vaccinia virus. In the present study the authors sought to clarify the focal antiinflammatory effects of Neurotropin in intervertebral disc cells, and these effects were compared with those induced by the selective cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 inhibitor 6-methoxy-2-naphthylacetic acid (nabumetone).

Methods: Six human intervertebral disc specimens were harvested during spinal surgery for lumbar disc herniation.

Immunohistochemical demonstration of advanced glycation end products and the effects of advanced glycation end products in ossified ligament tissues in vitro.

Study Design: This study correlates advanced glycation end products with ossified ligament tissues of the cervical spine in vitro.

Objective: To investigate the effect of advanced glycation end products on ossification of the spinal ligaments in vitro.

Summary Of Background Data: We have hypothesized that an accumulation of advanced glycation end products in the spinal ligament might result in some observable change in specific growth factors responsible for ossification in the spinal ligaments.

Advanced glycation end-products downregulating intervertebral disc cell production of proteoglycans in vitro.

Object: The authors sought to clarify the role, if any, of advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) in disc degeneration.

Methods: Intervertebral discs were analyzed for the presence of AGEs and of their receptor (RAGE) by immunohistochemical analysis. Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was performed to detect any RAGE gene expression, and real-time PCR was used to quantify messenger RNA (mRNA) levels of aggrecan and collagen types I and II in nucleus pulposus cells treated with AGEs.

Positive feedback loop of interleukin-1beta upregulating production of inflammatory mediators in human intervertebral disc cells in vitro.

Object: Interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) induces neurological symptoms in intervertebral disc herniation (IDH). Recently, the existence of a positive feedback loop of IL-1beta, which encourages an inflammatory reaction or degeneration in the cells of tendon, has been reported. The authors hypothesized that there is a positive feedback loop of IL-1beta in the cells of IDH.