Posterior transvertebral osteotomy for adult thoracolumbar kyphosis.

Study Design: A retrospective case study was performed on the single-stage posterior transvertebral closing-wedge osteotomy for treatment of adult thoracolumbar kyphosis.

Summary Of Background Data: Forty-one consecutive cases in 38 patients available for follow-up, averaging 33 months (range 4-87 months), are included. All patients had severe pain and/or deformity; 51% of cases had previous fractures, and 49% had postlaminectomy failed back syndromes with kyphosis.

Treatment of L5-S1 spondyloptosis by staged L5 resection with reduction and fusion of L4 onto S1 (Gaines procedure).

Study Design And Objectives: A retrospective study was performed on the two-stage Gaines procedure for the treatment of spondyloptosis, evaluating indications, techniques, results, and patient satisfaction.

Summary Of Background Data: Sixteen consecutive patients from two institutions were included. Their average age was 24 years.

Delayed pain response after lumbar discography.

The delayed onset of symptomatic pain following lumbar discography (with no immediate pain response) is described in six patients, five with a minimum 2-year follow-up. It is usually seen in patients with nearly normal disc morphology who have incomplete or discrete annular tears that are not filled at the time of injection. Later (2-12 h in this study), dye leakage occurs through these lesions, thereby precipitating the discogenic pain.