Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion associated complications.

Study Design: Retrospective review study with literature review.

Objective: The goal of our current study is to raise awareness on complications associated with anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) and their early detection and proper management.

Summary Of Background Data: It is known that ACDF constitutes one of the most commonly performed spinal procedures.

Interobservational variation in determining fusion rates in anterior cervical discectomy and fusion procedures.

The fusion rate represents one of the most commonly used criteria for evaluating the efficacy of spinal surgical techniques and the effectiveness of newly developed instrumentation and spinal implants. Reported fusion rates are not frequently supported by adequate information regarding by whom and how fusion was defined. In our prospective study we examined the fusion rate in patients undergoing first time anterior cervical discectomy and fusion for degenerative disease.

Adult paravertebral pleomorphic rhabdomyosarcoma infiltrating diffusely the whole spinal axis. Case report.

The authors report a unique case of diffuse spinal metastatic disease due to a pleomorphic rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) in an adult. In addition to its overall rarity, peculiar characteristics of the particular tumor included its site of origin, demonstrated radiologically as the lumbar paravertebral musculature (psoas muscle) and the transcanalicular spread into the vertebral canal, resulting in thecal compression at multiple levels. The salient clinicopathological characteristics of RMS, as they related particularly to the spine, are subsequently discussed and a short review of the major therapeutic modalities for these tumors is offered.

Immediate and early postoperative pain relief after kyphoplasty without significant restoration of vertebral body height in acute osteoporotic vertebral fractures.

Object: Painful osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (VCFs) are a significant cause of disability in the elderly population. Kyphoplasty, a recently developed minimally invasive procedure, has been advocated for the successful management of these fractures in terms of immediate pain relief, and also for restoration of the premorbid level of daily activities. In this retrospective study the authors report on their experience with the early management of VCFs with kyphoplasty.

Results of long-term follow-up in patients undergoing anterior screw fixation for type II and rostral type III odontoid fractures.

Study Design: Retrospective analysis of the fusion rate of a group of 38 patients having undergone anterior screw fixation for type II and "shallow" type III odontoid fractures. OBJECTIVE.: To determine primarily the long-term fusion rate after anterior screw fixation and to study the clinical characteristics of patients that have a statistically significant or nonsignificant influence on successful outcome.

Primary spinal cord oligodendroglioma: case report and review of the literature.

Objects: The objectives were to present a case of pediatric spinal oligodendroglioma and review the existing literature written in English on the subject of human spinal oligodendrogliomas. A comparison of the clinical, radiologic, and pathologic characteristics, as they relate to those already described in similar cases, was also attempted.

Methods: Thorough evaluation of the patient's clinical course was undertaken.