Outcomes for standalone anterolateral corpectomy for thoracolumbar burst fractures.

There is a paucity of data available on the context preceding anterior fusion failure or the need for a posterior fusion, the timing of the second operation, or any correlation between the different instrumentation and failure rates. A retrospective chart review was performed of 131 identified patients who underwent anterolateral corpectomy and fusion for a thoracolumbar burst fracture from 2000 to 2012 in a single institution. 96 patients had clinical and radiographic follow up of greater than two months.

Intra-Arterial Dantrolene for Refractory Cerebral Vasospasm in Patients with Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage.

Background: Dantrolene has a safe side-effect profile and a mechanism of action that makes it attractive as an option for treatment of cerebral vasospasm. The authors report 2 cases of refractory cerebral vasospasm secondary to aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage that were successfully treated with intra-arterial (IA) dantrolene.

Case Description: Two patients, a 63-year-old woman and 36-year-old woman, developed severe vasospasm refractory to IA vasodilators after rupture of anterior communicating artery aneurysms.

Middle Cranial Fossa Approach to Repair Tegmen Defects with Autologous or Alloplastic Graft.

Background: Temporal bone tegmen defects may be associated with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) otorrhea. A variety of techniques have been used for repair. We report our experience with skull base reconstruction for tegmen defects using either autologous or alloplastic grafts.