Efficacy of Head Repositioning in Restoration of Electrophysiological Signals During Cervical Spine Procedures.

Purpose: To evaluate the frequency of loss of neurophysiological potentials during head positioning, the usefulness of head repositioning to restore the potentials, and the effect on neurological outcome.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed consecutive cervical spine surgeries performed at the Israel Spine Center, Assuta Medical Center, during 2006 to 2013. Surgeries performed with neuromonitoring (transcranial-electric motor evoked potentials, somatosensory evoked potentials, electromyographic recordings) were included.

Remote Cerebellar Hemorrhage Complicating Unintended Durotomy in Lumbar Spine Surgery.

Study Design: Case reports and retrospective review of accidental durotomies in lumbar surgeries during 5 years.

Objectives: To draw attention to a potentially serious complication of incidental durotomy-remote cerebellar hemorrhage.

Summary And Background Data: Accidental durotomy is a frequent complication of spinal surgery.

Seven years follow-up for total lumbar facet joint replacement (TOPS) in the management of lumbar spinal stenosis and degenerative spondylolisthesis.

Purpose: To evaluate the feasibility and clinical improvement of a total posterior arthroplasty system in the surgical management of lumbar degenerative spondylolisthesis and or spinal stenosis.

Methods: During a 1-year period (June 2006 to July 2007), ten patients were enrolled in a non-randomized prospective clinical study. The primary indication was neurogenic claudication due to spinal stenosis with single-level degenerative spondylolisthesis.

Instrumented slip reduction and fusion for painful unstable isthmic spondylolisthesis in adults.

Background Context: Although in situ posterolateral fusion is considered the gold standard for surgical treatment of low-grade adult spondylolisthesis, correction of the sagittal translation by instrumented slip reduction is more controversial in adults; nevertheless it may delay adjacent level disc degeneration.

Purpose: The present study was undertaken to evaluate the safety and clinical outcome of operative instrumented slip reduction in 12 adults with isthmic spondylolisthesis accompanied by advanced disc degeneration at that level.

Study Design: This study was a retrospective review of 12 consecutive lumbar or lumbosacral isthmic slip, which underwent operative slip reduction in our institute.

Inferior vena cava thrombosis presenting as lumbar radiculopathy.

Lumbar epidural varices either primary or secondary to outflow obstruction have been implicated in causing lumbar radiculopathy. We report a case of an adolescent male who presented with lumbar radiculopathy attributable to thrombosed lumbar epidural varix as a result of inferior vena cava thrombosis emanating from factor V Leiden mutation. This rare cause of radiculopathy was diagnosed on contrast-enhanced computerized tomography.

Hip-spine syndrome: the effect of total hip replacement surgery on low back pain in severe osteoarthritis of the hip.

Study Design: Prospective clinical study on the effect of total hip replacement surgery (THR) on low back pain (LBP) in patients with severe hip osteoarthritis.

Objective: To assess the affect of THR on LBP.

Summary Of Background Data: Hip osteoarthritis causes abnormal gait and spinal sagittal alignment and is associated with LBP.

Failure of the Wallis interspinous implant to lower the incidence of recurrent lumbar disc herniations in patients undergoing primary disc excision.

Background: Ipsilateral recurrent disc herniation after lumbar discectomy is a significant problem in the management of lumbar disc disease and may necessitate repeat surgical intervention. A population-based study in Finland found that about 14% of all primary lumbar discectomies required additional surgical interventions. Interspinous devices, which have been shown to unload the posterior anulus, may reduce the occurrence of recurrent herniations.

Association between sciatica and microbial infection: true infection or culture contamination?

Study Design: Discs were cultured during discectomy from patients with back pain, sciatica, and radiologic evidence of disc herniation causing nerve root compression.

Objective: To investigate the claim of culpability of bacteria in causing the local inflammatory process seen in patients with disc herniation and radiculopathy.

Summary Of Background Data: Bacteria have been cultured from intervertebral discs of patients with sciatica.

Anterior decompression combined with corpectomies and discectomies in the management of multilevel cervical myelopathy: a hybrid decompression and fixation technique.

Object: The authors retrospectively evaluated the safety and efficacy of a decompression and fixation technique in the treatment of patients with multilevel cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM).

Methods: The authors describe the "hybrid decompression fixation" technique, a procedure involving a combination of corpectomies and discectomies to preserve a vertebra intact within the area of the decompression, thus augmenting mechanical stability. The authors retrospectively reviewed outcomes in 25 patients with multilevel CSM in whom the hybrid technique was performed between 1999 and 2003.

[Degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis--review of the current diagnosis and treatment].

Degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) is a common cause of disabling back and leg pain, and spinal claudication among older persons. As the population grows older this condition is encountered more frequently. The degeneration of the intervertebral discs and the facet joints results in the narrowing of the spinal canal and neural foramina.

Predictors of paralysis in the rheumatoid cervical spine in patients undergoing total joint arthroplasty.

Background: Rheumatoid arthritis is sometimes associated with radiographic evidence of instability of the cervical spine, most commonly an abnormal subluxation between vertebrae. When this instability compromises the space that is available for the spinal cord, it may be predictive of paralysis. However, the prevalence of radiographic signs of instability that are predictive of paralysis among patients with nonspinal orthopaedic manifestations of rheumatoid arthritis is unknown.

Galectin-3: a biologic marker and diagnostic aid for chordoma.

Galectin-3 is a beta-galactoside binding protein. Its expression is quantitatively and qualitatively altered during self-proliferation, malignant transformation, and tumor progression. Galectin-3 is a lectin-related molecule.