Is There an Association With Spino-Pelvic Relationships and Clinical Outcome of Type A Thoracic and Lumbar Fractures Treated Non-Surgically?

Background: The objective was to evaluate if there is an association of the spino-pelvic relationships and the global spinal alignment with the outcome of AO type A injuries treated nonsurgically.

Methods: This is a retrospective case series. Patients treated nonsurgically for AOSpine type A fractures (T1-L5) with at least 1 year follow-up identified.

Role of dynamic computed tomography scans in patients with congenital craniovertebral junction malformations.

Aim: To evaluate the role of dynamic computed tomography (CT) scan imaging in diagnosing craniovertebral junction (CVJ) instability in patients with congenital CVJ malformations.

Methods: Patients with symptomatic congenital CVJ malformations who underwent posterior fossa decompression and had a preoperative dynamic CT scan in flexion and extended position were included in this study. Measurements of the following craniometrical parameters were taken in flexed and extended neck position: Atlanto-dental interval (ADI), distance of the odontoid tip to the Chamberlain's line, and the clivus-canal angle (CCA).

Reliability and safety of a new upper cervical spine injury treatment algorithm.

Methods: Thirty cases, previously treated according to the new algorithm, were presented to four spine surgeons who were questioned about their personal suggestion for treatment, and the treatment suggested according to the application of the algorithm. After four weeks, the same questions were asked again to evaluate reliability (intra- and inter-observer) using the Kappa index.

Results: The reliability of the treatment suggested by applying the algorithm was superior to the reliability of the surgeons' personal suggestion for treatment.

Evaluation of the reliability and validity of the newer AOSpine subaxial cervical injury classification (C-3 to C-7).

OBJECTIVE The authors evaluated a new classification for subaxial cervical spine trauma (SCST) recently proposed by the AOSpine group based on morphological criteria obtained using CT imaging. METHODS Patients with SCST treated at the authors' institution according to the Subaxial Cervical Spine Injury Classification system were included. Five different blinded researchers classified patients' injuries according to the new AOSpine system using CT imaging at 2 different times (4-week interval between each assessment).

Incidence of Trypanosoma cruzi transmission through breastfeeding during acute experimental Chagas disease.

Objective: To verify the incidence of T. cruzi transmission through breastfeeding during acute experimental Chagas' disease.

Methods: Fifteen female Swiss mice were mated and, after pregnancy confirmation, placed in individual cages.