Tuberculosis of the cervical spine.

A 25-year-old male state-prisoner presented with altered mental status, right neck pain, and uncontrolled hypertension.

Cervical spinal cord, root, and bony spine injuries: a closed claims analysis.

Background: The aim of this study was to characterize cervical cord, root, and bony spine claims in the American Society of Anesthesiologists Closed Claims database to formulate hypotheses regarding mechanisms of injury.

Methods: All general anesthesia claims (1970-2007) in the Closed Claims database were searched to identify cervical injuries. Three independent teams, each consisting of an anesthesiologist and neurosurgeon, used a standardized review form to extract data from claim summaries and judge probable contributors to injury.

Cervical spinal motion during intubation: efficacy of stabilization maneuvers in the setting of complete segmental instability.

Object: The purpose of this study was to characterize and compare segmental cervical motion during orotracheal intubation in cadavers with and without a complete subaxial injury, as well as to examine the efficacy of commonly used stabilization techniques in limiting that motion.

Methods: Intubation procedures were performed in 10 fresh human cadavers in which cervical spines were intact and following the creation of a complete C4-5 ligamentous injury. Movement of the cervical spine during direct laryngoscopy and intubation was recorded using video fluoroscopy and examined under the following conditions: 1) without stabilization; 2) with manual in-line cervical immobilization; and 3) with Gardner-Wells traction.

The effects of dexamethasone on bone fusion in an experimental model of posterolateral lumbar spinal arthrodesis.

Object: The use of corticosteroid agents during the healing phase after spinal arthrodesis remains controversial. Although anecdotal opinion suggests that corticosteroids may inhibit bone fusion, such an effect has not been substantiated in clinical trials or laboratory investigations. This study was undertaken to delineate the effect of exogenous corticosteroid administration on bone graft incorporation in an experimental model of posterolateral lumbar fusion.

Segmental cervical spine motion during orotracheal intubation of the intact and injured spine with and without external stabilization.

Object: The purpose of this study was to establish a cadaveric model for evaluating cervical spine motion in both the intact and injured states and to examine the efficacy of commonly used stabilization techniques in limiting that motion.

Methods: Intubation was performed in fresh human cadavers with intact cervical spines, following the creation of a C4-5 posterior ligamentous injury. Movement of the cervical spine during direct laryngoscopy and intubation was recorded using video fluoroscopy and examined under the following conditions: 1) without external stabilization; 2) with manual in-line cervical immobilization; and 3) with Gardner-Wells traction.