Minimally invasive techniques in spinal surgery: current practice.

Minimally invasive spinal surgery under arthroscopic or endoscopic magnification and illumination is emerging as an alternative, reliable method of treatment in a variety of spinal disorders. The operative techniques being used for discectomy and retrieval of herniated disc fragments or stabilization of unstable spinal motion segments are being utilized for visual diagnosis and debridement of infectious discitis and osteomyelitis transpedicular and transforaminal vertebral body biopsy, temporary diagnostic fixation of unstable lumbar motion segments, and transforaminal epidural steroid therapy.

Arthroscopic microdiscectomy: an alternative to open disc surgery.

Objective: To assess minimally invasive spinal surgery under endoscopic magnification and illumination (arthroscopic microdiscectomy) as a reliable alternative to open microsurgery for most herniated lumbar discs.

Method: A total of 600 cases are evaluated retrospectively in terms of patient selection and technique. One series of 300 operations was performed by a key academician in the development of arthroscopic microdiscectomy.

Red nucleus neurons of Bcl-2 over-expressing mice are protected from cell death induced by axotomy.

The Bcl-2 proto-oncogene regulates apoptosis and prevents cell death. We studied the effect of Bcl-2 gene over-expression on the survival of axotomized red nucleus (RN) neurons after unilateral hemisection at cervical segment 4/5 (C4/5) in mice. Seventy-five percent of RN neurons survived in Bcl-2 over-expressing mice 1 or 2 months after surgery compared with only 55% of RN neurons in wild-type mice.