Experimental study on pressure response to graded spinal canal compromise in an burst fracture mode.

Background: Spinal cord compression is a known cause of spinal cord injury. The purpose of this study is to measure pressure response during graded spinal cord compression. This information will be important in evaluating the amount of canal compromise that can be tolerated before risking neurological injury secondary to cord compression.

Analysis of the spinal nerve roots in relation to the adjacent vertebral bodies with respect to a posterolateral vertebral body replacement procedure.

Objective: This study aims to improve the understanding of the anatomic variations along the thoracic and lumbar spine encountered during an all-posterior vertebrectomy, and reconstruction procedure. This information will help improve our understanding of human spine anatomy and will allow better planning for a vertebral body replacement (VBR) through either a transpedicular or costotransversectomy approach.

Summary Of Background Data: The major challenge to a total posterior approach vertebrectomy and VBR in the thoracolumbar spine lies in the preservation of important neural structures.

Mitigating spinal cord distraction injuries: the effect of durotomy in decreasing cord interstitial pressure in vitro.

Study Design: The present study involved an in vitro examination of spinal cord interstitial pressure (CIP) during distraction before and after durotomy in three spinal cord segments obtained from five pigs.

Objectives: To determine whether durotomy can be used to decrease the elevated CIP associated with spinal cord distraction.

Summary Of Background Data: Spinal cord distraction is a known cause of spinal cord injury.

The effect of angular mismatch between vertebral endplate and vertebral body replacement endplate on implant subsidence.

Study Design: Comparative biomechanical study.

Objective: To determine whether an angular mismatch between the vertebral body replacement (VBR) endplate and the simulated foam vertebral endplate leads to accelerated subsidence in a cyclic compression model of the VBR-vertebra interface.

Summary Of Background Data: One of the main complications of the VBR surgery is postoperative subsidence and collapse of the VBR implant into the adjacent vertebral bodies.

An in vitro study on the effects of freezing, spine segment, repeat measurement, and individual cord properties on cord interstitial pressure.

Study Design: In vitro study of the spinal cord tension and pressure relationships before and after thawing in 6 different spinal cord segment from 2 individual pigs.

Objectives: To determine if frozen and thawed spinal cord segments had different tension/cord interstitial pressure(CIP) relationships to fresh spinal cord segments. In addition, we will determine if the cord level, individual cord properties, and repeated CIP measurements affect the tension/CIP relationships.