Direct Repair of Symptomatic Lumbar Spondylolysis Using Rod-Screw-Cable System.

Objective: To assess the efficacy of a new direct lysis repair technique using internal fixation with rod, screws, and Songer cable in symptomatic lumbar spondylolysis.

Methods: Between December 2015 and January 2020, patients who were diagnosed with symptomatic lumbar spondylolysis and surgically treated with a rod-screw-cable system were recruited. Pedicle screwing by the Magerl technique was performed in all included patients, followed by direct lysis repair with bone allograft and demineralized bone matrix by stabilizing the posterior lamina and spinous process using a rod-screw-cable system.

Fusion Assessment of Oblique Lumbar Interbody Fusion Using Demineralized Bone Matrix: A 2-Year Prospective Study.

Objective: Although several studies have reported successful fusion rates after oblique lumbar interbody fusion (OLIF) using allografts or dimerized bone matrix (DBM) instead of autografts, whether OLIF can achieve satisfactory solid fusion without the use of autografts remains unclear. This study investigated the real fusion rates after OLIF using allografts and DBM, which were evaluated using both dynamic radiographs and computed tomography scans.

Methods: We enrolled 79 consecutive patients who underwent minimally invasive OLIF followed by percutaneous pedicle screw fixation.

Clinical efficacy of nucleoplasty for uncontained lumbar disc herniation: a retrospective study.

Background: There are insufficient in-depth studies on whether percutaneous lumbar nucleoplasty (PLN) is effective and safe for the treatment of uncontained lumbar disc herniation (ULDH). This study aimed to investigate the clinical efficacy of PLN on radiating leg pain caused by ULDH.

Methods: Patients who underwent PLN for ULDH and met the inclusion criteria between June 2018 and July 2022 were included.

Traumatic Anterior Cervical Disc Herniation Presenting as Severe Dysphagia.

Due to the anatomical characteristics of the cervical spine, few cases of traumatic anterior cervical disc herniation have been reported in the literature. Here, we present a rare case of a traumatic anterior cervical disc herniation presenting as severe dysphagia. A 75-year-old male patient presented with severe dysphagia following an accident three days prior when he fell from a height of stairs.

Open Surgery for Osteoporotic Compression Fracture Within One Month of Single Level Balloon Kyphoplasty.

Objective: This study aimed to analyze the reasons for open surgery performed within one month of balloon kyphoplasty (BKP) for osteoporotic compression fractures.

Methods: This study included 15 patients treated with open surgery within one month of BKP in our institution from 2013 to 2020. Among them, 10 patients underwent BKP in our institution and 5 patients were transferred because of adverse events after undergoing BKP at another hospital.

Acute Paraparesis Caused by Spinal Epidural Fluid After Balloon Kyphoplasty for Traumatic Avascular Necrosis: A Case Report.

Minimally invasive procedures, such as percutaneous vertebroplasty or balloon kyphoplasty (BK), eliminate motion at the fracture site and relieve pain associated with traumatic avascular necrosis when conservative treatment fails. However, these are associated with complications, most of which are directly related to cement leakage. Herein, we report a rare case of acute paraparesis caused by spinal cord compression by epidural fluid following BK for the treatment of Kummell's disease in the absence of cement leakage.

Massive Epidural Hematoma Caused by Percutaneous Epidural Neuroplasty: A Case Report.

Percutaneous epidural neuroplasty (PEN) has been used to manage chronic back pain or radicular pain refractory to other conservative treatments, such as medication, injection, and physical therapy. However, similar to all invasive treatment modalities, it has serious complications, such as dural tears, infections, and hematoma formation. Herein, we present a rare case of an 81-year-old female patient on dementia medication who developed paraplegia 5 days after PEN.

Risk Factors of Restenosis After Full Endoscopic Foraminotomy for Lumbar Foraminal Stenosis: Case-Control Study.

Objective: To investigate risk factors associated with postoperative restenosis after full endoscopic lumbar foraminotomy (FELF) in patients with lumbar foraminal stenosis (LFS).

Methods: A single-center, retrospective case-control study was conducted on patients diagnosed with foraminal stenosis who underwent FELF between August 2019 and April 2022. The study included 56 patients, comprising 18 cases and 38 controls.

Complications of Cervical Endoscopic Spinal Surgery: A Systematic Review and Narrative Analysis.

Background: There are no systematic evidence-based medical data on the complications of endoscopic cervical spinal surgery. This narrative analysis compiled data from various studies that examined endoscopic complications, such as cervical disc herniation and foraminal stenosis. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of endoscopic surgery in cervical radiculopathy.

Contraindications and Complications of Full Endoscopic Lumbar Decompression for Lumbar Spinal Stenosis: A Systematic Review.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to suggest appropriate indications and contraindications for full endoscopic surgery and to predict the prognosis for the incidence of complications by reviewing the literature on full endoscopic lumbar decompression for various spinal stenoses and systematically analyzing the contraindications and complications of endoscopic surgery.

Methods: We searched the PubMed/MEDLINE database to identify articles on full endoscopic decompression for lumbar spinal stenosis. The levels of evidence in all studies were classified according to the method adopted by the North American Spine Society (NASS) 2005.

Tracheostomy Following Anterior Cervical Discectomy and Fusion With Plating in Trauma Patients: Is It Safe?

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the safety and necessity of tracheostomy after anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) with plating, despite the close proximity of the two surgical skin incisions.

Methods: Sixty-three patients with traumatic cervical fractures or spinal cord injury (SCI) who underwent single-level ACDF and plating between January 2014 and June 2019 were included in this study. The patients included 45 men and 18 women, with a mean age of 48.

Association between Mental Health and Hand Hygiene Practices in Adults with Hypertension and Diabetes during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The 2020 Korea Community Health Survey.

The preventive measures against the spread of COVID-19 have negatively impacted the mental health of people with chronic diseases. This cross-sectional study investigated the association between mental health and hand hygiene practices in patients with hypertension (HTN) and diabetes mellitus (DM) (n = 74,296) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Their anxiety about contracting COVID-19 and death, depression, and hand hygiene practices were compared to that of controls.

Efficacy of Nucleoplasty for Radiculopathy Caused by Foraminal Cervical Disc Herniation: Clinical Results of Case Series and Technical Note.

Background: Percutaneous cervical nucleoplasty (PCN) is a minimally invasive technique used for the treatment of cervical disc herniation. However, if the lesion is located at the neural foramen, complete access and effective neural decompression are often challenging because of the special anatomical condition of the uncovertebral joint, osteophyte, and facet joint of the cervical foraminal space.

Objectives: To investigate the effect of PCN on radiculopathy caused by foraminal cervical disc herniation (FCDH).

Pyogenic Andersson Lesion in a Patient With Ankylosing Spondylitis.

Although the exact etiology of the Andersson lesion (AL) remains unclear, it is known to occur mostly in patients with long-standing ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Among the various theories for the etiology of AL, repetitive trauma and inflammatory causes are the most common. The histopathological appearance of the AL in this report was consistent with that of chronic inflammation without any infection.

Neurological Deterioration Immediately After Lumbar Surgery: Anesthetic Consideration for Co-existing Cervical Lesion: A Case Report.

Most spine surgeons and anesthesiologists believe that the risk of spinal cord injury (SCI) during intubation is mainly due to mechanical compression of the spinal cord due to cervical spine movement in cases of undiagnosed but severe cervical lesions. With this reasoning, difficult intubation, which is more frequently encountered in patients with preexisting cervical diseases, is likely to result in SCI. Several reports have described SCI after non-cervical surgery in patients previously diagnosed with cervical myelopathy and a chronically compressed cervical cord; however, to date, there is less acknowledgement of SCI in patients with undiagnosed cervical myelopathy.

Treatment of Extensive Spinal Epidural Abscess with Skipped Laminotomy Using a Pediatric Feeding Tube: A Case Report.

Spinal epidural abscess (SEA) is an unusual form of spinal infection. Performing multilevel laminectomies is controversial in cases of extensive SEA considering the long surgical time and mechanical instability. Here, we report the case of an older woman with extensive SEA and poor general condition who was successfully treated with a less invasive treatment, namely skipped laminotomy using a pediatric feeding tube.

Anterior Approaches for Two-Level Cervical Degenerative Disease: A Comparative Study of at least 6-Year Follow-Up.

Objective: To compare the clinical and radiogrincaphic results of a hybrid surgery (HS) and cervical artificial disc replacement (ADR) for contiguous two-level cervical spondylosis.

Methods: A total of 56 patients with contiguous two-level degenerative cervical spondylosis who underwent cervical HS and ADR via an anterior approach and completed at least 6 years of follow-up were included in this study. Patients were divided into two groups: group I, comprising 22 patients who underwent ADR, and group II, comprising 34 patients who underwent HS combined ADR and anterior cervical discectomy and fusion using a cage.

Management of Recurrent Cerebral Aneurysm after Surgical Clipping : Clinical Article.

Objective: Surgical clipping of the cerebral aenurysm is considered as a standard therapy with endovascular coil embolization. The surgical clipping is known to be superior to the endovascular coil embolization in terms of recurrent rate. However, a recurrent aneurysm which is initially treated by surgical clipping is difficult to handle.

Lumbar Disc Herniation Presented with Contralateral Symptoms.

Objective: This study aimed to unravel the putative mechanism underlying the neurologic deficits contralateral to the side with lumbar disc herniation (LDH) and to elucidate the treatment for this condition.

Methods: From January 2009 to June 2015, 8 patients with LDH with predominantly contralateral neurologic deficits underwent surgical treatment on the side with LDH with or without decompressing the symptomatic side. A retrospective review of charts and radiological records of these 8 patients was performed.

Bone Cement-Augmented Percutaneous Screw Fixation for Malignant Spinal Metastases: Is It Feasible?

Objective: We evaluated the validity of bone cement-augmented percutaneous screw fixation for treating malignant spinal metastases.

Methods: Between 2011 and 2015, 14 patients (eight men and six women) who underwent bone cement-augmented percutaneous screw fixation for malignant spinal metastases were enrolled in this study. Their life expectancy was considered to be more than one month and less than one year, based on the revised Tokuhashi scoring system.

Balloon Kyphoplasty: An Effective Treatment for Kummell Disease?

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of balloon kyphoplasty for treating Kummel disease accompanying severe osteoporosis.

Methods: Twelve patients with single-level Kummell disease accompanied by severe osteoporosis were enrolled in this investigation. After postural reduction for 1 or 2 days, balloon kyphoplasty was performed on the collapsed vertebrae.

Lumbar Disc Herniation Combined with Posterior Apophyseal Ring Separation in a Young Child: A Case Report.

Lumbar disc herniation in children aged 10 years or less is extremely uncommon and posterior apophyseal ring separation is not a common injury that usually occurs in adolescents or young adults after a sports-related microtraumatism. The authors report an unique case of 10-year-old boy who presented with low back pain and radiating pain on both legs. The boy received conservative treatment, which included anti-inflammatory medication, muscle relaxants, and physical therapy, but symptoms were not improved.