Surgical Excition of Spinal Intradural Meningiomas through a Single-Sided Minimally Invasive Approach: Key-Hole Laminotomy.

Study Design: Eight patients who underwent surgery through a single-sided keyhole laminotomy due to intradural extramedullary (IDEM) meningiomas were retrospectively investigated.

Purpose: To present the surgical outcomes of single-sided keyhole laminotomies aimed to excise large ventral IDEM spinal cord menengiomas.

Overview Of Literature: Less invasive procedures, such as laminotomies and osteoplastic laminotomies, have been previously described in the literature, but an approach that interferes with spinal stability to an even lesser extent would be more desirable.

Value of early unilateral decompressive craniectomy in patients with severe traumatic brain injury.

Background: The aim of our study was to evaluate the results and effectiveness of early decompressive craniectomy in the treatment of severe traumatic brain injury.

Methods: We conducted a prospective study to investigate the clinical and radiological results of early unilateral decompressive craniectomy in 33 patients with severe traumatic brain injury. The mean area of the craniectomy, potential expansion volume of the decompressed brain, and distance between the lower border of the craniectomy and the temporal cranial base were calculated from computed tomography scans.

Brain abscess: analysis of results in a series of 51 patients with a combined surgical and medical approach during an 11-year period.

Object: In this study the authors' goal was to present the clinical and imaging results of the combined surgical and medical treatment of intracranial abscesses.

Methods: The authors retrospectively analyzed the data in 51 patients with intracranial abscesses who underwent surgery between January 1997 and November 2007. Patients were treated with aspiration through a single bur hole, total resection with open craniotomy, or image-guided stereotactic aspiration.

A long-term follow-up study of anterior tibial allografting and instrumentation in the management of thoracolumbar tuberculous spondylitis.

Object: The purpose of this study was to determine the efficacy of anterior instrumentation following radical debridement and tibial allografting and its long-term progression in patients with multilevel spinal tuberculosis.

Methods: This prospective observational study was undertaken to analyze 22 patients with multilevel spinal tuberculosis (Pott disease) who underwent anterior radical debridement, decompression, and fusion using anterior spinal instrumentation and tibial allograft replacement between 1999 and 2001. Clinical outcomes were assessed using the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) Impairment Scale and a visual analog scale (VAS).

Transsellar transsphenoidal rhino-oral encephalocele.

Transsphenoidal encephaloceles are rare and the transsellar variety is the least common. We present a 1-year-old male patient with transsellar transsphenoidal encephalocele which herniated into the oral cavity through the congenital split palate. The patient was operated on using a combined transcranial and transpalatal approach without mortality or permanent morbidity.

Spinal cord compression caused by a brown tumor at the cervicothoracic junction.

Background Context: Brown tumors are classic benign skeletal manifestations of hyperparathyroidism, but the spine involvement is very rare. Spinal reconstruction in these patients is controversial because of the severe osteoporosis and impaired bone healing. Of the reported 12 cases of spinal brown tumors in the literature, only in 5 were reconstructions with bone graft used.

Efficacy of unilateral laminectomy for bilateral decompression in lumbar spinal stenosis.

Objective: We have conducted a prospective study to evaluate the results and effectiveness of bilateral decompression via a unilateral laminectomy in 50 patients with 98 levels of degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis without instability.

Methods: Clinical outcomes were assessed using the Visual Analog Scale, Oswestry Disability Index, Short Form-36, and subjective Satisfaction Measurement.

Results: Adequate decompression was achieved in all patients.

Midterm outcome after unilateral approach for bilateral decompression of lumbar spinal stenosis: 5-year prospective study.

The aim of our study is to evaluate the results and effectiveness of bilateral decompression via a unilateral approach in the treatment of degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis. We have conducted a prospective study to compare the midterm outcome of unilateral laminotomy with unilateral laminectomy. One hundred patients with 269 levels of lumbar stenosis without instability were randomized to two treatment groups: unilateral laminectomy (Group 1), and laminotomy (Group 2).

The effects of magnesium particles in posterolateral spinal fusion: an experimental in vivo study in a sheep model.

Object: Magnesium has recently become a material of interest as a biocompatible and biodegradable implant metal. Authors of several reports have noted the potential bone-cell activating or bone-healing effect of high Mg ion concentrations. The classic method for achieving intertransverse process fusion involves using an autologous iliac crest bone graft.

A perspective for the selection of surgical approaches in patients with upper thoracic and cervicothoracic junction instabilities.

Objective: To reach the upper thoracic vertebrae, a number of extensive approaches have been proposed. The purpose of this study is to provide a clear perspective for the selection of surgical approaches in patients who undergo vertebral body resection, reconstruction, and stabilization for upper thoracic and cervicothoracic junction instabilities.

Methods: Seventeen patients with upper thoracic or cervicothoracic junction (C7-T6) instability underwent surgery between January 1999 and May 2004.

Effects of anterior contralateral cervical microdiskectomy on radiological and clinical outcome.

Background: We have conducted a prospective study to investigate the relationship between cervical spine alignment and clinical outcome in 102 patients undergoing anterior contralateral microdiskectomy without interbody graft or cage.

Methods: Preoperative and postoperative lateral cervical radiographs were obtained, and curvature of the surgically treated spinal segments and the overall curvature of the cervical spine were evaluated in all patients. Clinical outcomes were assessed using the NDI and SF-36.

Modified transpedicular approach for the surgical treatment of severe thoracolumbar or lumbar burst fractures.

Background Context: Conventional transpedicular decompression of the neural canal requires a considerable amount of lamina, facet joint and pedicle resection. The authors assumed that it would be possible to remove the retropulsed bone fragment by carving the pedicle with a high-speed drill without destroying the vertebral elements contributing to spinal stabilization. In this way, surgical treatment of unstable burst fractures can be performed less invasively.