Treatment efficacy of drug-resistant tuberculosis in Bashkortostan, Russia: A retrospective cohort study.

Background: Russia, together with other former Soviet Union countries, is characterized by one of the highest burdens of drug-resistant tuberculosis. Published data on the drug-resistant tuberculosis for these countries are limited, and it is not clear whether current treatment regimens remain effective against constantly evolving drug-resistant strains.

Objectives: The aim of the study was to evaluate treatment efficacy of patients with multidrug-resistant (MDR), extensively drug-resistant (XDR) and drug-susceptible (DSTB) tuberculosis in the most populous region of Russia (Bashkortostan) that borders with Central Asia.

Effects of nerve root retraction in lumbar discectomy.

Unlabelled: The authors studied whether the amount of retraction pressure applied to a compromised nerve root during lumbar discectomy has an impact on intra- or postoperative outcome.

Methods: The authors conducted a prospective analysis of 20 patients. There were 12 men and 12 women whose mean age (+/- standard deviation [SD]) was 42.

Immediate and early postoperative pain relief after kyphoplasty without significant restoration of vertebral body height in acute osteoporotic vertebral fractures.

Object: Painful osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (VCFs) are a significant cause of disability in the elderly population. Kyphoplasty, a recently developed minimally invasive procedure, has been advocated for the successful management of these fractures in terms of immediate pain relief, and also for restoration of the premorbid level of daily activities. In this retrospective study the authors report on their experience with the early management of VCFs with kyphoplasty.