Unilateral progressive alterations in the lumbar spine: a biomechanical study.

Object: Lumbar radiculopathy secondary to foraminal stenosis can be treated by unilateral removal of the overlying pars interarticularis. The main concern after this procedure is spinal stability. In this study the authors evaluate the biomechanical behavior of the lumbar spine under torsional loading after unilateral progressive alterations, including resection of the pars.

Cocaine use as a predictor of outcome in aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage.

Object: The goal of this study was to analyze the relationship between cocaine use and outcomes of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH).

Methods: A retrospective review was performed of the medical records of patients with intracranial aneurysms treated at a single institution between January 1996 and December 2001. Only patients who presented with SAH were included in the study.

Early gene expression in the rat cortex after experimental traumatic brain injury and hypotension.

To determine c-fos and egr-1 mRNA levels in the rat cortex after traumatic brain injury (TBI) and TBI plus hemorrhagic hypotension (HH). Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to TBI. HH was induced by removing 5 ml of blood from the jugular vein for a duration of 20 min.

Vascularized temporalis muscle flap for the treatment of otorrhea. Technical note.

The surgical treatment for cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) fistulas provides closure of the bone and dural defects and prevents the recurrence of brain herniation and CSF fistula. The two main approaches used are the transmastoid and middle fossa ones. The authors review the results of performing a modified middle fossa approach with a vascularized temporalis muscle flap to create a barrier between the repaired dural and bone defects.