Thoracoscopic treatment for single level symptomatic thoracic disc herniation: a prospective followed cohort study in a group of 167 consecutive cases.

Problem: Thoracic disc disease with radicular pain and myelopathic symptoms can have serious neurological sequelae. The authors present a relevant treatment option.

Methods: Data of patients with single level symptomatic thoracic disc herniation treated with thoracoscopic microdiscectomy were prospectively collected over a period of 10 years.

Senescence in cells in aseptic loosening after total hip replacement.

Particle-induced osteolysis is a major cause of aseptic loosening after total joint replacement. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate cellular senescence of macrophages and giant cells in patients with aseptic hip loosening by determination of SA-β-Gal (SA-β-galactosidase), a reliable and frequently used indicator of cellular senescence. The level of senescence in capsule and interface membranes was significantly higher in patients with aseptic loosening in comparison to specimens from patients without aseptic loosening.

Grading of degenerative disk disease and functional impairment: imaging versus patho-anatomical findings.

Degenerative instability affecting the functional spinal unit is discussed as a cause of symptoms. The value of imaging signs for assessing the resulting functional impairment is still unclear. To determine the relationship between slight degrees of degeneration and function, we performed a biomechanical study with 18 multisegmental (L2-S2) human lumbar cadaveric specimens.