Surgical repair of a large intrathoracic meningocele associated with neurofibromatosis type 1 after failed cystoperitoneal shunts: illustrative case.

Background: Surgical treatment of intrathoracic meningoceles, commonly associated with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), aims to reduce sac size for symptomatic relief. The procedures can be divided into cerebrospinal fluid diversion and definitive repair. The authors describe the management of an intrathoracic meningocele in a 56-year-old female with preexisting NF1.

Efficacy of Postoperative Pain Management Using Continuous Local Anesthetic Infusion at the Iliac Crest Bone Graft Site in Patients with Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis: A Parallel, Double-Blinded, Randomized Controlled Pilot Trial.

Study Design Randomized controlled trial. Objective Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is a common spinal deformity that affects every population. In severe deformity, surgical intervention is performed.

Phase I-II Clinical Trial Assessing Safety and Efficacy of Umbilical Cord Blood Mononuclear Cell Transplant Therapy of Chronic Complete Spinal Cord Injury.

Umbilical cord blood-derived mononuclear cell (UCB-MNC) transplants improve recovery in animal spinal cord injury (SCI) models. We transplanted UCB-MNCs into 28 patients with chronic complete SCI in Hong Kong (HK) and Kunming (KM). Stemcyte Inc.

Disappearing bone disease of the humerus and the cervico-thoracic spine: a case report with 42-year follow-up.

Background Context: Disappearing bone disease (DBD) is a rare idiopathic musculoskeletal disorder that is distinguished by bone resorption without bone formation, vascular or lymphatic vessel proliferation, and soft-tissue swelling. Long-term follow-up of a patient with DBD has rarely been reported in the literature.

Purpose: The following is a case report of a female patient with DBD of the humerus and the spine who was followed for 42 years, documenting the progression of the disease and outcomes.

A population-based cohort study of 394,401 children followed for 10 years exhibits sustained effectiveness of scoliosis screening.

Background Context: The value of scoliosis screening has been recently shown in a multicenter randomized controlled trial. However, the long-term sustainability of the clinical effectiveness of scoliosis screening as a routine health service remains unknown.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to assess the sustainability of the clinical effectiveness of school scoliosis screening.

Acute spinal subdural hematoma complicating lumbar decompressive surgery.

Study Design:  A case report.

Objective:  To report a rare case of acute spinal subdural hematoma (SSH) complicating lumbar spine surgery, its characteristic presenting symptoms, diagnostic imaging, possible cause, and pitfall in management.

Methods:  A 59-year-old woman with lumbar spinal instability and stenosis underwent laminectomy and decompression at L3-L5 with instrumentation and fusion from L3-S1.

The predictive value of the fulcrum bending radiograph in spontaneous apical vertebral derotation in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.

Study Design: A prospective cohort study of Cobb angles (CA) and apical vertebral rotations (AVR) in 25 patients who had adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.

Objective: To assess in vivo the concomitant vertebral derotation occurring with correction of scoliosis deformity as a result of coupling effect by using the fulcrum bending radiograph and to assess whether the fulcrum bending radiograph can predict the amount of postoperative apical derotation when no additional intraoperative apical derotation maneuver is used.

Summary Of Background Data: Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is a 3-dimensional coupling deformity.

Magnetically controlled growing rods for severe spinal curvature in young children: a prospective case series.

Background: Scoliosis in skeletally immature children is often treated by implantation of a rod to straighten the spine. Rods can be distracted (lengthened) as the spine grows, but patients need many invasive operations under general anaesthesia. Such operations are costly and associated with negative psychosocial outcomes.

The proximal thoracic curve in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: surgical strategy and management outcomes.

There is no consensus on the definition of a structural proximal thoracic curve (PTC) and the indications for fusion. As such, we assessed a single institute's experience in the management of large PTCs (>35 degrees) in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) who were either fused or not fused. A retrospective radiographic analyses of 30 consecutive AIS patients with double thoracic curves who underwent PSF with a minimum of 2 years' follow-up were included for review.

Natural history of spinal deformity in a patient with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome: case report with 20-year follow-up.

Background Context: Scoliosis can present in patients with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) and can be surgically treated despite possible complications. The long-term natural history of the progression of spinal deformity, particularly scoliosis, and associated complications in EDS patients remains relatively unknown.

Purpose: To assess the progression of spinal deformity and associated complications in a patient with EDS, who was not surgically treated for her spine condition and was followed up for 20 years.

Infective spondylitis in Southern Chinese: a descriptive and comparative study of ninety-one cases.

Study Design: A retrospective review of infective spondylitis patients assessed at a major, tertiary referral centre in Hong Kong.

Objective: To assess the prevalence, risk factors, clinical features, and prognostic outcomes associated with tuberculous spondylitis to that of pyogenic spondylitis in Southern Chinese treated at a single institution.

Summary Of Background Data: Previous studies in Asia suggest that tuberculous spondylitis is the predominant infection unless proven otherwise.

Predictability of the fulcrum bending radiograph in scoliosis correction with alternate-level pedicle screw fixation.

Background: The fulcrum bending radiograph accurately predicts scoliosis curve correction in patients with thoracic adolescent idiopathic scoliosis who are managed with hooks. We assessed the predictive value of the fulcrum bending radiograph in the context of alternate-level pedicle screw fixation of the scoliotic spine.

Methods: A prospective radiographic analysis of patients with thoracic adolescent idiopathic scoliosis who were managed operatively with alternate-level pedicle screw fixation at a single institution was performed.

A gait stability investigation into FES-assisted paraplegic walking based on the walker tipping index.

The gait outcome measures used in clinical trials of paraplegic locomotor training determine the effectiveness of improved walking function assisted by the functional electrical stimulation (FES) system. Focused on kinematic, kinetic or physiological changes of paraplegic patients, traditional methods cannot quantify the walking stability or identify the unstable factors of gait in real time. Up until now, the published studies on dynamic gait stability for the effective use of FES have been limited.

Risk-tendency graph (RTG): a new gait-analysis technique for monitoring FES-assisted paraplegic walking stability.

Background: Gait analysis techniques guide the use and design of functional electrical stimulation (FES) systems for paraplegic walking. However, published studies on dynamic gait stability for the effective use of FES are limited. This paper introduces a new risk-tendency graph (RTG) technique to analyze and process gait stability in FES-assisted paraplegic walking.