Does preoperative T1 slope affect radiological and functional outcomes after cervical laminoplasty?

Study Design: Retrospective comparative study.

Objective: To analyze changes in the clinical and radiological factors related to cervical sagittal balance, relative to preoperative T1 slope, in patients with cervical myelopathy after laminoplasty (LP).

Summary Of Background Data: T1 slope is an important factor that should be considered before LP.

Feasibility of correction with instrumentation only in congenital scoliosis.

Background: Although effective correction of deformity in congenital scoliosis can often be achieved with instrumentation only and without more invasive techniques such as hemivertebrectomy (HV), reports of the feasibility of correction with instrumentation only (IO) are lacking.

Objective: To compare the results of deformity correction using IO vs HV and to examine the feasibility of and indications for correction with IO in patients with congenital scoliosis.

Methods: Twenty-five patients underwent correction with either IO (n = 14) or HV (n = 11).

Direct Repair of the Pars Interarticularis Defect in Spondylolysis.

STUDY DESIGN:: This is a retrospective study analyzing the results of Buck's operation for spondylolysis. OBJECTIVE:: To analyze the results of Buck's method as a treatment for symptomatic spondylolysis clinically and radiographically. And propose a new classification system of spondylolysis.

Effectiveness of the Charleston night-time bending brace in the treatment of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.

Background: Part-time or night-time bracing has been introduced to address the poor compliance and psychological burden of full-time bracing. The results of various bracing methods vary, however, due to a lack of consistent inclusion criteria and definitions of brace effectiveness. We have evaluated the effectiveness of the Charleston night-time bending brace in the treatment of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis based on the new standardized criteria proposed by the Scoliosis Research Society.

Neglected esophageal perforation after upper thoracic vertebral fracture.

Background Context: Esophageal perforation associated with thoracic fracture is extremely rare. If not diagnosed at an early stage, it can lead to life-threatening complications, such as mediastinitis and sepsis.

Purpose: To report a case of esophageal perforation after T2 compression fracture that was initially missed and subsequently developed into osteomyelitis involving adjacent vertebrae.

Optimal entry points and trajectories for cervical pedicle screw placement into subaxial cervical vertebrae.

The present study was performed to determine the optimal entry points and trajectories for cervical pedicle screw insertion into C3-7. The study involved 40 patients (M:F = 20:20) with various cervical diseases. A surgical simulation program was used to construct three-dimensional spine models from cervical spine axial CT images.

Fusion rates of instrumented lumbar spinal arthrodesis according to surgical approach: a systematic review of randomized trials.

Background: Lumbar spine fusion rates can vary according to the surgical technique. Although many studies on spinal fusion have been conducted and reported, the heterogeneity of the study designs and data handling make it difficult to identify which approach yields the highest fusion rate. This paper reviews studies that compared the lumbosacral fusion rates achieved with different surgical techniques.

Laminar closure after classic Hirabayashi open-door laminoplasty.

Study Design: Prospective analysis of preoperative and postoperative radiological data.

Objective: To assess the incidence and extent of laminar closure after Hirabayashi open-door laminoplasty, as determined by multi-detector computed tomography (CT), and to investigate the influence of this phenomenon on spinal cord compression, as shown by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Summary Of Background Data: Although laminar closure occurs after laminoplasty, little is known about its progression or its effect on restenosis of the spinal canal.

A novel method of screw placement for extremely small thoracic pedicles in scoliosis.

Study Design: A retrospective clinical study.

Objective: To introduce a novel method of pedicle screw placement for extremely small thoracic pedicles in scoliosis and evaluate the safety and accuracy of the method.

Summary Of Background Data: Few studies have provided technical guidelines for screw placement in patients with extremely small thoracic pedicles in scoliosis.

Changes of deformity due to the position and anesthesia in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.

Study Design: Restrospective case series.

Objective: To determine changes in the end vertebra and neutral vertebra, and in the magnitudes of coronal and rotational deformities according to position and anesthesia in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.

Summary Of Background Data: Although it is known that coronal deformity of scoliosis has a tendency to decrease by position and anesthesia, there have been few reports on the effects of position and anesthesia on the rotational deformity of scoliosis.

Early-onset facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy - significance of pelvic extensors in sagittal spinal imbalance.

Although facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD) is the third most common inherited myopathy, cases of infantile or early-childhood onset have rarely been reported. The purpose of this study was to describe a case of early-onset FSHD with lumbar hyperlordosis, which shows the significance of the dynamic component of sagittal spinal imbalance. An 11-year-old girl presented with progressive gait disturbance and lumbar hyperlordosis.

Risk factors for adjacent segment disease after lumbar fusion.

The incidence of adjacent segment problems after lumbar fusion has been found to vary, and risk factors for these problems have not been precisely verified, especially based on structural changes determined by magnetic resonance imaging. The purpose of this retrospective clinical study was to describe the incidence and clinical features of adjacent segment disease (ASD) after lumbar fusion and to determine its risk factors. We assessed the incidence of ASD in patients who underwent lumbar or lumbosacral fusions for degenerative conditions between August 1995 and March 2006 with at least a 1-year follow-up.

The association of the activation-inducible tumor necrosis factor receptor and ligand with lumbar disc herniation.

Purpose: Herniated nucleus pulposus fragments are recognized by the immune system as a foreign-body, which results in an autoimmune reaction. Human activation-inducible tumor necrosis factor receptor (AITR) and its ligand, AITRL, are important costimulatory molecules in the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases. Despite the importance of these costimulatory molecules in autoimmune disease, their role in the autoimmune reaction to herniated disc fragments has yet to be explored.

Thoracic pedicle screw insertion in scoliosis using posteroanterior C-arm rotation method.

Objective: Previous researches have emphasized the importance and difficulties in accurate thoracic pedicle screw insertion in scoliosis patients. However, there has been no report on accuracy of the insertion using posteroanterior C-arm fluoroscopy rotated to allow en face visualization of the pedicle in humans. This study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of the thoracic pedicle screw insertion technique using a C-arm fluoroscopy rotation method for the treatment of scoliosis.