Microdecompressive laminatomy with a 5-year follow-up period for severe lumbar spinal stenosis.

Study Design: The 2 groups of patients with severe lumbar spinal stenosis were prospectively compared as a case control study.

Objectives: This prospective case control study sought to evaluate bilateral microdecompressive laminatomy (MDL) for treatment of severe lumbar spinal stenosis.

Summary Of Background Data: Total laminectomy is a general consensus on the therapy of severe spinal stenosis.

Number of axons in the right and left optic nerves of right-pawed and left-pawed rats: a stereologic study.

Objective: To compare the number of axons in the right and left optic nerves of right- and left-pawed rats.

Study Design: In this study, optic nerve samples were obtained from right- and left-pawed rats and axon numbers of optic nerves and vice versa were stereologically and histologically evaluated.

Results: In the right-pawed rats, more axons were found in the right optic nerve than in the left optic nerve, and left-pawed rats had more axons in the left optic nerve than in the right optic nerve.

Complete cranium bifidum without scalp abnormality. Case report.

Cranium bifidum is an unusual lesion in newborns. The majority of previously reported cases have described enlarged parietal foramina with some scalp and other congenital abnormalities. In this report the authors present the first case of complete cranium bifidum without any other anomaly.

Lumbar facet joint angle and its importance on joint violation in lumbar microdiscectomy.

Objective: We investigated facet joint angle at the level of the nucleus pulposus in herniated disks and documented the importance of this angle in preserving articulation and surgical view in patients undergoing lumbar microdiscectomy.

Methods: In this prospective study using pre- and postoperative magnetic resonance imaging scans, two blinded radiologists measured and inspected the facet joint angles in 168 patients. Patients were treated with single-level, unilateral, lumbar microdiscectomy.

Does shaving the incision site increase the infection rate after spinal surgery?

Study Design: A prospective randomized clinical study.

Objective: To determine whether shaving the incision site before spinal surgery causes postsurgical infection.

Summary Of Background Data: Spine surgeons usually shave the skin of the incision site immediately before surgery is performed.

A comparison of changes over time in cervical foraminal height after tricortical iliac graft or polyetheretherketone cage placement following anterior discectomy.

Object: The authors prospectively evaluated cervical foraminal height changes after anterior cervical discectomy and fusion. To their knowledge, this prospective study is the first in which foraminal height changes over time are compared following the placement of a tricortical graft or a polyetheretherketone (PEEK) cage.

Methods: The patients were randomly divided in two groups.

Therapeutic effect of hypothermia and dizocilpine maleate on traumatic brain injury in neonatal rats.

This study was undertaken to evaluate the therapeutic effect of hypothermia and dizocilpine maleate in traumatic brain injury (TBI) on newborn rats. After induction of TBI, physiologic and histopathological assessments were performed on both the control and therapeutic groups to evaluate the effects of both agents. Rats were assigned into four groups as follows: normothermic (n = 23), hypothermic (n = 18), normothermia plus dizocilpine maleate (n = 18) and hypothermia plus dizocilpine maleate (n = 18).