Preferences and perceptions of 617 migraine patients on acute and preventive migraine treatment attributes and clinical trial endpoints.

Background: To identify the preferences and perceptions of migraine patients for acute and preventive treatment options and to investigate which treatment outcomes are the most important.

Design And Methods: The authors performed a choice-format survey in a cohort of migraine patients from Greece and Cyprus. A self-administered questionnaire developed in collaboration with the Greek Society of Migraine Patients was used.

New Concepts in Diagnosis, Risk Factors and Work Ability in Patients with Hematogenous Spinal Infection.

In the last decades, there is an increasing incidence of hematogenous septic spinal infection (HIS) [...

Osteoporotic Vertebral Body Fractures: New Trends in Differential Diagnosis, Bracing and Surgery.

In the past, many researchers have investigated the effects of different conservative and operative treatments for Osteoporotic Vertebral Fractures (OVFs) [...

Fatigue Acetabular Fracture after Lumbopelvic Instrumented Fusion in Elderly.

Purpose: Only several cases of acetabular "fatigue"/insufficiency fractures have been reported in elderly patients with osteoporosis. However, fatigue acetabular fracture below lumbopelvic fixation has not been published. This review reports on the frequency and mechanisms of acetabular fatigue fractures in elderly individuals, including postmenopausal osteoporosis, and presents a case of an acetabular "fatigue" fracture in association with lumbopelvic fusion.

Predictive value of sagittal craniocervical roentgenographic parameters for HRQOL after craniocervical fusion.

Purpose: Loss of "physiological" sagittal alignment following craniocervical fusion (CCF) for degenerative disease may be associated with loss of horizontal gaze, dysphagia and poor HRQOL. This study reports on sagittal craniocervical roentgenographic predictors of HRQOL (SF-36) in patients following uncomplicated CCF for fresh upper cervical traumatic (UCT) injuries.

Methods: Twenty-two consecutive adult patients (group P) aged 50 ± 16 years, who had undergone CCF for fresh unstable C and CAO/type UCT injuries, were evaluated 39 ± 12 months postoperatively with upright lateral cervical roentgenograms and SF-36as HRQOL measure.

Quality of Life in Adult Patients Receiving Cervical Fusion for Fresh Subaxial Cervical Injury: The Role of Associated Spinal Cord Injury.

Purpose: To study postoperative Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQOL) after instrumented fusion for fresh subaxial cervical trauma and the effect of spinal cord injury (SCI).

Methods: From a total of 65 patients, 17 (26%) patients suffered on admission from SCI. Twenty-five patients underwent anterior, 25 posterior, and 15 circumferential cervical surgery for a single cervical injury.

Immunohistochemical Profile of Tumor Suppressor Proteins RASSF1A and LATS1/2 in Relation to p73 and YAP Expression, of Human Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Normal Intestine.

The intestinal neoplastic transformation is a possible risk of chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Previous evidence in mice IBD provides a role for the RAS-association domain family tumor suppressor protein 1 A (RASSF1A), in the repairing process following mucosa epithelium damage, through cooperation with the HIPPO-signaling molecules p73, and YAP. HIPPO pathway which has been implicated in stem cell activity includes as key components for signal transduction the large tumor suppressor homology Ser/Thr kinases LATS1/2.

Comparison of minimally invasive approach versus conventional anterolateral approach for total hip arthroplasty: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: It is a general belief among hip surgeons that minimally invasive surgical (MIS) approach for implantation of a total hip arthroplasty (THA) allows an improved and faster postoperative rehabilitation because of reduced muscle and soft-tissue damage, less postoperative pain and blood loss, and shorter hospital stay compared with conventional approaches. In the published relative literature though, there are controversial reports and debates on this matter. To our knowledge, there is no study on the medium-term functional results comparing MIS and traditional approaches for total hip replacement.

Hybrid circumferential fixation for degenerative lumbosacral spine disease: posterior lumbar interbody fusion plus universal clamp rod-band instrumentation: a novel technique for lumbosacral fixation.

Study Design: Retrospective study on circumferential hybrid instrumentation with posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PLIF) and the novel posterior Universal Clamp (UC) instrumentation.

Objective: This study evaluated the roentgenographic and clinical outcome after PLIF with PEEK cage augmented with UC posterior sublaminar fixation without posterior fusion.

Summary Of Background Data: Although UC has been successfully used in scoliosis surgery, to our knowledge, this is the first report on its use in degenerative lumbosacral disease.

Is Kiva implant advantageous to balloon kyphoplasty in treating osteolytic metastasis to the spine? Comparison of 2 percutaneous minimal invasive spine techniques: a prospective randomized controlled short-term study.

Study Design: Prospective, parallel-group, controlled, comparative randomized study.

Objective: To compare cement leakage rate and efficacy for vertebral body restoration of balloon kyphoplasty (BK) versus Kiva novel implant with polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) for treating osteolytic vertebral body metastasis.

Summary Of Background Data: Minimally invasively vertebral augmentation techniques with PMMA are mostly performed for treating osteoporotic compression fractures.

Less invasive reduction and fusion of fresh A2 and A 3 traumatic L 1-L 4 fractures with a novel vertebral body augmentation implant and short pedicle screw fixation and fusion.

The aim of this clinical study was to report on the efficacy in reduction and safety in PMMA leakage of a novel vertebral augmentation technique with PEEK and PMMA, together with pedicle screws in the treatment of fresh vertebral fractures in young adults. Twenty consecutive young adults aged 45 ± 11 years with fresh burst A3/AO or severely compressed A2/AO fractures underwent via a less invasive posterior approach one-staged reduction with a novel augmentation implant and PMMA plus 3-vertebrae pedicle screw fixation and fusion. Radiologic parameters as segmental kyphosis (SKA), anterior (AVBHr) and posterior vertebral body height ratio (PVBHr), spinal canal encroachment (SCE), cement leakage and functional parameters as VAS, SF-36 were measured pre- and post-operatively.

Low aseptic loosening and revision rate in Zweymüller-Plus total hip arthroplasty with ceramic-on-ceramic bearings.

Unlabelled: A recent comparative study reported lower revision rate and higher survival in ceramic-on-ceramic (CoC) than in metal-on-metal (MoM) coupling in Zweymüller-Plus THA. We retrospectively studied 87 consecutive patients (94 hips), who primarily received Zweymüller-Plus THA (SL-Plus stem, ceramic 28-mm ball head, Bicon cup) with third-generation CoC bearing surfaces for osteoarthritis. Survival, revision and osteolysis rate were studied and compared to those observed in historical series from this institution with the same THA and MoM articulation.

Transpedicular vertebral body augmentation reinforced with pedicle screw fixation in fresh traumatic A2 and A3 lumbar fractures: comparison between two devices and two bone cements.

This retrospective study compares efficacy and safety of balloon kyphoplasty (BK) with calcium phosphate (Group A) versus KIVA implant with PMMA (Group B) reinforced with three vertebrae pedicle screw constructs for A2 and A3 single fresh non-osteoporotic lumbar (L1-L4) fractures in 38 consecutive age- and diagnosis-matched patient populations. Extracanal leakage of both low-viscosity PMMA and calcium phosphate (CP) as well as the following roentgenographic parameters: segmental kyphosis (SKA), anterior (AVBHr) and posterior (PVBHr) vertebral body height ratio, spinal canal encroachment (SCE) clearance, and functional outcome measures: VAS and SF-36, were recorded and compared between the two groups. All patients in both groups were followed for a minimum 26 (Group A) and 25 (Group B) months.

Poor mid-term survival of the low-carbide metal-on-metal Zweymüller-plus total hip arthroplasty system: a concise follow-up, at a minimum of ten years, of a previous report*.

Between 1994 and 1999, 217 metal-on-metal total hip arthroplasties with a low-carbide bearing surface were performed with use of the cementless Zweymüller SL-Plus stem and the Bicon-Plus threaded cup in 194 consecutive patients. After a minimum follow-up of ten years, 181 living patients (203 hips) were available for evaluation. The revision rate after an average of twelve years was 18% (thirty-six hips in thirty-six patients were revised).

Cervical spondylodiscitis associated with oesophageal perforation: a rare complication after anterior cervical fusion.

Anterior cervical instrumented fusion is a commonly performed spinal surgery with relatively low complication rate. Especially, spinal infections are very rare and often associated with oesophageal perforation secondary to hardware migration. We present a rare complication of cervical spondylodiscitis in a 24-year-old man after an anterior cervical fusion.

Balloon kyphoplasty versus KIVA vertebral augmentation--comparison of 2 techniques for osteoporotic vertebral body fractures: a prospective randomized study.

Study Design: Prospective, parallel-group, controlled comparative randomized study.

Objective: This study compares the efficacy in sagittal vertebral height and wedge deformity restoration, polymethylmethacrylate cement leakage safety, and functional outcome of balloon kyphoplasty (BK) versus KIVA (a novel vertebral augmentation technique) implant for the augmentation of fresh osteoporotic vertebral body fractures.

Summary Of Background Data: Minimally invasive vertebral augmentation procedures have been widely used to treat vertebral compression fractures caused by osteoporosis.

Low back pain and sciatica prevalence and intensity reported in a Mediterranean country: ordinal logistic regression analysis.

The objective of this retrospective cross-sectional study was to estimate the 6-month prevalence and severity of low back pain and sciatica in a representative sample of an adult Mediterranean population. The study group comprised a sample of 674 adults aged 20 years or older from a mainly (74.8%) urban population.

Posterolateral versus circumferential instrumented fusion for monosegmental lumbar degenerative disc disease using an expandable cage.

Background: Theoretically, 360° instrumented fusion has been considered to offer better radiological correction than PLF. Despite numerous publications, this correlation is still weak with several controversies in the relative literature.

Purpose: This prospective randomized study was designed to compare the radiological segmental results, complications and outcome of 360° instrumented fusion with the use of a single diagonal expandable PLIF device versus posterolateral pedicle screw fixation in monosegmental lumbar DDD and to show that the use of an novel expandable cage is associated with low PLIF-related complication rate compared to conventional cages reported previously.

Massive septic pelvic osteolysis following revision total hip arthroplasty in a patient with sickle cell anemia: clinical presentation and review of the literature.

Total hip arthroplasty (THA) performed in patients with osteonecrosis, caused by sickle cell disease, carries a higher risk of medical and orthopedic complications, than those observed after THA for osteonecrosis related to other conditions. We report such a case of a male patient, who underwent one-stage revision hip arthroplasty due to septic cup loosening after primary cementless THA and later developed severe septic osteomyelitis of the ipsilateral hemipelvis that had a fatal outcome. The relative literature regarding loosening and infection after THA in patients with sickle cell disease is thoroughly reviewed.

Hematogenous pyogenic spinal infection: current perceptions.

As a result of reading this article, physicians should be able to:1.Understand the importance of early diagnosis and treatment of spinal infection in an effort to avoid devastating and crippling complications such as paralysis, painful deformity, and death.2.

Initial clinical experience with a novel vertebral augmentation system for treatment of symptomatic vertebral compression fractures: a case series of 26 consecutive patients.

Background: Minimally invasive vertebral augmentation procedures are widely used to treat vertebral compression fractures although procedural polymethylmethacrylate cement leakage remains common. We report herein our initial experience with a novel vertebral augmentation technique designed to treat symptomatic vertebral osteoporotic fractures and osteolytic metastases with minimal cement extravasation.

Methods: Forty-two vertebral fractures were identified in 26 consecutive patients (mean age 74 ± 9 years).

High medium-term survivorship and durability of Zweymüller-Plus total hip arthroplasty.

Background And Purpose: The Zweymüller-Plus system (SL-Plus stem, Bicon-Plus threaded cup) for primary total hip arthroplasty (THA) was introduced in 1993, as a successor of the Alloclassic THA with a few modifications in the conical stem shape and a new biconical threaded cup with a spherical shape. The medium-term performance of this system is not well established. To better understand the potential impact these design changes have had on (1) survivorship, (2) implant stability and (3) periprosthetic osteolysis, we studied patients who underwent THA using the SL-Plus stem and Bicon-Plus.