Pia Mater Significantly Contributes to Spinal Cord Intraparenchymal Pressure in a Simulated Model of Edema.

Study Design: Intraparenchymal pressure (IPP) measurements in an in vitro cadaveric model of CNS edema.

Objective: To assess the contribution of pia mater to IPP and the effect of piotomy.

Summary Of Background Data: Multicenter randomized control trials have shown that decompression with durotomy/duroplasty significantly decreases intracranial pressure (ICP).

Spinal cord intramedullary pressure in thoracic scoliotic deformity: a cadaveric study.

Study Design: In vitro cadaveric study of thoracic spinal cord intramedullary pressure (IMP) in scoliotic deformity.

Objective: To define the relationship between thoracic scoliotic deformity and spinal cord IMP.

Summary Of Background Data: Clinical studies of patients with thoracic scoliosis without other spinal pathology (spinal stenosis, etc.

Spinal cord intramedullary pressure in thoracic kyphotic deformity: a cadaveric study.

Study Design: In vitro cadaveric study of thoracic spinal cord intramedullary pressure (IMP) in kyphotic deformity.

Objective: To define the relationship between thoracic spinal kyphotic deformity and spinal cord IMP.

Summary Of Background Data: Previous studies of asymptomatic volunteers have revealed that there is wide variation in regional sagittal neutral upright thoracic spinal alignment with "normal" thoracic T4-T12 kyphosis ranging up to approximately +69° for 98.

Spinal cord intramedullary pressure in cervical kyphotic deformity: a cadaveric study.

Study Design: In vitro cadaveric study of cervical spinal cord intramedullary pressure (IMP) in kyphotic deformity.

Objective: To define the relationship between cervical spinal kyphotic deformity and spinal cord IMP.

Summary Of Background Data: Previous studies of asymptomatic volunteers have revealed that the greatest variation in regional sagittal neutral upright spinal alignment occurs in the cervical spine with "normal" alignment ranging up to +15 to +20° kyphosis.

Presacral retroperitoneal approach to axial lumbar interbody fusion: a new, minimally invasive technique at L5-S1: Clinical outcomes, complications, and fusion rates in 50 patients at 1-year follow-up.

Background: The presacral retroperitoneal approach to an axial lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF) is a percutaneous, minimally invasive technique for interbody fusion at L5-S1 that has not been extensively studied, particularly with respect to long-term outcomes.

Objective: The authors describe clinical and radiographic outcomes at 1-year follow-up for 50 consecutive patients who underwent the presacral ALIF.

Methods: Our patients included 24 males and 26 females who underwent the presacral ALIF procedure for interbody fusion at L5-S1.

Major neurologic deficit immediately after adult spinal surgery: incidence and etiology over 10 years at a single training institution.

Study Design: Retrospective study of adult patients who underwent spinal surgery over a 10-year period at a single institution.

Objective: New onset postoperative paralysis remains one of the most feared complications of spinal surgery. The goal of this study was to determine the incidence and etiology of new onset major neurologic deficit immediately after adult spinal surgery.

Vertebral osteomyelitis.

Vertebral osteomyelitis (VO) is an infectious disease of the vertebral body that requires early diagnosis with identification of the infecting organism to direct antibiotic therapy. Most VO can be treated nonsurgically, but 10% to 20% of cases require open surgical treatment. Excellent clinical outcomes can be achieved with appropriate medical and surgical treatment.

Traumatic cranial defects reconstructed with the HTR-PMI cranioplastic implant.

Titanium mesh, polymethyl methacrylate application, and autogenous bone grafting have been used to reconstruct traumatic cranial defects, with varying success. A more recent technique utilizing hard tissue replacement-patient matched implants (HTR-PMIs) involves the production of a cranioplastic implant using three-dimensional computed tomography imaging. It has proven less time-consuming and provides an excellent cosmetic result for the patient.

A comparison between endovascular and surgical management of basilar artery apex aneurysms.

Object: The goal of this retrospective study was to evaluate endovascular treatment by means of Guglielmi detachable coils (GDCs) compared with surgical management for basilar artery (BA) apex aneurysms.

Methods: Forty-one patients presented with saccular BA apex aneurysms with angiographically definable necks that were judged suitable for either treatment. Of 20 patients who underwent surgery and 21 who underwent GDC embolization, 15 (75%) and 11 (52%), respectively, were treated in the acute phase after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH).

Management of the contracted mastoid in the translabyrinthine removal of acoustic neuroma.

Several approaches to the internal auditory canal and cerebellopontine angle for acoustic neuroma removal have been described. We prefer the translabyrinthine approach in patients with tumors larger than 2 cm or poor preoperative hearing, since both factors predict poor hearing preservation. Many surgeons perceive this approach as confining and consider it contraindicated in large tumors or contracted mastoids.