Journal of neurosurgery. Spine
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Randomized Controlled Trial Multicenter Study
Treatment of neurogenic claudication by interspinous decompression: application of the X STOP device in patients with lumbar degenerative spondylolisthesis.
Interspinous process decompression (IPD) theoretically relieves narrowing of the spinal canal and neural foramen in extension and thus reduces the symptoms of neurogenic intermittent claudication (NIC). The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy of IPD with nonoperative treatment in patients with NIC secondary to degenerative spondylolisthesis. ⋯ The X STOP device was more effective than nonoperative treatment in the management of NIC secondary to degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis.
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The standard treatment for lumbosacral tethered cord syndrome (TCS) in adults is surgical detethering. In patients with recurrent TCS, additional detethering operations are associated with increased risk of complications and subsequent scar formation. The authors studied the effect of undertaking a vertebral column subtraction osteotomy (VCSO) at the thoracolumbar junction to shorten the vertebral column and reduce neural element tension. ⋯ A VCSO significantly reduced neural tension at the thoracolumbar junction. This novel procedure may provide an alternative to traditional surgical detethering when scarring is excessive and the risk of complications and retethering are high.
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Craniocervical dissociation (CCD) is a highly unstable and usually fatal injury resulting from osseoligamentous disruption between the occiput and C-2. The purpose of this study was to elucidate systematic factors associated with delays in diagnosing and treating this life-threatening condition and to introduce an injury-severity classification with therapeutic implications. ⋯ The diagnosis of CCD was frequently delayed, and the delay was associated with an increased likelihood of neurological deterioration. Early diagnosis and spinal stabilization protected against worsening spinal cord injury.
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Review Case Reports
Recurrence of hypertrophic spinal pachymeningitis. Report of two cases and review of the literature.
Hypertrophic spinal pachymeningitis (HSP) is a comparatively rare disease characterized by hypertrophic inflammation of the dura mater and clinical symptoms that progress from local pain to myelopathy. The authors report two cases of recurrent HSP and review the English- and Japanese-language literature focusing on the recurrence of HSP. In the first case, a man who presented at 67 years of age with lower-extremity numbness, gait disturbance, and bladder dysfunction experienced two recurrences of HSP during the 11 years of follow up after his initial laminectomy. ⋯ Data on the presence or absence of inflammatory signs were available for 84 patients. A chi-square analysis revealed a significantly increased rate of recurrence for patients who had at least one positive inflammatory sign before surgery (six [20%] recurrent cases of 30) compared with those who had no positive inflammatory signs before surgery (two [3.7%] recurrent cases of 54) (p < 0.05). The authors conclude that HSP recurrence occurs because of active inflammation of the dura before surgery and the influence of chronic inflammation, including residual arachnoiditis.
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Comparative Study
Investigation of the dose-dependent neuroprotective effects of agmatine in experimental spinal cord injury: a prospective randomized and placebo-control trial.
No definitive treatment for spinal cord injuries (SCIs) exists, and more research is required. The use of agmatine [4-(aminobutyl)-guanidine-NH2-CH2-CH2-CH2-CH2-NH-C(-NH2)(=NH)], a guanidinium compound formed by decarboxylation of L-arginine by arginine decarboxylase, is a neurotransmitter-neuromodulator with both N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR)-antagonizing and nitric oxide synthase (NOS)-inhibiting activities. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the dose-dependent activity of agmatine, an inducible NOS (iNOS) inhibitor and selective NMDAR antagonist, on biochemical and functional recovery in an experimental rat SCI model. ⋯ Agmatine administration following SCI was shown to reduce NO levels significantly. No statistically significant intergroup difference in the reduction of NO levels was found between rats treated with 50- and 100-mg/kg/day doses of agmatine. Administration of a 100-mg/kg/day dose of agmatine reduced the NO levels to those measured in controls. The authors conclude that with additional studies into the role of agmatine, this drug may be helpful in the treatment of patients with SCIs.