Spine
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
Evaluation of specific stabilizing exercise in the treatment of chronic low back pain with radiologic diagnosis of spondylolysis or spondylolisthesis.
A randomized, controlled trial, test--retest design, with a 3-, 6-, and 30-month postal questionnaire follow-up. ⋯ A "specific exercise" treatment approach appears more effective than other commonly prescribed conservative treatment programs in patients with chronically symptomatic spondylolysis or spondylolisthesis.
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In patients with sciatica or neurogenic claudication, the structures in and adjacent to the lumbar spinal canal were observed by computed tomographic myelography or magnetic resonance imaging in psoas-relaxed position and during axial compression in slight extension of the lumbar spine. ⋯ Axial loading of the lumbar spine in computed tomographic scanning and magnetic resonance imaging is recommended in patients with sciatica or neurogenic claudication when the dural sac cross-sectional area at any disc location is below 130 mm2 in conventional psoas-relaxed position and when there is a suspected narrowing of the dural sac or the nerve roots, especially in the ventrolateral part of the spinal canal in psoas-relaxed position. The diagnostic specificity of the spinal stenosis will increase considerably when the patient is subjected to an axial load.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical Trial
1997 Volvo Award winner in clinical studies. The effect of pedicle screw instrumentation on functional outcome and fusion rates in posterolateral lumbar spinal fusion: a prospective, randomized clinical study.
A prospective randomized clinical study. ⋯ Lumbar posterolateral fusion with pedicle screw fixation increases the operation time, blood loss, and reoperation rate, and leads to a significant risk of nerve injury. The functional outcome improves significantly with high patient satisfaction, with or without instrumentation. No significant differences were observed between the two groups in functional outcome and fusion rate. The only gain in functional outcome from instrumentation was found in the daily activity category in patients with supplementary neural decompression. The results of this study do not justify the general use of pedicle screw fixation alone as an adjunct to posterolateral lumbar fusion.
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A prospective and consecutive study of surgical results obtained during serial follow-up investigations in patients who underwent surgery for central lumbar spinal stenosis. ⋯ The results after surgical decompression in patients with central spinal stenosis deteriorated with time. There was a significant correlation between good result and pronounced constriction of the spinal canal. Patients with a preoperative duration of symptoms of less than 4 years and patients with no preoperative back pain tended to have better surgical outcomes. The reoperation rate was 18% within 5 years. When surgery for spinal stenosis is contemplated, these prognostic factors should be taken into consideration: The "ideal patient" has a pronounced constriction of the spinal canal, insignificant lower back pain, no concomitant disease affecting walking ability, and a symptom duration of less than 4 years.
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A biomechanical study of the compressive creep behavior of the porcine intervertebral disc before and after frozen storage. ⋯ In vitro tests of frozen porcine intervertebral discs do not represent fresh behavior. Frozen storage appears to permanently alter disc behavior. The precise nature of any freezing-induced damage, and whether frozen storage similarly affects human discs, remains to be seen.