Spine
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A prospective study was conducted to examine bone graft donor site morbidity in 106 consecutive patients undergoing posterior spinal fusion. ⋯ According to this study, it is reasonable to reassure patients that a good result from spinal surgery will not be compromised by severe symptoms or major morbidity secondary to posterior iliac crest bone graft donation. Before surgery, patients may be advised concerning the risks of donor site pain, which improves significantly by 12 months, local tenderness, and uncommonly localized sensory loss.
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Case report and literature review. ⋯ Neurologic complications of methylmethacrylate vertebroplasty necessitate active involvement of spine surgeons in patient evaluation and management.
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Correlation between compressed spinal cords on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and electrophysiological findings in cervical spondylotic myelopathy patients. ⋯ The preoperative 1/4-lateral compression ratio of the spinal cord was found to reflect the degree of dysfunction of the corticospinal tracts.
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Case Reports
Intraspinal metallosis causing delayed neurologic symptoms after spinal instrumentation surgery.
Two cases of intraspinal metallosis causing delayed neurologic symptoms secondary to spinal instrumentation surgery are reported. ⋯ Intraspinal metallosis should be kept in mind as a rare cause of delayed neurologic symptoms after spinal instrumentation surgery. With the metal implants in place, myelography was the sole informative examination for diagnosis.
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Total excision of a large dumbbell cervicothoracic intra- and extraspinal meningioma that had grown into the posterior mediastinum is described. This excision involved a two-step neurosurgical-thoracosurgical procedure within a short interval. ⋯ The authors recommend a two-staged procedure for complete excision of a large spinal-thoracic meningioma. Even in elderly patients with major neurologic deficits, an impressive recovery can be achieved with such lesions.