Spine
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Prospective cohort study. ⋯ Poor overall physical function and depression symptomatology are associated with LBP and consequences of LBP in persons 70 years of age and older.
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We present the case of a patient with a solitary neoplasm of the intramedullary spinal cord. ⋯ Despite being uncommon, spinal cord metastases should be considered in some patients before surgery because it may expedite diagnosis, mitigate the need for surgery, and improve the quality of life for these patients. Clinical factors suggesting metastasis include a personal or family history of malignancy or conditions predisposing to it, the presence of multiple tumors in the spinal cord or elsewhere, nonspecific constitutional symptoms, such as weight loss or decreased appetite, and, specifically for RCC, an abnormally increased hematocrit.
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Case Reports
"The disappearing evoked potentials": a special problem of positioning patients with skeletal dysplasia: case report.
A retrospective study of 3 patients with skeletal dysplasia, who had a loss of the evoked potentials during prone positioning before spine surgical intervention. ⋯ Patients with skeletal dysplasia are susceptible to serious neurologic misadventure when turned to a prone position. Neurophysiologic and/or clinical monitoring of patient positioning should be undertaken, and a plan of intervention, should loss of signal or function occur, must be implemented.
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A prospective in vivo animal study. ⋯ HSV-mediated gene transfer provides a novel method for treating chronic neuropathic pain related to lumbar root injury in rodents.