Spine
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Prospective longitudinal cohort. ⋯ Patients with good preoperative MCS and poor preoperative ODI scores who are not on workers' compensation are more likely to improve after lumbar fusion. Threshold values for MCS, PCS, and ODI predictive of a patient achieving minimum clinically important difference for PCS and ODI could not be determined.
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A prospective observational study of patients with sciatica. ⋯ The 3-dimensional DW-SSFP MRI with high spatial and sufficient contrast is an excellent technique to define the nature of sciatica and assists in prognostication and possibly in management.
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Comparative Study
Comparison of the flat torso versus the elevated torso shoulder pad removal techniques in a cadaveric cervical spine instability model.
Controlled laboratory study in a cadaveric model. ⋯ These findings support use of the elevated torso method to minimize cervical spine motion during shoulder pad removal when neither thoracic nor lumbar spinal injury is a concern.
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The authors investigated gait abnormalities and mechanical hypersensitivity associated with invertebral disc herniation in a rat model of radiculopathy. Further evaluation involved assessing how nucleus pulposus (NP) injury affected systemic cytokine expression and molecular changes at the dorsal root ganglion (DRG). ⋯ This model of radiculopathy provides evidence of altered gait in a model of noncompressive disc herniation. Systemic inflammation was absent, but mechanical allodynia, local inflammation, and autoreactive immune activation were observed. Future work will involve therapeutic interventions to rescue animals from the phenotype of inflammatory radiculopathy.
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Comparative Study
In vivo analysis of atlantoaxial motion in individuals immobilized with the halo thoracic vest or Philadelphia collar.
In vivo biomechanical comparison of the halo thoracic vest (HTV) and the Philadelphia collar (PC). ⋯ Under the extremes of flexion and extension bendings, the current study demonstrated that there was no significant difference in restriction of sagittal motion at C1-C2 when using the PC instead of the HTV in a group of 20 young normal adults. In light of the current biomechanical data and a selected review of literature, it is concluded that the use of a PC is sufficient for the treatment of stable odontoid fractures.