Spine
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Retrospective case-referent study. ⋯ A positive sedimentation sign exclusively and reliably occurs in patients with LSS, suggesting its usefulness in clinical practice. Future accuracy studies will address its sensitivity and specificity. If they confirm the sign's high specificity, a positive sedimentation sign can rule in LSS, and, with a high sensitivity, a negative sedimentation sign can rule out LSS.
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A prospective study was performed. ⋯ The technique of TRSP approach is safe, effective, and offers some advantages over the classic posterior, anterior, combined anterior-posterior approach for some specific highly unstable thoracolumbar fractures.
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A consecutive series of 19 cases of solitary plasmacytoma (SP) of cervical spine that underwent surgical treatment and one case that underwent pure radiotherapy were observed from 1995 to 2006. ⋯ SP of the cervical spine is relatively rare, and no typical early symptoms are present. Gross total tumor resection or total spondylectomy by piecemeal manner with adjuvant radiotherapy can markedly reduce local recurrences and lower the possibility of progressing to MM. Patients with progression to MM should be treated with individualized chemotherapy, but the prognosis may be poor.
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Retrospective case-control study. ⋯ Compared with a closely matched control cohort, we found that 75% of surgical patients returned to play again in the NBA, compared with 88% in control subjects who did not undergo surgery. For those players who returned, overall athletic performance was slightly improved or no worse than control subjects.