Spine
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Prospective radiographic study. ⋯ Quality control of the reconstructed sagittal balance for sagittal imbalance is possible. Correctly orienting the pelvis, reconstructed by the restoration of enough L1-S1 lordosis with adequate distribution at L4-S1 segments, is a matter of critical importance for optimizing reconstructed sagittal balance. The correctly oriented pelvis can be determined before surgery. Preventing junctional fracture and persistent rehabilitation of surgically injured lumbar extensor musculature are crucial for maintaining the reconstructed sagittal balance.
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Comparative Study
Diffusion magnetic resonance imaging to differentiate degenerative from infectious endplate abnormalities in the lumbar spine.
A retrospective observational study of healthy volunteers and patients with degenerative and infectious endplate abnormalities in the lumbar spine. ⋯ DWI is useful for differentiation of degenerative and infectious endplate abnormalities. Moreover, MRI is widely used clinically because of the lack of ionizing radiation, low cost, and fast imaging time as compared with positron emission tomography. Therefore, DWI has the potential to be used as a screening tool.
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Comparative Study
Region-dependent aggrecan degradation patterns in the rat intervertebral disc are affected by mechanical loading in vivo.
Immunoblotting study to evaluate aggrecan degradation patterns in rat intervertebral discs (IVDs) subjected to mechanical overload. ⋯ Aggrecan G1 regions resulting from proteolysis were found to have a strong regionally specific pattern in the rat IVD, which was altered under excessive loading. The shift from aggrecanase to MMP-induced degradation products with dynamic compression overloading suggests that protein degradation and loss can precede major structural disruption in the IVD, and that MMP-induced aggrecan degradation may be a marker of mechanically induced disc degeneration.
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Comparative Study
Inflammatory cytokine and chemokine expression is differentially modulated acutely in the dorsal root ganglion in response to different nerve root compressions.
Inflammatory proteins were quantified in bilateral dorsal root ganglions (DRGs) at 1 hour and 1 day using a multiplexed assay after 2 different unilateral nerve root compression injuries. ⋯ Nerve root compression alone may not be sufficient to induce early increases in proinflammatory cytokines in the DRG after radiculopathy and this early protein response may not be directly responsible for nociception in this type of injury.
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Comparative Study
Surgeons agree to disagree on surgical options for degenerative conditions of the cervical and lumbar spine.
This is a survey study designed to evaluate agreement among spine surgeons regarding treatment options for six clinical scenarios involving degenerative conditions of the cervical and lumbar spine. ⋯ Spine surgeons in this survey generally agreed on when to operate but failed to agree on what type of procedures to perform.