Spine
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Prospective longitudinal study. ⋯ The recovery of the lumbar intervertebral discs after 60-day bed rest is a prolonged process and incomplete within 2 years.
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Intermittent Cyclic Mechanical Tension (ICMT) was applied to end plate chondrocytes by using an FX-4000T Flexercell Tension Plus unit (Flexcell International Corporation, Hillsborough, NC). Changes of end plate chondrocytes were observed after ICMT stimulation. ⋯ Our results directly showed that ICMT induced the calcification and downregulation of ankh gene expression of end plate chondrocytes, which may be caused by the endogenous TGF-β1.
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Comparative Study
Major complications and comparison between 3-column osteotomy techniques in 105 consecutive spinal deformity procedures.
A retrospective review. ⋯ Major complications occurred in 35% of 3-column osteotomies and at similar rates for both PSO (38%) and VCR (22%) procedures. The presence of a major complication did not affect the ultimate clinical outcomes at 2 years or more.
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Ex vivo study of the mechanical performance of cylindrical and dual-core pedicle screws after insertion, removal, and reinsertion in the same hole. ⋯ Insertions and reinsertion of either cylindrical or dual-core pedicle screws have compromised insertion torque and pullout strength of the implants as measured by mechanical tests.
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A cross-sectional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study. ⋯ Herniations were most likely in the subjects with recent onset or persistent (3-yr period) low back symptoms, although they were also detected in subjects with no symptoms. The clinical relevance of herniations on MRI remains to be evaluated in the context of symptoms.