Spine
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Case report. ⋯ We used DTI to diagnose a symptomatic lesion as an extra-foraminal lumbosacral lesion caused by compression of the L5 spinal nerve at the foramina. Because DTI can quantitatively measure damage to nerve fibers, it may be advantageous for the diagnosis of far-out syndrome.
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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.