Spine
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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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Retrospective review of medical records. ⋯ Infection, medical complications after surgery, and surgical complications requiring revision of implants are the primary causes of unplanned early readmissions and spine surgery. Further studies are necessary to identify patients and procedures most associated with readmission.
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Multicenter Study
Expression of ezrin, MMP-9, and COX-2 in 50 chordoma specimens: a clinical and immunohistochemical analysis.
Retrospective study. ⋯ En bloc resection with tumor-free margins is seldom feasible, particularly in the sacrum. Intralesional excisions mostly end in early local recurrence; therefore, the demand for further treatment options is frequently posed. The marked trend of the investigated biomarkers of this study may build a starting point for further investigations as molecular targets for future adjuvant therapies in chordomas. Future multicenter studies on larger patients' series are necessary to elucidate these preliminary data and to test new treatment options for patients with chordomas.
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Retrospective, single-institution review of adult deformity patients who underwent iliac screw (IS) removal placed during fusion to the sacrum. ⋯ Of 395 consecutive walking patients who had ISs placed during fusion to the sacrum for adult spinal deformity, 24 (6.1%) underwent elective removal. Patients had a statistically significant improvement in hip/buttock pain after IS removal, and a low prevalence of complications after the procedure was observed.
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Comparative Study
Adjacent-level range of motion and intradiscal pressure after posterior cervical decompression and fixation: an in vitro human cadaveric model.
This in vitro human cadaveric study measured adjacent-level kinematics after posterior cervical decompression and fixation. ⋯ For C3-C6 laminectomy, instrumentation to C7 significantly decreased flexion/extension ROM and intradiscal pressure at C6-C7 without significantly increasing either measure at C2-C3 or C7-T1 relative to C3-C6 fixation. In the setting of a C3-C7 laminectomy, when instrumenting to either C2 or T2, consideration should be given to including both levels within these constructs.