Spine
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Case-control. ⋯ 4.
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This was a prospective study evaluating the incidence of retrograde ejaculation (RE) after anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF) based on laboratory analysis of semen and urine. ⋯ This study suggests that use of a questionnaire tends to overestimate the incidence of RE as compared with the quantitative semen and urine analysis. Contrary to recent studies using retrospective qualitative review, in this small group with quantitative analysis, use of rhBMP-2 was not related to an increased incidence of RE, with a rate of approximately 10% in both patients receiving, and those not receiving, rhBMP-2. Further study of a larger group using preoperative semen and urine analysis, postoperative standard questionnaire and postoperative semen analysis should be pursued to further investigate the occurrence of RE and to possibly assist in developing and validating a questionnaire for RE assessment.
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Cross-sectional cohort study. ⋯ The sedimentation sign is more prevalent in patients with the clinical diagnosis of central or combined LSS than in patients with lateral stenosis only or posterolateral disc herniation. Yet, whether it enhances current diagnostic practices remains undetermined.
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A systematic review of published trials in orthopedic spine literature. ⋯ This study shows that in open spine surgery RCTs information on skill and experience is scarcely reported. Authors often fail to report essential methodological safeguards. These studies may therefore be prone to expertise bias.
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Nine patients with malignant sacral tumor underwent 1-stage total sacrectomy. The oncological and functional results are analyzed. ⋯ Total sacrectomy can be performed successfully using a 1-stage combined anterior and posterior approach and is an important procedure for the treatment of primary malignant tumor involving the top portion of or the whole sacrum.