Spine
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The case of a 14-year-old boy who sustained simultaneous fractures of every cervical vertebra in a high-energy snowmobile accident is reported. ⋯ This case report is the first to describe a patient of any age who sustained simultaneous fractures of every cervical vertebra. Treatment with a halo vest was successful in protecting the cervical spine until healing was complete.
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Comparative Study Clinical Trial Controlled Clinical Trial
Feasibility of ultrasound examination in posterior ligament complex injury of thoracolumbar spine fracture.
A prospective study of 12 patients with thoracolumbar spinal fractures was conducted. ⋯ This study demonstrated the excellent diagnostic ability of ultrasound to detect the status of the supraspinous and interspinous ligaments, especially in patients who undergo surgery. Although ultrasound examination appears to be less sensitive than MRI in predicting ligament status, the cost effectiveness of ultrasound and its use as an alternative to MRI in special situations (i.e., patients with pacemaker, ferromagnetic implant, or severe claustrophobia) should be emphasized. More clinical data concerning the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of ultrasound examination should be addressed in future studies.
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A cross-sectional study was conducted to analyze a convenience sample of patients seeking treatment for cervical spine conditions. ⋯ The Cervical Spine Outcomes Questionnaire is a comprehensive, disease-specific instrument for assessing complaints of neck pain and evaluating the outcomes of treatments for these complaints. It provides information on demographics, pain severity, functional disability, psychological distress, physical symptoms, health care utilization, and satisfaction. It appears to be acceptable to patients, easy to administer, highly reliable, valid, and responsive. It should be considered for use in monitoring patients with cervical spine conditions and in studies of cervical spine disorders and their treatments.
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Case Reports
Polysegmental spondylodiscitis and concomitant aortic aneurysm rupture: case report with 3-year follow-up period.
A case report describing a patient with spondylodiscitis of the thoracic and lumbar spine complicated by rupture of an abdominal aortic aneurysm and aggravation of neurologic symptoms is presented. ⋯ In older patients, spondylodiscitis may be complicated by other underlying diseases. Pain and neurologic symptoms may occur secondarily to concomitant illnesses instead of being caused by the inflammation itself. Minimally invasive therapy is shown to be an effective alternative to surgery in older and multimorbid patients with spondylodiscitis and contained aortic aneurysm rupture.