Spine
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An analysis of clinical data gathered at an orthopedic outpatient clinic is presented. ⋯ Correlations between the Waddell score and the first three scales of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory were not fully replicated. The difference between the high Waddell and low Waddell groups on scale 8, however, was significant for men and women.
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This cross-sectional study compares the Oswestry and Roland-Morris disability scales in two groups of patients with low back pain of different clinical and electromyographic severity. ⋯ The authors conclude that both functional disability scales accurately discriminated between these two groups of patients with low back pain of very different clinical and electromyographic severity.
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Three-hole Roy-Camille posterior plates (Howmedica, Inc., Rutherford, NJ) were used to fix severely destabilized fresh cadaveric cervical spines. Fixed spine constructs were tested mechanically in flexion-extension and torsion, and the results were compared with the same characteristics in the intact spine before destabilization. Stainless steel and titanium plates and screws were evaluated. ⋯ Posterior application of Roy-Camille plates can fix cervical spines with severe destabilizing defects rigidly. Screw pull-out of the most proximal or distal screw was always the mechanism of failure.
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This retrospective study evaluated the progression of deformity after posterior fusion by reviewing 63 consecutive patients with idiopathic scoliosis who were all in Risser sign 0 at the time of surgery. All patients were observed beyond the time of skeletal maturity. Average follow-up time was 9 years and 8 months (range, 5-16 years). ⋯ The results showed that patients with chronologic age of 11 years of younger, especially those with a skeletal age of 10 years or younger, had a high estimated probability of progression of deformity. The progression was fairly moderate, however, with an average Cobb angle of 9 degrees and average rotation of 7 degrees, which neither the patients nor the surgeon believed was of such magnitude as to warrant routine combined anterior fusion.
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Nine patients with thoracolumbar burst fractures associated with horizontal fractures in the posterior column were studied retrospectively. ⋯ This type of burst fracture is not accompanied by ligamentous injuries because of distraction force in the middle column, which is not present in flexion-distraction injuries, but it seems to be more unstable than burst fractures with no horizontal splitting of the posterior column and requires surgical stabilization.