Spine
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Disc deterioration and pain provocation in different low-back pain syndromes was studied using computed tomography (CT) discography. Data were prospectively collected for 300 patients (816 discs). ⋯ Eighty-two percent of DH patients, 80% of DD, 56% of LS, and 59% of LRS patients had both positive discographic pain provocation and moderate or severe disc deterioration. The study indicates that intradiscal pathology plays a major role in nonspecific low-back pain syndromes.
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Records of 575 patients operated on for the first time for lumbar disc herniation have been reviewed. Four to 17 years after the operation 371 (65%) patients answered a questionnaire on number of reoperations, working capacity, lumbar or sciatic pain as well as necessity of treatment. Of these, 255 (70%) still complained of back pain, and 83 (23%) of this group complained of constant heavy pain; 172 patients (45%) have a residual sciatica; 131 (35%) are still under some kind of treatment; 47 (14%) patients are receiving a disability pension. ⋯ In the preoperative investigation, not only symptoms and neurological signs, but also the socially and personally defined career of the illness are of importance. The patients with complaints, mainly those receiving a pension, are psychologically conspicuous and show more psychopathological features as monitored by MMPI than the patients without complaints after surgery. Psychological assessment should increasingly be used in the preoperative evaluation, especially in patients who do not present an absolute indication for neurosurgical intervention.
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Case Reports
Electrophysiologic diagnosis of cervical OPLL myelopathy using evoked spinal cord potentials.
The purpose of this study is to establish the correct diagnosis of the location and extent of intraspinal cord lesions in cases of continuous or mixed-type ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament and to estimate the postoperative prognosis using evoked spinal cord potentials (ESCP). Twenty-six patients, who underwent surgery from 1985 to 1987 and who have been followed for more than 6 months, were examined using a conductive ESCP, which demonstrates lower extremity, bowel, and bladder function, and a segmental ESCP and dermatome segmental ESCP, which demonstrate upper extremity function. ⋯ In cases in which the ESCP disappeared at the middle of the narrow cervical spinal canal, another stimulating electrode was placed in the cisterna magna, and a descending conductive ESCP was recorded to monitor the upper border of the spinal lesion. New findings, which could not be observed by roentgenograms, myelography, and CT scan, were detectable using this technique.
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The purpose of this study was to evaluate the unfused segments of the lumbar spine in patients who had Harrington instrumentation and fusion for idiopathic scoliosis. Forty-eight patients, with an average follow-up of 11 years, were evaluated. The translational motion in the unfused segments below the instrumented levels was measured, using lateral flexion and extension radiographs of the lumbar spine. ⋯ There was no relationship between low-back pain and traction spurs, length of the fusion mass, lumbar lordosis, or width of the disc space in the unfused lower levels. The authors conclude that retrolisthesis and increased translational motion are important factors in determining low-back pain following surgery for idiopathic scoliosis. Instrumentation to L4 should be avoided if possible.