European spine journal : official publication of the European Spine Society, the European Spinal Deformity Society, and the European Section of the Cervical Spine Research Society
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Although the structural changes occurring in the scoliotic spine have been reported as early as the 19th century, the descriptions and biomechanical explanations have not always been complete and consistent. In this study, three-dimensionally rendered CT images of two human skeletons with a scoliotic deformity and two patients with serious scoliosis were used to describe the intrinsic vertebral and rib deformities. The pattern of structural deformities was found to be consistent. ⋯ The rib deformities at the convex side of the scoliotic curve showed an increased angulation of the rib at the posterior angle, whereas the rib curve on the concave side was flattened. The observed vertebral deformities suggest that these are caused by bone remodelling processes due to forces in the anterior spinal column, which drive the apical vertebral body out of the midline, whereas forces of the musculo-ligamentous structures at the posterior side of the spinal column attempt to minimize the deviations and rotations of the vertebrae. The demonstrated rib deformities suggest an adaptation to forces imposed by the scoliotic spine.
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The latest open MRI technology allows to perform open and closed surgical procedures under real-time imaging. Before performing spinal trauma surgery preclinical examinations had to be done to evaluate the artifacts caused by the implants. ⋯ The open MRI has proven useful in orthopedic and trauma surgery. The size and configuration of the artifacts caused by instruments and implants is predictable. Therefore exact positioning of the implants is achieved more easily. Dorsal instrumentation of unstable thoracolumbar fractures with a percutaneous technique has turned out safe and less traumatic under MR-imaging. Real-time imaging of soft tissue and bone in any plane improves security for the patient and allows the surgeon to work less invasively and more precisely.
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This cadaver study evaluated the value of MR images for detection of acute intervertebral disc damage associated with fractures of the thoracolumbar spine. Damage to the intervertebral disc may be a major contributor to chronic instability in non-operative treatment or failure of fixation and recurrence of deformity in posterior fixation methods. MR imaging can help us to understand the injury patterns and their prognostic significance. ⋯ These were all detected on the corresponding MR images. The study showed that MRI is able to detect acute, macroscopic injury to the intervertebral disc. It is therefore justified to use MR for the study of acute disc damage associated with thoracolumbar fractures.
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Case Reports
Unusual presentation of spinal cord compression related to misplaced pedicle screws in thoracic scoliosis.
Utilization of thoracic pedicle screws is controversial, especially in the treatment of scoliosis. We present a case of a 15-year-old girl seen 6 months after her initial surgery for scoliosis done elsewhere. She complained of persistent epigastric pain, tremor of the right foot at rest, and abnormal feelings in her legs. ⋯ At the time of the revision surgery the somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEP) returned to normal after screw removal. The clinical symptoms resolved 1 month after the revision. The authors conclude that after pedicle instrumentation at the thoracic level a spinal cord compression should be looked for in case of subtle neurologic findings such as persistent abdominal pain, mild lower extremity weakness, tremor at rest, thermoalgic discrimination loss, or unexplained imbalance.
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Case Reports
Myelopathy due to calcification of the cervical ligamenta flava: a report of two cases in West Indian patients.
Two cases of cervical myelopathy due to calcification of the ligamenta flava (CLF) are described for the first time in black patients from the French West Indies. A pre-operative CT scan differentiated the diagnosis from one of ossification of the ligamenta flava. Microanalysis on the operatively excised specimen in one patient revealed a mixture of calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate crystals and hydroxypatite crystals. Poor outcome in one patient contrasting with excellent recovery in the other one, who had undergone posterior decompressive laminectomy, emphasizes the importance of surgery in the management of CLF.