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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The projectional nature of radiogram limits its amount of information about the instrumented spine. MRI and CT imaging can be more helpful, using cross-sectional view. However, the presence of metal-related artifacts at both conventional CT and MRI imaging can obscure relevant anatomy and disease. ⋯ However, on MRI imaging metallic implants may produce geometric distortion, the so-called susceptibility artifact. In conclusion, although 140 kV and high milliamperage second exposures are recommended for imaging patients with hardware, caution should always be exercised, particularly in children, young adults, and patients undergoing multiple examinations. MRI artifacts can be minimized by positioning optimally and correctly the examined anatomy part with metallic implants in the magnet and by choosing fast spin-echo sequences, and in some cases also STIR sequences, with an anterior to posterior frequency-encoding direction and the smallest voxel size.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Does Wallis implant reduce adjacent segment degeneration above lumbosacral instrumented fusion?
Delayed complications following lumbar spine fusion may occur amongst which is adjacent segment degeneration (ASD). Although interspinous implants have been successfully used in spinal stenosis to authors' knowledge such implants have not been previously used to reduce ASD in instrumented lumbar fusion. This prospective controlled study was designed to investigate if the implantation of an interspinous implant cephalad to short lumbar and lumbosacral instrumented fusion could eliminate the incidence of ASD and subsequently the related re-operation rate. ⋯ In this series, the Wallis interspinous implant changed the natural history of ASD and saved the two cephalad adjacent unfused vertebra from fusion, while it lowered the radiographic ASD incidence until to 5 years postoperatively. Longer prospective randomized studies are necessary to prove the beneficial effect of the interspinous implant cephalad and caudal to instrumented fusion. We recommend Wallis device for UCLA degeneration I and II.
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Multicenter Study
SWISSspine: a nationwide registry for health technology assessment of lumbar disc prostheses.
SWISSspine is a so-called pragmatic trial for assessment of safety and efficiency of total disc arthroplasty (TDA). It follows the new health technology assessment (HTA) principle of "coverage with evidence development". It is the first mandatory HTA registry of its kind in the history of Swiss orthopaedic surgery. ⋯ Nevertheless, no prediction about the long-term goals of TDA can be made yet. The SWISSspine registry proofs to be an excellent tool for collection of observational data in a nationwide framework whereby advantages and deficits of its design must be considered. It can act as a model for similar projects in other health-care domains.
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Comparative Study Clinical Trial
Comparison of single-level L4-L5 versus L5-S1 lumbar disc replacement: results and prognostic factors.
The aim of our prospective non-randomized clinical study was to analyze operative data, short-term results, safety, efficacy, complications, and prognostic factors for single-level total lumbar disc replacement (TLDR), and to compare results between different levels (L4-L5 vs. L5-S1). Thirty-six patients with single-level L4-L5 or L5-S1 TLDR, with 1-year minimum follow-up (FU), had complete clinical [SF36, visual analog scale (VAS), Oswestry Disability Index (ODI)] and radiological data, and were included in our study. ⋯ Hospital stay was affected by level (P = 0.036) and pre-op VAS (P = 0.006), while complications were affected by the level (P = 0.000) and pre-op ODI (P = 0.049). Complete pre-operative assessment (in particular VAS and ODI questionnaires) is important because more debilitating patients will have more hospital stay and higher complications or complaints. Patients had to be informed that complications, possibly severe, are particularly frequent (80.6%).
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We report the clinical and radiological results on the safety and efficacy of an unusual surgical strategy coupling anterior cervical discectomy and fusion and total disc replacement in a single-stage procedure, in patients with symptomatic, multilevel cervical degenerative disc disease (DDD). The proposed hybrid, single-stage, fusion-nonfusion technique aims either at restoring or maintaining motion where appropriate or favouring bony fusion when indicated by degenerative changes. Twenty-four patients (mean age 46.7 years) with symptomatic, multilevel DDD, either soft disc hernia or different stage spondylosis per single level, with predominant anterior myeloradicular compression and absence of severe alterations of cervical spine sagittal alignment, have been operated using such hybrid technique. ⋯ None of the patients needed revision surgery for persisting or recurring symptoms, procedure-related complications or devices dislocations. To the authors' best knowledge, this is the first study with the longest available follow-up describing a different concept in the management of cervical multilevel DDD. Although larger series with longer follow-up are needed, in selected cases of symptomatic multilevel DDD, the proposed surgical strategy appears to be a safe and reliable application of combined arthroplasty and arthrodesis during a single surgical procedure.