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
-
Comparative Study
Computer tomography assessment of pedicle screw placement in lumbar and sacral spine: comparison between free-hand and O-arm based navigation techniques.
Transpedicular screw fixation has been accepted worldwide since Harrington et al. first placed pedicle screws through the isthmus. In vivo and in vitro studies indicated that pedicle screw insertion accuracy could be significantly improved with image-assisted systems compared with conventional approaches. The O-arm is a new generation intraoperative imaging system designed without compromise to address the needs of a modern OR like no other system currently available. ⋯ Screw implantation was performed during PLIF or TLIF mainly for spondylolisthesis, osteochondritis and post-laminectomy syndrome. The accuracy rate in our work was 94.1% in the free-hand group compared to 99% in the O-arm navigated group. Thus it was concluded that free-hand technique will only be safe and accurate when it is in the hands of an experienced surgeon and the accuracy of screw placement with O-arm can reach 100%.
-
We performed microscopic lumbar foraminotomy in all the patients diagnosed with degenerative lumbar foraminal stenosis (DLFS) and retrospectively reviewed the clinical outcomes and the factors influencing them. The preoperative Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score of 13.8 significantly improved to 21.9 postoperatively. Although leg pain reduced in 44 patients (95.7%) immediately after surgery, it recurred in 9 patients (19.6%). ⋯ Even among patients with DLS, those with <3° Cobb angle difference between the supine and standing positions showed satisfactory results, with no recurrence. In conclusion, microscopic lumbar foraminotomy for DLFS produced satisfactory clinical outcomes even in patients with DLS. However, the outcomes were poor in patients with unstable DLS.
-
Cell therapy along with growth factor injection is currently widely investigated to restore the intervertebral disc. However, there is increasing evidence that transplanted unconditioned bone marrow-derived stromal cells (BMSCs) cannot thrive in the intervertebral disc "niche". Moreover, uncertainty exists with respect to the cell phenotype that would be suitable to inject. ⋯ Chondrogenic induction via TGF-β pathway provoked down-regulation of KRT-19 gene expression in four out of five donors after 18 days of culture, whereas KRT-19 expression remained unchanged in the "discogenic" groups. In addition, the ratio of aggrecan/collagen II gene expression showed a remarkable difference (of at least 3 magnitudes) between the chondrogenic stimulus (low ratio) and the discogenic stimulus (high ratio). Therefore, KRT-19 and aggrecan/collagen II ratio may be potential markers to distinguish chondrogenic from "discogenic" differentiation.
-
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
Assessment of adjacent-segment mobility after cervical disc replacement versus fusion: RCT with 1 year's results.
Disc prostheses have been designed to restore and maintain cervical segmental motion and reduce the accelerated degeneration of the adjacent level. There is no knowledge about the reaction of the neighboured asymptomatic segments after implantation of prostheses or fusion. The effects of these procedures to segmental movement of the uninvolved vertebrae have not been subjected to studies so far. ⋯ In conclusion, the adjacent segment could show a higher segmental motion, when compared with the segment either treated with prostheses or fusion. There was no significant difference in segmental motion adjacent to prosthesis or fusion. Clinical results did also show no significant difference in pain relief between both groups.
-
With minimally invasive technique becoming more popular, endoscopic operations such as arthroscopy or laparoscopy have become the standard of care in several other areas. In this study, we evaluated the 5-year follow-up outcomes of anterior cervical (Ahn et al. in Photomed Laser Surg 23:362-368, 2005) discectomy and interbody fusion (ACDF) performed via endoscopic approach. Sixty-seven patients who underwent anterior cervical discectomy and cage fusion performed using endoscopic technique were followed for at least 5 years. ⋯ It indicated endoscopic technique for ACDF can obtain satisfactory results in patients with cervical disc herniation, cervical myelopathy, or radiculopathy. Compared with a traditional approach, this technique may be associated with less morbidity while improving cosmesis and postoperative recovery. Prospective randomized control trials are needed to directly compare these two procedures.