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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Comparative Study
Iliac crest orientation and geometry in able-bodied and non-treated adolescent idiopathic scoliosis girls with moderate and severe spinal deformity.
To identify pelvic rotation and/or distortion in able-bodied and untreated AIS girls with moderate and severe scoliosis and verify association of pelvic morphological changes with Cobb angle increase. ⋯ Differences in iliac spine geometries occurred in the transverse plane correlating to Cobb angles which suggest altered bone growth in AIS girls. Such findings could indicate right thoracic spinal deformity as a result of pelvic torsion.
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Pelvic tilt is an established measure of position which has been tied to sagittal plane spinal deformity. Increased tilt is noted in the setting of the aging spine and sagittal malalignment syndromes such as flatback (compensatory mechanism). However, the femoral heads are often poorly visualized on sagittal films of scoliosis series in adults, limiting the ability to determine pelvic incidence and tilt. There is a need to establish a coronal plane (better visualization) pelvic parameter which correlates closely with pelvic tilt. ⋯ The pelvic tilt is an essential measure in the context of radiographic evaluation of spinal deformity and malalignment. Given the routinely excellent visibility of coronal films this study established the SFP as a coronal parameter which can reliably estimate pelvic tilt. The high correlation and predictive ability of the SFP angle should prompt further study and clinical application when lateral radiographs do not permit assessment of pelvic parameters.
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The conventional open pedicle screw fusion (PSF) requires an extensive detachment of the paraspinal muscle from the posterior aspect of the lumbar spine, which can cause muscle injury and subsequently lead to "approach-related morbidity". The spinous process-splitting (SPS) approach for decompression, unilateral laminotomy for bilateral decompression, and the Wiltse approach for pedicle screw insertion are considered to be less invasive to the paraspinal musculature. We investigated whether SPS open PSF combined with the abovementioned techniques attenuates the paraspinal muscle damage and yields favorable clinical results, including alleviation in the low back discomfort, in comparison to the conventional open PSF. ⋯ In conclusion, SPS open PSF was less damaging to the paraspinal muscle than the conventional open PSF and had a significant clinical effect, reducing low back discomfort over 1 year after the surgery.
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Cartilage endplate (CEP) degeneration is usually accompanied by loss of cellularity, and this loss may be a crucial key factor in initiation and development of degenerative disc disease. The study of cell types in degenerated CEP could help in understanding CEP etiopathogenesis, and may help in devising new treatments, especially if the presence of progenitor cells could be demonstrated. The aim of this study was to determine if progenitor cells existed in degenerated human CEP. ⋯ We believe that this is the first study which has conclusively shown the presence of progenitor cells in degenerated CEP. The finding of this study may influence the clinical management of degenerative disc disorder.
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Leg length inequalities (LLI) are a common finding. Rasterstereography offers a non-invasive, contact-free and reliable method to detect the effects of LLIs on spinal posture and pelvic position. ⋯ Our study showed that there was a correlation between an artificial leg length inequality up to 15 mm and pelvic tilt or torsion, but only minor changes in the spinal posture were measured. Further studies should investigate the effects of greater leg length inequalities on spine and pelvis.