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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Spinal epidural abscess is an uncommon entity, especially in the cervical region. ⋯ Cervical spinal epidural abscess may be caused by iatrogenic perforation of pharyngeal wall during diagnostic oesophagoscopy. Early diagnosis with an MRI and surgical treatment with antimicrobial chemotherapy are keys to successful management of this rare and life-threatening complication.
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To describe two unique cases of osteoporotic vertebral compression fracture (OVCF) treated with balloon kyphoplasty (BKP) that were complicated by spinal instability and resultant lower extremity paraparesis. ⋯ To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report describing the development of spinal instability with resultant delayed paraplegia following BKP. This case report demonstrates another cause of neurological decline following BKP, in the absence of cement leakage.
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Despite the high prevalence of musculoskeletal diseases, in Spain there are few data about how these conditions affect the quality of life of individuals. The objective of this study was to assess the quality of life (QOL) of patients candidate for orthopedic surgical treatment using an age-gender adjusted method of QOL scores. ⋯ Presenting the results of SF-36 in standard deviations from the age- and gender-adjusted population mean (T values) leads to a better appreciation of the differences between the various diseases. Patients candidate for surgery of the lumbar spine had a worse QOL, while the QOL in patients candidate for knee arthroplasty was the least affected.
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To investigate the effects on evoked thalamic neuronal activity of application of notochordal cells and chondrocyte-like cells derived from nucleus pulposus (NP) onto a dorsal root ganglion (DRG) and to compare these effects with a previously reported increased thalamic activity induced by NP. ⋯ Separate exposure of the DRG to the two NP-derived cell populations induced different effects on evoked thalamic activity, but none of the tested cell samples induced an increase in neuronal activity similar to that previously observed with NP. This indicates a high complexity of the interaction between NP and nervous tissue.
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Duplication of the spine is very rare, and this malformation is generally considered as a severe form of type I split cord malformations. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of spine duplication associated with lipomyelomeningocele. ⋯ A surgical operation was planned to release the tethered cord and instrumentation and fusion for scoliosis; however, the operation was declined by the patient.