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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To prospectively investigate the long-term clinical outcomes of microendoscopic laminotomy (MEL) in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) with and without degenerative spondylolisthesis (DS). ⋯ MEL showed similar outcomes in patients with DS and in those without DS.
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As reliability of raster stereography was proved only for sagittal plane parameters with repeated measures on the same day, the present study was aiming at investigating variability and reliability of back shape reconstruction for all dimensions (sagittal, frontal, transversal) and for different intervals. ⋯ Although we found a lower reproducibility for the frontal plane, raster stereography is considered to be a reliable method for the non-invasive, three-dimensional assessment of spinal alignment in normal non-scoliotic individuals in the sagittal plane and partly for scoliosis parameters, which fulfils scientific as well as practical recommendations for spine shape screening and monitoring, but cross-sectional or follow-up effect analyses should take into account the degree of reliability differing in various spine shape parameters. Further investigations should be conducted to analyse reliability in scoliosis patients with differing spinal deformities.
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Comparative Study
Comparison between walking test and treadmill test for intermittent claudication associated with lumbar spinal canal stenosis.
To clarify the priorities of the walking test and the treadmill test for intermittent claudication of lumbar canal stenosis. ⋯ The walking test detected significantly more symptoms that were not detected at rest than the treadmill test.
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Does intraoperative cell salvage system effectively decrease the need for allogeneic transfusions in scoliotic patients undergoing posterior spinal fusion? A prospective randomized study.
To determine the safety and efficacy of intraoperative cell salvage system in decreasing the need for allogeneic transfusions in a cohort of scoliosis patients undergoing primary posterior spinal fusion with segmental spinal instrumentation. ⋯ Cell saver use significantly reduces the need for allogeneic blood in spine deformity surgery, particularly in patients with low preoperative hemoglobin or longer operation time. This study confirms the utility of routine cell saver use during PSF with segmental spinal instrumentation for scoliosis patients.
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The clinical tests currently used to assess spinal biomechanics preoperatively are unable to assess true mechanical spinal stiffness. They rely on spinal displacement without considering the force required to deform a patient's spine. We propose a preoperative method for noninvasively quantifying the three-dimensional patient-specific stiffness of the spines of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis patients. ⋯ This result confirms that spinal biomechanics is patient-specific, which should be taken into consideration to individualize surgical treatment.