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 aim is to analyze the agreement between different types of physicians in terms of the inter-observer and intra-observer reliability in addition to the agreement between the experienced and non-experienced physicians with respect to three different classification systems for diagnosis of cervical spinal canal stenosis. ⋯ All three classification systems showed excellent reproducibility and also displayed a substantial agreement. The classification system used by Vaccaro et al. was proven to be a method with substantial agreement both in the experienced group and the non-experienced group. It can be a useful classification system for simplifying communication among all physicians.
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Synovial cysts of the cervical spine are rare. These lesions have been associated with other spinal conditions as osteoarthritis, spondylolisthesis, and disc degeneration, with authors postulating a possible link with segmental spinal instability. This study aims to describe an atypically presenting case of a cervical synovial cyst. ⋯ Although rare, cervical synovial cysts are associated with a significant impairment in patients' daily activities. The atypical pattern of symptoms described in this case may be associated with the fluid content of the cyst, with postural changes causing different degrees of root compression. Most authors agree on a surgical option, but the need for associated fusion is still under debate.
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Previous studies have demonstrated that total cervical disc replacement (cTDR) represents a viable treatment alternative to the 'gold standard' anterior cervical discectomy and fusion for the treatment of well-defined cervical pathologies at short- and mid-term follow-up (FU). However, the implementation and acceptance of a non-fusion philosophy is closely associated with its avoidance of adjacent segment degeneration. Proof of the functional sustainability and clinical improvement of symptoms at long-term FU is still pending. The aim of this ongoing prospective study was to investigate the clinical and radiological results of cTDR at long-term FU. ⋯ Cervical total disc replacement with ProDisc C demonstrated a significant and maintained improvement of all clinical outcome parameters at a follow-up of ≥10 years. The present long-term data reveal that with an exceptionally low implant-related reoperation rate and low symptomatic adjacent segment degeneration rate, cTDR may be regarded as a safe and viable treatment option.