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
-
Growing attention is being given to physical functioning measures to assess interventions for low back pain (LBP). The Quebec Back Pain Disability Questionnaire (QBPDS) has never been validated in Italian patients, and the aim of the study was culturally adapting and validating the Italian version of the QBPDS (QBPDS-I), to allow its use with Italian-speaking patients with chronic LBP. ⋯ The QBPDS-I is unidimensional, reliable and valid in patients with chronic LBP. Its use is recommended for clinical and research purposes.
-
Hyaluronic acid plays an essential role in water retention of the intervertebral disc (IVD) and thus provides flexibility and shock absorbance in the spine. Hyaluronic acid gets degraded by hyaluronidases (HYALs), and some of the resulting fragments were previously shown to induce an inflammatory and catabolic response in human IVD cells. However, no data currently exist on the expression and activity of HYALs in IVD health and disease. ⋯ Although HYAL-1, HYAL-2 and HYAL-3 are all expressed in the IVD, HYAL-2 seems to have the highest pathophysiological relevance. Nonetheless, further studies will be needed to comprehensively elucidate its significance and to determine its potential as a therapeutic target. These slides can be retrieved under Electronic Supplementary Material.
-
To investigate the age-based normal values of sagittal parameters and establish the relationships between them in Chinese population. ⋯ The normal values of sagittal parameters were presented and changed with age in Chinese asymptomatic population. The gender differences existed in sagittal parameters. The relationships between PI and other parameters were established which could be used for further research. These slides can be retrieved under Electronic Supplementary Material.
-
This study aimed at investigating the effects of different body positions and axial loads on spinal stiffness to better understand spinal stabilisation mechanisms. ⋯ This study showed that spinal lumbar and thoracic stiffness increases when body position is changed from prone to standing. Additional axial load of 50% of the subject's body weight results in reduced spinal stiffness during standing. These slides can be retrieved under Electronic Supplementary Material.
-
Existing automated spine alignment is based on original X-rays that are not applicable for teleradiology for spinal deformities patients. We aim to provide a novel automated vertebral segmentation method enabling accurate sagittal alignment detection, with no restrictions imposed by image quality or pathology type. ⋯ This is the first study using fine-tuned Mask R-CNN to predict vertebral locations on optical images of X-rays accurately and automatically. We provide a novel alignment detection method that has a significant application on teleradiology aiding out-of-hospital consultations. These slides can be retrieved under Electronic Supplementary Material.