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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In patients with degenerative lumbar diseases, we aimed to establish the cutoff value of Hounsfield units (HU) for osteoporosis screening on the basis of the relationship between computed tomography (CT) HU value and volume bone mineral density (BMD) measured by quantitative computed tomography (QCT). ⋯ The CT value is effective in osteoporosis screening, and the QCT-based cutoff value is 110 HU for osteoporosis and 160 HU for osteopenia in the patients with degenerative lumbar disease.
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The purpose was to analyze how rod characteristics, screw density and cages influence the incidence of mechanical complications compared to patient-related factors and alignment in adult spinal deformity instrumented T9-T11 to pelvis. ⋯ 3-Retrospective register study.
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Clinical practices vary between healthcare providers when it comes to asking for a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) during follow-up for chronic low-back pain (LBP). The association between progressive changes on the MRI and the clinical relevance of these findings is not clearly defined. The objective of our study is to investigate to what extent do MRI findings change during a period less than or equal to two years in patients with chronic LBP. We question the efficacy of its routinary use as a tool for follow-up and we also study the correlation between new changes on MRI and modifications in therapeutic attitude. ⋯ The rate of lumbar MRI has risen to an alarming pace without evidence of consequent improvements in patient outcomes. A significant number of repeated MRIs did not show radiological changes, nor did they give rise to further surgical treatment after obtaining these images. This study should help to review the real applications of clinical guides on the appropriate use for image tests.
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There is a paucity of data regarding the sagittal spine-pelvis-leg alignment and the compensatory mechanisms in patients with lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) and hip osteoarthritis (HOA). In this study, we aim to evaluate the association of HOA with sagittal spine-pelvis alignment parameters in a population of patients with lumbar spinal stenosis and sagittal malalignment. ⋯ In this PSM study, patients with SOA exhibit reduced pelvic tilt and hip extension in standing positions compared to those with LOA. Additionally, the SOA patients had worse global sagittal alignment than their LOA counterparts.
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Paraspinal and spinopelvic muscular dysfunction are hypothesized to be a causative factor for spinal degeneration and deformity; however, our fundamental understanding of paraspinal muscle (dys)function remains limited. ⋯ This study is the first to show a heightened intrinsic contractile muscle disorder (i.e. impaired specific force generation) in patients with spinal degeneration who are sagittally imbalanced (compared to patients without deformity). Additionally, there are clear indications that patients with spinal degeneration (all groups) have intrinsic force sarcomere-length properties that are dysregulated. This provides important insight into the pathophysiology of muscle weakness in this patient group.