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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Facet tropism is defined as asymmetry between left and right facet joints and is postulated as a possible cause of disc herniation. In the present study, the authors used a 3-T MRI to investigate the association between facet tropism and lumbar disc herniation at a particular motion segment. They also examined whether the disc herniated towards the side of the more coronally oriented facet joint. ⋯ The findings of the study suggest that facet tropism is associated with lumbar disc herniation at the L5-S1 motion segment but not at the L4-L5 level.
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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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The aims of the present study were to compare the biomechanical effects on the adjacent segments after mono-segmental floating fusion with posterior semi-rigid or rigid stabilization, and to evaluate the effect of the amount of fusion mass on the biomechanical differences. ⋯ Posterior instrumentation with semi-rigid rods may lower the incidence of disk and facet degeneration in the upper adjacent segment compared to rigid rods. On the other hand, the possibility of facet degeneration will be similar for all instrumentation devices in the lower adjacent segment in the long-term. The stiffness difference between rigid and semi-rigid rods on the changes in the adjacent motion segments was more crucial than amount of fusion mass.
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Dorsal herniation of the spinal cord through the dura is an uncommon phenomenon and this is only the fifth reported case in the thoracolumbar spine, the first following surgery at the thoracolumbar junction. ⋯ The hernia was reduced surgically and the defect closed directly without the need for a dural patch leading to a full recovery. Posterior cord herniation, its possible aetiologies and management strategies are discussed.
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To report on the clinical course and treatment of Ewing sarcoma of the thoracic epidural space in a 5-year-old girl. ⋯ The majority of epidural patients undergo emergency surgery only after symptom exacerbation, which includes the development of neurological deficits. Thus, preoperative diagnosis of Ewing sarcoma of the epidural space is difficult and diagnosis is frequently made by a post-operative gene test. The resection area is limited to the intralesional margin area because a larger resection is difficult due to the characteristics of the affected region; thus, there is a higher possibility of recurrence and careful follow-up of the case is necessary.