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 evaluate the clinical and radiological outcomes of elderly (>75 years old) patients who underwent spinal instrumented fusion surgery. ⋯ Spinal fixation and fusion in patients older than 75 years old grants good results in terms of quality of life but the rate of morbidity is higher than standard spine surgery. Rate of fusion especially is still a critical point.
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Purpose of the study was to analyze in a retrospective way the clinical and radiographic outcome of three different surgical techniques in patients who underwent anterior cervical fusion. ⋯ As shown by the obtained clinical and radiographic results, the anterior interbody fusion with stand-alone peek cage containing β-tricalcium phosphate could be considered an effective and reliable procedure.
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Sagittal imbalance is a predictor of failure after surgery for lumbar degenerative pathology. For this reason, specialists advocate correction of sagittal deformity and systematically perform preoperative standing whole spine films. Such diagnostic investigations expose patients to significant doses of radiation. The authors propose an easier radiographic investigation helpful as a screening test to identify patients likely to have sagittal imbalance. ⋯ This study preliminarily suggests that the SLLP film can be a useful screening test for sagittal balance abnormalities.
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Osteoblastoma is a rare, benign bone tumor that accounts for approximately 1% of all primary bone tumors and 5% of spinal tumors, mostly arising within the posterior elements of the spine within the second and third decades of life. Nonspecific initial symptoms mainly neck or back pain and stiffness of the spine remain often undiagnosed and the destructive nature of the expanding tumor can cause even neurological deficits. CT and MRI scans constitute the basic imaging modalities employed in diagnosis and preoperative planning with the former delineating the location and osseous involvement of the mass and the latter providing appreciation of the effect on soft tissues and neural elements. ⋯ This case delineates the difficulties in diagnosing this tumor, as well as the challenges and problems encountered in its surgical management, and also the favorable prognosis when adequately treated.
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To study family history in relation to curve severity, gender, age at diagnosis and treatment in idiopathic scoliosis. ⋯ Larger curve sizes were found in patients with a family history of scoliosis than in the ones without. No relation between family history and gender or between family history and age at onset of idiopathic scoliosis was found. Although the presence of a family history of scoliosis may not be a strong prognostic risk factor, it indicates that these patients are at higher risk of developing a more severe curve.