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 conservative and operative treatment strategies of hematogenous spondylodiscitis in septic patients with multiple risk factors are controversial. The present series demonstrates the outcome of 18 elderly patients (median age, 72 years) with septic hematogenous spondylodiscitis and intraspinal abscess treated with microsurgical decompression and debridement of the infective tissue, followed by posterior stabilization and interbody fusion with iliac crest bone graft in one or two lumbar segments. The majority of the patients were unsuccessfully treated with intravenous antibiotics prior to the operation. ⋯ Twelve patients had excellent or good outcomes during the follow-up period of at least 1 year. The series shows that operative decompression and eradication of the intraspinal and intervertebral infective tissue with fusion and stabilization via a posterior approach is possible in septic patients with multiple risk factors and leads to good results in those patients, who survive the initial severe stage of the septic disease. However, the morbidity and mortality suggest that this surgical treatment is not the therapy of first choice in high-risk septic patients, but may be considered in patients when conservative management has failed.
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The aim of the prospective cohort study was to investigate the outcome of acute whiplash injury first treated either by junior doctors (JD) [≤3 postgraduate years (PGY)] or more experienced doctors (MED) (>3 PGY). At baseline, crash-related data and health parameters including the SF36 were evaluated in whiplash patients (WP), who fulfilled criteria for whiplash-associated disorders grade I-II and presented up to 48 h after motor vehicle accident to our Emergency Department. 81 WP were recruited and treated by either one of 14 JD (35 WP) or one of 22 MED (46 WP). ⋯ Although the entry population seemed similar, all outcome parameters were comparable between the JD- and MED-group (p > 0.05). Therefore, we conclude that seniority of the first-treating physician does not influence the outcome of acute whiplash injury.
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The first aim of this study was to translate the Neck Pain and Disability Scale (NPAD) from English into Dutch producing the NPAD-Dutch Language Version (DLV). The second aim was to analyze test-retest reliability and agreement of the NPAD-DLV and the Neck Disability Index (NDI)-DLV. The NPAD was translated according to established guidelines. ⋯ The limits of agreement of the NPAD-DLV and the NDI-DLV were, respectively, ±20.9 (scale 0-100) and ±6.5 (scale 0-50). The reliability of the NPAD-DLV and the NDI-DLV was acceptable for patients with CNP. The variation ('instability') in the NPAD-DLV total scores was relatively large and larger than the variation of the NDI-DLV.
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Comparative Study
Pre-existent vertebral rotation in the human spine is influenced by body position.
Both the humans as well as the quadrupedal spine have been shown to exhibit a pattern of pre-existent rotation that is similar in direction to what is found in the most common types of idiopathic scoliosis. It has been postulated that human bipedalism introduces forces to the spine that increase a tendency of the vertebrae to rotate. The objective of this study was to examine the effect of body position on vertebral rotation in vivo. ⋯ Vertebral rotation in the local transverse plane was measured according to a pre-established method and compared at different spinal levels between the three body positions. It was shown that in all three positions the mid- and lower thoracic vertebrae were predominantly rotated to the right. However, vertebral rotation was significantly less in the quadrupedal position than in both the standing upright and supine positions.
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Posterior spinal ligament pathology is becoming increasingly recognized as a significant cause of low back pain. Despite the growing clinical importance of interspinous ligament degeneration in low back pain patients, formal reliability studies for the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) evaluation of interspinous ligaments have not been performed. We proposed an MRI classification system for interspinous ligament degeneration and conducted a comprehensive reliability and reproducibility assessment. ⋯ A difference of 1, 2, and 3 grades occurred in 8.1, 3.0, and 1.1% of readings, respectively. This proposed MRI classification of interspinous ligament degeneration was simple, reliable, and reproducible. Its use as a standardized nomenclature in clinical and radiographic research may be recommended.