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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Reliable classification systems and clinical tests are sought for the care of patients with low back pain (LBP). The objectives of this clinical study were to evaluate inter-examiner reliability in the classification of patients with LBP, the influence of radiological findings on the classification and the reliability of some clinical tests. Two examiners independently assessed 50 outpatients with LBP. ⋯ The reliability of clinical tests was good (kappa>0.6) in 6 tests and moderate (kappa>0.4) in 12 tests. Good inter-examiner reliability was found for the SLR test, movement range and sensibility testing with spurs in dermatome areas. We conclude that the KWC for classifying patients with LBP seems to be a reliable classification system depending on a few key observations and that moderate and good inter-examiner reliability can be achieved in several clinical tests in the assessment of LBP.
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In studies evaluating the efficacy of clinical interventions, it is of paramount importance that the functional outcome measures are responsive to clinically relevant change. Knowledge thereof is in fact essential for the choice of instrument in clinical trials and for clinical decision-making. This article endeavours to investigate the sensitivity, specificity and clinically significant improvement (responsiveness) of the Danish version of the Oswestry disability index (ODI) in two back pain populations. ⋯ A minimum clinically important change (MCID) from baseline score was established at 9 points (71%) for PrS patients and 8 points (27%) for SeS patients using ROC analyses. This was dependable on the baseline entry score with the MCID increasing with 5 points for every 10 points increase in the baseline score. We conclude that the Danish version of the ODI has comparable responsiveness to other commonly used functional status measures and is appropriate for use in low back pain patients receiving conservative care in both the primary and secondary sector.
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Review Case Reports
Thoracic cord compression caused by disk herniation in Scheuermann's disease: a case report and review of the literature.
We present the case of a 14-year-old male with Scheuermann's disease and significant neurological deficit due to thoracic disk herniation at the apex of kyphosis. He was treated with an anterior decompression, anterior and posterior fusion in the same setting using plate, cage and a segmental instrumentation system. The patient had an excellent outcome with complete neurological recovery.
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Review Case Reports
Pathogenesis, diagnosis and management of pneumorrhachis.
Pneumorrhachis (PR), the presence of intraspinal air, is an exceptional but eminent radiographic finding, accompanied by different aetiologies and possible pathways of air entry into the spinal canal. By reviewing the literature and analysing a personal case of traumatic cervical PR after head injury, we present current data regarding the pathoanatomy, clinical and radiological presentation, diagnosis and differential diagnosis and treatment modalities of patients with PR and associated pathologies to highlight this uncommon phenomenon and outline aetiology-based guidelines for the practical management of PR. Air within the spinal canal can be divided into primary and secondary PR, descriptively classified into extra- or intradural PR and aetiologically subsumed into iatrogenic, traumatic and nontraumatic PR. ⋯ PR usually represents an asymptomatic epiphenomenon but can also be symptomatic by itself as well as by its underlying pathology. The latter, although often severe, might be concealed and has to be examined carefully to enable adequate patient treatment. The management of PR has to be individualized and frequently requires a multidisciplinary regime.
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Case Reports
Dorsal root ganglionectomy for pseudotumor of the L3 dorsal root ganglion: a rare case and a rare treatment.
Dorsal root ganglia are oval enlargements on the dorsal nerve roots and contain the cell bodies of sensory neurons. Asymmetry of dorsal root ganglia may occur naturally, yet natural occurrence of gigantic dorsal root ganglion (DRG) is rare. The patient was 61-year-old woman who presented with atypical symptoms like neuropathic pain and urinary distention. ⋯ Dural sheath opening in neurosurgery is not a routine practice. The sheath may need to be opened when surgeon suspects of a tumor, a free disc fragment and any inflammation within the ganglion. Operative morphology of a severely edematous but non-tumoral (pseudotumor) ganglion has not previously been documented.