World Neurosurg
-
The basic necessities for surgical procedures are illumination, exposure, and magnification. These have undergone transformation in par with technology. One of the recent developments is the compact magnifying exoscope system. In this report, we describe the application of this system for surgical operations and discuss its advantages and pitfalls. ⋯ The magnifying exoscope is an effective and nonbulky tool for surgical procedures. In visualization around the corners, the exoscope has better potential than a microscope. With technical and technologic modifications, the exoscope might become the next generation in illumination, visualization, exposure, and magnification for high-precision surgical procedures.
-
The primary objective of this study is to examine the effects smoking status on rhBMP-2 supplementation in spinal fusion constructs. ⋯ While rhBMP-2 supplements arthrodesis of instrumented lumbar fusion constructs, smoking status ascertains the strongest predictor of reoperation for pseudarthrosis, instrumentation failure, and adjacent segment.
-
The precise mechanism of nucleus pulposus proliferation in the degeneration of the intervertebral disk pathogenesis remains to be implicated. MicroRNAs (MiRNAs) are a class of 18-22 nucleotides, which are small, noncoding RNAs that inhibit protein translation by binding to the 3'-UTR of target gene. Recent studies have shown that miRNAs play a crucial role in various cell biologies such as cell proliferation, invasion, migration, and cell cycle. However, the role of miR-184 in nucleus pulposus proliferation is still unknown. ⋯ These results demonstrated that miR-184 and the GAS1/Akt pathway may be a potential therapeutic target for intervertebral disc degeneration.
-
Early readmission after spine surgery is being used as a proxy for quality of care. One-fifth of patients are rehospitalized within 30 days after spine surgery, and more than one-third within 90 days; however, there is a paucity of data about the cause of early readmissions in elderly patients after elective spine surgery. ⋯ Our study suggests that in elderly patients undergoing elective spine surgery, infection or a concern for infection, pain, and altered mental status were the most common primary reasons for unplanned readmission.
-
Case Reports
Evolution of a stump aneurysm that transformed from a fusiform aneurysm in the middle cerebral artery: A case report.
A spontaneous fusiform aneurysm in the middle cerebral artery (MCA) can present with both ischemic and hemorrhagic symptoms, but this aneurysm's clinical course and prognosis are unclear because of its rarity. ⋯ This is the first case report in which serial images demonstrate the stepwise occlusion of an artery with fusiform change and the evolution of a stump aneurysm in the MCA over an extended period.