World Neurosurg
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Comparative Study
Inclusion of asymptomatic degenerative discs in a two-level anterior cervical discectomy and fusion: a decision analysis.
To perform a decision analysis model to compare single-level fusion versus two-level fusion in patients with an asymptomatic disc adjacent to a symptomatic disc. ⋯ Observation was the preferred strategy for management of asymptomatic adjacent degenerative discs (AADDs) given the probabilities and utilities used in the decision analysis model. The study was limited by unavailability of precise estimates of the probability of development of ASD and the probability of surgery after diagnosis of ASD, the most critical factors influencing the decision. However, the conclusions were robust given wide ranges used for these parameters in the sensitivity analysis.
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The purpose of the present study is to assess the possibility of disc regeneration by treatment with adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) in a rabbit model of degenerative disc disease, and to evaluate the efficacy of a percutaneous technique for constructing a model of degenerative disc disease in rabbits. ⋯ These results suggest that the injection of ADSCs into injured lumbar discs could be an effective treatment for degenerative disc disease by promoting the cartilage regeneration.