Journal of craniovertebral junction & spine
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J Craniovertebr Junction Spine · Oct 2019
Nasogastric tube in anterior cervical spine surgery, is it necessary?
The aim of this article was to verify the utility of nasogastric (NG) tube in primary anterior cervical surgeries. Palpating and identifying the NG tube introduced during induction is one of the ways of preventing esophageal injuries during surgery. It may also be used as a conduit for postoperative feeding. However, the use of NG tube is not without complications. Esophageal perforation is one of them, with an incidence of 0.3%. ⋯ This study indicates that the use of a NG tube in primary anterior cervical spine surgery can be avoided. Comprehensive knowledge of anatomy and meticulous dissection may avoid the disastrous complication of esophageal rupture. This way the discomfort and complications associated with NG tube can be avoided.
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J Craniovertebr Junction Spine · Jul 2017
Is there a correlation between the spinal instability neoplastic score and mechanical pain in patients with metastatic spinal cord compression? A prospective cohort study.
The decision for selecting patients for surgical treatment of metastatic spinal cord compression (MSCC) is challenging even for experienced surgeons. Recently, the spinal instability neoplastic score (SINS) has been proposed to help surgeons in the evaluation of spinal stability in the setting of spinal metastases. This study aimed to evaluate the correlation between SINS and preoperative visual analog scale (VAS), as well as the pre- and post-operative association of the VAS and neurological function. ⋯ The SINS correlates with mechanical pain. Surgery provides a significant improvement in pain and neurological status, especially in patients who presented higher SINS scores and some degree of preoperative neurological function.
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J Craniovertebr Junction Spine · Jan 2016
Diffusion tensor imaging of cervical spinal cord: A quantitative diagnostic tool in cervical spondylotic myelopathy.
Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is a novel magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique potentially able to evaluate the microscopic structural organization of white matter fibers. ⋯ DTI may offer increased diagnostic sensitivity as compared to standard MRI and enables earlier detection of the disease.
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J Craniovertebr Junction Spine · Jan 2016
Posterolateral instrumented fusion with and without transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion for the treatment of adult isthmic spondylolisthesis: A randomized clinical trial with 2-year follow-up.
Spondylolisthesis is a common cause of surgery in patients with lower back pain. Although posterolateral fusion and pedicle screw fixation are a relatively common treatment method for the treatment of spondylolisthesis, controversy exists about the necessity of adding interbody fusion to posterolateral fusion. The aim of our study was to assess the functional disability, pain, and complications in patients with spondylolisthesis treated by posterolateral instrumented fusion (PLF) with and without transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (TLIF) in a randomized clinical trial. ⋯ It seems that accompanying TLIF with PLF might lead to better functional improvement and pain reduction in patients with spondylolisthesis.
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J Craniovertebr Junction Spine · Oct 2015
Combined transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion with posterolateral instrumented fusion for degenerative disc disease can be a safe and effective treatment for lower back pain.
Lumbar fusion is a proven treatment for chronic lower back pain (LBP) in the setting of symptomatic spondylolisthesis and degenerative scoliosis; however, fusion is controversial when the primary diagnosis is degenerative disc disease (DDD). Our objective was to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of lumbar fusion in the treatment of LBP due to DDD. ⋯ Lumbar fusion for symptomatic DDD can be a safe and effective treatment for medically refractory LBP with or without leg pain.