The spine journal : official journal of the North American Spine Society
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The true incidence of symptomatic spinal epidural hematoma (SEH) after surgery of the posterior cervical spine and risk factors for its development remain unclear. ⋯ Symptomatic SEH may occur in up to 1.5% of patients undergoing posterior cervical spine surgery. Patients with a higher level of comorbid disease appear to be at increased risk of development of a symptomatic SEH, although avoidance of postoperative NSAIDs may decrease the risk of its development.
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A persistent challenge in spine surgery is improving screw fixation in patients with poor bone quality. Augmenting pedicle screw fixation with cement appears to be a promising approach. ⋯ Polymethylmethacrylate and various calcium ceramics appear promising for the augmentation of pedicle screw fixation biomechanically in both osteoporosis and revision spine surgery models. Further translational studies should be performed, and the results summarized in this review will need to be correlated with the clinical outcomes.
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Observational Study
An observational study on the outcome after surgery for lumbar disc herniation in adolescents compared with adults based on the Swedish Spine Register.
Disc-related sciatica has a prevalence of about 2% in adults, but is rare in adolescents. If conservative treatment is unsuccessful, surgery is an option. ⋯ The adolescent age group was more satisfied with the treatment than the adult groups. There was a significant improvement in all age groups after surgery.
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When used to fixate traumatic thoracolumbar burst fractures, pedicle screw constructs may fail in the presence of severe vertebral body comminution as the intervertebral disc can creep through the fractured endplates leading to insufficient anterior column support. Balloon-assisted endplate reduction (BAER) and subsequent calcium phosphate cement augmentation may prevent this event by restoring the disc space boundaries. The results of the first studies using BAER after pedicle screw fixation are encouraging, showing good fracture reduction, few complications, and minimal loss of correction at 2 years of follow-up. ⋯ Balloon-assisted endplate reduction is a safe and low-demanding adjunct to pedicle screw fixation for the treatment of traumatic thoracolumbar burst fractures. It may help achieve minimal residual deformity and reduce the number of secondary (anterior) procedures. Despite these positive findings, one in five patients experienced daily discomfort and disability.
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Medial branch radiofrequency neurotomy (RFN) is a common treatment for zygapophyseal joint pain. The lumbar medial branch innervates these joints and adjacent structures. The impact of the intended neurotomy on these structures remains unclear. No studies have yet verified quantitatively the effect of medial branch RFN on intervertebral discs, facet joints, and multifidus cross-sectional area. ⋯ The full impact of RFN on multifidus function, morphology, and segmental anatomy is unknown. This retrospective study indicates that measurable changes in segmental morphology may occur after lumbar medial branch RFN. These findings require validation in a prospective, controlled study.