The spine journal : official journal of the North American Spine Society
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Comparative Study
Management decisions for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis significantly affect patient radiation exposure.
Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) patients treated before the 1990s have a 1% to 2% increased lifetime risk of developing breast and thyroid cancer as a result of ionizing radiation from plain radiographs. Although present plain radiographic techniques have been able to reduce some of the radiation exposure, modern treatment algorithms for scoliosis often include computed tomography (CT) and intraoperative fluoroscopy. The exact magnitude of exposure to ionizing radiation in adolescents during modern scoliosis treatment is therefore unclear. ⋯ Significant differences exist in the total radiation exposure in scoliosis patients with different treatment regimens, with operative patients receiving approximately 8 to 14 times more radiation than braced patients or those undergoing observation alone, respectively. Operative patients also receive more than twice the radiation per year than braced or observed patients. Almost 78% of the annual radiation exposure for operative patients occurs intraoperatively. Because children are notably more sensitive to the carcinogenic effects of ionizing radiation, judicious use of present imaging methods and a search for newer imaging methods with limited ionizing radiation should be undertaken.
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Minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar fusion (MIS-TLIF) has demonstrated efficacy in the treatment of lumbar degenerative diseases. The reported incidence of perioperative complications associated with MIS-TLIF surgery is highly variable. Studies concerning perioperative complications in broad patient populations are quite rare. This study analyzes a retrospectively collected database of patients who underwent an MIS-TLIF surgery at a single center. ⋯ Minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar fusion has gained popularity as a procedure for the treatment of lumbar instability or spondylolisthesis, with similar complications as in the open surgery. Transient sensory disturbance was the most common complication in this series.
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Surgical treatment of degenerative disc disease remains a controversial subject. Lumbar fusion has been associated with a potential risk of segmental junctional disease and sagittal balance misalignment. Motion preservation devices have been developed as an alternative to fusion. The LP-ESP disc is a one-piece deformable device achieving 6 df, including shock absorption and elastic return. This is the first clinical report on its use. ⋯ Results from the 2-year follow-up indicate that LP-ESP prosthesis recreates lumbar spine function similar to that of the healthy disc in terms of ROM, quality of movement, effect on sagittal balance, and absence of modification in the kinematics of the upper adjacent level.
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Little is known about the psychological status in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) before and after correction of fixed sagittal imbalance. ⋯ The scores of disease status, general health, and psychological status were improved significantly after correction of kyphotic deformity. And the correction of sagittal imbalance was correlated significantly with anxiety and depression.
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Collagen hemostats have different characteristics depending on their properties and configuration. In vivo serial evaluation of local reactions because of placement of hemostats in the epidural space has not been reported. ⋯ Resorption of both hemostats was similar. In the MCH group, there was intense tissue inflammation around the hemostatic material, and MR images showed high signal intensity because of exudate accumulation in the epidural space. This indicated a strong foreign-body reaction to the MCH, thus demonstrating a difference in biocompatibility with the CCH.