Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

JAMA Netw Open 2019 Jan 4;2(1):e186828. Epub 2019 Jan 4.

Department of Physical Therapy, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Importance: Lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) is the most common reason for spine surgery in older US adults. There is an evidence gap about nonsurgical LSS treatment options.

Objective: To explore the comparative clinical effectiveness of 3 nonsurgical interventions for patients with LSS. Read More

Zhongguo Xiu Fu Chong Jian Wai Ke Za Zhi 2019 Jan;33(1):61-65

Department of Spine Surgery, Luoyang Orthopedic Hospital of Henan Province (Henan Orthopedic Hospital), Henan Luoyang, 471002, P.R.China.

Objective: To explore the practicability and safety of ultrasonic bone curette in the laminoplasty of spinal canal after resection of intraspinal tumors.

Methods: The clinical data of 17 patients with thoracolumbar intraspinal tumors treated with ultrasonic bone curette after resection of intraspinal tumors between December 2015 and April 2017 were retrospectively analyzed. All patients were male, aged 42-73 years with an average of 57. Read More

Zhongguo Xiu Fu Chong Jian Wai Ke Za Zhi 2019 Jan;33(1):56-60

Department of Spine Surgery, Luohe Central Hospital, Luohe Henan, 462000, P.R.China.

Objective: To compare the long-term effectiveness of wheather posterior ligamentous complex (PLC) preserved between posterior fenestration decompression interbody fusion and posterior total laminectomy interbody fusion.

Methods: The clinical data of 89 patients who suffered from single segmental degenerative diseases of lower lumbar spine and followed up more than 10 years after receiving lumbar spinal fusion between January 2000 and January 2005 were retrospectively analysed. The patients were divided into two groups according to the different surgical methods, the 33 patients in group A were treated with posterior lumbar fenestration decompression, interbody fusion, and internal fixation, while 56 patients in group B were treated with posterior total laminectomy resection decompression, interbody fusion, and internal fixation. Read More

PeerJ 2019 9;6:e6161. Epub 2019 Jan 9.

Division of Nutritional Science, Graduate School of Human Health Science, University of Nagasaki, Nagasaki, Japan.

Background: Young women occasionally engage in dietary restrictions accompanied by fasting for the purpose of losing weight, but such restrictions have various effects on body functions. The recent increase in the number of people suffering from osteoporosis has become a major social problem mainly in industrialized countries.Therefore, we think it is important to understand the effects of fasting on bone vulnerability, especially to bone quality. Read More

J Neurosurg Spine 2019 Jan 11:1-9. Epub 2019 Jan 11.

OBJECTIVEMinimally invasive lumbar unilateral tubular laminotomy for bilateral decompression has gradually gained acceptance as a less destabilizing but efficacious and safe alternative to traditional open decompression techniques. The authors have further advanced the principles of minimally invasive surgery (MIS) by utilizing working-channel endoscope-based techniques. Full-endoscopic technique allows for high-resolution off-axis visualization of neural structures within the lateral recess, thereby minimizing the need for facet joint resection. Read More

Zhonghua Yi Xue Za Zhi 2019 Jan;99(1):36-40

Department of Neurosurgery, Second Affiliated Hospital School of Medicine Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310009, China.

To explore the efficacy and feasibility of the hemi-semilaminectomy microsurgical operation treatment of spinal dural arteriovenous fistula (SDAVF). The clinical data of 32 patients with SDAVF were analyzed retrospectively. Before operation all patients were diagnosed by spinal MRI and spinal angiography, 14 patients were treated by hemi-semilaminectomy approach and other 18 patients were by traditional laminectomy approach. Read More

Clin Spine Surg 2019 Jan 11. Epub 2019 Jan 11.

VA National Center for Patient Safety, Ann Arbor, MI.

Study Design: Basic descriptive analysis was performed for the incident characteristics of wrong level spinal surgery in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA).

Objective: To determine the frequency of reported occurrence of incorrect spine level surgery in the VHA, causal factors for the events, and propose solutions to the issue.

Summary Of Background Data: Wrong site surgery is one of the most common events reported to The Joint Commission. Read More

Clin Spine Surg 2019 Jan 11. Epub 2019 Jan 11.

Department of Orthopedic Surgery and Rehabilitation, Division of Adult Spinal Surgery, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE.

Study Design: This is a level III retrospective cohort study.

Objective: To investigate association between prophylactic tranexamic acid (TXA) administration before 1 and 2-level posterior lumbar interbody fusion operations and perioperative blood loss (including intraoperative blood loss and postoperative drain output), mean operative time, postoperative transfusion, and postoperative venous thromboembolic events.

Summary Of Background Data: TXA is a systemic antifibrinolytic that competitively inhibits lysine binding sites on plasminogen, reversibly blocking its binding to fibrin and impeding fibrinolysis and clot degradation. Read More

J Am Acad Orthop Surg 2019 Jan 11. Epub 2019 Jan 11.

From the Department of Orthopedics, Columbia University, New York, NY.

The diagnosis of hip pain can be difficult to isolate because the discomfort can originate from several locations and compensatory pain patterns. Pain generators can include the intra- and extra-articular hip structures, the lumbar spine, the pelvic floor, or a combination of these. It can also be referred as pain from the bowel, bladder, or reproductive organs. Read More

Endocr Connect 2019 Jan;8(1):39-49

Endocrinology/Medicine Department, Hospital Sant Pau, Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Raras (CIBERER, Unidad 747), IIB-Sant Pau, ISCIII and Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Barcelona, Spain.

Background Biochemical control of GH/IGF-I excess in acromegaly (ACRO) is associated with persistent impairment of trabecular microstructure leading to increased risk of vertebral fractures. Circulating miRNAs modulate the activity of osteoblasts and osteoclasts, and may be potential biomarkers of osteoporosis. Aims Identify differentially expressed miRNAs in the serum of patients with controlled ACRO vs controls and correlate miRNA levels with both biochemical and structural bone parameters. Read More

Reg Anesth Pain Med 2019 Jan;44(1):134-135

Faculty of Medicine, Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation, Kütahya Dumlupinar University, Kütahya, Turkey.

Clin Neurol Neurosurg 2019 Jan 7;177:106-113. Epub 2019 Jan 7.

Department of Neurosurgery, Wessex Neurological Centre, University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, Tremona Road, Southampton, SO16 6YD, United Kingdom; Division of Clinical Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University of Southampton, Tremona Road, Southampton, SO16 6YD, United Kingdom. Electronic address:

Objective: Falls from standing are common, particularly amongst the aging population, due to declining mobility, proprioception and vision. They are often complicated by fragility fractures, including vertebral fractures, that are associated with significant morbidity and may represent a pre-terminal condition with high one-year mortality rates.

Patients And Methods: A retrospective review of the Trauma Audit and Research Network database for a major trauma centre was conducted for all patients admitted between January 2011 and December 2016. Read More

Spine J 2019 Jan 10. Epub 2019 Jan 10.

Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Washington, Box 359612, Seattle, WA 98104. Electronic address:

Background Context: Lumbar radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is an intervention used to treat facet-mediated chronic low back pain. In some studies with methods consistent with clinical practice guidelines, RFA results in improvements in pain and functional limitations. However, in other studies, RFA demonstrates limited benefit. Read More

World Neurosurg 2019 Jan 10. Epub 2019 Jan 10.

Department of Orthopaedics, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. Electronic address: https://spine.osu.edu/about/our-team.

Background: The modified 5-item frailty index (mFI-5) is a concise co-morbidity based risk stratification tool that has been shown to predict the occurrence of adverse outcomes following various orthopaedic surgeries.

Methods: The 2012-2016 American College of Surgeons - National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (ACS-NSQIP) dataset was used to identify patients undergoing an elective 1-to-2 level posterior lumbar fusion for degenerative lumbar pathology. The mFI-5 score was calculated on the basis of the presence of the five co-morbidities - congestive heart failure within 30 days prior to surgery, insulin-dependent or non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or pneumonia, partially dependent or totally dependent functional health status at time of surgery and hypertension requiring medication. Read More

J Clin Neurosci 2019 Jan 8. Epub 2019 Jan 8.

Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8575, Japan. Electronic address:

The symptoms of lumbar foraminal stenosis are often exacerbated when the patient is upright. Lumbar pathological conditions related to clinical symptoms such as disc herniation, foraminal stenosis, and instability of the lumbar spine are often exacerbated when the patient is upright and hidden when the patient is supine. Lumbar radiculopathy is usually diagnosed by MRI. Read More

Orthopade 2019 Jan 14. Epub 2019 Jan 14.

Orthopädische Universitätsklinik Regensburg, Asklepios Klinikum Bad Abbach, Universität Regensburg, 93077, Bad Abbach, Deutschland.

Background: The degeneration of the lumbar facet joint is a multi-factorial process that is closely linked to degeneration of the intervertebral discs and has been implicated as one of the causes of low-back pain of elderly patients in about 15 up to 40% of cases. Moreover, emerging data suggest that increased inflammatory features play an important role in the progression of lumbar facet joint disease and may serve as a link to the afferent pain nerve fibers.

Operative Techniques: Since the first description in 1975 of minimally invasive treatment of lumbar facet joint disease, different techniques have been developed and used with varying results. Read More

Arch Bone Jt Surg 2018 Nov;6(6):560-569

Research performed at Physical Therapy Clinic of School of Rehabilitation, Iran Universality of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

Background: Static and dynamic postures of lumbopelvic in low back pain (LBP) are considered as two important aspects of clinical assessment and management of LBP. Thus, the focus of the current study was to compare the posture and compensatory strategy of hip and lumbar region during trunk flexion between LBP subgroupsand health subjects. LBP cases are subdivided into active extension pattern (AEP) and flexion pattern (FP) based on O'Sullivan's classification system (OCS). Read More

Appl Sci (Basel) 2018 Sep 7;8(9). Epub 2018 Sep 7.

School of Electrical Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul 06974, Korea.

We propose a semi-automatic algorithm for the segmentation of vertebral bodies in magnetic resonance (MR) images of the human lumbar spine. Quantitative analysis of spine MR images often necessitate segmentation of the image into specific regions representing anatomic structures of interest. Existing algorithms for vertebral body segmentation require heavy inputs from the user, which is a disadvantage. Read More

Appl Sci (Basel) 2018 Sep 14;8(9). Epub 2018 Sep 14.

School of Electrical Engineering, Yonsei University, Seoul 03722, Korea;

We propose a new deep learning network capable of successfully segmenting intervertebral discs and their complex boundaries from magnetic resonance (MR) spine images. The existing U-network (U-net) is known to perform well in various segmentation tasks in medical images; however, its performance with respect to details of segmentation such as boundaries is limited by the structural limitations of a max-pooling layer that plays a key role in feature extraction process in the U-net. We designed a modified convolutional and pooling layer scheme and applied a cascaded learning method to overcome these structural limitations of the max-pooling layer of a conventional U-net. Read More

Pan Afr Med J 2018 31;30:305. Epub 2018 Aug 31.

Service de Rhumatologie, CHU Mohammed VI, BP 2360 principal, Avenue Ibn Sina, Marrakech, Maroc.

We here report the case of a 18 year old patient with two brothers who died from sickle cell anemia. He had a 5-day history of diffuse bone pain. He had drunk a preparation containing lead to obtain an analgesic effect without improvement. Read More

Postgrad Med J 2019 Jan 12. Epub 2019 Jan 12.

Laboratory of Medical Electrodiagnostics, Department of Health Prophylaxis, Heliodor Swiecicki Clinical Hospital, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznań, Poland.

According to the current recommendations on the management of chronic non-specific low back pain (CNLBP), the intervention in this group of patients should include a programme of exercises. Pilates is a system of exercises widely used in patients with low back pain. The practices based on this method have promoted the restoration of the function of muscles involved in lumbopelvic stabilisation, that is, transversus abdominis, multifidus, diaphragm and pelvic floor muscles. Read More

Osteoporos Int 2019 Jan 11. Epub 2019 Jan 11.

Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, USA.

Chronic hyponatremia may contribute to decreased bone density. We studied 341,003 men and women who underwent DXA testing and observed that individuals with chronic hyponatremia (sodium < 135 mEq/L) had an 11% greater likelihood of having osteoporosis. There was a dose-dependent effect with lower sodium and stronger association with osteoporosis. Read More

Osteoporos Int 2019 Jan 11. Epub 2019 Jan 11.

University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.

Early PINP changes correlate with 18-month lumbar spine BMD changes and the correlation was greater with abaloparatide versus teriparatide. The uncoupling index was similar between the two agents.

Introduction: We evaluated the relationship between early PINP changes and subsequent changes in spine BMD following abaloparatide and teriparatide treatments. Read More

World Neurosurg 2019 Jan 8. Epub 2019 Jan 8.

Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales (UNSW) Sydney, Australia; NeuroSpine Surgery Research Group (NSURG), Sydney, Australia; Department of Neurosurgery, Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney, Australia; Faculty of Medicine, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.

Background: Spine surgery has the potential to benefit from the use of 3D printing technology (additive manufacturing) particularly in cases of complex anatomical pathologies. Custom devices have the potential to reduce operative times, reduce blood loss, provide immediate stability and potentially improve fusion rates.

Case Description: A 34-year-old male presented with 3-year history of bilateral L5 radiculopathy due to bilateral L5 pars defect, and L5/S1 Degenerative Disc Disease and severe foraminal stenosis. Read More

Medicine (Baltimore) 2019 Jan;98(2):e14001

Departments of Orthopedics, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, People's Republic of China.

Rationale: Multifocal intraosseous hemangioma, which affects multiple body parts, is rare. The selection of appropriate lesion sites for biopsy and effective treatment in multifocal intraosseous hemangioma is challenging. Here, we report a case of multifocal intraosseous hemangioma. Read More

Spine (Phila Pa 1976) 2019 Jan 7. Epub 2019 Jan 7.

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD.

Study Design: Prospective cohort study OBJECTIVES.: To evaluate whether Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) health domains can effectively estimate health utility index values for patients presenting for spine surgery.

Summary Of Background Data: Stable estimates of health utility are required to determine cost-effectiveness of spine surgery. Read More

Spine (Phila Pa 1976) 2019 Jan 7. Epub 2019 Jan 7.

Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Florida College of Medicine, Gainesville, Florida.

Study Design: Retrospective outcomes review.

Objective: To analyze and report long-term outcomes in a cohort of patients treated with radiotherapy (RT) for symptomatic hemangioma of a vertebral body.

Summary Of Background Data: Data are scarce on the rate of tumor control with long-term (>5 year) follow-up after RT for symptomatic hemangioma of a vertebral body. Read More

J Int Med Res 2019 Jan 11:300060518817218. Epub 2019 Jan 11.

Department of Spinal Surgery, Tianjin Union Medical Center, Tianjin, PR. China.

Objective: This study aimed to compare intraoperative lower back pain and leg pain, surgical time, and intraoperative X-ray dose in patients offered local infiltration anesthesia or continuous epidural anesthesia for transforaminal endoscopic spine system (TESSYS) surgery.

Methods: A total of 98 patients who received TESSYS treatment for single-segmental lumbar disc herniation were included, and were randomly divided into two groups: group A (49 cases; local infiltration anesthesia) and group B (49 cases; continuous epidural anesthesia). Surgical duration, intraoperative X-ray dose, and visual analog scale (VAS) scores of lower back pain and leg pain before surgery, during surgery, and 48 h after surgery were recorded and compared. Read More

J Ayub Med Coll Abbottabad 2018 Oct-Dec;30(4):608-610

Department of Radiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, China.

Chondroblastoma is an uncommon and benign bone tumour. No more than 10 cases of lumbar chondroblastoma have been reported in the past 20 years. To describe the clinical presentations and radiological features of a rare case of chondroblastoma of the lumbar spine, this study reports one case involving the third lumbar vertebrae. Read More

Bone 2019 Jan 8;121:80-88. Epub 2019 Jan 8.

Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Kagawa University, 1750-1 Ikenobe, Miki-cho, Kita-gun, Kagawa 761-0793, Japan.

Weekly teriparatide treatment is reported to reduce the incidence of osteoporotic vertebral fractures. However, the effect of weekly teriparatide on cortical bone has not been clarified. This study aimed to examine the effects of weekly teriparatide treatment on bone mass, intracortical structure, and remodeling of the lumbar vertebral cortical shell and its relation to mechanical properties in ovariectomized cynomolgus monkeys. Read More

Chin Med J (Engl) 2019 Jan;132(1):51-62

Department of Orthopedic, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510630, China.

Background: Some porous materials have been developed to enhance biologic fusion of the implants to bone in spine fusion surgeries. However, there are several inherent limitations. In this study, a novel biomedical porous tantalum was applied to in vitro and in vivo experiments to test its biocompatibility and osteocompatibility. Read More

Chin Med J (Engl) 2019 Jan;132(1):25-29

Department of Respiratory Medicine, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100730, China.

Background: Obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome (OSAHS) is associated with a higher prevalence of osteoporosis. However, the underlying mechanisms linking OSAHS with bone loss are still unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the changes of receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL, an osteoclastogenesis-promoting factor) and osteoprotegerin (OPG, the decoy receptor for RANKL), oxidative stress and bone metabolism markers in OSAHS, in order to understand the potential mechanisms underlying bone loss in OSAHS patients. Read More

Clin Spine Surg 2019 Jan 8. Epub 2019 Jan 8.

The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH.

Our objective was to describe the incidence, causes, risk factors, and costs associated with 30-day emergency department (ED) visits after primary lumbar fusion. A national insurance database was retrospectively analyzed to study patients with primary lumbar fusions performed for degenerative pathology of the spine between 2007 and Q3-2015. Risk factors for ED visits, and ED to hospital transfer were studied using multiple-variable logistic regression analysis. Read More

Bone Rep 2019 Jun 12;10:100189. Epub 2018 Dec 12.

Research Center, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Sainte-Justine, 3175 Chemin de la Côte-Ste-Catherine, Montreal, Quebec H3T 1C5, Canada.

Introduction: Preterm infants are at increased risk of osteopenia of prematurity due to insufficient bone mineral accretion. Data on long term effects of prematurity on bone health are conflicting. This study aimed to compare bone mineral density (BMD) in young adults born very preterm and full-term controls and to examine factors associated with long-term bone health. Read More

Am J Clin Nutr 2019 Jan 9. Epub 2019 Jan 9.

Department of Health and Exercise Science, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC.

Background: Dietary protein and micronutrients are important to the maintenance of bone health and may be an effective countermeasure to weight-loss-associated bone loss.

Objectives: We aimed to determine the effect of a 6-mo hypocaloric, nutritionally complete, higher-protein meal plan on change in bone density and quality as compared with weight stability in older adults using a randomized post-test design. We hypothesized that participants randomly assigned to this meal plan would maintain similar bone density and quality to weight-stable controls, despite significant reductions in body mass. Read More

Rev Paul Pediatr 2019 Jan 7. Epub 2019 Jan 7.

Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Londrina, PR, Brasil.

Objective: To propose and analyze the test-retest reliability of an instrument to verify the presence and intensity of pain in the cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine in Brazilian young people.

Methods: This reliability study enrolled a sample of 458 participants (13 to 20 years). Two groups were formed for each sex according to the range of days for the test-retest (10±3 and 28±2 days). Read More

Acta Cir Bras 2018 Dec;33(12):1078-1086

PhD, Division of Neurosurgery and Pediatric Neurosurgery, Department of Surgery and Anatomy, Hospital Universitário, Ribeirao Preto Medical School, USP, Ribeirao Preto-SP, Brazil. Critical revision, final approval.

Purpose: To validate the porcine spine as a model for learning and practicing transforaminal percutaneous endoscopic lumbar procedures (TF-PELP).

Methods: TF-PELP was performed in three porcine cadaver lumbar spine levels. Anatomical features of the current cadaver were compared to human and porcine spines. Read More

Spine (Phila Pa 1976) 2018 Dec 8. Epub 2018 Dec 8.

Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology Program, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge 02139, Massachusetts.

Study Design: Prospective case series OBJECTIVE.: Determine the extent of paraspinal muscle cross-sectional area (CSA) and attenuation change after long-duration spaceflight and recovery on-Earth. Determine association between in-flight exercise and muscle atrophy. Read More

Clin Nucl Med 2019 Jan 4. Epub 2019 Jan 4.

From the Departments of Nuclear Medicine and.

Iliac artery angiosarcoma is rare, and bone metastasis as its presenting initial symptom is extremely rare. A 67-year-old man with a history of low back pain presented with multiple MRI-identified lumbar and sacrum lesions highly suggestive of bone metastasis. On subsequent PET/CT scan, in addition to multiple vertebrae and pelvis hypermetabolism, a lesion with intense focal uptake was discovered within the lumen of left common iliac artery. Read More

J Spinal Cord Med 2019 Jan 9:1-4. Epub 2019 Jan 9.

d Department of Orthopedic Surgery , Wan Fang Hospital, Taipei Medical University , Taipei , Taiwan.

Context: Approximately 25% of all primary spinal cord tumors are meningiomas, and 80% of these tumors occur in the thoracic region. Few meningiomas of the lumbar spine have been presented. Extracranial metastasis of meningioma occurs extremely rare, only in about 0. Read More

Gait Posture 2018 Dec 28;68:506-513. Epub 2018 Dec 28.

Bern University of Applied Sciences, Department of Health Professions, Bern, Switzerland; ETH Zurich, Institute for Biomechanics, Zurich, Switzerland. Electronic address:

Background: Structural leg length discrepancy (LLD) is a common phenomenon. However, its effect on spinal gait kinematics remains unclear.

Research Question: How does LLD affect spinal gait kinematics in patients with structural LLD and what is the immediate effect of a shoe lift?. Read More

Osteoporos Int 2019 Jan 8. Epub 2019 Jan 8.

Institute of Cellular Medicine, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK.

Obesity increases the likelihood of prevalent vertebral fracture (VF) in men and women at age 62 years. The higher absolute bone mineral density (BMD) observed in obese individuals is disproportionate to body weight, and this may partly explain the greater prevalence of VF in this group.

Introduction: Obesity is a global epidemic, and there remains uncertainty over the effect of obesity on skeletal health, particularly in the context of osteoporosis. Read More

J Clin Neurosci 2019 Feb;60:176

Neuro Spine Clinic, Prince of Wales Private Hospital, Suite 7a, Level 7, Barker Street, Randwick, NSW 2031, Australia; Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick, NSW, Australia; The University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.

Comput Methods Biomech Biomed Engin 2019 Jan 9:1-11. Epub 2019 Jan 9.

a Department of Biomedical Engineering , Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Zielona Gora , Zielona Gora , Poland.

Malgaigne fractures are the most common and widespread pelvic injuries resulting from the shear forces the action mechanism of which has not been explained in the literature yet. Military accidents with improvised explosive devices (IED) perfectly reflect this type of pelvic fracture. The finite element (FE) model of lumbar-pelvic complex (LPC) was developed based on computed tomography (CT) scans with the seat including steel frame, padding and soft tissue. Read More

Neuromodulation 2019 Jan 8. Epub 2019 Jan 8.

Department of Functional Neurosurgery and Stereotaxy, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany.

Introduction: Dorsal root ganglion stimulation is a meanwhile established but rather new technique of neuromodulation to treat chronic pain states of different origin. While being primarily used in the lumbar region, dorsal root ganglion (DRG) stimulation also can be used in the upper thoracic and cervical region with slight alterations of the surgical approach. This offers new therapeutic options especially in the treatment of neuropathic pain states of the upper extremities. Read More

AJR Am J Roentgenol 2019 Jan 8:1-5. Epub 2019 Jan 8.

2 University of Wisconsin School of Medicine, Madison, WI.

Objective: Radiology reports have traditionally been written for referring clinical providers. However, as patients increasingly access their radiology reports through online medical records, concerns have been raised about their ability to comprehend these complex documents. The purpose of this study was to assess the readability of lumbar spine MRI reports. Read More

Radiology 2019 Jan 8:181224. Epub 2019 Jan 8.

From the Department of Radiology, Orthopedic University Hospital Balgrist, Zurich, Switzerland (T.J.D., C.K.P., S.B., R.S., C.W.A.P.); Division of Medical Physics, Department of Nuclear Medicine, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland (K.G.Z.); and Faculty of Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland (T.J.D., C.K.P., K.G.Z., S.B., R.S., C.W.A.P.).

Purpose To compare the radiation exposure for participants and interventionalists as well as participant outcomes between fluoroscopy-guided versus CT-guided lumbar spinal injections. Materials and Methods This prospective, nonrandomized observational study included 1446 participants (mean age, 60.6 years; range, 18-91 years) who received transforaminal epidural injections or facet joint injections under fluoroscopic or CT guidance between October 2009 and April 2016. Read More

Eur J Radiol Open 2019 28;6:36-41. Epub 2018 Dec 28.

Bahar Medical Imaging Center, Karaj, Alborz, Islamic Republic of Iran.

Purpose: to evaluate diagnostic value and image quality of T2-weighted Three-dimensional isotropic turbo spin-echo (SPACE) in comparison with T2-weighted two-dimensional turbo spin-echo (TSE) sequences for comprehensive evaluation of lumbar spine pathologies.

Materials And Methods: Thirty-five participants with lumbar discopathy were examined on a 1.5-T MRI system with both 2D TSE and 3D SPACE sequences. Read More

Int J Spine Surg 2018 Dec 21;12(6):735-742. Epub 2018 Dec 21.

Orthopaedic Section, Surgical Service, San Francisco VA Medical Center, San Francisco, California.

Background: Spinal fusion involves both endochondral and intramembranous bone formation. We previously demonstrated that endochondral cartilage grafts that were derived from human osteoarthritic (OA) articular cartilage can be used as a bone graft in mouse models. We hypothesized that OA cartilage could also be recycled and repurposed as a bone graft substitute in a posterolateral lumbar spinal fusion model in athymic rats. Read More

Int J Spine Surg 2018 Dec 21;12(6):718-724. Epub 2018 Dec 21.

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles.

Background: The purpose of this study is to assess the incidence, risk factors for, and types of respiratory complications occurring in patients undergoing lumbar spine surgery.

Methods: Patients undergoing various lumbar spine surgeries from 2007 to 2014 were identified using the PearlDiver patient record database from the nationwide insurance provider Humana Inc. Patient records were analyzed using codes and Current Procedural Terminology codes to determine the incidence of pneumonia, pleural effusion, pulmonary collapse, and acute respiratory failure for each procedure type. Read More