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J Neurosurg Spine 2021 May 14:1-5. Epub 2021 May 14.

1Department of Neurosurgery, Barrow Neurological Institute, St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center, Phoenix, Arizona; and.

Objective: Minimally invasive surgery (MIS) techniques, particularly lateral lumbar interbody fusion (LLIF), have become increasingly popular for adult spinal deformity (ASD) correction. Much discussion has been had regarding theoretical and clinical advantages to addressing coronal curvature from the convex versus concave side of the curve. In this study, the authors aimed to broadly evaluate the clinical outcomes of addressing ASD with circumferential MIS (cMIS) techniques while accessing the lumbar coronal curvature from the concave side. Read More

Medicine (Baltimore) 2021 Apr;100(17):e25636

Orthopaedic Trauma Service Center, The Third Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Major Laboratory of Orthopaedic Biomechanics in Hebei Province.

Abstract: The cartilage endplate plays an important role in the stress distribution and nutrition metabolism of the intervertebral disc. The healing morphology of the endplate after spinal fracture and its effect on the intervertebral disc degeneration are still unclear.This was a retrospective study. Read More

Pediatr Emerg Care 2021 Apr 9. Epub 2021 Apr 9.

From the *Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital †Division of Pediatric Hospital Medicine, Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital, University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center ‡Department of Pediatrics, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH.

Objectives: Injuries are the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in children ages 1 to 18 years. There are limited studies about pediatric thoracolumbar (TL) spinal injuries; the purpose of this study was to characterize TL spinal injuries among pediatric patients evaluated in US trauma centers.

Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study of the National Trauma Data Bank. Read More

Curr Sports Med Rep 2021 Mar;20(3):150-156

Department of PM&R, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA.

Abstract: Trunk pain is a common cause of performance limitation and time away from sport in athletes. However, atraumatic trunk injuries are underrepresented in medical literature and underrecognized clinically. Delays in diagnosis and initiation of appropriate treatment can increase injury morbidity and return-to-play time. Read More

BMC Musculoskelet Disord 2021 Feb 17;22(1):197. Epub 2021 Feb 17.

Department of Orthopedics, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, NO. 25 Taiping S tr eet, Sichuan, 646000, Luzhou City, China.

Background: The purpose of this study was to use MRI and CT to observe osteoporosis vertebral fracture (OVF) combined with endplate-disc complex (EDC) injury and to classify the degree of EDC injury according to the changes in EDC signal intensity and morphology on the images.

Methods: We investigated the incidence of EDC injury, observed the morphology and signal intensity changes of EDC injury using MRI and CT, and graded the injuries from 0 to 4 according to their severity. We compared whether there were differences in the degree of EDC injury among different vertebral fractures, bone mineral density(BMD), and severity of vertebral fractures. Read More

Beijing Da Xue Xue Bao Yi Xue Ban 2020 Dec;53(1):167-174

Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Peking University Third Hospital, Beijing 100191, China.

Objective: To analyze the risk factors of recurrent kyphosis after removal of short segmental pedicle screw fixation in patients with thoracolumbar burst fractures.

Methods: Retrospective analysis was conducted of 144 cases of thoracolumbar burst fractures without neurological impairment treated in Peking University Third Hospital from January 2010 to December 2017. There were 74 males and 70 females, with an average age of (39. Read More

Trauma Case Rep 2021 Feb 10;31:100378. Epub 2020 Dec 10.

National Trauma Research Institute, The Alfred Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

Penetrating injuries to the neck present a unique challenge due to the confined space of the thoracic outlet for haemorrhage control and repair. This results in high mortality rates when the major vascular structures of the neck are transected, as well as potential neurological compromise. We present the case of a penetrating injury to the proximal subclavian artery from a broken angle grinder disc which is a unique mechanism of injury that can have fatal consequences. Read More

Asian J Neurosurg 2020 Jul-Sep;15(3):666-669. Epub 2020 Aug 28.

Spinal Services, Indian Spinal Injuries Centre, New Delhi, India.

Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) presenting as a radicular pain in the thoracic region is not uncommon, but the presentation in the lumbar and thigh region is not frequently seen. Characteristic segmental vesicular-bullous rash in a dermatomal distribution associated with pain and allodynia is a prominent feature. The pain appears before rash. Read More

J Orthop Surg Res 2020 Oct 19;15(1):479. Epub 2020 Oct 19.

Department of Orthopedics, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.

Background: Transforaminal percutaneous endoscopic lumbar surgeries (PELS) for lumbar disc herniation and spinal stenosis are growing in popularity. However, there are some problems in the establishment of the working channel and foraminoplasty such as nerve and blood vessel injuries, more radiation exposure, and steeper learning curve. Rapid technological advancements have allowed robotic technology to assist surgeons in improving the accuracy and safety of surgeries. Read More

Global Spine J 2021 Jan 22;11(1):63-70. Epub 2019 Nov 22.

76290Ganga Hospital, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, India.

Study Design: Retrospective cohort study.

Objectives: Thoracic and lumbar fracture dislocations (TLFD) are high-velocity injuries and frequently result in gross neurological deficit. Very rarely, such patients present with intact neurology. Read More

Sci Rep 2020 09 1;10(1):14354. Epub 2020 Sep 1.

Department of Orthopaedics, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, No. 25 Taiping St., Luzhou, 646000, Sichuan, China.

This paper describes a minimally invasive technique of percutaneous intervertebral bridging cementoplasty (PIBC) to augment the fractured vertebrae and immobilize the intervertebral space with endplate-disc complex injury simultaneously. Thirty-two patients with adjacent multilevel osteoporotic thoracolumbar fractures (AMOTLFs) and vertebral endplate-disc complex injury (EDCI) treated by PIBC were retrospectively reviewed. The PIBC technique was a combination of puncture, balloon expansion and bridging cementoplasty. Read More

J Orthop Surg Res 2020 Aug 31;15(1):370. Epub 2020 Aug 31.

Department of Spine Surgery, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.

Objective: This study evaluated the biomechanical changes in the adjacent vertebrae under a physiological load (500 N) when the clinically relevant amount of bone cement was injected into fractured cadaver vertebral bodies.

Methods: The embalmed cadaver thoracolumbar specimens in which each vertebral body (T12-L2) had a BMD of < 0.75 g/cm were used for the experiment. Read More

Am J Phys Med Rehabil 2020 11;99(11):982-985

From the Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, New Jersey (TJP); Hackensack Meridian Health JFK Johnson Rehabilitation Institute, Edison, New Jersey (JJ, BH, SC); Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Hackensack Meridian School of Medicine, Nutley, New Jersey (JJ, BH, SC); and Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, Piscataway, New Jersey (JJ, SC).

The coronavirus virus disease 2019 is best known for its pulmonary sequelae. Understanding of the disease process is rapidly growing, and the medical community already appreciates a hypercoagulable state associated with coronavirus virus disease 2019. Acute spinal cord injury has an inherent increased risk for venous thromboembolism. Read More

Clin Orthop Surg 2020 Jun 14;12(2):209-216. Epub 2020 May 14.

Institute for Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Hanoi Medical University, Hanoi, Vietnam.

Background: The evidence for the efficacy and safety of balloon kyphoplasty (BKP) in treating the Vietnamese patients is sparse. There is no convincing evidence regarding BKP's efficacy in Vietnamese patients, especially in the patients with thoracic osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (VCFs). This article aims to evaluate the outcomes of restoring the body height of the compressed thoracic vertebrae in patients undergoing BKP. Read More

Top Companion Anim Med 2020 Jun 9;39:100433. Epub 2020 Apr 9.

Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA. Electronic address:

A 4-year-old female spayed Pomeranian presented for being unable to use its pelvic limbs after a fall. The dog was paraplegic with absent pelvic limb nociception and a Schiff-Sherrington posture. Radiographs and Computed tomography showed a T11-T12 luxation. Read More

Anat Histol Embryol 2020 Jul 28;49(4):571-574. Epub 2020 May 28.

Biodiversity Institute, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KA, USA.

The flat-end surfaces of dinosaur vertebral centra led to the presumption that intervertebral discs occupied the space between their vertebrae. A set of fused hadrosaur vertebrae allowed that hypothesis to be tested. The Tyrannosaurus rex responsible for this pathology did not escape unscathed. Read More

World Neurosurg 2020 08 18;140:e311-e319. Epub 2020 May 18.

Department of Neurology, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, the Netherlands.

Background: Intracranial hypotension (IH) has a widely variable clinical and radiologic presentation. Secondary IH may be caused by degenerative spine disorders and in particular by thoracic disk herniations (TDHs).

Methods: We present 2 patients with a transdural TDH, a secondary IH, and superficial siderosis in 1. Read More

Open Vet J 2020 04 29;10(1):16-21. Epub 2020 Jan 29.

Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine, West Lafayette IN 47907, USA.

Background: The optimal surgical approach to relieve spinal cord compression in the cranial thoracic spine is not well described, and the anatomy of the cranial thoracic vertebrae creates added surgical difficulty.

Aim: This study describes the surgical approach, treatment, and outcome of three dogs and three cats that underwent a cranial thoracic hemilaminectomy for the treatment of extradural spinal cord compression. Surgical positioning was tailored to avoid extensive dissection and provide for a restricted, careful approach. Read More

Asian Spine J 2020 Dec 30;14(6):829-846. Epub 2020 Mar 30.

Department of Anaesthesiology and Critical Care, Pandit Bhagwat Dayal Sharma Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences, Rohtak, India.

Study Design: This study is a prospective clinical study.

Purpose: This study aims to evaluate the characteristics of trunk musculature and intervertebral discs by using magnetic resonance imaging in patients with spinal cord injuries (SCIs) with thoracic and lumbar fractures.

Overview Of Literature: Muscle atrophy is an immediate consequence of SCI and is associated with secondary complications. Read More

Pain Med 2020 11;21(11):3018-3023

National Cancer Institute Mexico City, Mexico City, México.

Objective: Vertebroplasty is a percutaneous minimally invasive procedure indicated for vertebral collapse pain treatment. Among the known complications of the procedure is the augmented risk of new vertebral fractures. There are no specific studies in this patient population describing the risk of new vertebral fractures after vertebroplasty. Read More

Unfallchirurg 2020 Apr;123(4):302-308

Abteilung für Unfall- und Wiederherstellungschirurgie, Universitätsklinikum Halle (Saale), Halle (Saale), Deutschland.

Pediatric traumatic vertebral injuries usually present as stable A (AOspine classification) fractures, whereas B and C injuries are relatively uncommon. In contrast to adults the appropriate treatment strategy in children remains an issue of debate.The data from two pediatric patients admitted with B and C type spinal injuries in 2007 and 2008 were retrospectively analyzed. Read More

J Orthop Surg Res 2020 Feb 24;15(1):73. Epub 2020 Feb 24.

Department of Spinal Surgery, Peking University People's Hospital, No. 11 Xi Zhimen South Street, Xi Cheng District, Beijing, 100044, China.

Study Design: A retrospective analysis was conducted to analyze the position of the aorta by MRI in patients with adult degenerative scoliosis.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the relative anatomic positions of the aorta and spine in patients with adult degenerative scoliosis (ADS). Aorta injury is a rare complication of spinal surgeries. Read More

World Neurosurg 2020 05 28;137:1-7. Epub 2020 Jan 28.

Swedish Neuroscience Institute, Swedish Medical Center, Seattle, Washington, USA.

Background: Spinal cord herniation (SCH) is often described as occurring spontaneously in the thoracic spine, with few cases of cervical SCH reported as a late complication of traumatic brachial plexus avulsion. We present 2 cases of nerve root avulsion and pseudomeningocele formation, resulting in delayed cervical SCH and neurologic deterioration.

Case Description: Case 1: A 37-year old man presented with progressive leg weakness 2 years after experiencing traumatic C8 and T1 root avulsions. Read More

BMC Musculoskelet Disord 2020 Jan 29;21(1):54. Epub 2020 Jan 29.

Department of Orthopaedics, Trauma Surgery and Plastic Surgery, University of Leipzig, Liebigstr. 20, 20 04103, Leipzig, Germany.

Introduction: Hybrid stabilization is an accepted therapy strategy for unstable osteoporotic thoracolumbar fractures. However, a moderate reduction loss has been reported and it remains unclear which anatomic structure is responsible for the reduction loss.

Methods: This retrospective study was performed at a level I trauma center. Read More

BMC Musculoskelet Disord 2020 Jan 20;21(1):45. Epub 2020 Jan 20.

Department of Radiology, Boston University School of Medicine, 820 Harrison Avenue, FGH Building 3rd Floor, Boston, MA, 02118, USA.

Objective: To describe the frequency and the distribution of degenerative disc disease (DDD) detected in athletes who underwent spine MRI in the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Methods: Data on spine MRI examinations from the 2016 Summer Olympics were retrospectively analyzed. We assessed the frequency of DDD of the cervical (Cs), thoracic (Ts), and lumbar (Ls) spine using Pfirrmann's classification. Read More

Biomed Res Int 2019 10;2019:1386510. Epub 2019 Dec 10.

Department of Orthopedic and Trauma Surgery, Hopital Bichat - Beaujon, Assistance Publique - Hopitaux de Paris, Paris, France.

The treatment of traumatic low-degree vertebral compression fracture remains in a wide range between functional treatment, bracing, vertebroplasty, kyphoplasty, and even surgical fixation. The objective was to assess the innovation of instrumented kyphoplasty and to report the early and mid-term functional and radiological results. This study is a retrospective review of patients enrolled from 2012 to 2017. Read More

JBJS Case Connect 2019 Dec;9(4):e0216

Department of Spinal Surgery, Henan Provincial People's Hospital, Zhengzhou, Henan, China.

Case: Non-neoplastic bone destruction, known as Andersson lesion, is not rare in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and always appeared as bone destruction and sclerosis in the vertebral body-intervertebral disc region. The Andersson lesion has been reported mostly in the thoracic and lumbar spine and rarely in the lower cervical spine. We surgically treated a patient with AS complicated with atlantoaxial dislocation and destruction of dens and lateral atlantoaxial joint, which was similar to the Andersson lesion. Read More

Vet J 2019 Nov 13;253:105377. Epub 2019 Sep 13.

Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Louisiana State University, Skip Bertman Drive, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA.

Management of urinary retention after spinal cord injury in dogs is often needed and can include use of medications to relax the urethral sphincter. This was a retrospective study evaluating two such medications, prazosin and diazepam, and whether dogs treated with these medications had different lengths of hospitalization, urinary continence levels, or development of bacteriuria compared to dogs not receiving these medications after thoracolumbar hemilaminectomy for intervertebral disc herniation (IVDH). Electronic medical records were searched for dogs that underwent CT or MRI followed by a hemilaminectomy between the 3 thoracic and 3rd lumbar vertebra for treatment of IVDH. Read More

Spinal Cord Ser Cases 2019 22;5:74. Epub 2019 Aug 22.

Indian Spinal Injuries Center, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi, 110070 India.

Introduction: Decompressive surgery for thoracic myelopathy due to anterior pathology can be challenging. Direct decompression through anterior approaches is associated with approach-related complications, whereas anterior decompression through posterior approaches is technically demanding and may result in neurological deterioration. We present a simple and effective surgical technique of indirect decompression through lordotic rod contouring to reduce such complications. Read More

Z Orthop Unfall 2019 Oct 8;157(5):574-596. Epub 2019 Oct 8.

The basis for assessing thoracolumbar vertebral body fractures are two established classification systems. Important, especially in terms of further treatment, is the distinction between osteoporotic and healthy bones. The AO Spine classification offers a comprehensive tool for healthy bones to reliably specify the morphological criterias (alignment, integrity of the intervertebral disc, fragment separation, stenosis of the spinal canal). Read More