The multimodal management of canal stenosis is increasing, and inhibitors of central sensitization are playing a crucial role in central sensitization processes. Pregabalin and gabapentin are antiepileptic drugs that reduce presynaptic excitability. The objective of this study was to investigate whether the use of pregabalin and gabapentin is effective in the symptomatic management of canal stenosis.

A literature search was conducted in four databases. The inclusion criteria were studies that compared pregabalin or gabapentin with a control group in lumbar canal stenosis. Randomized clinical trials and a comparative retrospective cohort study were included. The main clinical endpoints were VAS/NRS, ODI, and RDQ (Roland Morris Disability Questionnaire) at 2, 4, 8 weeks, and 3 months, adverse events, and walking distance were also collected. Data were combined using Review Manager 5.4 software.

Six studies and 392 patients were included. The mean age was 60.25. No significant differences were observed in VAS at 2, 4, and 8 weeks: (MD: 0.23; 95% CI: −0.63-1.09), (MD: −0.04; 95% CI: −0.64 to −0.57), and (MD: −0.6; 95% CI: −1.22 to 0.02). Significant differences were observed in favor of pregabalin with respect to VAS at three months: (MD: −2.97; 95% CI: −3.43 to −2.51). No significant differences were observed in ODI (MD: −3.47; 95% CI: −7.15 to −0.21). Adverse events were significantly higher in the pregabalin/gabapentin group (OR 5.88, 95%CI 1.28-27.05). Walking distance and RDQ could not be compared, although the results were controversial.

Gabapentinoids have not been shown to be superior to other drugs used in the treatment of LSS or to placebo. However, they have shown a higher incidence of adverse effects, improved results in VAS at 3 months, and a slight improvement in ambulation at 4 months in combination with NSAIDs compared to NSAIDs in monotherapy.

In healthy subjects, respiratory maximal volumes are highly dependent on the sagittal range of motion of the T7-T10 segment. In AIS, the abolition of T7-T10 dynamics related to the stiffness induced by the apex region in Lenke IA curves could harm ventilation during maximal breathing. The aim of this study was to analyze the dynamics of the thoracic spine during deep breathing in AIS patients and in healthy matched controls. This is a cross-sectional, case-control study. 20 AIS patients (18 girls, Cobb angle, 54.7±7.9°; Risser 1.35±1.2) and 15 healthy volunteers (11 girls) matched in age (12.5 versus 15.8 yr. mean age) were included. In AIS curves, the apex was located at T8 (14) and T9 (6). Conventional sagittal radiographs of the whole spine were performed at maximal inspiration and exhalation. The ROM of each spinal thoracic functional segment (T1-T7, T7-T10, T10-T12) and the global T1-T12 ROM were measured. In healthy subjects, the mean T1-T12 ROM during forced breathing was 16.7±3.8. AIS patients showed a T1-T12 ROM of 1.1±1.5 (p<0.05), indicating a sagittal stiffness of the thoracic spine. A wide T7-T10 ROM (15.3±3.0) was found in healthy controls (91.6% of the T1–T12 ROM). AIS patients showed only 0.4±1.4 ROM at T7-T10 (36.4% of the T1-T12 ROM) (p<0.001). There was a significant positive correlation between the magnitude of T7-T10 kyphosis in maximal exhalation and both FVC (% of predicted FVC) and FEV1. In conclusion, Lenke 1A AIS patients show a restriction of the thoracic spine motion with an almost complete abolition of T7-T10 ROM, a crucial segment for deep breathing. T7-T10 stiffness could explain the ventilatory limitations found in AIS patients.

The aim of this study was to report the restauration of the normal vertebral morphology and the absence of curve progression after removal the instrumentation in AIS patients that underwent posterior correction of the deformity by common all screws construct whitout fusion. A series of 36 AIS immature patients (Risser 3 or less) were include in the study. Instrumentation was removed once the maturity stage was complete (Risser 5). Curve correction was assessed at pre and postoperative, before instrumentation removal, just post removal, and more than two years after instrumentation removal. Epiphyseal vertebral growth modulation was assessed by a coronal wedging ratio (WR) at the apical level of the main curve (MC). The mean preoperative coronal Cobb was corrected from 53.7°±7.5 to 5.5º±7.5º (89.7%) at the immediate postop. After implants removal (31.0±5.8 months) the MC was 13.1º. T5–T12 kyphosis showed a significant improvement from 19.0º before curve correction to 27.1º after implants removal (p<0.05). Before surgery, WR was 0.71±0.06, and after removal WR was 0.98±0.08 (p<0.001). At the end of follow-up, the mean sagittal range of motion (ROM) of the T12-S1 segment was 51.2±21.0º. SRS-22 scores improved from 3.31±0.25 preoperatively to 3.68±0.25 at final assessment (p<0.001). In conclusion, fusionless posterior approach using a common all pedicle screws construct correct satisfactory scoliotic main curves and permits removal of the instrumentation once the bone maturity is reached. The final correction was highly satisfactory and an acceptable ROM of the previously lower instrumented segments was observed.

To analyze the dynamics of the thoracic spine during deep breathing in AIS patients and in healthy matched controls.

Case-control cross-sectional study. 20 AIS patients (18 girls, Cobb angle, 54.7±7.9°; Risser 1.35±1.2) and 15 healthy volunteers (11 girls) matched in age (12.5 versus 15.8 yr. mean age) were included. In AIS curves, the apex was located in T8 (14) and T9 (6). Conventional sagittal radiographs of the whole spine were performed at maximal inspiration and expiration. The ROM of each spinal thoracic functional segment (T1-T7, T7-T10, T10-T12), the global T1–T12 ROM were measured. Respiratory function was assess by forced vital capacity (FVC), expiratory volume (FEV1), FEV1/FVC, inspiratory vital capacity (IVC) and peak expiratory flow (PEF).

In healthy subjects, the mean T1–T12 ROM during forced breathing was 16.7±3.8. AIS patients showed a T1-T12 ROM of 1.1±1.5 (p<0.05) indicating a sagittal stiffness of thoracic spine. A wide T7–T10 ROM (15.3±3.0) was found in healthy controls (91.6% of the T1–T12 ROM). AIS patients showed only 0.4±1.4 ROM at T7-T10 (36.4% of the T1–T12 ROM) (p<0.001). There was a significant correlation between T7-T10 ROM and IVC.

Lenke 1A AIS patients show a restriction of the thoracic spine motion with an almost complete abolition of T7-T10 ROM, a crucial segment participating in the deep breathing. T7-T10 stiffness could explain the ventilatory limitations found in AIS patients.

To conduct a meta-analysis for intertrochanteric hip fractures comparing in terms of efficacy and safety short versus long intralomedullary nails.

A pubmed search of the last 10 years for intertrochanteric fracture 31A1-31A3 according to the AO/OTA classification was performed. Baseline characteristics of each article were obtained, complication measures were analyzed: Peri-implant fracture, reoperations, deep/superficial infection, and mortality. Clinical variables consisted of blood loss (mL), length of stay (days), time of surgery (min) and nº of transfusions. Functional outcomes were also recorded. A meta-analysis was performed with Review Manager 5.4.

Twelve studies were included, nine were retrospective. The reoperations rate was lower in the short nail group and the peri-implant fracture rate was lower in the long nail group (OR 0.58, 95% CI 0.38 to 0.88) (OR 1.88, 95% CI 1.04 to 3.43). Surgery time and blood loss was significantly higher in the long nail group (MD −12.44, 95% CI −14.60 to −10.28) (MD −19.36, 95% CI −27.24 to −11.48). There were no differences in functional outcomes.

The short intramedullary nail has a higher risk of peri-implant fracture; however, the reoperation rate is lower compared to the long nail. Blood loss and surgery time was higher in the long nail group.

Introduction and Objective

The treatment of severe deformities often requiring aggressive techniques such as vertebral resection and osteotomies with high comorbidity. To mitigate this risk, several methods have been used to achieve a partial reduction of stiff curves. The objective of this study was to evaluate and quantify the effectiveness of the Perioperative Halo-Gravity Traction (HGT) in the Treatment of Severe Spinal Deformity in Children.

Background

Using flexible tethering techniques, porcine models of scoliosis have been previously described. These scoliotic curves showed vertebral wedging but very limited axial rotation. In some of these techniques, a persistent scoliotic deformity was found after tether release. The possibility to create severe progressive true scoliosis in a big animal model would be very useful for research purposes, including corrective therapies.

Background

Oblique implantable total disc replacements (TDR) have been developed in an attempt to partially resect the anterior longitudinal ligament (ALL), together with additional partial resection of lateral annulus fibres. To date, the literature has not addressed the impact of the TDR oblique implantation on the lumbar spine sagittal alignment. The hypothesis of this study was that TDR at the L4-L5 level does not change the sagittal alignment and the range of motion of the lumbar spine when the implant is placed in accurate position.

Background

The improvement of the rib cage deformity (RCD) after surgery correction has not been correlated in detail with the correction of vertebral axial rotation (AR). The loss of at the rib cage after correction has been never monitored. The hypothesis of this work was that the aesthetic improvement of RCD in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) does not follow completely the reduction of thoracic AR after correction surgery. Moreover, lesser correction of thorax deformity could be expected in mature patients with more rigid curves.

Background

Recently, some studies have focused attention on the possibility that anaerobic pathogens of low virulence could constitute an etiological factor in disc herniation. There have been isolated such strains, predominantly Propionibacterium acne, between 7 and 53% of patients undergoing surgery for disc pathology. According to these studies, patients with anaerobic infections of the disc are more likely to develop Modic changes in the adjacent vertebrae. The aim of this work was to test this hypothesis by growing in specific media the disc material extracted in a series of lumbar discectomy and relating this factor with the presence of pre-intervention Modic changes.

Background

The overall incidence of neurological symptoms attributed to lumbar misplaced screws has been described to occur in 3.48% of patients undergoing surgery. These lumbar radicular neurological lesions are undetected with conventional intraoperative neurophysiological and radiological controls. The hypothesis of this study was that direct stimulation of the pedicle screw after placement in the lumbar spine may not work as well as for screws placed in the thoracic pedicles. A more suitable method for the lumbar spine could be the stimulation of the pedicle track with a ball-tipped probe.

Background

The controversy concerning the benefits of unisegmental cervical disc arthroplasty (CDA) over anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) is still open because some randomised clinical trial (RTC) comparing ACDF with CDA have been highly inconclusive. Most of these studies mixed disc prosthesis with dissimilar kinematic characteristics. To date, a compilation of the clinical and radiologic outcomes and adverse events of anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) compared with a single cervical disc arthroplasty (CDA) design, the Bryan disc has partially accomplished.

Background

After surgical correction of thoracic scoliosis, an improvement in the cardio-respiratory adaptation to exercise would be expected because of the correction of the rib cage associated with the spinal deformity. This work intended to evaluate the physiologic responses to incremental exercise in patients undergoing surgical correction of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). The hypothesis of this study was that the exercise limitations described in patients with AIS could be related with the physical deconditioning instead of being linked to the severity of the vertebral deformity.

Summary Statement

The spinal cord showed marked sensibility to acute compression causing complete and irreversible injury. On the contrary, the spinal cord has more ability for adaptation to slow progressive compression mechanisms having the possibility of neural recovery after compression release.

Summary Statement

Patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis show clear signs of abnormal motor coordination between the long superficial paraspinal muscles and the deep rotators. These findings suggest an abnormal behavior of the deep rotator muscles at the concave side.

Summary Statement

Bilaretal epiphysiodesis of he neurocentral cartilages causes shortening of the sagittal length of the pedicles and a subsequent spinal stenosis at the operated segments, resembling that found in patients with achrondroplasia.

Introduction

A new triggered electromyography test for detection of stimulus diffusion to intercostal muscles of the contralateral side during thoracic pedicle screw placement was evaluated. Experimental research was carried out in order to determine if, using this test, neural contact at different aspects of the spinal cord and nerve roots could be discriminated.

Objectives

To determine the limits of spinal displacement before the onset of neurophysiological changes during spinal surgery. Assessing if the type of force applied or the section of the adjacent nerve roots increases the tolerance to displacement.

This work was aimed at study the role of paraspinal muscles on spinal tensegrity. Four different models of spinal tensegrity breakage with and without injury of the posterior spinal muscle were investigated.

Fifteen minipigs (mean age 6-week) underwent costotransversectomy (CTT) at 5 consecutive vertebral segments. In 4 animals ribs and transverse processes (T7–T11) were removed through a posterior midline approach with complete desinsertion of paraspinal muscles. In other 3 animals, CTT was performed by a posterolateral approach (T6–T10) without detachment of paraspinal muscles. Other 4 minipigs underwent rib resection (T7-T11) throughout a thoracoscopic approach avoiding damage of posterior spinal muscles. A final group of 4 animals, a complete detachment of the paraspinal muscles was performed from T7 to T11 without removing bony structures and leaving in deep surgical wax attached to the spinous and transverse processes to avoid reinsertion of the muscles after surgery. Anatomic specimens were radiologically and macroscopically studied just at sacrifice 5 months after surgery

All 4 animals operated on of CTT by midline posterior approach developed structural spinal deformity with curve convexity at the side of rib removal (mean Cobb angle 34,6°). Animals undergoing CTT by posterolateral approach without paraspinal muscle detachment did not develop any significant spinal deformity. Absence of spinal deformity was also found in those animals in which rib resection was performed by thoracoscopy without injury of the posterior spinal muscles. All 4 animals undergoing detachment of the paraspinal muscles without CTT and application of the surgical wax developed scoliotic curves (mean Cobb angle of 28°).

In conclusion, a new insight on the underlying pathogenic mechanisms of scoliotic curves is given by using this spinal tensegrity model. Isolated damage of the posterior muscle-ligamentous structures around the costotransverse joints breaking muscles spine tensegrity seems to be mandatory to induce scoliotic deformity. Rib removal alone appeared to have less scoliotic inductive implication. The finding questions previous knowledge on scoliosis etiopathogeny.

A recently developed parametric geometrical finite element model (p-FEM) was adapted to the specific hip geometric measurements of a group of patients with slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE). The objective was to analyze the stress distribution in the growth plate of these patients and to evaluate differences for those patients who developed bilateral disease.

Different geometric parameters were measured in the healthy proximal femur of 18 adolescents (mean age, 12,1 yr) with unilateral SCFE and in 23 adolescents matched in age without hip disease (control group). Five patients developed SCFE in the contralateral side during follow-up. Different geometric measurements were taken from hip conventional X-ray studies. The p-FEM of the proximal femur permits modifications of different geometrical parameters, therefore the X-ray measurements taken from each patient were applied to the model obtaining a subject-specific model for each case. In each model, different mechanical situations such as walking, stairs climbing and sitting were simulated by applying loads on the femoral head corresponding to each own weight. The risk for growth plate failure was estimated by the Tresca, von Misses and Rankine stresses.

In summary, the models shows important differences between the stresses computed at the healthy femurs of patients with unilateral SCFE and femurs that further underwent bilateral SCFE. So, the 95% confidence interval of the percentage of volume of the growth plate subjected to stresses higher than 2MPa was almost similar for the control group and patients with unilateral SCFE. However, those patients who developed bilateral disease had statistically significant large physeal areas with more than 2.0 MPa (p< 0.005). Stresses were also strongly dependent on the geometry of the proximal femur, especially on the posterior sloping angle of the physis and the physeal sloping angle.

In spite of simplifications of the developed p-FEM, this tool has been able to show the influence of femur geometry in growth plate stresses and to predict the sites where growth plate starts to fail.