Voluntary ambulation using voluntary upper limb muscle activity and Hybrid Assistive Limb® (HAL®) in a patient with complete paraplegia due to chronic spinal cord injury: A case report

Context: We sought to describe our experience with the Hybrid Assistive Limb® (HAL®) for active knee extension and voluntary ambulation with remaining muscle activity in a patient with complete paraplegia after spinal cord injury.

Findings: A 30-year-old man with complete paraplegia used the HAL® for 1 month (10 sessions) using his remaining muscle activity, including hip flexor and upper limb activity. Electromyography was used to evaluate muscle activity of the gluteus maximus, tensor fascia lata, quadriceps femoris, and hamstring muscles in synchronization with the Vicon motion capture system. A HAL® session included a knee extension session with the hip flexor and voluntary gait with upper limb activity. After using the HAL® for one month, the patient’s manual muscle hip flexor scores improved from 1/5 to 2/5 for the right and from 2/5 to 3/5 for the left knee, and from 0/5 to 1/5 for the extension of both knees.

Conclusion/clinical relevance: Knee extension sessions with HAL®, and hip flexor and upper-limb-triggered HAL® ambulation seem a safe and feasible option in a patient with complete paraplegia due to spinal cord injury.     

Contextualizing the lived experience of quality of life for persons with spinal cord injury: A mixed-methods application of the response shift model

Objective: The objective of this study was to gain greater insight into individuals’ quality of life (QOL) definitions, appraisals, and adaptations following spinal cord injury (SCI).

Design: A mixed-methods design, applying the Schwartz and Sprangers response shift (RS) model. RS is a cognitive process wherein, in response to a change in health status, individuals change internal standards, values, or conceptualization of QOL

Setting: Community-dwelling participants who receive medical treatment at a major Midwestern medical system and nearby Veterans’ Affairs hospital.

Participants: A purposive sample of participants with SCI (N?=?40) completed semi-structured interviews and accompanying quantitative measures.

Interventions: Not applicable.

Outcome Measures: Qualitative data were analyzed using content analysis to identify themes. Analysis of variance were performed to detect differences based on themes and QOL, well-being, and demographic and injury characteristics.

Results: Four RS themes were identified, capturing the range of participant perceptions of QOL. The themes ranged from complete RS, indicating active engagement in maintaining QOL, to awareness and comparisons redefining QOL, to a relative lack of RS. Average QOL ratings differed as a function of response shift themes. PROMIS Global Health, Anxiety, and Depression also differed as a function of RS themes.

Conclusion: The RS model contextualizes differences in QOL definitions, appraisals, and adaptations in a way standardized QOL measures alone do not.     

后路枕骨髁螺钉技术研究进展

正枕骨、寰椎和枢椎共同构成了枕颈部活动的结构功能单位,即枕颈交界区~([1-2])。炎症、创伤、肿瘤及畸形等因素会导致枕颈交界区失稳,从而引起颈脊髓或神经根的损伤、麻痹及难以忍受的疼痛,甚至危及生命~([3-4])。后路内固定融合技术是治疗枕颈部失稳的重要手段,目前常用术式为枕骨螺钉技术,该技术较钢丝固定技术有更好的生物力学稳定     

后路椎体间融合术后融合器脱出的原因及其翻修术

目的：探讨后路椎体间融合术后融合器脱出的原因及其翻修方法。方法：10例后路椎体间融合术后融合器脱出行翻修术的病例，其中腰椎滑脱症5例，腰椎管狭窄症3例，腰椎间盘突出症2例。手术节段为L4／54例，L5／S1 3例，L4／5＋L5／S1 3例；融合器应用BAK（旋入型）7例，聚醚醚酮矩形融合器（PEEK）2例，钛金属矩形融合器1例。于首次术后1～90d内行翻修术。就其脱出原因，再次手术方法及疗效进行分析。结果：融合器脱出的原因：矩形融合器中2例型号太小，1例放置位置偏后；旋入型融合器1例定位错误，其余大都因两枚融合器之间发生碰撞挤压所致。翻修术后获得完整随访资料者8例，随访时间10-36个月，平均17个月，均得到融合，无融合器再次移位或脱出以及内同定的断裂，1例伴有足下垂者遗留患足背伸肌力减弱，其余病例神经症状消除。结论：后路腰椎椎体间融合术后融合器脱出的可能原因有融合器型号偏小导致椎间隙撑开不够，放置位置偏后，两枚融合器不对称或距离太近发生碰撞等。早期、积极的手术翻修能取得较好的疗效。     

Late results of laterofixation in the treatment of bilateral abductor paralysis of the vocal cords: a clinical study with long-term follow-up

Thirty-four patients with bilateral vocal cord abductor paralysis were treated surgically during the period from 1960 to 1979. The main cause of paralysis was thyroid surgery (85%). Woodman's external laterofixation was performed in 31 patients, 1 had laterofixation by laryngofissure and 2 had endoscopic arytenoidectomy. In Woodman's procedure the body of the arytenoid cartilage was removed in 10 cases and mobilized from the cricoarytenoid joint in 21 cases. Thirteen of the 34 patients needed further surgery. Including previously performed procedures in 6 patients, altogether 68 operations were performed and 17 patients (50%) were operated on more than once. The immediate failure rate of laterofixation was 22% but the need for reoperation increased with time and the total failure rate of the method was 44%. Endoscopic arytenoidectomy was successful in 1 of 2 cases as a primary operation and in 3 of 3 cases as secondary operation. Follow-up time ranged from 2 months to 29 years 8 months (mean 15 years 10 months).     

Spinal epidural hematoma. Report of a case and review of the literature

We report the case of a thoracic epidural hematoma at the T7-T9 level which occurred after placement of spinal epidural catheter for continuous anaesthesia in acute pancreatitis. The male patient felt a sudden back pain after six days of successful analgesia and became paraplegic 24 hours afterwards. An emergency laminectomy and removal of the hematoma were performed; however, the patient recovered only incompletely.We discuss the clinical signs and symptoms of spinal epidural hematoma as well as its diagnostics and therapy. The controversial views from the literature concernings its etiology are critically reviewed.     

Dorsal and ventral dopaminergic innervation of the spinal cord: Functional implications

Several studies have demonstrated that a descending dopaminergic pathway innervates the dorsal and the intermediate gray matter of the spinal cord and have suggested that this pathway is involved in pain modulation and in the control of autonomie functions. Other studies have also demonstrated the presence of dopamine (DA) and DA metabolites as well as of DA receptors in the ventral cord. There is also evidence for the implication of DA in the control of motor functions at the spinal level. The occurrence of a dopaminergic innervation in the ventral horn has been, however, disputed until recently. But recent work has demonstrated that the motoneural cell groups in the ventral horn (lamina IX) are a target for descending dopaminergic fibers. In addition, the possibility that DA is a mediator of primary afferent fibers has also been postulated. Finally, the occurrence of dopaminergic cell bodies has been suggested in the spinal cord. This indicates that DA is probably implicated in a complex manner in spinal functions. In the present paper the possible involvement of DA in sensory and in motor functions at spinal level will be discussed in view of neurochemical observations made in polyarthritic rats, in which pain-related behavior and reduction of locomotor activity associated with a marked decrease in mobility, are observed.     

Cervical intramedullary cavernous angioma with MRI-proven haemorrhages

Summary Two contrasting cases of cervical intramedullary cavernous angioma in young female patients are reported. One patient had a 3-year course of step-wise progressive tetraparesis; at each of the five events intramedullary bleeding from a cryptic vascular malformation at C6–7 level was diagnosed by MRI. The other patient presented with one episode which led to MRI diagnosis of a vascular malformation at the C2 level. Both patients eventually underwent complete surgical excision of the angioma with subsequent steady improvement of the neurological deficit.