Pyogenic osteomyelitis of the spine.

The records of 30 patients who had suffered from vertebral osteomyelitis were reviewed. They conformed to a constant pattern, though varying in tems of: (i) the severity of the disease due to host-organism interrelationship; and (ii) age distribution. Causative organisms could not always be identifed, though all lesions settled with conservative measures of rest and antibiotics. A high proportion of the patients who were followed up for more than one year were back at work. The anatomical distribution of the lesions can be explained by our knowledge of the vascular supply to the vertebral bodies.     

Surgical correction of lesions affecting the second portion of the vertebral artery

Substantial controversy has surrounded the diagnosis and management of vertebrobasilar ischemic events, with no consensus on the value of medical or surgical treatment of patients symptomatic with brain stem ischemia who have angiographically proven vertebral artery lesions. This report presents our experience with the surgical treatment of 12 of 88 patients with angiographically verified lesions in the vertebral artery who were symptomatic for 1 to 12 months before their evaluation. None experienced symptomatic relief with antiplatelet agents, nor did the administration of anticoagulants in 4 of the patients provide any benefit. The lesions included bilateral vertebral artery occlusion with distal reconstitution through muscular collaterals in 6 patients, unilateral vertebral artery hypoplasia with contralateral long-tailed lesions from the vertebral artery origin to C-5 in 3 patients, and severe bilateral vertebral artery origin lesions extending beyond the C-5 level in 3 patients. A vertebral endarterectomy and vertebral-carotid transposition in the second portion of the artery were successfully used to reestablish flow and obtain symptomatic relief in 10 of the 12 cases; 1 of these procedures had to be redone because of a persistent stenosis at C-4. Another patient had a saphenous vein graft from the common carotid to the vertebral artery at C-5. The remaining patient had an anastomosis of the distal external carotid to the vertebral artery at C-3, but this failed and an anastomosis of the occipital artery to the anterior inferior cerebellar artery had to be completed to reestablish flow.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

三维CT血管造影对椎动脉的观察

目的探讨采用三维CT血管造影(3D-CTA)观察椎动脉的价值。方法对67例临床拟诊为椎动脉供血不足的患者行3D-CTA检查,容积重建(volumerendering,VR)和表面重建(shadedsurfacedisplay,SSD),其中7例行选择性椎动脉造影。结果67例患者中,椎动脉显像133条;正常52条,病变81条;1条闭塞不显像。病变包括先天性畸形,血管受压或牵拉移位,血管壁粗糙、钙化,管腔狭窄、部分中断等。发育畸形的椎动脉可伴有多种病变,一条椎动脉可以多段发病。椎动脉发育畸形和椎动脉各段病变发生情况如下:椎动脉先天畸形31条(发育纤细17条,走行异常14条);起始段(V1)病变11条(血管壁粗糙、变细10条,其中3条扭曲成角;1条钙化);颈椎段(V2)和寰枕段(V3)病变30条(骨质增生压迫血管移位13条,牵拉内移7条,局限性狭窄10条);颅内段(V4)病变55条(血管呈串珠状、管壁粗糙52条,其中钙化2条;血管部分中断3条)。血管造影7例14条血管,血管异常8条共13处病变;颅内段病变2处,3D-CTA显示明显狭窄,DSA为轻度狭窄,其余11处病变两者相符。结论3D-CTA能清晰显示椎动脉走行全程,同时可以观察与椎骨的解剖关系。在椎动脉先天畸形、血管钙化以及判断相邻椎骨的影响等方面优于其它影像方法,为椎动脉病变的诊断提供重要资料。     

Simultaneous carotid-vertebral reconstruction

Vertebral atherosclerotic lesions frequently coexist with lesions in the carotid arteries. The most common cause of vertebrobasilar symptoms is hypoperfusion which may be relieved by correction of a critical carotid stenosis. A safe record with direct vertebral revascularization has led us to do simultaneous correction of lesions in the carotid and vertebral arteries through a single cervical incision. To evaluate combined carotid and vertebral reconstruction, procedures performed in a five-year period (1982 to 1987) were retrospectively studied. Thirty-six patients had combined carotid-vertebral reconstruction. In 10 patients, the primary indication was critical carotid disease; 26 patients had vertebrobasilar symptoms. The procedures performed were carotid endarterectomy with either vertebral reimplantation (22) or distal vertebral bypass (7), or external carotid angioplasty with either vertebral reimplantation (3) or distal vertebral bypass (4). Combined carotid-vertebral procedures are effective in relieving symptoms of hypoperfusion in the vertebrobasilar system. A specific lesson learned is that a distal vertebral bypass must not be done in conjunction with an external carotid angioplasty.     

Hemangioendothelioma of the spine

A review of the patient files from our institution's oncology department showed that between 1950 and 2000, 11 patients were diagnosed with hemangioendothelioma of the spine, a rare, low-grade malignant vascular tumor. After reevaluation of the diagnoses by orthopaedic oncologists and pathologists, three patients were excluded; therefore eight patients formed the study group. The eight lesions were located in the thoracic (three) or lumbar spine (five, one in each vertebral level). Computed tomography scans revealed expansile lytic process. All lesions involved the vertebral body, but only one was diffuse with spinous process involvement. Treatment included: external beam irradiation alone (one patient), curettage and external beam irradiation (one patient), laminectomy and external beam irradiation (two patients), anterior resection only (two patients), and anterior resection with postoperative external beam irradiation (two patients). Patients without spinal stabilization had chronic low back pain; no patient with spinal stabilization had such pain. One patient who had surgical resection and radiation therapy had a radiation-induced sarcoma develop after 4 years. One patient who was treated with radiation therapy alone had a metastatic lung lesion develop. No other patient had tumor recurrence or progression. Therefore, patients with hemangioendothelioma of the spine may be treated with radiation therapy alone, surgery alone, or a combination thereof. However, because the number of patients in the current series was small, no definitive recommendations regarding treatment may be made. Resection of large lesions and stabilization of vertebral collapse may decrease back pain.     

Therapeutic endovascular treatments for traumatic vertebral artery injuries

OBJECTIVE: Traumatic vertebral artery injuries pose difficulty in early diagnosis and management because of concomitant neurologic dysfunction and limitations in direct surgical access. The purpose of this report is to review endovascular therapy in patients with traumatic vertebral artery injuries for preservation of the parent artery, and to determine the safety and efficacy of such endovascular therapy. METHODS: Six patients with traumatic vertebral artery lesions were treated using therapeutic endovascular methods. Endovascular therapy was accomplished by stent insertion or coil embolization or both. RESULTS: Except one patient who underwent coil embolization of a transected vertebral artery, all dissections and pseudoaneurysms were successfully treated by stent placement or stent-assisted coiling with preservation of parent arteries. No additional surgical procedures for vascular lesions were required. There were no delayed neurologic or vascular complications and no lesions recurred during the follow-up period (mean, 36.7 months). CONCLUSION: The author's experience demonstrates that endovascular therapy using stents and coils is both feasible and safe in the treatment of traumatic vertebral artery injuries. Endovascular therapy selectively eliminated the vascular abnormality while maintaining the normal patency of the cerebral arteries. Long-term follow-up review of these repairs will be necessary to provide a full evaluation of the safety and efficacy of these devices.     

CT引导下经皮穿刺射频消融术治疗脊柱骨样骨瘤3例报告

目的评价CT引导下经皮穿刺射频消融术治疗脊柱骨样骨瘤的临床效果。方法 3例脊柱骨样骨瘤,分别位于颈椎、腰椎和骶椎,肿瘤边缘紧邻脊髓或神经。局部麻醉后,CT引导下经皮穿刺将射频电极置入骨样骨瘤中心,应用90℃的射频高温持续4 min对瘤巢进行损毁。结果术中及术后无明显并发症发生。术后分别随访2、6、7个月（平均5个月）,疼痛缓解满意,3例VAS评分分别下降了6、8、8分,随访期内疼痛无复发,无神经功能损害。结论 CT引导下经皮穿刺射频消融术治疗脊柱骨样骨瘤微创、安全,患者耐受性好,近期效果确切。     

Osteoporosis and chronic back pain: a study with single-photon emission computed tomography bone scintigraphy.

A group of 26 patients aged 47-81 years (average 67) with spinal osteoporosis and back pain for more than 6 months were investigated with planar and SPECT bone scintigraphy and anterior and lateral x-rays of the thoracolumbar spine. Abnormal activity on bone scintigraphy was found in all patients, of whom 22 had multiple lesions. A total of 17 (65%) patients had abnormal activity associated with collapsed vertebral bodies, 5 (19%) had degenerative disk disease, and 21 (81%) had facetal joint disease. Of 112 lesions identified by SPECT, 60 (54%) were localized to the apophyseal joints. Facetal lesions were commoner in those patients with more collapsed vertebrae, and 32 facetal lesions (54%) were associated with collapse of the vertebra immediately above or below. Bone scintigraphy findings suggest that in some individuals with osteoporosis and chronic back pain, collapse of the vertebral body or degenerative disk disease are causes of pain. However, the high frequency of increased apophyseal joint activity suggests that the facet joint may also be an important site of origin of pain in these individuals. Bone scintigraphy may identify a subgroup of osteoporotic patients with chronic back pain who would benefit from treatment to the facet joints.     

Pattern of prostate cancer metastasis to the vertebral column

We examined 34 thoracic and lumbar vertebrae in eight patients with prostate cancer to elucidate the pattern of metastasis to the vertebral column. Computed tomography of thoracic and lumbar vertebrae was performed before treatment for the prostate cancer. Metastatic lesions were confirmed both by the recognition of osteoblastic and/or osteolytic lesions on CT and by histological identification at autopsy. Localized metastatic lesions were observed mostly in the peripheral rather than the central part of the vertebral body. There were no differences in distribution of lesions between the anterior and posterior parts of the vertebral body. There was no primary involvement of tumor in the spinous and transverse processes. These findings indicated that the major metastatic pathway to the vertebral column is via the vertebral venous system, and it appears that prostate cancer cells first metastasize to the vertebral body and then spread secondarily to the processes or other vertebrae. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Cervical vertebral artery aneurysms and arteriovenous fistulae in neurofibromatosis type 1: case reports

Neurofibromatosis is of particular interest to neurosurgeons because of the various central and peripheral nervous system tumors and, more rarely, cervicocerebral arterial lesions associated with the disease. In the present paper, we report two patients with neurofibromatosis Type 1 (von Recklinghausen's disease) who had anomalies of the extracranial vertebral arteries. A large extracranial vertebral artery aneurysm was incidentally discovered in the first patient, a 43-year-old woman, after rupture of a subclavian artery aneurysm. The second patient, a 28-year-old woman, had an enlarging neck mass and was found to have an extensive extracranial vertebral artery arteriovenous fistula. The vascular lesions associated with neurofibromatosis Type 1 in general and those arising from the extracranial vertebral artery in particular are reviewed.     

The use of autografts for vertebral body replacement of the thoracic and lumbar spine

Thirty-seven patients with fractures of the thoracic or lumbar spine underwent anterior corpectomy (partial or complete) and vertebral body replacement for either destructive lesions from tumor or infection (13 patients) or trauma (24 patients). The vertebral bodies were replaced using either rib (12 patients) or tricortical iliac crest (25 patients) autografts. The Dunn device was utilized in conjunction with the autografts in 19 patients. Posterior stabilization was used in five patients; three prior to anterior stabilization and two after anterior stabilization. Within 2 weeks of the operative procedure, all patients began walking or sitting. Of the 37 patients, 21 with incomplete neurologic deficits improved, and 10 of those went onto complete recovery. Of the 27 patients who have been followed for a minimum of 1 year, 25 have obtained solid fusions, one developed a pseudarthrosis that required regrafting, and one had a delayed union prior to death from metastatic disease. There were two deaths in the immediate postoperative period and three deaths in the first six postoperative wounds due to metastatic disease. The purpose of this study is to present a consecutive series of patients who have undergone corpectomy and vertebral body replacement as well as to define the adequacy of stabilization.     

A minimally invasive surgical treatment possibility of osteolytic vertebral collapse in multiple myeloma

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a B cell malignancy characterized by important alterations of physiologic bone turnover, wherein increased osteoclastic bone resorption is not accompanied by a comparable increase in bone formation, resulting in diffuse osteopenia, focal lytic lesions, pathologic fractures, hypercalcemia, and bony pain. Consequently, patients with MM frequently require for quality of life’s improvement and pain’s treatment radiation therapy, surgery, and analgesic medication. Minimally invasive surgical procedures such as the kyphoplasty allows patients with pathological osteolytic vertebral lesions to have immediate improvement in their quality of life. This surgical technique provides in myeloma vertebral collapses same quick pain relief as in osteoporotic vertebral fractures, and a minor morphological restoration of the interested vertebra, but sufficient to restore sagittal alignment. The aim of the study was to evaluate the functional and morphological results of kyphoplasty for the treatment of vertebral osteolysis due to MM. We report a retrospective study in 30 such patients (45 vertebral lesions) who were evaluated before and after kyphoplasty, with regard to pain, general condition, quality of life, use of analgesics, by means of evaluation forms: Short-Form-36, Visual Analog Scale, Oswestry Disability Index, and with regard to percentage height restored and reduction of segmental kyphosis. Marked clinical improvement was observed in all patients during the first 12 postoperative months, with gradual a little worsening thereafter from deterioration of their general condition to 60-month follow-up. The restoration of vertebral body mean height was maintained to 5 years clinical and radiographic control. Segmental kyphosis angle correction showed a mean decrease of 1.7° (range 0°–2.5°) at radiographic control at 5-year follow-up, with respect to the immediate postoperative X-ray, although lower than preoperative. The data obtained demonstrated the effectiveness of kyphoplasty in the treatment of vertebral collapse in MM. The results achieved with this minimally invasive technique were clinically and biomechanically satisfactory.

     

Polymethylmethacrylate augmentation of the pedicle screw: the cement distribution in the vertebral body

Many studies have proven that the polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) augmentation of the pedicle screw can significantly increase stiffness and strength of spinal fixation. Some major complications have also been reported. However, there are no reports discussing cement distribution and its morphology in the osteoporotic vertebral body, which is critical in the analysis of the biomechanical strength of the pedicle screw and the risk of cement leakage after pedicle screw augmentation. In this study, we used computed tomography (CT) to evaluate the cement distribution in the osteoporotic vertebral body after PMMA augmentation of a pedicle screw and to analyze the factors leading to cement leakage. Two groups of patients were studied. Group A consisted 25 osteoporotic patients (mean age of 73 years) with spinal instrumentation who had a total of 145 pedicle screws and cement augmentation with biopsy needles. Group B consisted of 23 osteoporotic patients (mean age of 74.6 years) with spinal instrumentation who had a total of 125 cannulated pedicle screws with cement augmentation. All patients had CT evaluation of the cement distribution in the vertebral body after the surgery. The cement distribution in the vertebrae was divided into four zones in the axial CT view: anterior one-third, middle third, and posterior third of vertebral body, and the pedicle. The morphology of the cement distribution around the pedicle screw was defined as scattered type or concentrate type. The leakage pattern was divided to anterior–lateral, posterior–lateral, and canal leakage. The correlations among bone mineral density (BMD), the cement leakage rate, and cement distribution morphology were also analyzed. The results showed that most augmented pedicle screws had cement extension into three of the four zones of the vertebral body (66.3%), followed by two zones (20%), all four zones (11.5%), and only one zone (2.2%). Overall, 123 screws (84.8%) in Group A and 108 screws (86.4%) in Group B had cement concentrate type distribution. The cement leakage rate in Group A is 18.3% and 13.6% in Group B. Patients with a BMD <0.6 g/cm² had significantly higher rates of cement leakage and tended toward a scattered cement distribution. There was only one patient who had a symptomatic leakage (sciatica) in Group B. We concluded that the cement distribution after pedicle screw augmentation with biopsy needle or cannulated screw technique was mostly localized in three zones of the vertebral body, and patients with lower BMD had a higher risk of cement leakage and scattered cement distribution.     

A minimally invasive surgical treatment possibility of osteolytic vertebral collapse in multiple myeloma

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a B cell malignancy characterized by important alterations of physiologic bone turnover, wherein increased osteoclastic bone resorption is not accompanied by a comparable increase in bone formation, resulting in diffuse osteopenia, focal lytic lesions, pathologic fractures, hypercalcemia, and bony pain. Consequently, patients with MM frequently require for quality of life’s improvement and pain’s treatment radiation therapy, surgery, and analgesic medication. Minimally invasive surgical procedures such as the kyphoplasty allows patients with pathological osteolytic vertebral lesions to have immediate improvement in their quality of life. This surgical technique provides in myeloma vertebral collapses same quick pain relief as in osteoporotic vertebral fractures, and a minor morphological restoration of the interested vertebra, but sufficient to restore sagittal alignment. The aim of the study was to evaluate the functional and morphological results of kyphoplasty for the treatment of vertebral osteolysis due to MM. We report a retrospective study in 30 such patients (45 vertebral lesions) who were evaluated before and after kyphoplasty, with regard to pain, general condition, quality of life, use of analgesics, by means of evaluation forms: Short-Form-36, Visual Analog Scale, Oswestry Disability Index, and with regard to percentage height restored and reduction of segmental kyphosis. Marked clinical improvement was observed in all patients during the first 12 postoperative months, with gradual a little worsening thereafter from deterioration of their general condition to 60-month follow-up. The restoration of vertebral body mean height was maintained to 5 years clinical and radiographic control. Segmental kyphosis angle correction showed a mean decrease of 1.7° (range 0°–2.5°) at radiographic control at 5-year follow-up, with respect to the immediate postoperative X-ray, although lower than preoperative. The data obtained demonstrated the effectiveness of kyphoplasty in the treatment of vertebral collapse in MM. The results achieved with this minimally invasive technique were clinically and biomechanically satisfactory.     

Back pain caused by benign tumors and tumor-like lesions of the thoracolumbar spine

Twenty-two patients with benign tumors or tumor-like lesions of the spine (vertebral echinococcal cysts, eosinophilic granuloma) presented with back pain and deformity. The duration of pain ranged from 1 to 6 years. Five patients had incomplete paraplegia at admission. Spine deformity was observed in patients with osteoid osteoma, osteoblastoma, hemangioma, and vertebral echinococcal involvement. All patients underwent clinical evaluation, laboratory studies, and histologic studies. Electromyogram studies were performed in patients who had a neurologic deficit or nerve root irritation. Imaging evaluation consisted of plain films, bone scans, computed tomography scans, and magnetic resonance imaging scans. Fifteen patients had lumbar involvement; 7 had thoracic involvement. For 18 patients, management included tumor excision and thorough debridement of the lesion. Spinal instrumentation and fusion were used to correct the deformity and treat the instability in 5 patients. Patients were followed for 1 to 8 years. Of the 5 patients with incomplete paraplegia, 4 recovered completely, and the fifth (who had spinal cord hemangioma) improved 2 grades on Frankel's scale. The remaining patients were disease free and returned to routine daily activities. Benign tumors or tumor-like lesions of the thoracolumbar or lumbar spine are very rare and easily misdiagnosed in patients with persistent back pain. Patients whose symptoms progress or fail to respond over an appropriate period of time should be evaluated further. Complete excision of the tumor followed by spinal instrumentation in the presence of deformity or instability is the treatment of choice.     

Pathologic features in steroid and nonsteroid associated osteonecrosis

Multiple pathophysiologies for osteonecrosis have been postulated and various associated risk factors defined for this disease. However, the pathologic findings of the end stage disease are thought to be similar in all patients. To the author's knowledge, there are no data in the literature comparing the pathologic characteristics of osteonecrosis in a quantitative manner between groups of patients with different associated risk factors. The current study examined the pathologic features of core decompression specimens from the femoral head in a group of patients with osteonecrosis associated with corticosteroid therapy and compared them with specimens from patients with osteonecrosis with no history of corticosteroid therapy. The study group comprised 65 patients (96 hips); 45 patients (68 hips) in the corticosteroid group and 20 patients (28 hips) in the noncorticosteroid group. In the corticosteroid group, 65% of dead bone was identified histologically (44 of 68) as compared with 46% (13 of 28) in the noncorticosteroid group. Specimens staged according to the histologic grading system of Arlet and Durroux revealed the corticosteroid group had a higher incidence of late stage lesions than did the noncorticosteroid group. This was found even though the two groups had similar radiographic staging distribution. The hips in patients who used alcohol were comparable pathologically to the hips in patients who used corticosteroids. This study emphasizes that the histologic features of necrosis and repair are similar in corticosteroid and noncorticosteroid osteonecrosis. However, there were differences in the distribution of viable bone and pathologic stage of the lesions in the two groups, suggesting a more rapid evolution of changes in the corticosteroid group.     

非典型性脊柱结核影像学分型与表现形式

 目的 探讨成人非典型性脊柱结核的影像学分型与表现形式。方法 回顾性分析并总结2000年2月至2012年10月经病理确诊的45 例成人非典型性脊柱结核患者资料,男29例,女16例;年龄20~71岁,平均46.2岁;25例有潮热、乏力及消瘦表现,20例无明显全身结核中毒表现;37例红细胞沉降率为25~107 mm/1 h,8例正常。所有患者均摄脊柱X 线片,并行CT扫描及MR检查, 其中12例辅加脊柱螺旋CT三维重建,2例辅加PET-CT检查。45例患者均行外科手术治疗,其中3例术前行CT引导下病灶穿刺活检;均经病理检查证实为脊柱结核。结果 非典型性脊柱结核的影像学分型包括,单椎体型（9例）,MRI T2WI示单一椎体病灶呈不均匀高信号,CT扫描示老年人病变椎体以虫蚀样、溶骨性破坏为主,青年人病变椎体内呈单个均匀透光的圆形溶骨性骨质破坏区;单脊椎椎体附件型（2例）,MRI T2WI示椎体附件呈高信号改变,CT扫描示椎板及椎弓根呈虫蚀样骨质破坏;单脊椎全椎骨型（8例）,CT扫描示单脊椎的椎体及附件均呈虫蚀样广泛骨质破坏;椎间盘型结核（5例）,MRI示椎间盘信号减低,团状的椎盘组织突入椎管压迫脊髓;多发性相邻型脊柱结核（14例）,螺旋CT示多个相邻椎体虫蚀样骨质破坏;多发性非相邻型（跳跃型）脊柱结核（7例）,MRI示非相邻多个椎体在T2WI上呈现椎体骨质结构破坏的混杂信号,其中个别病例T2WI示高信号的椎旁脓肿通过流注方式波及多个非相邻椎体。结论 非典型性脊柱结核有多种影像学表现形式且极不典型,但虫蚀样骨质破坏、骨髓水肿、前和（或）后纵韧带高信号等影像学改变均为非典型性脊柱结核影像学的特征性表现。
     

A profile of metastatic carcinoma of the spine

Metastatic bone disease in 322 patients was analyzed to assess the frequency and behavior of disseminated carcinoma to the vertebral column. Breast, lung, and prostate neoplasms were the most frequent tumors of origin in the 55% of patients who had vertebral lesions. The lumbar spine was the site of the greatest number of metastases. Back pain did not occur in 36% of the 179 patients with spinal disease. Cord compression occurred in 20% of the patients with vertebral involvement, and prostate tumors were the most frequent neoplasm to cause epidural spinal cord impingement. Hypernephroma was the most common cancer to present as a neurologic deficit secondary to an undetected primary malignancy.     

The prevalence of vertebral fracture amongst patients presenting with non-vertebral fractures

Introduction Despite vertebral fracture being a significant risk factor for further fracture, vertebral fractures are often unrecognised. A study was therefore conducted to determine the proportion of patients presenting with a non-vertebral fracture who also have an unrecognised vertebral fracture. Methods Prospective study of patients presenting with a non-vertebral fracture in South Glasgow who underwent DXA evaluation with vertebral morphometry (MXA) from DV5/6 to LV4/5. Vertebral deformities (consistent with fracture) were identified by direct visualisation using the Genant semi-quantitative grading scale. Results Data were available for 337 patients presenting with low trauma non-vertebral fracture; 261 were female. Of all patients, 10.4% were aged 50–64 years, 53.2% were aged 65–74 years and 36.2% were aged 75 years or over. According to WHO definitions, 35.0% of patients had normal lumbar spine BMD (T-score −1 or above), 37.4% were osteopenic (T-score −1.1 to −2.4) and 27.6% osteoporotic (T-score −2.5 or lower). Humerus (n=103, 31%), radius–ulna (n=90, 27%) and hand/foot (n=53, 16%) were the most common fractures. For 72% of patients (n=241) the presenting fracture was the first low trauma fracture to come to clinical attention. The overall prevalence of vertebral deformity established by MXA was 25% (n=83); 45% (n=37) of patients with vertebral deformity had deformities of more than one vertebra. Of the patients with vertebral deformity and readable scans for grading, 72.5% (58/80) had deformities of grade 2 or 3. Patients presenting with hip fracture, or spine T-score ≤−2.5, or low BMI, or with more than one prior non-vertebral fracture were all significantly more likely to have evidence of a prevalent vertebral deformity (p<0.05). However, 19.8% of patients with an osteopenic T-score had a vertebral deformity (48% of which were multiple), and 16.1% of patients with a normal T-score had a vertebral deformity (26.3% of which were multiple). Following non-vertebral fracture, some guidelines suggest that anti-resorptive therapy should be reserved for patients with DXA-proven osteoporosis. However, patients who have one or more prior vertebral fractures (prevalent at the time of their non-vertebral fracture) would also become candidates for anti-resorptive therapy—which would have not been the case had their vertebral fracture status not been known. Overall in this study, 8.9% of patients are likely to have had a change in management by virtue of their underlying vertebral deformity status. In other words, 11 patients who present with a non-vertebral fracture would need to undergo vertebral morphometry in order to identify one patient who ought to be managed differently. Conclusions Our results support the recommendation to perform vertebral morphometry in patients who are referred for DXA after experiencing a non-vertebral fracture. Treatment decisions will then better reflect any given patient’s future absolute fracture risk. The 'Number Needed to Screen' if vertebral morphometry is used in this way would be seven to identify one patient with vertebral deformity, and 14 to identify one patient with two or more vertebral deformities. Although carrying out MXA will increase radiation exposure for the patient, this increased exposure is significantly less than would be obtained if X-rays of the dorso-lumbar spine were obtained.     

Results of vertebral artery reconstruction

We summarize here the immediate and long term results of 191 vertebral artery reconstructions. Patient selection criteria included vertebrobasilar insufficiency, appropriate angiographic work up, lack of contraindications, and the availability of a suitable technique. Of the 179 patients who underwent these operations, 170 presented with vertebrobasilar insufficiency that in turn was associated with hemispheric manifestations in 29 cases. Five patients had hemispheric manifestations only, and four were asymptomatic. The operation involved the proximal segment of the vertebral artery in 148 instances and its distal segment in 43 instances. Of the eight deaths recorded in this series (4.2%), one occurred in a group of 118 patients who underwent isolated vertebral artery reconstruction and seven in a group of 72 patients who underwent combined vertebral and carotid surgery. This difference was statistically significant (p less than 0.01). The overall survival rate at seven years was 88.8%, and was higher in the group undergoing isolated vertebral repair. Patency at seven years was 90.4% with better results for proximal vertebral artery repair than for distal repair (94.3% versus 77.3%). With a mean follow-up of 34.6 +/- 19 months, 118 patients are asymptomatic, and 15 are improved, for a success rate of 80.1%. Patients with hemispheric manifestations and associated carotid lesions constitute a high risk population for this type of surgery.