The runner's kidney: A case report

Kidney somatic dysfunction could be easily missed when treating a runner as pain in runners is usually biomechanical. In this case report, a 51 year old woman with pain in her gluteus while running is presented. After treatment with physical therapy and structural osteopathic manipulation, there was no improvement. Once the key lesion (a second degree kidney ptosis) was found and treated, the patient could resume her training without any pain.     

Neisseria gonorrhoeae cervical spine epidural abscess requiring spinal decompression and instrumented fusion

Disseminated gonococcal infection (DGI) is an uncommon complication of Neisseria gonorrhoeae infection, and typically presents with either a triad of tenosynovitis, dermatitis and polyarthralgia, or with extra-axial large joint septic arthritis. Spinal epidural abscess is a rare manifestation of DGI, with only a few previously reported cases, none of which required placement of metalware into the infected space. Here we report a severe case of isolated N. gonorrhoeae cervical spine epidural abscess necessitating surgical source control (C7/T1 laminectomy and debridement) and metalware placement (C6-T2 posterior instrumented fusion). The case was successfully managed by a combination of surgical intervention followed by six weeks of predominantly oral, targeted antimicrobial therapy.     

Src family kinases involved in CXCL12-induced loss of acute morphine analgesia

Functional interactions between the chemokine receptor CXCR4 and opioid receptors have been reported in the brain, leading to a decreased morphine analgesic activity. However the cellular mechanisms responsible for this loss of opioid analgesia are largely unknown. Here we examined whether Src family-kinases (SFK)-linked mechanisms induced by CXCR4 contributed to the loss of acute morphine analgesia and could represent a new physiological anti-opioid signaling pathway. In this way, we showed by immunohistochemistry and western blot that CXCL12 rapidly activated SFK phosphorylation in vitro in primary cultured lumbar rat dorsal root ganglia (DRG) but also in vivo in the DRG and the spinal cord. We showed that SFK activation occurred in a sub population of sensory neurons, in spinal microglia but also in spinal nerve terminals expressing mu-(MOR) and delta-opioid (DOR) receptor. In addition we described that CXCR4 is detected in MOR- and DOR-immunoreactive neurons in the DRG and spinal cord. In vivo, we demonstrated that an intrathecal administration of CXCL12 (1 μg) significantly attenuated the subcutaneous morphine (4 mg/kg) analgesia. Conversely, pretreatment with a potent CXCR4 antagonist (5 μg) significantly enhanced morphine analgesia. Similar effects were obtained after an intrathecal injection of a specific SFK inhibitor, PP2 (10 μg). Furthermore, PP2 abrogated CXCL12-induced decrease in morphine analgesia by suppressing SFK activation in the spinal cord. In conclusion, our data highlight that CXCL12-induced loss of acute morphine analgesia is linked to Src family kinases activation.     

脊髓重复磁刺激对骶上脊髓损伤后神经源性膀胱的影响

目的观察脊髓重复磁刺激对骶上脊髓损伤(SCI)后神经源性膀胱患者下尿路功能和生活质量的影响。方法纳入骶上SCI后膀胱功能无再改善的神经源性膀胱患者15例。试验采取前、后对照设计, 第一阶段, 为期2周, 期间所有患者只接受饮水计划和间歇导尿治疗;第二阶段, 为期4周, 所有患者在饮水计划和间歇导尿的基础上增加脊髓重复磁刺激干预, 刺激位于第1腰椎棘突水平, 刺激频率1 Hz, 每日1次, 每周5 d, 连续干预4周。于入组时、第2周结束时和第6周结束时, 记录15例患者的排尿日记, 并分别对其进行尿流动力学检测, 以及神经源性膀胱症状评分(NBSS)和生活质量评分。结果第6周结束时, 15例患者的导尿次数和平均自排尿量与第2周结束时和入组前比较, 差异均有统计学意义(P<0.01)。第6周结束时, 15例患者的储尿期最大逼尿肌压, 最大膀胱容量, 排尿期最大尿道压和排尿效率与第2周结束时和入组前比较, 差异均有统计学意义(P<0.01)。第6周结束时, 15例患者的NBSS和生活质量评分分别为(23.80±6.88)分和(3.53±1.36)分, 与第2周结束时和入组时比较...     

超短波治疗对脊髓损伤炎症因子和丝裂原活化蛋白激酶通路的影响

目的观察超短波治疗对脊髓损伤(SCI)后炎症因子和丝裂原活化蛋白激酶(MAPK)通路的影响。方法将79只Sprague-Dawley(SD)大鼠随机分成对照组(n=35)、干预组(n=35)和假手术组(n=9)。采用Allen′s法对干预组和对照组大鼠行SCI挫压伤造模, 假手术组仅暴露脊髓组织, 不进行打击。SCI后24 h后, 干预组给予无热量超短波治疗, 每日1次, 每周5次, 每次7 min直至取材前。造模成功1 d后和各组对应的取材时间点(提前1 h), 采用SCI行为学评分(BBB)对3组未取材的大鼠进行运动功能评估。造模成功1 d、3 d、7 d后, 采用免疫荧光和免疫印迹技术观察3组大鼠损伤区域内炎症因子和MAPK通路的动态变化。结果造模成功14 d后, 干预组大鼠的BBB评分为(7.30±1.04)分, 显著优于对照组造模成功14 d后, 差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。造模成功7 d后, 假手术组大鼠脊髓组织炎症因子NOD样受体热蛋白结构域相关蛋白(NLRP3), 白介素-6(IL-6), 白介素-6受体(IL-6R)和肿瘤坏死因子-α(TNF-α)的含量均...     

Surgical management of primary tumors of the cervical spine: surgical considerations and avoidance of complications

Abstract

Objective:

Primary cervical spinal tumors are rare tumors of the spine and are associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Such tumors include multiple myeloma, chordomas, giant cell tumors, hemangiomas, osteosarcomas, chondrosarcomas, synovial sarcomas, aneurysmal bone cysts (ABC), hemangiomas, eosinophilic granulomas, osteoid osteomas, and osteoblastomas. We review the surgical decision-making process and identify critical key steps for surgical complication avoidance. We also present case illustrations demonstrating such pathological diagnoses and surgical treatments performed.

Methods:

We retrospectively review the literature regarding the most common primary cervical spinal tumors that have undergone surgical resection with or without adjuvant treatment.

Results:

En bloc resection of primary cervical tumors resulted in significantly increased progression-free survival and overall survival. From the limited data, adjuvant treatment with proton-beam therapy for chordomas has potential benefit. Neo-adjuvant chemotherapy for Ewing’s sarcoma and osteogenic sarcoma has shown some promise, with en bloc resection demonstrating stronger benefit for osteogenic sarcoma.

Discussion:

En bloc resection for primary spinal tumors has proven to be the standard of care in spinal oncology. Adjuvant and neo-adjuvant treatments such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy variants (conventional, proton beam, cyberknife) need to be studied further in most primary tumor types to become standard of care. Chordoma management is more widely studied with en bloc resection and adjuvant proton-beam therapy demonstrating improved progression-free survival and overall survival. Surgical management and adjuvant treatment strategies are case dependent, depending on tumor histology, patient neurological examination, prior surgeries at that level, and prior adjuvant treatment.