Disc degeneration of cervical spine on MRI in patients with lumbar disc herniation: comparison study with asymptomatic volunteers

An association between progression of cervical disc degeneration and that of lumbar disc degeneration has been considered to exist. To date, however, this association has not yet been adequately studied. Age-related changes in the cervical intervertebral discs were evaluated by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients with lumbar disc herniation, and compared with the MRI findings of healthy volunteers without lower back pain. The purpose of this study was to clarify whether the prevalence of asymptomatic cervical disc degeneration is higher in patients with lumbar disc herniation than in healthy volunteers. The study was conducted on 51 patients who were diagnosed as having lumbar disc herniation and underwent cervical spine MRI. The patients consisted of 34 males and 17 females ranging in age from 21–83 years (mean 46.9 ± 14.5 years) at the time of the study. The control group was composed of 113 healthy volunteers (70 males and 43 females) aged 24–77 years (mean 48.9 ± 14.7 years), without neck pain or low back pain. The percentage of subjects with degenerative changes in the cervical discs was 98.0% in the lumbar disc herniation group and 88.5% in the control group (p = 0.034). The presence of lumbar disc herniation was associated significantly with decrease in signal intensity of intervertebral disc and posterior disc protrusion in the cervical spine. None of the MRI findings was significantly associated with the gender, smoking, sports activities, or BMI. As compared to healthy volunteers, patients with lumbar disc herniation showed a higher prevalence of decrease in signal intensity of intervertebral disc and posterior disc protrusion on MRI of the cervical spine. The result of this study suggests that disc degeneration appears to be a systemic phenomenon.     

USS钉棒系统内固定结合椎体间植骨融合术治疗退行性腰椎不稳症

目的探讨USS钉棒系统内固定结合椎体间植骨融合术治疗退行性腰椎不稳症的疗效。方法对78例退行性腰椎不稳症患者采用USS钉棒系统内固定结合椎体间植骨融合术治疗。采用Oswestry功能障碍指数与JOA下腰痛评分对患者手术前和术后1年随访期进行评分;摄片观察植骨融合情况并统计术后内固定失败（钉棒松动、折断）的发生率。结果 6例术后出现顽固轻微手术区胀痛。所有患者均得到随访,时间13~36个月。术后3个月患者腰背痛明显缓解,术后半年基本可以恢复正常日常生活。随访期内无钉棒松动、折断发生。术后6~8个月骨性融合。术后1年,Oswestry功能障碍指数较低,JOA下腰痛评分较高,与术前比较差异有统计学意义（P〈0.05）。腰椎功能改善总有效率达100%。结论 USS钉棒系统内固定结合椎体间植骨融合术治疗退行性腰椎不稳症临床疗效满意。     

应用腹腔镜行下腰椎手术的解剖学研究

目的 观察研究下腰椎前方、侧方毗邻的血管结构的位置及走行,并测量各节段手术空间的大小,为腹腔镜下行腰椎手术提供安全区的解剖学依据.方法 解剖15例成人尸体标本(男9例,女6例),记录腰椎前方和侧方毗邻的主要血管解剖学参数,并测量出相应的结果.结果 腹主动脉分叉点变异较多,髂总静脉汇合点相对恒定,腹主动脉分叉点、髂总静脉...     

手术治疗6例症状性脊柱血管瘤

目的评价360°全脊柱切除治疗症状性脊柱血管瘤的手术疗效。方法对6例胸椎血管瘤骨外生长压迫脊髓引起神经功能障碍患者,采用360°全脊柱切除、椎体重建植骨融合、后路椎弓根螺钉系统固定治疗。2例术后辅以放射治疗。结果术中失血量1 000~1 500 ml。患者术后神经压迫症状均消失,随访1~4年,未见肿瘤复发,植骨均融合,内固定未见松动、断裂。结论对胸椎椎体血管瘤合并胸脊髓压迫症患者,采用360°全脊柱切除、椎体重建植骨融合、后路椎弓根螺钉系统固定的手术方法,具有可靠、持久的疗效。     

Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy: Pathophysiology, Clinical Presentation, and Treatment

Age-related changes in the spinal column result in a degenerative cascade known as spondylosis. Genetic, environmental, and occupational influences may play a role. These spondylotic changes may result in direct compressive and ischemic dysfunction of the spinal cord known as cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM). Both static and dynamic factors contribute to the pathogenesis. CSM may present as subclinical stenosis or may follow a more pernicious and progressive course. Most reports of the natural history of CSM involve periods of quiescent disease with intermittent episodes of neurologic decline. If conservative treatment is chosen for mild CSM, close clinical and radiographic follow-up should be undertaken in addition to precautions for trauma-related neurologic sequelae. Operative treatment remains the standard of care for moderate to severe CSM and is most effective in preventing the progression of disease. Anterior surgery is often beneficial in patients with stenotic disease limited to a few segments or in cases in which correction of a kyphotic deformity is desired. Posterior procedures allow decompression of multiple segments simultaneously provided that adequate posterior drift of the cord is attainable from areas of anterior compression. Distinct risks exist with both anterior and posterior surgery and should be considered in clinical decision-making.     

大、小直径钛网对终板-钛网界面应力分布影响的比较

目的 比较大、小直径钛网植骨对颈椎椎体次全切除减压终板-钛网界面应力分布的影响.方法 利用Ansys 9.0软件的建模功能,建立大、小直径钛网植骨钢板固定手术模型.分别对模型施加80 N预载荷及1.8 Nm力矩,使其产生轴向压缩、前屈和后伸运动,选取终板-钛网界面7个接触点,提取各个点的von Mise.应力,然后进行...     

后路一期椎体全切除治疗胸椎椎体肿瘤

目的探讨后路一期手术治疗胸椎肿瘤的疗效及方法。按脊柱肿瘤来源可分为原发肿瘤,转移肿瘤。方法 8例胸椎骨肿瘤患者实施后路全脊椎切除重建术。经胸椎后入路行单椎节切除6例,双椎节切除2例,均采用Harm钛网植骨/钛网骨水泥联合TSRH/MOSS/CDH M12椎弓根钉内固定系统重建。结果随访3个月3.5年,平均23个月。7例术后近期疗效较满意,局部疼痛和神经症状均有不同程度改善或缓解;4例脊髓神经功能完全恢复;1例术后1.5年局部复发;术后18个月死亡1例。结论胸椎后路全脊椎切除能显著降低胸椎骨肿瘤局部复发率,改善脊髓神经功能,提高手术疗效。钛网植骨/钛网骨水泥联合椎弓根螺钉系统能有效重建脊柱的前后柱稳定,同时可减少创伤、缩短手术时间、减少并发症的发生。     

后路截骨矫形内固定治疗胸腰段陈旧骨折合并后凸畸形

目的评价后路经椎弓根楔形截骨矫形内固定术治疗胸腰段陈旧性骨折并后凸畸形的临床疗效。方法回顾性分析2003年7月至2010年7月,采用后路楔形截骨内固定术治疗胸腰段陈旧性骨折并后凸畸形患者31例,其中男21例,女10例;年龄3259岁,平均41.8岁。采用视觉模拟评分（visual analogue scale,VAS）及日本骨科协会（Japanese orthopadeics association,JOA）评分（29分法）评价临床症状的改善情况,测量X线侧位片Cobb角,评价后凸畸形的纠正和植骨融合情况。结果所有患者均获随访,随访时间662个月,平均20个月。后凸Cobb角术前平均为39.6°,术后8.4°;VAS评分术前平均7.1分,术后2.9分;JOA评分术前平均为13.6分,术后24.1分。术前术后比较差异均有统计学意义（P〈0.05）。无血管神经损伤等严重并发症发生,术后6个月植骨牢固愈合。无内固定松动、断裂等相关并发症。结论后路截骨矫形内固定术可获得满意的减压及矫形效果,同时可植骨融合,重建脊柱稳定性,并发症少,创伤较小,是胸腰段后凸畸形较理想的治疗方法。     

Adult spinal cord injury with no radiographic bone lesion: analysis of nine consecutive patients

Background

Spinal cord injury with no radiographic bone lesion described as spinal cord injury without radiographic abnormality (SCIWORA) in childhood is less often reported in adults than in children. This study was undertaken to report our experience in the management of nine cases over 25 years.

Patients and methods

This was a retrospective study from 1985 to 2009 concerning nine adult patients who sustained spinal cord injury with no radiographic abnormality. The ratio among all cervical spine traumas for the same period was 2.21%. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed in all the patients. The patients’ clinical status at the time of admission and discharge was evaluated using the Frankel's grading system. We report the results based on the clinical, epidemiologic and radiological findings and outcomes.

Results

The mean age of our population was 37.43 years, ranging from 18 to 60 years. All the patients were men. The main etiology was falls (5/9) followed by road traffic accidents (4/9). According to the Frankel's grading system, four patients (44.45%) were grade A, four were grade B (44.45%), and one was grade C (11.11%). On MRI, medullar lesions were: contusion, non-compressive cervical disc herniation, cervical spine stenosis, and two cases of normal cervical spine. Four patients were operated on via the posterior cervical spine approach (laminectomy, C3-C7 in three cases and C1-C3 in one case). The other five patients were treated orthopaedically for 6 to 8 weeks. Three patients (3/9), who were Frankel's grade B and C with no demonstrable injury on MRI, improved to Frankel a useful neurological grade (Frankel's grades D or E) at the time of discharge. One patient evaluated as Frankel's grade A died from cardiovascular disturbance.

Conclusion

Spinal cord injury with no radiographic abnormality accounted for 2.21% of cases of spinal cord injury in our series. MRI is the investigation of choice, having diagnostic and prognostic value because it demonstrates neural and extraneural injuries and helps to identify surgically correctable abnormalities.     

微创减压术治疗老年腰椎管狭窄症

目的总结微创减压术治疗老年腰椎管狭窄症的临床应用结果。方法 2002年9月至2008年5月,对48例老年腰椎管狭窄症患者采用微创减压术治疗。男36例,女12例;年龄60～82岁,平均68岁。结果所有患者均经18～48个月(平均26个月)随访,根据MacNab腰腿痛手术治疗评定标准进行疗效评定,结果显示优26例(54%),良17例(36%),差5例(10%),优良率为90%。结论微创减压术治疗老年腰椎管狭窄症患者的疗效较满意,老年患者较易耐受该术式。