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Following are a selection of Abstracts from Spine, V 24, No 13, July 1, 1999 (Please hit back button to return to Table of Contents.)
Stability of the Whole Lumbar Spine After Multilevel Fenestration and
Discectomy
This study was designed to investigate the effects of multilevel fenestrations and
discectomies on the stability of the whole lumbar spine, including segmental stiffness
and sagittal (horizontal and vertical) translation. Seven fresh human specimens from L1
to sacrum were used in this study. The results demonstrate that multilevel fenestrations
and discectomies affect lumbar spinal stability in flexion, but have no effect on the
stability of the lumbar spine in lateral bending or axial rotation.
Evaluation of Cervical Laminectomy and Laminoplasty: A Longitudinal Study
in the Goat Model
Longitudinal radiographic and in vitro biomechanical studies using a goat model suggest
that laminoplasty is superior to laminectomy in maintaining cervical alignment and
preventing postoperative spinal deformities.
Development of the Neck Pain and Disability Scale: Item Analysis, Face, and
Criterion-Related Validity
A new comprehensive measure of neck pain and disability, the Neck Pain and
Disability Scale, was developed and tested. Results suggest a highly reliable instrument
for evaluating neck pain with at least four underlying dimensions.
Process Measures and Patient/Parent Evaluation of Surgical Management of
Spinal Deformities in Patients With Progressive Flaccid Neuromuscular
Scoliosis (Duchenne's Muscular Dystrophy and Spinal Muscular Atrophy)
The surgical outcome for 48 patients with Duchenne's Muscular Dystrophy/Spinal
Muscular Atrophy and spinal deformity (2 to 12.6 years after surgery) was analyzed
by assessing complications, radiographic results, and patient/parent questionnaires. The
complications were low. The average correction was 52% in the coronal and 76% in
the sagittal plane. The parent/patient evaluation of the surgery was surprisingly high.
Kinematics of the Chest Cage and Spine During Breathing in Healthy
Individuals and in Patients With Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis
To evaluate pulmonary functions in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis,
three-dimensional spine and chest cage kinematics during breathing were compared
with those of a healthy control group. The distortion of the spine and thoracic cage in
scoliotic patients leads to limited mobility and may be the cause of mechanical
inefficiency during breathing.
Recurrent Low Back Pain and Early Disc Degeneration in the Young
In a prospective 9-year follow-up study of randomized matched subgroups of
schoolchildren with and without low back pain initially, 35% of the original low back
pain group reported persistently recurrent pain up to the time of early adulthood. The
relative risk of reporting persistently recurrent pain up to 23 years of age was most
significant in individuals with early evolution of a degenerative process of the lower
lumbar discs.
The Effect of Lumbar Fatigue on the Ability to Sense a Change in Lumbar
Position: A Controlled Study
The ability to sense a change in lumbar position was assessed in 57 patients with
chronic low back trouble and 49 healthy control individuals before and after a fatiguing
task. Lumbar fatigue induced significant impairment in the ability to sense a change in
lumbar position, but the patients with low back trouble had significantly poorer values
than controls before they experienced fatigue.
Effect of Paraspinal Muscle Vibration on Position Sense of the Lumbosacral
Spine
The role of multifidus muscle spindles in lumbosacral position sense was investigated
by means of a muscle vibration technique. The study participants significantly undershot
the target position when the paraspinal muscle was vibrated. Hence, the muscle
spindles of the paraspinal muscles are important mediators for position sense in the
lumbosacral spine.
Management of Nonspecific Low Back Pain by Physiotherapists in Britain and
Ireland: A Descriptive Questionnaire of Current Clinical Practice
A descriptive survey of physiotherapists in Britain and Ireland was carried out to
provide information on current methods of treatment for patients with low back pain.
Although some methods were shown to be popular, marked differences in practice
and in opinion regarding the optimal type of management for low back pain were
apparent.
Maximal Isometric Strength of the Cervical Musculature in 100 Healthy
Volunteers
A newly developed method of measuring maximal isometric strength of the cervical
muscles is presented. Maximal strength levels of the flexors and extensors of the
cervical spine are presented for healthy men and women 20-70 years old.
A Double-Blind Study of Capacitively Coupled Electrical Stimulation as an
Adjunct to Lumbar Spinal Fusions
This fusion study was a randomized double-blind prospective comparison with a
placebo control. There was a highly significant benefit for patients with active
stimulators versus placebo units. The authors conclude that capacitively coupled
stimulation is an effective adjunct to primary spine fusion, especially for patients with
posterolateral fusion and those with internal fixation.
Multiple Gigantic Arteriovenous Malformations With Destruction of Lumbar
Vertebral Bodies: A Case Report
Arteriovenous malformation in the spinal cord is well described in the literature.
However, this is the first report of such malformation in the paravertebral and iliopsoas
muscles with destruction of vertebral bodies. The patients' lumbar back pain had
subsided completely after embolization and anterior spinal fusion with segmental
instrumentation.
Hippocrates: The Father of Spine Surgery
This article underlines Hippocrates' contribution to the evolution of spine surgery. In his
treatises, Hippocrates presents the anatomic structure of the spine and some of the
diseases affecting the vertebral column. In addition, he describes methods of reduction,
which constitute the first surgical approach to manage spinal deformities.
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