Changes in Serum Melatonin Levels in Response to Pinealectomy in the Chicken and Its Correlation With Development of Scoliosis
Xiaoping Wang, Marc Moreau, V. James Raso, Jie Zhao, Hongxing Jiang, James Mahood, and Keith Bagnall

Pinealectomy in young chickens resulted in low levels of serum melatonin and elimination of the melatonin circadian rhythm. However, the pinealectomy produced scoliosis in only 52% of the chickens. Serum melatonin levels appear to be a poor predictor of scoliosis development and cast doubt on the role of melatonin in the production of scoliosis.

Effects of Lidocaine on Nucleus Pulposus-Induced Nerve Root Injury: A Neurophysiologic and Histologic Study of the Pig Cauda Equina
Shoji Yabuki, Yoshiharu Kawaguchi, Claes Nordborg, Shinichi Kikuchi, Björn Rydevik, and Kjell Olmarker

Early treatment with lidocaine may partially prevent nucleus pulposus-induced nerve root injury. Infiltration with lidocaine of nerve roots previously exposed to nucleus pulposus may induce a delayed recovery that could be associated with the prolonged effects of nerve root infiltration seen in the clinical setting.

Indication and Clinical Results of Laminoplasty for Cervical Myelopathy Caused by Disc Herniation With Developmental Canal Stenosis
Munehito Yoshida, Tetsuya Tamaki, Mamoru Kawakami, Nobuhiro Hayashi, and Muneharu Ando

The surgical results of laminoplasty were compared with those of anterior discectomy and spinal fusion. Laminoplasty without discectomy for cervical myelopathy caused by a herniated disc with a narrowed spinal canal produced favorable results, with the size of the herniated disc regressing.

The Role of Decompression for Acute Incomplete Cervical Spinal Cord Injury in Cervical Spondylosis
Tzu-Yung Chen, Curtis A. Dickman, Mohammed Eleraky, and Volker K. H. Sonntag

The long-term surgical and nonsurgical outcomes of 37 patients with a pre-existing stenotic cervical spinal canal was examined after the patients sustained an incomplete spinal cord injury without bony fracture or major subluxation. Sixteen patients benefited from surgery both neurologically and economically.

A Comparative Study of TLSO, Charleston, and Milwaukee Braces for Idiopathic Scoliosis
Andrew Howard, James G. Wright, and Douglas Hedden

One hundred seventy adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis were treated with one of three braces. The thoracolumbosacral orthosis was associated with the least curve progression.

Psychometric Characteristics and Clinical Usefulness of Physical Performance Tests in Patients With Low Back Pain
Maureen J. Simmonds, Sharon L. Olson, Stanley Jones, Tarek Hussein, C. Ellen Lee, Diane Novy, and Hamdy Radwan

The psychometric properties of eight physical performance tasks were investigated in 92 subjects, 44 with low back pain and 48 without pain. Most tasks had excellent intrarater and interrater reliability, discriminative validity, and good clinical utility. This battery of physical performance tasks is recommended as a complement to self-report in evaluating effectiveness of treatment.

Natural History of Low Back Pain: A Longitudinal Study in Nurses
Julia Smedley, Hazel Inskip, Cyrus Cooper, and David Coggon

One-month prevalences of low back pain were assessed at 3-month intervals during 2 years in 1,165 female nurses. The occurrence and duration of low back pain were strong predictors of future symptoms, with a prognostic influence extending over at least 2 years.

Adenovirus-Mediated Gene Transfer to Nucleus Pulposus Cells: Implications for the Treatment of Intervertebral Disc Degeneration
Kotaro Nishida, James D. Kang, Jun-Kyo Suh, Paul D. Robbins, Christopher H. Evans, and Lars G. Gilbertson

This study was conducted to determine the feasibility of direct, adenovirus-mediated gene transfer to cells within the rabbit intervertebral disc. Direct injection of an adenoviral vector effected efficient gene transfer to nucleus pulposus cells in vivo, and marker gene expression continued for at least 12 weeks.

Four-Level Cervical Corpectomy
Richard L. Saunders, Harold J. Pikus, and Perry Ball

On the basis of the review of 31 cases of cervical spondylotic myelopathy treated by four-level subaxial cervical corpectomy the authors conclude that the morbidity of anterior cervical decompression is not related to the extent of surgery.

Anterior Junctional Plate in the Cervical Spine
Jed S. Vanichkachorn, Alexander R. Vaccaro, Christopher P. Silveri, and Todd J. Albert

Eleven patients with cervical myelopathy and kyphosis underwent a multiple level cervical corpectomy and strut graft placement. A junctional plate was placed anteriorly to buttress the graft against displacement followed by a posterior cervical fusion. The use of the junctional plate enhanced strut graft stability and avoided the morbidity associated with long-segment anterior cervical plating.

Reliability of Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Predicting Disc Material Posterior to the Posterior Longitudinal Ligament in the Cervical Spine: A Prospective Study
S. Craig Humphreys, Scott D. Hodges, Desmond L. Fisher, Jason C. Eck, and Laurie A. Covington

Accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging was assessed in predicting disc fragments posterior to the posterior longitudinal ligament in patients undergoing cervical discectomy and fusion. Although magnetic resonance imaging is useful in identifying the location of a herniated disc, it was determined that it was a poor predictor of disc material posterior to the posterior longitudinal ligament. Visual or palpable examination of the posterior longitudinal ligament substantially improved the accuracy.