facet hypertrophy

Lumbar radiculopathy due to impingement of nerve roots from facet hypertrophy and/or disc herniation can often coincide with vertebrogenic low back pain. This is demonstrated on MRI with foraminal stenosis and Modic changes. We examine the potential of using a combination of basivertebral nerve ablation (BVNA) and lumbar laminotomy as an alternative to traditional spinal fusion in specific patient populations. This unique combination of surgical techniques has not been previously reported in the medical literature...

Although it is widely accepted that herpesviruses utilize host RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) to transcribe viral genes, the mechanism of utilization varies significantly among herpesviruses. With the exception of herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) in alpha-herpesviruses, the mechanism by which RNAPII transcribes viral genes in the remaining alpha-herpesviruses has not been reported. In this study, we investigated the transcriptional mechanism of an avian alpha-herpesvirus, Anatid herpesvirus 1 (AnHV-1). We discovered for the first time that hexamethylene-bis-acetamide-inducing protein 1 (HEXIM1), a major inhibitor of positive elongation factor B (P-TEFb), was significantly upregulated during AnHV-1 infection, and its expression was dynamically regulated throughout the progression of the disease...

BACKGROUND: Many professional baseball players experience low back pain, a major cause of which is lumbar facet joint arthropathy. PURPOSE: To evaluate the relationship between the dominant hand side and facet joint morphology in baseball movement. STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3. METHODS: Participants were 25 Japanese professional baseball players (11 pitchers and 14 fielders) with low back pain and lower limb symptoms...

Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) with thoracic curvature primarily progresses from the thoracolumbar region, causing abnormal twisting and rotation of the spinal column. This results in unbalanced, asymmetric loads on each vertebrae and increased demands on the thoracic facet joints to withstand rotational stress from adjacent vertebrae. However, no studies have focused on the stress distribution on the facet joints of the thoracic spine in patients with AIS. This study aimed to investigate the mechanical loading and its distribution on the thoracic facet joints of AIS patients using finite element (FE) analysis and surgical specimens...

UNLABELLED: Z-lines are core ultrastructural organizers of cardiomyocytes that modulate many facets of cardiac pathogenesis. Yet a comprehensive proteomic atlas of Z-line-associated components remain incomplete. Here, we established an adeno-associated virus (AAV)-delivered, cardiomyocyte-specific, proximity-labeling approach to characterize the Z-line proteome in vivo. We found palmdelphin (PALMD) as a novel Z-line-associated protein in both adult murine cardiomyocytes and human pluripotent stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes...

One of the most common sources of spinal pain syndromes is the facet joints. Cervical, thoracic, and lumbar facet joint pain syndromes comprise 55%, 42%, and 31% of chronic spinal pain syndromes, respectively. Common facet joint disorders are degenerative disorders, such as osteoarthritis, hypertrophied superior articular process, and facet joint cysts; septic arthritis; systemic and metabolic disorders, such as ankylosing spondylitis or gout; and traumatic dislocations. The facet pain syndrome from osteoarthritis is suspected from a patient's history (referred pain pattern) and physical examination (tenderness)...

INTRODUCTION:  This study aimed to determine the extent of lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP) and the relationship between LUTS and patients' clinical and functional factors. METHODS: Patients aged 40 to 80 who were admitted with CLBP were included. Demographic data and the duration of CLBP and LUTS were noted. Anteroposterior and lateral lumbar radiographs and lumbar MRI findings were recorded. Short Form 36 (SF-36) and the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) were used for functional status assessment...

Although several reports have hypothesized that exercise may increase skeletal muscle protein lactylation, empirical evidence in humans is lacking. Thus, we adopted a multi-faceted approach to examine if acute and subchronic resistance training (RT) altered skeletal muscle protein lactylation levels. In mice, we also sought to examine if surgical ablation-induced plantaris hypertrophy coincided with increases in muscle protein lactylation. To examine acute responses, participants' blood lactate concentrations were assessed before, during, and after eight sets of an exhaustive lower body RT bout (n = 10 trained college-aged men)...

OBJECTIVE: Lumbar disc herniation (LDH) is a common pathology that typically causes unilateral radiculopathy on the same side as herniation, while patients may occasionally present with contralateral symptoms. Owing to the rare incidence of LDH with contralateral symptoms, the pathological mechanism remains unclear and the optimal surgical strategy is a subject of debate. This study aimed to provide new insights into the pathological mechanism of contralateral symptoms and assess the efficacy of ipsilateral hemilaminectomy and discectomy surgery in this population...

Systemic sclerosis affects 14-21 per million persons annually and can present with calcinosis - deposition in the skin and subcutaneous tissues. In rare circumstances, paraspinal depositions are also seen, which can cause neural element compression requiring surgical intervention. Here we present the case of a 61-year-old woman with systemic sclerosis on goal-directed therapy who presented with neurogenic pseudoclaudication and imaging suggesting severe joint hypertrophy. The case illustrates that calcinosis in scleroderma can cause facet joint pseudohypertrophy that is difficult to distinguish from true hypertrophy on imaging...

Thickened ligamentum flavum has been considered as a major cause of central lumbar spinal canal stenosis (CLSCS). Previous studies have demonstrated that ligamentum flavum thickness (LFT) is correlated with aging, degenerative spinal stenosis, and disc degeneration. Thus, hypertrophy of the ligamentum flavum is a major cause of CLSCS, and measurement of LFT has been considered a morphologic parameter in the diagnosis of CLSCS. To our knowledge, comparison of LFT between central and lateral lesions has not been reported...

OBJECTIVE: Craniocervical junction (CCJ) pathologies with ventral neural element compression are poorly understood, and appropriate management requires accurate understanding, description, and a more uniform nomenclature. The aim of this study was to evaluate patients to identify anatomical clusters and better classify CCJ disorders with ventral compression and guide treatment. METHODS: A retrospective review of adult and pediatric patients with ventral CCJ compression from 2008 to 2022 at a single center was performed...

Pain generator-based lumbar spinal decompression surgery is the backbone of modern spine care. In contrast to traditional image-based medical necessity criteria for spinal surgery, assessing the severity of neural element encroachment, instability, and deformity, staged management of common painful degenerative lumbar spine conditions is likely to be more durable and cost-effective. Targeting validated pain generators can be accomplished with simplified decompression procedures associated with lower perioperative complications and long-term revision rates...

OBJECTIVE: Facet articular irregularity is associated with rapidly progressive degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM). However, its significance compared with other known risk factors remains unknown. Therefore, this retrospective study aimed to clarify the potential impact of facet articular irregularity as a risk factor for rapid DCM progression. METHODS: This study included 141 consecutive patients with DCM who underwent surgical treatment at our institution...

PURPOSE: Operative treatment for degenerative spondylolisthesis (DS) is accompanied by the high incidence of nerve injury. Foraminal structures, especially the hypertrophied facet joints, have significant impacts on the adjacent nerve. This study aims to identify the specific foraminal changes relating to DS and nerve injury. METHODS: The CT images of 70 patients with DS and 50 patients without lumbar disease were collected. The length and height of the foraminal structure were measured horizontally and vertically on sagittally reconstructed images...

Spinal stenosis (SS) is a multifactorial polyetiological condition characterized by the narrowing of the spinal canal. This condition is a common source of pain among people over 50 years old. We perform a systematic review of molecular and genetic mechanisms that cause SS. The five main mechanisms of SS were found to be ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL), hypertrophy and ossification of the ligamentum flavum (HLF/OLF), facet joint (FJ) osteoarthritis, herniation of the intervertebral disc (IVD), and achondroplasia...

Ligamentum flavum hypertrophy (LFH) is a known contributor to lumbar spinal canal stenosis (LSCS). However, the clinical significance and quantitative role of LFH compared to other components, such as disc bulging and facet hypertrophy, have not yet been examined. We investigated the correlation between the quantitative radiological factors, clinical symptoms, and outcomes in patients with LSCS. In total, 163 patients diagnosed with single-level (L4-L5) stenosis were included. The patients were divided into 2 groups according to claudication severity: >100 m for mild (n = 92) and < 100 m for severe (n = 71)...

Introduction: Spinal stenosis has a wide range of causes including disc herniation, facet hypertrophy, degenerative spondylosis, facet cyst, ossification of the ligamentum flavum (OLF) and ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL). We present three cases of diffuse spinal hyperostosis causing severe spinal stenosis and myelopathy, which demonstrate a unique association between obesity and a novel syndrome of hyperostosis. Case Presentation: This report describes 3 morbidly obese patients with diffuse spinal hyperostosis causing critical thoracic stenosis...

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the degeneration patterns of the facet joints (FJs) in patients with lumbar foraminal stenosis (LFS) and investigate the correlation between quantitative parameters and FJ osteoarthritis (FJ OA). Patients and Methods: A total of 171 patients with LFS at the L4/5 level and 146 control patients were enrolled in this study. The severity of FJ OA was graded according to the Weishaupt classification. The FJ orientation, FJ tropism, superior articular process cross-sectional area (SAPA), and FJ area were measured at the L3/4, L4/5, and L5/S1 spinal levels...

Introduction The oblique lateral lumbar interbody fusion (OLLIF) is a relatively new method of lumbar interbody fusion (LIF) that utilizes a trans-Kambin approach to the disc space. The OLLIF can be performed from T12-S1 in the majority of cases but is occasionally obstructed at the L5-S1 level by osteophytes, an overgrown facet joint and/or prominent sacral ala. Transfacet OLLIF (TF-OLLIF) is a novel method for LIF in which the disc space is accessed by drilling through hypertrophic facets with an OLLIF approach...