Degenerative disc disease

BACKGROUND: Radiculopathy of the lower limb after acute osteoporotic vertebral fractures (OVFs) in the lower lumbar spine is uncommon in geriatric patients. Moreover, surgical intervention is generally recommended in patients who are irresponsive to conservative treatment. Determining an optimum surgical strategy is challenging considering the poor general condition of this population. Thus, herein, we established an algorithm for surgically managing this clinical scenario, hoping to provide a reference for making a surgical decision...

BACKGROUND/CONTEXT: Degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis (DLS) is a prevalent spinal condition that can result in significant disability. DLS is thought to result from a combination of disc and facet joint degeneration, as well as various biological, biomechanical, and behavioral factors. One hypothesis is the progressive degeneration of segmental stabilizers, notably the paraspinal muscles, contributes to a vicious cycle of increasing slippage. PURPOSE: To examine the correlation between paraspinal muscle status on MRI and severity of slippage in patients with symptomatic DLS...

OBJECTIVE: To compare the clinical and radiographic outcomes following lateral lumbar interbody fusion (LLIF) between direct and indirect decompression in the treatment of patients with degenerative lumbar diseases. METHODS: Patients who underwent single-level LLIF were randomized into 2 groups: direct decompression (group D) and indirect decompression (group I). Clinical outcomes including the Oswestry Disability index and visual analogue scale of back and leg pain were collected...

BACKGROUND: The most commonly used cages for intervertebral disc replacement in lumbar fusion procedures are made predominantly from polyetheretherketone (PEEK). There is sufficient data studying their subsidence and failure rates from a variety of approaches. A novel implant is now available for commercial use, 3D-printed porous titanium (3DppTi) alloy cages, which have recently become available for use in spinal procedures. They have been shown in ovine models to have superior efficacy and fusion rates compared to traditional cages...

PURPOSE: To analyze and study the clinical efficacy and imaging indexes of oblique lateral lumbar interbody fusion (OLIF) in the treatment of lumbar intervertebral foramen stenosis(LFS) caused by different causes. METHOD: 33 patients with LFS treated with OLIF from January 2018 to May 2022 were reviewed. Oswestry Dysfunction Index (ODI) and visual analogue scale (VAS) were calculated before and after operation. Segmental lordotic angle (SLA), lumbar lordotic angle (LLA) and segmental scoliosis angle (SSA), disc height (DH), posterior disc height (PDH), lateral disc height (LDH), foraminal height (FH), foramen width (FW) and foraminal cross-sectional area (FSCA) were measured before and after operation...

BACKGROUND: This study investigated the role of Galectin-3 in the degeneration of intervertebral disc cartilage. METHODS: The patients who underwent lumbar spine surgery due to degenerative disc disease were recruited and divided into Modic I, Modic II, and Modic III; groups. HE staining was used to detect the pathological changes in endplates. The changes of Galectin-3, MMP3, Aggrecan, CCL3, and Col II were detected by immunohistochemistry, RT-PCR, and Western blot...

BACKGROUND: The present study aimed to compare the clinical and radiological outcomes of oblique lumbar interbody fusion (OLIF) combined with lateral screw fixation and minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (Mis-TLIF) for the treatment of single-level degenerative lumbar spondylolisthesis (DLS). METHODS: Data regarding clinical and radiological outcomes for single-level DLS treated using OLIF combined with lateral screw fixation or Mis-TLIF between November 2017 and June 2020 were retrospectively analyzed...

INTRODUCTION AND IMPORTANCE: Degenerative disc disease (DDD) is a common cause of low back pain, often leading to significant discomfort for patients. Current treatment options such as spinal fusion and physical therapy focus on symptom management rather than addressing the underlying degeneration. Percutaneous laser disc decompression (PLDD) has shown efficacy in treating radicular pain associated with disc herniation. However, there is a growing interest in utilizing tissue engineering approaches to reverse the pathological process of DDD...

BACKGROUND: Intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) is one of the etiologic factors of degenerative spinal diseases, which can lead to a variety of pathological spinal conditions such as disc herniation, spinal stenosis, and scoliosis. IVDD is a leading cause of lower back pain, the prevalence of which increases with age. Recently, Sirtuins/SIRTs and their related activators have received attention for their activity in the treatment of IVDD. In this paper, a comprehensive systematic review of the literature on the role of SIRTs and their activators on IVDD in recent years is presented...

STUDY DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial (RCT). OBJECTIVE: Compare the efficacy of a multimodal, opioid-free (OF) pain management pathway with a traditional opioid-containing (OC) pathway in patients undergoing anterior cervical procedures. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: Previous studies have compared opioid-based pain regimens to opioid-sparing regimens following cervical spine surgery, but have been limited by high rates of crossover, retrospective designs, reliance on indwelling pain catheters, opioid utilization for early postoperative analgesia, and/or a lack of patient-reported outcome measures...

OBJECTIVE: To analyze available literature data on the role of genetic factors in degenerative disc disease. METHODOLOGY: We reviewed the PubMed, MEDLINE, Cohrane Library, e-Library databases using the following keywords: degenerative spine lesions, intervertebral disc herniation, pathogenesis, genetic regulation. RESULTS: Searching depth was 2002-2022. We reviewed 84 references. Exclusion criteria: duplicate publications, reviews without detailed description of results, opinions...

INTRODUCTION: Degenerative mitral valve disease (DMVD) is the most common canine heart disease with a high predisposition in Cavalier King Charles Spaniels (CKCSs). Mitral regurgitation related to DMVD can lead to left atrial (LA) dilation, which is associated with survival time. Left-atrial-to-aortic (LA:Ao) ratio assessed by two-dimensional echocardiography is commonly used to evaluate LA size. The objectives of this prospective observational study were therefore 1) to compare different echocardiographic methods (i...

PURPOSE: Surgical treatment of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) requires a careful choice of fusion levels. The usual recommendation for the selection of the lowest instrumented vertebra (LIV) for double major or thoracolumbar/lumbar (TL/L) curves falls on L3 or L4. The aim of the present study is to assess if the spinal fusion with LIV selection of L3 or L4 in AIS patients has a clinical or radiological impact in terms of degenerative disc disease (DDD) in distal unfused segments at long-term follow-up...

Chronic low back pain, a major cause of disability with a great global socioeconomic impact, has been inextricably associated with intervertebral disc degeneration. On the other hand, an enhanced number of senescent cells has been identified in aged and degenerated intervertebral discs and their senescence-associated secretory phenotype (SASP) has been connected with qualitative/quantitative alterations in the extracellular matrix and ultimately with the disturbance of tissue homeostasis. Given that selective elimination of senescent cells (by the so-called senolytics) or amendment of their secretome towards a less catabolic/inflammatory phenotype (by molecules known as senomorphics) has been reported to alleviate symptoms of several age-associated diseases and to improve tissue quality during aging, here we will review the emerging role of senolytic and senomorphic agents derived from plants and natural products against intervertebral disc degeneration...

Circular RNAs (circRNAs) play a critical regulatory role in degenerative diseases; however, their functions and therapeutic applications in intervertebral disc degeneration (IVDD) have not been explored. Here, we identified that a novel circATXN1 highly accumulates in aging nucleus pulposus cells (NPCs) accountable for IVDD. CircATXN1 accelerates cellular senescence, disrupts extracellular matrix organization, and inhibits mitochondrial respiration. Mechanistically, circATXN1, regulated by heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein A2B1-mediated splicing circularization, promotes progerin translocation from the cell nucleus to the cytoplasm and inhibits the expression of insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF-1R)...

Intervertebral disc degeneration (IDD) is an important pathological basis for degenerative spinal diseases and is involved in mitophagy dysfunction. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying mitophagy regulation in IDD remain unclear. This study aimed to clarify the role of DJ-1 in regulating mitophagy during IDD pathogenesis. Here, we showed that the mitochondrial localization of DJ-1 in nucleus pulposus cells (NPCs) first increased and then decreased in response to oxidative stress. Subsequently, loss- and gain-of-function experiments revealed that overexpression of DJ-1 in NPCs inhibited oxidative stress-induced mitochondrial dysfunction and mitochondria-dependent apoptosis, whereas knockdown of DJ-1 had the opposite effect...

OBJECTIVE: Lumbar degenerative diseases (LDDs) with huge herniation in the left lateral recess or central canal present challenges for oblique lateral lumbar interbody fusion (OLIF) or endoscope-assisted OLIF procedures. Currently, minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (MIS-TLIF) is the primary approach for this issue. This study aims to provide a standardized technical description of the anterior lumbar discectomy and fusion (ALDF) and evaluate the medium-term clinical effectiveness of both ALDF and MIS-TLIF techniques...

BACKGROUND: The incidence of osteoporosis is a prime concern, especially in parts of the world where the population is aging, such as Europe or the US. Many new therapy strategies have been described to enhance bone healing. Lumbar interbody fusion (LIF) is a surgical procedure that aims to stabilize the lumbar spine by fusing two or more vertebrae using an interbody cage. LIF is a standard treatment for various spinal conditions, such as degenerative disc disease, spinal stenosis, and spondylolisthesis...

INTRODUCTION: Interventional treatment options for the lumbar degenerative spine have undergone a significant amount of innovation over the last decade. As new technologies emerge, along with the surgical specialty expansion, there is no manuscript that utilizes a review of surgical treatments with evidence rankings from multiple specialties, namely, the interventional pain and spine communities. Through the Pacific Spine and Pain Society (PSPS), the purpose of this manuscript is to provide a balanced evidence review of available surgical treatments...

STUDY DESIGN: A prospective study. OBJECTIVES: This study aims to explore the correlation between interleukin (IL)- 6 levels in intervertebral disc (IVD) tissue and clinical outcomes in patients undergoing lumbar surgery for lumbar degenerative disease (LDD). METHODS: This prospective study analyzed 32 patients (22 men and 10 women, average age 69.6 years) who underwent lateral lumbar interbody fusion (LLIF). IL-6 gene expression in IVD tissues collected during surgery was measured and correlated with pre- and postoperative clinical outcomes, including pain intensity assessed via Numeric Rating Scales (NRS) and quality of life (QOL) evaluated through the Japanese Orthopaedic Association Back Pain Evaluation Questionnaire (JOABPEQ)...