Vertebrae

PURPOSE: To radiographically evaluate if vertebral body tethering (VBT) can maintain differential peri-apical vertebral growth at medium-term follow-up of 4 years. METHODS: A prospective, international, multicenter database was queried to identify idiopathic scoliosis patients treated with thoracic VBT. Concave vs. convex vertebral body height, vertebral wedging, and disc wedging of the 3 peri-apical vertebrae were measured by two independent observers at 5 timepoints (pre-operative to 4-year follow-up)...

BACKGROUND: We investigated the prognostic impact of osteosarcopenia, defined as the combination of osteopenia and sarcopenia, in patients undergoing pancreatic resection for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). METHODS: The relationship of osteosarcopenia with disease-free survival and overall survival was analyzed in 183 patients who underwent elective pancreatic resection for PDAC. Computed tomography was used to measure the pixel density in the midvertebral core of the 11th thoracic vertebra for evaluation of osteopenia and in the psoas muscle area of the 3rd lumbar vertebra for evaluation of sarcopenia...

Thalassemia is known to induce extramedullary hematopoiesis (EMH), which is a compensatory mechanism in which the body forms blood cells outside the bone marrow. While EMH typically affects organs such as the spleen and liver, there are rare instances where it leads to spinal cord compression (SCC) in the epidural space. A 31-year-old male patient with transfusion-dependent beta thalassemia presented with numbness and bilateral limb weakness due to EMH. Neurological examination revealed increased tone in both legs, reduced power, loss of crude touch and pain sensation, and increased deep tendon reflexes...

Introduction: The treatment of skip-level cervical degenerative disease (CDD) with no degenerative changes observed in the intervening segment (IS) is complicated. This research aims to provide a reference basis for selecting treatment approaches for noncontiguous CDD. Methods: To establish accurate finite element models (FEMs), this study included computed tomography (CT) data from 21 patients with CDD (10 males and 11 females) for modeling. The study primarily discusses four cross-segment surgical approaches: upper (C3/4) anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) and lower (C5/6) cervical disc arthroplasty (CDA), FA model; upper CDA (C3/4) and lower ACDF (C5/6), AF model; upper ACDF (C3/4) and lower ACDF (C5/6), FF model; upper CDA (C3/4) and lower CDA (C5/6), AA model...

BACKGROUND: Surgical treatment of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) is very complex and modern instrumentation techniques offer multiple possibilities. Despite numerous publications, there is no clear consensus on the optimal strategy for the correction of scoliotic deformities. The goal of this study was to summarize the current surgical strategies for specific AIS cases within various countries. METHOD: Thirty-two experienced scoliosis surgeons from 15 countries were asked to plan surgeries on 12 representative AIS cases...

Sarcopenia is a serious systemic disease that reduces overall survival. TAVI is selectively performed in patients with severe aortic stenosis who are not indicated for open cardiac surgery due to severe polymorbidity. Artificial intelligence-assisted body composition assessment from available CT scans appears to be a simple tool to stratify these patients into low and high risk based on future estimates of all-cause mortality. Within our study, the segmentation of preprocedural CT scans at the level of the lumbar third vertebra in patients undergoing TAVI was performed using a neural network (AutoMATiCA)...

BACKGROUND: Although cervical laminoplasty is a frequently utilized surgical intervention for cervical spondylotic myelopathy, it is primarily performed using conventional open surgical techniques. We attempted the minimally invasive cervical laminoplasty using biportal endoscopic approach. METHODS: Contralateral lamina access is facilitated by creating space through spinous process drilling, followed by lamina hinge formation. Subsequently, the incised lamina is elevated from ipsilateral aspect, and secure metal plate fixation is performed...

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effectiveness of injured vertebra fixation with inclined-long pedicle screws combined with interbody fusion for thoracolumbar fracture dislocation with disc injury. METHODS: Between January 2017 and June 2022, 28 patients with thoracolumbar fracture dislocation with disc injury were underwent posterior depression, the injured vertebra fixation with inclined-long pedicle screws, and interbody fusion. There were 22 males and 6 females, with a mean age of 41...

BACKGROUND Duplicate inferior vena cava (IVC) accompanied by deep venous thrombosis is rare. The optimal treatment plan is determined according to the results of imaging, including venography. In this report, we present a case of successful treatment of a patient with duplicate IVC and deep venous thrombosis (DVT). CASE REPORT An 84-year-old man with history of hypertension was admitted to the hospital because of 4 days of moderate left lower-limb edema. A thorough examination led to the diagnosis of the DVT...

OBJECTIVES: To develop an equation for defining a low skeletal muscle mass (SMM) in children and to investigate risk factors and outcomes associated with low SMM in critically ill pediatric patients. DESIGN: Single-center retrospective pediatric cohorts, 2011-2018. SETTING: Tertiary Emergency and Critical Care Center of Kyushu University Hospital in Japan. PATIENTS: We studied two cohorts of pediatric patients 1-15 years old who underwent abdominal CT at the level of the third lumbar vertebra (L3)...

Longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis (LETM) is a rapidly progressing demyelinating disease affecting the spinal cord over three or more vertebral segments. Most causes are idiopathic, while others include infections, autoimmune causes, central nervous system demyelinating diseases, and post vaccination. Here, we report a 37-year-old male who presented with a fever for six days with no source of infection and complained of pain and weakness in the bilateral lower limbs eight hours after admission. Though the neurological examination of the lower limbs was normal at that time, reduced power was detected 16 hours later, with loss of proprioception and sensation of pain with a sensory level at T4 vertebrae...

A whale fall community of chemosymbiotic invertebrates living on cetacean bones has been identified off southwestern Australia during a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) survey at bathyal depths within the Bremer Marine Park, which is part of important marine mammal areas (IMMA) of the Albany Canyon Region. Cetacean bones on the seafloor of the Hood Canyon, consisted of isolated skulls of three species of beaked whales (family Ziphiidae): Mesoplodon cf. layardii , M. grayi , and M. hectori , a few vertebrae, and lower jaws...

BACKGROUND: The Klippel-Feil syndrome (KFS) is a rare congenital anomaly characterized by the fusion of cervical vertebrae, which may be associated with other malformations, such as dermoid tumors and teratoma. Some theories explain the embryology of these associations. Another condition that may be present is the dermal sinus (DS), communication between intracranial tumors and the subcutaneous tissue, and predisposing infections. This case report aims to describe an association between these three pathologies as well as correlate them from the literature...

Studies of vertebrate bone biomechanics often focus on skeletal adaptations at upper extremes of body mass, disregarding the importance of skeletal adaptations at lower extremes. Yet mammals are ancestrally small and most modern species have masses under 5 kg, so the evolution of morphology and function at small size should be prioritized for understanding how mammals subsist. We examined allometric scaling of lumbar vertebrae in the small-bodied Philippine endemic rodents known as cloud rats, which vary in mass across two orders of magnitude (15...

BACKGROUND: The surgical resection of very highly migrated lumbar disc herniation (VHM-LDH) is technically challenging owing to the absence of technical guidelines. Hence, in the present study, we introduced the transforaminal endoscopic lumbar discectomy (TELD) with two-segment foraminoplasty to manage VHM-LDH and evaluated its radiographic and midterm clinical outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present study is a retrospective analysis of 33 consecutive patients with VHM-LDH who underwent TELD with two-segment foraminoplasty...

PURPOSE: To assess the clinical safety, accuracy, and efficacy of percutaneous kyphoplasty (PKP) surgery using an enhanced method of unilateral puncture on the convex side for the treatment of painful osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures (P-OVCF) with scoliosis. METHODS: Clinical and radiographic data of P-OVCF patients with scoliosis who underwent PKP via unilateral puncture on the convex side from January 2018 to December 2021 were retrospectively analyzed...

STUDY DESIGN: Cross-sectional international survey with a literature review. OBJECTIVES: While some surgeons favor spine bracing after surgery for adult spine deformity (ASD) to help prevent mechanical failures, there is a lack of evidence. The objective of the present study was to better understand the current trend in the use of bracing following ASD surgery based on an international survey. METHODS: An e-mail-based online survey was conducted among over 6000 international AO Spine members regarding the post-operative management of patients with ASD...

OBJECTIVE: To compare the diagnostic performance of [68 Ga]DOTATATE PET/CT, [18 F]FDG PET/CT, MRI of the spine, and whole-body CT and MRI for the detection of pheochromocytoma/paraganglioma (PPGL)-related spinal bone metastases. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between 2014 and 2020, PPGL participants with spinal bone metastases prospectively underwent [68 Ga]DOTATATE PET/CT, [18 F]FDG PET/CT, MRI of the cervical-thoracolumbar spine (MRIspine ), contrast-enhanced MRI of the neck and thoraco-abdominopelvic regions (MRIWB ), and contrast-enhanced CT of the neck and thoraco-abdominopelvic regions (CTWB )...

KEY CLINICAL MESSAGE: Osteoblastoma of the frontal sinus, although rare, can manifest with seizures and pneumocephalus, underscoring the importance of thorough evaluation and complete surgical excision to prevent serious complications and ensure optimal patient outcomes. ABSTRACT: Osteoblastoma is an infrequent bone tumor, with origins typically in the vertebrae and long bones. While craniofacial involvement is rare, it may occur in regions such as the paranasal sinuses...

The blue shark Prionace glauca plays a critical role as a predator in marine ecosystems but is threatened by by-catch. To obtain more precise biological data, a Bayesian approach was used, and 536 vertebrae samples collected during 1 year at the landing stage called "Playita Mía" Manta, Ecuador, were analysed. The objective was to estimate the age and growth parameters of the species. The size of the specimens varied between 116 and 310 cm in total length (TL). Using a Bayesian approach based on the Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) method, growth parameters were evaluated...