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To describe and analyze the use of the V-rod technique described by Gillet to repair spondylolysis in both early and late postoperative periods. Patients submitted to surgical correction of lumbar spondylolysis with a V-rod system were selected upon exclusion of adjacent disk degenerative changes and high-grade spondylolisthesis. A preoperative clinical (ODI and VAS) and radiological evaluation was performed, along with assessments on the early (clinical evaluation—up to 1 year) and late (clinical and radiological—at least 10 years) postoperative periods. Twenty-two patients were included, 21 with L5 spondylolysis. Fifty percent had grade I spondylolisthesis. A significant decrease in ODI and VAS was observed from pre- to early and late post-op evaluation (all p

This observational study aims to describe pediatric C-spine injuries from a level 1 trauma centre through a period of 19 years.Clinical records of pediatric trauma patients admitted to a level 1 trauma centre between 1991 and 2009 were analyzed. Patients were stratified by age into groups A (8 or less) and B (9 to 16), and in lower (C0-C2) and upper (C3-C7) spine injuries. Several variables were studied.Seventy-five cases of C-spine injuries (nine SCIWORA) were identified. Group A included 23 patients and group B 52. In group A, skeletal injuries at the upper C-spine were more common than injuries at the lower C-spine, whereas in group B, injuries of the lower C-spine were more frequent (p = 0.035). Motor vehicle accidents were the main cause of injury (44 %); 25.3 % of patients were surgically treated. Thirty-nine patients presented neurologic deficits, 16 of which improved. The overall mortality rate was 18.7 % and significantly higher in patients with neurological damages (p 0.001) CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed a low incidence of cervical spine injuries in the paediatric population. As in previous reports younger children mainly sustained injuries at the upper C-spine, higher incidence of spinal injuries, and higher risk of death than older children.

OBJETIVO: Avaliar a incidência e as características das lesões tipo SCIWORA nos indivíduos até os 16 anos, da área de um hospital central entre 1989 e 2009, após traumatismo cervical. MÉTODOS: Estudo retrospectivo de consulta processual. RESULTADOS: Nove (10,5%) de 86 crianças apresentavam achados clínicos e radiológicos compatíveis com o diagnóstico de SCIWORA. A média de idades foi de 10,7 anos. A causa mais frequente foi o acidente de trânsito. Seis indivíduos eram classificáveis como Frankel D. Os restantes três casos eram Frankel C. Em três doentes a RMN mostrou imagem de lesão. Sete efetuaram metilprednisolona endovenosa e todos mantiveram imobilização com colar cervical até a primeira consulta de seguimento, às 2 semanas. Na alta, os seis doentes que apresentavam Frankel D à entrada melhoraram para um grau E. Dos doentes com Frankel C à entrada, um melhorou até Frankel D e os restantes dois mantiveram-se inalterados em Frankel C. CONCLUSÃO: Em um hospital de referência traumatológica, SCIWORA representa cerca de 10% das lesões cervicais pediátricas. Os défices neurológicos à entrada e a RMN têm valor prognóstico de recuperação. A corticoterapia em dose elevada não está formalmente indicada e não é consensual o tempo de utilização de imobilização ou a sua indicação em todos os SCIWORA.OBJETIVO: Evaluar la incidencia y las características de las lesiones tipo SCIWORA en los individuos de hasta 16 años de edad, del área de un hospital central, entre 1989 y 2009, después de traumatismo cervical. MÉTODOS: Estudio retrospectivo de consulta procesal. RESULTADOS: nueve (10,5%) de 86 niños presentaban hallazgos clínicos y radiológicos compatibles con el diagnóstico de SCIWORA. El promedio de edades fue 10,7 años. La causa más frecuente fue el accidente de tránsito. Seis individuos eran clasificables como Frankel D. Los restantes tres casos eran Frankel C. En tres pacientes, la RMn mostró imagen de lesión. Siete recibieron metilprednisolona endovenosa y todos mantuvieron inmovilización con collar cervical hasta la primera consulta de seguimiento, después de 2 semanas. En la alta, los seis pacientes, que presentaban Frankel D a la entrada, mejoraron para un grado E. De los pacientes con Frankel C a la entrada, uno mejoró hasta Frankel D y los otros dos se mantuvieron, sin alteraciones, en Frankel C. Conclusión: En un hospital de referencia traumatológica, SCIWORA representa cerca de 10% de las lesiones cervicales pediátricas. Los déficits neurológicos a la entrada y a RMn tienen valor de pronóstico de recuperación. La corticoterapia en dosis alta no está indicada formalmente y no es consensual el tiempo de utilización de inmovilización o su indicación en todos los SCIWORA.OBJECTIVE: To assess the incidence and characteristics of SCIWORA in individuals under 16 years, from the area of a Level 1 Trauma Center between 1989 and 2009 after cervical trauma. METHODS: Retrospective study of clinical charts consultation. RESULTS: nine (10.5%) of 86 children had clinical features compatible with the radiological diagnosis of SCIWORA. The mean age was 10.7 years. The most frequent cause was traffic accident. Six individuals were classified as Frankel D. The remaining three cases were Frankel C. In three patients the MRI showed an image of lesion. Seven had intravenous methylprednisolone done and all remained with cervical collar immobilization until the first follow-up visit at 2 weeks. At discharge six patients who had Frankel D at entrance improved to a grade E. Of the patients with Frankel C at entry, one improved to Frankel D and the other two remained unchanged in Frankel C. CONCLUSION: In a level 1 Trauma Center SCIWORA represents nearly 10% of all spine injuries. neurological deficits at entry and MRI have prognostic value for recovery. High dosage corticosteroids is not formally indicated and there is no consensus as to how long cervical immobilization should be prescribed or its indication at all in SCIWORA patients.

STUDY DESIGN A retrospective clinical review. OBJECTIVE To evaluate the sagittal correction efficacy of a thoracic pedicle subtraction osteotomy (PSO), to determine and predict changes at both the cervical and lumbar mobile unfused segments after whether an upper or lower level thoracic PSO. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA Thoracic PSO is a technically challenging but increasingly valid procedure in the treatment of fixed thoracic deformities.Anatomical characteristics differentiate upper and lower segment thoracic PSOs and define its corrective ability. There is yet paucity in the literature concerning the causality between the osteotomy level and the reciprocal changes observed postoperatively at the adjacent unfused curves. METHODS Data collection from a single institutional database was carried out retrospectively by reviewing medical records and imaging of fixed thoracic kyphotic deformity patients submitted to a single level thoracic PSO. RESULTS Seventeen patients (11M:6F), with a mean age of 44 years (range, 17-76). Fifty-nine percent had a previous spine surgery. The mean follow-up was of 55 months (range, 27-122). In six patients PSO was performed in the upper thoracic segment (T1-T6) and in 11 patients between T7 and T12 (lower thoracic segment), allowing a mean local kyphosis correction of 31° and 41° respectively. The mean cervical and lumbar lordosis globally improved. The upper thoracic PSO group had a significant improvement of the cervical lordosis with a mean C7 slope correction of 28° (P = 0.004), whereas in the lower thoracic PSO group a more pronounced correction of the maximal lumbar lordosis was observed (22°, P = 0.033). CONCLUSION After a fixed sagittal thoracic deformity, the predominant lordotic compensation seems to occur at the nearest mobile curve from the deformity apex. The PSO-induced restoration of the thoracic kyphosis relieved the compensatory cervical and/or lumbar excessive lordosis, which were present preoperatively and are now no longer needed to achieve balance and maintain horizontal gaze. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE 4.

OBJETIVO: Avaliação dos resultados a longo prazo da artroplastia de disco cervical (ADC) e comparação com fusão no tratamento da hérnia discal. MÉTODOS: Seleccionados pacientes com radiculopatia por hérnia discal cervical a um nível sucessivamente submetidos a ADC entre Junho de 2003 e Julho de 2006 (grupo artroplastia). Realizada avaliação radiográfica e clínica no pré-operatório, ao fim de um ano, e pelo menos cinco anos após o procedimento. Como controlo foi utilizado grupo submetido a descompressão e artrodese anterior, operado no mesmo período (grupo fusão), avaliado no tempo final de seguimento. RESULTADOS: 22 pacientes do grupo artroplastia e 12 do grupo fusão, com tempo de seguimento médio de 5.4 anos. Na primeira avaliação obteve-se uma mobilidade média de 8,8º (2,2º-22º), tendo esta diminuído em média 3,6º (-18º-3,8º) à data final de seguimento. À data de seguimento final, 28% dos doentes inicialmente submetidos a artroplastia perderam a mobilidade pretendida; o NDI foi de 21% no grupo artroplastia vs 36,5% no grupo fusão (p=0,008); registou-se tendência para EVA cervical (2,9 vs 4,6) e braquial (2,8 vs 4,9) mais baixo no grupo artroplastia (p>0,05). Não se verificaram diferenças estatisticamente significativas entre as duas artroplastias utilizadas no que respeita a mobilidade, scores funcionais, ou complicações. Todos os pacientes do grupo artroplastia repetiriam o procedimento para apenas 67% do grupo fusão (p=0,021). CONCLUSÕES: Ambas as técnicas demonstraram ser seguras e eficazes no tratamento da hérnia discal cervical. A perda da mobilidade não teve repercussão clínica. O grupo artroplastia demonstrou ligeira superioridade nos resultados funcionais.

Epithelioid hemagioendothelioma (EH) is a rare vascular tumor with an intermediate biological behavior between hemangioma and angiosarcoma. Vertebral location is even more rare, and because the number of reported cases of EH is small and the follow-up periods short, the best surgical treatment, the role of radiotherapy and chemotherapy, as well as the definitive prognosis are still not established. The authors report a case of EH which presented as a vertebral fracture with neurological impairment, where a percutaneous biopsy was inconclusive. Treatment included vertebrectomy, with complete excision of the lesion, spinal canal decompression and vertebral stabilization. Anatomopathological study revealed an epithelioid vascular neoplasm with low mitotic index, and tumor cells reactive to vimentin, CD31 and CD34, leading to the diagnosis of Grade I Epithelioid Hemangioendothelioma. Because of the wide resection achieved and the low aggressiveness of the lesion, no adjuvant radio or chemotherapy was undertaken, and at 6 years follow-up there are no signs of recurrence or metastasis.

OBJETIVO: a mielopatia cervical espondilótica (MEC) é uma causa frequente de disfunção da medula espinhal na população adulta. O tratamento implica em descompressão cirúrgica precoce. O objetivo foi apresentar um estudo retrospectivo da descompressão anterior e artrodese para MEC com um seguimento mínimo de dez anos. MÉTODOS: pacientes operados entre Janeiro de 1990 e Dezembro de 1994 foram avaliados por sexo, idade, número de níveis operados, avaliação funcional pela escala de Nurick pré-operatória um ano após cirurgia e após a revisão final que ocorreu em 2004, evidência de consolidação e complicações. RESULTADOS: foram avaliados 91 pacientes, 69 do sexo masculino, 22 do sexo feminino, com uma média de idade de 56,6 anos (42-86) e um seguimento médio de 11,9 anos. Ocorreram cinco óbitos: três pacientes no pós-operatório imediato, um no primeiro ano e um durante o restante período. Em média, foram operados 2,7±1,0 níveis por paciente (1-4). O valor médio de Nurick pré-operatório foi de 3,8±0,9. Houve uma melhoria significativa do estado neurológico um ano após a cirurgia (2,2±1,1; p

Paragangliomas are rare tumours with a prevalence of 1/10000 to 1/30000. Tumors arising from the paraganglia are characteristically of low malignant potential. Vertebral metastases are exceedingly rare, and only isolated case reports have described them. The authors present the clinical course of a 47 years-old female patient with a familial paraganglioma [PGL] with vertebral metastastization, who underwent an intralesional tumor excision and corpectomy. Genetic screening demonstrated a new germinal frameshift mutation of the SDHB exon 6 [c.587-591DelC]. After surgery there was normalization of the analytical parameters and imagiologic screening. One year later she presented a new image in the the pedicle of T11 on the contralateral side of the surgical incision. She performed 2 treatments with MIBG and 1 cicle of radiotherapy that made the new lesion regress. Currently the patient does not present any clinical or analytical evidence of new metastasis. This case outlines the clinical course of a patient with a PGL syndrome for whom a rare vertebral metastasis was diagnosed. It highlights the importance of identifying patients with germline SDHB mutations, as these patients are at a high risk of developing malignant disease.