Do Obliquity and Position of the Oblique Lumbar Interbody Fusion Cage Influence the Degree of Indirect Decompression of Foraminal Stenosis?

Objective@#: Oblique lumbar interbody fusion (OLIF) is a surgical technique that utilizes a large interbody cage to indirectly decompress neural elements. The position of the cage relative to the vertebral body could affect the degree of foraminal decompression. Previous studies determined the position of the cage using plain radiographs, with conflicting results regarding the influence of the position of the cage to the degree of neural foramen decompression. Because of the cage obliquity, computed tomography (CT) has better accuracy than plain radiograph for the measurement of the obliquely inserted cage. The objective of this study is to find the correlation between the position of the OLIF cage with the degree of indirect decompression of foraminal stenosis using CT and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). @*Methods@#: We review imaging of 46 patients who underwent OLIF from L2-L5 for 68 levels. Segmental lordosis (SL) was measured in a plain radiograph. The positions of the cage were measured in CT. Spinal canal cross-sectional area (SCSA), and foraminal crosssectional area (FSCA) measurements using MRI were taken into consideration. @*Results@#: Patients’ mean age was 69.7 years. SL increases 3.0±5.1 degrees. Significant increases in SCSA (33.3%), FCSA (43.7% on the left and 45.0% on the right foramen) were found (p<0.001). Multiple linear regression analysis shows putting the cage in the more posterior position correlated with more increase of FSCA and decreases SL correction. The position of the cage does not affect the degree of the central spinal canal decompression. Obliquity of the cage does not result in different degrees of foraminal decompression between right and left side neural foramen. @*Conclusion@#: Cage position near the posterior part of the vertebral body increases the decompression effect of the neural foramen while putting the cage in the more anterior position correlated with increases SL.

Foreign body granuloma after bone cement augmentation of pedicle screws for osteoporotic spinal surgery: A case report

Osteoporosis causes a decrease in bone mineral density. To overcome the decrease in fixation strength, a variety of techniques and devices have been developed, including cement augmentation of pedicle screws. Polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA), is commonly known as bone cement, and is widely used for implant fixation in various orthopaedic and spine surgery. In general, PMMA augmentation of pedicle screws is simple and safe if performed with technical precautions. PMMA is a safe agent, but it may rarely lead to significant foreign body reactions. In this report, we present a patient who developed bone cement-related epidural space foreign body granuloma

Surgical Outcomes of Anterior Cervical Fusion Using Deminaralized Bone Matrix as Stand-Alone Graft Material: Single Arm, Pilot Study

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the safety and efficacy of demineralized bone matrix (DBM) as a bone graft substitute for anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) surgery. METHODS: Twenty consecutive patients treated with ACDF using stand-alone polyestheretherketone (PEEK) cages (Zero-P) with DBM(CGDBM100) were prospectively evaluated with a minimum of 6 months of follow-up. Radiologic efficacy was evaluated with a 6-point scoring method for osseous fusion using plain radiograph and computed tomogrpahy scans. Clinical efficacy was evaluated using the visual analogue scale (VAS), Owestry disability index (ODI), and short-form health questionnaire-36. The safety of the bone graft substitute was assessed with vital sign monitoring and a survey measuring complications at each follow-up visit. RESULTS: There were significant improvements in VAS and ODI scores at a mean 6-month follow-up. Six months after surgery, solid fusion was achieved in all patients. Mean score on the 6-point scoring system was 5.1, and bony formation was found to score at least 4 points in all patients. There was no case with implant-related complications such as cage failure or migration, and no complications associated with the use of CGDBM100. CONCLUSION: ACDF using CGDBM100 demonstrated good clinical and radiologic outcomes. The fusion rate was comparable with the published results of traditional ACDF. Therefore, the results of this study suggest that the use of a PEEK cage packed with DBM for ACDF is a safe and effective alternative to the gold standard of autologous iliac bone graft.

Remote Postoperative Epidural Hematoma after Brain Tumor Surgery

A postoperative epidural hematoma (EDH) is a serious and embarrassing complication, which usually occurs at the site of operation after intracranial surgery. However, remote EDH is relatively rare. We report three cases of remote EDH after brain tumor surgery. All three cases seemed to have different causes of remote postoperative EDH; however, all patients were managed promptly and showed excellent outcomes. Although the exact mechanism of remote postoperative EDH is unknown, surgeons should be cautious of the speed of lowering intracranial pressure and implement basic procedures to prevent this hazardous complication of brain tumor surgery.

Endocardial Fibroelastosis in a 57-Year-Old Transplant Recipient

Endocardial fibroelastosis (EFE) is characterized by deposition of collagen and elastin leading to ventricular hypertrophy and diffuse endocardial thickening. Here we report (for the first time in Korea) the case of a EFE presenting with heart failure. The patient was a 57-year-old woman who had complained of dyspnea on exertion {New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class 3} and abdominal distension at the time of hospital admission. Echocardiography showed severe diastolic dysfunction with normal systolic function. On MRI, the contrast-enhanced delayed myocardial image demonstrated hyperenhancement in the endocardium. Owing to progressive heart failure, the patient was transplanted. Histological examination of the explanted heart showed irregularly thickened endocardium with fibrosis and elastosis in the both ventricles, compatible with the diagnosis of EFE.

A case of chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) with antithrombin III deficiency / 대한내과학회지

Presented is a case study of a 39-year-old man with chronic thromboembolic pulmonary hypertension (CTEPH) and an underlying antithrombin III (AT III) deficiency. The subject presented with severe dyspnea (NYHA functional class III). A diagnostic workup led to a diagnosis of pulmonary thromboembolism and severe pulmonary hypertension with right ventricular failure. Genetic analysis revealed a novel nonsense mutation (c.243G>A) in SERPINC1. Pulmonary thromboendarterectomy was performed following the insertion of an inferior vena cava filter. After one year, the subject remained in NYHA functional class I and exhibited normal right ventricular function. This is the first report of a genetically confirmed AT III deficiency complicated by CTEPH in Korea.

A Case of Eosinophilic Gastritis with Delayed Gastric Emptying / 대한소화기내시경학회지

Eosinophilic gastritis is a rare disease that is characterized by eosinophilic infiltration of the bowl wall tissue, and the presentation of symptoms varies depending on the affected site. It is likely that eosinophil-active cytokines play important roles in this disease. A 22-year old man presented with abdominal pain and vomiting. Endoscopic gastric biopsy revealed eosinophilic infiltration, and the serum level of Interleukin (IL)-5 was increased. Gastric emptying was moderately delayed in this patient. The patient was treated with steroid and he showed dramatic clinical improvement with disappearance of the eosinophilic infiltration of the gastric mucosa, normalization of the serum level of IL-5 and improvement of the gastric emptying time. There has been few case reports of eosinophilic gastritis that have described the change of the serum level of cytokines and the gastric emptying. We report here on a case of eosinophilic gastritis and the patient showed elevated serum level of cytokines and delayed gastric emptying. The patient improved after being treated with steroid.

A Case of Blue Rubber Bleb Nevus Syndrome Treated by Endoscopic Band Ligation and Endoscopic Polypectomy / 대한소화기내시경학회지

Blue rubber bleb nevus syndrome (BRBNS) is a rare disorder that is characterized by multiple cutaneous vascular malformations in the skin and gastrointestinal tract and is associated with intestinal hemorrhage and iron deficiency anemia. This syndrome may induce severe or fatal bleeding; however, the causes of this syndrome are unknown. We report here a case of BRBNS that was diagnosed in a 20-year-old male with chronic anemia and a past history of surgery due to cutaneous hemangioma on the shoulder and thigh. One purplish hemangioma on the stomach and multiple bluish hemangiomas on the colon were noted on the endoscopic examination. We successfully treated the GI hemangioma with endoscopic band ligation and endoscopic polypectomy.