ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Posterior lumbar or lumbosacral spinal fusion in degenerative lumbar disease has the problems of adjacent level disease as well as surgical complications. An interspinous device used for dynamic stabilization can also be applied to the adjacent segment for spinal fusion to reduce the severity of these problems. The authors reviewed the adjacent interspinous stabilization using an interspinous spacer(CoflexTM paradigm spine,Germany) combined with posterior lumbar or lumbosacral spinal fusion in degenerative lumbar disease. Method: From January 2007 to July 2008, ten patients with degenerative lumbar disease underwent posterior lumbar or lumbosacral spinal fusion with adjacent interspinous stabilization using CoflexTM. The indications for this type were adjacent segmental disc protrusion, adjacent segmental degenerative changes or high surgical risk groups, such as elderly patients or osteoporotic patients undergoing multiple leveled fusions. CoflexTM was inserted into the adjacent segmental interspinous space. The control group consisted of fifteen patients, who underwent posterior lumbar or lumbosacral spinal fusion without interspinous stabilization. The radiological parameters and clinical outcomes were compared. All patients were followed-up for more than twelve months. RESULTS: The visual analogue scale(VAS) in both groups postoperatively and at the twelve month follow-up were improved. In the CoflexTM group, the postoperative and twelve month follow-up X-ray showed no significant change in posterior disc height, interpedicular height, segmental lordotic angle, flextion-extension angulation and translation and no significant segmental instability. The control group showed a higher level of segmental lordotic angle, translation and a lower posterior disc height, interpedicular height, flextion-extension angulation and three patients showed adjacent segmental instability. CONCLUSION: CoflexTM can be used to stabilize the adjacent segment of spinal fusion in degenerative lumbar disease and might be effective in preventing adjacent segmental degeneration. However, further study will be needed to confirm this observation.
Subject(s)
Aged , Humans , Follow-Up Studies , Spinal FusionABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: This study compare outcomes in patients with laparoscopic guided ventriculo-peritoneal shunt placement with the nonlaparoscopic approach (conventional mini-laparotomy technique) in patients with hydrocephalus. METHODS: The study enrolled 102 adult patients who had undergone surgery between August 2005 and May 2008 for the treatment of hydrocephalus at our department. Seventy-six patients (38 men and 38 women) received laparoscopy-assisted distal catheter placement, and 26 patients (14 men and 12 women) received shunt surgery by a conventional mini-laparotomy approach. The median follow-up period of the non-laparoscopic group was 26 months (14-33 months) and laparoscopic group was 12 months (1-30 months). We analyzed age, sex, cause of hydrocephalus, type of shunt valve, operation time, shunt infection rate, and shunt distal catheter malfunction during follow-up. RESULTS: There was no statistically significant difference in age, sex, cause of hydrocephalus, or type of shunt valve. Shunt infections were observed in 10 cases (13.2%) in the laparoscopic group and in 4 cases (15.4%) in the mini-laparotomy group, which was not statistically significant. Distal shunt malfunction rates were significantly lower in the laparoscopic group (1.3%) compared to the mini-laparotomy group (11.5%, P<0.05). The mean operation time was also shorter in the laparoscopic group (108 min, 45-190 min) than of the mini-laparotomy group (146 min, 75-255 min, P<0.005). CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic guided placement of the VP shunt in hydrocephalus patients reduces shunt distal catheter malfunction and operation time.