The Relationship between Spinal Stenosis and Neurological Outcome in Traumatic Cervical Spine Injury: An Analysis using Pavlov's Ratio, Spinal Cord Area, and Spinal Canal Area

BACKGROUND: This study examined the relationship between four radiological parameters (Pavlov's ratio, sagittal diameter, spinal cord area, and spinal canal area) in patients with a traumatic cervical spine injury, as well as the correlation between these parameters and the neurological outcome. METHODS: A total of 212 cervical spinal levels in 53 patients with a distractive-extension injury were examined. The following four parameters were measured: Pavlov's ratio on the plain lateral radiographs, the sagittal diameter, the spinal cord area, and the spinal canal area on the MRI scans. The Pearson correlation coefficients between the parameters at each level and between the levels of each parameter were evaluated. The correlation between the radiological parameters and the spinal cord injury status classified into four categories, A (complete), B (incomplete), C (radiculopathy), and D (normal) was assessed. RESULTS: The mean Pavlov's ratio, sagittal diameter, spinal cord area and spinal canal area was 0.84, 12.9 mm, 82.8 mm2 and 236.8 mm2, respectively. An examination of the correlation between the radiological spinal stenosis and clinical spinal cord injury revealed an increase in the values of the four radiological parameters from cohorts A to D. Pavlov's ratio was the only parameter showing statistically significant correlation with the clinical status (p = 0.006). CONCLUSIONS: There was a correlation between the underlying spinal stenosis and the development of neurological impairment after a traumatic cervical spine injury. In addition, it is believed that Pavlov's ratio can be used to help determine and predict the neurological outcome.

Treatment of Candida Infection after TKA

PURPOSE: We wanted to review the clinical results of staged reimplantation in patients who had candidal infection after total knee arthroplasty. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed five patients who had a candidal prosthetic knee infection, as was assessed by synovial fluid culture. Amphotericin B was intravenously administrated to all five patients during the postoperative period for six weeks and followed for at least twelve months. We carried out two-stage re-implantations with using antifungal agent-impregnated bone cement. Whether or not infection recurred was evaluated according to the symptoms and radiologic and hematologic studies. The clinical results were analyzed on the basis of the range of motion and hospital for special surgery (HSS) score. RESULTS: The final review showed that all of the symptoms disappeared. We could not find any loosening on the radiologic studies and all five patients had normal C-reactive protein values on serological exams. The mean postoperative range of motion was 1degrees (range: 0~5)~99degrees (range: 70~130) and the mean HSS score improved from 49.4 (range: 44~64) points to 73 (range: 65~90) after the re-implantation. CONCLUSION: We successfully controlled five candidal prosthetic knee infections by removing the components in conjunction with using an antifungal- impregnated bone cement and staged re-implantation after a 6 week course of intravenous antifungal drugs.