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Objective To study the diagnosis and treatment of lower thoracic ossification of ligamentum flavum(OLF)combined with lumbar spinal stenosis.Methods Retrospective analysis was carried out on 11 cases of lower thoracic OLF combined with lumbar spinal stenosis.There were 4 males and 7 females,with an average age of 56 years,and the average course of disease was 42 months.From March 2007 to March 2009,all patients undergone thoracic and lumbar laminectomy and posterior-lateral fusion in one stage.Oswestry disability index(ODI)was used to assess the neurological functional status,visual analogue score(VAS)was recorded to assess low back pain,and Cobb's angle was used to evaluate the change of thoracolumbar kyphosis.Results Operation time was 200 to 450 min,with an average of 273 min;blood loss was 600 to 1800 ml,averaged 954 ml.There were two cases of cerebrospinal fluid leakage.Eleven cases were followed up for 13 to 36 months,with an average of 23.7 months,Preoperative VAS,Oswestry score and Cobb's angle was 7.91±0.83,66.36%±10.91%,5.91°±0.83° respectively.Postoperative VAS,ODI and Cobb's angle at the final follow-up was 2.18±1.90,25.45%±12.19% and 12.18°±3.06° respectively.VAS and ODI were significantly decreased after operation.The Cobb's angle was significant increased after operation,resulting in pathologic thoracolumbar kyphosis.Conclusion The clinical features of lower thoracic OLF are complicated,which may result in misdiagnosis if the thoracic OLF is accompanied with lumbar spinal stenosis.It is an optimal selection for lower thoracic OLF combined with lumbar spinal stenosis to resect lower thoracic and lumbar lamina in one stage.For females with osteoporosis,additional internal fixation in lower thoracic spine is necessary.
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Objective To investigate the influence of sodium fluoride(NaF)on alkaline phosphatase (ALP)activity and bone gla protein(BGP)synthesis in yellow ligament cells from different surgical simples in vitro.Methods The human ligament cells were divided into three groups according to its sources,including normal yellow ligament cells(NLF)group(from acute traumatic thoracolumbar fractures with paraplegia in 7 patients),degenerative yellow ligament cells(DLF)group(from degenerative lumbar stenosis in 9 cases)and ossified ligament cells(OLF)group(thoracic yellow ligament from 8 patients).Twenty-four groups of cells were obtained under vitro cell culture by the method of tissue adherence.Different concentrations of NaF were added into the medium when the cells spread to the fifth generation.Then,the morphological changes were observed and ALP activity and BGP synthesis were tested.Results Human yellow ligament cells from different samples can proliferate and be passaged in vitro.The cell in ossific groups and degenerative groups were pleomorphic and could form calcium nodules.High concentration of NaF(1.0 mmol/L)can lead to cytotoxic reaction in all 24 groups.Low concentrations of(0.01-0.125 mmol/L)NaF can enhance the ALP activity and BGP synthesis in DLF groups while no effect was found in OLF and NLF groups cells under the same concentration of NaF.Conclusion The fact that fluoride can promote ALP activity and BGP synthesis in degenerative yellow ligament cells in vitro indicates fluoride may play an important role in inducing further ossification of human ligament cells.
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[Objective]To evaluate the posterior approach treatment of old traumatic lumbar spinal stenosis,lumbar kyphosis,intervertebral space stenosis using vertebral plate decompression,nucleus pulposus removal,intervertebral fusion and CAPSTONE cage insertion and internal fixation with pedicle screw and rod,TLIF.[Method]Twenty patients with low lumbar spinal canal and intervertebral space stenosis,lumbar kyphosis caused by trauma were enrolled in this study.There were 13 males and 7 females,with an average age of 31.4 years (range 22-49).Four had lesions of L3、4,10 of L4、5 and 6 of L5S1.One patient was treated at 4 years after injury,3 within 9-15 months,6 within 3-6 months and 10 within 1-3 months after injury.All patients were treated with vertebral plate decompression,some serious patients underwent laminectomy decompression,nucleus pulposus removal,intervertebral fusion,CAPSTONE cage insertion and internal fixation with pedicle screw and rod,TLIF.One week after surgery,patients could wear thoracic waist-iliac orthosis and take out-of-bed activity.[Result]All the patients lumbodynia,lower limb pain,muscle strength and hypoesthesia improved within one week after operation.X-rays showed that both the intervertebral space and the physiological curvature improved to some degrees.Twenty patients were followed up(ranged,1 to 3 years)and the clinical outcomes were good.The average Franke1 grade was 1.4.Re-X-rays showed that interbody fusion was achieved in all 20 patients.No loss was found about the altitude of the intervertebral space and the physiological curvature.[Conclusion]For patients with old traumatic lumbar spinal stenosis,the recovery of body altitude is almost impossible.This method is simple and has less complications.It can be widely used in the clinical practice.
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Objective: To study characteristics of diagnosis and treatment of arachnoid cysts in the sacral canal. Method: After laminectomy of the sacral canal, arachnoid cysts were treated in three ways: 13 cases underwent excision of the most of the cyst wall and suture of redundant wall around the intracystic nerve; 8 cases underwent the excision of the most of the cyst wall and plugging the communicating hole with a block of muscle; 2 cases underwent excision of most of the cyst wall and leaving them unsutured. Clinical results were evaluated after 30. 2 months' follow-up. Changes in the imaging materials (X-ray, CT, CTM and MRI) were also evaluated. The clinical behaviors, pathologies and complications post-operatively were analyzed. Result: Long T1 and T2 signals of the cysts could be clearly showed in MRI, and the signal density was the same as that of cerebrospinal fluid. Clinical symptoms were caused by compression of sacral nerve. Generally, there were communicating holes between cysts and thecal sacs. There were no statistical differences between first two methods of treatments. The complications post-operatively included erosion of wound skin and intracranial infection. Conclusion: MRI allows us to better illustrate the arachnoid cyst in sacral canal, and the cyst seems to arise as a result of congenital defect of thecal dura. Excision of the most of the cyst wall and plugging the communicating hole with a block of muscle seems to to a reasonable method to treat the carachnoid cysts in the sacral canal. Do not put the drain tube and forbidding patients to lie supinely are better for reducing the complications.
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Objective To study the diagnosis and the treatment of the arachnoid cysts in the sacral canal. Methods After decompression laminectomy of the sacral canal, the arachnoid cysts were dealt with in three ways: 13 cases with excision of the most of the cyst wall and suture of redundant wall around the intracystic nerves, 8 cases with the excision of the most of the cyst wall and plugging the communicating hole with a block of muscle, 2 cases with excision of most of the cyst wall and leaving cystic wound unsutured. The clinical results were studied with 30.2 months follow up. The radiological changes including X-ray, CT, CTM and MRI were evaluated as well as their clinical behaviors, pathologies and post operative complications. Results Long T1 and T2 signals of the cysts could be clearly showed in MRI, and the signal density was the same as that of cerebrospinal fluid. Clinical symptoms were caused by compression of sacral nerve. Generally, there were communicating holes between cysts and thecal sacs. There were no statistical differences between the results of the first two surgical methods. The post operative complications included the wound erosion and intracranial infection. Conclusion The cyst seems to arise as a result of congenital defect of the thecal dura. Excision of the most of the cyst wall and plugging the communicating hole with a block of muscle seems to be a reasonable surgical method. No drain tube should be used and a supine position should not be allowed so as to reduce the complications
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Purpose: To retrospectively analyse the characteristics of diagnosis and operative treatment of 66 cases of scwannoma in the spinal canal. Methods: Sixty-six cases, 27 of the cervical region, 13 the thoracic and 26 of the lumbar and sacral regions were treated from 1983 to 1996. Clinical manifestation and types, and results of spinal radiography, myelography, CT scannig, MR imaging, operative treatment were separately described. Results: All of the 66 cases obtained timely and accurate diagnosis and treatment. The tumors in 60 patients were completely resected; and in remaining 6 patients subtotal excision was performed. The duration of follow-up averaged two years and eleven months and excellent and good results were achieved in 90.9% of the patients. Conclusions: 1) Schwannoma in the spinal canal is not uncommon; four in this series are malignant or with malignant tendency. 2) The forms of the tumor are with lots of variations. 3)An approximate position of the lesion can be determined by clinical neurological examination. Accurate diagnosis can be made by a procedure combining clinical and imaging examinations, operative exploration and pathological examination. 4) Total resection of the tumor may result in good restoration although it is sometimes difficult and risky.