ABSTRACT
Research on biomechanical testing of the spine in vitro is crucial to advance understanding about the function of spine, spine injury, spinal degeneration, and the influence of implants on spinal disorders. Spinal biomechanics is mainly composed of two parts: loading methods for the spine and measurement for the spinal movement. The loading method has gone through a process from gradual loading to continuous loading. In this paper, current literatures on spinal biomechanics were studied and up-to-date loading methods for the spinal movement in vitro were summarized to provide some references and help for the future research on loading methods of spinal movement.
ABSTRACT
Relative movement between the spine segments has close connection with spinal surgery. Understanding the spinal range of movement is crucial to advance our understanding about the biomechanical function of spine injury, spinal degeneration, and the development of new surgical treatments and implants for spinal disorders. The measurement of spinal movement has gone through the process from two dimensional plane to three dimensional measurement, from simple to complex, from rough estimation to precise calculation. This paper will describe the major achievements and deficiency of various methods of spinal movement measurement to provide reference and help for the research of spinal movement measurement.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of facet joint injection in the conservative management of osteoporotic spinal compression fractures METHOD: Among 27 patients with osteoporotic spinal compression fractures which were confirmed by plain radiography and bone densitometry (dual energy x-ray absorptiometry), 9 patients were control group and 18 patients received facet joint injection treatment. Facet joint injection of thoracolumbar spine was done under fluoroscopic guide with 1% lidocaine 1 ml and triamcinolone 10 mg at each joint above and below the level of compression fracture at both side. Main outcome measures were visual analog scale (VAS), spinal movement (modified Schober's and lateral bending test), and physical activity from bed-ridden state (grade I) to outdoor activity without pain (grade V). The treatment outcomes were assessed before injection, 2 weeks and 4 weeks after injection. RESULTS: There were significant decrease in VAS at 2 weeks and 4 weeks after injection in the study group (p<0.05). Physical activity was significantly improved at post injection 2 weeks and 4 weeks (p<0.05). There were no significant differences between the two groups in spinal movement. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that facet joint injection of thoracolumbar spine is useful method in the conservative management of painful osteoporotic compression fractures.