Spine surgery in patients with ankylosing spondylitis

SUMMARY INTRODUCTION: Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is an idiopathic seronegative spondyloartropathy that involves mainly the axial skeleton and the sacroiliac joints. AS promotes biomechanical changes in the spine that predispose to fractures, spinal deformity and spondylodiscitis. The aim of this article is to report the clinical and laboratorial characteristics of patients with AS who underwent spinal surgery at our Institution. METHODS: Retrospective review of medical charts of patients who had AS and underwent spinal interventions. RESULTS: Nine patients were found and eight were included in the present study. There were three men and six women and the patients' mean age was 57 years old. All patients had pain at the involved spinal level and one patient had tetraparesis due to cervical myelopathy. Acute-phase proteins were positive in six patients (75%), and HLA-B27 was found in two patients (25%). Four patients had the radiological diagnosis of spondylodiscitis (50%) and underwent a spinal disc biopsy. They were all characterized as having aseptic spondylodiscitis. Three patients were free of pain with analgesics in their last follow-up and one patient had only partial solution of his pain. Three additional patients had spinal fractures surgically treated (37.5%) and one patient was operated because of a cervical kyphotic deformity (12.5%). There were no deaths or surgical complications in this series. CONCLUSIONS: the majority of our clinical and laboratories findings were discrepant with the medical literature. These differences may be secondary to regional characteristics or by the fact that our population included only those patients who underwent spinal surgery.

RESUMO INTRODUÇÃO: A espondilite anquilosante (EA) é uma espondiloartropatia soronegativa, caracterizada principalmente pelo envolvimento do esqueleto axial e das articulações sacroilíacas. A EA promove alterações biomecânicas que predispõem a coluna a fraturas, deformidades e à espondilodiscite. O objetivo do presente estudo é reportar as características clínicas e laboratoriais dos pacientes com EA que foram submetidos a procedimentos cirúrgicos na coluna vertebral em nossa instituição. MÉTODOS: Estudo retrospectivo com revisão de dados médicos dos pacientes com EA que foram submetidos a intervenções na coluna vertebral. RESULTADOS: Nove pacientes foram encontrados e oito incluídos no presente estudo. Três pacientes eram homens e seis mulheres, com média de 57 anos de idade. Todos os pacientes apresentavam dor no segmento da coluna acometido pela doença e um paciente tinha tetraparesia por mielopatia cervical. Seis pacientes (75%) apresentaram proteínas de fase aguda com níveis séricos elevados e dois eram HLA-B27 positivos. Em quatro pacientes houve o diagnóstico radiológico presumido de espondilodiscite e estes foram submetidos à biópsia de disco (três por via percutânea e um com biópsia aberta) - em nenhum deles houve identificação de agente infeccioso. Desses, três pacientes tiveram melhora total da dor durante o seguimento, enquanto um deles mantinha dores leves. Houve três casos de fraturas tratadas cirurgicamente (37,5%) e um caso de deformidade cervical cifótica grave (12,5%). Não houve mortes ou complicações relacionadas às cirurgias nessa série. CONCLUSÕES: A maioria dos dados clínicos e laboratoriais de nosso estudo divergiu da literatura. Essas diferenças podem ser atribuídas às características regionais de nossa população ou pelo fato de incluirmos apenas pacientes que foram submetidos à intervenção cirúrgica.

Can lumbar hemorrhagic synovial cyst cause acute radicular compression? Case report / O cisto sinovial hemorrágico lombar pode causar compressão radicular aguda? Relato de caso

Lumbar synovial cysts are an uncommon cause of back pain and radiculopathy, usually manifesting with gradual onset of symptoms, secondary to involvement of the spinal canal. Rarely, intracyst hemorrhage occurs, and may acutely present as radicular - or even spinal cord - compression syndrome. Synovial cysts are generally associated with degenerative facets, although the pathogenesis has not been entirely established. We report a case of bleeding complication in a synovial cyst at L2-L3, adjacent to the right interfacet joint, causing acute pain and radiculopathy in a patient on anticoagulation therapy who required surgical resection.

Cistos sinoviais da coluna lombar são uma causa incomum de dor na coluna e radiculopatia, geralmente com evolução gradual dos sintomas, que são secundários ao comprometimento do canal vertebral. Raramente, há hemorragia intracística, que pode se manifestar de forma aguda com síndrome compressiva radicular ou mesmo medular. Habitualmente, os cistos sinoviais associam-se a doença degenerativa facetária, embora a patogênese não esteja completamente estabelecida. Relatamos aqui um caso em que uma complicação hemorrágica em um cisto sinovial no nível L2-L3, adjacente à interfacetária direita, causou dor lombar e radiculopatia em um paciente em terapia anticoagulante, sendo necessária a ressecção cirúrgica.

Cantilever Transforaminal Lumbar Interbody Fusion for Upper Lumbar Degenerative Diseases (Minimum 2 Years Follow Up)

PURPOSE: To evaluate the clinical outcomes of cantilever transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (c-TLIF) for upper lumbar diseases. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventeen patients (11 males, 6 females; mean +/- SD age: 62 +/- 14 years) who underwent c-TLIF using kidney type spacers between 2002 and 2008 were retrospectively evaluated, at a mean follow-up of 44.1 +/- 12.3 months (2 year minimum). The primary diseases studied were disc herniation, ossification of posterior longitudinal ligament (OPLL), degenerative scoliosis, lumbar spinal canal stenosis, spondylolisthesis, and degeneration of adjacent disc after operation. Fusion areas were L1-L2 (5 patients), L2-L3 (9 patients), L1-L3 (1 patient), and L2-L4 (2 patients). Operation time, blood loss, complications, Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score for back pain, bone union, sagittal alignment change of fusion level, and degeneration of adjacent disc were evaluated. RESULTS: JOA score improved significantly after surgery, from 12 +/- 2 to 23 +/- 3 points (p < 0.01). We also observed significant improvement in sagittal alignment of the fusion levels, from - 1.0 +/- 7.4 to 5.2 +/- 6.1 degrees (p < 0.01). Bony fusion was obtained in all cases. One patient experienced a subcutaneous infection, which was cured by irrigation. At the final follow-up, three patients showed degenerative changes in adjacent discs, and one showed corrective loss of fusion level. CONCLUSION: c-TLIF is a safe procedure, providing satisfactory results for patients with upper lumbar degenerative diseases.

Posterior dynamic stabilization

The purpose of this study is to report our experience with posterior dynamic stabilization, using an interspinous distracter that avoids excessive lumbar spine instrumentation, tolerating the segmental movement without foraminal conflict and preserving the adjacent segment. Twenty-nine patients with ages ranging from 48 to 70 [mean 56 years] underwent surgery using this device. All patients had low back pain that radiated to the lower limb in 21 cases. The follow-up period ranged from 6 to 12 months [mean 9 months]. Majority of patients showed outstanding results with relief of their symptoms. Interspinous distracter insertion is a safe and reliable tissue sparing technique that restores function by stabilizing the spine and maintaining the foraminal height, the natural functional anatomy and dynamism. It offers an alternative to rigid stabilization of lumbar stenosis with mild to moderate instability. Basic knowledge of spinal motion and careful selection of the patients is indispensable prior to its use

Treatment of recurrent back pain by facet block: evaluation of 40 cases

Introduction: Back pain is the most frequent symptom in spine care unit, affecting 60 percent to 80 percent in adults during some moment of their lifes, with prevalence varying of 20 to 30 percent. Among all the morphopathological factors contributing to chronic spinal pain, facet joints play a major role in generating spinal pain due to hypermobility and joint degeneration. Some minimally invasive techniques have been developed to treat pain originated at facet joint in the last years. In this study we evaluate the results of facet nerve block Materials and Methods: A prospective and descriptive study was carried on. Fourty consecutives facet nerve block in patients with recurent back pain were done. The average follow up was 6 months. In all cases clinical treatment and rehabilitation had been failed. Clinical outcomes and satisfection level had been assessed using visual anlogic scale. All patients had treated by facet block on medial branch of facet nerve. The needle position was confirmed under the fluoroscope. Results: The etiology of pain was facet syndrome in 18 patients, ten patients in postoperative pain and 12 varied causes. Twenty cases had been infiltrated in L5S1, seventeen in L4L5 and three in L3L4. were carried through a session of infiltration in 26 cases, two in 10 cases and three in four cases. We observed a satisfaction (excelent or good results) of 90 percent in the evaluation 1 hour after procedure, and 77 percent after 7 days, 69 percent after 1 month, and 58 percent after 3 months. Conclusions: Facet nerve block is simple, safe and low cost procedure. Reducing the pain in the first three monyhs of the treatment will give to the patient a window to the introduction of other treatment option. We believe this method represents a important alternative treatment for recurent back pain post clinical management failed.

Percutaneous vertebroplasty in the management of vertebral lesions.

BACKGROUND: Debilitating backache due to different types of vertebral lesions is a common cause of morbidity in all age groups. Percutaneous vertebroplasty (PV) gives substantial pain relief and stabilizes the weak vertebrae. Most of the information regarding PV comes from the Western literature. The effect of PV in our population should be studied. AIMS: The primary objective is to assess the therapeutic benefit of PV in alleviating back pain and improving the functional status in patients with painful pathologic vertebrae. The secondary objectives are to study the technical aspects of the procedure and their relation to outcome and complications. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: This is a retrospective hospital-based (tertiary teaching hospital) study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From January 2001 to December 2004, 46 patients underwent PV procedures. Sixty-five vertebroplasties were done in 13 males and 33 female patients. Twenty-four (36.92%) procedures were done for osteoporotic compression collapse, 26 (40.0%) for hemangioma, and 15 (23.07%) for different vertebral body tumors and metastasis. The Wilcoxon signed rank test was used to evaluate the statistical significance of differences between the preoperative and postoperative levels of pain, mobility and analgesic usage. RESULTS: Most of the patients had pain relief within 48 h. Only minor side effects were encountered. No patient had any deficit related to the procedure. On follow up of 3-48 months, all patients had statistically significant improvement in clinical condition (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Percutaneous vertebroplasty is a safe and effective procedure in relieving debilitating backache and can be used to treat vertebral lesions in selected cases.

Infrared Thermographic Imaging in the Assessment of Successful Block on Lumbar Sympathetic Ganglion

This study examined the net changes in temperature at various regions of the lower extremities in an attempt to identify the regions demonstrating the most significant temperature changes following a lumbar sympathetic ganglion block (LSGB). Thermography was performed before and after the LSGB in 26 sympathetic nerve system disorder cases. The inspection points were the anterior and posterior surfaces of the thigh, the knee and leg, and the dorsal and plantar surfaces of the feet. The net increases in skin temperature following the LSGB (deltaT (net) ) at the plantar and dorsal surfaces of the feet, were 6.2 +/- 2.68 degrees C (mean +/- SD) and 3.9 +/- 1.89degrees C, respectively, which were higher than those observed in the other regions of the lower extremities (p < 0.05). The areas, in order of decreasing deltaT (net), are as follows: the plantar surface of the foot, the dorsal surface of the foot, the shin, the anterior surface of the knee, the calf, the posterior surface of the knee, the anterior surface of the thigh, and the posterior surface of the thigh. There was one case of orthostatic hypotension during the thermography procedure. In conclusion, thermographic imaging is a useful method for demonstrating the success of a LSGB in various diseases. An evaluation of the deltaT (net) on the plantar surface of the feet using thermographic imaging is the most effective, simple, and safe method for assessing a successful LSGB.

Lumbalgias en adolescentes y niños. Hospital Shriners para niños, A.C / Lumbago in adolescent and children in Hospital Shriners for children

Se revisaron 47 pacientes en el Hospital Shriners para niños AC de la Unidad de México, con un rango de edad de 4 a 18 años, siendo 33 masculinos y 14 femeninos con lumbalgia como síntoma inicial; encontrándose como etiología; hernia de disco, espondilolistesis, disquitis secundaria a esfuerzo, origen psicógeno, Tb, tumores y espondilitis anquilosante. Veintitrés pacientes fueron tratados conservadoramante y 24 pacientes requirieron de tratamiento quirúrgico, Cinco pacientes se reoperaron presentándose en dos de ellos fístuloa de duramadre que se resolvió sin problema. Fueron dados de alta 24 pacientes por curación y 13 pacientes se encuentran en control en consulta externa: 9 asintomáticos y 4 con dolor. Se realizó valoración clínica, de estudios de laboratorio y gabinete, así como evaluación en el Servicio de Psicología