Systemic effects of experimental spinal cord injury on bone healing in rabbit

loss after spinal cord injury leads to increased fragility of bone and subsequent risk for low-trauma fractures in the sublesional parts of the body. Although in such injuries upper limbs are normally innervated, bone loss may occur in the upper extremities. The present study was designed to de-termine the systemic effects of spinal cord injury on the fracture healing of upper limbs in rabbits. Twenty nine skeletally mature New Zealand white rabbits received a transverse mid-humeral open osteotomy in the left upper limb with the use of a standardized technique and spinal cord injury was done using forceps model at T8 level. The animals were divided into three groups: experimental [laminectomy, spinal cord injury, and osteotomy], sham [laminectomy and osteotomy], and control [osteotomy alone]. The bone healing score was calculated using modified Sandhu system by two independent pathologists. The mean ['SD] of healing scores in experimental, control, and sham groups were 7.22 [ +/- 3.6], 8.6 [ +/- 3.3], and 8.5 [ +/- 4.3] respectively [P = 0.68]. The percentage of mesenchymal [20%] and cartilaginous tissue [35%] showed a slightly higher value in the experimental group compared with the sham group [15% and 20% respectively]. A reverse pattern was seen concerning the percentage of trabecular bone, though as a whole there was no significant difference regarding the percentage of selected components of bone healing between the three trial groups. Fracture healing in innervated upper limbs is not influenced by the systemic effects of spinal cord injury

relationship between blood lead concentration and electroneurographic findings in lead-exposed subjects

Lead is a malfactor of different organs such as autonomous, central and peripheral nervous system. Lead neuropathy is presented by movement disorder, pain hypersensitivity, muscle cramps, early fatigue, muscle weakness and atrophy. To assess the relationship between blood lead concentration on electroneurographic indicators of peripheral nerves in upper extremities. The study was performed on 50 lead-exposed volunteer workers and electroneurographic indicators including never conduction velocity, latency and amplitude were assessed in 33 healthy individuals. Blood lead concentration determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Statistical analysis was performed using X2 and Pearson tests. The mean concentration of blood lead was 96.7 +/- 27.9 micro g/dl No relationship was found between lead concentration and the sensory conducting velocity, sensory and motor latency and also residual latency in ulnar, median and radial nerves. However the relationship between radial nerve motor conducting velocity and the lead concentration was statistically significant [p<0.05]. There was no significant correlation between the blood lead concentration and the electroneurographic indicators of peripheral nerves of upper extremity. Further research with large sample size and considering all lead neurotoxic effects is suggested

Level - diagnosis of lumbar disc herniation

Little information is at hand on the diagnostic values of the clinical symptoms and signs in the level diagnosis of patients with lower lumbar disc herniation. We examined one hundred and thirty nine consecutive candidates for lower lumbar discectomy. Monoradicular pain with signs attributed to the fifth lumbar and first sacral root dysfunctions were evaluated independently in each patient. Intra-operatively, all patients were assessed by a single neurosurgeon for the level of disc herniation. We reached the conclusion that the diagnostic value of clinical features of the herniated fifth lumbar disc is higher than that of the fourth lumbar disc herniation. The value of clinical presentation in the level diagnosis of lower lumbar disc herniation is highly specific, but rather insensitive