Comparison of percutaneous nucleoplasty and open discectomy in patients with lumbar disc protrusions.

INTRODUCTION: Coblation nucleoplasty is a minimally invasive method, at middle way between conservative and open surgical treatment of patients with degenerative disc disease and lumbar disc protrusion. Authors compare the outcome of patients treated through the two methods. MATERIAL AND RESULTS: Two groups of 80 patients each were treated through open discectomy and nucleoplasty. Patients with radicular symptoms caused by disc protrusions, having antero-posterior diameter of herniated disc less 6 mm, resistant to conservative treatment, were operated using nucleoplasty. When antero-posterior diameter of the disc herniation was > 6 mm, classical discectomy method was applied. Classical surgeries (discectomies) were performed by the senior author (D.A.), while the nucleoplasty procedures all three authors equally participated. In the first group improvement of radicular pain was immediate. At 1 year after the procedure only one third of the patients returned to work. In the group treated through nucleoplasty improvement of pain was slow but gradual. After 1 postoperative year the VAS score of patients treated through the two methods were very close. At 3 days post nucleoplasty all patients returned to work. In this group there were not intraoperative or post-operative complications. One patient was afterwards operated through open discectomy. CONCLUSION: Coblation nucleoplasty is a safe and efficient method to treat patients with lumbar disc protrusion.

Failure of conservative treatment for lumbar spinal stenosis in elderly patients.

Spinal stenosis syndrome affects mainly patients at their 5th-6th decades of life. There is a strong debate in the literature whether patients with spinal stenosis should be operated or treated conservatively. Our aim was to evaluate patients with lumbar spinal stenosis who were treated conservatively. All patients over 65 years of age who were handled conservatively in the private clinic of the senior author due to spinal stenosis syndrome were evaluated. There were 21 males and 15 females aged between 65 and 88 years. Intermittent claudication was the dominant clinical presentation. The radiological examination showed a frequent narrowing at the level L4-L5. All patients had a severe stenosis of less than 10mm diameter of the spinal canal. All patients underwent a conservative therapy which included physical therapy with ultrasound waves, short waves, and flexion exercises. All patients were offered to undergo an epidural or nerve root injection. Twenty-four patients agreed also to have one of these procedures to relieve their symptoms. All patients were followed between 6 and 10 months after the initial diagnosis. We used the Oswestry index category for evaluation. In all parameters the conservative treatment failed to improve the symptoms in the vast majority of patients. None of the patients was very satisfied with the results of conservative treatment while 33 patients (92%) were not so satisfied or unsatisfied with the results. We conclude that conservative treatment for lumbar spinal stenosis is not a success for elderly patients. These patients should be convinced to undergo operative treatment.

Pulsed radiofrequency in the treatment of patients with chronic neuropathic spinal pain.

In recent years there has been debate among spinal surgeons, neurosurgeons and pain physicians regarding the efficacy of radiofrequency (RF) ablation when treating patients with a neuropathic pain source. It is usually considered as a treatment option after conservative treatment has failed. Twenty-eight patients with a minimal follow-up of 1 year were examined in our institution after they had undergone pulsed radiofrequency (PRF) procedures due to neuropathic spinal pain. Nineteen patients (68 %) reported long-term pain relief (more than 1 year) which was defined as a reduction of the visual analogue score by at least 30 %. No complications were found in this study except for mild discomfort in the treated area which spontaneously resolved up to 3 weeks after the procedure. We concluded that PRF is a safe and an effective procedure for patients who suffer from chronic neuropathic pain from spinal origin. It should be tried after conservative treatment has failed.

Decompression surgery for lumbar spinal stenosis in the elderly: preoperative expectations and postoperative satisfaction.

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort examination. OBJECTIVES: Data on expectations and satisfaction rates in elderly patients operated for lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) are limited. The present study aimed to investigate these issues as well as the factors that might affect them. SETTING: A university affiliated hospital. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A follow-up study of 367 consecutive patients aged 65 years and older (mean age 71.4 years), who underwent surgery for degenerative LSS between 1990 and 2000. Data collection included patients' preoperative expectation, demographic data, body mass index, operative risk, duration of symptoms, clinical presentation and patients' satisfaction on follow-up, pain level, activities of daily living level and walking ability. Data were recorded before operation and on follow-up. Preoperative and follow-up data were analyzed by univariate and multivariable models. RESULTS: The response rate on follow-up was 81% (298 patients). A logistic regression analysis showed that advanced age, male gender and high education level were independently associated with positive expectations, while a great number of covariates were associated with patients' satisfaction. High patients' expectations were positively interrelated with satisfaction (r=0.332, P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In the elderly, preoperative expectations reasonably predict their postoperative satisfaction rate. It is suggested that a greater effort should be made to narrow the gaps between expectations and satisfaction, perhaps by providing more accurate preoperative information data regarding the outcomes of planned surgery.

The effect of insoles on the incidence and severity of low back pain among workers whose job involves long-distance walking.

The prevalence and incidence of low back pain in general society is high. Workers whose job involves walking long distances have an even higher tendency to suffer from low back pain. A positive effect of insoles in reducing low back pain was found in professional sports players. This was not examined on people whose job involves walking long distances. In this double blind prospective study we examined the effectiveness of insoles constructed in a computerized method to placebo insoles in 58 employees whose work entailed extensive walking and who suffered from low back pain. The evaluation was performed by the MILLION questionnaire, which is considered as a valid questionnaire for evaluation of low back pain. We calculated the differences of the pain intensity before and after the intervention, in the employees using the insoles manufactured by computer in comparison to the users of the placebo insoles. In each group, the analysis was performed in comparison to the baseline. A total of 81% of the employees preferred the real insoles as effective and comfortable in comparison to 19% of the users of the placebo insoles (P<0.05). The results of this study indicate a substantial improvement in the low back pain after the use of the true insoles. The average pain intensity according to the MILLION questionnaire before the use of the insoles was 5.46. However, after the use of the real insoles and the placebo insoles, the average pain intensity decreased to 3.96 and 5.11, respectively. The difference of the average pain intensity at the start of the study and after the use of the real insoles was significant: -1.49 (P=0.0001), whereas this difference after the use of the placebo insoles was not significant: -0.31 (P=0.1189). The reported severity of pain also decreased significantly: a level 5 pain and above was reported by 77% of the subjects at the start of the study. After the use of the real insoles only 37.9% of the subjects reported a similar degree of pain severity, and 50% of the subjects did so after the use of the placebo insoles (P< 0.05). We did not find a link between low back pain and other variables such as gender, age, number of offspring, work seniority, smoking, previous use of insoles and previous medication. This study demonstrates that the low back pain decreased significantly after the use of real insoles compared to placebo ones.

Percutaneous posterior lumbar interbody fusion using the B-twin expandable spinal spacer.

Sixty-two suitable subjects (mean age: 49.3 years) underwent percutaneous posterior lumbar interbody fusion (PPLIF) using the B-Twin expandable spinal spacer (B-Twin ESS) and were followed thereafter for 2 years or longer. The clinical outcome was expressed by the change in pain intensity as scored on a visual analogue scale and the change in degree of disability as scored by the Oswestry Disability Index. The results were compared with those of a previous trial of PLIF using the B-Twin ESS in which the latter was introduced via the open surgical approach (OPLIF). Mean duration of operation was 103 minutes. Blood loss was negligible. No operative difficulties or complications were encountered. No participant was lost to follow-up. Disc space height had increased by a mean of 10 %. At that time there were no radiographic signs of non-union in any patient. The mean pain intensity and disability scores decreased by 66 % and 61 %, respectively, as compared to those on admission. The clinical outcome of the percutaneous method was comparable to that of the open procedure using the B-Twin ESS; however, the results can be interpreted as favoring the former in the context of minimal invasiveness. Should this outcome be validated in further trials, the technique may be adopted in selective cases.

Does obesity affect the results of lumbar decompressive spinal surgery in the elderly?

The prevalence of obesity among the population is increasing, including in many elderly people. The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether lumbar spinal surgery in elderly patients with different body mass indices influences pain, satisfaction rate, and activities of daily living. Two hundred ninety-eight elderly patients (older than 65 years), 153 women and 145 men, who had decompressive laminectomy, discectomy, or combinations of these procedures during 1990 to 2000 were followed up. Indications for surgery included limitation in doing activities of daily living, severe pain, or both. The patients were classified into one of four categories in terms of their body mass index. The operative parameters, pain reduction, satisfaction rate, and activities of daily living using the Barthel index were assessed. The more obese patients were younger, tended to be female, and were more symptomatic. All four groups of patients had reduction in pain, improvement in activities of daily living, and were satisfied with the operation. Our data suggest that it is reasonable to operate on patients who are elderly and obese and who have lumbar symptoms, with the appropriate indications.

Operative treatment for hip fractures in patients 100 years of age and older: is it justified?

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate a unique group of elderly patients over 100 years of age who had hip fractures. DESIGN: Retrospective database analysis. SETTINGS: Academic teaching hospital. PATIENTS: All patients who had hip fractures between January 1990 and December 2001 and were over 100 years old were included. INTERVENTION: In this study, we evaluated the age, gender, type of fracture, type of treatment, background disease, rehabilitation, and time until death of all patients over 100 years, whether treated operatively or nonoperatively. RESULTS: Twenty-three patients (17 females and 6 males) were identified with ages ranging from 100 to 107 (mean: 101.8). The group had 4 subcapital and 19 pertrochanteric fractures and between 1 and 4 major background diseases. Four patients were treated nonoperatively (1 due to major pneumonia and 3 refused the operative procedure). Three of those 4 patients died in the same month of admission, and 1 patient died during the second month. Among the 19 patients who underwent operation, 17 patients have died, living between 0 and 78 months (mean: 13.8) postoperatively. Two are still alive (21 and 45 months) after the operation. Eight patients died prior to 6 months, and 11 lived more than a year after the operation. A comparison between these 2 groups showed greater major background disease in the patients who died prior to 6 months (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Most hip fractures in patients over 100 years of age are pertrochanteric. Patients with 2 or more major background diseases have an increased risk for dying in the first 6 months after the operation. Most patients having operations in this age group had a postoperative reduction in mobility status and in performing basic activities of daily living.

Outcomes in patients admitted for rehabilitation with spinal neurological lesions following intervertebral disc herniation.

BACKGROUND: Little information is available about the survival, neurological recovery, and length of stay in hospital for rehabilitation (LOS) of patients with spinal neurological deficit following disc herniation (DH). STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. OBJECTIVE: To report on outcomes and factors affecting these. SETTING: The Spinal Research Laboratory, Loewenstein Rehabilitation Hospital, Israel. SUBJECTS: A total of 158 patients with DH spinal neurological lesions (DHSNL). METHOD: Data were collected retrospectively. Survival was assessed using the Kaplan-Meier method; relative mortality risk by the Cox proportional hazard model. Neurological recovery was evaluated by calculating the change in Frankel grades, and factors that affect it were assessed by logistic regression. LOS associations were analyzed with ANOVA. RESULTS: The median age at lesion onset was 48 years, and the median survival 29 years. Age and gender had a significant effect on survival, but not so lesion severity, level, or decade of onset. Of the 69 patients who had Frankel grades A, B, or C on admission, 72% achieved useful recovery to grades D or E. The severity and level of the spinal neurological lesion (SNL) had a significant effect on recovery. The mean LOS was 87 days; it was significantly affected by lesion severity and level and by the decade of admission to rehabilitation, and decreased with time. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with DHSNL who were admitted for rehabilitation have favorable survival and recovery rates compared with previously studied patients with other types of SNL. Their LOS is probably a function of medical requirements, but is decreasing with time.

[Relief of chronic cervical pain after selective blockade of zygapophyseal joint].

Osteoarthrosis of the zygapophyseal joint (Z-joint) is a potential cause of chronic cervical pain. The diagnosis of thirty patients, with pain of more than 12 months duration and with no history of trauma, was confirmed with intra-articular fluoroscopy-guided infiltration of anesthetic. The patients were subsequently treated with intra-articular corticosteroids (Depo-Medrol 40 mg). Visual Analogue Scale was used for evaluation purposes. The mean time for relapse of 50 percent of the pre-injection level of pain was 12.47 +/- 1.89 weeks, significantly longer than 3 days as reported in patients similarly treated following whiplash neck injury. At this point selective blockade of Z-joints may be offered as an adjunct for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes for patients with chronic neck pain due to facet osteoarthrosis in the ambulatory setup.

Rehabilitation after knee immobilization in octogenarians with patellar fractures.

Between January 1990 and December 1999, 14 octogenarians (8 women and 6 men) underwent surgery for comminuted patellar fracture. Average patient age was 83 years (range: 80-88 years). Follow-up ranged from 1-8 years (mean: 3.5 years). Ten of 14 patients were totally independent, whereas 4 patients used a cane for mobilization. Twelve patients had background diseases. Patients underwent operative treatment with tension band wires followed by cast immobilization (knee in approximately 10 degrees of flexion) for 6 weeks. Immediate full weight bearing was initiated in all patients, and intense rehabilitation was performed after cast removal to increase range of motion. Complete union was noted for all fractures. All patients but 1 had an active extension lag of 10 degrees-20 degrees before physiotherapy and maximum flexion was 70 degrees. After physiotherapy, 4 patients regained full active extension and all patients achieved >100 degrees of flexion. Twelve of 14 patients returned to their pre-injury functional level. A slight deterioration was noted in 2 patients. Although knee immobilization may cause severe limitation in range of motion, its use in elderly patients followed by intense rehabilitation is advocated and showed good results.

Reinnervation of the neurogenic bladder in the late period of the spinal cord trauma.

STUDY DESIGN: Intercostal nerve to spinal nerve root anastomosis in chronic spine-injured patients. OBJECTIVES: To analyze the effectiveness of neurogenic bladder reinnervation in spinal cord-injured patients through artificial creation of sprouting (intercostal nerve to spinal nerve root anastomosis). SETTING: Center of Neurosurgery, Moscow, Russia. Operations were performed by Professor A Livshits. (At present, Professor A Livshits is working at the Spinal Care Unit, Meir General Hospital, Kfar Saba, Israel.) METHODS: A total of 11 patients with spinal cord injury of the L1 level were operated on in the late (chronic) stage. The neurological status and urodynamics were investigated before and 12 months after operation. A laminectomy from T11 to L3 was performed. Next, a neurolysis of the 11th and 12th intercostal nerves was carried out, at a distance of 20-21 cm, and transferred to the vertebral canal. The S2-S3 roots were then cut in their proximal portion and anastomosed end-to-end to the intercostal nerves. The results of urodynamic studies were calculated by the Wilcoxon signed rank test for comparison before and 12 months after operation. RESULTS OF URODYNAMIC STUDIES: Bladder capacity (ml) before operation - 489+/-79, after operation - 350+/-39, urine volume (ml) before - 18.2+/-17, after - 306.4+/-39.8, residual urine (ml) before - 459+/-99.4, after - 50+/-11.8. Detrusor tone (rel. units) before - 0.6+/-1.5, after 1.2+/-0.2; voiding pressure (cmH(2)O) before - 4.4+/-5.2, after - 30.5+/-4.9. Force of detrusor contraction before - 5+/-5.8, after - 32.8+/-5.5. Sphincter resistance (cmH(2)O) before - 6.5+/-3.8, after - 21.1+/-4.2. Significant improvements in bladder function were observed during the 10th to 12th postoperative months. Restoration of reflex voiding occurred in all patients; in eight of the 11 paresthesic in the groin and scrotum and reappearance of the bulbocavernous, anal and cremasteric reflexes were noted. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that a restitutive process occurs in the bladder under novel conditions of its nerve supply provided by the intercostal nerve and by new connections established between it and the bladder nerves. Spinal cord lesions that might benefit from nerve crossover surgery would be located at the conus, so functional intercostal nerves could be connected to sacral roots to bypass the injury in an attempt to restore central connections to the bladder.

Length of stay in hospital following spinal cord lesions in Israel.

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. OBJECTIVE: To monitor length of stay (LOS) in a specialist spinal cord lesion (SCL) department in Israel, evaluate factors that affect it, and assess its association with other outcome measures. SETTING: Loewenstein Rehabilitation Hospital, Raanana, Israel. METHODS: In all, 1367 SCL patients treated between 1962 and 2000, and a group of 44 patients admitted between 1996 and 2002 were recruited. LOS, factors that affect it, and Spinal Cord Independence Measure second version (SCIM-II) gain and efficiency were measured. Data were collected from hospital charts and from the Population Registry of the Israel Ministry of Internal Affairs. LOS associations were analyzed with ANOVA, ANCOVA, Pearson's chi(2) test, Pearson's correlation, and Cox proportional hazard model. RESULTS: The mean LOS was 239 days for traumatic SCL (SD=168) and 106 days for non-traumatic SCL (SD=137). SCL etiology, SCL severity, and decade of admission to rehabilitation, were associated with the LOS (P<0.001). SCIM II gain correlated with LOS in the first 70 days after admission (r=0.81-0.82; P<0.001). In some patients, longer LOS was associated with a considerable increase in ability, through 5-8 months from admission. CONCLUSIONS: LOS of patients with SCL in Israel is within the customary LOS range in Europe. Longer LOS in a specialist SCL department may be positively associated with improved rehabilitation outcome. Further study is required to determine the LOS that allows optimal achievements.

The role of radiofrequency in the treatment of mechanical pain of spinal origin.

Radiofrequency (RF) ablation is a method that has been gaining popularity over the past few years among spinal surgeons. It has a role when dealing with pain of spinal origin, either mechanical or neuropathic, after conservative treatment has failed. In the present study, 122 patients with a minimal follow up of 1 year were examined at our institution after having undergone RF heat lesion of the medial branch for mechanical spinal pain (low back pain, thoracic pain or cervical pain). They were followed up 1, 3, 6 and 12 months after treatment. Twenty-two of them were additionally followed up at 18 months. After 1 month, 91 patients (75%) were satisfied with the results. After 3 months, 87 patients (71%) had significant pain relief, while in 35 patients (29%) there was no improvement. After 6 months of follow-up, 80 patients (66%) had pain relief and in 42 patients (34%) there was no effect. At 12-months follow-up, 77 patients (63%) showed good results and 45 patients (37%) had no effect. In the case of the 22 patients who were followed for 18 months, all showed significant pain relief. Minor complications occurred in 27 patients (22%), who had transient discomfort and burning pain. We concluded that RF is a safe and partially effective procedure for mechanical back pain.

Simultaneous distal radius and hip fractures in elderly patients--implications to rehabilitation.

PURPOSE: The reasons for fractures in the elderly patients are multifactorial. Osteoporosis is considered to be the main pathology. Other reasons are the increase in fall frequency and the protective response to trauma. The most common sites at which these fractures occur are the hip, vertebra and distal radius. A combination of these is uncommon. METHODS: All patients who were treated between January 1990 and December 2000 with a combination of distal radius and hip fractures and were older than 65-years were retrospectively evaluated. The following parameters were evaluated: age; sex; pre fall function; use of drugs; chronic and acute comorbidity; circumstance of the fall; hospitalization length of stay; treatment procedure; complications; and post-hospitalization rehabilitation. RESULTS: Forty-six patients met the study's criteria. Group I consisted of 16 patients between 65-80 years, and group II consisted of the remaining 30 patients older than 80 years. All patients suffered low energy trauma. Ten out of the 16 patients in group I, and eight out of the 30 patients in group II were totally independent, while the remaining patients needed some help with activity of daily living (ADL). In all patients the simultaneous fractures were ipsilaterally. For 45 patients hospital stay ranged from 5-23 days. Twenty-eight patients were transferred to a geriatric rehabilitation centre. Twenty-six of them returned to their previous ADL after a period of 60 days on average. Among the 18 remaining patients, 11 gained full recovery (6 from group I and 5 from group II) and seven patients (5 from group II) had a slight reduction in ADL. CONCLUSIONS: A combination of these fractures is probably more traumatic and occurs in the higher-age group. It is always located in the ipsilateral side. The double trauma represents a better pre-morbid condition relative to patients in the same age group, and thus it may serve as a prognostic indicator for success in rehabilitation.

Harvesting bone graft from the posterior iliac crest by less traumatic, midline approach.

Complications of the donor site after the harvest of corticocancellous bone graft from the posterior iliac crest are very common. The most common are chronic donor site pain, tenderness, and sensory disturbances. This study investigates the results of the midline, lumbar fascia splitting approach for harvesting bone graft in lower lumbar spine fusion and compares them with the classic separate incision approach. A retrospective study of 107 patients compares two groups. The first group of 56 patients (35 males and 21 females with an average age of 41.8 years) had bone graft taken by splitting the two layers of the lumbar fascia down to their attachment to the iliac crest. The second group of 51 patients (29 males and 22 females with an average age of 43.7 years) had a separate incision over the iliac crest. In the first group, 82.1% had no tenderness, 8.9% mild, 7.1% moderate, and only 1.8% severe tenderness over the donor site. In the second group, 45.1% had no tenderness, 21.6% mild, 17.6% moderate, and 15.7% severe tenderness over the donor site. Five patients of the separate incision group (9.8%) had a lump in the donor site compared with none in the "same incision" group. Sensory disturbances over the donor site were found in 5.4% of the first group and in 21.6% of the second group. Harvesting bone graft from the posterior iliac crest for lower lumbar spine fusion through a midline, fascia splitting approach was found superior to the traditional, separate incision approach.

Survival following spinal cord injury in Israel.

BACKGROUND: Survival following spinal cord injury (SCI) has greatly improved since the unsuccessful attempts to repair the damaged spinal cord were replaced by systematic prevention and treatment of complications caused by the neural damage. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the main outcome measures in patients with spinal cord injury. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Loewenstein Rehabilitation Hospital, the major referral center for rehabilitation medicine for hospitals throughout Israel. SUBJECTS: 250 consecutive patients, injured between 1959 and 1992. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Survival rates and mortality risk factors. METHOD: Demographic, clinical, and mortality data were collected from the hospital charts and from the Population Registry of the Israel Ministry of Internal Affairs. Survival rates were estimated using the product limit (Kaplan-Meyer) method, and their association with known risk factors was analyzed with the Cox proportional hazard model. RESULTS: The survival rate after injury was 81% after 10 years, 75% after 20 years, and 62% after 30 years, and 50% after about 36.5 years. Survival was found to be negatively associated with age (P=0.01) and with high spinal level of injury (P=0.003). CONCLUSIONS: Survival rates in the studied population are similar to those reported in other countries, and are close to those of the general population living in Israel in the same time period. The study demonstrates that developing countries can reach survival rates comparable to those of developed countries, and may contribute to better survival predictions of patients with SCI.

[Vertebroplasty: percutaneous augmentation of vertebrae].

Vertebroplasty presents a new method for fortification of structural impaired or partially collapsed vertebrae due to various pathological disorders. According to the original method published 15 years ago, acrylic bone cement is injected percutaneously into the vertebral body under local anesthesia and fluoroscopic guidance. Indications include osteoporotic fractures, benign tumors as vertebral hemangiomas or metastatic tumors affecting the spine. Reported results are good and complications are uncommon. This article reviews the new method for restoration of the collapsed vertebra and new cement materials with osteoconductive properties.

Deep skin slough following skin traction for hip fractures.

INTRODUCTION: Elderly patients who fracture their hips are susceptible to complications associated with bed rest before surgery. In some institutions a skin traction device is used in order to relieve pain before surgery. The authors followed ten patients who developed severe (deep) skin slough and evaluated the relationship to the skin traction device. The need for use of a skin traction device is debated and the need for multidisciplinary treatment if this complication develops is emphasised. PATIENTS AND METHODS: All patients who had serious skin slough between January and December 2000 were evaluated. A serious skin slough was defined as any new and abrupt case of a full-thickness skin loss involving damage or necrosis of subcutaneous tissue, but not through the underlying fascia and not extending to underlying bone, tendon or joint capsule. Preoperative assessment including background illness and medications, the application of a skin traction device, the type of surgery that was performed, and complications were noted. RESULTS: Ten patients (nine females and one male) aged 76-90 years met the criteria of serious skin slough. The leading chronic illness was cardiovascular. Among these patients there were intertrochanteric fractures (n = 5), subcapital fractures (n = 4) and a subtrochanteric fracture (n = 1). In all patients a skin traction device was used. In seven out of the ten patients the skin slough occurred during or immediately after surgery. Other postoperative complications included uncontrolled glucose levels (> 130 mg/dl during fasting) (two cases) and urinary tract infections (two cases). The skin slough was treated with a daily wound care regimen by a trained nurse and included daily changing of wet dressings and application of Vaseline gauze. All patients were allowed immediate ambulation after the surgery and were discharged 9-15 days after the surgery. Although improvement of the slough was noted in all patients, none of them had fully recovered, and they had to continue treatment in outpatient clinics. DISCUSSION: The main goal of treatment in elderly patients who fractured their hips is to return them to their previous activities of daily living. A skin traction device, although useful for many of the patients, has the disadvantage of causing serious skin slough. This complication can interfere with the normal curve of rehabilitation and cause prolonged hospital stay. Whenever this complication is expected, the application of the skin traction device should be avoided. Moreover, careful handling of the patients by physicians, physiotherapists and nurses is mandatory. If this complication develops, vigorous multidisciplinary care is recommended.

Rasch analysis of the Catz-Itzkovich spinal cord independence measure.

BACKGROUND: The Spinal Cord Independence Measure (SCIM) is a new disability scale developed specifically for patients with spinal cord lesions (SCL). Its original and second versions (SCIM and SCIM II) were found to be reliable and more sensitive than the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) to functional changes in SCL patients. OBJECTIVE: To further validate the SCIM II, examining its components on a larger population. DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. SETTING: Two rehabilitation centers in Israel. SUBJECTS: Two hundred and two inpatients with SCL. INTERVENTIONS: Routine SCIM assessments by staff nurses. Rasch and accompanying analyses. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Unidimensionality of subscales (areas of function); goodness of fit of the tasks to the Rasch model; relationship of total-patient and single-task performance-ability; usability of task categories and the order of threshold locations between them; subscale discrimination of ability and difficulty and hierarchical nature; discrimination of task-categories ability, ie, distribution of thresholds along ability levels; and differential task behavior by age, gender and examination subgroups. RESULTS: Four unidimensional subscales were identified, and an acceptable goodness of fit to the Rasch model was demonstrated in most of their tasks (infit mean square=0.8-1.2, outfit mean square=0.6-1.4). However, some tasks showed overfit (bathing lower body) and some showed misfit (wheelchair-car transfer). Additional analyses performed to check for reasons for less than acceptable fit revealed flaws in a minority of the outcome measures. CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this analysis confirm the validity and reliability of the SCIM II. To a large extent we can infer that the SCIM II construct allows for the detection of any level of disability in any patient with SCL. A few item categories, however, should be rephrased or removed.