[Comparison of pain intensity measurements among patients with low-back pain]. / A fájdalom intenzitását méro skálák összehasonlítása ágyéki gerincfájdalommal élok körében.

Background and purpose:

Pain intensity is the most frequently assessed health domain in clinical studies among patients with low-back pain. Visual analogue scale (VAS) and Numeric rating scale (NRS) have been the mostly used measurement tools for pain intensity. We proposed to correlate these instruments to a generic health-related quality of life measurement tool in order to show the scale with superior clinical relevance.

We used cross-sectional, convenience sampling. 120 patients with chronic low-back pain administered the 29-item Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Profile with NRS included, and the VAS scale in the National Institute of Mental Health, Neurology and Neurosurgery. We determined the correlation between PROMIS domain T-scores and VAS and NRS scores.

We performed Spearman rank correlation test to calculate the correlation coefficient. We found VAS scales measuring pain had weak to moderate correlations with all PROMIS health domains (r = 0.24–0.55). Therefore, we compared correlation of PROMIS domain scores with PROMIS pain intensity numeric rating scale and VAS scales. PROMIS domains had moderate to strong correlations with pain intensity scale (r = 0.45–0.71). PROMIS physical function short form [r = –0.65, 95% CI (–0.75) – (–0.55)] and PROMIS pain interference short form (r = 0.71, 95% CI 0.63 – 0.79) had the strongest correlation with pain intensity item.

NRS has showed greater correlation with PROMIS domain T-scores than VAS scale. This may prove that NRS has greater connection to another health domains, thus it correlated more to health-related quality of life than visual scale. We recommend NRS to use in further clinical studies conducted among patients with low-back pain.

[Pediatric neurosurgical treatment of aneurysmal bone cyst at the level of thoracic spine]. / Aneurysmás csontcysta gyermek-idegsebészeti megoldása a háti gerinc magasságában.

Aneurysmal bone cysts are benign but locally aggressive bone tumours, most often affecting children and young adults. In this case report, we present the clinical  picture of a 15-year-old boy with progressive, chronic back pain. An MRI of thoracic spine  confirmed a T2 cystic spinal tumour. After considering potential options surgical removal was our choice and gross total removal was achieved with T1-3 short-segment fixation. Aneurysmal bone cysts are often rapidly expanding lesions with vascular  transformation. In order to avoid irreversible damage, in addition to early diagnosis, it is necessary to carefully consider the therapeutic options, perform surgical removal and stabilization as necessary. In case of the presented patient, extensive surgical removal and short-segmentation were performed. At 18 months of follow-up, he had no complaints and was asymptomatic. Follow-up imaging studies showed no residual or recurrent tumour to date.

Construct validity of the Hungarian Version of the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System-29 Profile Among Patients with Low Back Pain.

OBJECTIVE: We aim to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Hungarian version of the patient-reported outcomes measurement information system (PROMIS)-29 profile domains among patients with chronic low back pain. METHODS: We used a convenience, cross-sectional sampling of patients recruited at our neurosurgical institution. The participants completed paper-pencil version of the PROMIS-29 profile in addition to validated legacy questionnaires, including the Oswestry disability index, Research and Development Corporation 36-item short-form survey, 7-item general anxiety disorder scale, 9-item patient health questionnaire. Reliability was evaluated by calculating the internal consistency (Cronbach's α). Test-retest reliability was assessed using the intraclass correlation coefficient. The structural validity of PROMIS-29 was assessed using a confirmatory factor analysis. Construct validity was assessed by evaluating convergent and discriminant validity using Spearman's rank correlation. To further corroborate the construct validity, we also performed known-group comparisons. RESULTS: The mean age of the 131 participants was 54 ± 16 years. Of the 131 patients, 62% were women. The internal consistency of each PROMIS domain was high (Cronbach's α >0.89 for all). The test-retest reliability was excellent (intraclass correlation >0.97). The confirmatory factor analysis showed good structural validity (comparative fit index >0.96; standardized root mean square residual <0.026 for all domains). All measured PROMIS scores correlated strongly with the scores obtained using the corresponding primary legacy instrument, indicating excellent convergent validity. The known-group comparisons demonstrated differences as hypothesized. CONCLUSIONS: We present data supporting the validity and reliability of the Hungarian PROMIS-29 profile short forms for patients with low back pain. This instrument will be useful for research and clinical applications in spine care.

[New, innovative prognosis calculator for patients with metastatic spinal tumors]. / Új, innovatív prognóziskalkulátor áttétes gerinctumoros betegek számára.

Background and purpose: The aim of our research was to create a scoring system that predicts prognosis and recommends therapeutic options for patients with metastatic spine tumor. Increasing oncological treatment opportunities and prolonged survival have led to a growing need to address clinical symptoms caused by meta-stases of the primary tumor. Spinal metastases can cause a significant reduction in quality of life due to the caused neurological deficits. A scoring system that predicts prognosis with sufficient accuracy could help us to achieve personalised treatment options. Methods: Methods - We performed a retrospective clinical research of data from patients over 18 years of age who underwent surgery due to symptomatic spinal metastasis at the National Institute of Mental Disorders, Neurology and Neurosurgery between 2008 and 2018. Data from 454 patients were analysed. Survival analysis (Kaplan-Meier, log-rank, Cox model) was performed, network science-based correlation analysis was used to select the proper prognostic factors of our scoring system, such that its C value (predictive ability index) was maximized. Results: Multivariate Cox analysis resulted in the identification of 5 independent prognostic factors (primary tumour type, age, ambulatory status, internal organ metastases, serum protein level). Our system predicted with an average accuracy of 70.6% over the 10-year study period. Conclusion: Our large case series of surgical dataset of patients with symptomatic spinal metastasis was used to create a risk calculator system that can help in the choice of therapy. Our risk calculator is also available online at https://emk.semmelweis.hu/gerincmet.

Impact of COVID-19 on ischemic stroke care in Hungary.

Data about the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic's collateral damage on ischemic stroke (IS) care during the second epidemic wave in Central Europe are limited. We sought to evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on Hungarian IS care during the two epidemic waves. This retrospective observational study was based on a nationwide reimbursement database that encompasses all IS admissions and all reperfusion interventions, i.e., intravenous thrombolysis (IVT) and endovascular therapy (EVT) from 2 January 2017 to 31 December 2020 in Hungary. COVID-19 pandemic's effect on the number of IS admissions and reperfusion interventions were analyzed using different statistics: means, medians, trends, relative rates, and linear relationships. The mean and median values of IS admissions and reperfusion interventions decreased only in some measure during the COVID-periods. However, trend analysis demonstrated a significant decline from the trends. The decline's dynamic and amplitude have differed for each variable. In contrast to IVT, the number of IS admissions and EVTs negatively correlated with the epidemic waves' amplitude. Besides, the decrease in the number of IS admissions was more pronounced than the decrease in the number of reperfusion interventions. Our study demonstrated a significant disruption in IS care during the COVID-19 epidemic in Hungary, in which multiple different factors might play a role. The disproportionate reduction of IS admission numbers could partially be explained by the effect of health emergency operative measures and changes in patients' social behavior. Further studies are needed to evaluate the causes of our observations.

Supplementary valproate therapy for glioma patients: An alternative opportunity to enhance the efficiency of radio-chemotherapy / A valproátterápia túlélésre gyakorolt hatása gliomás betegekben: Alternatív terápiás lehetoség a radiokemoterápia eredményességének javítására

Összefoglaló. Bevezetés: A gliomák, ezen belül a glioblastoma kezelése továbbra is megoldatlan onkológiai problémát jelent. A szekunder szimptómás epilepsziabetegség megjelenése pozitív prognosztikai faktornak tekintheto a korai diagnosztizálás és az antiepileptikumok potenciális tumorellenes hatásának köszönhetoen. A valproát túlélést hosszabbító hatása már több mint 20 éve az alap- és klinikai kutatások tárgyát képezi. Napjainkban ismert citotoxikus, proapoptotikus, antiangiogenetikus és hiszton-deacetiláz-gátló hatásmechanizmusa. Célkituzés: Kutatásunk célja a valproát túlélést hosszabbító hatásának vizsgálata egy hazai gliomás betegcsoportban. Módszer: Egycentrumos, retrospektív klinikai vizsgálatot végeztünk. A vizsgálatba 122 felnott beteget vontunk be, akiknél 2000 januárja és 2018 januárja között supratentorialis glioma miatt mutét történt, és rohamtevékenység miatt antiepileptikumot (valproát, levetiracetám, karbamazepin) szedtek. Egyúttal gyógyszert nem szedo kontrollcsoportot is kialakítottunk. A populációt vizsgálati és kontrollcsoportokra osztottuk 28 : 52 arányban. Leíró statisztikai, Kaplan-Meier- és log-rank analízist végeztünk. Eredmények: A vizsgált szövettani kategóriák túlélési analízise az irodalmi adatokkal megegyezo értékeket mutatott. A progressziómentes (PFS: p = 0,031) és a teljes (OS: p = 0,027) túlélés tekintetében is szignifikáns eltérés mutatkozott a különbözo antiepileptikumot szedo betegcsoportok között, amely még kifejezettebbé vált a valproátot és az egyéb antiepileptikumot szedo betegek túlélési idejének összehasonlítása során (PFS: p = 0,006; OS: p = 0,015). Következtetés: Vizsgálatunkban a valproát betegeink PFS- és OS-idejének meghosszabbodását eredményezte. Az irodalmi adatok és kutatásunk alapján megfontolandónak tartjuk a valproát elso vonalban történo alkalmazását onkoterápiában részesülo, epilepsziás, agyi gliomás betegekben. Orv Hetil. 2021; 162(24): 960-967. INTRODUCTION: Gliomas still prove to be a serious oncological problem. The presence of epilepsy may present a favorable prognosis due to early diagnosis and the potential antitumor effects of antiepileptic drugs. The survival prolongation effect of valproate has been studied for more than 20 years, nowadays its proapoptotic, anti-angiogenetic, cytotoxic and histone deacetylase inhibitory effects are well known. OBJECTIVE: Our goal was to investigate the survival-enhancing effects of valproate in a Hungarian patient cohort of primary brain tumors. METHOD: A single-center based retrospective clinical trial was designed. In our study, we included 122 patients harboring supratentorial glioma who underwent surgery and experienced seizures between 2000 January and 2018 January. The patients were grouped by the antiepileptic therapies and survival analysis was performed. RESULTS: The Kaplan-Meier curves of the histological categories showed the survival values consistent with the data of the literature. The progression-free (PFS: p = 0.031) and the overall (OS: p = 0.027) survival of the antiepileptic drug categories were significantly different. It was performed by comparing the valproate group and the population formed by the other groups which also showed a significant increase in the survival values (PFS: p = 0.006; OS: p = 0.015). CONCLUSION: Our results show that valproate increases the PFS and OS period of glioma patients in comparison to other antiepileptic drugs. Our data suggest that the use of valproic acid should be considered as a first-line antiepileptic agent in certain well-selected epileptic patients with glioma as a supplement to the oncotherapy. Orv Hetil. 2021; 162(24): 960-967.

Biportal endoscopic technique in the treatment of spinal stenosis: early clinical experiences and results.

OBJECTIVE: Minimally invasive procedures in spine surgery have undergone significant development in recent times. A demand emerged from both surgeons and patients to develop and perform these types of surgeries in order to prevent biomechanical and surgical complications. Our study aimed to present early clinical results of a biportal endoscopy technique in the treatment of degenerative spinal stenosis. METHOD: We created a retrospective database of patients who underwent biportal spinal endoscopic decompression at the National Institute of Clinical Neuroscience, Department of Neurosurgery, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary, in 2019. The surgical steps of technique is discussed in details. RESULTS: Retrospectively, we identified and collected 21 patients in our retrospective analysis. The early results after endoscopic decompression were excellent, 17 patients (81%) mentioned good general comfort which coincided with small incisions and the preservation of posterior spinal muscles. Three patients (14%) mentioned good condition and minor postoperative pain which could be controlled with analgesics. One patients (5%) mentioned postoperative discomfort. The patients were controlled at 3, 6 and 9 months. The mean follow-up time was 7 months. DISCUSSION: Biportal endoscopic technique was developed to fulfil the requirements of minimally invasive techniques. Our results indicate this method may be highly effective for the treatment of lumbar spinal stenosis and an alternative to conventional microsurgical decompression; however, our study limited by its retrospective manner and small population size.

Research on the predicting power of the revised Tokuhashi system: how much time can surgery give to patients with short life expectancy?

OBJECT: The primary treatment option for symptomatic metastatic spinal tumors is surgery. Prognostic systems are designed to assist in the establishment of the indication and the choice of surgical methodology. The best-known prognostic system is the revised Tokuhashi system, which has a predictive ability of about 60%. In our study, we are attempting to find the reason for its poor predictive ability, despite its proper separation ability. METHODS: We have designed a one-center-based retrospective clinical trial, by which we would like to test the feasibility and the inaccuracy of the revised Tokuhashi system. In our database, there are 329 patients who underwent surgery. Statistical analysis was performed. RESULTS: A significant increase in survival time was observed in the 'conservative' category. Earlier studies reported OS 0.15 at the 180-day control time, in contrast with our 0.38 OS value. The literature suggested supportive care for this category, but in our population, every patient underwent surgery. Our population passes the 0.15 OS value on day 475. We propose an adjustment of the Tokuhashi category scores. We observed significant success in resolving pain. Motor functions were improved or stabilized compared to changes in vegetative dysfunction. CONCLUSION: According to our results, the Tokuhashi scoring system makes very conservative predictions and prefers non-surgical palliative or supportive care. Surgical treatment increases the life expectancy of patients in poor condition. We propose modifying the therapeutic options of the revised Tokuhashi system, taking into consideration modern spine surgery techniques.

[Prognostic factors of surgically treated spinal meningeomas and long-term surgical outcomes]. / Spinalis meningeomák mutéti kezelését befolyásoló tényezok és a sebészi kezelés hosszú távú eredményei.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The spinal meningeomas are one of the most common types of spinal tumors. In the treatment of spinal meningeomas, the surgical removal is the gold standard method. There are many factors that have impacts on surgical outcomes such as age, preoperative neurological condition, the extent of resection and histological grade. The aim of our article is to analyze surgical experiences, prognostic features and long-term surgical outcomes of spinal meningeomas. METHODS: Retrospective database of surgically treated patients with spinal meningeomas between 2008 and 2016 was made in the National Institute of Clinical Neuroscience, Budapest, Hungary. Demographic data, preoperative neurological symptoms, radiological discrepancies, pathological results (histology, grade), types of treatments and postoperative results were examined. All of our patients were followed clinically and radiologically in the postoperative courses. RESULTS: All of the 153 patients were surgically treated. We have examined 112 women and 41 men. The average age of the patients was 65.5 years. In 98.7% of the cases, the postoperative control examinations (postoperative 6th week) showed a significant improvement in sensorial and motorial functions. The neurological improvements were evident right after the surgeries. In 2 cases (1.30%), no changes were observed in the preoperative symptoms. Recurrence was noticed in 4 cases (2.61%). CONCLUSION: According to our results, the spinal meningeomas can be sufficiently treated with early diagnosis and total surgical removal. Most of the patients become asymptomatic and the rate of recurrence is quite low.

Prognostic Factors of Surgical Complications and Overall Survival of Patients with Metastatic Spinal Tumor.

OBJECTIVE: Oncologic treatments increase the incidence of spinal metastases. Surgical treatment of spinal metastases results in a high complication rate, which must set against the expected benefits. The aim of this article was to study the effect of several prognostic factors on surgical complications and survival time using an extended database of patients with spinal metastases. METHODS: This retrospective study comprised 337 patients with spinal metastases who were surgically treated between 2008 and 2015. Demographic and clinical features, oncologic histories, surgical interventions, and end results were collected. Descriptive statistical methods were used to analyze the cohort of patients. Kaplan-Meier formula and log-rank test were used to examine overall survival times. RESULTS: Median overall survival time was 222 days (range, 175-274 days). Age, preoperative motor disorders, preoperative Frankel grade categories, Karnofsky performance scale, type of primary tumor, and presence of internal metastasis had a significant negative effect on overall survival. Complications such as bleeding or need for intensive care could be predicted preoperatively based on preoperative performance status, type of primary tumor, affected vertebral levels, and type of surgical interventions. CONCLUSIONS: Spinal metastatic disease is a challenging surgical problem. If the exact prognostic factors are known preoperatively, surgical outcome and overall survival can be predicted more precisely. Our results could provide a basis for a future multicenter prospective study to determine the best treatment protocol for patients with spinal metastases.

Analysis of Four Scoring Systems for the Prognosis of Patients with Metastasis of the Vertebral Column.

OBJECTIVE: Metastatic spinal diseases are common health problems and there is no consensus on the appropriate treatment of metastases in several conditions. Using clinical measures (e.g., survival time and functional status), prognosis prediction systems advise on the appropriate interventions. The aim of this article is to assess and compare 4 widely used scoring systems (revised Tokuhashi, Tomita, van der Linden, and modified Bauer scores) on a single-center cohort. METHODS: A retrospective study was designed of 329 patients who were subjected to surgery because of metastatic spinal diseases. Subpopulations according to the classifications of the 4 scoring systems were identified. The overall survival was calculated with the Kaplan-Meier formula. The difference between the survival curves of subpopulations was analyzed with log-rank tests. The consistency rates for the 4 scoring systems are calculated as well. RESULTS: The follow-up period was 8 years. The median survival time was 222 days. The overall survival of prognostic categories in 3 scoring systems was significantly different from each other, but we found no differences between the categories of the van der Linden system. In this cohort, the revised Tokuhashi system gave the best approximation for survival, with a mean predictive capability 60.5%. CONCLUSIONS: The evaluation of 4 standard scoring systems showed that 3 were self-consistent, although none of systems was able to predict the survival in our cohort. Based on the predictive capability, the revised Tokuhashi system may provide the best predictions with careful examination of individual cases.

Incidence, Morbidity, and Surgical Outcomes of Complex Spinal Inflammatory Syndromes in Adults.

BACKGROUND: Spondylodiscitis is a rare inflammatory syndrome affecting intervertebral discs and adjacent vertebral bodies. Without appropriate therapy, serious complications, such as secondary spinal epidural abscess (SEA), may prolong recovery time. In this study, we compared the main characteristics of our cohort of patients with spondylodiscitis with those of patients reported in the international literature and analyzed the impact of complications associated with spondylodiscitis on clinical outcomes. METHODS: We designed a retrospective study based on the database of the National Institute of Clinical Neurosciences, Hungary, between 2008 and 2015. We collected 78 patients suffering from primary spondylodiscitis or primary spinal epidural abscess. Based on the main clinical characteristics of our population (demographic features, initial symptoms, concurrent diseases, laboratory findings, microbiological diagnosis, therapy and clinical outcome) we constructed a database. Odds ratio (OR) counting was used to define the correlation between etiology and stage of recovery. RESULTS: We found a mild increase in the incidence of spondylodiscitis compared with international standards, and main demographic and clinical characteristics in concordance with international trends. Primary, noncomplicated spondylodiscitis had the best outcome results (OR, 1.25), and complicated spondylodiscitis had the worst, as well as the lowest OR for total recovery (0.6). CONCLUSIONS: The clinical characteristics of our study cohort did not differ from the international trends. Primary, noncomplicated spondylodiscitis has the highest odds for absolute recovery. Secondary spinal epidural abscess exacerbates ongoing spondylodiscitis, and thus should be considered a poor prognostic factor for spondylodiscitis. Early diagnosis and treatment may prevent serious complications and provide better outcomes.

Management Strategy of Osteoblastomas Localized in the Occipitocervical Junction.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this article was to analyze extracted patient data from the literature and highlight the best treatment options and survival outcomes for osteoblastomas in the occipitocervical region. METHODS: A systematic literature search method was used to select articles containing information about the demographic features, tumor location, treatment characteristics, adjuvant therapies, and follow-up time. RESULTS: From 25 articles, 31 cases of osteoblastoma in the occipitocervical junction were selected for analysis. Average patient age was 17 years (range, 5-57 years); there were 21 male (67%) and 10 female (33%) patients. All patients had cervical pain as the presenting symptom. Other symptoms included torticollis (0.13%) and sensory or motor neurologic deficits (0.16%). The average follow-up time was 41 months, and the local recurrence rate was 0.125%. Recommendations of each article are categorized and discussed in detail. CONCLUSIONS: Osteoblastoma is a rare entity in the occipitocervical region, so treatment experiences are limited and mostly based on case reports. To determine the best treatment for these lesions, osteoblastomas should be staged using the Enneking staging system; different methods may be recommended for different stages, and the feasibility of fusion depends on the remaining amount of bony structures and joints. Additional adjuvant therapies may be recommended only in special cases.

[EFFECT OF INSTRUMENTAL SURGICAL FUSION ON THE QUALITY OF LIFE IN DEGENERATIVE SPONDYLOLISTHESIS]. / A DEGENERATÍV SPONDYLOLISTHESIS INSTRUMENTÁLT FÚZIÓS SEBÉSZI KEZELÉSÉNEK HATÁSA AZ ÉLETMINOSÉGRE.

OBJECTIVE: There is no internationally accepted guideline for treatment of spondylolisthesis in the literature, otherwise this degenerative disease has great social and economical impact. There is no hungarian study examining the efficacy of instrumented fusion procedure in surgical treatment of spondylolisthesis. In current study we examined the effectiveness of fusion technique focusing on the impact of quality of life. METHODS: Between 1st January, 2011 and 30th June, 2012 we examined a group of patients--who were operated on by instrumented fusion technique because of spondylolisthesis--, in the National Institute of Clinical Neurosciences, using the Oswestry Low Back Disability Questionnaire. All patients were treated after ineffective conservative treatment. The question was wheather how has changed the patients' quality of life after the operation. Paired-sample t-test was used in this study. RESULTS: Eighty-eight of the 97 examined patients reported different levels of impovement in the postoperative period, two patient's condition has not changed in spite of the surgery, seven patient's condition showed progression in average one year after the surgery. The pain improved most significantly (55.5%) (p < 0.0001). Using the 16 point borderline according to the Questionnaire (over moderate disability), significant improvement was detected in 50 patients (51.5%). Succesful surgical result--according to the quality of life--was seen in 77.41% of male and in 50.98% of female patients. According to the different age groups, 72.72% of the younger (before retirement), and 53.06% of the retired patients belonged to this group. At least 15 point improvement was detected 35.05% of the patients, the overall improvement was 10.5 point. DISCUSSION: Our results proved effectiveness of instrumented surgical fusion procedure in the treatment of degenerative spondylolisthesis. According to our results the younger male population with significant symptoms is the group, where improvement in quality of life is more pronaunced after the surgical procedure. CONCLUSION: The instrumented fusion surgical technique provides successful clinical and surgical outcome in patients with degenerative spondylolisthesis. It could improve the quality of life. Althought multicentre follow-up studies are needed to determine the exact indication and optimal therapy.

Long-Term Outcome of Endonasal Transsphenoidal Approach for the Treatment of Pontine Cavernous Malformation: Case Report with 11 Years of Follow-Up.

Ventromedial localized cavernous malformations in the pons pose a difficult problem because of their surgical access and the high risk of deleterious consequences due to damage of the surrounding tissues. We report an endonasal transsphenoidal approach for the treatment of ventromedial pontine cavernomas that also follows principles of optimal access known as the "two-point method" for the resection of cavernous malformations. A 31-year-old woman presented with sudden left hemiparesis, nausea, and headache. Radiologic findings demonstrated a ventral pontine cavernous malformation in the midline slightly extending to the right, together with signs of acute hemorrhage. Surgical intervention was performed, and the cavernoma was completely resected via a transnasal transsphenoidal approach. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) rhinorrhea that ensued postoperatively needed an additional reconstructive surgery using the same approach. No further CSF leakage was evident, and an 11-year follow-up examination revealed neither signs of neurologic deficit nor recurrence of the resected pontine cavernoma. The long-term outcome proves the effectiveness and safety of this novel surgical route in the treatment of ventromedial cavernous malformations in the pons.

Syndrome of trephined-underestimated and poorly understood complication after decompressive craniectomy.

Decompressive craniectomy (DC) is still a matter of debate, with a numerous complications as expansion of haemorrhagic contusions, external cerebral herniation, subdural hygromas, post-traumatic hydrocephalus (HC). The often overlooked "syndrome of the trephined" (ST) as a delayed complication of DC also known as sinking skin flap sy initially described in 1939.ST is characterised by the neurological changes associated with alteration of the pressure/volume relationship between intracranial pressure (ICP), volume of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), blood, and brain tissue in patients with large bone defects. This review aims at elucidating the mechanisms responsible for the development of ST, and providing useful tips and red-flag signs for healthcare professionals involved with care of post DC patients. Symptoms identified on time could help to develop appropriate treatment strategies for this suddenly deteriorating, but possible reversible condition. Although the treatment strategy is straightforward, calling for a prompt cranioplasty, the correction of HC through CSF diversion devices might require a lengthy optimisation period. Continuous changes in the setting of the shunting systems or spinal tap might lead to dangerous swinging of the midline structures causing further neurological deterioration. Thus, finding the right balance in terms of clinical management often represents a significant challenge.

[Our experience with the use of Active-C cervical prosthesis]. / Az Active-C nyaki porckorong-protézis használatával szerzett tapasztalataink.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The most widely used surgical procedure in the treatment of cervical spine disc hernias have been the anterior cervical discectomy and fusion for decades. The usage of cervical disc prostheses enabled us to preserve the movements of the affected segments, hereby reducing the overexertion of the adjacent vertebrae and discs. Our goal is to follow our patients operated with Active-C prosthesis (which is used in the Institute since 2010) to gather information about the change of their complaints and about the functioning and unwanted negative effects of the prostheses. Question - Is the usage of Active-C prosthesis an efficient procedure? METHODS: Between 2010 and 2013, performing the survey of neurological conditions and functional X-ray examinations. We measured the complaints of the patients using the Visual Analogue Scale, Neck Disability Index and Cervical Spine Outcomes Questionnaire. The control group consisted of patients who were operated in one segment using the fusion technique. RESULTS: In the study group according to the Neck Disability Index scale after 18 months, seven patients had no complaints, while twelve persons reported mild and the remaining six moderate complaints. In the control group, moderate complaints were present in four patients, while twelve patients reported mild complaints. The other eight persons showed no complaints. According to the results of the Visual Analogue Scale in the group of prosthesis, the degree of referred pain decreased from 8.6 to 1.84 one and a half years after the surgery. A decrease was observable in the case of axial pain too, from 6.6 down to 1.92 (p<0.01). In case of three from the twenty-five patients there was no sign of movement in the level of the prosthesis. CONCLUSION: According to the present short- and mediumterm studies, the usage of the cervical disc prosthesis can be considered as an efficient procedure, but at the same time the advantages can only be determined in the long run, therefore further following and studies are required.

Role of modified open-door laminoplasty in the treatment of multilevel cervical spinal stenosis: a retrospective analysis of 43 cases.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Symptomatic degenerative multilevel cervical spinal stenosis--beside other methods--is often treated using the open-door laminoplasty. This procedure aims to decompress the spinal cord and preserve the stability of the cervical spine. The efficiency and safety of the method was proved by numerous Japanese and American studies, also the technique related complications are well known. We treated 43 patients with symptomatic multilevel cervical spine stenosis using the open-door laminoplasty as a surgical procedure of choice in the National Institute of Clinical Neurosciences between 2009 and 2012. In this article we analyse our results and the related literature is discussed. METHODS: Symptomatic patients with a minimum of three-segment cervical spine stenosis and radiologically proved myelopathy or with electrophisiologically verified subclinical myelopathy were selected for laminoplasty. Patients in whom cervical kyphosis was present were operated on using laminectomy and posterior fusion. Postoperative control CT, MRI and/or X-ray images were made after the surgery and at six weeks, three, six and 12 months after the operation and in the same time neurological evaluation was performed. The modified Japanase Orthopaedic Association (mJOA) scale value was assigned to patients preoperatively, six weeks, three, six and 12 months after the operation. The statistical difference between the groups of data was tested by chi square test. RESULTS: The average follow-up time was 27 months (minimum seven, maximum 42). According to the mJOA scale, 26 patient's condition (61%) improved, in 13 cases (30%) remained unchanged, and in one case (2%) we detected neurological deterioration. We lost three patients during the follow up period. The median of mJOA preoperatively was 12 (minimum eight, maximum 18), while six week postoperative mJOA was 14 (minimum 10, maximum 17). Three, six and 12 months mean value of mJOA was 14 which shows that the improvement in patients' condition remained stable at one year after surgery. The difference was statistically significant (p < 0.05). The canal's average anteroposterior diameter on CT was 8.29 ± 0.92 mm at the level of C III, while after the operation we measured 15.16 ± 1.02 mm; 7.54 ± 0.62 mm at the level of C IV before, and 15.29 ± 0.2 mm after; 9.05 ± 0.48 mm at the level of C V before and 17.23 ± 0.4 mm after the surgery. The differences proved to be significant (p = 0.0001). CONCLUSION: According to our experiences the modified open-door laminoplasty is an efficient and safe method for the treatment of symptomatic multilevel cervical spinal stenosis.

[Treatment of osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures with PMMA-augmented pedicle screw fixation]. / Osteoporoticus kompressziós csigolyatörések kezelése PMMA-augmentált csavaros transpedicularis rögzítéssel.

BACKGROUND: Over the last few decades many innovative operation technique were developed due to the increase of porotic vertebral fractures. These new techniques aim to reach the required stability of the vertebral column. In case of significant instability, spinal canal stenosis or neural compression, decompressive intervention may be necessary, which results in further weakening of the column of the spine, the minimal invasive percutan vertebroplasty is not an adequate method to reach the required stability, that is why insertion of complementary pedicular screws is needed. Considering the limited screw-fixing ability of the porotic bone structure, with this new technique we are able to reach the appropriate stability of cement-augmented pedicle screws by dosing cement carefully through the screws into the vertebral body. We used this technique in our Institute in case of 12 patients and followed up the required stability and the severity of complications. METHODS: Fifteen vertebral compression fractures of 12 patients were treated in our Institute. Using the classification proposed by Genant et al. we found that the severity of the vertebral compression was grade 3 in case of 13, while grade 2 in case of two fractures. The average follow up time of the patients was 22 months (12-39), during this period X-ray, CT and clinical control examinations were taken. During the surgery the involved segments were localised by using X-ray and after the exploration the canulated screws were put through the pedicles of the spine and the vertebral body was filled through the transpedicular screws with bone cement. Depending on the grade of the spinal canal stenosis, we made the decompression, vertebroplasty or corpectomy of the fractured vertebral body, and the replacement of the body. Finally the concerned segments were fixed by titanium rods. RESULTS: In all cases the stenosis of spinal canal was resolved and the bone cement injected into the corpus resulted in adequated stability of the spine. In case of six patients we observed cement extravasation without any clinical signs, and by one patient--as a serious complication--pulmonary embolism. Neurological progression or screw loosening were not detected during the follow up period. Part of the patients had residual disability after the surgery due to their older ages and the problem of their rehabilitation process. CONCLUSION: After the right consideration of indications, age, general health condition and the chance of successful rehabilitation, the technique appears to be safe for the patients. With the use of this surgical method, the stability of the spine can be improved compared to the preoperative condition, the spinal canal stenosis can be solved and the neural structures can be decompressed. The severity of complications can be reduced by a precise surgical technique and the careful use of the injected cement. The indication of the surgical method needs to be considered in the light of the expected outcome and the rehabilitation.

Minimally invasive spine surgery: systematic review.

Minimally invasive procedures in spine surgery have undergone significant development in recent times. These procedures have the common aim of avoiding biomechanical complications associated with some traditional destructive methods and improving efficacy. These new techniques prevent damage to crucial posterior stabilizers and preserve the structural integrity and stability of the spine. The wide variety of reported minimally invasive methods for different pathologies necessitates a systematic classification. In the present review, authors first provide a classification system of minimally invasive techniques based on the location of the pathologic lesion to be treated, to help the surgeon in selecting the appropriate procedure. Minimally invasive techniques are then described in detail, including technical features, advantages, complications, and clinical outcomes, based on available literature.