Parâmetros De Avaliação Do Equilíbrio Sagital Cervical Na Escoliose Idiopática

There are no values defined as standard in the literature for the parameters of assessment of cervical sagittal balance in patients with idiopathic scoliosis. This study describes the sagittal cervical parameters in patients with idiopathic scoliosis. Methods: Study carried out in a tertiary public hospital in patients with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, through the evaluation of panoramic radiographs in lateral view. The Cobb method was used to evaluate cervical lordosis from C2 to C7, distance from the center of gravity (COG) of the skull to C7, measurement of T1 slope, thoracic inlet angle (TIA), neck tilt, and plumb line from C7 to S1 (SVA C7-S1). A statistical analysis was performed, to demonstrate the relationship between the alignment of the thoracic spine in the sagittal plane and the cervical sagittal balance of patients with scoliosis. Results: Thirty-four patients were female (69.4%) and 15 male (30.6%). The mean values for COG-C7 were 0.71 mm (median 0.8 mm/standard deviation [SD]= 0.51 mm). For Cobb C2-C7, the mean was -11.7° (median -10°/SD= 20.4°). The mean slope of T1 was 23.5° (median 25°/SD= 9.5°). The mean cervical version was 58.8° (median 60°/DP= 15.4°). The mean TIA was 81.8° (median 85°/SD= 16.7°). The mean plumb line C7-S1 was -0.28 (-0.3/SD= 1.0). Conclusion: The analysis of the results showed that the mean values for the cervical lordosis are lower than the values described as normal in the literature, suggesting a loss of sagittal cervical balance in these patients.161384

Relação Entre Qualidade De Vida E Osteólise Em Torno De Parafusos Pediculares Lombares

To evaluate whether the presence of osteolysis around the pedicle screws affects the quality of life of patients who underwent posterolateral arthrodesis of the lumbosacral spine. Methods: A retrospective study of patients undergoing lumbar posterolateral or lumbosacral arthrodesis due to spinal degenerative disease. CT scans of the operated segments were performed at intervals of 45, 90, 180, and 360 postoperatively. In these tests, the presence of a peri-implant radiolucent halo was investigated, which was considered present when greater than 1mm in the coronal section. Concurrently with the completion of CT scans, the participants completed the questionnaire Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) to assess the degree of disability of the patients. Results: A total of 38 patients were evaluated, and 14 (36.84%) of them showed some degree of osteolysis around at least one pedicle screw at the end of follow-up. Of the 242 analyzed screws, 27 (11.15%) had osteolysis in the CT coronal section, with the majority of these occurrences located at the most distal level segment of the arthrodesis. There was no correlation between the presence of the osteolysis to the quality of life of patients. The quality of life has significantly improved when comparing the preoperative results with the postoperative results at different times of application of ODI. This improvement in ODI maintains linearity over time. Conclusion: There is no correlation between the presence of peri-implant osteolysis to the quality of life of patients undergoing lumbar or posterolateral lumbosacral arthrodesis in the follow-up period up to 360 days. The quality of life in postoperative has significantly improvement when compared to the preoperative period.15429029

Translation and cross-cultural adaptation to portuguese of Swiss Spinal Stenosis Questionnaire

OBJECTIVE: Translate and culturally adapt to Brazilian-Portuguese the Swiss Spinal Stenosis Questionnaire. METHOD: 1) initial translation; 2) back-translation; 3) pre-test; 4) final test. RESULTS: The Brazilian- Portuguese version was administered to 27 patients with spinal stenosis. Changes were made to terms and expressions that were not understood by patients during the pre-test, and the final version was drawn up in consensus. This final version was applied again, resulting in 100% of patients understanding. CONCLUSION: Therefore, the final version is available from the Swiss Spinal Stenosis Questionnaire in Brazilian-Portuguese. The validation of this version is already in progress.OBJETIVO: Traduzir e adaptar transculturalmente para a língua portuguesa o questionário Swiss Spinal Stenosis Questionnaire. MÉTODO: 1) tradução inicial; 2) retrotradução; 3) pré - teste; 4) teste definitivo. RESULTADOS: Aplicamos a versão em português em 27 pacientes com estenose vertebral. Foram realizadas mudanças de termos e expressões que não foram entendidas pelos pacientes durante o pré-teste e realizada a versão final em consenso. A versão final do questionário foi aplicada com 100% de entendimento pelos pacientes. CONCLUSÃO: Disponibiliza-se assim a versão final em português do Swiss Spinal Stenosis Questionnaire. A validação desta versão já está em desenvolvimento.OBJETIVO: Traducir y adaptar culturalmente para el portugués de Brasil al Swiss Spinal Stenosis Questionnaire. MÉTODO: 1) traducción inicial, 2) retrotraducción, 3) pre - test y 4) teste final. RESULTADOS: La versión en portugués de Brasil fue administrada a 27 pacientes con estenosis espinal. Se hicieron cambios a los términos y expresiones que no fueron comprendidas por los pacientes durante el pre-test y la versión final se completó en consenso. El cuestionario final fue aplicado con un 100% de comprensión de los pacientes. CONCLUSIÓN: Por lo tanto, la versión final del cuestionario de la estenosis espinal suizo. La validación de esta versión está ya en progreso.364

Evaluation of the pain and local morbidity of the insertion taken out from the iliac crest to the anterior cervical arthrodesis

OBJECTIVE: to evaluate the possible complications associated to the removal of the insertion of the anterior iliac crest in surgery to the anterior cervical arthrodesis, especially to the residual pain. METHODS: the retrospective study with the medical records analysis and the application of a form by telephone with 20 patients in a period from August 2008 to November 2009 were performed. All patients were submitted to the same surgical technique for the crest extraction, and were operated by the same team at Hospital das Clínidas da Unicamp (HC Unicamp). The variants analyzed were: residual, pain infection rate, neurologic or vascular lesion and occurrence of the fracture of the iliac wing. The data was placed in a table and the average and percentage were calculated. RESULTS: of the 20 patients, 12 men and 8 women, with average age of 51.75 years (29-74) and mean follow-up of 11,83 months (2-29), we did not find any serious lesion like fracture, arterial or neurologic lesion. There was a case of superficial infection (5%), and 25% of the patients complained about light discomfort and not incapacitating difficulty to prowl. CONCLUSION: the removal of the anterior iliac crest is associated to many complications. It is important to know of other insertion options and make the patient aware of the possible complications. Through this research, we did not find any serious complications, and the patients' percentage with residual pain are the same as in the literature, and can be diminished through a careful dissection of the iliac crest.OBJETIVO: avaliar as possíveis complicações associadas à retirada de enxerto da crista ilíaca anterior em cirurgia para artrodese cervical anterior, em especial a dor residual. MÉTODOS: foi realizado estudo retrospectivo com análise de prontuários e aplicação de questionário via telefone com 20 pacientes no período compreendido entre Agosto de 2008 e Novembro de 2009. Todos os pacientes foram submetidos à mesma técnica cirúrgica para extração do enxerto, sendo operados pela mesma equipe no Hospital de Clinicas da Unicamp (HC Unicamp). As variantes analisadas foram dor residual, taxa de infecção, lesão neurológica ou vascular e ocorrência de fratura da asa do ilíaco. Os dados foram colocados em uma tabela e as médias e porcentagens foram calculadas. RESULTADOS: dos 20 pacientes, 12 homens e 8 mulheres, com média de idade de 51,75 anos (29-74) e follow-up médio de 11,83 meses (2-29), não houve nenhuma lesão grave, como fratura, lesão arterial ou neurológica. Houve um caso de infecção superficial (5%) e 25% dos pacientes queixaram-se de desconforto leve e dificuldade para deambular não incapacitante. CONCLUSÃO: a retirada de enxerto da crista ilíaca anterior está associada a muitas complicações, sendo importante o conhecimento de outras opções de enxerto e exposição ao paciente das possíveis complicações. Por meio deste levantamento, não verificamos nenhuma complicação grave, e o percentual de pacientes com dor residual acompanha os achados na literatura, podendo ser diminuído com uma dissecção cuidadosa da crista ilíaca.OBJETIVO: evaluar las posibles compilaciones asociadas a la retirada del injerto de la cresta ilíaca anterior en cirugía para artrodesis cervical anterior, principalmente los dolores residuales. MÉTODOS: fue realizado un estudio retrospectivo con análisis de prontuarios y con aplicación de cuestionario por teléfono para 20 pacientes entre agosto de 2008 y noviembre de 2009. Todos los pacientes fueron sometidos al mismo procedimiento cirúrgico para la retirada del injerto, siendo que fueron operados por el mismo equipo en el Hospital de Clínicas de la Unicamp (HC Unicamp). Las variantes analizadas fueron: dolor residual, tasa de infección, lesión neurológica o vascular y aparición de fractura en el ala ilíaca. Los datos fueron colocados en una tabla, y las mediciones y porcentajes fueron calculados. RESULTADOS: de los 20 pacientes, 12 hombres y 8 mujeres, con edad media de 51,75 años (29-74), acompañamiento medio de 11,83 meses (2-29). No tuvo ninguna lesión grave como fractura, lesión arterial o neurológica. Hubo un caso de infección superficial (5%), y 25% de los pacientes se quejaron de malestar leve y dificultades para andar no incapacidad. CONCLUSIÓN: la retirada del injerto de la cresta ilíaca anterior esta relacionada a muchas complicaciones, siendo importante el conocimiento de otras opciones de injerto y exposición al paciente de las posibles complicaciones. A través del levantamiento, no se verificó ninguna complicación grave y el porcentual de pacientes con dolor residual pude se comparar con los encontrados en literatura, pudiendo ser reducidos a través de una disección cuidadosa de la cresta ilíaca.42442

Pure higher-order effects in the portfolio choice model

This paper examines the effects of higher-order risk attitudes and statistical moments on the optimal allocation of risky assets within the standard portfolio choice model. We derive the expressions for the optimal proportion of wealth invested in the risky asset to show they are functions of portfolio returns third- and fourth-order moments as well as on the investor’s risk preferences of prudence and temperance. We illustrate the relative importance that the introduction of those higher-order effects have in the decision of expected utility maximizers using data for the US

Assessment of interobserver reproducibility of a new scale for management guidance in spinal metastasis: SINS score

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact on the management and quantify the inter-observer reproducibility of SINS Score. Also, determine its applicability to our milieu. METHODS: A presentation of 20 cases of secondary spine lesions was compiled, which was examined by 10 observers. They defined the stability of each injury and, after the presentation of SINS Score, the same cases were presented to the same observers and again they were asked to determine the stability of the lesion. The collected data were analyzed by the Fleiss' Kappa Calculation and Intra-class Correlation. RESULTS: Inter-observer moderate agreement was obtained by using SINS classification. CONCLUSIONS: The classification is applicable to our milieu. There was a change of opinion about the stability of the lesions after the presentation of the classification to the observers.OBJETIVO: Avaliar o impacto na conduta e quantificar a reprodutibilidade interobservador do escore SINS. Além disso, determinar sua aplicabilidade em nosso meio. MÉTODOS: Compilou-se uma apresentação com 20 casos de lesões secundárias da coluna, que foi analisada por 10 observadores. Estes definiram a estabilidade de cada lesão e, após a apresentação do sistema SINS, os mesmos casos foram apresentados aos mesmos observadores para que novamente determinassem a estabilidade da lesão. Os dados colhidos foram analisados por meio do cálculo do Kappa de Fleiss e da correlação intraclasse. RESULTADOS: Obtivemos concordância moderada interobservador com o uso do escore SINS. CONCLUSÕES: O sistema é aplicável em nosso meio. Houve mudança de opinião quanto à estabilidade da lesão após a apresentação do escore aos observadores.OBJETIVO: Evaluar el impacto en la conducta y cuantificar la reproducibilidad interobservador de la escala SINS. Además de eso, determinar la aplicabilidad de la clasificación en nuestro medio. MÉTODOS: Se compiló una presentación de 20 casos de lesiones secundarias de la columna vertebral que fue examinada por 10 observadores. Estos definieron la estabilidad de cada lesión y después de la presentación de la puntuación SINS, los mismos casos fueron presentados a los mismos observadores para que de nuevo determinasen la estabilidad de la lesión. Los datos obtenidos fueron analizados mediante el cálculo de Kappa de Fleiss y de la correlación intraclasse. RESULTADOS: Obtuvimos concordancia moderada interobservador con el uso de la puntuación SINS. CONCLUSIONES: La puntuación es aplicable en nuestro medio. Hubo un cambio de opinión en cuanto a la estabilidad de la lesión después de la presentación de la puntuación a los observadores.28728

The GRAVITY+ Project: Towards All-sky, Faint-Science, High-Contrast Near-Infrared Interferometry at the VLTI

The GRAVITY instrument has been revolutionary for near-infrared interferometry by pushing sensitivity and precision to previously unknown limits. With the upgrade of GRAVITY and the Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI) in GRAVITY+, these limits will be pushed even further, with vastly improved sky coverage, as well as faint-science and high-contrast capabilities. This upgrade includes the implementation of wide-field off-axis fringe-tracking, new adaptive optics systems on all Unit Telescopes, and laser guide stars in an upgraded facility. GRAVITY+ will open up the sky to the measurement of black hole masses across cosmic time in hundreds of active galactic nuclei, use the faint stars in the Galactic centre to probe General Relativity, and enable the characterisation of dozens of young exoplanets to study their formation, bearing the promise of another scientific revolution to come at the VLTI.Comment: Published in the ESO Messenge