Effect of methylprednisolone in medullar injury in rats: a functional and histological analysis

The pharmacological effects of the methylprednisolone in the treatment of the spinal cord lesion, have been researched. An experimental study was performed with twelve wistar rats subjected to a contusion lesion of the spinal cord, by the NYU system. The rats were divided in two groups; the MP group which received the methylprednisolone after the contusion lesion and the control group, which received a 0,9% physiological serum. An analysis of the recuperation of the functional movement of the rats was accomplished on the 2nd, 7th and 14th day after the contusion, utilizing the BBB test. On the fourteenth day the rats were sacrificed and the histological findings of the spinal cord lesion were analyzed. It was noted that the rats from the MP group exhibited an improvement in the recuperation of their functional movement compared to that of the control group, and the histological findings of the spinal cord lesion couldn't be correlated with the recuperation of their functional movement

Correlation between actual survival and Tokuhashi and tomita scores in spine metastases

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the accuracy of the scores of Tokuhashi and Tomita and the actual survival of patients with vertebral metastases.METHODS: A retrospective assessment of 45 patients with spinal metastases. Thirty-one patients underwent surgical treatment and adjuvant therapy and 14 received conservative treatment (chemotherapy/radiotherapy) or palliative/supportive, depending on the scores of Tokuhashi and Tomita.RESULTS: In the study, 80% of patients were female and the mean age was 57.8 years (SD=11.3 years). The most frequent primary tumors were breast and prostate (68.9%). The accuracy of Tokuhashi scale was 53.4% and the Tomita, 64.5%. The concentration of Tomita range of correct classification was in the category of survival > 12 months (57.8%), while the Tokuhashi scale presented some adjustment in the other categories, CONCLUSION: The Tokuhashi and Tomita scores showed good accuracy with respect to the actual survival of patients with tumor metastasis in the spine.</sec

CORRELATION OF TOKUHASHI AND TOMITA SCORES WITH THE PROGNOSIS IN METASTATIC BREAST CANCER

ABSTRACT Objective: The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the concordance between the Tokuhashi and Tomita scores with the prognosis of patients with vertebral metastases due to breast tumor, treated at the outpatient clinic of the Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Methods: Twenty-nine patients with vertebral metastases from breast tumor were retrospectively evaluated. Twenty patients were surgically treated and received adjuvant therapy and only nine received conservative (chemotherapy/radiotherapy) or palliative/support treatment, depending on Tokuhashi and Tomita scores. Results: In this study, all selected patients were females with vertebral metastasis due to breast tumor; mean age of 57.6 years (SD = 11.8 years). The accuracy of the Tokuhashi scale was 62.1% and that of Tomita 72.4%. In addition, the Tomita scale concentrates the majority of the patients’ classifications for more than 12 months (69%), indicating a good relation with the long-term prognosis (> 12 months). None of the evaluated characteristics - age or surgery - statistically influenced the survival of patients with primary breast tumor (p > 0.05). Conclusion: The Tokuhashi and Tomita scores showed good accuracy in relation to the prognosis of patients with spinal metastasis due to breast tumor

CORRELATION BETWEEN LUMBAR SPINAL STENOSIS BASED ON MORPHOLOGY OF THE DURAL SAC AND THE QUALITY OF LIFE

ABSTRACT Objective: To evaluate the possible existence of a significant correlation between quality of life and severity classification of lumbar stenosis based on dural sac morphology in outpatients. Methods: Forty patients with a diagnosis of lumbar stenosis followed at a university hospital were submitted to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and quality of life questionnaires: Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), SF-36, Swiss Spinal Stenosis Questionnaire (SSS) and EQ-5D. They were classified as type A, B, C or D based on MRI. For the statistical analysis, the Spearman correlation was used. Results: Seventeen female patients and 23 male patients with mean age of 56.5 years constituted the sample. ODI had a mean dysfunction of 44.9%, the PCS score averaged 29.9, the MCS score was 41.3. The general symptoms of SSS presented a mean of 3.2 and the EQ-5D presented an average of 0.491. The patients with the highest severity in the classification were not necessarily those who presented worse scores in the quality of life questionnaires. Conclusion: The classification of severity of the lumbar spinal stenosis based on dural sac morphology does not correlate with the applied quality of life questionnaires. Level of Evidence III; Cross-sectional observational study

Vertebral fractures in patients treated for femur proximal third fractures

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence of fractures of the vertebral bodies in patients with femur proximal third fracture. METHODS: Cross-sectional study conducted at Hospital de Clínicas, Unicamp, SP, Brazil, between May and December 2012, which referred the patients with proximal femur fracture to radiographs of the spine. Fractures were evaluated according to number, severity and localization, applying the Genant index. RESULTS: Of the 15 subjects who completed the study, 14 had fractures of the vertebral bodies. The most commonly affected level was T8. There was no increased prevalence of fractures at the apex of the thoracic kyphosis and lumbar lordosis. CONCLUSION: There is strong epidemiological association between femur proximal third fractures and fractures of vertebral bodies caused by insufficiency

Reproducibility of tomographic evaluation of posterolateral lumbar arthrodesis consolidation

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate interobserver agreement of Glassman classification for posterolateral lumbar spine arthrodesis.METHODS: One hundred and thirty-four CT scans from patients who underwent posterolateral arthrodesis of the lumbar and lumbosacral spine were evaluated by four observers, namely two orthopedic surgeons experienced in spine surgery and two in training in this area. Using the reconstructed tomographic images at oblique coronal plane, 299 operated levels were systematically analyzed looking for arthrodesis signals. The appearance of bone healing in each operated level was classified in five categories as proposed by Glassman to the posterolateral arthrodesis: 1) bilateral solid arthrodesis; 2) unilateral solid arthrodesis; 3) bilateral partial arthrodesis; 4) unilateral partial arthrodesis; 5) absence of arthrodesis. In a second step, the evaluation of each operated level was divided into two categories: fusion (including type 1, 2, 3, and 4) and non fusion (type 5). Statistical analysis was performed by calculating the Kappa coefficient considering the paired analysis between the two experienced observers and between the two observers in training.RESULTS: The interobserver reproducibility by the kappa coefficient for arthrodesis consolidation analysis for the classification proposed, divided into 5 types, was 0.729 for both experienced surgeons and training surgeons. Considering only two categories kappa coefficient was 0.745 between experienced surgeons and 0.795 between training surgeons. In all analyzes, we obtained high concordance power.CONCLUSION: Interobserver reproducibility was observed with high concordance in the classification proposed by Glassman for posterolateral arthrodesis of the lumbar and lumbosacral spine.</sec

PROXIMAL DISABILITY AND SPINAL DEFORMITY INDEX IN PATIENTS WITH PROXIMAL FEMUR FRACTURES

Objective : To evaluate the quality of life related to the spine in patients with proximal femoral fractures. Methods : Study conducted in a tertiary public hospital in patients with proximal femoral fractures caused by low-energy trauma, through the Oswestry Disability Index questionnaire to asses complaints related to the spine at the time of life prior to the femoral fracture. The thoracic and lumbar spine of patients were also evaluated applying the radiographic index described by Gennant (Spinal Deformity Index), which assesses the number and severity of fractures. Results : Seventeen subjects completed the study. All had some degree of vertebral fracture. Patients were classified in the categories of severe and very severe disability in the questionnaire about quality of life. It was found that the higher SDI, the better the quality of life. Conclusion : There is a strong association of disability related to the spine in patients with proximal femoral fracture, and this complaint must be systematically evaluated in patients with appendicular fracture

CORRELATION BETWEEN QUALITY OF LIFE AND OSTEOLYSIS AROUND LUMBAR PEDICLE SCREWS

ABSTRACT Objective: 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