Intraoperative Computertomographie in der Wirbelsäulenchirurgie

For the past three decades, common wisdom in the legal profession has maintained that the cost of trials, and the trial process itself, are too time-consuming and too expensive to maintain. In May 2010, elite lawyers, federal judges, and prominent legal scholars gathered at Duke Law School to discuss these issues and the future of civil process in the federal courts. Most participants agreed that the focus of federal rules reform should be reigning in the high costs and delay of civil litigation. In a world of electronic discovery and electronically stored information, the costs of litigation were undoubtedly skyrocketing. If discovery had always been ripe for abuse, the ubiquity of electronically stored information made it all the more so. Yet empirical data presented at the conference told a different story. The Federal Judicial Center (FJC) reported that in its study of federal cases that had closed in the 2008 calendar year, the median cost of litigation for defendants was $20,000, including attorneys’ fees. For plaintiffs, the median cost was even less, at$15,000, with some reporting costs of less than $1600. Rather than out-of-control discovery costs emerging from the electronic discovery era, the FJC found median discovery costs represented 3.3% of the amount at stake in litigation. The results were surprising to those in attendance, but they shouldn’t have been. The FJC’s 2009 data were consistent with a line of similar studies conducted every few years and dating back to the late 1960s. Empirical work has simply never provided support for the widespread belief that the system takes too long, costs too much, and is in desperate need of repair. There exists a significant discrepancy between the common sense understanding of the civil justice system, driven by what I call the “cost-and-delay narrative,” and the picture that develops from the empirical studies. This Article seeks to understand the resilience of the cost-and-delay narrative in the face of empirical data that would seem to undermine it. To do so, this Article carefully analyzes the latest data on federal civil process showing that, even with the substantial changes in practice over the last decade, there is remarkable continuity in the findings of empirical studies. Equally consistent, this Article explains, is the cost-and-delay narrative itself, which has thrived for decades. The longevity of the cost-and-delay narrative should raise alarm bells, because it provides support for efforts to foreclose access to civil courts. Building on the work of scholars, including Arthur Miller, who have long sought to bring this discrepancy to light, this Article contextualizes the cost-and-delay narrative, and the reforms for which it is used to advocate, as part of a political struggle over the nature of the regulatory state and the proper role of courts

Resultados clínicos e radiológicos en serie de artrodesis cervical anterior con caja de fusión intersomática y placa Resultados clínicos e radiológicos em série de artrodese cervical anterior com dispositivo de fusão intersomática e placa Clinical and radiologica outcomes in series of anterior cervical fusion with intersomatic cage and plate

OBJETIVOS: Analizar los resultados clínicos e radiológicos de una serie de pacientes sometidos a artrodesis cervical anterior con caja de fusión intersomática (CAGE) y placa. MÉTODOS: Análisis retrospectivo de serie de pacientes sometidos a artrodesis cervical anterior con caja de fusión intersomática y placa entre los años 2004 y 2009. Revisión de fichas clínicas y radiografías, registro de edad, sexo, diagnósticos, nivel operado, complicaciones, evolución clínica y radiológica. Técnica quirúrgica de Smith-Robinson. Las cajas de fusión intersomática fueron llenadas con sustitutos de huesos. Deambulación 12 horas después de la cirugía, alta a las 48 horas, collar cervical intermitente por 2 semanas. Evaluación clínica mediante criterios de Odom. Seguimiento 17 a 78 meses. RESULTADOS: Diagnósticos: Hernia del núcleo pulposo (HNP) cervical, 44 (71%), mielopatía, 11 (17,7%), fracturas, 7 (11,3%). Nivel 1: 44 (71%), Nivel 2: 15 (24,2%), Nivel 3: (4,8%). El nivel C5-C6 incluyó 92% de los casos. Alivio del dolor radicular: 60 (97%). Recuperación del déficit neurológico: 59 (95,2%). Alivio de la mielopatía: 8/11 pacientes (73%). Alivio del dolor cervical: 56 (90%). Resultados clínicos: 91,9% excelentes y buenos. Complicaciones (12,9%): 4 disfagias transitorias (6,5%), 1 disfagia permanente (1,6%), 2 disfonías transitorias (3,3%), 1 subcidencia con aflojamiento del implante y fractura asintomática de placa (1,6%). No hubo pseudoartrosis. CONCLUSIONES: Esta serie presenta buenos resultados clínicos, com alivio del dolor y recuperación neurológica comparables con los hallazgos en la literatura. El uso de la caja de fusión intersomática evita complicaciones de la zona dadora y, cuando es asociado a placa cervical anterior permite fijación intersomática inmediata, dando soporte estructural adecuado, con buenos resultados y sin complicaciones a largo plazo.<br>OBJETIVOS: Analisar os resultados clínicos e radiológicos de uma série de pacientes submetidos a artrodese cervical anterior com dispositivo de fusão intersomática (CAGE) e placa. MÉTODOS: Análise retrospectiva de série de pacientes submetidos a artrodese cervical anterior com dispositivo de fusão intersomática e placa entre 2004 e 2009. Revisão de fichas clínicas e radiografias, registro de idade, sexo, diagnósticos, nível operado, complicações, evolução clínica e radiológica. Técnica cirúrgica de Smith-Robinson. Os dispositivos de fusão intersomática foram preenchidos com substitutos ósseos. A deambulação ocorreu 12 horas depois da cirurgia, alta às 48 horas, colar cervical intermitente por 2 semanas. Avaliação clínica pelos critérios de Odom. Acompanhamento de 17 a 78 meses. RESULTADOS: Diagnósticos: hérnia de núcleo pulposo (HNP) cervical, 44 (71%), mielopatia, 11 (17,7%), fratura 7 (11,3%). Nível 1: 44 (71%), Nível 2: 15 (24,2%), Nível 3: (4,8%). O nível C5-C6 incluiu 92% dos casos. Alívio da dor radicular: 60 (97%). Recuperação do déficit neurológico: 59 (95,2%). Alívio da mielopatia: 8/11 pacientes (73%). Alívio da dor cervical: 56 (90%). Resultados clínicos: 91,9% excelentes e bons. Complicações (12,9%): 4 disfagias transitórias (6,5%), 1 disfagia permanente (1,6%), 2 disfonias transitórias (3,3%), 1 subsidência com afrouxamento do implante e fratura assintomática da placa (1,6%). Não houve pseudoartrose. CONCLUSÕES: Esta série apresenta bons resultados clínicos, com alivio da dor e recuperação neurológica comparáveis aos encontrados na literatura. O uso da caixa de fusão intersomática evita complicações na região doadora e quando é associado à placa cervical anterior permite fixação intersomática imediata, proporcionando suporte estrutural adequado, com bons resultados e sem complicações a longo prazo.<br>OBJECTIVES: To analyze the clinical and radiological results of a series of patients undergoing anterior cervical arthrodesis with cage and plate. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of series of patients undergoing anterior cervical arthrodesis with cage and plate between 2004 and 2009. Review of medical records and radiographs, record of age, sex, diagnosis, level operated on, complications, clinical and radiological revision. Surgical technique of Smith-Robinson. The cages were filled with bone substitutes. Walking occurred 12 hours after surgery, hospital discharge at 48 hours, intermittent cervical collar for 2 weeks. Clinical assessment by Odom criteria. Follow up from 17 to 78 months. RESULTS: Diagnosis: cervical herniated nucleus pulposus (HNP), 44 (71%), myelopathy, 11 (17.7%), fracture 7 (11.3%). Level 1: 44 (71%), Level 2: 15 (24.2%), Level 3 (4.8%). The C5-C6 level included 92% of the cases. Radicular pain relief: 60 (97%). Recovery of neurological deficit: 59 (95.2%). Relief of myelopathy: 8/11 patients (73%). Neck Pain Relief: 56 (90%). Clinical Results: 91.9% excellent and good. Complications (12.9%): four transient dysphagias (6.5%), one permanent dysphagia (1.6%), two transient dysphonias (3.3%), one subsidence with of the implant and asymptomatic plaque fracture (1.6%). No pseudoarthrosis. CONCLUSIONS: This series presents good clinical results with pain relief and neurological recovery comparable to those found in the literature. The use of intersomatic cage avoid complications in the donor site and when it is associated with anterior cervical plate fixation allows immediate intersomatic fixation, providing adequate structural support, with good results and no long-term complications