Carbon Fiber-Reinforced PolyEtherEtherKetone (CFR-PEEK) Instrumentation in Degenerative Disease of Lumbar Spine: A Pilot Study

: CFR-PEEK is gaining popularity in spinal oncological applications due to its reduction of imaging artifacts and radiation scattering compared with titanium, which allows for better oncological follow-up and efficacy of radiotherapy. We evaluated the use of these materials for the treatment of lumbar degenerative diseases (DDs) and considered the biomechanical potential of the carbon fiber in relation to its modulus of elasticity being similar to that of bone. Twenty-eight patients with DDs were treated using CRF-PEEK instrumentation. The clinical and radiographic outcomes were collected at a 12-month FU. Spinal fusion was evaluated in the CT scans using Brantigan scores, while the clinical outcomes were evaluated using VAS, SF-12, and EQ-5D scores. Out of the patients evaluated at the 12-month FU, 89% showed complete or almost certain fusion (Brantigan score D and E) and presented a significant improvement in all clinical parameters; the patients also presented VAS scores ranging from 6.81 ± 2.01 to 0.85 ± 1.32, EQ-5D scores ranging from 53.4 ± 19.3 to 85.0 ± 13.7, SF-12 physical component scores (PCSs) ranging from 29.35 ± 7.04 to 51.36 ± 9.75, and SF-12 mental component scores (MCSs) ranging from 39.89 ± 11.70 to 53.24 ± 9.24. No mechanical complications related to the implant were detected, and the patients reported a better tolerance of the instrumentation compared with titanium. No other series of patients affected by DD that was stabilized using carbon fiber implants have been reported in the literature. The results of this pilot study indicate the efficacy and safety of these implants and support their use also for spinal degenerative diseases

Segmented filamentous bacteria-like organisms in histological slides of ileo-cecal valves in patients with ulcerative colitis

N

The evolution of farm size: an exploratory study by configural frequency analysis

Investment support measures in agriculture can have differentiated effects on the strategic reorganisation and the performance of farms. In this paper, we study the patterns of technical change of a sample of farms in the Lombardy region, Italy, that invested in structural modernisation benefiting from the financial incentives provided under the measure 121. We find evidence relating the modernisation of farms under the umbrella of the measure 121 to limited positive changes in farmland and more substantial positive changes in other inputs. The results are not conclusive regarding a causal relationship between the measure 121 and the structural change of farms. Nonetheless, the paper describes a situation in which patterns of farmland reduction are relatively less frequent in farms that make use of this policy instrument