No abstract available.
Rhizotomy* ; Scoliosis*

No abstract available.
Rhizotomy* ; Trigeminal Neuralgia*

No abstract available.
Cerebral Palsy* ; Rhizotomy*

BACKGROUND: Chronic discogenic pain is commonly intractable to various conservative treatments and anatomic correction through operation. Nowadays, a radiofrequency thermocoagualation technique applying the pathophysiologic mechanism that cause discogenic pain and the pathways of transmission of discogenic pain have been successfully tried. This study was performed to evaluate the efficacy of radiofrequecy thermocoagulation of the ramus communicans nerve in patients who suffered from intractable discogenic pain even after intradiscal electrothermal therapy. METHODS: The authors evaluated 13 cases in which radiofrequency thermocoagulation of the ramus communicans nerve was used for patients suffering from chronic discogenic pain even after intradiscal electrothermotherapy. Ten weeks after the procedure, we compared VAS scores of the pre- procedure and post-procedure state. RESULTS: Fifty-four percent of patients had an excellent decrease in the VAS score (VAS < 3). One patient complained of a mild motor weakness of the lower extremity but recovered completely by postoperative day 26. CONCLUSIONS: In the cases of intractable chronic discogenic pain, it is valuable to perform a rhizotomy of the ramus communicans nerve with radiofrequency.
Electrocoagulation ; Humans ; Lower Extremity ; Rhizotomy

No abstract available.
Muscle Spasticity* ; Rhizotomy* ; Upper Extremity*

Chemical rhizotomy with the intrathecal alcohol injection was firstly attempted by Dogliotti in 1931, and with phenol in 1955 by Maher. The intrathecal neurolytic injection was a very simple, effective and nonsurgical procedure without any great danger. Good indications for the procedure are the bilateral pelvic and lower limb pain syndrome, well circumscribed pain in limited area and in poor general condition. We have reported two cases of intractable pain of limited area, successfully relieved by chemical rhizotomy, and discussed the importance of the procedure and presented the review of literatures.
Lower Extremity ; Pain, Intractable* ; Phenol ; Rhizotomy

BACKGROUND: To minimize the side effects of radiofrequency trigeminal rhizotomy by making a more selective minimal lesion for the target division of a trigeminal rootlet, we performed this study to evaluate the effectiveness and the selectivity of radiofrequency trigeminal rhizotomy using a 2 mm active tip electrode as compared to a 5 mm active tip electrode. METHODS: The authors evaluated 36 cases, in which radiofrequency thermocoagulation of a trigeminal rootlet was performed using a 2 mm active tip electrode or a 5 mm active tip electrode at 75oC for 60 seconds in patients suffering from trigeminal neuralgia. One month after each operation, we assessed the clinical effects, selectivity, and the side effects of these operations. RESULTS: Of the 36 patients, 34 patients experienced loss of tic pain. In terms of effectiveness, no difference was found between the two groups. In terms of selectivity, some superiority was shown by the 2 mm active tip electrode, but this was not statistically significant. Masseter weakness or dysesthesia occurred in six patients who suffered from tic pain in the V3 region, and who were operated upon with a 5 mm active tip electrode. Major complications like anesthesia dolorosa, and corneal anesthesia were absent in any patients. CONCLUSIONS: For target specific lesion generation of trigeminal rootlets, single lesion generation using a 2 mm active tip electrode may be as clinically effective as a 5 mm tip and is more selective in use.
Anesthesia ; Electrocoagulation ; Electrodes* ; Humans ; Paresthesia ; Rhizotomy* ; Tics ; Trigeminal Neuralgia*

This experimental study was designed to develop an electromyography(EMG) machine and a program to be used during the selective dorsal rhizotomy, and to investigate the patterns of EMG waves generated by stimulation of the normal spinal nerve roots in cat. The developed machine, consisting of nerve stimulator, EMG amplifier, analogue-digital converter and computer program, functioned well during experiment without any mechanical or electrical problems. We were able to record pure H-wave(Hoffmann wave) in EMG by stimulating posterior root in most cases, although components of motor and directly conducted waves were observed only in few cases. The peak latency of H-wave, which was about half of that of the motor wave by the mean value, was consistent as a whole. H2/H1 ratio (the ratio of the second and the first H-wave), peak amplitude and the pattern of changes of the peak amplitudes with continuous sitmulation, however, varied greatly from case to case. In conclusion, the results of this experiment suggest that EMG wave patterns, generated by the stimulation of the posterior nerve roots, may not be appropriate for the determination of the nerve roots to be cut during the selective dorsal rhizotomy.
Animals ; Cats ; Reflex* ; Rhizotomy* ; Spinal Nerve Roots* ; Spinal Nerves*

No abstract available.
Animals ; Ligation* ; Neuralgia* ; Rats* ; Rhizotomy* ; Spinal Cord* ; Spinal Nerves*

Selective posterior rhizotomy(SPR) has been known to reduce the spasticity as well as to improve the quality of life in patients with intractable spasticity. Twenty patients underwent SPR under intraoperative electrophysiological monitoring (IOM). Fifty-two percent of sacrolumbar rootlet were cut after electrical stimulation. Eighteen patients(90%) with spastic type of cerebral palsy showed marked reduction of spasticity and functional improvement without any complication. The patients who did not respond to SPR had mixed types of spasticity. IOM facilitate the selection of pathological rootlets regardless of anaesthetic level, intensity of electrical stimulation, and individual variability of responses. It is concluded that careful selection of surgical candidates and of pathological rootlets under IOM are important to reduce the spasticity, thereby to obtain a better outcome.
Cerebral Palsy ; Electric Stimulation ; Humans ; Muscle Spasticity ; Quality of Life ; Rhizotomy*