The bony spur formation without degenerative change in the lumbar spines in the young age group is quite interesting and not uncommon. This bony spur is different from the degenerative spur in the old age group in shape and mechanism of formation. The authors analyzed 111 patients with such posterior lumbar bony spur for recent 3 years and 9 months. The authors concluded that posterioly located Schmorl's node is a main cause of the bony spur without degenerative change at lumbar region. The authors advocated 'Juvenile spur' as a new disease entity.
Humans ; Lumbosacral Region ; Spine*

Thermography is a sensitive and reliable method for diagnosis of radiculopathy. Skin temperature alterations of the involved dermatome named thermatone are diagnostic for sensory root involvement in radiculopathy which can be demonstrated by thermography. Digital infrared thermographic imaging system using computer is development and could measure thermal difference more exactly without hazards or discomforts to patient. Authors present 186 cases of thermographic evaluation in herniated lumbar disc disease by digital infrared thermographic imging system and the results are evaluated with literature review.
Diagnosis ; Humans ; Radiculopathy ; Skin Temperature ; Thermography

No abstract available.

The therapeutic response to treatment of lumbar disk heniation with chymopapain chemonucleolysis is significantly influenced by the criteria used for patient selection. In an attempt to identify objective pretreatment radiographic findings, especially spine CT scanning, that might refine selection criteria and further increase to success rate of chemonucleolysis, a retrospective correlation of pretreatment spine CT findings and clinical results easmade of 1000 consecutive patients from May 1984 to September 1987 at the Dept. of Neurosurgery, Yongdong Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine. The data were obtained from a questionnare and clinical records. Overall success rate was 87.5%. The favorable CT parameters to define the higher successful rate of chemonucleolysis included:1) single level treatment;2) posterolateral directed herniation;3) mild to moderate degree protrusion;4) protruded type herniation;5) not combined facet hypertrophy or sipinal stenosis. The unfavorable CT parameters placed into lower successful rate of chemonucleolysis included:1) multiple levels treatment;2) degenerative bulging annulus;3) severe degree protrusion;4) sequestered type herniation;5) combined degenerative spondylosis or facet hypertrophy of spinal stenosis, bony spur or calcification of disc.
Chymopapain ; Constriction, Pathologic ; Humans ; Hypertrophy ; Intervertebral Disc Chemolysis* ; Neurosurgery ; Patient Selection ; Retrospective Studies ; Spinal Stenosis ; Spine ; Spondylosis ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

The effect of naloxone on blood flow was studied in cats subjected to 400 gm-cm contusion injuries of the thoracic spinal cord. Ten cats were treated with 10 mg/kg naloxone 45 to 60 minutes after injury. Ten cats were given 10 mL of saline instead of naloxone, and 10 cats were neither injured nor treated. Hydrogen clearance was used to measure blood flow in the lateral white column at the contusion site. Naloxone, given intravenously, significantly improved the blood flow rates in the lateral column white matter. At 2 hours after injury, the mean blood flow in the saline-treated cats fell to 6.01+/-0.90 mL/100 gm/min, whereas it increased 8.47+/-1.14 mL/100gm/min in naloxone-treated cats (p<0.05). The authors conclude that naloxone may be useful for spinal cord injury.
Animals ; Cats ; Contusions ; Hydrogen ; Naloxone* ; Spinal Cord Injuries* ; Spinal Cord*

Recurrent episode of meningitis in infants and children frequently constitute a frustrating and distressing, both in determination of course and treatment. The authors are reporting a infected case of congenital dermal sinus with dermoid cyst in the subarachnoid space of cauda equina and conus medullaris which was cured after complete removal of cyst and sinus tract.
Cauda Equina ; Child ; Conus Snail ; Dermoid Cyst ; Humans ; Infant ; Meningitis ; Spina Bifida Occulta* ; Subarachnoid Space

Spinal fusion has performed for instability and anatomical reconstruction since 1985 by Barthe. Bone grafts and synthetic materials has been used for spinal fusion, but they have several limitations and complications. Recently a new synthetic polymer B.O.P.(Biocompatible Osteoconductive Polymer) was developed and it overcome the limitations of other materials. The B.O.P. showed no foreign body reaction and gave scaffolding for the osteoconduction and osteointegration. Authors operated 35 cases of spinal fusion with B.O.P. and the results and literature reviews were discussed.
Bone Regeneration ; Bone Substitutes ; Foreign-Body Reaction ; Polymers ; Spinal Fusion* ; Transplants

Anterior interbody fusion has used for instability and anatomical reconstruction in various cervical diseases since 1958 by cloward. Bone grafts such as autograft, allograft, xenograft and synthetic materials were utilized in fusion as a graft material. But conventional fusion materials have problems including postoperative morbidity, transmission of diseases, foreign body reaction, collapse, prolongation of operation time. A new synthetic material, Biocompatible Osteoconductive Polymer(B.O.P) is developed and it was useful for cervical anterior interbody fusion as a substitute for other fusion materials.
Allografts ; Autografts ; Foreign-Body Reaction ; Heterografts ; Transplants

Herniated lumbar disk occur rarely during childhood and infrequently during adolescence. Authors reviewed the radiographs and medical records of 33 consecutive patients(22 males and 11 females) younger than 17 years who underwent lumbar discectomy and chemonucleolysis between 1983 and 1988 at the Dept. of neurosurgery, Yongdong Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, The average length of follow-up was 8.8 month. The duration of symptoms before surgical intervention varied from weeks to 5 years and characterized by bimodal high incidence from 2 months to 6 months and over 1 year. Spine CT scan was a most important part of the radiographic evaluation. Trauma was not a significant etiologic factor. All of the patients(100%) had lower back pain with sciatica, while a positive Laseque's test and limited back motion were the most frequent objective findings. The clinical picture was similar to that in the adult. But objective findings dominate in children, and their complaints were minor. Then w e finded that a strongly positive stratight leg raising test, scoliosis and other prominent physical signs justify surgery, if effort at conservative therapy had been unrewarding. The disk operations were performed at the L4-5 level in 54.5% of patients, the L5-S1 level in 27.5%, the L3-4 and L4-5 level in 3%, the L4-5 and L5-S1 level in 15%, Twenty eight of the 33 patients underwent chemonucleolysis and five underuent partial hemilaminectomy with discectomy. After surgical treatment including chemonucleolysis in this group of patient, the results were excellent in 60.6%, good in 36.3%, and fair in only 3.1.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Child* ; Diskectomy ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Incidence ; Intervertebral Disc Chemolysis ; Laminectomy ; Leg ; Low Back Pain ; Male ; Medical Records ; Neurosurgery ; Sciatica ; Scoliosis ; Spine ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed

The purpose of this study is to introduce the various methods of indirect decompression of minimally invasive procedures available for treatment of lumbar spine surgery. A review of the literature, as well as our personal experience with minimally invasive approaches to the lumbar discs, was performed. The minimally invasive procedures for treatment of lumbar disc disease include the following: 1) chemonucleolysis; 2) automated percutaneous lumbar discectomy (APLD); 3) nucleoplasty; 4) microdecompressor; 5) percutaneous laser discectomy; and 6) hydrodiscectomy. Although all percutaneous techniques are reported to have high success rates, to date no studies have demonstrated any of these being superior to microsurgical discectomy, which continues to be regarded as the standard with which all other techniques must be compared.
Decompression ; Diskectomy ; Humans ; Intervertebral Disc Degeneration ; Intervertebral Disc Displacement ; Spine