STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective study. PURPOSE: The aims of the current study are to evaluate the minimum 10-year follow-up clinical results of anterior lumbar interbody fusion (ALIF) for degenerative spondylolisthesis. OVERVIEW OF LITERATURE: ALIF has been widely used as a treatment regimen in the management of lumbar spondylolisthesis. Still much controversy exists regarding the factors that affect the postoperative clinical outcomes. METHODS: The author performed a retrospective review of 20 patients with degenerative spondylolisthesis treated with ALIF (follow-up, 16.4 years). The clinical results were assessed by the Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) score for low back pain, vertebral slip and disc height index on the radiographs. RESULTS: The mean preoperative JOA score was 7.1 +/- 1.8 points (15-point-method). At 1 year, 5 years, and 10 years or more after surgery, the JOA scores were assessed as 12.4 +/- 2.2 points, 12.7 +/- 2.6 points, 12.0 +/- 2.5 points, respectively (excluding the data of reoperated cases). The adjacent disc degeneration developed in all cases during the long-term follow-up. The progressive pattern of disc degeneration was divided into three types. Initially, disc degeneration occurred due to disc space narrowing. After that, the intervertebral discs showed segmental instability with translation at the upper level. But the lower discs showed osteophyte formation, and occasionally lead to the collapse or spontaneous union. CONCLUSIONS: The clinical results of the long-term follow-up data after ALIF became worse due to the adjacent disc degeneration. The progressive pattern of disc degeneration was different according to the adjacent levels.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Intervertebral Disc ; Intervertebral Disc Degeneration ; Intervertebral Disc Displacement ; Low Back Pain ; Lumbosacral Region ; Osteophyte ; Retrospective Studies ; Spondylolisthesis

Here, we report on a rare case of a giant invasive sacral schwannoma. The patient was a 58-year-old woman who had a 6-year history of non-specific buttock pain. Histological investigation confirmed the diagnosis of cellular schwannoma. The following numerical aberration was detected using the GTG-banding method for karyotypes: 47,XX,-14,+18,+22. Cytogenetic studies of schwannomas have indicated a complete or partial loss of chromosome 22 as the most common abnormality, but this case is cytogenetically rare because of the recurrence of trisomy 22.
Buttocks ; Chromosomes, Human, Pair 22 ; Cytogenetics ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Neurilemmoma ; Recurrence ; Sacrum ; Trisomy

Postoperative meningitis after spinal surgery is a rare complication that can result in a life-threatening condition. Linezolid (LZD) is an oxazolidinone which has been approved in Japan for infections caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. The authors encountered a case of postoperative meningitis with cerebrospinal fluid leakage (liquorrhoea) that occurred after resection of a cervical cord tumor. The infection was caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus epidermidis(MRSE). Debridement and suture of the dura matter was carried out. LZD was given intravenously. The infection was cured without any sequelae. Based on this result, we concluded that LZD might be considered as one of the first choices for the treatment of postsurgical meningitis caused by MRSE.
Acetamides ; Debridement ; Humans ; Japan ; Meningitis ; Methicillin Resistance ; Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus ; Oxazolidinones ; Staphylococcus ; Sutures ; Linezolid