Objective : Blunt aortic injury often accompanies other organ injuries, and therefore requires an appropriate lifesaving surgical strategy. Patients : During the past 8 years, blunt aortic injury was reviewed, based on 5 lifesaving cases experienced in our hospital. There were 3 men and 2 women (aged 57-70, average 64.2). The Injury Severity Scores were 13-25 (an average of 17.2). Intervention : Regarding our strategy, stabilization of vital signs should be at first aimed by intensive primary care, concomitantly with diagnostic procedures. When stabilization of vital signs is obtained, a delayed operation would be considered after damage control resuscitation. As for 3 of these 5 cases, an emergency surgery was performed because of distinct aortic hemorrhage with instability of vital signs, and stent graft repair was applied based on anatomical indication in two cases. In the other 2 cases, primary diagnosis suggested aortic injury by the bone fracture pieces. Damage control was conducted following stabilization of vital signs, and delayed surgery was done with removal of the bone fracture pieces and repair of aortic injury, which improved activities of daily living. Results : All cases recovered with no particular complication, and were discharged on 9-32 days average postoperatively. Conclusion : Blunt aortic injury is often fatal, but the appropriate diagnosis and treatment can play an important role in obtaining the good results.

Surgery for abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA, n=240) was reviewed in subgroups of ruptured AAA (RAAA, n=31), non-ruptured AAA with arteriosclerosis obliterans (AAA w/ASO, n=48), and non-ruptured AAA without ASO (AAA w/o ASO, n=161). The average follow-up period was 4.2 years (maximum 15.8 years) and the follow-up rate was 97%. Overall operative mortality rates were 41.9% in RAAA and 2.9% in non-ruptured AAA. Those were 6.3% in AAA w/ASO and 1.9% in AAA w/o ASO. The main causes of death in the long-term follow-up period were heart disease in 32%, malignant neoplasm in 22%, cerebrovascular accidents in 10% and renal failure in 10%, and miscellaneous. Only renal failure was related to operative risk factors. Relative survival rates excluding hospital death following surgery were 79% at 5 years and 0% at 10 years in RAAA; 74% at 5 years and 52% at 10 years in AAA w/o ASO; 95% at 5 years and 78% at 10 years in AAA w/ASO; 90% at 5 years and 70% at 10 years in non-ruptured AAA. These survival rates were lower than those found in the normal population, especially in AAA w/ASO. AAA w/ASO had more surgical risk factors of ischemic heart diseases and diabetes mellitus. Main causes of deaths were heart diseases, and renal failure during the long-term follow-up period was more predominant in AAA. It is important to follow all patients after surgery for AAA with special attention to heart disease and renal failure.

STUDY DESIGN: Level 4 retrospective review. PURPOSE: Brace treatment is the standard nonoperative treatment for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS). Rotation correction is also important, because AIS involves a rotation deformity. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of rotation correction after Osaka Medical College (OMC) brace treatment on clinical outcomes in AIS. OVERVIEW OF LITERATURE: Brace treatment has a significant effect on the progression of AIS. However, few reports have examined rotation correction after brace treatment. METHODS: A total of 46 patients who wore the OMC brace were retrospectively reviewed. The curve magnitude was determined according to the Cobb method, and the rotation angle of the apical vertebrae was measured by the modified Nash-Moe method. Based on the difference in the rotation angle before and after the initial brace treatment, patients were divided into two groups. Group A (n=33) was defined as no change or improvement of the rotation angle; group B (n=13) was defined as deterioration of the rotation angle. If the patients had curve or rotation progression of 5° or more at skeletal maturity, or had undergone surgery, the treatment was considered a failure. RESULTS: Differences of rotation angle between before and after the initial brace treatment were 2°±2° in group A and –3°±2° in group B (p<0.001). The rates of treatment failure were 42% in group A and 77% in group B (p<0.05). This study included 25 patients with Lenke type 1 (54%). Group A (24%) with Lenke type 1 also had a significantly better success rate of brace treatment than group B (75%) (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Insufficient rotation correction increased brace treatment failure. Better rotation correction resulted in a higher success rate of brace treatment in patients with Lenke type 1.
Adolescent* ; Braces* ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Humans ; Methods ; Prognosis* ; Retrospective Studies ; Scoliosis* ; Spine ; Treatment Failure

The diagnostic performance of helical computed tomography (CT) is excellent. However, some artifacts have been reported, such as motion, beam hardening and scatter artifacts. We herein report a case of motion-induced artifact mimicking cervical dens fracture. A 60-year-old man was involved in a motorcycle accident that resulted in cervical spinal cord injury and quadri plegia. Reconstructed CT images of the cervical spine showed a dens fracture. We assessed axial CT in detail, and motion artifact was detected.
Artifacts ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; Motorcycles ; Paralysis ; Spinal Cord Injuries ; Spine ; Tomography, Spiral Computed

STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective analysis using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). PURPOSE: To identify MRI features that could discriminate benign from malignant vertebral fractures. OVERVIEW OF LITERATURE: Discrimination between benign and malignant vertebral fractures remains challenging, particularly in patients with osteoporosis and cancer. Presently, the most sensitive means of detecting and assessing fracture etiology is MRI. However, published reports have focused on only one or a few discriminators. METHODS: Totally, 106 patients were assessed by MRI within six weeks of sustaining 114 thoracic and/or lumbar vertebral fractures (benign, n=65; malignant, n=49). The fractures were pathologically confirmed if malignant or clinically diagnosed if benign and were followed up for a minimum of six months. Seventeen features were analyzed in all fractures' magnetic resonance images. Single parameters were analyzed using the chi-square test; a logit model was established using multivariate logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: The chi-square test revealed 11 malignant and 4 benign parameters. Multivariate logistic regression analysis selected (i) posterior wall diffuse protrusion (odds ratio [OR], 48; 95% confidence interval [CI], 4.2–548; p=0.002), (ii) pedicle involvement (OR, 21; 95% CI, 2.0–229; p=0.01), (iii) posterior involvement (OR, 21; 95% CI, 1.5–21; p=0.02), and (iv) band pattern (OR, 0.047; 95% CI, 0.0005–4.7; p=0.19). The logit model was expressed as P=1/[1+exp (x)], x=−3.88×(i)−3.05×(ii)−3.02×(iii)+3.05×(iv)+5.00, where P is the probability of malignancy. The total predictive value was 97.3%. The only exception was multiple myeloma with features of a benign fracture. CONCLUSIONS: Although each MRI feature had a different meaning with a variable differentiation power, combining them led to an accurate diagnosis. This study identified the most relevant MRI features that would be helpful in discriminating benign from malignant vertebral fractures.
Diagnosis ; Discrimination (Psychology)* ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Multiple Myeloma ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Osteoporosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Spinal Fractures ; Spine

STUDY DESIGN: Cross sectional study. PURPOSE: To clarify the difference in position of the psoas muscle between adult spinal deformity (ASD) and lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS). OVERVIEW OF LITERATURE: Although it is known that the psoas major muscle deviates in ASD patients, no report is available regarding the difference in comparison with LSS patients. METHODS: This study investigates 39 patients. For evaluating spinal alignment, pelvic tilt (PT), pelvic incidence (PI), sacral slope, lumbar lordosis (LL), PI–LL, Cobb angle, and the convex side, the lumbar curves were measured. For measuring the position of the psoas major at the L4/5 disk level, magnetic resonance imaging was used. The displacements of psoas major muscle were measured separately in the anterior–posterior and lateral directions. We examined the relationship between the radiographic parameters and anterior displacement (AD) and lateral displacement (LD) of the psoas major muscle. RESULTS: AD was demonstrated in 15 cases with ASD and nine cases with LSS (p>0.05). LD was observed in 13 cases with ASD and no cases with LSS (p < 0.01). The Cobb angle was significantly greater in cases with AD than in those without AD (p=0.04). PT, LL, PI–LL, and Cobb angle were significantly greater in cases with LD (p < 0.05). All cases with LD had AD, but no case without AD had LD (p < 0.001). The side of greater displacement at L4/5 and the convex side of the lumbar curve were consistent in all cases. CONCLUSIONS: Despite AD being observed in LSS as well, LD was observed only in the ASD group. Radiographic parameters were worse when LD was seen, rather than AD.
Adult ; Animals ; Congenital Abnormalities ; Humans ; Incidence ; Lordosis ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Posture ; Psoas Muscles ; Rheumatic Diseases ; Scoliosis ; Spinal Stenosis

Background: and Purpose Although numerous measures for stroke exist, stroke remains one of the leading causes of death in Japan. In this study, we aimed to determine the long-term survival rate after first-ever stroke using data from a large-scale population-based stroke registry study in Japan. Methods: Part of the Shiga Stroke and Heart Attack Registry, the Shiga Stroke Registry is an ongoing population-based registry study of stroke, which covers approximately 1.4 million residents of Shiga Prefecture in Japan. A total 1,880 patients with non-fatal first-ever stroke (among 29-day survivors after stroke onset) registered in 2011 were followed up until December 2016. Five-year cumulative survival rates were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method, according to subtype of the index stroke. Cox proportional hazards models were used to assess predictors of subsequent all-cause death. Results: During an average 4.3-year follow-up period, 677 patients died. The 5-year cumulative survival rate after non-fatal first-ever stroke was 65.9%. Heterogeneity was present in 5-year cumulative survival according to stroke subtype: lacunar infarction, 75.1%; large-artery infarction, 61.5%; cardioembolic infarction, 44.9%; intracerebral hemorrhage, 69.1%; and subarachnoid hemorrhage, 77.9%. Age, male sex, Japan Coma Scale score on admission, and modified Rankin Scale score before stroke onset were associated with increased mortality during the chronic phase of ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke. Conclusions In this study conducted in a real-world setting of Japan, the 5-year survival rate after non-fatal first-ever stroke remained low, particularly among patients with cardioembolic infarction and large-artery infarction in the present population-based stroke registry.