Objective: : This study aims to evaluate and compare the clinical and radiographic outcomes of patients with metastatic spinal tumors who underwent either short-segment fixation with anterior support or long-segment fixation with a separation surgery in the thoracic or lumbar spine. Methods: : We conducted a retrospective analysis of adult patients who were treated surgically for spinal metastases in the thoracic or lumbar spine at a single tertiary referral center between April 2014 and December 2022. Surgical treatments included spinal cord decompression, short-segment fixation with maximal circumferential debulking of the lytic tumor portion and anterior support, or longsegment fixation without anterior support, followed by separation surgery and posterolateral fusion. We compared the two fixation strategies based on patient demographics, preoperative diagnoses, surgical data, neurological assessments, and changes in segmental Cobb angles immediately after surgery, and at the final follow-up. Results: : A total of 91 patients were included (short-segment, 44; long-segment, 47). No significant differences were observed between the groups regarding age, sex, comorbidities, primary cancer location, postoperative complications, or reoperation rates. Furthermore, no significant differences in the sagittal Cobb angles, including global angle (thoracic kyphosis, lumbar lordosis) and segmental angle were noted from the preop to the final follow-up. Compared to traditional long-segment fixation, short-segment fixation with anterior support significantly improved neurological outcomes in the thoracic region and reduced the length of hospital stay. No significant differences were observed between the two groups regarding complications or other clinical outcomes. Conclusion : Short-segment fixation is comparable to long-segment fixation in the management of thoracolumbar metastatic spinal tumors, with no significant differences in radiographic outcomes. However, short-segment fixation provides the added advantages of improved neurological outcomes in the thoracic region and shorter hospital stays.

BACKGROUND: During laparoscopic surgery, high airway pressures are generally followed by a diaphragmatic shift and hyperventilation. We hypothesize that normocapnea can be maintained with the same amount of CO2 output (VCO2) during pneumoperitoneum (PP). METHODS: Six anesthetized rabbits were mechanically ventilated at a respiratory rate of 20/min with FIO2 0.5. At the end of the expiratory limb of the ventilator, the mean partial pressure of CO2 was measured. The internal carotid artery was catheterized. Baseline values for blood pressure, heart rate, arterial blood gas analysis, and ventilatory variables were obtained. CO2 gas was introduced into the peritoneum with an intra-abdominal pressure of 12 mmHg. The measurements at baseline and at PP1 were compared. The respiratory rate was changed from (20/min PP1, to 40/min PP2, 80/min PP3 or 120/min PP4) while calculating VCO2 and comparing ventilatory variables under PP at the same time. RESULTS: The peak inspiratory pressure (PIP) and tidal volume (VT) at PP1 increased, compared with baseline. With the same PaCO2, the VT decreased significantly from (45 +/- 8 ml PP1 to 29 +/- 5 ml PP2, 19 +/- 4 ml PP3 and 15 +/- 2 ml PP4), respectively. The PIP was reduced. However, the dead space to tidal volume ratio (VD/VT) was greater at higher RR during PP. CONCLUSIONS: PP increased the PIP and VT for the removal of overloaded CO2. Less VT at a higher respiratory rate could be used with the same amount of VCO2 during PP. However, the VD/VT was elevated by the induction of PP and by the increase in respiratory rate.
Blood Gas Analysis ; Blood Pressure ; Carbon ; Carotid Artery, Internal ; Catheters ; Extremities ; Heart Rate ; Hyperventilation ; Laparoscopy ; Partial Pressure ; Peritoneum ; Pneumoperitoneum ; Rabbits ; Respiratory Rate ; Tidal Volume ; Ventilators, Mechanical

Osteonecrosis of the femoral head is an idiopathic, debilitating and progressive disease. A number of traumatic or non-traumatic animal models have been reported for research on osteonecrosis. This study was performed to compare the efficacy of femoral head osteonecrosis in rabbits by traumatic and non-traumatic methods. Twenty-seven New Zealand White rabbits were divided into three experimental groups, nine heads each. Two groups were surgically induced into osteonecrosis; a steel cerclage wire was ligated tightly around the neck of the right femoral head (Group W), and the femoral neck was tied with a cerclage wire in the same way as in the W group, and burned by attachment of an electrode tip to the wire and then the wire was removed (Group B). The other group was induced into osteonecrosis with a single intra-muscular injection of 20 mg/kg methyl-prednisolone acetate single injection (Group M). In the control group, the left femoral head of animals in group W and B was used. After two weeks, rabbits were sacrificed and the femoral head and neck were collected. Osteonecrosis of the femoral head was evaluated by radiography, histology and immunohistology methods. Osteonecrosis lesions in the femoral head were identified in traumatic models of groups W and B. Cartilage degeneration in the superficial layer and TUNEL positive cells in the femoral head were detected more in Group B than in Group W. These findings revealed that short-term induced osteonecrosis of the femoral head was effectively achieved by cautery around the femoral neck.
Animals ; Burns ; Cartilage ; Cautery ; Electrodes ; Femur Neck ; Head ; In Situ Nick-End Labeling ; Models, Animal ; Neck ; Osteonecrosis ; Rabbits ; Steel