RESUMEN

BACKGROUND: Surgical techniques used in the treatment of patients with high grade lumbar spondylolisthesis (> 50% slippage) are usually associated with a great deal of controversies. We aim to evaluate the surgical outcomes of high grade spondylolisthesis treated with an intraoperative temporary distraction rod. METHODS: We retrospectively studied 21 patients (14 females and 7 males), aged 50.4 ± 9.2 years, who had high grade lumbar spondylolisthesis that was treated with intraoperative temporary distraction rods, neural decompression, pedicular screw fixation, and posterolateral fusion involving one more intact upper vertebra. The mean follow-up period was 39.2 months. Radiologic and clinical outcomes were measured by slip angle, slip percentage, correction rate, Oswestry Disability Index (ODI), visual analogue scale (VAS), patient's satisfaction rate in the pre- and postoperative period. Data were analyzed by SPSS ver. 11.5. RESULTS: Analysis of the preoperative visits and final follow-up visits indicated that surgery could improve ODI, lumbar VAS, and leg VAS from 60.5% to 8.2%, from 6.7 to 2.2, and from 6.9 to 1.3, respectively. Slip angle and slip percentage were also changed from -8° to -15° and from 59.2% to 21.4%, respectively. Mean correction rate at the final follow-up visit was 64.1%. Loss of correction was insignificant and a neurologic complication occurred in one patient due to misplacement of one screw. Excellent and good levels of satisfaction were observed in 90.5% of the patients. CONCLUSIONS: In the surgical treatment of refractory high grade spondylolisthesis, the use of a temporary distraction rod to reduce the slipped vertebra in combination with neural decompression, posterolateral fusion, and longer instrumentation is associated with satisfactory clinical and radiologic outcomes.

Asunto(s)

Vértebras Lumbares/cirugía , Fusión Vertebral/métodos , Espondilolistesis/cirugía , Adulto , Clavos Ortopédicos , Descompresión Quirúrgica , Femenino , Humanos , Masculino , Persona de Mediana Edad , Estudios Retrospectivos , Fusión Vertebral/instrumentación , Resultado del Tratamiento

RESUMEN

BACKGROUND: Stabilization of fractures with an intramedullary nail is a widespread technique in the treatment of femoral shaft fractures in adults; however, to ream or not to ream is still being debated. OBJECTIVES: The primary objective of this study was to determine clinical results following unreamed versus ream intramedullary nailing of femoral fractures. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between January 2008 and August 2009, 50 patients with femoral shaft fractures were treated with unreamed or reamed femoral nails in our clinic. From this prospective single centre study, 16 patients were excluded due to insufficient follow-up data. According to the AO classification, fractures in this study were either type A or B. Dynamic proximal locking was performed in all cases. The remaining 34 patients were divided into two groups of 17 with ream or unream nailing. During and after the operation, we evaluated some variables in whole series. RESULTS: After statistical analyzes, we found that there were no differences in radiologic union time (P = 1) or full weight bearing time (P = 0.73) between ream and unream nailing. Nail breakage or iatrogenic fractures during nail insertion did not occur and we did not have any fat emboli in both groups but one secondary loss of reduction occurred in the unream group. Superficial infection after the operation was seen in one case which was treated successfully with antibiotics. In the ream group surgical time was about thirty minutes longer and differences were significant (P = 0.000). Patients had to pay more for ream nailing but the difference was not significant. We found no statistical difference between union time with or without reaming; on the other hand, there was significant increased operation length, blood loss and systemic changes in BP or So2 in the ream group versus the unream group. CONCLUSIONS: We advocate that unream nailing in traumatic femoral shaft fractures is a simple, safe and effective procedure with significant advantages, especially in multitrauma patients.

RESUMEN

OBJECTIVES: Multidrug resistance (MDR), which may be due to the over expression of P-glycoprotein (Pgp) and/or MRP, is a major problem in neoadjuvant chemotherapy of osteosarcoma. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of Tc-99m MIBI scan for predicting the response to pre-operative chemotherapy. METHODS: Twenty-five patients (12 males and 13 females, aged between 8 and 52y) with osteosarcoma were studied. Before the chemotherapy, planar (99m)Tc-MIBI anterior and posterior images were obtained 10-min [tumor-to-background ratio: (T1/B1)10min] and 3-hr after tracer injection. After completion of chemotherapy, again (99m)Tc-MIBI scan was performed at 10-min after tracer injection. In addition to calculation of decay corrected tumor to background (T/B) ratios, using the 10-min and 3-hr images of the pre-chemotherapy scintigraphy, percent wash-out rate (WR%) of (99m)Tc-MIBI was calculated. Using the 10-min images of the pre- and post-chemotherapy scans, the percent reduction in uptake at the tumor site after treatment (Red%) was also calculated. Then after surgical resection, tumor response was assessed by percentage of necrosis. RESULTS: All patients showed significant (99m)Tc-MIBI uptake in early images. Only 9 patients showed good response to chemotherapy (necrosis≥90%) while 16 patients were considered as non-responder (necrosis<90%). There was no statistical significant difference between non-responders and responders in (T1/B1)10min.There was a significant negative correlation between WR% and percentage of necrosis (P=0.001). On the other hand, there was a significant correlation between Red% and percentage of necrosis (P<0.001).There was also statistical significant difference in WR% and Red% between non-responders and responders (both P< 0.001). CONCLUSION: Washout rate of (99m)Tc-MIBI in pre-chemotherapy scintigraphy as well as Red% using pre- and post-chemotherapy MIBI scintigraphy are useful methods for predicting response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

RESUMEN

Simultaneous bilateral femoral neck fractures are extremely rare and associated with various conditions. Up to now Most cases had correlations with major trauma, repetitive minor trauma, seizure, parathyroid or renal dysfunction, anti-epileptic medications, seizure, etc. A 28-year-old addict man referred to us with a 10-year history of narcotic drug abuse and history of 8 months bilateral groin pain. He admitted with displaced bilateral femoral neck fracture. Because of long duration of this condition and osteonecrosis revealed on bone scan, one-staged bilateral hip hemiarthroplasty was done. A good function was noted after surgery to 4-month follow up. Up to now, have not be founded in the literature that a case of bilateral femoral neck fracture associated with narcotic drug abuse.Because of negative effects of opium or smoking on bone tissues, a simple bone pain should aware us about the risk of stress or fatigue fracture.