RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Titanium and polyetheretherketone (PEEK) implants have been used in spinal surgery with low rejection rates. Compared to titanium, PEEK has many advantages, including a density more similar to that of bone, radiolucency, and a lack of artifacts in computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). In this study, we evaluated the effectiveness of PEEK cages as an alternative to titanium for bone fusion after fractures of the thoracolumbar spine. We also propose a classification to the impaction index. METHODS: We evaluated 77 patients with fractures of the thoracic or lumbar spine who were treated by anterior fixation with titanium cages (TeCorp®) in 46 (59.7%) patients or PEEK (Verte-stak®) in 31 (40.3%) patients from 2006 to 2012 (Neurological Hospital of Lyon). RESULTS: The titanium group achieved 100% fusion, and the PEEK group achieved 96.3% fusion. The titanium systems correlated with higher impact stress directed toward the lower and upper plateaus of the fused vertebrae; there were no nonunions for those treated with titanium group. Nevertheless, there was only one in the PEEK group. There was no significant difference in the pain scale outcomes for patients with ±10 degrees of the sagittal angle. Statistically, it is not possible to associate the variation of sagittal alignment or the impaction with symptoms of pain. The complication rate related to the implantation of cages was low. CONCLUSIONS: Titanium and PEEK are thus equally effective options for the reconstruction of the anterior column. PEEK is advantageous because its radiolucency facilitates the visualization of bone bridges.
RESUMO
São descritos os pontos craniométricos e, a partir deles, definidos os pontos referenciais e as linhas para delimitar os principais acessos cranianos: pterional, fronto-orbital, frontobasal, frontal, temporal anterior, parietal, occipital, suboccipital e pontos de punção dos cornos frontal e occipital do ventrículo lateral.
Craniometric points are described, and from them, set the reference points and lines to delimit the main cranial approaches: pterional, fronto-orbital, frontobasal, frontal, anterior temporal, parietal, occipital, suboccipital and points for puncture of the frontal and occipital horns of the lateral ventricles.
Assuntos
Humanos , Craniotomia , Crânio/anatomia & histologia , Crânio/cirurgia , CefalometriaRESUMO
We describe the surgical technique of expansive cervical laminoplasty and analyse the results in 28 patients treated by this method for cervical spondylotic myelopathy with a minimum follow-up of six months. Twenty-four patients (86%) had clinical improvement according to the Nurick scale while three (10%) had no improvement and one patient died on the first days post-operatively. The good results achieved demonstrate that this technique is simple, effective and has few complications on the treatment of spondylotic myelopathy.
Assuntos
Vértebras Cervicais/cirurgia , Laminectomia/métodos , Espondiloartropatias/cirurgia , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Vértebras Cervicais/diagnóstico por imagem , Feminino , Seguimentos , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Índice de Gravidade de Doença , Espondiloartropatias/diagnóstico por imagem , Tomografia Computadorizada por Raios X , Resultado do TratamentoRESUMO
We report the case of a 22-year-old man victim of penetrating brain injury due to a 15 x 12 asbestos fragment and a successfully treatment via decompressive craniectomy. Unlike gunshot wounds to the head, penetrating brain injury from low energy objects are unusual. Most cases reported involve cranio-orbitary injuries as well as self inflicted lesions in mentally ill patients. The reported case is noteworthy due to the large dimensions of the foreign body, the treatment via decompressive craniectomy and the good patient functional outcome.