Data Trace Editor

Prasanna K. Venkatesh, Catherine Moran, and Ciaran Bolger INTRODUCTION Low back pain is one of the most prevalent problems in industrialized countries, affecting nearly 80% of adults at some time in their lives.1 A variety of pathologies cause low back pain, most common among them degenerative disc disease. It has been postulated that annular tears, … Read more

Kazuhiro Hasegawa and Kei Watanabe INTRODUCTION Posterior decompression surgery is the first choice of treatment for lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) if conservative treatment fails. The goal of decompression is to relieve pressure on the nerve tissues while preserving the segmental stability. Because of the possible increase in the instability following a wide laminectomy,1-5 traditional decompression … Read more

Kajsa Rennerfelt, Deep Sharma, and Helena Brisby INTRODUCTION Degenerative spondylolisthesis is defined as “an acquired anterior displacement of one vertebra over the subjacent vertebra in the sagittal plane, associated with degenerative changes, without an associated disruption or defect in the vertebral ring” (referring to the NASS (North American Spine Society) Guidelines).1 While displacement in other … Read more

Hanna Hebelka and Helena Brisby INTRODUCTION Degenerative spondylolisthesis (DS) is an acquired sagittal translation of one vertebra relative to the subjacent one, without a pars interarticularis defect, caused by degenerative changes.1-3 DS is commonly referred to as an anterolisthesis even though it may also be a retrolisthesis, but to a lesser extent. The most common … Read more

Peter Försth and Helena Brisby NON-OPERATIVE TREATMENT There is strong evidence for the use of surgery in the treatment of lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) with or without degenerative spondylolisthesis (DS).1-4 However, a conservative approach for up to 6 months can be recommended as there is a chance of spontaneous improvement and a possibility for the … Read more

Timo Stubig, Michael Grevitt, Christian W. Mueller INTRODUCTION Thoracic and thoracolumbar injuries with significant vertebral comminution and/or ligamentous instability may result in mechanical instability or compression of neural elements. The optimal therapy for thoracolumbar and lumbar spine fractures is not clear. Although different countries and institutions claim to provide optimal care, the evidence is largely … Read more

Thomas Zweig and Ulrich Berlemann INTRODUCTION According to the United Nation’s World Health Organization (WHO), osteoporosis is among the ten most important “world diseases.” The extent of this problem is not only due to fractures of the peripheral skeletal system (neck of femur and the wrist), but even more due to fractures of the spine. … Read more

Daniel Haschtmann and Stefan Dudli INTRODUCTION Until now, the question whether spine trauma in the specific case is associated with damage of the intervertebral disc that ultimately leads to organ degeneration, remains controversial. There are conflicting data in clinical as well as in experimental studies. The biological cues of posttraumatic disc degeneration (DD) and idiopathic … Read more

Christoph E. Albers and Lorin M. Benneker INTRODUCTION Reportedly, nine to fifteen percent of sports injuries affect the spinal column.1-3 The majority of these injuries are benign myofascial strains responding well to physical therapy without mid- or long-term impact on athletic performance. However, more severe injuries may occur including fractures or osseous instability, disco-ligamentous instability … Read more

Adriaan Hendrik Botha and Robert N. Dunn CORE CURRICULUM Introduction What is the incidence of gunshot injuries to the spine? What is the epidemiology of gunshot injuries to the lumbar spine? What are the cost implications of these injuries? How were these injuries managed previously? Describe the ballistics of gunshot injuries How do we define … Read more