Lumbar spinal stenosis has become one of the most disabling pathologies in the elderly population.Some additional conditions such as foraminal stenosis or degenerative spondylosis with a history of back pain and leg pain must be considered before treatment.A completely appropriate protocol and unified management of spinal stenosis have not yet been well defined.The objective of this literature review is to provide evidence-based recommendations reflected in the highest-quality clinical literature available to address key clinical questions surrounding the management of degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis.Cite this article: Covaro A, Vilà-Canet G, García de Frutos A, Ubierna MT, Ciccolo F, Caceres E. Management of degenerative lumbar spinal stenosis: an evidence-based review article. EFORT Open Rev 2016;1:267-274. DOI: 10.1302/2058-5241.1.000030.

The raise of intradiscal pressure at the adjacent segment to a rigid instrumented segment can be reduced when the rigid construct is augmented with a dynamic stabilization device. Hybrid constructs might have a possible protecting role preventing the occurrence of degenerative disc changes at the adjacent segment to a rigid instrumented level. Augmentation with a dynamic stabilization device might protect the disc above a rigid rod pedicle screw construct.

Background: The objective of this study is to compare surgical results (pain, function, and satisfaction) between a group of depressed patients and a nondepressed group who had been operated on for a degenerative lumbar condition.Methods: Prospective observational study. Preoperative pain (lumbar and radicular visual analog scale [VAS]), function (Oswestry Disability Index [ODI]), and depression (Zung depression scale) data were collected in patients listed to be operated on for a lumbar degenerative condition. One year postoperatively, ODI and VAS data were collected again as well as a satisfaction question (are you satisfied with the surgical results? Yes/no).Results: Ninety-seven patients were included in the study, 78 nondepressed patients (80.4%) and 19 depressed patients (19.6%). Preoperatively, depressed patients had more lumbar pain (P ¼ .00) and more functional limitation (P ¼ .01) than nondepressed patients. One year postoperatively, depressed patients had more radicular pain (P ¼ .029) and more functional limitation (P ¼ .03) than non-depressed patients. The overall improvement of pain and function was similar between both groups (not significant). Seventy percent of depressed patients and 80% of nondepressed patients were satisfied with the surgical outcome (P ¼ .52) 1 year postoperatively.Conclusion: Depressed patients experience the same overall level of improvement as nondepressed patients, despite having more pain and functional limitation preoperatively and 1 year after elective lumbar spine surgery than nondepressed patients. The level of satisfaction does not differ significantly between the two groups.

Patients' expectations remained very high despite having had a failed previous surgery for the same procedure.

An appropriate protocol and unified management of thoracolumbar fractures without neurological impairment has not been well defined.This review attempts to elucidate some controversies regarding diagnostic tools, the ability to define the most appropriate treatment of classification systems and the evidence for conservative and surgical methods based on the recent literature.Cite this article: Vilà-Canet G, García de Frutos A, Covaro A, Ubierna MT, Caceres E. Thoracolumbar fractures without neurological impairment: a review of diagnosis and treatment. EFORT Open Rev 2016;1:332-338. DOI: 10.1302/2058-5241.1.000029

Study DesignRetrospective analysis of prospectively collected data.PurposeTo describe the radiological characteristics of the occipitocervical area in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) using the novel measure X-angle and to describe the correlation between the ankylosed occipitoatlantoaxial (OAA) joint and thoracic kyphosis (TK).Overview of LiteratureAS affects the axial skeleton, leading to progressive ankylosis of all vertebral segments. The effect of ankylosis on the upper cervical area of these patients is not well documented.MethodsAll patients with complete ankylosis of the spinal column between C3 and T1, treated for cervical spinal fracture between 2007 and 2014, were eligible for inclusion in this study. The level of cervical fracture was identified. The T1–12 and T5–12 angles were measured using preoperative lateral radiography. The progressive degeneration of the C0-C1-C2 joints was evaluated via the new indicator X-angle, through the measurement of the angle of the C0-C1-C2 articulations in the coronal plane using computed tomography.ResultsWe included 86 consecutive patients with AS (67 males) aged 69±12 years. The patients were divided into two groups according to the degenerative change in the C0–C1 joint (62 patients with a mobile joint and 24 patients with an ankylosed joint). There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of age (p =0.094) and level of fracture (p =0.949). The most commonly affected level was C6. There was no requirement for revision due to non-union in any of the patients. There was a statistically significant difference observed in the T1–12, T5–12, and X-angles (p =0.004, 0.001, and <0.001, respectively). TK was greater in the ankylosed joint group than in the mobile joint group. The X-angle was also greater in the ankylosed joint group because of the vertical destruction of the OAA joint.ConclusionsThoracic hyperkyphosis resulted in degenerative changes in the C0-C1-C2 joint in patients with AS. The X-angle is a reliable method for measuring the integrity of the C0-C1-C2 joint in such patients.

Study Design:This was a retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data.Objective:The effect of C0-C1-C2 cervical ankylosis in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is not documented. The objective of this study is to describe the radiological characteristics of the occipitocervical junction in patients with AS operated for a cervical fracture and to correlate them with their clinical evolution.Materials and Methods:Analysis of patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) treated in a single institution of a cervical vertebral fracture between 2007 and 2014 who were prospectively followed through the SWESPINE registry. The integrity of the C0–C1–C2 joints was determined and classified into fused and nonfused joints. By determining the angle between C0–C1 and C1–C2 joints in the coronal view of the computed tomography scan (X-angle), the progressive degeneration of these joints was described. Intra- and inter-observer reliability of this test was determined. The instruments of health-related quality of life (QOL) and disability were EQ5D and Oswestry disability index (ODI), respectively.Results:A total of 86 patients with AS treated surgically for cervical fracture had complete facet ankylosis between C3 and T1 due to their pathology. Mean age 69.2 years (standard deviation [SD]: 11.7). The most common level of fracture was in C5–C6. In 24 patients, the C0–C1 joint was fused, and in 15 patients, C1–C2 joint was fused. The intra- and inter-class reliabilities for X-angle measurement were very high (intraclass correlation coefficients = 0.94; 0.92). The mean X-angle was 125° (SD: 12) in nonfused patients and 136° (SD: 14) in fused patients (P < 0.001). There were no differences in QOL and disability at 2 years between the two groups: EQ5D-index of 0.54 and 0.55 (P = 0.5), ODI of 26.4 and 24, (P = 0.35) respectively.Conclusions:X-angle is a reliable measure for joint integrity C0–C1–C2 in patients with AS. Total cervical ankylosis including the C0-C1-C2 segments is not related to poorer QOL and disability in these patients.

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