Objectives: To determine a standardized spinal cord contusion model and a method for motor assessment in rats with paraplegia. Methods: This study used 20 Wistar rats divided into 4 groups according to level of severity of spinal cord injury; standardized intermediate lesions were made through system MASCIS IMPACTOR (Multicenter Animal Spinal Cord Injury Study): group 1, 12.5mm (mild injury); group 2,25mm (moderate injury); group 3,50mm (severe injury; in the group 4 the animals suffered no injury (control group). Motor function was assessed after 48 hours, using the scale proposed by Basso, Beattie and Bresnahan. Results: Using the model, we observed that the mild contusions (12.5mm height) were effective, and the animals presented acute urinary tract infection one week after the injury. Moderate contusions (25mm height) were effective, and the animals presented urinary infection until 2 weeks after injury. The severe contusions (50mm height) were effective, and the animals presented urinary infection for 3 to 4 weeks and autophagy. Conclusion: The model of spinal cord injury using the system MASCIS IMPACTOR and the functional assessment proposed by Basso, Beattie and Bresnahan is reproducible and can be used, enabling information exchange among different researchers.

Lead poisoning can result in severe clinical disorders that require rapid treatment. In this case, both clinical and surgical treatments led to complete resolution of the symptoms.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis in school children from 10 to 14 years in public schools in Goiânia, GO, Brazil. METHODS: In a cross-sectional study, 476 students were randomly selected from 5 public schools, from a total of 33,343 students distributed in 162 schools. These subjects received the informed consent prior, which was returned after being signed by parents on physical examination day. We evaluated the symmetry of the shoulders, the scapulae, the triangle-cut, the hip evenness and the Adams test. In suspected cases, students were referred to panoramic radiographs of the spine. RESULTS: 418 students participated in the study (adjusted sampling error of 3.2%). Of this total, 31 students were suspected of scoliosis (17 males and 14 females). Twenty-eight students took radiographs, of which 18 were diagnosed with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (11 female and 7 male), determining the prevalence of 4.3%. The chi-square test suggested no statistical difference in prevalence between the sexes. One student had congenital scoliosis. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis in the public schools of Goiânia is 4.3%. Level of Evidence III, Study of Nonconsecutive Patients.

Objective: To evaluate the effects of methylprednisolone used prior to spinal injury, both in relation to possible beneficial effects and to possible associated complications. Materials and methods: The study subjects were 32 Wister rats, divided into 4 groups. Two groups received drugs A (placebo) and B (methylprednisolone) immediately after the injury. Another 2 groups received the same drugs 4 hours before the injury. They were all evaluated over a period of 28 days to verify locomotor function and associated complications. Results: The 4 groups were compared in terms of weight and age. No statistically significant difference was found between the study groups in relation to mean weight and age. In the comparison of intercurrences among the 4 groups a statistically significant difference was found in deaths (p = 0.047), where the Drug B T-0 group exhibited a significantly lower proportion of deaths (0%) than that found in the Drug B T-4 group (55.6%). There was no statistical difference among these groups in terms of motor and complication rates (p > 0.05 in all the comparisons). Conclusions: the animals treated with methylprednisolone four hours before the injury trauma presented a significantly higher number of deaths than the rats treated with the same drug after the injury.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effects of monosialoganglioside (GM1) administered transdermally with laser in the recovery of spinal cord injury in rats. METHODS: Forty male Wistar rats underwent spinal cord contusion using the NYU Impactor. In Group 1, the rats received 0,2 ml of saline intraperitoneally daily; in Group 2, GM1 was administered intraperitoneally at a concentration of 30 mg/kg per day; in Group 3, rats were treated daily with laser at low temperature on the skin, and in Group 4, the daily laser session also contained GM1. All the groups were treated for 42 days. The animals were evaluated by the Basso, Baettie and Bresnahan (BBB) functional scale on days 7, 14, 21, 28, 35 and 42 after the injury, and by histopathology and motor evoked potential after 42 days of injury. RESULTS: The animals in Group 4 had higher BBB scores compared with the other groups. There were no differences between the groups, or in the comparisons over time. Histological evaluation showed no differences, and no differences were found in the motor evoked potential tests either. CONCLUSION: GM1 associated with the use of low-temperature laser shows no superior functional, neurological or histological results in the treatment of spinal cord lesions in rats. Evidence Level I, Experimental, Controlled, Animal Study.

Objective: To evaluate the results from transposition of the triceps for elbow flexion in patients with chronic and complete injury to the upper trunk of the brachial plexus. Methods: This was a retrospective study, including only patients who had biceps grade 0 and triceps grade 5, who underwent anterior transfer of the triceps muscle, performed between 1998 and 2005. The affected side, sex, type of accident, strength of elbow flexion, complications and patient satisfaction were investigated in 11 cases. Results: 10 patients were male; the age range was from 24 to 49 years, with a mean of 33.7 years. The minimum time between injury and surgery was 21 months (range 21-74 months). The left side was affected in eight cases, and the right only in three. Good results were obtained in 10 patients, who acquired elbow flexion strength of grade 3 (two cases) and grade 4 (eight cases), while one evolved unfavorably with grade 2 strength. Two cases had complications (initial compartment syndrome and insufficient tensioning). All the patients said that they were satisfied with the procedure. Conclusion: Anterior transposition of the triceps muscle provided patient satisfaction in all cases except one, attaining strength grade 4 in eight cases, grade 3 in two cases and grade 2 in one case.

Objective: The aim of this study was to histologically compare the axonal sprouting after end-to-side neurorrhaphy with or without epineurotomy. Methods: twenty male Wistar rats were used, divided into two groups of 10 rats each. A 1.0cm segment of the tibial nerve E was dried and sutured on the opposite side, where it was sutured into the sciatic nerve D. In Group I, the suture was made directly in the epineurium and in Group II, epineurotomy was performed. After 4 weeks, histological evaluation was carried out of the transposed segment and the sciatic nerve distal to the suture. Results: the results showed a small number of

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