No abstract

MRI was accurate for differentiation of tuberculous spondylitis from pyogenic spondylitis.

A study was performed to determine which magnetic resonance (MR) imaging findings are useful in discrimination between metastatic compression fractures and acute osteoporotic compression fractures of the spine. The MR imaging findings in 27 patients with metastatic compression fractures and 55 patients with acute osteoporotic compression fractures were compared by using the chi(2) test. MR imaging findings suggestive of metastatic compression fractures were as follows: a convex posterior border of the vertebral body, abnormal signal intensity of the pedicle or posterior element, an epidural mass, an encasing epidural mass, a focal paraspinal mass, and other spinal metastases. MR imaging findings suggestive of acute osteoporotic compression fractures were as follows: a low-signal-intensity band on T1- and T2-weighted images, spared normal bone marrow signal intensity of the vertebral body, retropulsion of a posterior bone fragment, and multiple compression fractures. The signal intensity on fast spin-echo T2-weighted images obtained without fat suppression played little role in distinguishing between metastatic compression fractures and acute osteoporotic compression fractures.

Instrumented posterolateral lumbar/lumbosacral fusion can be a cause of SIJ degeneration. SIJ degeneration develops more often in patients undergoing lumbosacral fusion regardless of the number of fusion segments.

On the contrary to S. epidermidis, adherence and biofilm formation of M. tuberculosis on implant surface are less likely, and it can provide the basis of successful instrumentation in spine tuberculosis.

No abstract

Patients with preoperative disc degeneration at an adjacent segment were more at risk for the development of ASD. Other risk factors including instrumentation configuration were not significantly associated with ASD. There was no correlation between both the radiological development of ASD and its clinical outcome and the clinical outcome of patients with and without ASD.

This study suggests that preoperative segmental instability may be a criterion determining whether an additional PLIF would be beneficial in the treatment of lumbar DS.