A single intrathecal injection of 0.2 mg of morphine safely reduces postoperative pain following lumbar fusion.

Oblique dural puncture was not associated with increased incidence of postoperative CSF leakage. This safe and reliable method of delivery of ITM should therefore be routinely considered in lumbar spine surgery.

LE JOURNAL CANADIEN DES SCIENCES NEUROLOGIQUESSuppl. 2 -S11 variables on diagnosis of epilepsy. Diagnostic concordance between SSC nurses and epileptologists was also assessed. Results: Predominant referral sources were emergency department physicians and general practitioners. Mean wait-time for fi rst assessment was significantly reduced by 70.5% employing the SSC model versus historical usual care. A diagnosis was established at fi rst-contact in 80.5% of cases while 16.0% of patients required a second visit. Eighty-two patients (41.0%) were diagnosed with epilepsy. The most common non-seizure diagnosis was syncope (24.0%). An abnormal EEG was found in 93.9% of patients diagnosed with epilepsy. Sixty-three patients were started on anti-epileptic drugs. In 18% of cases driving restrictions were initiated by the SSC. There was moderate correlation between SSC nurses and physicians (kappa=0.54; p<0.001) diagnoses. Conclusions: The SSC model reduces wait-times, streamlines assessments, and impacts clinical care decisions.

Objective: While acute disc-herniation radiculopathy frequently resolves without clinical sequelae, some patients experience long-term sensory or motor dysfunction. This study examined chronic sensitivity of the rodent hindpaw after resolution of an acute inflammatory neuropathy. Methods: C57BL/6 mice underwent mid-thigh sciatic nerve exposure, with sham animals exposed and experimental animals injured by placement of littermate tail nucleus pulposus (NP). Animals were evaluated for mechanical allodynia (Von Frey), thermal sensitivity (heat withdrawal and acetone latency), and gait stability (RotaRod), until the acute nociceptive phenotype resolved. Thereafter, animals were injected with intraplantar subthreshold capsaicin or vehicle followed by the same testing. At sacrifice, sciatic nerves were assessed for macrophage infiltration by immunohistochemistry, and dorsal root ganglion (DRG) explants were assessed for capsaicin sensitivity using cobalt staining. Results: NP-treated animals were allodynic after subthreshold capsaicin delivery compared with sham-operated controls and NP-treated animals delivered vehicle only. Early intraneural macrophage infiltration at one week dissipated by this three week timepoint. DRGs derived from NPtreated animals exhibited greater cobalt staining upon capsaicin exposure compared with shams. Conclusion: Non-compressive disc herniation creates long-term sensitization in the sciatic nerve distribution. This persists despite resolution of acute intraneural macrophage migration, and the demonstrated role of TRPV1 provides insight into the transformation of acute inflammatory pain into chronic neuropathic pain.